The Flight of Our Souls

The Greek philosopher Plato (circa. 330 BC) had a tremendous influence on Western civilization, nearly as powerful as the Judeo-Christian worldview. His teachings included the mind/body duality, in that we have a mortal physical body that is inhabited by an immortal soul. He expanded on that concept by postulating that since the soul is immortal, and this physical world is subject to mortality, the soul’s true home must be somewhere else. He described an eternal world of ideas, where the soul would fly when it was freed from its body. This world of ideas contained the primary source of everything that exists in the physical universe, for example, a chair that exists here is only a copy of the eternal idea of the chair,which resides in the spiritual world. All of this is contained within the World Soul, or God, the primary source of everything.

   Hebrews 8:1"Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 8:2 a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one too had to have something to offer. 8:4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 8:5 The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, “See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain.” 8:6 But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.  8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. 8:8 But showing its fault, God says to them,“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 8:9 “It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord. 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people. 8:11 “And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying,  ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.8:12 “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”8:13 When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear."

Plato had a tremendous influence on the New Testament and the early Church as well. The first generation of Christians were nearly all Jews, but after that the Church became primarily made up of Gentiles. These people brought with them the culture and ideas of the Greco-Roman world, including Plato’s teachings. Plato’s work was read beside and compared to the Old Testament and in many cases was the lens through which books of the New Testament were written, especially Hebrews.

Plato helped to make clear some of the teachings of the NT authors. Many of his explanations became assumed ideas of Western culture, like the mind/body duality and the temporary status of the physical world, and, most importantly, the idea that this world is not our true home –  that rather our home is with God in eternity. God is the primary source of everything, and He has established a home for us, complete with an eternal tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant, to greet us when we arrive.

“Some glad morning, when this life is over, I’ll fly away
To that home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away
I’ll fly away, oh glory, I’ll fly away
To that home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.”

Jesus doesn't run for office.

I’ve never really been interested in politics. When I was younger, I used to debate political issues, usually more from the left side than right, but my heart was never really in it. As I grow older, I am growing slightly more conservative,  but  at  the  same  time  I  am  more  convinced  than  ever  that political solutions are not the answer to our problems as Americans. Using politics to solve our problems is like putting a Band-Aid on a cancer patient – it helps us feel better because we did something, but it didn’t even address the true illness. There are people who honestly  believe politics to be the best  arena for change, but unless you address the hearts and minds of the masses, nothing will change but who is in office.

Hebrews 7:20 "And since this was not done without a sworn affirmation – for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation, 7:21 but Jesus did so with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’” – 7: accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 7:23 And the others who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them from continuing in office, 7:24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 7:25 So he is able to save completely those who 
come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 7:26 For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 7:27 He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men subject to weakness, but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever."

Jesus is the perfect High Priest, eternally better than those men of the line of Levi. One of the real drawbacks to our political system is that politicians spend 2/3 of their time running for and staying in office. Because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, He will never need to run for office. His position is a permanent one, and because Jesus is perfect, His work on our behalf is perfect. We can have complete confidence in our High Priest, because corruption and politiking will never touch Him. His priorities are all about advocating on our behalf before God Almighty. No stump speeches, no promises never to be fulfilled, no manipulation, He just gets it done.

He’s got my vote.

Waiting for Superman

I grew up reading comic books, mostly superhero ones. The most famous of these being Superman.
 I’ve never been a huge Superman fan myself, but millions of people over four generations have followed his adventures. The story is well-known, a family on another planet called Krypton, faced with worldwide destruction, sends their baby boy in a rocket ship to Earth in order to save him. Because of the radical differences between Earth and Krypton,                         particularly our yellow Sun, the boy grows up with incredible strength, invulnerability, x-ray vision, and the ability to fly. He is nearly indestructible – his only weakness being exposure to an element from the core of his home world called kryptonite.

I heard a very interesting analysis of Superman once. The adventures of Superman are indeed stories meant to entertain. But below the surface there is another story being told, a story about ourselves. Most superheroes, whether its Batman, Spiderman, the incredible Hulk, etc., change from being a normal mild-mannered human being into their superhero form. As an exception to this, Superman is one of only a few superheroes  who has to put on a disguise to blend into the human race. His normal state is being  Superman. And how he disguises himself is a telling commentary on us. In trying to look and act human, Superman creates the alter ego of Clark Kent. And what kind of human being is Clark Kent? He’s weak,shy, afraid of his own shadow, passive, and deceitful. In growing up around humans, when Superman tries to become one, Clark Kent is his summation of being human.

Hebrews 7:11 "So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood – for on that basis the people received the law – what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order? 7:12 For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come as well. 7:13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever officiated at the altar. 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. 7:15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 7:16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life. 7:17 For here is the testimony about him: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 7:18 On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless, 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God." 

As our new and much improved High Priest, Jesus is better than the old priesthood because He has an indestructible life. In conquering death, Jesus is immortal, and our only true Superhero. Like Melchizedek,who was a priest of God from a different tribe, Jesus has come to intercede for us before God. And like  Superman, Jesus took on human form in order to live among us and understand us better. But the form Jesus took on was similar to Clark Kent in that by taking on human flesh he chose to be weak like us, even though he could still  command legions of angels, cast out demons, and heal the sick. Because Jesus is both human and divine, completely in the flesh and at the same time completely God, he is the only Superhero High Priest we’ll ever need.

The Things Left Undone

I had asthma as a child, and it didn’t take me long to figure out how to use it to my advantage. Anything I really didn’t want to do — time for an asthma attack, or at least the threat of one. Unfortunately for me, my parents were sympathetic to my plight and bought my ploys : hook, line, and sinker. Unfortunately for me, because it deeply ingrained in me a habit of avoiding anything I didn’t want to do. Combine this with the fact that I am extremely lazy, and you get someone in serious need of some self-discipline. This lack of self-discipline was unfortunate in childhood, but tends to be downright tragic as adulthood runs its course. Nearly all my personal failings as an adult are rooted in this lack of self-discipline. It is the one pit left that I still tend to stumble into when left to my own devices.

Hebrews 6:13 "Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 6:14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 6:15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. 6:16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 6:17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 6:18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 6:20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. 7:1 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him. 7:2 To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 7:4 But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder. 7:5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization
according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham. 7:6 But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise. 7:7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 7:8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 7:9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham. 7:10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins when Melchizedek met him."

God’s nature and His promises are unchangeable. God does not suffer from a lack of self-discipline. His ways are intertwined and identified with who He is: perfect and perfectly holy. He makes promises on the basis of His divine nature – He swears by Himself, since there is no greater guarantee of fulfillment. When He makes promises to us, they are guaranteed eternally, provided the conditions of the agreement are met.

In the ancient Middle East, there was a specific protocol for contracts, agreements, treaties, and so forth. These were typically between a superior and an inferior, in terms of class status. The significant characteristic of these contracts was that they were brought about on the superior’s terms. The inferior party would either agree or disagree with the terms, but they were determined by the superior party almost entirely. This is the form in which God’s promises come in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, God appeared to Abraham and made promises of land and descendants, on the conditions that Abraham walk before God and be holy (Genesis 17:1-3). Later, God made promises to the children of Israel through Moses about the Promised Land, provided they put away their foreign gods and serve Him only (Leviticus 20:22-24). More recently, God made promises to His people through David, Solomon, Elijah, Hezekiah, and many others.

But now, God has come to the primary component of His plan to save the human race. With Jesus, all the former promises will still be honored, but now those promises are extended beyond the Jewish people to everyone who will agree to the conditions of the contract: Believe, Confess, Repent, Be Baptized, and Obey. We know God will hold up his end of the bargain – the question is, will we?

Bottle-fed or carnivorous?

 If there was any one point where I would criticize American Christians, it is that they are very shallow. While  there are significant exceptions, most Christians in our country do not spend more than one hour a week doing anything about their faith – and that is assuming they attend church every Sunday, which many do not! These baby Christians are content to just stick with the basics: Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead, and  that’s about it. There is no time for daily meditation on God’s Word or focused prayer, no time for pursuing a deeper spiritual understanding of things. And so, the American Church is one giant nursery.

    Hebrews 5:11 "On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. 5:12 For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.  6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, 6:2 teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 6:3 And this is what we  intend  to  do,  if  God  permits.  6:4  For  it  is  impossible  in  the  case  of  those  who  have  once  been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6:6 and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt. 6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned. 6:9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises."

 Spiritual shallowness was a problem in the early Church as well. It seems like no matter what era you live in, most people are content with a simple grasp on their relationship with God, and are perfectly happy to call it good. And so for the next 40 years, they are in a spiritual holding pattern where not much  changes in their hearts and souls. Issues like living a life of holiness, righteousness, advocating for God’s justice, caring for the poor, orphans, and widows, self-sacrifice, even fasting are all reserved for those in  full-time ministry. But according to the New Testament, there is no difference between Christians who get paid for it and Christians who don’t. The same demands are placed upon both groups.  The Church in America will remain weak and lazy until there is a reversal on this matter. God’s work is not being carried out because we are too fat and sleepy to see and understand. We walk right by  opportunities God has placed in front of us because they might require us to get involved. Our faith is not simply “fire insurance,” it is designed to grow like the mustard plant from the seed, filling the garden  of this world with its branches. And the only way to grow that faith the way it is designed to is work. We must be actively working to fertilize, prune, and weed so that our mustard seed faith can spring up.  

Jesus Our Advocate

 I have now adopted four children internationally, the first from Russia and the other three from Ethiopia. It is a complicated process that involves  a ton of paperwork, notary public stamps, communications with foreign  embassies and governments, and a lot of patience. In each instance, we went through an adoption agency who paid people to advocate for us in Russia and Ethiopia. In each case, their representation and knowledge of the  system made the difference between having children and not having  children. When we traveled to both countries, we were dependent upon our  advocates to make sure we completed the process and brought our children home.

While we were in these countries, it was necessary for our advocates to translate everything we said and what the government officials were saying. We did a lot of standing around, feeling stupid and helpless because, as Americans, we were used to making our own way and getting things done.  It was very difficult to rely on others to get the job done.

    Hebrews 5:1"For every high priest is taken from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 5:2 He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness, 5:3 and for this reason he is obligated to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 5:4 And no one assumes this honor on his own initiative, but only when called to it by God, as in fact Aaron was. 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” 5:6 as also in another place  God says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 5:7 During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 5:9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 5:10 and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek."

In one of the most insightful passages in the Bible on the Incarnation of Jesus, Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our high priest. He acts as our advocate before God, whereas otherwise we would be helpless and lost. And his work goes both ways, because not only is he an advocate for us before God, arranging our adoption into the Kingdom, he is also completely sympathetic to our individual situations, because he is human also.  And while he never rebelled against the will of his Father, he does understand what it is like to be human, with all the frailty and fumbling that goes with it. In addition to acting as high priest, Jesus is unique in another aspect – he is also the necessary sacrifice for payment for our sins. The only way for justice to be served in the case of our rebellion is death – either ours or his. He stepped up and paid the price in his own blood, and set in motion a tidal wave of salvation across this world.

Some of the writers of the early Church considered the Incarnation to be the beginning of salvation, not just simply the crucifixion and resurrection. When God became a man and brought his divine nature into the world, the evil that dwelt there saw the light and fled. And as Jesus walked this earth, he freed people from bondage and healed them, forcing back the creeping darkness. Our high priest came with a mission to destroy the stranglehold sin had over us: by blinding Light, carrying our burdens, translating our pleas,and paying for our adoption as sons and daughters of God.

There's Lazy, and Then There's Rest.

I am a lazy person by nature. Sometimes I am so lazy I even feel guilty about it, especially when I really  should be helping my wife or playing more with my kids. It seems like every time I get a chance to relax a bit, I take it, which drives my wife crazy. My wife is the kind of person that can’t rest when there iswork around the house to be done, whereas, aside from the basics like dumping the trash, I rarely see anything real problem with the current state of the house. I would rather rest from my long, hard day of sitting on my rear.

    Hebrews 4:1 "Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it. 4:2 For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did. But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in with those who heard it in faith. 4:3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” And yet God’s works were accomplished from the foundation of the world. 4:4 For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,” 4:5 but to repeat the text cited earlier: “They will never enter my rest!” 4:6 Therefore it remains for some to
enter it, yet those to whom it was previously proclaimed did not enter because of disobedience. 4:7 So God again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts.” 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken afterward about another day. 4:9 Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. 4:10 For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. 4:11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper
than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow;it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 4:13 And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. 4:14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of  God, let us hold fast to our confession. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 4:16  Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need
help."

God rested also, but I don’t think it was the kind of rest we think of. He rested because his plans were complete and set into motion. I have wondered why God, knowing ahead of time what would inevitably happen, created free-willed human beings. Why would he subject himself to such frustrations? I suppose he did it for a similar reason as when people decide to have children. Even though they know that parenthood is one of the most difficult tasks a human being can take on, and that the child will disappoint and disobey them, they choose to do it because of all the good stuff that comes out of it. To raise a child with your values and love them unconditionally, and to watch them grow up into a person full of potential – that is why parents have children. The icing on the cake is when they love you back. In the same way, I believe God wanted to have his children grow up with his values and be loved unconditionally. He knew that, even though we would have the ability to rebel against him, and in fact would do so, true love is born out of free-will.
Even though God knew our future before we were even created, he set everything in motion anyway. Why? Because God had a contingency plan. He knew that the only way for us to return home once we  left  was to go, find us, and bring us back. And he did this through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ – God  in the flesh. He found us, wandering the streets with no money in our pockets, dirty clothes on our backs, a bounty on our heads, and he brought us home. And when we got back home, we slept for days and days.