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        Initially, this might sound very narcissistic, but it isn’t. We agapeo (love) ourselves by coming to the most basic truth about ourselves--we are not God and never will be. The world does not revolve around us. In this, our egos are confronted with this most brutal reality of life. We are very human which means first and foremost, that we are sinners, in desperate need of divine help. We do not want to admit this and may resist this essential reality for years, but agapeo-ing (loving) ourselves means that we come to embrace this most basic reality. In so doing, the door is then opened to the possibility of agapeo-ing (loving) others.

        Consider excerpts from David’s treatise on this very theme; 

                                         

         David agapeo-ed (loved) himself by allowing the weight of this devastating and brutal reality to come crashing in upon him so that he was completely broken and crushed. He may not have wanted to admit this truth, but it was the one truth that he most needed to embrace. He was an undone sinner in need of redemption and cleansing. That’s what agape (love) does. And it was only at this point in his life, that David could then begin to agapeo (love) others in telling them the truth about themselves. They were sinners, just like himself.

         Our Lord’s command to "love our neighbor as ourselves" dovetails perfectly with the basic principle in His Sermon on the Mount: 

                                             
                                                                                                                                               

 
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With this statement, Jesus stopped the mouths of people who had been trying "to catch him in his words" (Mark 12:13). Jesus combined two statements from the lips of Moses (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 & Leviticus 19:18) to explain the essence of life: It is to love God with one’s whole being and to love others. And the people who heard these words were immediately struck with the absolute truth of this statement--so much so, that it halted them in their tracks. There was nothing else to be said.

Micah was succinct--to the point about this: ". . . What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8b). Again, the two elements that Jesus said were of supreme importance are echoed in this declaration--love God and deal fairly and compassionately with the people who live around us.

We may not entirely understand what it means to ‘love God’. Loving a Being that we cannot actually see, hear or touch may be a difficult challenge for us, but not impossible. Understanding the extreme measures the One God of heaven took (and is taking) to bring us to Himself for the purpose of close relationship--a relationship made possible through His Son’s death, goes a long way toward capturing our hearts.

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environment? Everything we see, hear and touch almost literally screams at us: "You deserve a break today! Indulge yourself! You only go around once in life; grab for all the gusto you can get!" And so, unfortunately--almost unconsciously, we do!  It’s not at all difficult for us to buy into the thinking that "I’ve worked hard for what I’ve got/I’ve ‘worked hard for the money!’. I’ve got to look out for #1 because it’s certain nobody else will!  Besides, after everything’s said and done, I’m just as good as my neighbors--maybe even better." As a result we often look after our own affairs first. Then, if it is convenient for us, we might consider the needs of others.

But, if we are to be like Jesus (I John 4:7), this kind of thinking and living has to be opposed and rejected. Instead;

                                     
                                                                                                                                 
       To be Continued.......

 
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The ‘Noble and Good Heart’-- [Prt.II]

Jesus discussed in the parable of the sower (See Luke 8:11-15), various kinds of soil (human hearts); unbelieving hearts (v.12), fickle uncommitted hearts (v.13-4) and the fertile soil represented by people "with a noble and good heart". How is it possible that Jesus could say that a person who has not yet come to faith could possibly possess a "noble and good heart"? [see the ‘explanation’ below].

It seems to me that an excellent example of the dynamic Jesus speaks of in this parable at work is to be found in the person of Cornelius, a Roman Centurion of Caesarea. This officer of the Roman army residing in that city, had the heart qualities that Jesus described in His parable, long before he hear the Gospel from the lips of the Apostle Peter.

                   

When Peter finally arrived at Cornelius’ home, the Centurion informed Peter; "Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us" (10:33). Even before the Holy Spirit had been given to Cornelius and his family and friends (vs.44-48), a heart ready and anxious to respond to the message of the Lord, was clearly displayed by this man. It is certainly obvious that any ‘goodness’ that Cornelius might have possessed could never merit the life that God was willing to give. However, the quality of heart this man possessed allowed him, in fact, compelled him to respond to the message and receive the Spirit that had been graciously given to him by the Lord that day.

Even the most shallow heart is profoundly deep. That is because the human heart is an impossibly complex puzzle that not even the wisest of us can master. Jesus, the Divine Son of God confessed: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing_by himself" (John 15:19). Should it surprise us then that He later said: "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5)? It is critical that we cultivate hearts that understand their limitations and need for God’s wisdom and guidance in all things. Yes, it is an insult to our ego and sense of independence, but it is a fact that we will never reach the great potential that we possess within ourselves without His constant Presence both with and within us. We desperately need Him in our lives, and that’s a fact!  
                                                                                                                        
              

The ‘Noble and Good Heart’---[Part I]

                                           
If God is God, and I believe that He is, why would the Psalmist invite Him to check his life out to see if he had done anything wrong? Wouldn’t it be pretty obvious that God already knew anything and everything David (the Psalmist) had done that was out of line? David’s remarks just don’t seem congruent with the idea of an all-knowing God.

Actually it seems to me that David is asking God to examine him—to thoroughly investigate his life (his heart [see the NIV]) not for God’s benefit, but for his own. Why do you suppose David makes such an earnest request? Perhaps he is fully aware that God alone knows his heart inside and out, but that he (David) doesn’t. And so David requests that God would make known to him what he has hidden from himself along with the deep things about himself that he could never discover without God’s assistance.

David may know a lot about himself and his heart, but there is so much more that he does not comprehend, and he understands just how vital it is that he become aware of the stuff tucked away in the deep recesses of his heart. Look at the emphasis of this passage: "Investigate my life", "find out", "cross examine and test", "get a clear picture" and "see for yourself. . . ." Why?--So God could "guide" him "on the road to eternal life." Without God’s clear and complete perspective, David will be floundering about in total darkness. Until he is able to view his life (heart) through the eyes of God, he will stumble around aimlessly and his life will continue to be in question. Does that make any sense?

Consider Jeremiah’s expanded and insightful commentary of Psalm 1: as he discusses the human heart;

I am fully aware that many use this passage (particularly verse 9) to describe the depravity of the human heart, but I personally believe this description may even be a proper representation of the dilemma confronting our first parents as they inhabited the Garden of Eden (A careful examination of the first several lines of this reading seems to point to this very circumstance). They were created as perfect humans (by our standards, an oxymoron) without sin, but they, like us, were dependent beings. A close and constant connection to their Creator was pivotal to their survival in that place. They needed Him with them for guidance, wisdom, encouragement and strength.

As long as they maintained this close connection to Him, they were OK. However, they made two devastating mistakes: They permitted Satan to sequester them as he appealed to their sense of pride and independence. Then they deceived themselves into thinking they could make a good decision without Yahweh’s wise counsel.

They tried to go it alone and at that point failed miserably. God, their loving Father was not far from them, and had they immediately chosen to go to Him for counsel and guidance, Satan’s strategy to destroy humanity would have been foiled. As it was, the tempter used one of his favorite ploys –‘divide and conquer’ with tragic results. The close connection between God and humanity had been severed and the man and woman were compelled to leave their first home--the garden of Eden to scratch out a living in a less than ideal environment.

In the parable of the sower (mentioned in three of the four Gospels--Matthew, Mark and Luke), as He describes the three or four kinds of soil, Jesus is dealing with the human heart. There are unbelieving hearts (Luke 8:12). There are the fickle and uncommitted hearts (v.13-14). He then speaks of the fertile soil upon which the seed was to be sown. Jesus said these people are "those with a noble and good heart" who "produce a crop"(Luke 8:15).[To_be_continued......]