The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
September 14, 2003
In
This Issue:
Possessed
by HIs Possessions
by
Patrick Farish
The
Truly Beautiful Person
by
Glenn Young
Possessed By His Possessions
A man, identified by Matthew as "young" and by Luke as a "ruler" came to Jesus asking for instruction to eternal life. Jesus, after talking with him, finally told him to "sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me" (Mark 10:21; consult also Matthew 19:16-22, and Luke 18:18-24). The sad decision of the young man is set down in the next verse, "But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions."
In Matthew 13:22 Jesus sounds the warning about riches as deceitful; and perhaps that is nowhere better exemplified than in this sad scene. Consider what is revealed about the young ruler: he has such appreciation for spiritual things that he comes inquiring about them, verse 17. His appreciation is not Johnny-come-lately, nor superficial: to Jesus' words directing him to the commandments ("Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father", verse 19) he truthfully responds "Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth", verse 20. This is an above average sort of fellow -- but he has a problem.
His problem is revealed by Jesus, with the words "One thing thou lackest". The young man had addressed Jesus as "Good Teacher", suggesting some awareness of His full nature, and Jesus remarked on that. Thus the diagnosis, "One thing thou lackest", is forceful to him: he does not argue with it -- but neither does he comply with its instruction. The record stated that " ... he was one that had great possessions" - but someone commented that, in a real sense, his possessions actually "had" him. Here is the deceitfulness of riches at work: he did not know he was being taken captive. He thought his overriding desire was heaven --until he was put to the test. The record says "he went away sorrowful", and we are touched by his sorrow; but the greater tragedy is that, sorrowful or no, "he went away".
His was not an isolated case, and the demand made of him was not unique. There must be in all who would gain eternal life the willingness to lose earthly things, ALL earthly things, for heavenly treasures. Ponder these words of Jesus, found in Luke 14:26, "If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple". Matthew 10:37 helps us see the significance of "hateth" as equivalent to "loves less"; there Jesus said "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth -son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me". From these words see the place Jesus must have, in your heart. This is an incomprehensible lesson, and an impossible demand -- to one who is possessed by his possessions.
"Would ye also go away?"
By Patrick Farish
A grandmother and a little girl, whose face sparkled with freckles, spent the day at the zoo. As the little girl was waiting in line to get her cheek painted with a tiger paw, a boy in the line cried, "You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!"
Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her and said, "I love your freckles."
"Not me," the girl replied.
"Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," spoke the grandmother as she traced her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful!"
The girl looked up. "Really?"
"Of course," replied grandmother, "Why, just name me one thing that's prettier than freckles."
The little girl peered into the old woman's smiling face. "Wrinkles," she answered softly.
The desire to be popular with one's peers has created a society that thrives on physical beauty. To be accepted among the "beautiful people," one must have golden brown skin, pearly white teeth, good muscle tone, "abs" of steel, and no body fat. Oh yes, one must never age!
Those who cannot attain to the standard, (whether by luck of the gene pool or the skill of the scalpel or body-enhancing drugs) are doomed to a lifetime of poor self-image. Is it any wonder that teenage girls are anorexic and teenage boys, who are not sports-minded, suffer from cruel jokes at the hands of the "jocks"? All this pain and suffering is because the biblical concept of beauty has been rejected in favor of a hedonistic philosophy. True beauty manifests itself in the character of a person, not in their physical features
Peter gave instruction to wives whose husbands were not Christians, by pointing to their behavior. He explained himself further by saying, "Whose (adorning) let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but (let it be) the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible (apparel) of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (I Peter 3:3-4). Excessive use of make-up or tanning of the skin will make the skin age before its time. It will not win a husband to the Lord. It is not plunging necklines, short pants, or skirts, nor is it clothing that is so tight, freckles imprint through clothing. It is a wife's faithfulness to obey the Lord in all things with a meek and quite spirit.
Jesus rebuked the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees by saying they were like whited sepulchers, beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside (Matthew 23:27). One may look the part of a faithful Christian, but inwardly may be as ungodly as the vilest child molester. The inward person makes us either beautiful or ugly, not the outward person.
Beauty is not in the eyes of the beholder. It is in the heart of the individual. Where there is bitterness and resentment, there can never be true beauty. Where there is pettishness and selfishness, there is no beauty at all. Where there is domineering and harshness, beauty cannot exist. However, if the heart is filled with contentment and joy, humility and giving, with submission and kindness, there is beauty, regardless of the outward appearance.
I must ask, name me one thing that is prettier than freckles or wrinkles. Nothing, when they house a beautiful heart. Are you beautiful?
by Glenn Young
Via The Exhorter, Oakland church of Christ,
January 6, 2002