Shopping Cart Iniquity

On a recent trip back to the my home land, I was waiting in a parking lot for my Mom to come out of the store. I noticed that average, and every day people, who looked altogether upstanding, would commonly leave their shopping carts in the parking lot rather than park them in a cart corral.

Now, I'm sure that everyone that shops at a super market are perfectly aware of the hazards of run-away shopping carts. It could be their own vehicle that's damaged, and yet that is no deterrent.

As I watched cart after cart left in the lot to just roll away, it occurred to me that that level of iniquity in a society could be measured by the number of shopping carts left unattended in a parking lot.

It also put me in mind of a passage included in Christ's exposition on the Last Days.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. -- Matt 24:12

God is Truth

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. (Psa 51:6)

There are those in the world today that ignorantly espouse that "God is love" at the expense of God's truth. That God is love is a truth confirmed by His Word (1 John 4:8-16). But God is also holy and righteous. "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." (Psa 119:142) Christ is the Lord of the living and the dead (Rom 14:9), having the keys of death and hell (Rev 1:18). It is God Who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell (Mat 10:28). This is not a God of love only, but a God of absolute righteousness, power, and justice. He is a jealous God, a "consuming fire" (Deu 4:24, 9:3, Heb 12:29).

Today, all manner of transgression against God's precepts is supportable if but "love" may be applied to the matter. "God is love" implies unending tolerance and forgiveness. Indeed, Jehovah is long-suffering to us-ward (Exo 34:6, Num 14:18, Psa 86:15, Rom 2:4, Rom 9:22,1 Pet 3:20, 2 Pet 3:9, 2 Pet 3:15), but God's love cannot be used to deny His truth, righteousness, or character. His Word, after all, is truth, not love (John 17:17).

Although love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet 4:8), love itself is not the means by which a sinner is saved. The blood of Christ crucified provides the means of reconciliation between God and man (Rom 3:25). Christ's sacrifice is evidence of His love for His people. Some might give their life for a good man, "but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Without the whole truth of God, His love could have no purpose, meaning, or application. Without Christ, man is incapable of benefiting from God's love. It is His Son that covers all of the sins of HIs people! Reader, you cannot continue in opposition to God's Word by appealing to His love alone. If you do, the unbearable weight of His truth, righteousness and justice will fall upon you in the day of judgement. It is a fearful thing to fall into His hands. (Heb 10:31) Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay. (Rom 12:19)

God is love. The great passage of Scripture from which this truth is so frequently abused is 1st John, chapter four. The writer explains that we know we are "born of God" if we ("the brethren") love one another, for "love", it says, "is of God". Love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Rom 5:5) is an evidence and not the means of our salvation. "Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice." (John 18:37)

But Pilate says, "What is truth?" Thy Word is Truth. (John 17:17).

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. " (John 8:31-32)

At Thy Word

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Now when he had left speaking, He said unto Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. " And Simon answering said unto Him, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net. "

And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:7)

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. " For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

-- Luke 5:1-11

It would seem distressing -- or at least unusual -- to go all night without catching a single fish. But even if it were the normal course of things, the contrast between taking nothing and catching "a great multitude of fishes" is quite extraordinary, and the impact of the occasion on the fishermen was duly awe-inspiring. However, to have this effect, the first requirement was for the fishermen to have caught nothing all night long.

Such is the nature of Providence. Toil as we might, it is God that gives both the fat years and the lean years. Imagine Joseph looking up from the pit as his brothers haggled with the Ishmeelites to sell him into slavery (Gen 37:28). He could not have known at that moment that he would some day be the governor of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. It wasn't until years later that he was able to see that his brothers meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Gen 50:20).

"Go to now, you that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15)

The wonderful and fascinating thing about the Providence of God is that it requires nothing more of us than to do what we know to do and accept the outcome by faith. "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." (Prov 16:3) When seen through the eye of faith, Providence is a humbling glimpse of the wisdom of a sovereign Creator. Like Job confronted by the whirlwind, we should say "Behold, I am vile" (Job 40:4).

The fishermen in the passage we now consider had no doubt listened to the teaching of the Lord Jesus (Luke 5:3). At first, Simon recognizes Him as a "Master" or teacher (Luke 5:5). But after seeing the draught of fishes they had taken, he falls at Jesus' knees to say "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord". Self-deprecation is the context of true repentance and right thinking toward Jehovah.

He Who created the stars and commands the morning also commanded the fishes to flee the net not as punishment of the fishermen, but that He might show His power. This providential act is immediately preceded by "at Thy word" because without faith, it is impossible to please Him. (Heb 11:6)

"At Thy word", says Peter. "At Thy word", we live, and move, and have our being. (Acts 17:28) "At Thy word", we see the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will. (Eph 1:11) "At Thy word" we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Jesus Stood Still

"Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called." -- Mark 10:49

Three precious actions are seen here in that 1) Jesus "stood still", 2) He commanded Bartimaeus "to be called", and 3) He healed him of his blindness. Prior to this, Jesus had gone out of Jericho with his disciples and a "great number of people" (46). It is said the Bartimaues the son of Timaeus was a blind beggar sitting by the highway (46). When he heard that is was Jesus, he began to cry out, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me" (47).

What trains the heart to cry out to the Savior? (see John 6:44) The reputation of Jesus of Nazerth for healing the sick must have preceeded Him, so that when He passed by, Bartimaeus cried out (47). He was admonished by those around him, but he cried out the more (48). "Have mercy on me." Though he was a beggar (46), it must have been a humbling experience to cry out in front of so many people. What was the response?

Jesus "stood still". Jesus was often thronged in His goings (see Mark 3:9, Luke 8:45 for examples). How easy it would have been to have passed this man by and simply press through the grind of life. How easy, but for grace, that we should all escape the notice of the Savior! How many times do I pass by the needs of others through apathy, inconsideration, or selfish disregard?

But the Lord stopped. He "stood still". He paused to consider the blind man. If this were the only thing the Son of God had done, it should have been amazing enough to witness such particular condescension.

Jesus "commanded him to be called". The command of the Lord is the sweetest sound of grace! It is a holy calling. Though Batimaeus cried out (47,48), the call was not of "works", but according to God's own purpose and grace (2 Ti 1:9). The blind man is powerless to see God, much less to stop the Savior in His tracks.

Bartimaeus was not merely called, but called to come to the Lord! "Be of good comfort," they said, as a result,"He calleth thee" (49). He cast away his garment (50) -- no doubt filthy with the grime of the highway (46) and unfit for the presence of the King of Kings (compare Matt 22:11) -- and came to Jesus.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Mark 10:51, KJV.

He could have asked for wealth and power, great strength, or great wisdom. None of these things would have profited a blind man. But when Jesus asked what He should do for Bartimaues, the response was: "Lord, that I might receive my sight." (51). Bartimaeus asked, and immediately, he was given his sight (52, Matt 7:7).

How Bartimaeus must have marveled at the light! The miracle of sight is now a brief moment in ancient history. But for the rest of his days, Bartimaeus surely went about observing with awe the colors of Creation and the grace that procured such a possibility (Eph 2:8).

It should give us pause to think of God, Who before the world began, spent a moment in eternity to command our salvation and calling in Christ Jesus. "And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called." Not according to our sickness or sin, but according to His own purpose and grace.

Let us now follow Jesus "in the way" (52).

References

“And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:46-52, KJV.

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44, KJV.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6, KJV.

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:” Matthew 22:11, KJV.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” 2 Timothy 1:9, KJV.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7, KJV.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8, KJV.

“And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.” Mark 3:9, KJV.

“And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” Luke 8:45, KJV.

Confer Not with Flesh and Blood

"... when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." -- Gal 1:11-17 (See also, Acts 9.)

From the excerpt above, we learn that, after his conversion, the Apostle Paul first went into isolation, presumably to study and mediate and receive instruction from Christ (1 Cor 11:23, 15:3). For us it is also a lesson on where the authority of pure religion begins -- not with flesh and blood, but rather with Jehovah Himself.

Mankind turns religion into a perversion of what God has decreed (Rom 1:17). The Pharisees of Christ's day were more concerned with procuring the praise and recognition of their fellow man and with the rituals of the Law of Moses than faith in the Most High God they professed to serve. But God is not in the mere practice of religion or ritual. If He has not instituted an ordinance, then of what value is the practice of it?

The Lord Jesus said: "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, ..." (Mark 7:8) "...If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." (Gal 3:21) but " by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Gal 2:16)

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law." (Gal 2:16)

Consulting with "flesh and blood" has sent an untold number of "Christians" to Hell. But "Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." (Mat 16:17)

Reader, with whom have you consulted concerning the state of your soul? Are you relying upon the inventions of "flesh and blood" or do you believe in the atoning work of Christ crucified for the salvation of your soul?

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Gal 3:1) "Beware lest anyone lead you away through philosophy and empty deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Col 2:8)