SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/30/2017
10:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 Love
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: John
16:25-27a
Message of the
verses: “25 “These things I have
spoken to you in figurative
language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but
will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 “In that day you will ask in My name,
and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you,
because you have loved Me.”
As you can see I chose not to do another introduction on
this section and wanted to jump right into the first main point which as we see
is love and you may be surprised as to which Greek word in verse 27, as I know
that I was, but once informed why it was used I understood and hopefully can
help others understand as well.
I have highlighted the words “figurative language” the two
times it is used in this section and I want to look at what my English/Greek
dictionary has to say about this and may make more comments on this later
on. “1) a saying out of the usual course
or deviating from the usual manner of speaking 1a) a current or trite saying, a
proverb 2) any dark saying
which shadows forth some didactic truth” The highlighted section
describes this word best in the way that it is used here. Some translations use the word “Proverb”
instead of figurative in them.
Now as we look at this word we can say that there were
several times when Jesus spoke to His disciples that they did not understand
what He was saying. Let’s look at
several illustrations: Matthew 15:11, 15,
16 “"It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what
proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."” 15 Peter said to Him, "Explain the
parable to us."” “16 Jesus said,
"Are you still lacking in understanding also?”
MacArthur writes that “Matthew 16 records another example
of their miscomprehension. On that
occasion ‘the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had
forgotten to bring any bread,’ and oversight that caused them to misunderstand
Jesus’ warning, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees’ (vv. 5-6).” I may have used
this illustration in an earlier SD, but I think that we can get the point we
are trying to make, that is that sometimes the disciples did not understand
what Jesus was saying. Another example
comes from when the Jews asked for a sign from Jesus and He told them to destroy
this temple and in three days He would raise it up again. The disciples did not understand that He was
talking about His body until after the resurrection.
MacArthur writes “On some occasions the disciples’
initial lack of understanding was due to the fact that the Lord had spoken to
them in figurative language. Paroimia (‘figurative language’) refers to veiled, pointed, enigmatic,
cryptic sayings—statements for which the meaning is not immediately apparent,
but must be diligently searched out. The
purpose for such sayings was to judgmentally and mercifully (cf. Luke 12:47-48)
viel the truth from unbelievers, who are spiritual blind as a result of their
own unbelief and rebellion (cf. Matt. 15:14; 23:16-26; John 9:39-41; Eph.
2:2-3). When the disciples asked Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables’
(Matt. 13:10), Jesus replied
‘"To you it has been granted to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been
granted. 12 "For whoever has, to
him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not
have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables;
because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor
do they understand. 14 "In their
case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ’YOU WILL KEEP ON
HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT
PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS
PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE
CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR
EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’’
(Matt. 13:11-15; cf. vv. 34-35).’
Even
the disciples, as noted above, failed to understand much of Jesus’ teaching
until He explained it to them (cf. Matt. 13:36-43). It was not until after Christ’s death and the
coming of the Spirit that things hard for the disciples to understand during
His life became clear. They actually
understood Jesus’ ministry and teaching better then than they had when He was
with them. In their post-Pentecost
Spirit-empowered ministry, they unfolded the teachings of Christ and expounded
the rich truths of His person and work.”
I understand that this section is suppose
to be about love, but I think that we will discuss that aspect of these verses
in our next SD.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: As I look
at this word (Paroimia) and how I can
apply it to my life I think that God is patient with me in teaching me things
from His Word when He desires for me to understand them. I believe that I am just scratching the
surface of the Word of God and will not understand all that is in it until I am
in glory, but for now I continue to search and learn and pray that God will
show me things that He wants me to understand so that I can share it in order
to bring glory to His Son.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the
Lord to teach me the things that He wants me to understand from His Word.
Answer
to yesterday’s Bible question: “Salem”
(Genesis 14:18).
Today’s
Bible question: “Moses refused to be
called the son of whom?”
Answer
in our next SD.
1/30/2017
10:34 AM
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