LORD MAKE ME HEAR AND UNDERSTAND AND LET ME LOOK AND SEE
Sakkie Parsons
Vertaal van Afrikaans: “HERE laat my hoor en verstaan en laat my kyk en sien”
In what I am going to write now, I am not saying that we may not love what we call our own, but surely all my desires, feelings, traditions and whatever ideology I cherish, should be subordinated to the following:
MATTEW 22:36-40
36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37And Jesus replied to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ 40“The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The other day I was listening to a conversation between people who call themselves confessing Christians, and it struck me again how easily satan can sometimes use religion to make people think that, because they are very religious, they also live close to our Lord – but like I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again –
I have seen in my life, as now again in this case, that one can be very religious and at the same time be very, very far from our Lord.
These particular people talked very religiously about the conditions in South Africa and then sometimes disparagingly/judgementally and sometimes, with what I can only call; contempt mixed with hatred, spoke of the, according to them, foreigners/outsiders.
To show you what I mean by “very religious but very, very far from God.”
These specific “religious” people will sing along with you and me:
REV 5:9
9And they sang a new song [of glorious redemption], saying,“Worthy and deserving are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Then further agree with you:
REV 5:10
10“You have made them to be a kingdom [of royal subjects] and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.”
If the so-called foreigners, who are going to be “kings and priests” with them somewhere in the future and in the same Heaven, just don’t have to sit next to them in a worship service or have to be part of their circle of friends.
It is amazing when you think that in some cases these people are even led, or rather “misled” and encouraged by theologians. Theologians, who have read all these things I have just mentioned and even preached about them.
These religious people cherish the contempt, bitterness and hatred in their hearts, while they read in the Word that all these kinds of feelings and actions that sometimes accompany them, eventually, as they say; will ‘back-fire’.
Galatians 6:7-8
7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap. 8For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
But – How wonderful to know:
Galatians 6:8-9
8 …but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
9Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.
I said, it is amazing that people who boast of their religiosity can have such an outlook on life, but then I also remember that Jesus said on occasion to such great religious people, who also boasted of their religiosity, and I think it also applies to these religious people about whom I am writing here, because according to what they read in the Word and what they live, exactly the same applies:
MAT 13:14-15
14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL HEAR and KEEP ON HEARING, BUT NEVER UNDERSTAND;
AND YOU WILL LOOK and KEEP ON LOOKING, BUT NEVER COMPREHEND;15FOR THIS NATION’s HEART HAS GROWN HARD,
AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY HARDLY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE [tightly] CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND TURN [to Me]
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [spiritually].’
These people who call themselves Christians, to whose conversation I listened, are so blinded by an ideology full of contempt, mixed with bitterness and hatred, that so it seems to me, they look to many passages in the Word, such as the following: look and keep on looking and yet not see, and read and keep on reading, and yet not comprehend:
COL 3:9-14
9Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self— 11a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] barbarian or Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].
12So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; 13bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. 14Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].
You and I have been clothed with Christ. We are children of GOD.
Because of this, the people, (it is now all the people around us), should see the family resemblance between Jesus and us – as His children.
ROMANS 8:16-17
16The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. 17And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.
I also think it’s good to remember that nursing negative feelings such as bitterness, contempt and hatred is like drinking poison in the hope that someone else will die. However, in the end it only destroys yourself.
While I have just mentioned this, there is also something else, which every person who calls himself/herself a Christian and walks around with bad feelings toward someone else in his/her heart, must keep in mind:
mark 11:25 25Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others].
Because we remember – and it is none other than Jesus Himself who is saying this:
MARK 11:26
26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
Of course, things in South Africa are not ideal, but where on earth are they ideal?
However, I may never be a Christian, in a way that is pleasant and convenient for me in my humanity to be a Christian.
I must always strive to be a Christian as Jesus laid it out for me in His Word.
In other words, I must follow Him as He set the example for me.
JOHN 10:27-30
27The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.
28And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
29My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30“I and the Father are One [in essence and nature].”
How do I follow Jesus?
I follow Him, regarding this matter, with the glorious knowledge that I belong to the same people as every other person I encounter, who has accepted Jesus as her/his Lord and Saviour, regardless of his/her colour or language.
1PETER 2:9-10
9But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A CONSECRATED NATION, A [special] PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10Once you were NOT A PEOPLE [at all], but now you are GOD’s PEOPLE; once you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Finally, I just want to share this with you from my own life:
Since I opened my heart’s door to Jesus and gave Him – who went to hang on the cross for all people in the world – the control of my life, I have not yet met a single foreigner in my life, but how wonderful! – Every day there are around me, this crowd of people, my neighbour, with whom I can share the love of Jesus through my life, and sometimes also my words and, if the opportunity arises, also preach His Gospel.
ROMANS 13:8-10
8Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. 9The commandments, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
10Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.
With Matthew 22:36-40 in mind at the beginning of this writing, it is worth looking at our outlook on life again if we read the following from our Lord’s Word:
1JOHN 2:2-4
2And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.
3And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). 4Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him.
My prayer for you and me as you read here, is the following:
“Lord Jesus, help us that we always, when another person appears in our lives, we will
look and see – and will understand, that we see a person for whom You hung on a cross on Calvary, until You said:
JOHN 19:30 …
30When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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