John T. Willis

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Ronnie Lorenz

Many people never heard of Ronnie Lorenz. But, of course, this is true of every person on planet earth. I just participated in the funeral of Ronnie Lorenz at the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. I have known Ronnie and his wife Darla for approximately 35 years. Ronnie and I served as fellow-shepherds at Highland for many years. Ronnie has two daughters, Robyn and Brooke. They have wonderful husbands, and Ronnie has four grandchildren. David Dalzell and Joe Sharp gave warm, insightful, uplifting talks about Ronnie. Robyn and the four grandchildren also shared their thoughts. The a cappella and instrumental music was dynamic and motivating. But the important aspect of all of this is the nature and life of Ronnie. Four points stand out. 1. Ronnie was a devoted husband and father and grandfather. Ronnie and Darla were married almost 47 years. They deeply loved each other, and they worked hand in hand in every aspect of life. Their children and in-laws and grandchildren love them deeply. What a great godly model through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. Ronnie was unselfish. He considered others better than himself. His life demonstrated this in every way. This made Ronnie comfortable and approachable and lovable. Everyone loves Ronnie. 3. Ronnie looked to God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord as the ONLY LEADER in his life and in the life of the church of which he is a vital part. Ronnie felt and behaved as God's follower, God's disciple, God's servant. He followed the example of Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:20-28. 4. Ronnie trusted fully in God when he encountered opposition and failure. Ronnie would kindly step aside and move forward rather than being angry and trying to defend himself. When I think of Ronnie, I think of Jesus. Jesus loved God the Father. Jesus loved all other human beings. Jesus kindly stepped aside when opponents accused him and ultimately kill him on the cross. Jesus declared he was a servant, and did not expect others to serve him. The people of God have a great future because of the great examples of human beings like Ronnie Lorenz. He inspired all of us to live for God through Jesus Christ. Share YOURS experiences and fears and shortcomings and desires and reversals with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Friday, August 23, 2013

The Betrayal of a Trusted Friend

We should all trust other people. In order to do that, we must be trustworthy ourselves. Throughout my life, I have fully trusted in all people. But a few people in my life have stabbed me in the back. I am guessing this has happened to everyone. Judas Iscariot treated Jesus our Lord in this very same way. A great passage which reminds us of this truth is Psalm 41. Note especially verses 5-12: "My enemies wonder in malice when I will die, and my name perish. And when they come to see me, they utter empty words, while their hearts gather mischief; when they go out, they tell it abroad. All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, that I will not rise again from where I lie. Even MY BOSOM FRIEND IN WHOM I TRUSTED, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me. But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever." This psalm emphasizes three important points: 1. Evil people have a deep heart problem. They are not really concerned about other people, but about their own achievements and accomplishments. Many wicked people accomplish marvelous things, but are ungodly to the core. Such evil people PRETEND they love other people and are happy about their lives, when in reality they are trying to find an opportunity to use other people to carry out their purposes. 2. Evil people do not work alone. They work in small clichés. They create "gossip clubs," and within their own secret confines, they slander other people who are godly and righteous. These "gossip clubs" seem to think that godly people are naïve and ignorant. In reality, we know very well the gossip and slander which they spread about to try to corrupt the hearts and lives of other people. 3. When life is over, God will judge all people. God will justify the righteous and punish the wicked for all eternity. The proper response of those whom evil people slander and mistreat them is to move on through life and love other people. God will take care of all people in due time. Share YOUR ideas and insights and experiences and failures and mistreatments with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants--Luke 20:1-19

While Jesus was teaching every day in the temple (Luke 19:47), the chief priests and scribes and elders of the Jews attempted to bring a charge against Jesus so they could arrest him and later put him to death. Jesus responded by asking a counter question, and then give a parable about the wicked tenants against these Jewish authorities. This section appears in Luke 20:1-19, which naturally falls into two parts. I. Jesus Responds to the Critical Question of the Jewish Authorities. Luke 20:1-8. a. One day when Jesus was teaching the Jewish people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jews approached Jesus, and asked this question: "By what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?" The authorities in Jerusalem attempt to bring Jesus to an inquisition and demand that he declare publicly the source of his claim to teach and preach. The Jewish Sanhedrin know that Jesus is not a rabbi in the normal sense in Jewish culture. Thus, they hope to catch Jesus in some admission that they could arrest him. 20:1-2. b. Jesus responded by asking his questioners with this question: "Did the baptism of John the Baptist come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" When Jesus asked this, he knew that the Jewish people held John the Baptist is high esteem. John the Baptist preached "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins"--Luke 3:3. In asking this question, Jesus does not identify himself as the Messiah or as a prophet or contest the authority of the Jewish leaders. Jesus' question is what the Jewish authorities actually thought about the baptism of John the Baptist, implying that John's authority is from God. John the Baptist was not a rabbi in the normal sense in Jewish culture, but had authority that had the respect of the people. A similar dilemma appears in Acts 5:38 with the question posed by Gamaliel. 20:3-4. c. Instead of responding to Jesus, the Jewish authorities entered into a discussion between themselves, knowing that Jesus had caught them in a dilemma. Obviously, they were not interested in the real issue which Jesus faced them, but about the consequences of the answer which they must choose. If they say that the baptism of John the Baptist is from heaven, Jesus will say, Why then did you not believe him? Note that "heaven" here is a circumlocution for God the Father. To believe John is to submit to his baptism--see Luke 7:28-30. BUT, if they say that the baptism of John the Baptist is from human origin, all the people of the Jews will stone them for taking this position, because they are already convinced that John the Baptism was a prophet. 20:5-6. d. Caught in this dilemma, the Jewish authorities PRETEND that they do not know where the baptism of John came from. Jesus replied that he will not tell them by what authority Jesus is doing these things. Obviously, Jesus' point is: If John the Baptist's authority came from God, Jesus' authority also comes from God because John the Baptist himself had already declared Jesus was more powerful than John (Luke 3:16). If John was a prophet, Jesus would also be a spokesman of God sent from heaven. The Jewish authorities FEARED two things: the Jewish people might stone him, OR they would have to admit the truth. The Jewish authorities are not competent to judge John the Baptist, and thus certainly they are not competent to judge Jesus. In contrast, Jesus knows clearly that he has authority from God his Father. 20:7-8. II. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants. Luke 20:9-19. a. Jesus immediately turns to the Jewish people in the crowd and tell them a parable to expose the sinful hearts and question to Jesus about the source of his authority. The Jewish authorities immediately knew the meaning of this parable--20:19. This is the parable: A man [God] planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants, then went to another country for a long time. The planting of the vineyard calls to mind Psalm 80:8-19; Isaiah 5:1-7. The "long time" symbolizes the intentional delay of the man to demonstrate God's tolerance and patience with this people to have plenty of time to respond to God positively. But if the people respond negatively, in due time, God will punish them. 20:9. b. In due time, the man who planted the vineyard sent a slave to the tenants they them might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard, but the tenants beat him and insulted him and sent him away. The man sent two additional servants to the tenants, but the tenants treated them as harshly as they had done to the first servant. The real problem was that the tenants had worked very hard in the vineyard and had grown very successful, and thus had become arrogant and disregard their contract with the man who planted the vineyard. Thus, now they are prepared to go to any length to keep for themselves what they had produced. 20:10-12. c. The owner of the vineyard [God the Father] pondered as to what to do, and finally decided to send his "beloved son" as a final effort to persuade the tenants to honor him and do the right thing. 20:13. d. When the owner's beloved son arrived, the tenants "discussed it among themselves" as to how to respond. Since they were self-centered and arrogant, they concluded: "This beloved son is the heir; so let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours." So they threw the beloved son out of the vineyard and killed him. Then Jesus asks: "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?" Here the "beloved son" is Jesus, and the tenants are the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. This parable announces the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Jewish authorities. 20:14-15. e. The owner of the vineyard decides to destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. The Jewish people responded by saying, This cannot happen. But Jesus said: Read the Bible in Psalm 118:22: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Then he refers to Isaiah 8:14-15, which says that everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on which it falls. See further Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45. This emphasizes the truth that when religious people oppose God through Jesus Christ, they may "kill" the "beloved son," but God the Father will raise him from the dead and bring severe judgment against those who oppose him. 20:16-18. f. Suddenly, the Jewish authorities realized that Jesus' parable addressed to the Jewish people was directed against them, they wanted to lay hands on Jesus, arrest him, and put him to death, but they FEARED the people. 20:19 This blog repeats the first part of the previous blog to complete the study of Luke 20:1-19. There are deep, important truths in this pericope. Ponder this carefully and increase YOUR faith. Share YOUR understandings and misgivings and reversals and insights and experiences with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Tenants--Luke 20:1-19 [Part I]

While Jesus was teaching EVERY DAY in the Jerusalem temple, the Jewish authorities=the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill Jesus--Luke 19:47. One day, the Jewish authorities confronted Jesus as he was teaching and challenged Jesus' authority. Jesus responded in two ways: (1) Asking the Jewish authorities a simple question; (2) Giving a parable of the wicked tenants. This appears in Luke 20:1-19. This material is very rich, and thus we will deal with this in two parts. Luke 20:1-19 naturally falls into two parts. In this blog, we will treat the first issue. I. The Jewish Authorities challenge Jesus' Authority. Luke 20:1-8. a. While Jesus was teaching the Jewish in the Jerusalem temple and tell them the good news, one day the Jewish Sanhedrin=the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people came to Jesus and asked him this question: "By what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?" Luke 4:32, 36; 5:24 already spoke of Jesus' authority. The Jewish Sanhedrin attempt to bring Jesus to an inquisition and demand that he declare publicly the source of his claim to teach and preach. The Jewish authorities knew that Jesus was not a rabbi in the normal sense in Jewish culture. So they hoped to catch Jesus in some admission so they could arrest him and put him to death. 20:1-2. b. Jesus responded by countering with another question: "Did the baptism of John the Baptist come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" Everyone already knew that the Jewish people held John the Baptist in the highest regard. Here Jesus does not question the authority of the Jewish leaders. Also, Jesus did not declare that he was the Messiah or a prophet. Instead, Jesus asked a penetrating simple question. He wanted the Jewish authorities to declare what they REALLY thought about whether John the Baptist's ministry came from God or from human beings. John the Baptist was not a rabbi, but he commanded the respect of the Jewish people. Gamaliel raised a similar question in Acts 5:38. 20:3-4. c. Instead of responding to Jesus, the Jewish authorities discussed Jesus' question with one another. Jesus put them on the defensive; as a result, they were not concerned about actually dealing with Jesus' question, but about the consequences of the answer which they finally determined. The Sanhedrin concluded that if they said, the baptism of John the Baptist came from heaven, then Jesus would say, "Why did you not believe him?" that is, Why did you not submit to his baptism of repentance and the forgiveness of sins? See Luke 7:28-30. In this context, "heaven" is clearly a circumlocution for God the Father. On the other hand, the Jewish authorities reasoned that if they said that the baptism of John the Baptist came of human origin, the Jewish people would stone them to death because they were already convinced that John the Baptist was a prophet. 20:5-6. d. Caught in this dilemma, the Jewish authorities said they did not know where the baptism of John the Baptist came from. Jesus replied, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." John the Baptist had baptized Jesus and then declared that Jesus was more powerful than John (Luke 3:16). If John the Baptist was a prophet, Jesus would at least be a prophet sent from God the Father. The Jewish authorities PRETEND they do not know the answer to Jesus' simple question. In doing this, they clearly FEARED stoning from the Jewish people and FEARED the truth which Jesus confronted them. Since they admit that they are not competent of judge John the Baptist, they are certainly not competent to judge Jesus. All of this profoundly demonstrates that Jesus' authority far excels the authority of the Jewish Sanhedrin or any other human being or group. 20:7-8. [To be continued] John Willis

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Wise and the Fool in Proverbs 10

Throughout the Book of Proverbs, the terms "wise" and "foolish" are very common and very important. According to the Bible, especially Proverbs, a fool is not really an idiot, an imbecile, a moron, a dupe, or anything like that. Rather, a fool is the opposite of a wise person. These terms have to do with the heart and the life, not with the intellect or the brain. A man or woman may be brilliant intellectually, but a fool because of his or her spiritual nature and behavior. The Bible portrays the wise and the fool is specific ways. Here are some of the main ones: 1. A wise person is provident and prudent; a fool is neither provident nor prudent. See Proverbs 12:11. 2. A wise person is self-controlled; a fool is hot-tempered. See Proverbs 14:17. 3. A wise person measures his or thoughts and words; a fool talks loosely and too much. See Proverbs 26:7. 4. A wise person is devoted to God; a fool is willfully sinful and perverse. See Proverbs 12:1. 5. A wise person is dedicated to God and to serve others; a fool is dedicated to a life of pleasure for self. See Proverbs 6:32. 6. A wise person learns and obeys God's instructions; a fool rejects God's will and refuses to obey God. See Proverbs 1:7. 7. A wise person gladly submits his or her will to God; a fool is stubborn and constantly receives God's discipline and punishment. See Proverbs 10:13. Proverbs 10 highlight the contrast between the wise and the foolish. Here are some key ideas. a. Proverbs 10:1--A WISE child makes a glad father, but a FOOLISH child is a mother's grief. All human beings should consider the background and feelings of their parents. Any parent may be wicked or irresponsible, and yet each person must be conscious of the concerns of good parents. b. Proverbs 10:8--The WISE of heart will heed commandments, but a babbling FOOL will come to ruin. Every person needs divine guidance and instruction. It is foolish to be self-centered. It is supremely important to study, learn, and obey God's word, God's will. c. Proverbs 10:14--The WISE lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a FOOL brings ruin near. All human beings must GROW just as a tree must grow to bear fruit. In order to grow, any individual must study and build upon what others have revealed. In this way, a person will become wise over time. d. Proverbs 10:21--The lips of the righteous feed many, but FOOLS die for lack of sense. We human beings are here on earth to help others. As we grow spiritually, naturally we turn to feed others physically and spiritually. A FOOL is concerned only for himself or herself, and is not concerned about the well-being of others. e. Proverbs 10:23--Doing wrong is like sport to a FOOL, but WISE conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding. A FOOL loves to hurt other people and watch them suffer and grovel. A WISE person is concerned about others and rejoices in the successes of others. There are many other statements throughout Proverbs about the WISE and the FOOLISH. Study Proverbs to gain much spiritual understanding and growth. Share YOUR fears and background and cares and aspirations and needs with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis