Tag: hope

Friendship

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, Inspiration1 Comment

When we study the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles, we note rather quickly that the apostles did not always get along. They disagreed. They contended for favor. They mocked and grew frustrated with each other. Yeshua knew that in His absence, they could potentially divide what He had united.

In John 15:17 we read, “These things I command you, so that you may love one another.”

We don’t often realize it, but the human – from our earliest stages of development – must be taught, reminded and corrected about how to treat the human other. When your children were young, do you recall telling them to “be nice,” or “share”? What you were actually doing was teaching them how to be a friend.

Messiah, in John 15:17, is laying a foundation of friendship among those who will carry His message to the world; a world that will not be a friend to them, in fact, it will hate them (Jn. 15:18-19; cf. Jas. 4:4). His foundation allowed for the dynamic of human relationships.

The human heart longs for friendship; it is, after all, consistent with our design, having been created in the “image and likeness” of the Godhead dwelling in perfect communion.

The Scriptures have much to say about the nature of friendship:

The wounds of a friend are faithful (Prov. 27:6). Their counsel is sweetness (Prov. 27:9). A friend sharpens our countenance (Prov. 27:17). “A man with many friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).

Unlike the family we are born into, friendship is a choice. Remember the words of Messiah, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (Jn. 15:16). The beauty of this choice is that He chose us with our imperfections. He didn’t wait for us to be: perfect, totally reformed, well-dressed, well-mannered, agreeable. He chose us as we were; and by communion with Him, He changes and ultimately perfects us (Ro. 8:28-29).

Messiah was mocked for the friendships He kept, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” (Matt. 11:19). Why would Messiah be a friend to tax collectors and sinners? Why did He desire to be a friend to you?

Let’s consider some Hebrew words that are translated “friend” in order to gain a broader perspective on friendship.

1. רע, from “see,” rendered as neighbor, companion and friend.

2. חבר, fellowship, friendship, to be knit together.

3. אהב, love, friend.

4. ידיד, friend.

So a friend is someone you see, spend time with, have affection for, and with whom you share kindness, even stress.

While חבר reveals to us how the lives of friends are “knit together” like a tapestry, the final word that I shared above explains how that is accomplished. ידיד, simply means “friend,” however it is formed by combining two words that create a beautiful visual.

יד + יד = ידיד, (yad + yad); יד means “hand,” so the picture of friends are those living “hand in hand.”

I appreciate what Tim Keller writes about friendship, “Friendship is a deep oneness that develops when two people, speaking the truth in love to one another, journey together to the same horizon.”

The Basis of Friendship is:

1. Covenant – with the Lord and others. Part of the stipulations of covenant with the Lord is that we will reach out our hand, see above, to neighbors, strangers, brothers, tax collectors and sinners, etc.

2. Time and Consistency.

3. Connectedness and Presence.

4. Sacrificial (Jn. 15:13) and Careful.

5. Honesty – truth in love.

6. Counsel.

In messianic faith, our friendships are an outgrowth of the friendship we have with Yeshua. What did Yeshua say? “You are My friends if you do what I command you” (Jn. 15:14). This is a conditional statement. We must do what He has commanded: love one another; love the stranger, neighbor, enemy; do to others what you would have them do to you (Matt. 7:12).

He is the covenant Lord. It may sound strange to our ears, but He has the authority to set conditions of our friendship/relationship with Him. Friendship with Yeshua is only possible because of His redemptive work on the Cross that has torn the curtain blocking intimacy with God. The grace of forgiveness begins, maintains and keeps His friendship with us, and others.

Yet, Yeshua was able to share friendship with sinners because of His intimacy with the Father. Communion with Yeshua is the avenue by which we develop friendships and relationships with the lost, and ultimately fulfill our calling in His commission (Matt. 28:18-20), without relaxing our grip on His hand, or His grip on ours.

Be well. Shalom.

The Thirsty Willow

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

Sukkot, Tabernacles, is the final feast of Ingathering (Leviticus 23:34-36, 40-43). It is a prophetic picture of eternal joy: z’man simchateinu/time of our rejoicing. It is a time to remember the 40 years in the wilderness, sharing with family and friends in the present, while looking ahead to the Renewed Jerusalem.

Sukkot is one of two mitzvot, commandments, that we can fully immerse our bodies in, the other being baptism. These two immersive moments allow us to physically feel our life in Him, even for just a moment. Yet, along with the command to observe Sukkot, we are given a rather unusual command.

The command is to take what are called the four species – the fruit of the goodly tree, the palm branch, a branch of a willow, and a branch of myrtle, and rejoice before the Lord.

Brought together they form a beautiful bouquet, like that carried by a betrothed woman approaching her bridegroom, as we appear before the Lord.

The Lulav (palm branch) and Etrog (citron) are waved before the Lord a total of 18 times, in all six directions, which in Hebrew is equal to חי, meaning life – rejoicing with the fullness of our life before Him.

Each element also represents believers at different points of maturity, growth and faith.

1. Estrog (citron): represents one with head and heart knowledge – smell and taste.

2. Lulav (palm branch): represents one with head knowledge but limited heart knowledge – no smell, but taste.

3. Hadassim (myrtle): represents one with heart knowledge and limited head knowledge – smell but not taste.

4. Aravot (willow): represents one with limited head and heart knowledge – no smell or taste.

All of these, brought together, represent another beautiful picture of the Lord bringing His people together. Still, there is another beautiful picture developing.

On the last day of Sukkot, called Hosanna Rabbah, the day of the Great Salvation, not only was the water libation ceremony unfolding at the Temple Altar, but worshippers were circling the Altar itself.

Hosanna Rabbah is also known as “the day of the Aravah.” Traditionally, it is understood that on Hosanna Rabbah one did not circle the Altar with all four species, just the aravah – the willow.

On that day you circled the Altar of God with just the willow, as you prayed for rain, why? There are opinions regarding this that depended on whether the willow was waved, or beat against the ground while circling the Altar.

First, it is the most thirsty of the four species, as it is a river willow. Second, it represents our limited ability to serve the Lord, see above. Third, we understand from Midrashic texts that the four species relate to different organs of the body: the palm is the spine; the myrtles the eyes; the citron the heart; and the willow, the mouth: and the mouth is connected to prayer.

Beating the willow branches on the ground symbolized both our prostration, and also our need for rain to smite and penetrate the ground; and in this smiting of the willow our affliction and our need would be evident.

It was in the midst of this event that Messiah Yeshua/Jesus stood up and said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink’” (Jn. 7:37).

He cries out to those who are “thirsty” for God, to come to Him (God the Son), and in Him believing, receive the river of living water – the refreshing, cleansing and empowering Holy Spirit.

Here, Yeshua stands up in the midst of Israel, and beckons all who will believe, and all in need, to come and drink of Him.

In the wilderness, Israel received water from the Rock for nearly 40 years. The apostle Paul tells us, “for they were drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the Rock was Messiah” (I Cor. 10:4). Here, once again, Yeshua stood in the midst of the children of Israel and promised to provide living water in the drought if only we will go to Him, the Rock. Further, in Exodus 17, the Lord promised to “stand upon the Rock at Horeb” and give water.

Yeshua, the Rock again stands and promises living water during the Feast of Sukkot on the day of the Great Salvation – Hoshiana Rabba – as He is the Great Salvation.

On the last day of Sukkot, even in our time of rejoicing, we strip the external glory, the beauty of the bouquet, and stand thirsty before Him, revealing our need, and our longing for the marriage feast of the Lamb, where we will never be separated again.

Be well. Shalom.

At the Carwash … Again

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Inspiration1 Comment

My current vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, has survived the changing of the central New York seasons fairly well; and by that I mean salt season. Yes, we have a salt season!

In order to keep the roads clear of ice and snow during the winter … sometimes fall and spring as well … the State, counties, and municipalities of New York spread salt on the road ways, often with sand. This is both good and bad.

Helpful for keeping our vehicles out of the ditches in winter, but as the temperatures climb, that salt begins to eat our vehicles, metaphorically of course, but the results are much the same.

So we wash. In my case, too many times a year I visit a local carwash. In the warm months, to get the dirt and dust off of the vehicle; but in the winter, to get the salt off.

Almost immediately, after leaving the carwash, the Jeep is dirty again. So why continue to go?

Yom Kippur is like a carwash; admittedly, a much longer one. Today, it is not observed as it was when the Temple stood; and in messianic faith, we approach the feast differently anyway. The sacrifices are gone, the goats are no longer involved, even the Levitical high priest is no more; but sin remains, needing to be cleansed.

The observance today is focused on praying for forgiveness, in hopes of reconciliation, in addition to fasting – וְעִנִּיתֶם, אֶת-נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם/“and you shall afflict your souls,” and then, hearing the final shofar/trumpet.

Life gets dirty, even in messianic faith, as we travel along the way. Dirt, dust, grime and salt begins to take a toll on us. It builds up, and under the weight of this dirt, we find less than desirable attitudes and reactions come to the surface creating issues in precious relationships: anger, resentment, short tempers, bitterness, etc.

The lesson learned on this one day, Yom Kippurim, the Day of Atonements – yes it’s plural – we should apply every day of the year; we must visit the carwash of repentance, through prayer and godly reconciliation on a daily basis. We need to walk in His grace.

The apostle John wrote, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I Jn. 1:7-9).

Perhaps read that again.

John is drawing upon lessons from Yom Kippur, when sin was brought to light, confessed, and cleansed by blood; even now, if we confess our sins He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.”

The fear is that He will not forgive us; but John assured us that He will. Why? Yeshua/Jesus.

Yom Kippur is a trip to the spiritual carwash, where we learn to walk in the grace that we receive that heals the fellowship between us and God, and us and our dear ones.

Get in the carwash. Get the dirt off. Feel the cleansing of the water, as it cleanses even those hard to reach places in our hearts and minds. It’s easy to clean the outside, it’s the underside and the inside that is painfully difficult; but did Messiah say,

“First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean” (Matt. 23:26).

When washed my Jeep shines in the light; but how much more does our soul shine when it is washed by the blood of the Lamb as we walk in His light?

Yeshua, the risen Lord and eternal High Priest still cleanses and restores those who trust in His name; as the old hymn says, “there’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

Be well. Shalom.