The Heaton File

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Truth Is Freedom

All men are created equal. Thomas Jefferson did not originate the idea. The foundation of freedom has always been established upon truth. What man has struggled with in understanding freedom is how he defines the word. What may be freedom to one person may not be freedom to another. Every nation is founded upon a form of freedom but the problem is a dictator will tell everyone how he wants him or her to live according to his terms – establishing freedom to his will. In other words, men have the freedom to do what they are told. The ideal of democratic freedom is the belief that everyone has a voice in establishing law. In truth, this kind of freedom is not the purest form because the voice of the majority can override the will of the minority. Freedom is then established by the masses and often can lead to laws of unrighteousness and immorality.

Jesus taught a truth that is beyond the frailty of man’s wisdom. Laws change over time as men change. The winds of moral consciousness fuel the desires of man to be free to act anyway he desires. The kind of truth Jesus spoke about was true freedom. This law was established before time began and is relevant to all men of all time. Freedom in Christ is the absolute purity of law where freedom can be defined by one God and one Lawgiver. The laws of man change. The law of God has always been the same for all men regarding his relationship with the Creator. Abraham served the Lord by faith and this body of truth still sets men free today when they follow the same law of faith. Moses worshipped the Father in love and devotion as men today can worship the Lord with the same devotion. David longed to live after the heart of God and all men can find the same peace in the truth of God.

There is no comparison to the message of the Bible with anything man creates. Truth is older than error as it resided in the mind of God before time and continues to this day until the Lord returns again. What guided the minds of men in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue is the same law that guide men today. Freedom from the tyranny of sin can only come from the truth Jesus spoke two thousand years ago. Freedom from fear, doubt, and uncertainty are dismissed in the book of truth. Hope is found in the words of freedom written by the disciples two millennia ago. Saul of Tarsus found freedom in Christ the same way we can find freedom in Christ today. Salvation has been given to man since the deception of Eve in the garden.

Knowing the truth will set men free. Freedom does not come from the will of man but the mind of God. What joys we may have in this country will be short lived because men grow more deceived. The joy of eternal freedom will never be taken away. Jesus died to let us live. He chained Himself to the sacrifice of the cross to make a way of freedom for all men. His life was in servitude so that men can be set free. Thank God for the freedom found in Christ and the truth that sets us free.

Human law has the true nature of law only in so far as it corresponds to right reason, and therefore is derived from the eternal law. (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Iae-IIae, q. 93, 1272)

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. (Matthew 27:1-7)

They Took Counsel Against Jesus

One of the striking stories about the life of Jesus is how many times the religious leaders of God’s people took counsel to destroy the man from Nazareth. The opposition against Jesus was not lead by the immoral filth of the world that were offended by His stand against morality. The political despots who feared what the miracle worker would do to their positions of power and influence did not hound the Lord. Jesus Christ was led to the cross at the begging of religious, zealous Jews who were once called the “apple of God’s eye” and who were the keepers of the Law.

The sect of the Pharisees was the so-called spiritual elite among the Jewish people and the popular party of the day. They were extremely devoted to keeping the Law of Moses to absolute perfection. Along with another party of religious zealots, the Sadducees, these devotees to Moses confronted Jesus repeatedly. From the beginning of His public ministry, the religious leaders were bitterly opposed to everything Jesus said and did. This also included the chief priests, elders and scribes of the Jews. What is more remarkable is their intent against the Lord was not merely to oppose Him but to kill Him. After Jesus was arrested and brought before Pilate, it was the persistence of the religious leaders that forced the hand of the Roman government to murder an innocent man.

Moses would have been horrified at how corrupt, immoral and decadent the leaders of the nation had become. The Law of Moses came from the mouth of God. Corrupt men used the holy word of God to murder the innocent. Through the years, the Law had been used by men to seduce the hearts of the people and give them power to reign with lusts, envy and absolute rule. The people feared the elders, scribes and religious elite. Jesus repeatedly warned against the scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses’ seat. He called them hypocrites, snakes, children of hell and whitewashed tombs. The Lord knew what they really were. It was by their hands that Jesus died.

The death of Jesus was carried out by the Roman Empire but the hand of the Jewish leaders instigated it. Jew and Gentile alike share in the guilt of the murder of God’s Son. What is so terribly sad about the death of Jesus is the knowledge that religious men were responsible. Man has not changed. The word of God has been used through the centuries for man to oppress and harm his fellow man. Is the word of God to blame? Certainly not. The Law of Moses never allowed for the actions of the religious leaders in the day of Jesus. Today, the Bible is not a book that authorizes the actions of self-righteous zealots. Jesus came to save the eternal souls of men. His message is power through peace. Sin is the enemy. It must be conquered. Too many men take counsel without the counsel of God. Salvation does not come by religious men – it comes from the Lord God alone.

The love of power is oppressive in every sphere, but in the religious most of all. (Romano Guardini, The Church and The Catholic, 1953)

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60)

Dying With God On His Lips

The death of Stephen was the beginning of the persecution of the early church that would lead to the deaths of thousands of faithful saints. Peter and John and later all the apostles first felt the pains of suffering for the name of Jesus Christ. When the Jews killed Stephen, things changed. Stephen was a man full of moral conviction and power. He was endued with power from the Holy Spirit to perform great wonders and signs among the people. His preaching was more powerful than his miracles. He boldly proclaimed the true gospel of his Lord as recorded by Luke. It was a history lesson of the Jews showing their rebellious heart. Their only response was to kill him. Laying their garments before a future apostle of Christ, Stephen was stoned to death.

When Stephen was pummeled with rocks and stones, he knew his life was over. He did not lash out as many men would do or cower in fear. The remarkable spirit of Stephen was to die the way he lived. As the stones fell hard upon his body, he called on God. One would almost believe that Stephen was at the cross when Jesus was dying, as the words sound familiar to what Jesus said. He knew his salvation was secure as he cried out through the blows for the Lord to receive his spirit. In a final example of righteousness – and like his Lord – he begged the Father not to hold the men accountable who were killing him. Remarkable. But no so remarkable because Stephen died the way he lived.

Life is congealed in the moment of death. An expression often used when facing death is, “I saw my life flash before my eyes.” No one knows what it is like to die save the life of Jesus who rose from the dead. There is no one to ask what it is like to feel the hand of death wrapping its arms around life. It is certain that what all men think about in death is the way they lived – no matter how they lived. Stephen faced death with God because he lived life with God. He did not die angry or hopeless. He died with God on his mind and the Lord on his lips. Luke tells us that death is like a sleep. Stephen just laid down and died – he went to sleep.

Death can come at any time and many ways. Facing the inevitable it best done with God. Living today with God on our lips and the Lord in our hearts will give us greater peace when death comes. Death will then be just a sleep that takes us home to the Father where we will rest through eternity. Live and die like Stephen. He lived and died like his Lord.

Each night is but the past day’s funeral and the morning his resurrection: why then should our funeral sleep be otherwise than our sleep at night. (Arthur Warwick, Spare Minutes, 1637)

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb. When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ” So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. (1 Samuel 25:2-12)

He Is Such A Worthless Fellow

The Bible is filled with stories of great men and women who do great things. It is also filled with a litany of those men and women who make life miserable for everyone. Nabal was a man that everyone knew to be a worthless man, a scoundrel. He was a very rich man that was a villain or a crook. His servants called him by what he was and everyone knew talking to Nabal was a dangerous thing. In contrast, he was married to a very beautiful woman who had a very compassionate heart. Abigail was a very wise woman who must endured daily abuse from such a rogue as her husband. Then the day came when David sent ten men for supplies from the wealthy man, Nabal.

There was no reason for Nabal to be so cruel to the servants of David. The only reason was that he was selfish, arrogant and a bully of a man. He not only refused the request of David’s servants, he apparently replied to them in such a harsh manner the text says they “turned on their heels” to leave. The answer did not sit well with David and he prepared 400 men to kill all the males in the house of Nabal. Whether David’s actions were the result of unbridled rage or righteous indignation, it is left to interpretation. Abigail would later plead with David his actions would bring him greater harm. David relented from his purpose, returning to his camp.

There is such a contrast between the character of Abigail and Nabal. It is like night and day. What is evident is that everyone knew the difference in the kind of man Nabal was and the wise woman Abigail. The servants heard David was coming. In part to spare their own lives, they pleaded with Abigail to do something. Nabal is called a “son of Belial” because he was such a mean person. No one could talk civilly to him. He thought he ruled the world and everyone had to bow to him. He regarded no man to help or show kindness. This was in contrast to the customs of the people dating back to Abraham’s benevolence to the three men at Mamre. Nabal was a terrible person to be around and everyone feared him. The scripture tells us he became very drunk (not the first time) and Abigail had not told him what she did. When he sobered up the next morning, she let her husband know what she had done. She saved his life because without her intervention David’s army would have killed Nabal and every male in the camp. Great fear came over Nabal and ten days later, he died from the hand of the Lord.

There are a lot of people like Nabal in the world. They think they are a god to themselves that everyone must answer to and cower before. Filled with their own arrogance and pride they are harsh to those lower to them (which is about everyone in the world). The Bible calls them scoundrels or worthless men. Their boastfulness makes life miserable for everyone else and they reign with terror. What they forget is one day is like a thousand to the Lord. These men do not last. Time means nothing to God. A man’s life is only promised about seventy years and then what happens to all men happens to the scoundrels – they die. They die just like everyone else. All men are born in the same way and they all die in the same manner. The wickedness of Nabal returned to his own head. Now that is a great story.

The prouder a man is, the more he thinks he deserves; and the more he thinks he deserves, the less he really does deserve. (Henry Ward Beecher, Royal Truths, 1862)

All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. (Ezekiel 48:35)

The Name Of The City

Ezekiel was a prophet to the people of God during the terrible captivity of the Babylonian empire. He himself was among the prisoners by the River Chebar when the Lord sent numerous visions to him. His book is filled with vibrant pictures of the glory of the heavenly visions. The last portion of his message is a description of a new city and a new temple. His purpose was to instill in the children of God a hope that salvation would come from the Lord. The captivity would last for seventy years as punishment for their refusal to return to the Lord. Hope was given through the prophets that God would not retain His anger forever and they would return to the promised land.

The vision of the new city began in Ezekiel 40. It is a marvelous vision of unbelievable grandeur and beauty. By the grace of God, joy would return to another generation of Jews when the Lord dwells among them again. What is particularly significant is the very last thing Ezekiel writes in his book of vision. The allusion to the name of the city would show the everlasting mercy of the Lord toward His rebellious people. No longer would the city be known as the city of peace (Jerusalem) but a new name exalting the glory of the longsuffering Lord – “The Lord Is There.”

Beyond the symbolic meaning of Ezekiel’s vision to the remnant of Israel, the wonderful message of God’s eternal grace is found in the promise to never leave man hopeless. The people are crushed under the weight of the Babylonian might and hope seems to have faded. The reason for the imprisonment is because of their own doing but the Lord always offers hope in the darkest hour. They are His special people, the apple of His eye. His anger will not last, His wrath will subside and His love will be seen. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, God allowed them to desecrate the holy Temple. That is because the Lord withdrew His presence from the people because of their sin. Following the chastening of His anger, the Lord promises to show kindness to the people. His mercy declared that He would be among the people again. He would be there in the midst of a forgiven people.

The people of God struggle with sin. There will be times of chastening when the Lord sends His anger against the rebellion in our lives. One of the greatest joys in serving Jesus Christ is knowing that while our hearts may fail to be faithful to the Lord – He is always faithful to forgive. Repentance comes from a broken heart. It may seem as if the Lord has abandoned us to our own failing but He also promises that when we repent HE WILL DWELL AMONG US AGAIN. There is no way to define the forgiveness of God. He will never desert us or fail us. His mercy is everlasting. He forgives so many times we could never count the number of times His grace has saved us. The joy of living each day is knowing that God will never leave us. Thank you Lord God for your kind hand of mercy upon sinful man and that YOU will always BE THERE for me.

Grace is the germ of glory; it has the potencies of the beatific vision within it. (Fulton J. Sheen, Religion Without God, 1928)

Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.” (Proverbs 8:32-36)

Loving Death

The saddest words man will ever hear is when the Lord says to him, “Depart from Me.” This is tragic because of the consequence of what these words mean. There will be no hope, no salvation and no promise of eternal life. It will be the final words man will hear before the pit of dark torment closes around him. C. S. Lewis observed the door of hell is locked from the inside. Man puts himself there. The Lord is not responsible for why man is in eternal fire; rather the heart of man was fully intent to compel him to suffer eternal death. Time and again warnings have been posted about rebellion against the will of God but man continues on his downward spiral of destruction. The wisdom literature explains that man loves death and they that rebel against the Lord are enemies to their own life.

When man shuts his mind from the evidence of God and the invitation of salvation by Jesus Christ, he becomes his own worst enemy. He (man) is responsible for his actions. John wrote that God so loved the world He gave – and that is where the decision begins. There is nothing more God can do to save man. His Son died a horrible death so that man could live in hope but most chose death. Man robs himself of his only happiness preferring death to life. The feast of divine comfort, glory, majesty and immortality are rejected so that man can dine upon the dung of putrid, rotten, filthy garbage diseased with sin.

Disobedience to the word of God is simple self-destruction. Instead of listening to the wisdom of the Creator and being wise, man chooses to wrong his own soul. It is contrary to the purpose of man. All men are created for the glory of God. Living in sin goes against every fiber of man’s existence. The most tragic reality of man’s existence is to know that he prefers death to life when everything he needs to live eternal is within his grasp. How sad. The wisdom literature exhorts the reader to find life in the favor of the Lord. True wisdom is fearing God and keeping His commandments. Men who seek life with the Creator will find life without end. Those who do not – prefer death.

What greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God, can there be, than not to believe His promises? (Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty, 1520)

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15)

Worship To The Idle God

The New Testament Church had some tough problems. Two things were always the problem: man and Satan. The early church was made up of people and the devil tried his best to get the people within each congregation to cause trouble. Problems existed with the early disciples and Thessalonica was no exception. In his second letter to the church, Paul was very clear about the actions of some who were not behaving in a manner consistent with the will of God. As an apostle of Christ, Paul gave specific commands on dealing with those who troubled the Lord’s church. These admonitions were very clear, easily understood and radical to the thinking of most people.

Brethren who resisted the will of the Lord were to be punished. Withdrawing from every brother who walked disorderly was a punitive action intent on saving the soul. Society often takes a lenient view on correcting people leading to moral breakdown but not so in the church. The language is clear. If brethren refuse to obey the word of God and live in a manner that brings shame on the name of Christ, they were to be disciplined. Paul reminds the brethren how he taught them these important principles when he was with them. The example left by Paul and his fellow workers established a pattern of authority the church should follow and he reminded them they were without excuse.

The problem Paul addressed was the unwillingness of some to work. Benevolence was a large part of the early church and it would be easy to sit back and let the church take care of all the daily needs. Collections were taken, possessions shared and needs were being met with diligence. As with human nature, there were those who took advantage of the generosity of the church becoming idle and lazy. Paul reminded them of what he taught them while he was with them: if a person will not work, he should not be allowed to eat. Laziness has never been tolerated by the Lord. The wisdom of God was demonstrating the character of godly people who are examples of industry. When people do not work they become lazy and when they become lazy they become busybodies in other people’s affairs. This was sinful.

People of God should work with due diligence and be an example of hard work and benevolence. Paul would tell the Ephesian brethren that one purpose of working was to share with those who have need. Work is honorable. Christians who refuse to work are to be warned and then disciplined. There are not to be treated as an enemy but a brother or sister who is their own worst enemy bringing shame upon the name of Christ. Tough love comes in all forms. Serving the god of idleness is not in keeping with the honor given to the Lord God. Work for the night is coming. But work.

To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory, but a man with a dungfork in his hand, a woman with a sloppail, give Him glory too. He is so great that all things give Him glory if you mean they should. So then, my brethren, live. (Gerard Manley Hopkins; 1844-1889; An address on Ignatius)

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. (John 4:46-54)

Faith In His Word

The miracle of turning water to wine in Cana established Jesus of Nazareth as a man who was a very special person. Few people realized what happened until after the event. Not long after His first miracle, Jesus is approached by a man of nobility begging the miracle worker to heal his son as he was near death. After a gentle rebuke, the man continued to insist that Jesus come to his house. In a remarkable example of His power, Jesus tells the man to return home as his son would live. It was a long way home and he knew he would not know whether his son lived or not until the following day. Rushing home, the man’s servants meet him on the road telling him his son lives. Asking when his son had been healed he knew it was the exact hour the day before Jesus spoke the words of healing. The man was astonished. As he entered his house, tears of joy overwhelmed the family as the young man stood before him whole again. The man told his wife and family what Jesus had done and they all believed Him to be the Son of God.

Many other miracles would follow as Jesus showed the glory of His Father to the people. He would touch lepers, raise the dead, make spittle to cure blindness and on occasion heal without being present. The second miracle was one of the most powerful testimonies of His compassion. He had turned water to wine in Cana and the nobleman could have been there or heard about the event. When he learned Jesus had returned to the area, he made the long trip seeking help to save his son from death. The response Jesus gave was not what he expected. He asked the man from Nazareth to come heal his son. The nobleman believed Jesus could do that. If He could turn more than one hundred gallons of water to wine then He could heal his son.

Jesus first response was a mild rebuke. He did not say yes and He did not say no. This did not dissuade the man as he implored the Lord emphatically that unless He come to his house the child would die. Jesus could see the tears in his eyes and the determined look that nothing was going to keep him from begging help for his son. Jesus did not go with the man. He made no gesture to follow the man. To the amazement of the nobleman and everyone there, Jesus told the man to return home and he would find his son alive. Faith was now being tested. Should the man believe Jesus or implore Him to come to his house? The faith of the nobleman was so great he quickly left and began his long journey home.

Asking for a miracle to happen before his eyes was one thing but to believe that Jesus could heal with just six words was a faith seldom seen in Israel. The journey home must have been grueling. He would not reach home until the morrow. How was his wife? Was his son alive or dead? He pressed on believing in six words. Seeing his servants meeting him on the road must have been a moment of concern. This soon vanished when the joyful smiles of his servants told the story. His son lived. His life returned to him the same hour the day before Jesus had promised his son would live. What a rejoicing. The whole family united in knowing the man from Nazareth was the Son of God.

The nobleman believed Jesus could heal by only speaking the word. He found this demonstrated when he returned home. The word of God today is unchanged. We do not have miracles today because the power of the Son of God is in the word, not in the healing. What so many people miss today who are enamored with so-called miracle workers is that if they would only believe in the word, they would find healing. Jesus healed by saying a few words. We have the complete revelation of the mind of God revealed in the Bible and this will heal everything that troubles man. Believe in the word!

Faith comes when Christ is recognized as divine and His word becomes the way and the truth and the life. (Martin C. D’Arcy, The Nature of Belief, 1958)

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)

You Rebuked Who?

Paul admits he was the one born out of due time. He did not walk with Jesus as He taught the multitudes or watched the Lord walk on water. The late coming apostle did not enjoy those quiet, private moments with the Son of God like Peter, James and John. It would have thrilled Paul to experience the transfiguration but he was not there – Peter was. Pentecost was a glorious time for Peter as he unlocked the keys of the kingdom for the Jews and later at the house of Cornelius, opened the door for the Gentiles. Peter was someone to look up to and admire for his place in the scheme of the early church.

Luke does not record the event Paul spoke about in his letter to the churches of Galatia. Paul, in a matter of fact way, alludes to the incident to build an argument about the promise of God to bring all men to Him through His Son. What is amazing about the story is the event itself. News had been received that Peter was coming to Antioch. The church at Antioch was one of the hardest working churches in New Testament times. No doubt, there was great excitement that Peter was coming. Paul’s view was very different. He was disturbed by things he heard about Peter. Something had to be said.

It is human nature to think of Paul’s position compared to Peter’s. This could work to the advantage of Peter and the disadvantage of Paul. Pride could get in the way. Arrogance was a present danger in situations like this. Two men who had a lot of influence in the church could wrangle their pedigrees fully leading to a full-blown brotherhood quarrel. Temptation lurked on the edges. Satan would have a field day with the impudence of Peter and the highly educated boastful Paul. To the glory of God, neither men gave the devil quarter.

Paul crafted his words carefully but a rebuke was in order. Peter was wrong. Yes, the grand old apostle was seriously mistaken in what he had done. There was nothing right about his blatant hypocrisy. He had caused many others to play the hypocrite and even persuaded Joses, the Son of Encouragement (known by all as Barnabas) to follow suit. That was how powerful the example of Peter was on others. Barnabas was infected. No one had said anything to Peter. Were they afraid of him or intimidated by Peter? Regardless, Paul had to say something and he did. Others were not going to be straightforward about the matter but Paul knew Peter was wrong and a rebuke was in order.

Peter could have reacted in many ways. He could have defended himself appealing to who he was and where he had been and what he had done for the Lord. Why should he listen to this Paul? Who does he think he is anyway? Peter would have had a lot of backing to support his defense. He could have made a position just to defend himself. What happened is why this is a great story. We have only Paul’s side of the events and do not know clearly how Peter reacted. The apostle Paul seems to allude in withstanding Peter to the face that Peter accepted the rebuke because it was the right thing to do. Did the preacher of Pentecost worry about his actions and how it had affected others but never had the complete courage to own up to it? Hard to say.

What is found in this story is the spirit of two men who loved the Lord with all their hearts, their souls and their minds. Paul had to worry about the best way to approach the subject so that he could help save the character of Peter. Prayer was evident as a precursor to the event. When the time came, Paul was firm in showing Peter what he had done was wrong. Hearing the rebuke from Paul, it would seem that Peter knew he had been misguided. More prayers were offered along with words of encouragement. I suspect that Paul and Peter became much closer after that. They were both men of honor. Their lives were wholly dedicated to one cause: Jesus Christ. It was not about who they were nor what they had accomplished in life. Preaching the gospel of Christ was not about their position among the brotherhood. They loved God. What else mattered? And that is why this is a great story.

Christ is with those of humble mind, not with those who exalt themselves over His flock. (Clement of Rome, Epistle to Corinthians, c. 100)

Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth. (Hosea 6:1-3)

The Unchanging Forgiveness Of God

Repentance is very challenging. It requires an admission of fault and the hope the stain of guilt will be removed. Judging from a human standpoint, repentance is seldom sought after because man has a hard time to forgive. Wrongs are committed against another leading to a spirit of an unforgiving heart. Man finds it hard to forgive others. The greater the harm done against the person, the more difficult it becomes to have a heart of love granting complete forgiveness. Man’s integrity is harsh in wanting revenge. Thankfully, God is not like that.

The nation of Israel was in desperate straits. They had done everything they could to anger the Lord as they fell headlong into idol worship. It was not as if they did not know better. Prophets like Hosea pleaded constantly with the people to change their lives submitting to the will of the Lord. Rebellion was in the heart of nation. God instructed the prophets to let the people know of the coming judgment. It came with the harshness of God’s wrath upon unrighteousness. Mixed in the messages of impending doom were also words of hope. There was a righteous remnant that listened to the prophets and the Lord wanted them to hear the power of His love towards them.

Calling the people to repentance, the Lord opened His heart to the righteous who sought to follow His will. There would be a tearing as punishment but God would bind up their wounds healing them with His grace. The destruction was not final as He would revive the people and raise them up. God wants the people to live before Him and serve Him. His desire is not to destroy them but to save them. The pity of the Lord is great upon the apple of His eye. Calling the nation to repent God extends His gracious hand of love to show He does not retain His anger forever. The greatest joy of God’s love is to know that as sinful as the people were, He was willing and just to forgive them of their sins. What great love.

The mercy of God has never changed. His unchanging love to forgive is the same today as it was in the days of Hosea, the son of Beeri. Sin plagues our lives with its dark cloud of despair. Often the people of God become hopeless believing that forgiveness is not possible. The words of Hosea should resonate within our hearts to come to the Lord seeking His forgiveness. There will be pain in the chastening of the Lord but He will heal us and He will bind our wounds with the balm of Gilead. Sin does not need to overwhelm us when we know that with a penitent heart we seek the grace of God’s love to forgive us. He will revive our spirits again in a new hope. The Lord will raise us up from the pits of death on the third day through the power of His Son. Listen to this: He wants us to live in His sight. He does not want us to destroy ourselves. We are created for the glory of God.

Children of God need to know the call to repentance comes from a loving God. Pursuing the knowledge of the Lord will bring the blessed forgiveness of His grace upon us like the beauty of early morning sunrise. As the rain blesses the earth with its bounty of succulent nourishment, so the Lord will forgive His people. His anger is not forever. When we bow our knees in prayer seeking the graceful hand of a loving God to forgive us – we will be restored. Thank God for His tender mercies.

The simple expression of the publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” was sufficient to open the floodgates of the divine compassion. (John Climacus; 525-600; Climax)