You have heard that it was said, but Jesus has something more to say

Our church (The Meeting House) just completed a sermon series on the theme "Pointing at Jesus" - learning ways to introduce Jesus to our friends. Broadly speaking, we can tell people about Jesus (Proclamation Evangelism), or we can ask people to "Come and See" how the gospel is lived out in the church (Invitation Evangelism). This week's sermon is about "Teaching-based Apologetic" - using Jesus' teaching to stimulate discussion. One of the most interesting thing I took away from the sermon was a new insight into the "Golden Rule". It is also very funny so I put that section of the sermon on Youtube (it's 10 minutes long).

During our subsequent home church discussion we focused on the scripture passage Matthews 5:17-48, which is the part of the bible known as the "Sermon on the Mount". What struck me was the reference to the 6 antithesis all beginning with the phrase "You have heard that it was said... but I tell you...". The 6 antithesis are listed here:

1. On the subject of Murder and Anger -  You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment...
2. On the subject of Adultery - You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart...
3. On the subject of Marriage and Divorce - It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
4. On the subject of Making Promises -  Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all...
5. On the subject of Revenge and Justice - You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
6. On the subject of Loving our Enemies - You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

These are probably hot topics of the day during the time of Jesus. Jesus was clearly not advocating the abolishment of the old rules but affirming the importance of understanding and therefore obeying the true spiritual meaning behind these rules. He made this point very clear:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (I added my own emphasis).

What I learned is that I have to listen to the concerns of our times, our culture, our "world view". I will then seek wisdom from Jesus' teaching to open up dialog to engage those around me what Jesus would say to these concerns. There are a lot of misinformation out there concerning our faith, such as "the Golden Rule". It should be my job to help others come to know the truth! That's what Jesus has called me to do.

Learning to finish well

Today I read about the death and burial of two persons - Moses and Jesus
 (Deut 34 and Mark 15)


The Death of Moses

(Deuteronomy 34:1-12) 
Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho.
There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

By any comparison, Moses lived well and finished well. He was 120 years old when he climbed his last mountain (Mount Nebo), some 817 meters before his death. He still had good sight and strength, and most likely a sound faculty in his head. The scripture above described him as a great prophet (one who speaks for God, not so much one who predicts the future), who had done some amazing signs and wonders. God knew him face to face (literally) and spoke to him directly. He was given the ten commandments in tablets of stone written by God himself. He remained faithful to the end though he was punished over one rebellious event by not being able to enter the promised land himself. He had a good look from the top of Mount Nebo though. In the book of Hebrews, it speaks of many of these people of faith:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

So learning from Moses, I understand that this life is merely a sojourn to a better place. I seek to commune with God every day while I am still here looking forward to (or longing for) a better country - a heavenly one. And do not look back where I was once a slave to sins and the desires of this world.

The picture here shows the most likely vantage point where Moses has a panoramic view of the promised land. There is now erected the famous "Serpentine cross", which is used as a symbol of the medical profession. In Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

At first, it seems strange to combine a snake (usually associated with Satan) and the cross where Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. Yet that's exactly the point: Jesus took on the sins of the world and offered himself as the atoning sacrifice so for those who trust in him (or to look to the cross) would not only be healed, but be saved for eternity.


The Death of Jesus (Mark 15:33-47)
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^[d] and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus
⁴² It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

I had previously written another blog on Jesus' death. In contrast to Moses, Jesus lived only 33 years on earth. Moses has trained 1 successor - Joshua; Jesus trained 11 apostles. Moses had the respect of the entire nation of Israel; Jesus was deserted even by his disciples. Moses showed us God's promise; Jesus IS THE PROMISE FULFILLED!

Oh how unfathomable is Jesus' love for us. His life and death is not considered a role model for most people in our society and yet he urged us:
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27)

So for the remaining of my days, I learn to carry the cross of Jesus - not as a little pendant on my necklace but the message of hope. This message of hope will be rejected by some. But for those God has put in my path it will give them power to live.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18)

Mary's Song

My daily scripture reading includes two to three chapters in the Old Testament and part of a chapter or an entire chapter (if it is a short chapter) in the New Testament. The daily reading plan will cover the entire bible in a year. It is interesting that there had been many times the reading in the OT echoed beautifully the reading in the NT. Coincidence?

In today's reading, The OT (Joshua 10-12) described in great detail the conquest of the promised land. The Israelites destroyed the two kings (Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan) east of the River Jordan and the 31 kings west of Jordan (including the famous battles of Jericho and Ai). On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua sang a song:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
So the sun stood still,
    and the moon stopped,    till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, (Joshua 10:12-13)

It was a miracle unlike any. The Lord listened to a human being. The scripture goes on to say: "Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!" It leaves no doubt whatever victory the Israelites had, it was the hand of the Lord that gave it to them.

The NT reading today (Luke 1:39-56) also described a song. Also known as the "Magnificat", the song writer Mary, who was probably between 14 to 16 years old at the time (based on the Jewish customs of marriage of the time), pregnant out of wedlock, poured out her heart in praise when she heard from her cousin (or just a relative because of the great age difference) Elizabeth these affirming words:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”(Luke 1:42-45)

And this is her song:

Mary’s Song

“My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.

 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

The parts that echoes the OT reading of today:
He has performed mighty deed...
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,
   just as he promised our ancestors.

And we must hold on to his many promises... each and every day of our lives. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23)

*Noticed I had bold face every time the word "promised" is mentioned in scripture.

A Blessing and a Curse

Deuteronomy 11:26-29
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses.

Deuteronomy 27:12-26
When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.
The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

“Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

(vv16-26 continues with the Levites' pronouncement of the curses including many of the expanded versions of the Ten Commandments)

Now imagine this: when the Israelites (numbered likely over 2 millions) crossed the Jordan, they are to celebrate by dividing up into two groups by their tribes of origin (apparently there has not been any academic consensus as to how the division was made). One group will pronounce blessings on Mount Gerizim) and the other will pronounce curses on Mount Ebal. 

Mount Gerizim

Mount Ebal

The blessings or the curses are directly tied to obedience or disobedience to God's laws. I wonder what it must have been like to stand on one of these mountains - to say "Amen!" following each of the Levite's blessings or listening to the echoes of "Amen's" coming from across the valley following the pronouncement of the curses. It must make a deep impression on me the solemnity of the moment, and the presence of God's "holiness" (Bible.org has a very good explanation on the Holiness of God). 

This celebration is to be done before an impossible task - to fight enemies who are more numerous and stronger than myself, who have built fortresses with walls reaching "the sky" (Deuteronomy 9:1). This calls for a profound change in my attitude when facing such a task:

• The Almighty God is going with me. 
• So do not fear, for I am with you;
      do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
  I will strengthen you and help you;    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Is 41:10)

• God's chosen people are with me.
• And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Mt:16:18)

• God's ultimate purpose for his people is to receive from him the land of his promise, a land rich in blessings, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land where he will dwell among us for eternity.
• But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations. (Leviticus 20:24)

• God sets us apart from the nations around us. He does so by putting his holy laws in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Through Christ's death on the cross the curses and the blessings are now only blessings for those who are in Christ.
• Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1)

For Joan and Francis on March 2 - their Wedding Day

[I initially wrote the Father of the Bride speech and published it on March 2, 2013, the day of the wedding. I soon removed it and decided to rewrite it focusing on the verse in Scripture which I will further elaborate here.]

For Joan and Francis on your wedding day:

I chose this verse in the Book of Colossians chapter 3 verse 2 because of the numbers 3 and 2 which is the same as your anniversary date March 2. I hope that it is easy enough for both of you to remember and that you will continue to find this verse a source of inspiration and strength for years to come.

So Colossians 3:2 says "Set your minds on things above, not on things below."

Your mother and I have found this verse true to the secret of holding our marriage together, through thick and thin. It tells us to look up when we are facing all kinds of challenges. Look to the all-powerful God to give us strength. Look for eternal perspectives in all our dealings with others, especially each other. (When it comes to arguments, if they don't involve heaven and hell I just let your mother win☺!) You will find grace in times of need. Indeed, the word grace is chosen in all three of our girls' middle name in Chinese. Joan's Chinese name is 頌恩, which literally means Praise the Grace of God. So wherever you are in life, God's grace will go with you. Learn to praise him (i.e. God - not Francis☺) in whatever the circumstance you find yourself in. He will bless you and your children (and I don't mean birds!).


Coming back to the verse, the verse that precedes it (3:1) says: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Here is the part that addresses your hearts and not just your minds. There will be times when you just can't wrap your minds around what is happening - difficulties that are beyond your control, or as a consequence of errors made for being human. You are to remember that not only Christ was raised from the dead, you also have been raised along with him. If he is not raised then we live in hopelessness. But the fact is He is Risen! We have eternal hope of reigning with him. He is now seated at the right hand of God. If God is the Commander in Chief then Christ is the Chief of Staff (as in West Wing☺)! So if your hearts are in trouble, set your hearts on things above, not on things below.

O here is another favourite verse of mine for the both of you:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
(Notice the numbers 3 & 2 and grace in here too☺)