Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Mark:13:32-37
kjv@Mark:13:32 @ But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
kjv@Mark:13:33 @ Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
kjv@Mark:13:34 @ For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
kjv@Mark:13:35 @ Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
kjv@Mark:13:36 @ Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
kjv@Mark:13:37 @ And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Today's notes:
Context:
- Before - But for the elect's sake shortened
- After - 300 pence.
Key Concepts:
What is God's righteousness observed doing?:
- The Son nor His angels not knowing the day and hour, only the Father.
- Leaving His house and work to servants until that day of His return. Commanding His servants to be doing that work diligently for as long as it takes as they do not know the time of that return.
- What He says to them He says to all.
What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:
- It is said for Jesus to be God that He must know like does the Father absolutely everything. People would take this passage to mean that Jesus is not God for He does not know everything. Look though at how much He does know. In theory to know God the Father who knows everything is to know everything. Simply put what this passage rather means is that the precise hour this end time is to occur is not precisely set, it is an on going decision to be made by the Father. It means that what Jesus does know of the hour is complete because He knows that the Father's decision will be right.
- The Lord's work does not end, it takes Him away to prepare for the next stage. His work here then is continued through His servants; everyone of them. His authority here does not end either, the needed portion is transferred to those that know Him best, those in His hire, especially those that guard the gates. In His case righteousness is not merely a judgment, it is an action taken by Him to prepare and secure and establish all that needs be to have others dwell and operate within it. For us righteousness is partaking of His, doing the work within that that He would have for us, being fruitful in that for His righteousness sake.
- It is every man's responsibility to work kjv@Mark:13:34 and not be found sleeping kjv@Mark:13:36. Therefore every man need watch kjv@Mark:13:37. The work load is spread to all and not just a few, because His judgment is at the individual level. You should not be judged for what another man is not doing and neither should he be judged for what you are not.
How is man reacting?:
- For the most part sleeping.
Notes:
What difference does it make for us knowing or not the hour as long as we are doing the Lord's work? Would knowing make us to be anymore diligent about His work? Righteousness is not correctly guessing when that time is, it is doing what has been commanded to be done and done in/by/with the authority the master has issued.
The work to be done does require authority in His stead. It has to be His authority however, as our authority is insufficient even for our own selves. It also has to be His works and not ours. Devising our own works and attempting to back it by His authority violates the relationship of master and servant, resembling more the unruly and abusive servant seeking to be master in his own right. Watch and pray and take heed therefore take on additional meaning then not only for the hour, but for the spirit in which these works are being conducted.
The argument from modern audiences would be that we are raised in the doctrine of grace stating that we are not judged by works but by faith alone. James proposes that the two (faith and works) are inseparable (one cannot have one without the other) for which he is often academically criticized. There are many possible explanations hoping to reconcile the two seeming opposites, the best being that eternal salvation is by grace alone, faith on our part in the total sufficiency of said grace alone for such a great salvation, by which we come into His house as trusted servants to be given by Him authority as a household and individual and corporate works as members of said household; we in no way work for our salvation, we work because it is given to do so by our Lord/Savior. What would happen if we did not do the work? Wouldn't our true faith and intention have to be questioned? Therein at this occasion is the judgment of works.
The word porter as we use it today (as like a train/guest services concierge) would not be understood by the people of that time. It more closely resembles gate keeper or guard. The porter is commanded to watch, if a city wall for spies or attackers, if a train for freeloaders and robbers. Skill is required to properly identify these sorts and heed is required to remain alert and to watch for other porters on the take. A truer sense of what the master's authority is and how it would be used is what to pray for. The word being used here is porter singular which would suggest either the Holy Spirit singular or the collective body under the wing of the Holy Spirit. The task set is to guard the entry in and out is the same.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- What we end up with is a household (The Lord's household) where only some of the servant's work. Worse yet, the non-working servants not only expect these few to tirelessly do all the work without burning out, they complain about all the work still not being done. Then there are those that do work, but only work at what they most like to do only as they most like doing it. They do not trust nor work well with the others being highly critical of the others and the authority they assume to hold as a household.
- What we end up with is a household (The Lord's household) that resembles a resort spa for the majority of club members. At one's beck and call, servants gladly stimulate, groom/message individual card and family plan members intellectually/emotionally/spiritually, provide child care services, host banquets and feasts and lavished all inclusive holy land cruises, plus entertain; all in a non-threatening and luxuriously ornate environment. Spa servants need to keep abreast of the latest spa trends as clientele will easily migrate to more up to date facilities and accommodations.
- It is therefore advantageous to remain a babe in Christ for to mature in the slightest would mean not to be the club card member but instead the hired masseuse. If that is what the doctrine of grace is to mean then it isn't really a doctrine of grace for all then, is it?
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Mark:13:32-37
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:13:32-37 rwp@Mark:13:32-37 mhcc@Mark:13:32-37
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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