The Dove
“And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of
the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him” (Mat 3:16,
MKJV)
When the time for Jesus’ public ministry came, He
went to John the Baptist to be baptized. In this ceremony, everyone was
descending the river of Jordan driven by one motive, “to flee from
the wrath to come” (Mat 3:7, MKJV). As for that unique Son of Man, He had a
completely different motive to descend the Jordan, which is “to fulfill
all righteousness” (Mat 3:15, MKJV). That’s why the Spirit found no resting place
for Himself except in that Man. There was a complete harmony between them. The
Spirit carries all God’s righteousness and works to accomplish on earth, and
here is Jesus offers His life and His body to fulfill all
righteousness. The Spirit manifested His pleasure for finding an ultimate
resting place for Himself on the land of man. The heavens were opened, and the
Spirit descended like a dove and lighted upon Jesus.
O Holy Spirit, Would you find a footstool in my life? Do you
find my heart in harmony with yours? Please give me the strength to seek
accomplishing all righteousness? This is my prayer. Amen.
Why
the Dove?
The Spirit was going to baptize the life of Jesus with
specific baptism. Through Jesus, the special purpose of God will be
accomplished. This purpose has never been accomplished before, because there
was no human vessel qualified to accomplish it. The characteristics of that
baptism are broad and various, but if we are to find one symbol indicates all
its contents, we won’t find better than the “dove” to describe the unique life
of Jesus.
When we mention “dove”, immediately characters like
meekness, peace, love, simplicity and, purity pop up in our mind. These are the
characters appeared in Jesus’ life and ministry.
Before we contemplate these characters, it’s important to
emphasize that the descending of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ baptism was not the
beginning of the fellowship between the Christ and the Holy Spirit. God forbid.
Jesus life was hemmed by the Spirit from the moment He was brought forth into
Mary’s womb. He has always been led by the Spirit (Luk 4:1). Also, the pleasure
of the Father did not happen instantly at the moment of baptism. His pleasure
was just revealed at that moment in an audible statement for the people to
learn the divine endorsement of Jesus’ ministry.
The
Spirit of Meekness
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of
Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you. He is righteous and victorious, meek
and riding on an ass, even on a colt, the son of an ass” (Zec 9:9)
Nearly five hundred years before the coming of Christ,
Zechariah prophesied that He will be meek. The prophecy was fulfilled at
the fullness of the time. Perfect meekness has been manifested in Jesus. As
stated earlier, He alone had the seven spirits of God. All the workings
and the characters of the Spirit have perfectly been manifested in Him.
Meekness is a broad character influences all life activities
and relationships with self, with others, and with God. Meekness is not like
many people think equals to passivity, weakness, subservience, and appeasement.
It’s a strong spirit; when manifested perfectly in Jesus, it was able to defeat
the devil and his kingdom when they drove the whole nation against Him. That’s
why Zechariah combines meekness with victory in his prophecy. Many people
cannot comprehend combining the two characters together, because they think
that meekness is the opposite of strength and triumph. That led some scholars
to conclude that the prophecy describes two events. The first one is the Lord’s
first coming when He is meek and riding on an ass, and the second one is His
second coming when He is victorious. I can’t see why we can’t believe that
Jesus first coming was victorious; as well, His second coming will be meek as
much as it is victorious. All we need is a good perception of meekness.
What
is Meekness?
A meek is a man who fears God, so that he appreciates everyone’s
right without excess or lack, therefore:
Appreciates
God’s Right
He judges nobody, because he knows that God is the only
“Judge” who has the right to condemn. He accepts the circumstances that God
allows to his life, because he knows that God is a “Master”, and He has the
right to lead our life according to His will. He will not attempt to rise above
others, because he knows that the Lord alone is exalted “Head” above all. As a
minister, he never attempts to attract people to follow him, because he knows
that Christ alone is the “Bridegroom” whom all hearts should follow.
Appreciates
his own Right
Knowing who he is, he doesn’t increase himself. He accepts
the truth about himself, no matter how painful this truth is. He measures
himself with God’s scale; therefore, he doesn’t accept a glory that is not his.
He knows his domain and never tries to expand it at the expense of the others.
Appreciates
Others’ Right
He respects the other’s right of freedom, therefore, never
imposes his opinion or belief onto them. He always gives the others the
opportunity to express themselves even if their speech is against him. He
doesn’t give anyone a hurting look, but a compassionate and an appreciating
one. His appreciation encourages others to disclose their hearts and express
themselves freely. He wishes everyone goodness and success, even if their
success exceeded his own. Many times, he recedes to give others opportunity to
proceed, or remain silent to let others express themselves. He always rejoices
with the truth; he doesn’t rejoice with inequity. He is a peace maker; his love
covers others’ sins.
Meekness
and Lowliness
The word of God often combines meekness and lowliness. They
are the two sides of the same coin. While meekness mainly determines man’s
position towards God and towards others, Lowliness keeps man’s self-evaluation
in its true level without increase. In other words, a lowly does not give his
self what does not belong to her, while a meek does not seize from others what
belongs to them.
Anyway, these are just theoretical definitions; they don’t
help our growth too much. Let’s just keep them in mind while tracing the Lord’s
steps in His life, so that we can learn the spirit of meekness and its thriving
power to accomplish God’s purpose. May the Lord open our hearts to learn how to
be meek and lowly in heart.
As stated earlier, meekness applies in three directions;
towards God, towards self and towards others. Let’s begin with meekness towards
God, and learn how Jesus’ life reflected it:
The
Relationship with the Father
Man was created to be subject to God’s sovereignty. His
obedience to God was his ultimate goal. Serving God was the essence of his
existence and his glory. The sovereignty of God is not derived from cruelty or
any passion for power; the essence of God’s sovereignty is love and bestowment.
Sovereignty is also an absolute divine right because God has created man, and
all man’s life belongs to Him; also, because God knows best what is good and
what is bad for man. Therefore, worshiping God is a matter of abiding in the
truth, and standing on the right position.
At the first test, Adam failed to abide in the truth. He
rebelled against God’s good will, and refused to keep His commandment.
Therefore, he moved from life to death.
When the first man broke the yoke of submission to God, he
did not enjoy the promised freedom. He was dominated by others and became a
slave to the devil. He became a slave to his pleasures, lusts and sins (Joh
8:34). Man also became a slave to another man. The history witnessed long eras
where man exercised lordship over others with violence and brutality; “The kings of
the nations exercise lordship over them. And they who exercise authority on
them are called benefactors” (Luk 22:25, MKJV). While God’s lordship is truth-based, people’s
lordship has nothing to do with truth. It’s based on false claim and passion
for power. While God’s dominion saves man’s freedom and leads him to a life
full of blessings, people’s dominion crushes man’s personality and humiliates him.
That’s why the yoke of the slavery to God is easy and His burden is light (Mat
11:30), while the yoke of slavery to man is cruel. So, Man rejected God’s
dominion on his life to become a slave to many other rulers (Isa 26:13).
Every generation left a heavy legacy of slavery
to the next one; explicit slavery or implicit slavery. God decided to break
this stygian chain:
The
Perfect Servant
“who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of
rapine to be on an equality with God; but emptied himself, taking a
bondman's form, taking his place in the likeness of men” (Php 2:6-7,
Darby)
At the fullness of time, God sent His Son to
the world with a definitive mission, to bring man back to its original
obedience to God. Jesus will be the firstfruit of a new creation that will
succeed in what Adam and his seed failed. To achieve that, Jesus took the form
of a man. Being in that form, He lived in absolute submission to God, no matter
how violent the resistance of the other self-proclaimed “rulers” is.
Despite the fact that Christ is equal to God,
He chose to take the form of a “bondman” and to be in the likeness of men to take their
position before God. Acting as “the second man from Heaven” (1Cor 15:47),
He accomplished what the “first man out of the earth” failed in.
Jesus had to take the position of a bondman. A
bondman is someone who cannot claim any right. All his rights are in his
master’s hand. He cannot decide anything independent from his master’s will. In
other word, a bondman is someone who willingly lives according to the will of
someone else.
Jesus came to the world armed with the
willingness to suffer in meekness. From one hand, He knew He will suffer from
“rulers” who want to stop His subjection to God and capture Him in subjection
to them; Jesus faced them with the willingness to suffer, and won (1Pe 4:1).
From the other hand, His meekness declared God’s absolute right to determine
everything for Him. Jesus submitted to God’s will and walked the route God
intended for Him. He followed that route to an extent made Him appears to
others like a lamb brought to the slaughter, or a sheep dumb before its
shearers (Isa 53:7).
That’s why the dove was the best manifestation
to the type of the ministry of that perfect servant; that man who came not to live
like a master, but like a servant (Luk 22:27); and not to be served, but to
serve (Mat 20:28). Our meek Lord prevailed. He finished the job successfully.
From one hand, His death destroyed that who had the power of death (Heb 2:14).
On the other hand, He satisfied the Father with a meek spirit that willingly
subjects to Him. The work of Jesus was a victory for the mankind. It opened the
door to a new born people that will glorify God. This people are the church.
The
Ultimate Goal
It’s fault to think that the redemption of man was the
ultimate goal for which the Lord came in a flesh. The truth is the pleasure of
the Father and the reclamation of His reign over man was Jesus first and
ultimate goal of ministry. The redemption happened as a result of the Father’s
satisfaction. That satisfaction gave Jesus’ sacrifice its power of atonement
and intercession for sinners.
The intent of all the Old Testament’s sacrifices was to
satisfy God by taking the right position towards Him. Some of the sacrifices
indicated confession, repentance and acknowledgement of God’s judgement on sin;
others expressed dedication and thanksgiving. Nevertheless, none of these
sacrifices pleased God, because the actual life of their givers never reflected
those meanings. Only one one-time sacrifice pleased God:
“Therefore when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice
and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin You have had no pleasure. Then I said, Lo, I
come.... to do Your will, O God." (Heb 10:5-7, MKJV)
Because God’s will and His
pleasure were not accomplished by that ritual of sacrifices, He prepared a body
for the Son to come to the world with a definitive mission, “to do God’s will”.
A body abides in obedience and subjection to God’s will. A body that loves
God’s will more than life itself. A body at which all the waves of resistance,
skepticism, temptation, and intimidation break down. A body whose life pleases
the Father; and finally, a body that will be torn like the veil to bring many
children to His glory (Heb 10:20).
Meekness
includes all Aspects of Life
The meekness of Jesus accomplished the mission entirely. It
declared the absolute rights of God over man. In Lev 1:13, the knife had to
reach the inward parts of the sacrifice. The inward parts, then, are burnt on
the altar, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah. Similarly, God’s sovereignty on Jesus
life reached His very depths; He was burnt on the cross, a sweet fragrance to
God.
Some people were able to obey God at certain aspects of
their lives, but the Spirit of God have always been hovering over the face of
the earth, not finding a resting-place; not until Jesus came. The dove finally
found a resting-place for the sole of her foot (Gen 8:9). Jesus did not just
like to know God’s will, He wanted to be occupied in His father’s business (Luk
2:49).
The
Powerful Sacrifice
The power of Jesus’ sacrifice was not in the process of
crucifixion, but in the satisfaction of God with that pure life offered on the
altar of the cross. We are sometimes miss that point by focusing on the
distress of the crucifixion thinking that the brutality of the foes, the
betrayal of a friend, and the physical soreness gave the Christ’s sacrifice its
power. But the truth is the eternal power of the Christ’s sacrifice was gained
by the satisfaction of the Father with the perfect life that was offered. The
cruel circumstances of the event were just a normal result of a man’s realm
full of cruelty, envy and avenger.
Meekness
towards the Devil
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness, to be
tempted by the Devil” (Mat 4:1, MKJV)
The first thing the Spirit did after descending
on Jesus in a visible form of a dove was leading Jesus into the wilderness to
be tempted by the Devil. Notice that the Spirit was the one who sought that
confrontation with the Devil in the wilderness, the devil’s resting place (Mat
12:43). The Holy Spirit does not react; He always initiates the events, even in
the war with the devil.
As spoken earlier, meekness is appreciating
everyone’s position. We see here another view of Jesus meekness, which is His
meekness towards the devil. Since the Devil -until that moment- was the prince
of the world (Joh 12:31), Jesus –led by the Spirit- gave him the chance to
tempt Him. The same Spirit who manifested the Father’s sovereignty on Jesus
gave the devil the chance to resist and reject the way Jesus lived. The Spirit
did not lead Jesus to an outreaching ministry before spending forty days in the
wilderness, and until “the Devil had ended every temptation” (Luk 4:13).
Needless to mention that the devil wouldn’t have the power to tempt the Lord
unless the Lord Himself has given him to do so. O how great you are, my Lord,
in your meekness.
The
Authentic Dedication: In Secret
The dedication of the Lord to the Father was not that kind
of dedication we hear in bombastic slogans and hollow speeches. His devotion
was not that shallow devotion we get excited about after listening to a
passionate sermon. His dedication was an inward secret submission that is
revealed and shines under pressure and in the face of opposition. Far there, in
the wilderness where nobody sees Him except the Father, the Lord
expressed His absolute submission to His Father’s will. Who was there to see
that battle and acclaim or reward Him? Nobody. None of what Jesus did was to
please man. His inside was fully occupied by one desire, to please the Father.
The
Authentic Dedication: Under Distress
“And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterwards
hungry” (Mat 4:2, MKJV)
After forty days of fasting, the Lord afterwards hungered.
His physical strength faded, and He was under distress. In a moment like that,
man’s resistance diminishes. The instinct of hunger is intensely overwhelming.
When seethes, it drives man to do whatsoever to assuage his hunger. The devil
always picks such a moment to shoot his fiery darts, knowing that their
effectiveness at that time is devastating. His first attack onto the Lord
targeted His instinctive need for food. As usual, the devil dipped the poison
in the honey. His real purpose was not to fill the Lord’s hunger, but to push
Him into an action out of the Father’s plan, therefore, breaks His commitment
to be in His Father’s business (Luk 2:49).; How many times people forsook their
faith and their devotion, and breached their promises under the pressure of an
instinctive need. The devil thought it will work this time, too
No way. The dedication of the Lord is not like ours,
vanishes soon under pressure. With a body feeble to death, Jesus was
strengthened in the spirit and showed no interest in doing something the Father
did not plan for Him; even if that thing is crucial for life. That is because
for Jesus, life is not provided by bread alone, but by every word proceeds out
of the mouth of God. He can’t do anything without a word from the mouth of God.
The Spirit who led Him to fast in the wilderness has not yet arranged food for
Him. Jesus, in complete submission to the Spirit, will not do something out of
the Spirit’s plan. That’s why He was the perfect servant by whom the Father was
well pleased.
The
Self-Glory
When the first attack failed, the devil tried
another one. The first attack targeted man’s instinctive need; this time he is
going to touch a sensitive nerve inside everyone which is self-glory.
Natural man’s ego sits on the throne of his
heart. She possesses his love and submission. All his work is motivated by her
and aiming her satisfaction. Since the day the devil seeded in man’s heart the
notion of being “as God” (Gen 3:5), man has always been struggling to achieve
that. He still believes that hoax until today. His desire is to gain the glory
for himself as God. He wants to be the centre of others attention as
God. He is willing to go anywhere and adopt any principle if it makes him
eminent or gives him some glory, even if it’s a faked glory. He uses anything
in hand to reach that self-glory. Even spiritual matters and God’s word are not
immune from being exploited for that purpose.
Ego is everyone’s point of weakness in. It’s
the cause of man’s fall. The devil decided to launch his second attack
targeting that point. But he will not go straight forward; a trick must be
plotted. The snare must be hidden and the bait must be magnificent.
Why
the Temple?
“Then the Devil took Him up into the holy city and set Him upon a
pinnacle of the Temple. And he said to Him, If you are the Son of God, cast
yourself down. For it is written, "He shall give His angels charge
concerning You, and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest at any time You
dash Your foot against a stone” (Mat 4:5-6, MKJV)
If indeed the purpose of that challenge was for
Jesus to cast Himself over an elevated point to see the angels bearing Him up,
the ideal place would be the wilderness where there are cliffs to cast Himself
down and a lot of stones against which His feet may dash. But since the devil
took Him up into the holy city, Jerusalem, and set Him upon a pinnacle of the
Temple where everyone can see, here lays the real purpose of the temptation. The devil was tempting Jesus to do a miracle
in front of the people before starting His mission, to gain a quick and easy
glory.
To hide the trap well, the devil used a
legitimate cover. He was not scared of picking a verse from the Bible (Psa 91:11-12)
and presented it to Jesus to persuade Him to follow the devil’s advice with a
satisfied conscience. The outward of his proposal is to exercise what is
written, but the inward was to gain people’s praise. The devil is very
plausible. He uses God’s word in irrelative situations to deceive the
inexperienced believers and causes a lot of confusions and falls.
Oh, how many people fell before the temptation
of self-glory! How many blessed ministries were destroyed by pride! How many
great missions decayed when selfness invaded them! How many times we rode on
sacred matters to gain eminence! How many times we tried to use God Himself to
make name for ourselves.
Any young adult would probably weakened before
plaudits and celebrity. Who can detect the poison in that honey? What spirit
can discern a devil’s deception covered by the word of God?
Meekness
Dispels Exaltation
Only a meek soul withstands the temptation of self-glory,
because it gives all glory to God. It doesn’t seek any for itself. It cannot be
influenced by the glory of men. Jesus came to glorify the Father. He did not
accept honour from men (Joh 5:41). He was not satisfied with any glory, except
the one given to Him by the Father; His own legitimate glory which He has had
before the world was made (Joh 17:5).
As for what “is written”, Jesus knew that God’s
promises were given for our security and not for testing God. We can’t dictate
the timing or the mean by which God fulfills His promise. God’s promises are
true. God fulfills them at His time for His purpose, not at our time or for our
purposes. That’s why Jesus remained steadfast; He answered, “It is written
again, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God."” (Mat 4:7, Deu
6:16). Again, the devil retreated away from the victorious spirit of
meekness.
The
Motive of Gain and Loss
“Again, the Devil took Him up into a very high mountain and showed
Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Mat 4:8,
MKJV)
One of the devil’s names is “Beelzebub” (Mat
12:24), which means “Baal of the flies” or the “flies’ God”. Probably the
reason for this name is that every time you eject him, he comes back
persistently without any tedium or exhaustion. After two defeats, here he is
back.
Everyone is obsessed by his own profit. You can observe that
obsession in people from as early as their infancy. Look how infants tend to
collect toys, pile them up, and keep them at their hands. As an infant grows,
their lust of possession evolutes to different forms. Those forms start from
start from possessing materials to possessing people. That lust is never
satisfied. It has no end or limits. Jesus did not exaggerate when He said, “What shall it
profit a man if he shall gain the whole world...” (Mar 8:36, MKJV);
man indeed has a desire to possess everything in the world.
Trade, marketing, and advertisements rely
basically on stirring the lust of possession in consumers, driving them to buy
products they didn’t really need. We often buy things not because we needed
them, but because we loved to possess them.
The desire of gain is behind most of our works.
Once man feels there is no more profit of what he is doing, he loses the
motivation to work and delegate. Man cannot put too much effort doing something
when he expects nothing in return.
That same desire is also behind a lot of our
ministries and our position towards God. Many times we approach God because we
think it will be beneficial to us. Moreover, some preachers try to attract
people to God playing on that desire of gain. The souls that really love God
regardless of any profit are rare. The Lord who tries the heart of man briefs
this situation in one verse, “their heart goes after their unjust gain” (Eze 33:31,
MKJV).
A
Quick and Easy Gain
“And the Devil said to Him, All this power I will give you, and the
glory of them; for it has been delivered to me. And I give it to whomever I
will. Therefore if you will worship me,
all shall be yours. (Luk 4:6-7, MKJV)
What was the devil’s intention behind that
offer?
First, the devil always trys to prove that man
worships God aiming to profit in return, and if man can get greater profits
from another, he will turn away from God and worship even the devil himself.
The devil is trying to prove that there is no “true worshipers”
to the Father.
Second, he wanted to end Jesus’ ministry before
it begins. If Jesus is coming to reclaim the kingdoms of the world, here they
are offered to Him. Now, His ministry is no longer needed; He should just
abandon it.
Third, he wanted to shake Jesus by a comparison
between the price of pleasing God and the price of pleasing the devil. The
devil knew from Psalm 2:8 that the Father will give the Son all the nations for
His inheritance after a tough journey of agony, crushing and, depression. The
devil proposed an easier plan which is, the same inheritance will be given to
Jesus momentarily if He worships the devil. The path of pleasing God is harsh
and the cost is vast, while the devil’s alternative path is simple, easy, and
doesn’t cost too much. Why walking the road of crucifixion and death when all
the glory and the power will be given to you by the devil supposedly free? Why
worshiping God if the devil will give you what you want at no cost?
Fourth, the devil is jealous to see God
receives such obedience and dedication from Jesus. In the past, the devil tried
to grab power and lordship like God and he fell (Isa 14:14-15). All the
obedience he receives from the world now does not satisfy him, because it is
gained by deception. It’s not a real obedience. He ruled the world by deception
and his influence continues by deception. If he ever stopped deceiving man, he
will lose all his power. That’s why he was willing to give away “all this
power....and the glory of them” to Jesus to get a real
worship in return.
The
Kingdoms of the World Are Whose?
A question would pop up here, “Were the
kingdoms of the world really delivered to the devil, or he was lying when he
claimed so?” In fact, he was not completely truthful or completely liar when he
made that claim. He was tricky. The truth is to tell pure true facts; the lie
is to tell something untrue. Preparing a blend of truths and lies, or facts and
hoaxes is called deception; and that’s the devil’s most common weapon.
He starts his talk with true facts, then, he builds up assumptions and false
interpretations to end up with a conclusion that’s contrary to the truth to
deceive the inexperienced.
It’s biblically true that the devil is
currently “the ruler of this world”. Jesus mentioned that a few
times (Joh 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). Yet, that’s not all the truth. The devil put
it in a passive form “has been delivered to me”. He didn’t tell who delivered
that power to him, and why, how, or until when that power is given to him. The
comprehensive truth is that the earth and the fullness of it is Jehovah’s (Psa
24:1). He is the only legitimate creator and owner. He appointed man to
dominate it (Gen 1:28, Psa 115:16). As a result of his sin, man fell under the
power of the devil. The earth, consequently, was subjected to the devil, not
willingly but forcefully (Rom 8:20). This inappropriate situation is
temporarily until the redemption of man in fully accomplished (including the
redemption of his body) (Rom 8:23). When that takes place, the creation shall
be delivered from the bondage of corruption (Rom 8:21), and the kingdoms of
this world will “become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev 11:15,
MKJV). Therefore, the earth belongs to the Lord legitimately, to man as
His steward and to the devil by subjection.
The devil presented just that portion of the
truth, that he is the current ruler of the earth; therefore, he is to be
worshiped. That trick could not have deceived Jesus who knows the whole truth.
No matter how long the usurper holds his power, he remains just a thief under condemnation.
No matter how long God endures, one day He will reclaim His creation. The
usurper will face retribution with all those who worshiped him and tied
themselves to his fate (Rev 20:10). Woe to those who worship a thief, and bind
themselves to a temporarily god for whom the blackness of darkness has been
kept forever.
Is
It So That God Has Said?
Using his artful way of confusing, the devil approached Eve
with a claim, “you
shall be as God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5, MKJV). The fact
that by eating from the tree Adam and Eve will know good and evil like God is
true and recognized by the Lord Himself (Gen 3:22). But, does that knowledge
make man equivalent to God? Absolutely not; as we can see man remained man and
God remained the exalted God as He has been. In contrary, the gap between man
and God was widened. God’s knowledge to good and evil is absolute and it
controls of the universe with all its good and evil (Isa 45:7), while man’s
knowledge is limited and detrimental.
The truth is that God’s love was behind the commandment of
not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God wanted man to live
every day by the life springing out of God’s heart, and not by man’s own
knowledge of good and evil. To live by the law of the spirit of life that
connects man to God and provide him with regenerated life, not with the
knowledge of good and evil that puts man under the law of commandments and
prohibitions which man fails to keep. Man’s knowledge of good and evil has not
benefited him, because he knew the good but could not do it, and he knew the
evil but could not avoid it.
A partial knowledge of the truth cannot win a spiritual war.
Any ignorant area in our mind will be an open door for the devil to launch an
attack and causes damages. Eve ought to know not just the commandment, but also
the good will of God behind that commandment. Her ignorance of God’s good will
gave the devil an opportunity to propose false motives behind God’s commandment
like cruelty and selfishness. That’s why Jesus promised His disciples that the
Holy Spirit “will
guide you into all truth” (Joh 16:13, MKJV). We have a crucial need to learn all truth
to fortify our life against the wiles of the devil.
One
God
"You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall
serve." (Mat 4:10)
Let’s now leave the devil with all his gloom
and deception, and turn our eyes onto that golden heart at which all the fiery
darts are quenched. This heart never desired possession of anything. He knew
that everything is God’s. The meek heart seeks no honour, but yearns to see all
glory and praise given to God. The Lord came to the world to bring back the
kingdom of God on earth. He came to manifest the absolute sovereignty of God
over man and over matters. He revealed that in His life, His deeds, and His
words. He taught people to pray:
Thine
is the Kingdom
Many people repeat that phrase in (Mat 6:13,
KJV) routinely without a thoroughly understanding of its meaning. This
statement thwarts the lust of possession from penetrating our hearts. It
declares God as the only owner of everything and everyone. Man cannot possess
anything unless it is given to him by God. Therefore, man is not an owner
but a steward. A steward cannot get excited with the money he manages no
matter how abundant that money is, because he understands it isn’t his. He
doesn’t have an absolute right to spend it on his whims. He has to be a
faithful steward to his lord. Stewardship is not everlasting or permanent, but
temporarily and conditional. It is subject to be taken away from him, and he is
subject to be taken away from it at any moment.
When man achieves wealth, he tends to be too
proud. Foolishly, people think that wealth provides them with security, and
assures their future, therefore, gives them the power to determine their
destiny. The Lord calls that delusive sense of confidence, “The deceit of
riches” (Mat 13:22, MKJV). The statement “Thine is the kingdom” dispels
that deceit. The assurance provided by money is very uncertain. A wise man
would build his assurance on the owner and the giver of everything, not on the
mortal things. Paul expressed that when he said “Enjoin on
those rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to trust on the
uncertainty of riches; but in the God who affords us all things richly for our
enjoyment” (1Ti 6:17, Darby).
Has that truth dwelled richly in you? Did it
deal with your obsession with possessions? The devil uses that lust to exhaust
people by panting after what they don’t have. Many people bow before that deceitful
lord, and subject themselves to worldly principles to earn more things. Jesus
refused to worship the devil for all the kingdoms of the world, but we,
sometimes, kneel for a minimal consideration, and other times for no
consideration at all.
How
Do We Worship?
Worship is not an outward action, but an inward status. The
essence of worship is love, fear, and surrender to the One who has the power
over my life. Kneeling reflects that status in a physical fashion. If you
believe that the world has the power to give you life and joy, your heart will
switch to worship the world unconsciously. If you believe that the devil has
the power to make you prosperous, your heart will switch to worship him, even
if your lips deny that. Man’s heart naturally worships the one who controls its
welfare. If you believe that only God gives you life, breath, and everything
(Act 17:25), then the commandment to worship the Lord your God becomes a
natural response.
And
Him Only You Shall Serve
"You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall
serve." (Mat 4:10, MKJV). That was Jesus’ firm answer to Satan. He
didn’t just say it; He lived it as well. He never bowed before Satan, because
He never hoped anything from him. He didn’t hope anything from anyone, so He’s
never tried to please anyone. Have we learnt from Him? Has His meek spirit
dwelled in us, or we still hiding idolatry in our heart?
After He finished His battle on the devil’s
field, Jesus moved on to start His ministry in man’s field. He dealt with
people in every city and village with the same meek spirit that stood against
the devil on the mountain. His absolute submission to God was the key of His
attitude among people just as it was the key of His victory over the devil.
Paul summarized that attitude, “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Php 2:8,
MKJV).
Obedient
unto Death
The obedience of Jesus to the Father is
distinguished from any obedience we see in ourselves or hear about in saints’
biographies. His obedience was initial and inclusive, not reluctant or partial
like ours.
Our obedience is reluctant; it begins when God
reveals His will to us. When that will is unappealing, our initial reaction
varies; we bargain its extent, we try to amend it, or we even stay away from
it. When that will chases us until we can escape no more, then we surrender and
obey. That’s not how Jesus obeyed. His obedience to the Father was initial;
prior to any revelation of any mission from the Father. He yielded to the
Father’s will, and willingly decided to do that will with pleasure. That’s why
His life contained the will of God in fullness.
Further, our obedience is partial. It’s usually
related to a specific act or mission. The obedience of all saints applied in
specific instances, but they lived according to their wills for several years
without specific missions to be obeyed. Man is exhausted when he lives under
external will continuously, because it demands complete self-denial that
burdens his soul heavily. The Lord who knows our form (Psa 103:14) does not
press us beyond our strength. That’s why even the life of champions of faith
included resting periods, in which their life was driven naturally by their
will, after each stance of obedience that requires intensive self-denial.
My Lord’s obedience was not stances of
obedience. It included His entire life. He dismissed the natural human will
and followed His Father’s will no matter how much the path is costly or
humiliating. To get into that, He had to:
Humble
Himself
A natural man appreciates himself very much. He likes to
think of himself as gracious. He strives to appear to others in the best
possible image. Instinctively, man fears any situation threatens his image in
people’s sight or in his own sight. That image stifled a lot of men of God when
they were attempting to obey. Obedience is easy when it doesn’t conflict with
the minimum stature we can accept for ourselves. But when God’s will leads us
in a path deteriorates our admiration by others, an inner struggle starts. A
struggle between an ego clings to the minimum acceptable stature and God’s will
which appears to be destructive to that stature. At that moment, obedience
becomes difficult and costly. Every step in the obedience path is now
associated with loss and tears. One cannot live obedient life unless he gives
up the image he thought about himself or wished to be. That’s what is called humbled
himself.
My Lord humbled himself completely. He didn’t want good
stature neither did he seek a minimum level of acceptance or admiration. That’s
why He never struggled to obey the Father. Obedience was always a spontaneous
action even when it led Him to humiliating and miserable situations. He obeyed
when He was led to be “despised and rejected of men” (Isa 53:3, MKJV),
when He was led to appear with “no form nor majesty” (Isa 53:2, MKJV), when He was led to be “whom the
nation hates, the servant of rulers” (Isa 49:7) and even when He was led to be “Sin” (2Co 5:21)
and “guilt offering” (Isa 53:10). He obeyed unto death.
Obedience
on Time
“To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose
under the heavens” (Ecc 3:1).
God runs
the world according to determined and ordained seasons and times (Act 17:26)
which cannot be changed by others. Only God has the right to change them (Dan
2:21), because they were set by the Father’s own authority (Act 1:7).
We get it wrong when we think that life is
going randomly. Satan wants you to believe that there is no purpose of
whatsoever happening around you, to generate carelessness and procrastination
in your heart. But the truth is there’s a time for every purpose under the
heaven; if you don’t redeem the time, the hour will pass and you will miss
the chance to do what you ought to. If you decided to do it afterward, it may
be too late. There’s a time for repentance, a time for seeking the Lord, a time
for salvation, and a time for acceptance. Blessed be the one who prays to God
in a time He may be found (Psa 32:6).
Failing to discern the times squanders great
opportunities and drags us into fatal mistakes. Even though it’s not for us to
know the times and the seasons which the Father has put in His own authority,
yet we ought to see the signs of the times that are related to us. The Lord
rebuked the Pharisees and the Sadducees for not seeing those signs of the times
(Mat 16:3).
Many people think that obedience is doing a
list of deeds by which we please God. Obedience, therefore, would be obeying a
list of commandments. They obey the law in a slavery manner that does not
require a real communion with God. That’s not how Jesus obeyed. His obedience
was not obedience to commandments but to Someone. It was not an obedience to
execute a list of works, but one that works on the timely manner planned by
God. To be able to live according to God’s time plan, we need to be in real
communion with Him and in harmony with His vision to the seasons and the times.
My
Hour has not yet Come
When Jesus went to Jerusalem before the Feast of
Tabernacles, it was according to a predetermined time. That’s why when His
brothers told Him to go into Judea, He said “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready” (Joh 7:6).
He gave the same answer to Mary when she asked Him to save the wedding of Cana
of Galilee as they lacked wine; Jesus answered, “Woman, what do
I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come” (Joh 2:4).
A natural man manages his time as he wishes; as for the Son of God, He is
moving on God’s time.
The
Hour Has Come
More than once, the multitudes attempted to kill Jesus (Luk
4:29), but he passed through the midst of them and went away. No one laid a
hand on Him because “His hour had not yet come” (Joh 7:30).
Even His death had an ordained pre-appointed hour.
When Jesus knew His hour has come, He lifted up
His eyes to Heaven in absolute submission and said, “Father, the
hour has come” (Joh 17:1). He then proceeded to His enemies and surrender,
so that they may seize Him and do what they desired. He is really the unique
servant of God who knew how to live in harmony with God’s time. He ministered
when it was time for ministry, prayed when it was time for prayer, silenced
when it was time for silence and even died when it was time for death. Oh, how
deeply we need to see that kind of obedience in our life.
Obedience
Despite Opposition
Living obedient to God must face furious opposition from the
world. That opposition is known only to those who live loyal to God. People
naturally reject the one who lives in different manner. The legitimacy of
certain behaviour in any society is measured by its commonness regardless of
God’s position on that behaviour. Similarly, its illegitimacy results from its
oddity even if God admires it. For that reason, prophets were always subject to
criticism, rejection, persecution, and even execution from their people (Mat
13:57). Faithfulness typically faces hostility and alienation, because people
cannot accept someone with different principles and thoughts. He whether
abandons his different ways or gets alienated from the herd. That opposition
often works, because man likes to feel welcome, and depends on people’s support
for security.
Religious leaders, especially, deal with their groups with
the “herd” mentality. They think that keeping the troop ignorant benefits them.
They fear that any enlightened thought will scatter the herd and damage their
interests. Their hands are stained with the blood of the prophets as the Lord
pointed out (Mat 23:31,37).
Another
Spirit
The Jewish society enjoyed an apparent calmness until the
Lord started His ministry. His teaching exposed severe corruption hidden in the
people and their leaders. The society inflamed and divided. Some were
endorsing, others were skeptic, questioning, or opposing. Soon, the leaders
erupted to halt that intruder who disturbed their life and threatened their
interests.
The opposition began with conciliation and scheming; they
attempted to announce Him king, but Jesus withdrew away to the mountain (Joh
6:15). They tried to entangle Him in words (Mat 22:15), but He perceived their
wickedness and exposed it. When all those attempts failed, the leaders intended
to cut Him off out of the land of the living. Using falsehood and deceit, the
“shepherds” led their herd to reject Him and deliver Him to death.
Human spirit usually retreats when it faces such aggressive
and continuous opposition. It fears rejection and isolation, therefore, begins
to appease the others. But the spirit of meekness that filled Jesus’ heart has
never weakened in the battle. It remained obedient and consistent in its
submission to the Father willing to drink the cup that was given by Him.
Indeed, the torrents of Hades could not quench that unique loyalty.
Even
unto Death
“becoming obedient even unto death” (Php 2:8,
Darby)
The word “unto” indicates the extent to which obedience can
go. Each of us has their own “unto” after which they can obey no more. They
quit their obedient walk and live on its remembrance.
Everyone has their untouchable area which cannot be
compromised. Many times those areas were the dead ends of our obedient walk
with God. This brother obeyed “unto” his money was touched; another obeyed
“unto” his health was endangered. That sister obeyed “unto” her pride was hurt;
another obeyed “unto” her social peace was threatened. The devil bet that at
certain point Jesus obedience will be stuck. He put several obstacles in the
Lord’s way to halt His walk in the Father’s will.
The first aggression faced the Lord was when He preached for
the first time in the synagogue of Nazareth and rejected by His hometown
people. It’s harsh for anyone to lose the acceptance of his closest ones. But
Jesus went on; He left the town where He was raised, and wandered from a city
to another like a stranger who has nowhere to lay his head (Mat 8:20).
Later on, the loss of dignity and reputation loomed when the
Pharisees alleged that Jesus is doing miracles using the power of Beelzebub,
the prince of demons. Amidst their malice and lies, Jesus went on with a
bleeding soul to complete His mission.
The opposition rose higher to threaten Jesus credibility
among His beloved ones, and to take away every support. The Baptist suspicion,
Jude’s betrayal, Peter’s denial and the disciples’ flee on the day of
crucifixion, a tough series of attacks. The goal was to afflict Jesus with one
message, “All your life and ministry have been in vain”. Not only the Jews and
their leaders outraged against Him, but also the few ones who believed Him
withdrew back to their own business and left Him alone. How harsh the feelings
of failure and loneliness are! How harsh is the feeling that your life has gone
in vain! What else left for a man who lost his relatives, his reputation and his
best friends? It was a horrible disappointing situation at which no one would
have any courage to remain obedient. But my Lord passed through that situation,
as well. He went on amidst all ingratitude, denial, abandonment, and betrayal.
He insisted on drinking the bitter cup to the last droplet (Joh 18:11, Mar
10:38).
My Lord was stripped of everything except life itself. Here,
the loss of life loomed. The devil threatened Him by death; not just any death
but:
The
Death of the Cross
“... and that the death of the cross” (Php 2:8,
Darby)
The death of the cross means death associated with reproach,
humiliation, agony, and defame. One might die, but leaves behind a fragrant
memory among people. But Jesus was threatened by a death associated with
defame. He was about to be remembered by people as a transgressor (Isa 53:12).
The spirit of meekness in Jesus heart was astonishing. He
did not retreat when faced by that type of death. He was willing to lose
everything to fulfill the will of the Father. He did not slump down under that
cruel injustice or that gloomy fate looming on the horizon. He passed the trial
scene; he went on to Calvary and “opened not His mouth”. He appeared to surrender to the
perpetrators, but indeed He surrendered to His Father’s will. His obedience
triumphed and persisted “unto” death, “the death of the cross”. Jesus offered
everything on the altar of obedience. That obedience mingled with perfect love
ascended like sweet incense before the Father. The perfect sacrifice was
approved, and our salvation was purchased.
O Lord, Let me bow before you with gratitude. Let me ask
myself diffidently, “unto” where do I obey?
Victory
begins in the Secret Life
As noted earlier, the battle of the Lord started in the
wilderness where nobody was watching to condemn any fault or to praise any
righteousness. In the wilderness sin appears to be charge-free and rightfulness
appears to be without reward. That’s why many people fall easily in the
wilderness trial. Only the soul that loves God and yearns to please Him
triumphs. A soul that’s filled with the spirit of meekness, and is determined
to glorify and obey God; it needs no motivation for that.
The battle in the wilderness was dense and comprehensive.
After Jesus descended to people to start His ministry, the trials from the
devil did not differ in their essence as there was nothing else the devil
didn’t try in the wilderness. The only difference was that these trials have
been dispensed over day-to-day incidents in Jesus life. For example, the Lord
experienced extreme hunger once in the wilderness as a trial for His
anxiousness about His basic needs, while during His ministry tens of times He
must have been tempted to give His body a little more rest, pay more attention
to Himself or stop giving Himself for others. An incident of that is when Peter
rebuked Him once to prevent Him from giving His life for others. Since the Lord
defeated the temptation of self-caring attitude when it came extensively and
overwhelmingly in the wilderness, it was simply certain that He overcomes it
when it comes repeatedly through different human vessels.
The same principle applies to our life. The battle starts in
our secret life. The devil intensifies his attacks on our points of weakness.
In secret, the genuine loyalty to God is tested where nobody is watching to
praise our diligence. If the soul overcame that dense course of trials, victory
becomes spontaneous in day-to-day life. The opposite is also true; failure in
the secret life, where one falls before temptation, will eventually be revealed
in a conduct which everyone sees. He who triumphs when only God can see, will
once be glorified publicly; and he who fails when only God can see, will
certainly fall in front of others eventually.
My friend, is your secret life victorious?
Others’
Rights
As stated earlier, a meek knows to respect everyone’s right.
It’s fault to conceive that honouring God and submitting to Him conflict with
submissions to others whom we owe proper submission.
We know that obedience and worship are God’s right. How
about man; what are men’s rights? Well, there are rights we owe everyone for
being humans and other rights we owe particular people.
There are people who possess social authority such as
parents and church leaders. Others possess civil authority such as rulers and
government representatives. Paul clearly advocates, “Give to all their dues; to
the one due tax, the tax; tribute to whom tribute is due, fear to whom fear is
due, and honor to whom honor is due” (Rom 13:7, MKJV). Also Peter states, “be in
obedience to every ordinance of men, because of the Lord, whether to a king
.... or to governors .... Honor all. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honor the king” (1Pe 2:13-17, MKJV). And these advocacies comprehends the famous
principle the Lord set, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the
things that are God's” (Mar 12:17, MKJV).
In His life, Jesus rendered to those particular
individuals their dues. In His childhood, He was subject to His parents (Luk
51:2). During His ministry, He was subject to civil authorities and taught His
disciples to subject to them despite His dissuasion with the rightfulness of
the collected tribute (Mat 17:24-27). At the end of His wonderful life, He told
Pilate, “You could have no authority against Me unless it were given to you
from above” (Joh 19:11). Jesus subjection to Pilate and his unjust
verdict was not because of any fear or constraint, but “because of the
Lord” as Peter put it (1Pe 2:13). That means it’s because of the Lord
who gave Pilate the power to release that verdict. Paul affirms that notion
saying, “For there is no authority but of God; the authorities that
exist are ordained by God. So that the
one resisting the authority resists the ordinance of God” (Rom 13:1-2).
Paul was a disciple of Jesus in his meekness.
He apologized to the high priest for harshly rebuking him, “for it is
written, "You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people."” (Act 23:5)
despite the fact that this ruler does not comply with God’s law. Since God
ordained him in that position, he is to be respected. We emphasize that to
those who think that their spiritual growth gives them the right to scorn
authorities and bypass them. That’s not the mind of Christ Jesus who rendered
to everyone their dues as well as He rendered to God His dues.
Submission
is to Authorities not to Principles
It is important to understand that submission to authorities
is one thing, and submission to principles is a completely different thing. The
Bible doesn’t teach us to submit to the mind of the leaders when it contradicts
that of God. Obviously, Jesus did not subject to Pilate’s mind, but just to his
edict of crucifixion. The disciples also have never submitted to the mind of
chief priests, because “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Act 5:29,
MKJV). However, they didn’t resist their edict to imprison the
disciples. Paul also never yielded in subjection to the mind of the leaders nor
ever did he try to please them. But when they charged him with imprisonment and
death, he surrendered without changing the doctrine he is teaching everywhere
even from inside the prison. Rulers may thrust Paul into the inner prison and
secure his feet to the stocks, but they have no power to stop his prayers and
worship. Paul’s body was subject to the power of the ruler, but his heart and
mind were subject to God alone. No power on earth is able to stop the heart of
a believer from its constancy in God. The era of martyrdom testifies that fact.
Subjecting to wrongful mind of a leader,
whether to avoid their outrage or to gain their acceptance is not meekness but
appeasement. Our subjection to the leaders doesn’t necessarily mean we accept
all their thoughts. We only do so when their thought complies with the mind of
Christ. We must bring “into
captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ” (2Co 10:5, Darby).
