Corona and Cornea?
October 1, 2021 at 12:26 pm | Posted in Biblical Eyesight | 1 CommentTags: anatomy of the eye, Biblical Eyesight, cornea, coronary, Coronavirus, eyesight, Q&A
Question: I saw an earlier question where you said that “corona” and “coronary” were not related, but what about cornea, that part of your eye?
Answer: Wow, y’all are right in my wheelhouse with these vocabulary questions. No, the “cornea,” that transparent and relatively tough outer covering of the eye, is not related to “corona,” which, remember, was from the Latin term for “crown.” The term “cornea” is etymologically related to the ancient word for “horn,” which was “corn,” as in “unicorn,” a creature wtih one (uni) corn (horn). Horns have a hard, bony texture, and the anatomist who named this part of the eye must have been trying to describe the texture of it, compared to the relative squishiness of the other parts of the eye.
And before you ask, no, the grainy produce we call “corn,” as in “corn on the cob,” is not related to the words “corona,” “coronary,” or “cornea,” either. It is from the old Norse word korn, which meant “grain.”
My Sight vs. Thy Sight
February 22, 2021 at 2:39 pm | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, I Samuel | 3 CommentsTags: 1 Samuel 15, commentary in 1 Samuel, idolatry, iniquity, Samuel, Saul, stubbornness, Sunday School lessons on 1 Samuel, withcraft
When Saul finally decided to join the battle he was not prepared to fight according to God’s rules of war.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
I Samuel 15:2-3
Saul didn’t mind destroying everything useless, but he allowed the king, Agag, to live, and the best animals. Samuel was not happy about Saul’s disobedience, and, worse, when confronted, Saul lied about it.
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
I Samuel 15:14-15
Like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar, claiming that he was only getting the cookie to give to someone else, Saul made up an excuse. His excuse was the skin of reason stuffed with a lie.
Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
I Samuel 15:16 (emphasis added)
We can see how angry Samuel was, telling Saul to “stay,” which basically meant, “Shut your mouth, enough with the lies.”
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
I Samuel 15:22-23
Rebellion is like witchcraft in that it recognizes a higher power, but contrives to manipulate it or to work against the higher power’s wishes. Stubbornness is like iniquity in that it continually refuses to bend to what what’s right. It is a determination to hurt that which God wants to help. Stubbornness makes me a little god, and denies the True God.
And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
I Samuel 15:17 (emphasis added)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
I Samuel 15:19
We don’t see very well using our own sight, so we need to be keenly aware of God’s sight. Stubbornness focuses my sight on me, and says, “I will, I will,” instead of “Thy will, Thy will.”
The Open Tomb, Eyes, Hearts, Minds, and Mouths
June 24, 2020 at 11:18 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, Luke | 4 CommentsTags: 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Peter 1, commentary on Luke, Luke 24, Resurrection, Resurrection of Jesus, Sunday School lessons on Luke, the empty tomb, the tomb of Jesus
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
I Corinthians 15:12-19
If the tomb is not empty… if Christ is not alive today… if the Resurrection didn’t happen, we are of all men – all people – most miserable. But the tomb is empty. Christ Jesus lives today. He lives forever. The Resurrection is not a myth, a fable, a mere belief, or even a spiritual illustration. It is a TRUTH, a FACT. Have you ever suffered and longed to see mercy? To see grace? There would have been no Resurrection without the Crucifixion. Therefore, we are of all men – of all people – most joyful.
There is much to say about the power of the Resurrection, about the power and meaning of the empty tomb, but there is also much to learn about the OPENING of the tomb. First, the opening of the tomb opened the eyes of the disciples. In Luke 24 we see that even Jesus used the Word of God.
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
Luke 24:13
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27
He taught about Himself. What a Sunday School class that must have been! Jesus showed how all the Scriptures applied to Him.
Once we see Him in the Word, we can feel Him in our hearts.
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luke 24:32
Then we can see Him in everyday things – even a common meal.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Luke 24:35
First, the opening of the tomb opened the eyes of the disciples. Second, the opening of the tomb opened the minds of the disciples.
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luke 24:37
They were terrified, even though He had spoken to them to calm their fears.
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luke 24:36
He showed them His hands and feet.
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luke 24:39
He ate physical food.
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luke 24:42-43
But they were not really assured until He opened the Scriptures.
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:45-47
This gave them understanding of how His suffering and death were necessary for the promises to be fulfilled.
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
I Peter 1:10-12
First, the opening of the tomb opened the eyes of the disciples. Second, the opening of the tomb opened the minds of the disciples. Third, the opening of the tomb opened the mouths of the disciples.
And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Luke 24:48-49
Witnesses need power to be convincing. They are simply telling what happened, not really making an argument. So while we don’t witness FOR the Lord as much as His power witnesses THROUGH us, the motivation for our witnessing is HIM, as much as, or maybe even more so than, a loving desire to rescue lost sinners.
A Blind Beggar and a Short Order Crook
March 19, 2020 at 11:02 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, Luke | 2 CommentsTags: commentary on Luke, eyesight, following Jesus, Friend of Sinners, Luke 18, Luke 19, Sunday School lessons on Luke, the blind beggar, Zacchaeus
The Bible tells of two men who at first could not see Jesus – for different reasons. Was there a time when you wanted to see Jesus but could not? Do you remember what your reaction was the first time you did see Him?
And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
Luke 18:35
Jericho was on the way to Jerusalem, which is where Jesus and His followers were going for Passover. This blind beggar had probably strategically placed himself in the path of religious people.
And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Luke 18:36-38
He used the Messianic title, pleading for mercy. He understood what the Disciples did not: that the One Who can “save” (sozo) – who could fulfill all the prophecies of the Messiah and truly deliver and heal blind people and cast out demons and make the lame to walk – was here, fulfilling the Scriptures. What an advertising campaign! Is this how you would choose to market your new business? Get some homeless blind guy to shout it out on the side of the highway? Or cause a disturbance somewhere, and when everybody gets mad at you, tell them all about it?
And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
Luke 18:39-42
The man got his sight because of his faith. Faith comes by hearing, not by seeing. We walk by faith and not by sight, although a desire to see is a very good thing.
And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Luke 19:1-2
Zacchaeus was not only a crook, but a chief crook and a rich crook. We might also call him a “short” order crook.
And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Luke 19:3-4
Climbing up in a tree was not very dignified behavior for a rich publican.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Luke 19:5
How would you feel about Jesus inviting Himself to your house?
And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Luke 19:6
When you see Jesus, follow Him, talk about Him, and praise Him with others.
And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
Luke 19:7
These people were talking about Zacchaeus, referring to Him as a sinner. Nobody ever really accused Jesus of being a sinner; they accused Him of being the friend of sinners.
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Luke 19:8
Zacchaeus’s reaction was the opposite of the rich young ruler’s reaction.
And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Luke 19:9
The true sons of Abraham are those who are truly saved.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10
Seeing, Touching, Hearing, Reading, and Believing
March 17, 2020 at 10:23 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, John | 5 CommentsTags: commentary on John, Doubting Thomas, Gospel of John, John 20, Resurrection bodies, Sunday School lessons on John, the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit, Thomas
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
John 20:19
Jesus’s Resurrection happened on the first day of the week, which is why Christians meet for assembled worship services on Sunday rather than Saturday. Regardless of what you believe about the New Testament Lord’s Day replacing the Old Testament Sabbath, it is clear that Jesus fulfilled the work of God and instituted a new covenant/pattern/dispensation. God finished the initial work of creation after six days and commemorated it with a special holy day of “rest.” Jesus finished the work of redemption after six hours on the Cross, and commemorated it with a special holy day of new life.
A week later, despite having information strongly indicating that Jesus had risen, the Disciples were still in hiding, but also meeting together on Sunday. The resurrected, glorified body of Jesus had the power to appear suddenly inside a room with locked doors. Of course, as God, Jesus could do what He wanted with time and space and material objects, but this is often taken as a sign that our glorified, resurrected bodies will share this ability to move freely through space and objects.
The greeting of “peace” is important, as we remember Jesus’s promise in John 14. He did not condemn their fear; He comforted them with His presence.
And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
John 20:20-21
This is John’s version of the Great Commission.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:22
Some Bible scholars see this as a temporary filling for ministry until the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Others see it as an object lesson or illustrated sermon, indicating that they should go forth with the God-breathed “inspired” Word and with the Holy Spirit once they were indwelt.
Ten Disciples had seen and touched Jesus personally after the Resurrection. Judas and Thomas had not been present to this point, and obviously Judas was no longer part of the team. Thomas needed definite confirmation before he would be convinced.
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
John 20:25-28
This is seen by many commentators as the climax of the Gospel of John. Thomas’s confession seems obvious to us today, but, remember, John was writing primarily for an audience he was hoping to convince of Jesus’s Deity.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:29
When we read about those who have not seen Jesus personally with their physical eyes, yet believe the Truth about Him, we can rejoice and say, “That’s us!”
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
John 20:30-31
The somewhat limited scope of John’s Gospel is revealed and clarified. Its purpose is to invoke belief, yes, but not mere academic conviction. It is the kind of belief that is the means of eternal life.
Foresight
January 13, 2020 at 4:25 pm | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, Luke | 2 CommentsTags: commentary on Luke, Luke 17, Sunday School lessons on Luke, the future, the past
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Luke 17:22-33
It is easy to get caught up in the affairs of everyday life – as in the days of Noah. We pass our time in a series of events, parties, weddings, celebrations, work, school, church activities… which are all good – but which tend to distract us from thinking about the future, when we know a day of judgment is coming. Foresight doesn’t ignore the present, and it doesn’t only look AHEAD to the future. Mainly, it looks UP to the God who will bring to pass His Word in the future.
It is also easy to get caught up in the past – like Lot’s wife. When things are not going all that great you may remember your pre-Christian days in a false light. You may remember them as days of carefree partying when you were not burdened with concern about weighty, eternal matters like the judgment of God – but that is a false memory. Your life wasn’t given to you to keep. It was given to you to be GIVEN BACK to God. The way – the ONLY REAL WAY – to control your life is to keep giving it to God. The second my life displeases God, He is well within His rights to take it from me. Enjoy life now, but live with the future and eternity in mind.
Blindly Riding the Hobby Horse
November 27, 2019 at 10:48 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, John | 4 CommentsTags: commentary on John, healing on the Sabbath, Jesus heals the blind, John 9, Pharisees, Sabbath, spiritual blindness, Sunday School lessons on John, the Lord of the Sabbath
They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
John 9:13
The reason that the man’s acquaintances brought him to the Pharisees after they saw that he had been healed of lifelong blindness was probably because such an astounding miracle required, they thought, some type of religious explanation. Of course, the Pharisees had a special hobby horse they liked to ride called “How many ways can people violate the Sabbath?”
And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
John 9:14-15
They were interested in the method of healing used because the Pharisees were experts at finding Sabbath-violations. If Jesus mixed water with dirt to make clay (mud) they could accuse him of “kneading” on the Sabbath, and people weren’t allowed to knead dough for bread on the Sabbath. It was a stretch, but they were already biased against Jesus and looking for a way to say that, even though He had miraculous healing powers, He couldn’t really be sent from God because He was a sinful Sabbath-breaker.
Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
John 9:16
No Christian has complete and total victory over sin in every single area of his or her life – at least not all the time. What’s more, many of us would admit to struggling with certain sins on a daily basis, and having some particular types of sins which have given us trouble for years. However, I’m guessing that there are at least a few categories of sin where God has given you significant victories, and possibly some where you never faced great temptation to begin with, and that you really can’t understand how some people can sin so egregiously in those areas. Perhaps people who are compulsive liars really get on your nerves (the 9th Commandment). Maybe it’s children who rebel openly against their parents (the 5th Commandment). What about people who steal other people’s property (the 8th Commandment)? Are they the ones who really get your goat (figuratively if not literally!)?
For the Pharisees who opposed Jesus during His earthly ministry, their “pet peeve” seems to have been people who were lax in their observance of the Sabbath day (4th Commandment). They were so keen to prevent the Sabbath commandment from being violated that they fashioned a bunch of additional cautionary rules around it to keep people from even coming close to breaking it. Maybe they originally had good intentions, but the problem was that, over time, they considered these man-made safeguards to be co-equal with the Law of God itself. In other words, they began to worship the Sabbath itself rather than the Lord of the Sabbath.
Let us not fall into this same trap. If you are exceedingly honest, you probably have a bias against liars. If you have worked hard to provide for your family, you probably have a strong dislike for thieves. And if you respect and honor your own parents, you might have little patience for rebellious, sarcastic, and disrespectful children. However, we must remember not to worship honesty, hard work, or filial respect. Instead, we worship the God of truth, provision, and authority, and, if He has communicated those attributes to us, we recognize them as gifts to bring Him glory, not as proud accomplishments with which to demean others.
The Pharisees found themselves in a quandary, though, because, if they claimed that sinners could not do miracles, then the fact of the miracle must mean that Jesus WAS NOT a sinner.
They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
John 9:17
The blind man had not yet come to saving faith in Jesus as the Son of God, but He clearly knew that Jesus was the “real deal” and had at least as much spiritual power as a true prophet from God.
But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
John 9:18
The Jewish religious leaders suspected that maybe the man had been able to see at some point in his life, so the healing was not really miraculous. Only his parents could testify that he had truly been BORN blind.
And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
John 9:19-21
This does not tell us the age of the man who had been healed, but it does tell us he was at least 13, because that was considered to be “of age” back then. A 13 year old boy/man could testify legally in court. His parents didn’t want to get in trouble with the Pharisees, but they did confirm that he was born blind before passing the buck by saying, “He can speak for himself about how it happened and what He thinks of Jesus.”
These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 9:22
This lets us know that the Pharisees were not only actively plotting the death of Jesus, but had instituted serious persecution against those who would worship and follow Him. Truly following Jesus has always been costly.
Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
John 9:23-25
The Pharisees then turned on the healed man again, trying to get him to denounce Jesus, but you can see he was starting to suspect their ulterior motives.
Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
John 9:26-27
This was a very sarcastic response because obviously the Pharisees did not want to be Jesus’s disciples, but it was like saying, “Why are you so interested in Him? Is it because deep down you know He might be the Messiah?” This made them very angry.
Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
John 9:28-30
It sounds like the healed man was really having fun with them now. They were claiming to be the representatives of Moses, but they didn’t even recognize that Moses testified about a greater Prophet who would be sent from God.
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
John 9:31-34
This sums up the Pharisees’ biggest problem: the prideful denial that they were born in sins. All of us were born in sin, and Jesus will forgive us, but the condition is that we have to recognize that we are sinners and always have been, and therefore we NEED to be forgiven and saved. The Pharisees could not or would not do this, so they could not “see” who Jesus really was.
Here’s Mud in Your Eye
November 13, 2019 at 5:04 pm | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, John | 5 CommentsTags: commentary on John, Father Abraham, Genesis 49, Jesus heals the blind, John 8, John 9, spit, spit in your eye, Sunday School lessons on John
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
John 8:28
Historically, there have been great blessings attached to being Jewish, tempered by great persecution. (Haman and Hitler are two obvious examples.) The Abrahamic Covenant or blessing has been their great claim to God’s favor. Christian children today are taught to sing, “Father Abraham has many sons.” The Jewish religious leaders who confronted Jesus would have enthusiastically sung along, “I am one of them!” but were they really?
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
John 8:36-45
One of the things I often hear is that, “We are all God’s children,” or some similar sentiment. This is true only in the limited sense that all people are created by God and bear His image. Jesus, who often gets a bad rap these days as sort of a touchy-feely, mealy-mouthed, self-help guru, was, in reality, not averse to sharing some blunt truth when called for, and that’s what He did in John 8:44, telling the people who opposed His ministry that they were children of the devil!
Your conduct should provide evidence of your spiritual paternity. Your freedom (from sin) determines your spiritual paternity. Whose Word you believe and obey determines your spiritual paternity.
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 8:58-59
There is no doubt Jesus claimed to be God, and His enemies knew it.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
John 9:1-2
What is the relationship of sin to physical illness or lifelong infirmities?
1. They are not always related specifically in each individual case. A person’s illness or infirmity may not be caused by his specific sin.
2. Sometimes, though, they are directly related.
a. They may be related as a “natural” cause and effect. For example, fornication may result in syphilis or some other sexually transmitted disease, or chronic drunkenness may result in cirrhosis of the liver. Attempting to rob a bank may result in a gunshot wound.
b. In other cases, someone’s illness or infirmity may be allowed or inflicted upon him supernaturally by God as a an act of chastening or punishment. As finite human beings, not privy to the secret will of God, we can not know when this is the case, so we do not diagnose a person’s illness or infirmity as God’s punishment or chastisement, even though we remain aware that it is a possibility.
3. In a larger sense, all illnesses and injuries and infirmities are “caused” by sin as a result of the Fall and Curse which God pronounced upon mankind after Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
John 9:6-7
Jesus made a mud pack from the dust of the earth (possibly reminiscent of the way God had used dirt to make Adam). Sometimes the mind makes strange connections. Years ago a singer named April March wrote an English translation of an old French song called “Laisse Tomber les Filles,” which means “Leave the Girls Alone.” It’s a song about a womanizer finally getting his comeuppance at the hands of the ladies he had used or mistreated. The English version has a line that goes, “You’re gonna see the reason why, When they’re spittin’ in your eye.” There is also a common expression heard in old movies from the 30s and 40s, in which characters about to throw back a shot of alcohol often propose an odd toast: “Here’s mud in your eye!” For some reason these weird references are what popped into my head when I was studying John 9:6.
Jesus, who had the power to heal with a mere word or touch, chose on at least three occasions in the Bible (including Mark 7:33 and 8:23) to heal people using His own saliva. In John 9:6 he combined it with dirt to make a mud mask. Why do you think that He did this, and what can we learn from it? We can ask the Holy Spirit to “illuminate” (open our eyes to) the Word and help us.
Here are some possible reasons why He may have used spit:
1. To demonstrate His reversal of “curses.” Spitting on someone has always been seen as an extreme insult or way of cursing someone. Jesus is the One Whose blessing “reverses the curses.”
2. To show the Jewish religious leaders that His true purity did not care about their ceremonial taboos against bodily excretions.
After applying the mud to the man’s eyes, Jesus “sent” – as Jesus had been explaining that He was “sent” from the Father – him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which is connected with the Old Testament prophecy of Christ as “Shiloh.”
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49:10
A Final and Unforgettable Sight
July 23, 2019 at 2:40 pm | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, Jeremiah | 5 CommentsTags: commentary on Jeremiah, Jeremiah 39, Jersusalem destroyed, Jerusalem, Jerusalem in ruins, Nebuchadnezzar, sacking of Jerusalem, Sunday School lessons on Jeremiah, Zedekiah
Jeremiah Chapter 39 deals with the complete conquest of Judah by Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s officers set up military rule in Jerusalem. Surrender was now too late. Everybody who had ignored Jeremiah’s warnings would have to face the consequences.
Of course, Zedekiah tried to flee, but he was easily tracked down and captured.
And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
Jeremiah 39:4-5
There had been some conflicting prophecies: one that Zedekiah would be captured and taken to Babylon, and one that he would not live to see Babylon. Here is the grisly way that the paradox was resolved:
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 39:6-8
What an awful image to have as the last thing you ever see. We do not know how long Zedekiah lived in Babylon, but he never actually saw the place.
Modern archaeological digs continue to confirm the destruction of the homes and buildings in Jerusalem after the siege. One deportation of the “best” citizens had occurred before. Now they sent pretty much everybody but the poorest of the poor to Babylon, and distributed lots of land to those left behind so that they could farm it and grow food for the Babylonian soldiers. God saw to it that Nebuchadnezzar was aware of Jeremiah and treated him favorably and turned him over to Gedaliah, the appointed governor. Jeremiah’s prophecies had come true, but God wasn’t finished with him yet. He still had much for him to accomplish.
The Deep End 
Two Requirements: Light and Eyesight
September 16, 2021 at 11:13 am | Posted in Biblical Eyesight, II Corinthians | 5 CommentsTags: 2 Corinthians 4, Biblical assurance, Biblical light, Biblical persistence, commentary on 2 Corinthians, eyesight, perseverance, Sunday School lessons on 2 Corinthians, supernatural light, vision
II Corinthians 4:1
II Corinthians Chapter 4 starts off with Paul explaining his reasoning for not quitting – for not giving up – and his reasoning relates back to Chapter 3 which explained why Gospel ministry itself is so glorious. It is better than the Law of Moses and the Old Covenant, which were certainly glorious, but had a fading glory. The New Covenant does not. Moses had to hide his face as the glory faded so the people would still listen to him, but Paul and the Apostles did all their ministry out in the open – observed by all.
II Corinthians 4:2
We should live openly and honestly, too, not only in our personal lives, business dealings, and relationships, but in the way we present the Gospel and talk about the Bible, not resorting to trickery or gimmickry or salesmanship. However, this raises a question: If forthrightness about our message is so important, why isn’t it more effective? The problem is not with the message – the Light is plenty bright enough – but light can only be received by functioning eyes.
II Corinthians 4:3-4
Lost people suffer from sensory deprivation. You don’t heal blindness by making things prettier to look at. Satan has blinded their minds, so we need supernatural enlightenment on both ends: the power of the light and the healing of the eyes.
II Corinthians 4:5-6
This really highlights Jesus’s glory and diminishes our own, which is the way it should be.
II Corinthians 4:7
It also helps to explain why such a valuable treasure is entrusted to such frail and faulty caretakers.
Starting in Verse 8 Paul is not bragging; he’s explaining. He and his missionary team were not like the false teachers. They were persistent, but their persistence wasn’t based on their unbreakability. The fact that they were breakable gave them the assurance that God’s power would be evident.
II Corinthians 4:8-11
True Christian ministry, of necessity and by its very nature, must be rife with paradoxes.
II Corinthians 4:12
Death brings life, and weak vessels show strength. Practically, today, we must be near death and willing to talk about death. We serve a risen Savior, but He can’t have risen without dying first. We try to hide our weaknesses, but our weaknesses demonstrate our trust in the Lord. The main thing lacking for most of us is a willingness to speak boldly. Bold speech comes from bold belief.
II Corinthians 4:13-15
So, in summary, this is how Paul, and how you and I, can keep going when what we fear most or expect least suddenly shows up and everything gets really hard.
II Corinthians 4:16
Remember that God is not throwing you back because of your weakness. No, He’s advancing you forward: renewal.
II Corinthians 4:17
The worst suffering here will seem like a mosquito bite compared to the eternal glory prepared for us.
II Corinthians 4:18
Our eyes have been opened – no more Satanic blindness – so don’t waste them looking on the material and the temporal. Focus them on the spiritual and the eternal.