Month: June 2021

The Bitterness of this Life

On By AaronIn Bitterness, Faith, Hope, Jesus, Stuff About Me6 Comments

I have always envied my sister’s ability to empathize with almost anyone.  She has a gift.  Her heart feels and she reacts in some of the most profound, heartfelt, and touching ways.  I don’t have that gift.  I should have once, and she had to come along side me and even tell me what to do.  I remember telling her that in hindsight I should have known but it doesn’t always come naturally to me.  I am an old soldier.  When I hear of the loss of a soldier my heart breaks and aches and as a soldier, I know what to say and what to do.  But then I had to pick up my ruck and move out.  As a police officer I often dealt with people in their most dire moments.  In those situations, I can understand and even empathize.  But then I had to move onto the next call; probably just as dire as the last one.  Where I struggle is when my friends and loved ones are in distress.  I rarely know how to comfort them.

Today, when I jumped in my car to go to lunch, I found that I had received a text from my wife.  She was asking me to pray for her friend.  Her friend’s granddaughter is dying.  She had been diagnosed with a rare and deadly disease and in the course of that fight she had developed what I understand as a secondary complication.  She is not responding to the treatments and surgery is not an option.  These are quite literally her last days.

I prayed, and I prayed some more.  I don’t want this for her, I don’t want this for her mother, and I don’t want this for her grandmother.  What a bitter cup to swallow.  By the time I had made it into town I had stopped three times nearly in tears to pray.  My heart is in anguish for them. I want to reach out to them.  I want to take this from them.  Anguish is the best description.

Maybe that is the secret to my sister’s gift. She has lost a daughter. She has anguished over seriously ill children in those unknown moments and the uncertainty of outcomes. Maybe the ability to emphasize is in the sharing or the knowing of the taste of that cup. I am a new father. I think this has moved me closer to a clearer empathy. I can’t help but think, “what if this were my daughter?” I can now sense the depth of the anguish. But how would I handle it? I know, this is an extreme form of asking God for patience. You have to be careful because in asking God for patience you are asking for opportunities to be patient. I would not want this cup and I am not asking for it. But how do we persevere? In the midst of my thoughts and prayers I was reminded of another cup; another cup of anguish.

Jesus’ anguish here is real.

“And he took with him Peter and James and John and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.  And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”  And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me… (Mar 14:33-36).”  Jesus’ anguish here is real.  Matthew records that in that anguish Jesus fell on his face before His prayer (Mat 26:39) and in Luke we read that he sweat great drops of blood and an angel was even sent to encourage Him (Luk 22:43-44).

I don’t know what cup you are holding in your hand today but if it is a bitter cup, a cup that you desperately don’t want to drink know that our savior can empathize.  He knows the desperation that comes in the holding of that cup!  But what got Him through?  How and why did He persevere?  Are you ready…?  Because I know the answer and you are going to think it insufficient.

Jesus had a complete faith and trust that His father’s plan was good.

Jesus had a complete faith and trust that His father’s plan was good.  Jesus ended His prayer, “Yet not what I will, but what you will (Mar 14:33-36, ESV).”  He was resting in His knowledge of the Goodness of God.

Jesus knew who He was (Joh 8:23).  Jesus knew where He was from and where He was going (Joh 8:14) and I have no doubt that the angel sent to encourage Him reminded Him of those facts.  He also knew that what He had to do was necessary (Joh 12:31-32).  Necessary, not for Him but for you and me (Joh 3:16).  Finally, He knew that the one who had sent Him had not left Him (Joh 8:29).

Believer, do you know who you are in Jesus?  Do you know where you are from and where you are going?  Do you know that your God has not left you?  Let’s be honest, apart from the hope of an eternity in Jesus we can only hope for more time between bitter cups because in this life more bitter cups are coming.  But we, who are in Christ, know that a day is coming when our cups will be filled only with joy.  “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.  I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow (Jer 31:13).”  My friend, who I know to be a believer, will one day be reunited with her granddaughter, who I also know to be a believer.

I pray that the fear of the Lord will move you to repentance.

Unbeliever, do you know who you are apart from Jesus?  Do you know where you are from and where you are going?  Do you know that one day you will be subject to the judgment of your God?  I pray that the fear of the Lord will move you to repentance before it is too late.  A day is coming when it will be.  “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins (Joh 8:24).”

Two things that I would ask of you as I wrap up this post. First, my friend will be reunited with her granddaughter regardless of whether God grants us a miracle. Her prayer has already been answered and her granddaughter has already been saved from death (Heb 5:9). I am praying a miracle for my friend because I want one for her and because my God is able (Heb 5:7). Pray with us for that miracle in confidence that God’s will is going to be done. Second, be patient with those who have not yet drank from a bitter cup that you may already know well. It is only a matter of time, and they too will taste of the bitterness of this life. When they do, and it is of a vintage that you already know, then they will need you to guide them through the tears that come with that cup.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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Who was Pontius Pilate

On By AaronIn HistoryLeave a comment

Pontius Pilate was of a group of imperial administrators called procurators or prefects who were usually responsible for the administration of smaller areas outside of Rome (Jeffers 2009, 113).  These areas were considered potentially contentious and as a result the prefects held quasi-military authority (Jeffers 2009, 113).  Usually, the force under their control came from a regular legion but consisted only of the auxiliary troops that were not Roman in citizenship and often consisted of local recruits (Jeffers 2009, 114).  Probably not the case in Judea as the Jews were exempt from military service.  To be a prefect you had to be a male from the equestrian class which was below the senatorial class (Jeffers 2009, 113).  The prefect of Judea was supervised by the legate of Syria, a senator, and any troops delegated to the procurator would come from the legions assigned to the supervising legate (Jeffers 2009, 128).

Tiberius appointed Pontius Pilate as the fifth prefect served from 26-36 A.D. (Comfort and Elwell 2004, 495).  He was one of only three of the fourteen prefects mentioned in the New Testament and “none of these fourteen governors excelled in tact and sensitivity toward Jewish sensibilities (Jeffers 2009, 129).”  They could be bound by a charter that outlined any arrangements or exemptions regarding taxation and provincials could make complaints to the senate or even the emperor if they thought the procurator unjust in his rule (Jeffers 2009, 114).  Some of the agreements that applied to Judea included the allowance of the annual temple tax, exemption from emperor worship, and the requirement to offer sacrifice on behalf of the emperor (Jeffers 2009, 128).  “In all other provinces the worship of the emperor was zealously insisted upon, and was claimed as a matter of course by the emperor as proof of respect (Schürer 1890, 76).”

Generally, the authority of the prefect was absolute.  In the case of Judea, the prefect kept control of the high priestly garments and only released them for four annual festivals (Jeffers 2009, 128).  James Jeffers commenting on that fact noted that, “we know of no other local religious cult over which the Romans exercised this degree of official control (Jeffers 2009, 128).”  The prefects were also authorized to enter into treaties and agreements with local leaders and heard cases in which capital sentences were pronounced (Jeffers 2009, 130).

Pontius Pilate made some errors in his administration of Judea early on.  He introduced military standards into Jerusalem that depicted an image of the emperor violating the Jewish prohibitions against idol worship (Jeffers 2009, 130).  This was his very first act as prefect (Schürer 1890, 83).  When he dispatched soldiers, with drawn swords, to put down those who complained the Jews said they would rather die than breach the Law and bared their necks to the troops (Schürer 1890, 83).  Pilate backed down.

Pilate also tried to place golden shields with the emperor Tiberius’ name at Herod’s palace in Jerusalem (Jeffers 2009, 130).  The Jews complained to Tiberius who ordered Pilate to remove the shields (Jeffers 2009, 130).  The Roman deference to Jewish misgivings of images in idol worship would later cause Vitellius, on his mission to help Agrippa against the Arabian king Aretas, to plan his route so that his troops, who were carrying images of the emperor, would never actually enter Jewish territory (Schürer 1890, 79).

Another clash occurred when Pilate ordered an aqueduct built to bring water to Jerusalem.  Jews in Jerusalem discovered that some of the money used for the project came from the temple treasury (Jeffers 2009, 130).  When they demonstrated against the project Pilate ended the demonstrations with troops at the cost of some Jewish lives (Jeffers 2009, 130).  “The opposition to the useful undertaking was thus indeed crushed; but also the popular hatred against Pilate was stirred up afresh (Schürer 1890, 84).”

One final example of Pilates ruthlessness in administration of Judea occurred when he sent soldiers to put down a group of Samaritans who had followed their prophet to Mount Gerazim in Samaria (Jeffers 2009, 131). See last weeks blog, Essential and Non-Essential, for a discussion of the Samaritans and Mount Gerazim.  Several of the group were killed and when Samaritan leaders complained to the legate in Syria Pilate was forced to explain himself to the Emperor Tiberius at Rome (Jeffers 2009, 131).

Pilate’s strength is apparent in not only his willingness to act in each of the events described above but in the extreme of his actions.  Agrippa described Pilate to emperor Caligula as, “naturally inflexible, a blend of self-will and relentlessness (Jeffers 2009, 131).”  The real debate about Pilate should not revolve around his strength or weakness but rather his wisdom or foolishness in the matter in which he proceeded in regard to the local population.  His early mistakes may have caused him some apprehension later on but don’t let this apprehension mislead you into thinking Pilate weak.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to my e-mail below.  I am working on some great things and I would hate for you to miss out.  One of the projects I am working on is a ‘social media’ community built around a daily reading of Scripture.  It won’t be Facebook based and it will be open only to believers who desire to mature as disciples of Jesus. You won’t want to miss out on the launch.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash.

Comfort, Philip, and Walter A. Elwell. Who’s Who in the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.

Jeffers, James S. The Greco-Roman World Of The New Testament Era: Exploring The Background Of Early Christianity. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2009.

Schürer, Emil. A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, First Division. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1890.

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Essential and Non-Essential (John 4:1-45)

On By AaronIn Uncategorized4 Comments

One of the challenges that I think I face as a preacher of the Word is in the application of the essential.  By nature, as soon as I understand something I am already working out how that something affects my life or situation or how I can use that something to improve something else within my life or situation.  That is the application of that something I now know.  What I am not very good at is communicating that application to my audience or reader.  So today I am going to practice this a little.  There are two things that I want to expand on in the story of the Woman at the Well and then an application.  Please, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments below how I do.  How else will I get better.

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans (Joh 4:7-9).)

First Thing: Essential or Non-Essential

One of the first things that jumps out at us in this story is the cultural tabu at Jesus, a Jew, initiating a conversation with a woman from Samaria.  In the Old Testament we read that Omri, son of Asa, purchased the city of Samaria and fortified it making it his capitol over the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1Ki 16:24).  Samaria was considered by the prophets as idolatrous with worship of Baal even encouraged by Jezebel (1Ki 18:22).  As the capitol of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria plays a prominent role in Old Testament history.  After Solomon a united Israel was ruled by his son Rehoboam who foolishly ignored his counselor’s advice to reduce the tax and service burdens of the people (1Ki 12: and 2Ch 10:4).  That refusal led to a split around 937 B.C. in which the Northern Kingdom, Israel, would be ruled by Jeroboam and the Southern Kingdom, Judah, would be ruled by Rehoboam.

Rehoboam knew that as long as Jerusalem, in Judah, was the center of worship the loyalty of the Northern Kingdom would be tenuous.  Therefore, he “reinstituted the cult of the golden calves, substituting an ancient religion for the worship of Jehovah. He changed the centers of worship, the object of worship, the priesthood, and the time of worship. The new centers became Bethel and Dan; Bethel was a place of patriarchal worship (Gen 28:10–22; 31:13; 35:1–7), and Dan was the site of a renegade Levitical worship established for the tribe of Dan in the days of the judges (Jgs 18) (Comfort and Elwell 2004, 288-289).”  Almost two hundred years later their refusal to pay a tax imposed by Assyria caused Sargon II to carry of 27,270 to 27,290 captives, “and the effect was to terminate the existence of the Northern Kingdom of Israel as a homogeneous and independent state (Wiseman 1996, 1051).”  Those who were deported were replaced with pagans who intermarried with the remaining Jews to produce the Samaritans (Stern 1992, Joh 4:9).  They were considered Gentiles and worse Gentile traitors.

However, “their descendants were not idolaters, but they acknowledged only the Pentateuch as inspired by God. They also denied Jerusalem as the religious center, opting instead for Mount Gerizim (Stern 1992, Joh 4:9).”  Back in Deuteronomy God commanded the Israelites, “you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there.  There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock (Deu 12:5-6).”  The Samarians disagreed with the Jews over where “the place that the LORD your God will choose” was.  Looking only to the Pentateuch the Samaritans observed that Abraham built an alter overlooking Mount Gerizim at Shechem (Gen 12:6-7), the blessings were to be shouted to the covenant community from Mount Gerizim (Deu 11:29-30), and in Exodus (Exo 20:17) and Deuteronomy (Deu 27:2-7) implicitly tied the Ten Commandments to Mount Gerizim (Carson 1991, 222).  In my mind, with this understanding of the Samaritan theological argument, it is starting to sound not unlike the theological disagreements between today’s Calvinists and Armenianists or the pre-millenialists vs. the post-millenialists.

Second Thing: Essential or Non Essential

Anyway, there was a lot of history between the Jews and the Samaritans and in Jesus’ day Jews still did not associate with them.  But the purpose of this dialogue is not to show that Jesus was ahead of his time in terms of breaking cultural barriers but rather to introduce the idea that He is the Messiah, the expected Christ.  This occurs in the discourse about the living water.

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water (John 4:10).”

There are many Old Testament locations we can look to for this connection.  In Numbers we find Moses striking a rock in the desert, “and Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation rank, and their livestock (Num 20:11).”  Water is the source of life not just in the desert and here we have it being provided by a direct action of God.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer 2:13).”  Or in Isaiah where we find, “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel (Isa 12:3-6).”  According to Andreas J. Köstenberger, “Rabbinic thought associated the provision of water with the coming of the Messiah (Beale and Carson 2007, 16).”

The writer of John’s Gospel would bring this idea full circle to explain that the water the Messiah would provide would be the Holy Spirit. “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (Joh 7:37-39).”

Application: Essential or Non-Essential

Now, here is the application.  As soon as this woman recognizes that Jesus is a prophet, she makes an interesting statement.  “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship (Joh 4:20).”  Truth has been revealed to this woman.  The truth that Jesus is the expected Messiah, the Christ, or the Holy One of Israel.  Her response is to return to a theological argument of what would soon become a non-essential doctrine concerning where was true worship to take place.  “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (Joh 4:21-24).”

How much of God’s truth do we miss because we are focused on a disagreement over a non-essential belief?  And by non-essential belief I mean those doctrines that we can hold and actually hold in error and not jeopardize our salvation.  What I mean is you could be wrong on this thing and yet still be saved.  The Jews were not saved because they worshiped God in the true temple.  The Samaritans were not saved because they worshiped God on Mount Gerizim.  The Jews and the Samaritans would only be saved when they believe that Jesus took their penalty for their unrighteousness on Himself.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1Pe 2:24-25).”

For those outside of salvation it is absolutely essential that you recognize your need for salvation.  You need to be saved from the eternal consequences of your own sins.  For those of us who already believe it is absolutely essential that we can differentiate between that which is essential for salvation and that which is non-essential.  This woman needed the living water that Jesus would provide.  The whole world needs the living water that Jesus provides.  Don’t get so distracted that you forget to ask for it and don’t get so distracted that you forget to provide it.

How did I do on my application? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to my e-mail below.  I am working on some great things and I would hate for you to miss out.  One of the projects I am working on is a ‘social media’ community built around a daily reading of Scripture.  It won’t be Facebook based and it will be open only to believers.  I just finished the daily scripture reading plan so I am getting closer to implementation. You won’t want to miss out on the launch.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Carson, D. A. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.

Comfort, Philip, and Walter A. Elwell. Who’s Who in the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.

Stern, David H. Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., 1992.

Wiseman, D. J. “Samaria.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, 1050-1051. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

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