The Heaton File

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31)

One Man Against Six Hundred

Daniel described the Roman Empire as a nation of iron in his message to Nebuchadnezzar. The image seen by the Babylonian king represented four kingdoms that would rule the world but none of the four nations would be as powerful as the fourth kingdom of iron. When the Roman Empire spread its wings throughout the world no power could stand in its way. No kingdom of man has been so vast controlling such a large area of land as the Romans. They were a fierce and brutal army. Soldiers of the Romans were highly trained, disciplined and without mercy. It was this army the Jews delivered Jesus of Nazareth to be crucified.

The mock trials of the Jews and Romans had been completed. God’s people railed against His Son for Him to be crucified. Pilate’s feeble plea was ignored. Bowing to the will of the people, the spineless ruler sent Jesus to the scourging pole to be beaten severely in one of the most inhumane acts of cruelty. The Romans soldiers were not finished with their victim. They took the man from Nazareth into their barracks and gathered the whole garrison around Him. The number varied from 400 – 600 men. Elite soldiers of the governor stood against one man. In the middle of the dimly lit room filled with smoke and sweat, one man stood silent before His tormentors.

Jesus had survived the brutal scourging. His back was inflamed with ribbons of flesh clotting against his clothing. As the soldiers laughed and mocked Him, they tore off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. Wincing with unyielding pain, Jesus stood quietly as they pierced His head with a crown of thorns. His right hand barely could hold the reed they forced on Him. Six hundred men were having sport with a destitute, broken man. Laughter filled the room as vile men did their best to humiliate their victim. Bowing their knee before Jesus, the garrison mocked the supposed King of the Jews. Their treatment of Jesus was more severe because He claimed to be a king. They filled their mouths with mucus and spit on Jesus covering His face with their phlegm. Taking the reed from His hand they struck the Lord repeatedly on the head driving the thorns deeper. Searing pain wracked His body as Jesus of Nazareth endured the mocking of six hundred men.

Six hundred powerful soldiers of the governor, who treated their victim without mercy, surrounded Jesus Christ. He said nothing. He did nothing. The mockery, the pain, the weakness and the torture was more than any man could bear. In the midst of six hundred men – stood the Son of God. He had created the world. He had created the men who treated Him so vile. By the Finger of God, Jesus of Nazareth healed every disease, raised the dead, cast out demons and walked on water. When He stood in the midst of six hundred Roman soldiers, there would be no healing, no power and no miracle. In quiet submission, the Son of God bowed to the Father’s will. The worst was yet to come. When the soldiers tired of their sport, they took the Son of God to Golgotha and nailed Him to a cross. It was there He finally spoke. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Six hundred men went back to their work as Roman soldiers. Each man would die in time to come. The memory of that day with a man called Jesus would fade from their minds dimmed by so many others they treated so cruel. It was in death six hundred men would find the truth of that day. The eternal torment that fills their minds is the day they stood before their Judge and treated Him with the contempt of ungodly men. They now know that Jesus is the Son of God. It is in His presence they stand. He is alive. He is all-powerful. He was their Savior but they treated Him with contempt. And yes – He really is a King. Jesus of Nazareth is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Poor was his station, laborious his life, bitter his ending; through poverty, through labor, through crucifixion his majesty of nature more shines. (Gerard Manley Hopkins, Notebooks and Papers of, 1937)

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. (Acts 14:8-18)

The Witness Of The Lord

Idol worship has been a problem for man since the beginning of time. Man was formed a creature of worship. The problem has always been the object of worship and man has chosen more often than not to worship himself. He enjoys that more because it does not inhibit his desire to do what he wants to do. Worshipping an idol eases the conscience that what he engages in is right because his god has said he could do that. Idols come in many forms. They can be made of wood, stone or metal and forged into any image man desires. Idol worship is also made of flesh and is more prevalent today than what is normally associated with idols. Man worships the god of pleasure, desire and fame. He still worships himself; it is just not a wooden idol he falls down before.

Lystra was a city given over to idol worship. The arrival of Paul and Barnabas caused a great stir when the people witnessed a powerful miracle of a man crippled from birth healed by the apostle Paul. Their immediate response was to worship the gods Zeus and Hermes giving credit to their idols for the miracle instead of the one true God. Paul and Barnabas tried to dissuade the multitude but had little success. What the people failed to see was the power of the one true God and the witness He had given all men to see His great might. The Creator of heaven and earth was the author of everything good. He is the one who brought the rain from the sky. Crops that yielded plentiful in the fields or groves came from the hand of the true God. Food was a blessing from the only Creator. Everything in the world that blessed all men came from a benevolent hand of a loving God. The witness of the Lord was clearly embedded in the world but man failed to see it.

The living God made the heaven, the earth, the sea and all things that are in them. His witness is stamped upon every part of the created world. Paul would write to the Romans and describe the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in the things that are made. The problem lies in the heart of man. There is no dispute about the power of creation – the denial of man to believe in one true God is the heart of the problem. Our world is filled with the inventions of man that he has little time to see the real creation. Man is so full of himself he has no time to see God. Man is worshipping himself and doing a fine job. But the witness of God remains. Every day that awakes heralds the voice of God. Each night spreads a canvas of the power of God throughout the heavens. The witness of God is there. Have you seen it?

To assert that a world as intricate as ours emerged from chaos by chance is about as sensible as to claim that Shakespeare’s dramas were composed by rioting monkeys in a print shop. (Merrill C. Tenney, Science and Religion, ed. J. C. Monsma, 1962)

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:1-4)

Killing A Man Made Them Happy

Abraham was promised three things from God: a nation of people from his loins, the land of promise where they would dwell and a Seed that would bless the entire world. Centuries later, the Hebrew’s were saved from Egyptian bondage by the hand of God becoming the nation of Israel. This nation was the apple of God’s eye. They were the people given the written law beginning with the Ten Commandments and instructions concerning righteousness, truth and mercy. The glory of the Lord dwelt in their presence. Isaiah would describe them as the vineyard of the Lord.

It would not be long before Satan had his way with the people of God. Sin brought the nation to destruction with only a remnant coming out of the slavery of Babylon. The nation never returned to idolatry but the character of God’s people changed dramatically. When Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, the hearts of the Jews were filled with arrogance, pride, hatred and envy. It was hard to recognize the earlier nation of holy people who loved the Lord with all their hearts, souls and minds. Through envy, the Jews cried out to their Roman masters, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Filled with hatred against Jesus, the Jews murdered the Son of God. This would be the beginning of a long standing hatred of the nation of God against the church of God.

In the early days of the church, Stephen would feel the brutal wrath of Jewish fury. Enraged against his accusations against them, the Jews dragged the innocent man out of the city and stoned him to death. Their lust for blood was wet. Herod Agrippa the king decided to do harm against the church and he took James, brother of the beloved John, and killed him with the sword. Albert Barnes wrote, “This was the principle on which he acted. It was not from a sense of right; it was not to do justice, and to protect the innocent; it was not to discharge the appropriate duties of a magistrate and a king, but it was to promote his own popularity.” And the Jews loved it. The nation of God’s people loved it when Herod killed an innocent man.

The history of Israel is filled with wars and destruction of untold numbers of people. What the Jews failed to learn was the righteousness of the Lord was not the same as their righteousness. When the Lord destroyed the city of Jericho, it was because of the righteous act of God’s punishment upon rebellious people. What the Jews did to Jesus and Stephen and later rejoiced in the death of James was a misguided zeal of human hatred. The death of an innocent man pleased the Jews. Their hearts were so hardened with sin they could not see the hatred that replaced the love of God. Any nation or people that are happy in the death of a human being have lost the focus of God’s righteousness.

Sin is terrible. The consequence of sin is disgusting. God is the righteous judge who will render His own punishment upon those who rebel against Him. The people of God have no reason to rejoice in the death of those who live in sin. James was a man who was innocent and the Jews were pleased Herod murdered him. When the guilty suffer, there is no joy in their death. Let the children of God shine as examples of humility showing the grace of God in their actions toward others. Let us rejoice but let us rejoice in truth alone. Now that is a great story.

The most malicious kind of hatred is that which is built upon a theological foundation. (George Sarton, History of Science, 1927)

I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. (Zechariah 10:6)

Mercy And Forgiveness

It is very clear when reading the books of the prophets the Lord is angry with His people. Whether prior to captivity or after captivity, the fierce judgment of God is rendered upon a rebellious people refusing to repent. In the early days of the divided kingdom, God’s messengers pleaded with the people to change their hearts. The northern kingdom Israel went into complete revolt against the Lord and was destroyed by the Assyrians. During that time, God warned Judah to see what was happening to her sister Israel and change her ways. There were good years of righteousness intermingled among the wicked and eventually Judah fell to the might of the Babylonians who took them captive. Seventy years later the people return to rebuild their nation. As before the bondage, prophets warned the people against turning away from the Lord. The fierceness of the wrath of God was clearly portrayed in their history and would be brought against them again if they fail to obey. All nations who came against the people of God felt the power of the Almighty’s wrath.

Zechariah was a prophet during the days of restoration following captivity. He begins his message with the warning the Lord was angry with their fathers and they should not follow their disobedience. There is great hope in the promise of God’s love for the people and that He will save them. His mercy will be evident in forgiving them of their sins and embracing them once again. The Lord tells them He will have mercy on them and this mercy will be so great it will be as though nothing had happened against them. Reading the history of Israel it seems hard to think a day would come the nation would forget all the misery and horror that was their burden. The punishment of the Lord was immense. Their sin was so grievous and the hand of the Lord was so hard against them. Mercy brings forgiveness. The joy of being a child of God is to know His mercy removes the guilt of sin completely. It is as if sin had never been committed.

There is a path to salvation. Sin mars the relationship with God separating man from Him. In the infinite mercy of God, a way of escape is offered. Man turns his heart to God in repentance and the mercy of the Lord God removes the sin as far as the east is from the west. When forgiveness is granted, it is as if the rebellion never occurred. Man stands whole before the Lord unstained by the ugliness of sin. The mercy of God is so unbelievable to think He would take away the sin and its guilt so complete He looks at it as if it never happened. Forgiveness is complete. It is gone forever. There is no record of the sin. Washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.

In the mind of God, there is no remembrance to forgiven sin. The mercy of God is hard to understand but His promise is true in Jesus Christ that if we confess our sins He is willing and just to forgive our sins. This means it does not exist. The forgiven shall be as though He had not cast them aside. Understanding the mercy of God is to know that in forgiveness He remains our Father, our Lord and our Savior. He hears us. Mercy means that God hears us. We are not downtrodden or forgotten. The Lord God has forgiven our sins and we are blessed with the merciful grace of His love. Thank God for His mercy and His forgiveness.

I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2)

Euodia And Syntyche

It is difficult to write about something that little is known. Two women are mentioned in the closing of Paul’s letter to Philippi that have no reference in any other passage. By the language of the text, it seems that Euodia and Syntyche have some things to quarrel about and the apostle kindly admonishes them to work things out. These women apparently get the message without any further instructions. We are left to wonder what the problem was. The answer is what is the key to the verse. Whatever problem they had they were not glorifying the Lord by their actions. Paul’s exhortation was to show the mind of Christ toward one another and be at peace. Good advice.

We are not always in agreement with one another and sometimes disputes or arguments arise. Lost in the shuffle of who is going to win out on top is the need to resolve matters with the mind of the Lord. When husbands and wives argue and fuss with one another are they trying to win their position or have they stopped to ask what God wants them to do? Having the mind of Christ is looking out for the interest of the other as Christ did for all men. If a church has a squabble it can end in division because one thing never brought to the meeting table is the word of God. Arguments ensue instead of prayers lifted. Whatever problem Euodia and Syntyche faced, it needed to be resolved with the mind of Christ. Good advice for churches.

There is a strong lesson for all of the children of God to remember that we have the same Father. Sibling rivalry does not please the heavenly Father. How can we be angry with our brother or sister when we both have to come before the same Father and ask forgiveness? Being of the same mind shows our humility to serve the Lord first. Sharing the blood of Christ bonds our lives together with the same love God has for all of us. His will is first. The word of God is first. Our lives in Christ serve the same purpose. Paul was not asking these women to be of the same mind – he was imploring. The glory of God was not being shown by their actions. Only when they came together united in the bond of peace would others see Christ living in them. That is what it is all about. Our position in the argument is no importance. When disagreements come and arguments begin, they should always be tempered by the presence of the mind of Christ. Be of the same mind in the Lord.

There are enough targets to aim at without firing at each other. (Theodore Roosevelt, Address, 1902)

In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11; To the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David)

The Lord Is Righteous

David faced many trials as he stood before the Philistine giant, the King of Israel and his many enemies seeking to destroy him. His personal battles were lost on the battlefield of adultery, betrayal and a sword never leaving his house. Satan tried very hard to destroy the shepherd king but failed. When David wrote of his undying love for his mighty Shepherd, he exclaimed his trust for a God who never failed him. He never lost faith in what the Lord could accomplish in his life and hope reigned supreme as repeatedly David saw the hand of God working in his life. Facing great trials his friends would beg him to flee and save himself. The strength of faith is well tested in the battles of righteousness when men are tempted to reject the Lord. Surrounded by enemies David was told to trust in himself. He would not. His trust could only be in the Lord because he knew that when trust in God fails there is nothing to stand upon. Faith in the Lord is the only thing life can be built and without trusting God for everything, man is without hope.

Righteousness for David was defined by the presence of God in His holy temple. What power could dethrone the Lord God of heaven? He knows everything about men – good or bad. The wicked do not believe in God and will find harsh judgment for rebellion. Failing to trust in the Lord will bring destruction. David had faith in the Lord’s righteousness. He knew that God was righteous and the heavenly Father loved to see righteousness among His people. The righteous are not forgotten. Why should David not trust in God when every blessing of the Father was given to those who trust in Him?

Satan seeks to destroy the faith of God’s people in the church. Trials come upon the hearts of every Christian tempting them to reject the Lord and trust themselves. David declares there is no hope apart of God. Division within the body of Christ is failing to trust in God. Murmuring and complaining is evidence of a lack of faith. Disease can destroy faith when men look to themselves instead of God. Immorality calls for the soul to reject the Lord for the fleshly pleasures. The Lord is in His holy temple and His throne is in heaven – this is unchanged over the thousands of years when David penned this psalm. The wicked will only find judgment. Those who trust in God will find righteousness.

When the foundation of trust is destroyed, the faith of the child of God is shattered. Trust is found in experience knowing that God’s word is true and He will never lie. Righteousness is the right things of God and the Lord loves to see righteousness in the lives of His people. Trust in God for all your needs and you will never be found wanting. Build the foundation of your life upon the word of God. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Trust in the Lord.

Faith is an awareness of divine mutuality and companionship, a form of communion between God and man. (Abraham J. Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, 1951)

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:19-21)

He Did Not Consider Or Waver

Abraham was a man of incredible faith. His story is remarkable in trusting God in matters that seemed completely without hope. At the age of 75 he left everything he knew to go to a land where he did not know for a purpose he was unclear. He and Sarah were promised a son that took 25 years to see fruition. More implausible was the natural ability to give birth to a son considering she was 90 years of age and he 100. It was understood in his day there came an age when the womb died and childbearing was impossible. This would not be a matter of chance but a matter of impossibility. These were not the days of Noah where men lived to bear children into their multiple hundreds of years. The Lord promised Abraham and Sarah a son and it was impossible for this to be a natural occurrence.

Faith and hope are inseparable. The Lord comes to Abraham telling him that one day he would have a son. Contrary to everything he knew, the man from Ur of the Chaldeans believed. He was not weak in faith. Knowing at his advanced age there would be no possibility of him conceiving a son, he firmly believed that God would bring about exactly what was promised. Abraham also knew that having a son by his wife (ten years younger than he) was impossible but he knew that God could perform what He promised. It is easy to sit on this side of the story and not appreciate the immensity of the hope and faith Abraham had in the power of God.

Two elements of the faith of Abraham are at the heart of the story. He did not waver at the promise of God because his faith was not dormant. Faith is an active persuasion of the soul constantly changing the up-look of God’s powerful grace to accomplish everything promised. Abraham was strengthened in faith. His belief in the power of God was daily evidence fortifying his assurance in the impossible. Faith that does not grow diminishes hope and when hope dies, faith is dead. Second, he was fully convinced. He had no question about the ability of God to perform what He promised. Abraham was absolutely convinced he would have a son. Faith cannot be fully realized until there is a complete conviction of the heart that God’s word is true – whether it is understood or not. God is able to perform what He says.

Abraham’s faith was not a special faith. His hope in the impossible was not unique to the days of the patriarchs. His faith, hope and blessed assurance are rooted in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Essential to the character of the people of God are the elements of having the faith of Abraham. What is impossible for man is possible with God if we believe. The Lord God of hosts will perform His will and His word for man today. Sins can be washed away. Hope restored. Forgiveness granted. Heaven promised. Do not waver. Believe.

Belief is thought at rest. (Charles S. Peirce; 1839-1914; Collected papers)

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:24-25)

Jesus Is A Sinner

Blindness is a harsh reality for many people. It is much harder on those who are blinded later in life, as they were able to see but now darkness closes in on them. To some degree, there is a sense of mercy of being born blind, as the person never knows what it is like to experience sight. As Jesus was passing by one Sabbath day, a man born blind from his birth became the object lesson of one of the great events in the ministry of the Lord. His disciples thought maybe the man or his parents had sinned since he was allotted such a terrible ordeal in life. Using the opportunity to show His power as the Christ, Jesus healed the man of his blindness. This caused a stir among the people and he was brought before the Pharisees. They inquired how he was healed of his blindness. Do not miss the point: the religious leaders never denied a miracle Jesus performed – they only argued His authority.

The former blind man gave the simple facts of the case: Jesus put clay on his eyes, he washed and now he could see. He had been blind from birth. There was never any hope of him to see. His parents had resigned themselves since birth this child was going to be blind for all of his life. There were no corrective surgeries. No cures. He was blind but now he could see. The response of the Pharisees is astonishing. Their immediate answer to an obvious miracle of impossibility was that Jesus was not from God because He healed a blind man from birth on the Sabbath day. Do not miss the point: they never argued the miracle! To the religious leaders there must be some mistake. It seems this man was never blind so they called his parents. The parents were afraid of the Jews and refused to answer. Calling the blind man again, the Pharisees boldly proclaimed that Jesus was a sinner. After a futile argument with the man, he was cast out as a liar.

Blindness is cruel with the physical eye but when darkness takes over the heart, how deep is that darkness. The religious leaders were so blinded they could not and would not accept the power of Jesus. There was ample proof the man was blind from birth. The neighbors knew he had been blind and this was the reason they brought him to the Pharisees in the first place. The conclusion of the religious leaders was to smear the name of Jesus by calling Him a sinner and that – although a miracle had been done – Jesus was a sinner by restoring the sight of a man born blind from birth on the Sabbath day. Amazing blindness.

What evidence in the life of Jesus suggested He had been anything but a man without fault? On the surface, there was never a suggestion for more than thirty years anyone had a bad thing to say about Jesus. In the eyes of the people, Jesus of Nazareth had never done anything wrong.  Whether they accepted the fact He was the Son of God, He never broke a single law. His healing was widely known. Often the Pharisees would see the miracle before their eyes. When they called the former blind man in, they exhorted him to give glory to God because they knew Jesus was a sinner. How sad the blindness of those who stood in judgment. The evidence of Jesus was so clear they could not see.

The Bible is the testimony of Jesus Christ. Genesis declares the beginning of Christ and throughout all Holy Scrip, the Son of God is proclaimed in glory as the Revelation opens the gates of Heaven. Blindness still prevails in the hearts of men who can see the Bible is a book unchanged from the beginning but they still declare Jesus a sinner. The Bible is a powerful message but in the blind hearts of men, they refuse to accept that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. The world says Jesus is a sinner. That makes Him just a man and tries to justify denying Him. Sadly, the one they call a sinner will one day be the Judge. Do you believe in the Son of God?

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he’s a poached egg – or else he’d be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. (C. S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity, 1943)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11)

Love Is Of God

Love is defined more by action than words. God has always told man that He loves him. That became painfully clear when Jesus died on the cross. The Son of God lived a perfect life. As hard as that is to understand, Jesus never did anything wrong. This is not a myth but a reality. What is more difficult to understand is that Jesus of Nazareth was God and He died for man. His love for His Father was so immense He left His place of glory coming to earth to suffer at the hands of what He created. Love is of God because God is love and God’s love is a demonstrated love. To know God is to know what love means. It is impossible to embrace a knowledge of God without grasping a hint of how wonderful the love of God is toward man. The more the love of God permeates the soul the deeper the reality of how great that love is. Love is of God.

The relationship of man to his fellow brother is based upon the understanding of how great the love of God has been demonstrated. Love for one another is not a choice but a command from one who gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice. We are to be of love because God is of love. Loving one another comes from a character built upon the love God has for us. Did Jesus die for holy and righteous perfected people? The Lord died for sinners, enemies and unrepentant humanity dying in the mire of sin. Did man deserve to die? Yes but the mercy of God saw beyond his plight to save him in grace. Love was demonstrated as undeserved as it was when Jesus pleaded with His Father to forgive those who were killing Him. Are we ready to do that with our brother? Love is of God.

There is a purifying effect when love is the motive in our relationship with brethren. We judge less harshly, less often and find more patience. If God loved us so much to give us His Son then we also ought to love one another. Keeping the commandments of God shows our love for Him and our love for one another unveils a heart measured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are brethren. Let us love in word and deed so the light of God’s love will shine forth in our kindness to those we share in the heavenly pursuit of righteousness. The reason is simple. God is of love.

The love we give away is the only love we keep. (Elbert Hubbard; 1859-1915; Notebook)

And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.” So he answered, “Go.” Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.” So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it. (2 Kings 6:1-7)

The Floating Axe-Head

Miracles are plenty in the Bible. They happened during the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the period of the prophets, life of Jesus and the early church. There were many reasons for miracles. In Egypt, they showed the power of God over the gods of Egypt. Miracles were used seeking to bring the children of God to repentance. Jesus affirmed He was the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit  and He could forgive sins. The early church confirmed the word through the power of miracles. In the days of Elisha, a most extraordinary miracle took place.

The sons of the prophets needed more room to live. They asked Elisha to allow them to build a humble place out of trees found near the Jordan. It was also insisted the prophet come with them to this work. Everything was going well until one prophet accidently let his axe-head slip off into the water. The Jordan was very swift and deep. Retrieving the axe-head would be impossible. Grieved at his misfortune, the prophet cried out to Elisha the axe-head was not his for he had borrowed it. The situation was not serious. This was not uncommon for a loosely secure axe-head to fly off the handle. The Law of Moses made a provision about flying axe-heads. Elisha could have told the prophet there was nothing to do and not to worry. The prophet could have told the one he borrowed the axe-head what had happened and he was sorry – not an earth-shattering event. This was not the case of the prophet or the son of the prophet.

Finding where the axe-head fell, Elisha threw a stick into the water and the iron axe-head floated to the top. Instructed to retrieve the axe-head, a joyous man secured his borrowed treasure. The miracle itself seems unusual. Why go to the trouble? Most miracles are assumed to be for a greater cause like afflicting the king of Egypt or prove to harden hearts Jesus was the Christ or the preaching of the gospel was the truth of the Lord. This miracle was only to retrieve an axe-head. Looking a little deeper, one can see some important lessons in the floating axe-head.

The son of the prophet was a humble man who had to borrow an axe to do his labor. He cared deeply for his responsibility and the care of his neighbor’s axe. When the axe-head fell into the water, he could have told the one he borrowed from how sorry he was but there was nothing he could do. The loss was grievous for a man in those days. An axe was a life-blood of survival. No doubt, it was of great value to the one who owned the axe. The prophet cared deeply how this would affect his friend. His heart was concerned for his neighbor. It was not just an axe-head; it was how he had let down his friend.

Elisha was of like mind as the son of the prophet. He could have told his fellow prophet that losing axe-heads happens a lot and there was nothing to do. Hearing the cry of the prophet, Elisha realized how important this was. He had the power to raise the axe-head and he did what he could do to bring solace to the man. It seems clear Elisha was doing this more for the man than the axe-head. Taking a stick, he threw it in the same place the axe-head fell and the axe-head floated to the top. Joy flooded the heart of the young prophet as he retrieved the borrowed possession. By God’s power, the prophet was able to return his borrowed axe to his friend with a greater sense of responsibility and a lot of joy. A final lesson is what the other prophets saw. They saw how their fellow prophet cared for the borrowed axe. Then they witnessed the kind compassion of their mentor, Elisha. This would make an impression upon them. Benevolence comes in many forms and this day it was a floating axe-head. Now that is a great story.

Man finds his true self in the Church alone; not in the helplessness isolation but in the strength of his communion with his brothers and with his Savior. (Alexander Yelchaninov; 1881-1934; Fragments of a Diary)