Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:25-37)

To become a neighbour one must understand how to meet the needs of others and act on it.

How did the good Samaritan become “the neighbour” to the robbery victim?

He saw the need of the victim. He acted  it. He was the one who showed mercy. He was the neighbour. 

So who is my neighbour? The one who acts. (and even if he is my enemy.) (Samaritans and Jews were enemies)

BEING WISE

Proverbs 18:2

A  fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion.

Proverbs 18: 15

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge and ear of the wise seeks knowledge

Romans 10:17

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

Many times we read the above passages and do not put much thought into them. We say yes we know these but do we really know? We will only be deemed to really know if we put them into practice and put it into practice without realizing it. We do it out of habit.

People can label us great conversationalist just by us listening and not saying a peep. A fool however does not listen but blabs away his opinion or he listens only to find opportunity to express his opinion on what he hears or he listens with coloured prejudged opinions. He does not listen to see if there is anything to learn. A wise man truly listens, searches for insights whether speaking to the most intelligent man in the world (by human standards) or the least educated fellow (Does this not require humility in a man?) He makes no pre-judgements. He makes no conclusions until he listens.  In Hebrew “heart” encompasses the mind, the emotions and the will. So the heart in Proverbs 18:15 , mind, emotions and will is always acquiring knowledge. How?  By listening to what others have to say and by listening and applying the word of God (Does this not require humility and loving God with all our heart? Does this not require a reverence for God? The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom) . Knowledge and wisdom are not merely or necessarily, education in schools, colleges and universities but a person’s ability to make right choices, to manage life. Right choices cannot be by human standards for that is ever changing according to what people deem it right at some given time. Right choices are choices that God would be pleased with. His laws are ever constant. His words are ever constant. Making such right choices will enable one to profit from life’s opportunities and avoid the pitfalls.

The wise one (chakham) takes joy in learning and gaining wisdom. The wise one dares to make mistakes, picks himself up after making mistakes and continues. So today, we humble ourselves and begin to shop for knowledge in conversations, in books, in mistakes of others, in lives of others, anywhere, everywhere, anything and we make it a habit to do so.

Experiencing God subjectively

If God wrote in the sky for all to see “ I AM GOD. I EXIST” this would be confirmation to all that He exists! Why does He not just do that?

Assuming that He did one day write these words,  yes, some will be overcome with fear, some with joy, some with hope.  People will know objectively that He exists. But in the long run, it would not make a difference to us if we do not have His presence in our lives, if we do not experience Him subjectively. We want Him in our joys, in our anxieties, in our times of crises. We want Him to speak to us individually.  This is the miracle that we seek for. I imagined a great leader from Planet X writing on a rainbow,  “I am a great leader from Planet X”  Yes, there will be much hullabaloo at the start. Then it would be answered with a “So?” unless the great leader from Planet X has affected in some way the lives of the people. For those of us who know He exists, let us petition to Him to come into our lives, to let us experience Him, His love. Let us acknowledge Him in all aspects of our lives. Let us practice listening to Him, asking Him to speak to us in every choice we make. Let us not be anxious. Let us rests in Him always. All the affirmation in the world  of His existence will not make an iota of difference if we do not experience Him subjectively.

TRUST

A.      Not on man

Jeremiah 17:5

“Thus says the LORD, The man is cursed who trust in man and makes flesh his arm and whose heart departs from the LORD”

B.      Not on yourself but in God

Psalm 31:1

“In You Lord do I put my trust …”

C.      Not on your own knowledge and riches

Jeremiah 9:22 -23

“This says the Lord, Do not let the wise man boast in his wisdom! Do not let the mighty man boast in his might! Do not let the rich man boast in his riches! But the one who boasts will boast in this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, judgment and acts of loving kindness in the earth for in these things I delight says the Lord”

D.      Not our natural abilities and beauty

For they are God’s gift. Beauty and Stature quickly fade and may be marred by a little illness.

E.       Not of your good acts

Job 9:20

“Though I am just my own mouth will condemn me; if I were to be perfect, it will also prove me devious“

The humble enjoy continual peace, but in the heart of the proud is envy and frequent indignation. If there be any good in you, believe there is more in others.

Reminders

1. The words of God cannot be understood without first washing and cleansing our soul. Without a pure mind and modeling life after the saints how can we comprehend their words? So we can take practical steps of denying self and obedience and the understanding will come. "Fear" of the Lord is displayed through such denial and obedience then comes wisdom.

2. With an impure heart how can we understand divine truth? Will the holy spirit dwell in such a person? He will dwell only in the redeemed. Without His dwelling in us can our hearts be pure? (so with true receiving of Christ which results in His life in us we may understand divine truth. We will be christ minded not flesh minded. What a gift?!).

3. And ye shall receive power- Luke 24:49. This power is supernatural. It is the ability to do. It is the ability to feel the reality of Yeshua. He is with me a real person,close to me. Love for God and the children of God takes possession. Heaven becomes real. Earth becomes distant. Holy spirit in us is power!

Notes

Hidup kita di dunia ini secara fitrahnya adalah mengikut dua hukum Akal (dalam dunia alam semesta akal) dan Hukum Wahyu (dalam dunia alam semesta wahyu). Hukum Akal secara konteksnya adalah bagaimana seseorang itu berfikir mengenai sesuatu perkara dan hum Wahyu pula berkait rapat dengan keimanan/kepercayaan. Kebijaksanaan Tuhan adalah melalui kedua-dua Hukum Alam ini, bilamana kedua-duanya dapat menginterpretasikan antara satu sama lain. Yesus Kristus adalah ungakapan kebijaksanaan Tuhan (“expression of God’s wisdom). Sesungguhnya Yesus sentiasa berada dalam Hukum Wahyu yang berkait rapat dengan keimanan itu. Bagi Yesus , adalah satu kebodahan bagi sesiapa yang hanya beriman kepada Hukum Akal semata-mata tapi menolak Hukum Wahyu. Bicara mengenai Hukum Wahyu ialah sesuatu yang kita tidak mampu untuk melihatnya melalui mata kasar. Kita tidak akan memahami Ajaran Yesus mengenai Hukum Wahyu itu selagi kita tidak menyertai Yesus ke Dunianya. Melalui Yesuslah kita mengetahui bahawa kedua-dua hukum itu perlu disatukan. Penyatuan kedua-dua hukum dalam hidup kita adalah melalui Roh Kudus.

Di dalam fakulti Hukum Akal ini telah mewujudkan “sifat ingin tahu” dalam diri kita dalam domain Yesus. Sifat ingin tahu tidak lagi memerintah kita. Sifat ini diganti dengan pematuhan kepada Yesus. Barangsiapa mahu melakukan kehendak-Nya, Ia akan tahu... (Yohanes 7:17). Jika kita berusaha untuk mencari jawapan untuk setiap persoalan yang timbul terhadap dan mengenai dunia yang kita diami ini nescaya kita akan menemuinya. Tuhan tidak menyukai orang yang ada padanya sifat malas. Sesungguhnya Tuhan telah memberikan kepada kita Petunjuk supaya kita boleh mencari jawapan untuk setiap persoalan. Tetapi apabila kita memasuki Hukum Wahyu (alam semesta wahyu) pendedahan yang dibuat oleh Yesus, tidak terhitung banyaknya dan tak tercapai di akal kita. Kita tidak boleh melihat Tuhan apatal lagi menyentuhnya. Kerana keupayaan akal kita yang terbatas ini menyebabkan kita seringkali mempertikaikan Tuhan itu. Kita tidak boleh mendapatkan Tuhan itu melalui fizikal kita sahaja. Akal kita yang terbatas ini menyebabkan kita merasakan Tuhan itu tidak berkaitan dengan alam semesta ini. Persoalannya, bagaimana untuk kita berhubung dengan alam semesta sebagaimana Yesus memiliki dan berkata-kata dengannya? Bagaiman kita boleh menyatukan kedua-dua alam semesta ini?

Melalui Ruh Tuhan yang berkait rapat dengan keimanan itulah yang membolehkan kita memasuki dan patuh setiap wahyu yang diturunkan Tuhan. Seterusnya secara perlahan-lahan kita akan memahaminya melalui penyatuan kedua-dua hukum alam ini (yang tidak akan diluar Yesus). Pemahaman tentang kehidupan tidak perlu sebelum kita boleh dilahirkan. Pemahaman tentang penebusan kita (oleh Yesus) tidak perlu sebelum penebusan kita. Kedatangan Yesus itu bukanlah agama itu wujud dan bukanpula untuk mencipta tamadun; Hakikatnya kedua-duanya itu telah wujud sebelum kedatangan Yesus lagi. Sesungguhnya kedatangan Yesus itu adalah untuk menjadikan kita orang beriman dengan sebenar-benarnya yang merangkumi semua aspek. Melalui Yesus, kita dapati tiada ajarannya yang berbentuk kategori sekular atau kategori suci; segala yang disampaikan adalah benar dan Dia membuatkan pengikut-pengikutnya menjaid sepertinya.