To Be More Blessed Than Mary

Tonight during family devotion, we read a short reading from Jonathan Edwards based on Luke 11:27-28:

While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Edwards brought up the passages in Luke 1:28 and Luke 1:48-49, where Mary is called "highly favored," "blessed among women," and one who "from henceforth all generations" shall call her blessed. Indeed quite a blessing to be chosen as Edwards puts it "the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that Creator of the world, and the Savior of sinners and the Judge of angels and men."

But then Edwards goes on to focus on the Luke 11 passage. Apparently one listening to the teachings of Jesus broke out in praise and blessed the mother of Jesus, Mary. He goes on to point out the response of Jesus to this statement. Jesus says, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." Edwards writes:

How great a privilege was it to this young virgin to conceive in her womb and hold in her arms and suckle at her breasts, a Child who was the Son of the highest, who was the great and eternal and infinitely beloved Son of God, the Creator and mighty Governor of heaven and earth and the great Savior of mankind. . . . But hearing and keeping the word of God renders a person more blessed than any of those privileges. . . .The woman to who Christ directed himself in the text had been hearing the word externally. Christ therefore here informs her that if she not only hears but keeps this word, he will render her more blessed than that privilege that she spoke of.

Do we believe that today? Can we imagine that we can be more blessed than Mary was, who experienced the wonderful privileges mentioned above? Well, Jesus tell us that we can and are more blessed than Mary if we hear His words and obey them. Indeed as an English speaking nation, we have to quote Dan Wallace, "an embarrassment of riches" when it comes to the Word of God. We have multitudes of translations in our language. But do we avail ourselves of these riches. Jesus tells us that if we will read, hear, and obey His word, we will be blessed. What a wonderful promise to remember this Christmas. Do we believe this promise? Well, do we read His word? Do we hear it faithfully preached? Do we obey it? If so, we are indeed most highly blessed. Even more so than being the mother or even a blood relative of Jesus (Matthew 12:47-50)

This devotion came from a book entitled "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas." It contains 22 reading from various authors focusing on the incarnation of Christ. I highly recommend it to you for your edification and use during this season.

History of the English Bible

There are a lot of great seminary level lectures at Biblical Training.org. Here are a few from Daniel Wallace - one of the foremost NT textual experts. You may not agree with everything he says especially about translations, but these are very beneficial.

Angry at God?

I can recall in my teenage and early 20 years hear individuals say things like it was okay to be angry with God when you experience tragedies like the loss of loved ones and illnesses. In Edward Welch's book, "Addictions - A Banquet in the Grave," he writes the following about being angry with God in relationship to how God's holiness has been forgotten today:

Over the last thirty years, one of the remarkable changes within the Christian community has been the fact that we not only acknowledge anger with God, we tacitly approve it. Throughout history, people have wrestled with God's hand in our suffering, and some people would harbor anger against him because they deemed him unfair or unjust. Rarely, however, would such anger be voiced. When it was, there was always a sense that lightning could strike momentarily. Yet now, under the banner of openness and "God can take it," it is acceptable to be angry with God. But God is God. He is the king, and we are his servants (Rom. 6:22). We are his, and he has the right to bring whatever he wants into our lives. And who are we to stand in judgement of God's justice? Isn't that saying that we are the epitome of justice rather than saying that God's justice is holy, higher than our own? Who are we to critique God's love, especially when we are witnesses of the cross? God's love is a holy love. We cannot compare it to the love of a person. Instead, it is greater than anything we can imagine. If we don't see it in our immediate circumstances, it is because we are equating love with getting what we want. God's love, however, always has a larger view. It is more sophisticated - deeper and more multifaceted - than we know.

How true this is. We often think it is God's job to give us what we want or He really does not love us. Let us read how those of the past who have patiently endured suffering and tragedy in their lives and endures them knowing that God's love was true and His works in their lives were always from His love and for their absolute best. Welsh goes on to say:

The corrective is to keep the cross and resurrection in view. The cross displays holy love. The cross also indicated that sin is not something to be trifled with. It called down the wrath of God, and demanded a payment that we could never make ourselves. Only the cross can speak simultaneously about holy justice and holy love.

I am sure if Jesus would have demonstrated our view of God's love at times, then he would have questioned the love of the Father towards Him. But scripture proclaims that the Father has always loved the Son even when He bore the wrath of the Father for His people. May we with the Hebrews writer remember:

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:7-11)

Angry with God? May it never be. Not when what awaits you is peace, holiness, and righteousness.

Video Evidence as Truth

Well, tonight I watch yet again another documentary discussing the theories behind the assassination of JFK. This one was slightly different discussing all the events that have occurred in the years since the assassination with respect to finding out what really happened. It sort of ended by saying that the truth perhaps lies hidden in unrevealed video that was taken on that day and will one day be revealed. I have to wonder, however, if that will even persuade people. Every week I watch college football games where plays are reviewed by video from different angles and even when the video evidence seems to show what really happened, it fails to convince the referees who decide just the opposite of the video evidence.

People often believe only what they want to believe. It sort of reminds me of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus told by Jesus. I believe it was Abraham who told the rich man that even if a man rose from the dead it would not convince his brothers to turn from their sinful ways (Luke 16:19-31). And in fact, that is just what happened with the results being that those who fought against Christ tried to cover it up - talk about a conspiracy story that is still being told even to this day (Matthew 28:11-15). You can't intellectually convince one into the Kingdom. In a similar way, just observing the miraculous works of God will not do it either (just look at the Egyptians during the Exodus or the Pharisees of Jesus' time). Once again, a reminder that God has to regenerate the heart in the new birth first, which will then produce a recognition and acceptance of truth, leading to Godly repentance and true faith.

The Biblical View of Addictions

I have been reading and will re-read a book by Edward T. Welch called "Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave." Of course with such a dark title, the subtitle really presents the positive side of the book which is "Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel." It consist of two parts. The first part deals with defining addictions from a Biblical and theological basic. While this part is interesting and needed in today's culture of psychology's Godless approach to sin and how to deal with it, the second part has been most beneficial to me. The second part, which is the longest part, focuses on the Biblical aspect of fighting besetting sins and assisting others in such a fight.

It is one of the best books I have ever read on the practical aspect of fighting those habitual sins with which every believer deals and assisting fellow believers who also struggle with these besetting sins. I would say that while an unbeliever can benefit from this book (mainly hearing the gospel), the main focus is for believers. The gospel is the beginning of overcoming these sins. If one have not coming to a saving faith in the person and work of Christ, then really this book will not make sense to them. It is full of so much good information that I intend to present some of it here as time allows during my re-read of it over the next several weeks. I would encourage you to get a copy and read this book over and over until its ideas are ingrained in your mind. Of course, if you do this you will be putting God's word into your mind and practice for that is where he gets the main thought of his book.

The Value of God's Word

Last week during worship, the following text was read from Psalm 119:

The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:72)

I have to admit that one of the first thoughts that came into my mind upon hearing it read was what would I do if someone offered me thousands of gold and silver pieces to completely remove God's word from my life now and for the rest of my life. I wondered do I value God's word more than riches.

Without a doubt, one of the gods of America is riches. It is a god and the worship of riches is idolatry. In fact, to worship the god of riches is in direct violation of the law of God which commands us to worship Him alone and have no other gods before Him.

But for believers, this statement by David should ring true in our lives. We should be as I believe Charles Spurgeon said of John Bunyan:

Prick him anywhere; and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God.

We should pursue and value the knowledge and application of God's word as the world pursues riches. May God grant us faith that believes this truth and with the power of the Holy Spirit working in us produces an obedience to God's word that will bring Him glory and will be for our absolute best.

This morning in worship, we sang the song, "My Lord, I Did Not Choose You" written by Josiah Conder. It was once again a powerful reminder to me of God's grace over every aspect on my entire existence. My whole life is all of his grace and I can only boast and glory in Christ alone. As our Pastor has been preaching through Genesis, one can see this truth consistently brought forth as God's sovereign choice is evident and no man can boast in anything of himself. As John writes in his gospel:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12)

May God grant that I never forget the glorious humbling truth presented in this song. The words are found here.