Exposition by Max A Forsythe
The
Reformer's Fire
Exposition by Max A Forsythe
It is not often that I turn to the old King James Version. However, in the following passage it is most appropriate. "And Jesus saith unto them, all ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." Mark 14: 27 The King James brings out the best sense of the Greek word "skandalizein". Originally this Greek word meant the bait in a trap, or the stick which snapped a trap when it was stepped upon. It is from this word that we get our scandal, which means properly: a pitfall, or stumbling block. In this verse, the word has been translated as "offended".
A few years ago, I was browsing through a novelty shop. I noticed a little wall hanging with a children's prayer. It was a copy of that popular prayer which used to be memorized by thousands of children in christian families. "Now I lay me down to sleep". As I read through it, I stumbled at the place where the words "if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take" should have been. It was gone! Evidently someone had exorcised that old calvinist phrase as being too offensively scandalous!
Again a sense of offensiveness! When I was in Seminary, our Church Music Professor carefully indoctrinated as many who would listen, to disparage the "sacrilegious" use of any hymns that offensively referred to the "blood of Jesus." To him, it was a scandalous reference to an Old Testament motif and an inappropriate reference to the role of Jesus Christ.
Now, a word of clarification, generally I am not offended at this theme if it is handled biblically! But, his disparagement was against the whole concept of Christ having to die at all! It is sense of the unnecessary that Judas was offended with the "waste of perfume" earlier in this fourteenth chapter of Mark. It is also in this sense that the disciples fail to comprehend the meaning of the last supper. The thought that Jesus could be betrayed and suffer and even die was simply beyond possibility.
Jesus, however, rightly understands the frailty of our human nature. He quotes from Zechariah the fact of sheep scattering without a shepherd! In the face of this Peter and the others vehemently argue that He can trust completely in them, even unto death. Yet, within hours, the disciples cannot even keep their eyes open to watch and pray. And when Judas returns to kiss his Lord, almost all flee in the face of armed strength. Even, Peter, who draws his sword, fails before first light.
In this chapter, Peter is indeed everyman! His failure is our failure. We can barely keep awake in our "Churches" to notice what has been going on these last fifty years! We, like most of the disciples were unwilling to draw even verbal weapons to protect our King's Kingdom. We, like Peter deny our Lord whenever someone really accuses us of being funny fundamentalists.
We read about our Christian brothers and sisters in other lands who are faced with persecution and restrictions, just because they are Christian. Yet here in America, where we have so much freedom, we fail to witness openly because of mere social pressure. We, as well as Peter, Judas and the rest are even offended at the necessity for the New Covenant of Jesus' blood and righteousness.
We are offended because we, like Judas and the liberals find it hard to admit that we cannot save ourselves, or even that we need saving at all! Daniel Defoe, the author off Robinson Crusoe once wrote how he had observed the irrational common temper of mankind. "... they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent ...". It is the pride of ordinary men and women that is one of the greatest hindrances to repenting and coming to Christ.
Malachi warned the nation of Israel that because of their spiritual carelessness and pride, God would come in judgment to carry out a fiery purification. Yet, in our passage for today we see that God would rather that did not have to happen. Look carefully at verses six and seven of chapter three. Repentance is rarely an easy thing, and is never an easy thing for proud people. In this section of Malachi we find the prophet seeking to motivate proud, cynical, self-righteous Judah to repent and return to the Lord.
We saw last week that Malachi warned the nation that God would come in judgment. But even so he would prefer that the nation would come back to Him once again. The Lord still longs to bless the nation, and if only they would repent of their ways, if only they would truly return to Him, he would not come in judgment. But he would come, instead in marvelous blessing! In the rest of this section the Lord provides powerful arguments with the loving intention of motivating the proud, self-righteous nation to repentance.
The first point Malachi makes is that God has not moved! If you travel to Cleveland for a day, when you are done you know that you have a place to return to! After all, Columbus has not moved! It is the same way with God, the Israelites are the ones who need to return because it is they who have left. They are the ones who have changed and gone off on their own ways! To Israel, as well as all of the prodigals of our time the Lord Almighty invites a return.
What is the way back? Quite simply it is to give God what is His own. God is unchangeable. He has not moved. But he asks us to move towards him. I remember a story once told about watching children at a playground. One little child was playing, fell and cut himself. He screamed and mother jumped up ran to the child and promised that mummy would make everything better. Another day, a different child fell and was hurt, she cried out and mother barely looked up from her scandal sheet to say "Aw shut up!" A third day, another child fell and whimpered. Mother, quietly put down her knitting and gently called. "Peter, Peter, pick yourself up and come here. Come on, be a big boy, pick yourself up and come here!" God speaks in the same way: "Return to me, and I will return to you,"
Now that the Lord has assured His people of His constancy, he addresses the chief matters in verses eight to fifteen that will expedite a return. First of all, the people are charged with robbery. They have stolen from God. And they ask how. By with-holding tithes and offerings! One of the great tragedies of this century has been the Church's reluctance to teach the responsibility of tithing! It is estimated that if every single person in the country was reduced to making minimum wage and then if each and every one tithed sincerely, there would be three times the amount of money available for the Lord's work and for the relief of the poor! But, because we have failed in this area, we are now taxed to the extent of an average of thirty per cent to provide for the poor and the widows and the aged! And the percentage continues to grow! Passage after passage in the Bible recommends the principle of the tithe. We too are called to give sacrificially!
Second, the people of Israel have complained against God. Of course, our reaction is the same as those of Malachi's time, "How?" There are several ways of falling into this trap! There is talk and action among Christians today that discourages faith. Whenever we fail to take the Scriptures seriously in our life or in our witness we act as worthlessly as the liberals! Whenever we practice cynicism by doubting the sincerity of individuals or wherever we automatically expect the worst to happen we accuse God of letting us down! Whenever we envy the prosperity of the wicked and try to emulate their materialistic life style. But most dangerous here is the feeling that this Christian life is almost a waste of time.
Look at verses sixteen to eighteen of our chapter. Are we ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we need to return to Him and His promises? Do We need to return to that simple calvinist children's prayer; "If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." In this prayer, even if we are offended by the good news, we ask that if it is the Lord's intention to save us, that He send the Holy Spirit to us to accomplish His will.
Well, there is a promise here today for those who fear the Lord. We read of those who feared the Lord in Malachi's time. What did they do? They talked with each other. They shared together about their mutual fear and regard for God. They not only listened to God's Word together, but they spoke together about it. Have you ever heard people quote something they heard at their Church? Or have you heard people say, boy we really had a discussion at our Bible Study. Didn't you want to hear what was said?
What did the Lord say about these believers of Malachi's time? See how the Lord honored them in verse 16. He remembered them and he promised that "once again there will be a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." The difference between these people and the others of their generation is the same as in all generations. They are truly God's people called by Him. And as such they take Him and His messenger Malachi seriously. Just as we should. Do you want the same promise. Let us hear again from the writer to the Hebrews. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." Hebrews 3: 13-14
Do you want to grow in the faith? Talk to each other about it. Learn how to live it together. Do you want your Church to grow. Talk to others about what we say to each other. But most of all, let us give God the glory in the way we live our very lives. Those that others see and also those secret parts of our own mind.
Resources Used:
Benton, John. Welwyn Commentaries: Losing Touch With the Living God.
MacLaren, Alexander. Ezekiel, Daiel & The Minor Prophets.
Smith, George Adam. The Twelve Prophets.
Places Preached:
Jersey Reformed Presbyterian Church (PCA) 17 August 86
Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) 15 March 87
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 13926 -- Columbus, OH 43213
Mal03b 07 October 89
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