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| "The proof is in the pudding." "Hindsight is always 20-20." How true are these clichιs, especially when they pertain to things not yet come to pass. Therefore, how true are they, especially in the realm of religion! | ||
| At Bible study this past Wednesday evening, as we were reading Chapters 27 and 28 of the Prophet Jeremiah, we heard Jeremiah say, "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him." "The proof is in the pudding." Now, for those who weren't with us at Bible Study, a bit of context. | ||
| By the late seventh century BC, pretty much the only significant presence in Palestine of the twelve tribes of Israel, was Judah, and it was pretty much concentrated in and around Jerusalem. And, as you may recall, ever since Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt over eight hundred years earlier, the history of the Jewish people had been a series of their turning away from God always with unhappy consequences. Upon turning back, happier times would result. But now, in Jeremiah's time, they had so completely forsaken God, that He, through Jeremiah, His mouthpiece as it were, was telling them that, even if they turned back, it was now too late. It was fully His intention to give them into the hands of the king of Babylon. For the first twenty years of his ministry, Jeremiah had been proclaiming this unhappy message to the people of Jerusalem. And yet, nothing had happened. | ||
| If any of us had been living in Jerusalem at the time, would we have considered Jeremiah to be a true prophet, or a mere annoyance who kept on haranguing the city with the same depressingly, unfulfilled message over and over? No pudding yet. | ||
| Hindsight is of course 20-20; but when we are living in expectation, we often make wrong judgements as to the veracity of this or that claim made by others. In this instance, and clearly with a teaching message for all generations thereafter, there is the overwhelmingly important factor that an individual claims to be speaking on behalf of the Almighty. | ||
| Twenty years along, things began to change with respect to Jeremiah. His prophetic utterings, and sermons, began to be fulfilled. Now, how did the people of Jerusalem look at him? Undoubtedly still as an annoyance, as there was little of comfort in his message; but, very likely with a grudging acknowledgement that he just might be speaking the truth. | ||
| The Old Testament is also full of false prophets; indeed, many more than there were prophets truly sent from God. Some were likely up to no good from the get go; they knew within themselves that they were not sent from or called by God, but because true prophets were held in some esteem and were ultimately those remembered by history, they wanted to be a somebody too. They were "wanna be" prophets. Some, perhaps even the majority, were deluded; they had a feeling that they were called or sent, but, alas, they too were not the genuine article. Not surprisingly, the Old Testament occasionally records that these false prophets used the tactic of telling the people what they wanted to hear, rather than what God wanted to tell them. | ||
| Some thirty-three years into Jeremiah's ministry, a false prophet, Hannaniah, appeared on the scene, apparently prophesying on God's behalf, telling the people a much happier story than that which Jeremiah had been proclaiming. Well, of course, hindsight is 20-20, and the Old Testament records for us that Jeremiah was the true prophet, and, as for Hannaniah, well, Jeremiah had a personal unhappy message for him from God which was fulfilled in very short order. | ||
| In hindsight, we believe that the true prophets of the Old Testament lived and preached under the guidance of the Almighty. The books that carry their names were not instantly made part of Hebrew Scripture as they were written or dictated. Once their prophecies had been fulfilled, it was pretty easy for the Israelites to see that indeed Jeremiah, or Amos, or Isaiah had in fact been truly preaching on God's behalf; therefore, it was reasonable, based on such hindsight, to ultimately include their writings or dictations in the canon of Scripture. Again, from Jeremiah, "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him." Which words he said, by the way, in reference to Hannaniah. | ||
| Today, with perfect hindsight, we would correctly observe that Jeremiah was labouring under the guidance of the Spirit of God. | ||
| What of our own time? We certainly do not lack for those who claim to be hearing messages from God, and often are more than willing to share them with any who will listen. Some are likely up to no good from the get go; they know within themselves that they are not sent from or called by God and that He has not in fact spoken to them; but, because famous church leaders are not only well-respected, they are often also well-paid, they have seized the opportunity for personal advancement. Different reward than the false prophets in ancient Israel; same motive. Some, perhaps even the majority are likely deluded; they have a feeling that God is speaking to them. | ||
| And now, it is not quite so easy for us to know who are the true and who the false; we do not have the luxury of 20-20 hindsight. How do we determine whether Fred or Sally have in fact been given an important message, or a message at all, from God? How do we discern whether they are speaking the truth, or not? | ||
| Today's readings, yes, we finally come around to the readings for Easter IV, give us several answers. But before we consider them, note how, in today's Gospel reading, although we are still in Eastertide, the focus is shifting from the Resurrection to our Lord's Ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit two very important events that we commemorate in the next three weeks. | ||
| Back to discernment. In the Gospel passage, our Lord speaks of the sending of the Holy Spirit. Which brings us both to the primary answer and also the primary problem as it relates to many modern Christians. Jesus said, "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." What tremendous words of comfort those must have been for the disciples, who had just been told that their Master was going to leave them. And what tremendous words of comfort they have been to Christians throughout the ages. | ||
| However, how sadly they have been taken out of context. Which is to say, there has arisen an alarming tendency to take those words, and those words only, and use them as a sort of calling card to the Almighty. Actually, it is worse than that; the practice has become to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, not only in apparent isolation from God the Father and God the Son, but also in apparent or even wilful ignorance of these new messages being contrary to The Word. | ||
| One of the most important aspects of discernment is to hold up any claim in the light of Scripture. Someone might say to us, "The Holy Spirit told me that it was OK to take that loose change from Sally's desk; after all, she won the lottery and doesn't really need all that money." An obvious example, but one that points out that it is important for us to either know the Scriptures, or to reserve agreement with someone making a claim until we have verified it. | ||
| Now, as it relates specifically to the Holy Spirit and Jesus' statement that He would guide us does Scripture corroborate the practice of claiming guidance from the Holy Spirit in isolation? Not even close. If we simply finish the sentence from Jesus, "he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak." Next sentence, "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." In the previous chapter of the same Gospel, "When the Comforter is come he shall testify of me." In the chapter before that, "The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." | ||
| Clearly our Lord is telling His disciples that the Holy Spirit does not work in isolation, but is entirely bound within the Trinity, revealing only that which he receives as part of that unity, and never contradicting that which God has revealed, both in Holy Scripture and in His incarnate form. | ||
| Today's Epistle makes these points from a different perspective. James starts off by saying, "Every good gift, and every perfect gift (and certainly a true message from God is a good and perfect gift, not to mention the Incarnate life of our Lord Himself) is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." In no uncertain terms, James is telling us that God is not whimsical, changing His mind to suit the wishes of humanity. Which is to say, any apparent message that Fred or Sally has received from the Holy Spirit or from whatever other spirit is not a true message from God if it is contrary to His revelation contained within the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the remainder of His Holy Word. | ||
| At the end of the brief reading, James hammers home this important point and makes another important observation, "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." Many have, throughout Christian history, twisted Holy Scripture to suit their own agendas or wishes, not unlike apparent messages from God that are also twisted in the light of the revelation. That is why we must "receive with meekness"; not serving our own wishes, not trying to please others, but only ever wanting to desire that which God desires for us. | ||
| Jeremiah was the "real deal". How many of his contemporaries were able to discern that before the perfect 20-20 hindsight of history proved him to be genuine? The fruits of his prophecies proved him to be true. Hannaniah was not the real deal, though many of his contemporaries wished that he were. The hindsight of history and the fruits of his prophecies proved him to be false. | ||
| Jesus Christ was the real deal, which we know from history He rose from the dead in a spectacular confirmation of His Divinity; our hindsight of Him is 20-20. Yet His contemporaries lacked discernment to the point that they ultimately killed Him, granted in fulfilment of a prophecy. By both His fruits and theirs, and the hindsight of history we know Him to be true. | ||
| God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Son of God the Father, sent by Him to dwell in the hearts of all the faithful is the real deal. Do we acknowledge His presence within us; and if so, do we truly desire to make our wills one with that of the Risen, Ascended and Glorified Lord, in obedience to the Father, or are our prayers slanted towards our own wilfulness, claiming like Hannaniah, or Fred or Sally, to have received words from God when we either know that that is not in fact true, or even at best cannot be certain? | ||
| By our fruits, and the perfect hindsight of history we ultimately shall be known to those around us, the proof will be in the pudding; but, newsflash! God doesn't need hindsight. | ||