SDA Sabbath School Lesson 4--2nd Qrtr 2016-“Get Up and Walk!” Faith and Healing

[Wally]

 Lesson 4 * April 16-22

“Get Up and Walk!” Faith and Healing

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 8; Lev. 13:44-50; Dan. 7:7, 8; John 10:10; Matt. 9:1-8; 1 John 1:9.

Memory Text: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” (Matthew 9:5, NKJV).

If you made a list of what you most dreaded in life, what would it look like? For many of us, the list would include a family member dying or even you, yourself, dying. And while that’s certainly understandable, think about just how earth-centered that is. It’s all about our lives now. Is this really and truly what we ought to dread most, the loss of life on earth, especially when it never lasts that long anyway?

If God were to make a list of what He most dreads, it would certainly deal with the loss of either our family’s or our own eternal life.

Sure, God cares about physical illness and death, but most of all He cares about spiritual illness and eternal death. Though Jesus healed many people, and even brought the dead back to life, it was only temporary. They all died a physical death, one way or another with the exception of the saints that Jesus resurrected at His own resurrection. (See the SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 550 and Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 786.)

Despite all that it accomplished in our behalf, the plan of salvation did not spare us from earthly sickness and earthly death. With this in mind, let’s consider several stories of healing, both physical and spiritual, and see what important lessons about faith we can derive from them.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 23.

Sunday April 17

Touching the Untouchable

After preaching the Sermon on the Mount, where He’d described the principles of the kingdom of God, Jesus re-encountered the kingdom of Satan, a cold dark place filled with decaying people groaning for redemption, a place whose principles are often contrary to everything for which He stands. And at that time one of the greatest examples of just how wretched and fallen Satan’s realm had become could be seen in the disease of leprosy. Though occasionally used as a form of divine punishment, such as in the case of Miriam (see Num. 12:9-12), in the larger context of the Bible it’s a powerful and horrific example of just what it means to live in a fallen and broken world.

Read Matthew 8:1-4. What importance can be seen in the fact that, in healing this leper, Jesus touched him? See, for example, Lev. 13:44-50

The leper kneels before Jesus and says, “‘If You are willing, You can make me clean’” (NKJV). The Greek word for “can” is dunamai, like “dynamite” in English. It means full of power. “If you are willing, you are full of power and can change my life.” Jesus says He is willing to heal the leper and immediately does just that.

The fact that Jesus touched him must have sent shivers through the multitudes who saw what had happened. Surely, as He did on other occasions (such as the next recorded healing), Jesus could have just spoken the word, and the man would be healed. Why did He touch him though?

“The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was ‘full of leprosy.’ Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,—deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 266.

Perhaps, by touching the leper, Jesus showed that no matter how bad our sin is, He will draw close to those who are willing to be forgiven, healed, and cleansed from it.

Whom do you know, right now, who is suffering from the kind of thing we view today as “leprosy”—that is, anything that makes people recoil in horror and judgment? How can the example of Jesus help you to understand how to relate to that person?

Monday April 18

The Roman and the Messiah

There’s a good reason the book of Daniel spends a lot of time dealing with Rome (see Dan. 7:7, 8, 19-21; Dan. 8:9-12, 23-25). And that’s because of its great power, which was prevalent also at the time of Christ. Nevertheless, a Roman officer, not only a symbol of the power of Rome but an expression of that power, comes to Jesus. The man is helpless in the face of the common trials and tragedies that beset us all. What a lesson about the limits of what earthly powers can do. The greatest and most influential leaders, the richest men and women, stand helpless against many of the common struggles of life. Truly, without divine help, what hope do any of us have?

Read Matthew 8:5-13. What important truths about faith and what it means to have faith are revealed in this story? What should it say to us, as Seventh-day Adventists, given the privileges we have?

A centurion was a Roman military officer who generally oversaw anywhere from 80 to 100 soldiers. Serving in the army for about twenty years, he was not permitted to have a legal family. Thus, the centurion’s servant might have been his only real family.

In that culture, the only person more despised than a Gentile like this would have been a leper; so, this officer perhaps assumes that Jesus wouldn’t want to enter his home, even though Jesus says that He will. By asking just for the Word of Jesus, not His actual presence, the centurion demonstrates great faith that speaks to us today: Jesus’ Word is as powerful as His touch. To this centurion, for Jesus to heal someone wasn’t a difficult thing. It was akin to a military officer giving orders to a soldier, which happened all the time.

Also, look at what Jesus says in Matthew 8:11, 12. What a stern warning to those who have been given great privileges. We, as Seventh-day Adventists, also are greatly privileged, and should take heed.

What daily practices and choices do you make? More important, how do these choices impact your faith? What can you do to make choices that will cause your faith to grow?

[Wally]

Tuesday April 19

Demons and Pigs

Read Matthew 8:25-34. What do both these accounts teach us about the power of God? How can we draw comfort from what we see here about His power, especially as we struggle with things so much greater than ourselves?

In Jewish thought it was the prerogative of God alone to rule over nature and demons. After calming a violent storm with simple words (Matt. 8:23-27), Jesus steps onto the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in not only Gentile territory but where some demon-possessed men lived.

Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39 add details to the story of the demon-possessed men. The demons identify themselves as “legion.” A legion in the military was 6,000 soldiers. The demons were sent into 2,000 pigs.

Many have wondered why the demons asked to be sent into the pigs. One tradition taught that the demons most detested empty wandering; they preferred a home of some type, even if it was an unclean pig. Another tradition taught that demons were afraid of the water, and Jesus Himself even makes references to demons passing through waterless places looking for rest (see Matt. 12:43, RSV). There were also Jewish traditions that taught that demons could be destroyed prior to the final apocalyptical day of the Lord.

Yet, the most important point is this: the destructive condition of the men in this story is exactly the destructive condition that Satan desires for God’s children. But Jesus completely changed their lives. All that Satan seeks to do in our lives Jesus can and will undo for those who choose to give themselves to Christ. Otherwise we are helpless against Satan.

We are either on one side or the other in the great controversy. No matter how stark and uncompromising it sounds, Jesus couldn’t have expressed this truth more clearly than He did when He said: “‘He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters’” (Luke 11:23, NKJV). Which side we’re on depends upon us.

Read John 10:10. “‘The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly’”(NKJV). How does this apply, not just to the demoniacs but to ourselves and to our lives? In what ways can and should we experience what we are promised here?

Wednesday April 20

“Get Up and Walk!”

In Monday’s study, we noted that Jesus said that He hadn’t found anyone in Israel with such great faith. But, during these same hours in Israel, there was a man who had reached a place where his desire for healing of the heart was even greater than for healing of his body.

Read Matthew 9:1-8. What great hope should we take from this for ourselves regarding the promise of forgiveness for our sins, no matter what they have been or the damage that they have done? See also Rom. 4:7, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:12.

How fascinating that the first thing Jesus dealt with when the paralytic was brought before Him was the man’s spiritual condition. Jesus, obviously, knew exactly what the real problem was. Despite the man’s wretched physical state, Christ knew that the deeper issue was the man’s guilt over what must have been a very sinful life. Hence, knowing the man’s desire for forgiveness, Jesus utters what would have to be the greatest and most comforting words for anyone who understands the reality and the cost of sin: “Your sins are forgiven you”(Matthew 9:2, NKJV).

Ellen G. White adds: “It was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 267.

A Seventh-day Adventist pastor often preached about having enough faith to not be healed. This is the greatest faith of all: when we look deeper than our physical circumstances and instead focus on our eternal circumstances. So often our prayer requests are about our physical needs, and God does care about these things. But in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Thus, in the end, despite our immediate physical needs, how crucial that we keep eternal things ever before us in a world where so much is only temporal and fleeting.

Whatever our physical struggles, even in the worst case scenario they will always and only be temporary. Why is it crucial that we never forget this truth?

[Wally]

Thursday April 21

Letting the Dead Bury the Dead

Read Matthew 8:18-22. What is Jesus saying to these men here about what it means to follow Him?

First, in Matthew 8:18-22, we see two men approach Jesus with the desire to be His disciples. Both are sincere; and yet, both seem to be held back by something. Jesus, who knows all our thoughts, goes straight to the heart of the matter. He questions whether the first man is really willing to give up everything—including his own bed!—to follow Him. This does not necessarily mean that a person will lose all earthly possessions if he or she follows Jesus but simply that a person needs to be ready to do so.

Jesus then asks the second man whether he’s truly willing to put Jesus ahead of his own family. At first glance, His words to the second man seem very harsh. All the man wanted to do was bury his father. Why couldn’t he do that first, and then follow Jesus, especially when in the Jewish faith it was considered part of obeying the fifth commandment to ensure that one’s parents were properly buried?

However, some interpreters argue that the man’s father wasn’t yet dead, or even at the point of death; instead, the man was basically saying to Jesus, Let me get everything with my family all worked out, and then I will follow You.

Hence, Jesus’ response.

Another call to discipleship is found in Matthew 9:9-13, with the call to Matthew, a despised tax collector. Jesus knew the man’s heart, which was obviously open to truth, as his reaction to the call showed. Jesus surely knew what reaction His calling someone like Matthew would bring, which it did, as the texts reveal. From our perspective today, it’s hard to see just how upsetting to the status quo the call to someone like Matthew would be to the people back then. What we see here is another example of just how universal the call of the gospel really is.

Read Matthew 9:13. Though the context is different, how does the principle apply even today, even when we substitute the idea of animal sacrifice with the sacrifice of Jesus? That is, how can we be careful that we don’t let religious beliefs or practices, no matter how right, get in the way of doing what really matters to God?

Friday April 29

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “‘Thou Canst Make Me Clean,’” pp. 262-271, in The Desire of Ages.

The Germans have a saying, “Einmal ist keinmal.” It means, literally, “One time is no time.” It’s an idiomatic expression for the idea that if something happens only once, then it doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter. If it happens only once, it might as well never have happened at all. Whether you agree or not, think about this idea in context of Thursday’s study, when Jesus said to the man who wanted first to bury his father and then to be a disciple: “‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead’” (Matt. 8:22, NKJV). What did Jesus mean by implying that the man, a living man, was dead? Well, if “Einmal ist keinmal,” if “one time is no time,” then to live upon this earth only once, with no eternity to follow, then you might as well have never been born at all. You might as well be dead now(see John 3:18). Secular thinkers, who believe in no afterlife, have groused over the meaningless of a life that exists here only once, and for quite a short time, too, before dissipating for eternity. What can it possibly mean, they have asked, if after this short stint we are forever gone and forever forgotten? No wonder, then, that Jesus said what He did. He was seeking to point the man to a reality greater than what this world, in and of itself, offered.

Discussion Questions:

    With the idea presented above, go back and read the story in Matthew when Jesus said what He did to the man about burying his father. What should this tell us about how crucial it is to keep the big picture (and when we say “big,” we mean real big) in mind with all that we do? How does our theology help us to understand just how big the picture really is?

    We don’t always know God’s will for physical healing, but we do always know His will for spiritual healing. In what way should this affect your prayer life?

    What are the things that are most important to you? Make a list and bring that list to class. What can you learn from your priorities? What do our priorities teach us about ourselves and about our view of the world, of God, and of one another? How different would the list be if a group of atheists were doing the same thing?

[Richard Myers]

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 8; Lev. 13:44-50; Dan. 7:7, 8; John 10:10; Matt. 9:1-8; 1 John 1:9.

Memory Text: “For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?” Matthew 9:5,

If you made a list of what you most dreaded in life, what would it look like? For many of us, the list would include a family member dying or even you, yourself, dying. And while that’s certainly understandable, think about just how earth-centered that is. It’s all about our lives now. Is this really and truly what we ought to dread most, the loss of life on earth, especially when it never lasts that long anyway?

If God were to make a list of what He most dreads, it would certainly deal with the loss of either our family’s or our own eternal life.

Sure, God cares about physical illness and death, but most of all He cares about spiritual illness and eternal death. Though Jesus healed many people, and even brought the dead back to life, it was only temporary. They all died a physical death, one way or another with the exception of the saints that Jesus resurrected at His own resurrection. (See the SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 550 and Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 786.)

Despite all that it accomplished in our behalf, the plan of salvation did not spare us from earthly sickness and earthly death. With this in mind, let’s consider several stories of healing, both physical and spiritual, and see what important lessons about faith we can derive from them.

This is an interesting and beneficial study if we will bring into it why God gave man temporal life. What name is given to that period of temporary life? What did God hope to accomplish by keeping Adam and Eve alive temporarily? What does God hope will happen in the time He has given you and me?

In today's reading of The Desire of Ages we find something that pertains to the ministry of healing. "It is not hardship, toil, or poverty that degrades humanity. It is guilt, wrongdoing. This brings unrest and dissatisfaction. Christ would have His servants minister to sin-sick souls."

[Richard Myers]

Sunday April 17

Touching the Untouchable

After preaching the Sermon on the Mount, where He’d described the principles of the kingdom of God, Jesus re-encountered the kingdom of Satan, a cold dark place filled with decaying people groaning for redemption, a place whose principles are often contrary to everything for which He stands. And at that time one of the greatest examples of just how wretched and fallen Satan’s realm had become could be seen in the disease of leprosy. Though occasionally used as a form of divine punishment, such as in the case of Miriam (see Num. 12:9-12), in the larger context of the Bible it’s a powerful and horrific example of just what it means to live in a fallen and broken world.

The Jews thought that leprosy was always a judgment from God, but it was not except in a very few cases. The history of Job reveals suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy.  Most disease in humanity including leprosy was and is brought about by sin, not by God. Not in all cases, but in many, disease is a result of our choices. Much disease in wealthy nations is brought about by the lifestyle.  Heart disease, diabetes, cancer is often caused by what people eat. The diseases of sick animals is causing much disease in humans who eat them. Type 2 diabetes is most often reversible by reducing fat in the diet and by daily exercise.

Read Matthew 8:1-4.

 8:1   When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 
 8:2   And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 
 8:3   And Jesus put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 
 8:4   And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 

What importance can be seen in the fact that, in healing this leper, Jesus touched him? See, for example, Lev. 13:44-50

 13:44   He is a leprous man, he [is] unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague [is] in his head. 
 13:45   And the leper in whom the plague [is], his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 
 13:46   All the days wherein the plague [shall be] in him he shall be defiled; he [is] unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp [shall] his habitation [be]. 
 13:47   The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, [whether it be] a woollen garment, or a linen garment; 
 13:48   Whether [it be] in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 
 13:49   And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it [is] a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest: 
 13:50   And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up [it that hath] the plague seven days: 

The leper kneels before Jesus and says, “if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” The Greek word for “canst” is dunamai, like “dynamite” in English. It means full of power. “If you are willing, you are full of power and can change my life.” Jesus says He is willing to heal the leper and immediately does just that.

The fact that Jesus touched him must have sent shivers through the multitudes who saw what had happened. Surely, as He did on other occasions (such as the next recorded healing), Jesus could have just spoken the word, and the man would be healed. Why did He touch him though?

“The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was ‘full of leprosy.’ Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,—deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 266.

When we come to the point in our lives when our prayer is "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" and we turn to Jesus for deliverance, Christ does not wait to cleanse us from our sin. The answer is immediate. As soon as Saul prayed this prayer, Christ revealed Himself to him and he was converted. It was the end of a long protracted process of wooing by the Holy Spirit that had brought Saul to this point of entire surrender. 

Perhaps, by touching the leper, Jesus showed that no matter how bad our sin is, He will draw close to those who are willing to be forgiven, healed, and cleansed from it.

Amen, Jesus will draw close. He is drawing all to Him even before we want to be cleansed. Wanting to be forgiven, healed, and cleansed from past sins does not necessarily mean one is ready to die to self. We are captive to the law is sin which is in our flesh. One may long to be set free, but cannot be set free until they are willing to submit fully to God. This requires giving up pride and being willing to make sacrifices of all that is dear to the unbeliever. We do not have it in our power to be converted. It is the grace of God that brings a new life out of the old. We must come to Jesus just as we are.

Wanting to be healed, is the first step towards being healed. From today's reading in The Desire of Ages we find this:

     To many of the afflicted ones who received healing, Christ said, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." John 5:14. Thus He taught that disease is the result of violating God's laws, both natural and spiritual. The great misery in the world would not exist did men but live in harmony with the Creator's plan. 
     Christ had been the guide and teacher of ancient Israel, and He taught them that health is the reward of obedience to the laws of God. The Great Physician who healed the sick in Palestine had spoken to His people from the pillar of cloud, telling them what they must do, and what God would do for them. "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God," He said, "and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Exodus 15:26. Christ gave to Israel definite instruction in regard to their habits of life, and He assured them, "The Lord will take away from thee all sickness." Deuteronomy 7:15. When they fulfilled the conditions, the promise was verified to them. "There was not one feeble person among their tribes." Psalm 105:37. 
     These lessons are for us. There are conditions to be observed by all who would preserve health. All should learn what these conditions are. The Lord is not pleased with ignorance in regard to His laws, either natural or spiritual. We are to be workers together with God for the restoration of health to the body as well as to the soul.  Desire of Ages, pg 824. 

Whom do you know, right now, who is suffering from the kind of thing we view today as “leprosy”—that is, anything that makes people recoil in horror and judgment? How can the example of Jesus help you to understand how to relate to that person?

Sunday's lesson pertains to cleansing the soul from sin by ministering to one's physical needs. In this case physical healing. "It is not hardship, toil, or poverty that degrades humanity. It is guilt, wrongdoing. This brings unrest and dissatisfaction. Christ would have His servants minister to sin-sick souls."  Desire of Ages, pg 822. As for how we relate to others, the evidence that we are converted Christians is seen by how we relate to the "untouchables". Since unbelievers have no power to love their enemies or to sacrifice their good for others,  here we see the difference between those who love God supremely and those who do not. The world will see the difference and they will understand there is a God in heaven who loves the sinner. We are to be His witnesses.

There are "untouchables" in our world. As we near the end, as God is withdrawing His Spirit, there are many more that are so very untouchable. How are we do relate to them? Given the opportunity we are to minister to their physical needs. Christ spent more time healing than preaching for a reason. It was the softening of hard hearts that He sought. Grace is revealed when we help others who are "untouchable". God has given to His church the "right arm" of the gospel message, the medical missionary work. We are to follow in the path of our Savior, healing the sick that we might reach the hearts of those for whom Christ died.

Watch the Testamony of Desmond Doss and be encouraged that there are truly converted Christians that through Christ will not only minister to their friends, but will minister to those who are trying to kill them.

Also from today's reading in Desire of ages: "In Christ is the tenderness of the shepherd, the affection of the parent, and the matchless grace of the compassionate Saviour. His blessings He presents in the most alluring terms. He is not content merely to announce these blessings; He presents them in the most attractive way, to excite a desire to possess them. So His servants are to present the riches of the glory of the unspeakable Gift. The wonderful love of Christ will melt and subdue hearts, when the mere reiteration of doctrines would accomplish nothing. "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God." "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!"

[Richard Myers]

Monday April 18

The Roman and the Messiah

There’s a good reason the book of Daniel spends a lot of time dealing with Rome (see Dan. 7:7, 8, 19-21; Dan. 8:9-12, 23-25). And that’s because of its great power, which was prevalent also at the time of Christ. Nevertheless, a Roman officer, not only a symbol of the power of Rome but an expression of that power, comes to Jesus. The man is helpless in the face of the common trials and tragedies that beset us all. What a lesson about the limits of what earthly powers can do. The greatest and most influential leaders, the richest men and women, stand helpless against many of the common struggles of life. Truly, without divine help, what hope do any of us have?

We are fighting the greatest battle we shall ever fight in the battle against self. We are evil by nature and are captives to the law of sin and death (read Romans 7). Then, on top of that we have an enemy who wants to destroy us and those we love. And, if that were not enough, the great deceiver has an army of evil angels and evil men and women he works through in his attempt to destroy us. We surely do need help, but many are "rich and increased with goods" and do not know they need Jesus continually. Our only hope is in knowing our great need and then turning to Jesus that we might know Him. By beholding Him, then we shall become like Him in character (2 Cor. 3:18).

Read Matthew 8:5-13.

8:5   And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 
 8:6   And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 
 8:7   And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 
 8:8   The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 
 8:9   For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it]. 
 8:10   When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 
 8:11   And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 
 8:12   But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
 8:13   And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. 

What important truths about faith and what it means to have faith are revealed in this story?

Is it possible the truths about faith in this story have their counterpart in modern Israel today? The centurion had faith, trust in Jesus. But, Israel did not. "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Can Jesus find faith in modern Israel equivalent to the faith of the centurion? His faith was implicit faith in Christ and His Word. Do we have this faith? Or, does unbelief condemn us as a people?

What should it say to us, as Seventh-day Adventists, given the privileges we have?

Let's hear what inspiration has to say about that: "Of those who boast of their light and yet fail to walk in it Christ says, "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." Review and Herald, Aug. 1, 1893. [

A centurion was a Roman military officer who generally oversaw anywhere from 80 to 100 soldiers. Serving in the army for about twenty years, he was not permitted to have a legal family. Thus, the centurion’s servant might have been his only real family.

In that culture, the only person more despised than a Gentile like this would have been a leper; so, this officer perhaps assumes that Jesus wouldn’t want to enter his home, even though Jesus says that He will. By asking just for the Word of Jesus, not His actual presence, the centurion demonstrates great faith that speaks to us today: Jesus’ Word is as powerful as His touch. To this centurion, for Jesus to heal someone wasn’t a difficult thing. It was akin to a military officer giving orders to a soldier, which happened all the time.

Also, look at what Jesus says in Matthew 8:11, 12.

8:11   And I say unto you, That many shall co.me from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 
 8:12     But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

What a stern warning to those who have been given great privileges. We, as Seventh-day Adventists, also are greatly privileged, and should take heed.

It may be that those from "the east and west" are already coming into His church. Notice that Jesus calls church members "children of the kingdom" even though they are unconverted. It seems that many who have gone before us thought being children of Abraham entitled them to an entrance into heaven, but were sadly mistaken. They had a standard they attempted to meet. They offered sacrifices and outwardly kept the law of God. But, the blood of bulls and goats saves no one, and keeping the law outwardly when the heart has not been converted is like being a "whited sepulcher".

Yes, we ought to take heed especially in light of the third chapter of Revelation where Jesus tells the Laodiceans (Seventh-day Adventist Chuch) to repent.

What daily practices and choices do you make? More important, how do these choices impact your faith?

If our choices include spending a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ, what will be the effect? 2 Cor 3:18 tells us we shall be changed into His image by His Spirit. God Word tells us if we spend time in the Word, we shall gain this saving faith (Romans 10:17).

 What can you do to make choices that will cause your faith to grow?

We need to understand that each man is given a measure of faith, but unless we come to Jesus just as we are, we shall not possess enough faith to save ourselves. Our trust in Jesus and His Word must be as the centurion. We must believe with the whole heart, not just part of it.

[JimB]

Not in all cases, but in many, disease is a result of our choices. Much disease in wealthy nations is brought about by the lifestyle.  Heart disease, diabetes, cancer is often caused by what people eat. The diseases of sick animals is causing much disease in humans who eat them. Type 2 diabetes is most often reversible by reducing fat in the diet and by daily exercise.

I was thinking about this earlier today. Especially in the light of today's reading in the Desire of Ages. Even though we bring disease upon ourselves yet Christ is still willing to heal us. In society today love is growing cold and when they see someone get what they "deserve" and move on unwilling to help. However that is not the attitude Christ has towards us even when we are our own worst enemies.

He turned away none who came to receive His healing power. He knew that those who petitioned Him for help had brought disease upon themselves; yet He did not refuse to heal them. And when virtue from Christ entered into these poor souls, they were convicted of sin, and many were healed of their spiritual disease, as well as of their physical maladies. The gospel still possesses the same power, and why should we not today witness the same results?  {DA 823.3} 

This is true even when it comes to the results of sin. When hanging on the cross the penitent thief recognized that he was there for good reason. Yet, when he turned to Christ for help Jesus did not turn him away or shame him for is past actions. He simply told that he would be in paradise. What a God a we have!

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Jim!  The world despises those who admit their sins. But, converted Christians love not only those who acknowledge their evil ways, but love and try to help those who are blind to their sins. The world is just the opposite of God.

They have been deceived about His character of love and justice. We have a wonderful opportunity to not only reveal Him in our lives, through an indwelling Savior, but to use the light we have been given in the area of health reform to heal the sick both physically, and spiritually as their hearts are softened.

As you have seen, Jim, today's reading in Desire of Ages is full of help for this week's Sabbath School lesson.

[JimB]

I've been thinking about Monday's lesson with the centurion. We find this in the Desire of Ages...

He believed that Jesus could heal him. He had not seen the Saviour, but the reports he heard had inspired him with faith. Notwithstanding the formalism of the Jews, this Roman was convinced that their religion was superior to his own. Already he had broken through the barriers of national prejudice and hatred that separated the conquerors from the conquered people. He had manifested respect for the service of God, and had shown kindness to the Jews as His worshipers. In the teaching of Christ, as it had been reported to him, he found that which met the need of the soul.   {DA 315.2}

This got me to thinking about how important testimonies are. This Roman officer's heart was won over through the testimonies of others. He had a belief that was greater probably than a lot of the people delivering the stories he had heard. Yet what he heard touched his heart and found something that met the need of the soul. No wonder there should be more testimonies in church.

[Richard Myers]

This got me to thinking about how important testimonies are. This Roman officer's heart was won over through the testimonies of others.

Amen!!  I just watched Desmond Doss' testimony. What a blessing!

He had a belief that was greater probably than a lot of the people delivering the stories he had heard.

Amen! That is a fact. His was greater than anyone's faith Jesus had found in Israel.

"When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Matt. 8:13.

Many of those in Israel who testified of Christ, lost their faith when Christ hung on the cross. Yet, strangely enough, it was another centurion whose faith was gained as He watched and listened to Jesus as He suffered on the cross. "Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." Mark  15:37-39.  It seems that false gospels having been taught Israel over many years made it hard for even the mother of Jesus to retain faith that Jesus was the Son of God when He died on the cross. This is a very strong warning to a Laodicean church which allows multiple gospels to spread throughout the church. Misunderstanding truth can lead to a loss of faith.

The faith of these two centurions was not restricted by false doctrinal teachings in Israel. As Jesus has warned His church today, we as a people would be better off "cold" than "lukewarm". It would be easier to see our condition when cold, than when believing we are just fine when we are as blind as a bat.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday April 19

Demons and Pigs

Read Matthew 8:25-34.

 8:25   And his disciples came to [him], and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 
 8:26   And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 
 8:27   But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 
 8:28   And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 
 8:29   And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 
 8:30   And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 
 8:31   So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 
 8:32   And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 
 8:33   And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 
 8:34   And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought [him] that he would depart out of their coasts. 

What do both these accounts teach us about the power of God? How can we draw comfort from what we see here about His power, especially as we struggle with things so much greater than ourselves?

We may read what is clearly written, but unless we are in a converted state, what will happen when we find ourselves in a similar situation when death is staring us in the face as it was with the disciples? Where was Jesus when they were fearful? Why then were they afraid? Where was their faith? Why did they fear? Does not perfect love cast out all fear (1 John 4:18). The lesson is not that Jesus saved them, we already know Jesus can save us. But, there are conditions. At some point, unless we are converted and remain converted, Jesus will not be able to save us.

The lesson from the sinking boat is that we can lose our faith even when Jesus is in the boat with us. Our faith is not to be dependent upon what we see. It was dark and they could not see Jesus. We are to trust in that which we cannot see, for these things are eternal. The things of this world which we can see will soon disappear. Faith like a photograph is developed in the dark. We shall experience many trials that if we are found abiding in Christ will strengthen our faith just as it did for Jesus. He too learned obedience through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8 ).

In Jewish thought it was the prerogative of God alone to rule over nature and demons. After calming a violent storm with simple words (Matt. 8:23-27), Jesus steps onto the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in not only Gentile territory but where some demon-possessed men lived.

Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39 add details to the story of the demon-possessed men.

 5:1   And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 
 5:2   And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 
 5:3   Who had [his] dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 
 5:4   Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any [man] tame him. 
 5:5   And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 
 5:6   But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 
 5:7   And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 
 5:8   For he said unto him, Come out of the man, [thou] unclean spirit. 
 5:9   And he asked him, What [is] thy name? And he answered, saying, My name [is] Legion: for we are many. 
 5:10   And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 
 5:11   Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 
 5:12   And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 
 5:13   And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 
 5:14   And they that fed the swine fled, and told [it] in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 
 5:15   And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 
 5:16   And they that saw [it] told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and [also] concerning the swine. 
 5:17   And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 
 5:18   And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 
 5:19   Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 
 5:20   And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all [men] did marvel. 

 8:26   And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 
 8:27   And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in [any] house, but in the tombs. 
 8:28   When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 
 8:29   (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 
 8:30   And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 
 8:31   And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 
 8:32   And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 
 8:33   Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 
 8:34   When they that fed [them] saw what was done, they fled, and went and told [it] in the city and in the country. 
 8:35   Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 
 8:36   They also which saw [it] told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 
 8:37   Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 
 8:38   Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 
 8:39   Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. 

The demons identify themselves as “legion.” A legion in the military was 6,000 soldiers. The demons were sent into 2,000 pigs.

Many have wondered why the demons asked to be sent into the pigs. One tradition taught that the demons most detested empty wandering; they preferred a home of some type, even if it was an unclean pig. Another tradition taught that demons were afraid of the water, and Jesus Himself even makes references to demons passing through waterless places looking for rest (see Matt. 12:43). There were also Jewish traditions that taught that demons could be destroyed prior to the final apocalyptical day of the Lord.

The traditions of the Jews caused them great difficulties. They ought to have remained faithful to the inspired truths given to them as a people. So, too, we ought to search the Scriptures if we wish to teach on a particular point. It appears that the devils had a purpose for wanting to be in the pigs. Notice that after the swine went over the cliff, the people were unhappy with Jesus, even though He had saved the men. Why? Because they suffered great loss by losing the swine.

     "The people who beheld this wonderful scene did not rejoice. The loss of the swine seemed to them of greater moment than the deliverance of these captives of Satan.   
     It was in mercy to the owners of the swine that this loss had been permitted to come upon them. They were absorbed in earthly things, and cared not for the great interests of spiritual life. Jesus desired to break the spell of selfish indifference, that they might accept His grace.But regret and indignation for their temporal loss blinded their eyes to the Saviour's mercy." Desire of Ages, pg 339.

Yet, the most important point is this: the destructive condition of the men in this story is exactly the destructive condition that Satan desires for God’s children. But Jesus completely changed their lives. All that Satan seeks to do in our lives Jesus can and will undo for those who choose to give themselves to Christ. Otherwise we are helpless against Satan.

We are either on one side or the other in the great controversy.

Amen!  The all important question is then, how do we know whose side we are on? Peter thought he was on the Lord's side, but Matthew writes that Jesus told him he was allowing Satan to use him.

16:21   From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 
 16:22   Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 
 16:23   But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

Another example of what false teaching does to even those who have been converted. Poor Peter had no idea that if Jesus did not die, he could not be saved. After 3 1/2 years of being taught by the Son of God, he still could not believe Jesus had to die in order for his sins to be forgiven. And...to think, they had the wonderful illustrated teachings of the plan of salvation in the Hebrew sanctuary and its services.

The Apostle Paul before his conversion thought he was on God's side and was killing the Lord's disciples. Today, Jesus tells us like He told Nicodemus, we need to be born again of His Spirit. He says we believe we are rich and increased with goods, but know not that we are miserable, wretched, and poor, blind, and naked. He says to us as a people "repent".

How do we know whose side we are on. Jesus tells us to judge by the fruits of His Spirit. In the converted Christian all are there, not one is missing. You cannot get bad fruit from a good tree, nor good fruit from a bad tree.

No matter how stark and uncompromising it sounds, Jesus couldn’t have expressed this truth more clearly than He did when He said: “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.” Luke 11:23. Which side we’re on depends upon us.

Amen!  We each have choices to make. We have things to do in order to be saved. The author is right, it depends upon us and what we do. What must we do in order to be on God's side is the all important question.

Read John 10:10. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” How does this apply, not just to the demoniacs but to ourselves and to our lives? In what ways can and should we experience what we are promised here?

God's promises are for us and our children. But, they are conditional promises. When we fulfill our part of the plan of salvation, God will honor His. On the other hand, all of the promises made by God for us were dependent upon what Christ did first. He fulfilled His part of the everlasting covenant making it possible for us to be saved if we will do our part. God has promised eternal life to all who will meet the conditions. What is His part of the everlasting covenant that will be fulfilled when we do our part. What is our part that we must do before God will fulfill His remaining part?

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday April 20

“Get Up and Walk!”

In Monday’s study, we noted that Jesus said that He hadn’t found anyone in Israel with such great faith. But, during these same hours in Israel, there was a man who had reached a place where his desire for healing of the heart was even greater than for healing of his body.

Read Matthew 9:1-8.

 9:1   And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 
 9:2   And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 
 9:3   And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This [man] blasphemeth. 
 9:4   And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 
 9:5   For whether is easier, to say, [Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 
 9:6   But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 
 9:7   And he arose, and departed to his house. 
 9:8   But when the multitude saw [it], they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. 

What great hope should we take from this for ourselves regarding the promise of forgiveness for our sins, no matter what they have been or the damage that they have done? See also Rom. 4:7, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:12.

 4:7   [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 

 1:9   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

 2:12   I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 

How fascinating that the first thing Jesus dealt with when the paralytic was brought before Him was the man’s spiritual condition. Jesus, obviously, knew exactly what the real problem was. Despite the man’s wretched physical state, Christ knew that the deeper issue was the man’s guilt over what must have been a very sinful life. Hence, knowing the man’s desire for forgiveness, Jesus utters what would have to be the greatest and most comforting words for anyone who understands the reality and the cost of sin: “thy sins be forgiven thee”(Matthew 9:2).

Ellen G. White adds: “It was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 267.

A Seventh-day Adventist pastor often preached about having enough faith to not be healed. This is the greatest faith of all: when we look deeper than our physical circumstances and instead focus on our eternal circumstances. So often our prayer requests are about our physical needs, and God does care about these things. But in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Thus, in the end, despite our immediate physical needs, how crucial that we keep eternal things ever before us in a world where so much is only temporal and fleeting.

Whatever our physical struggles, even in the worst case scenario they will always and only be temporary. Why is it crucial that we never forget this truth?

If we place the things of this world before Christ, then what does that say about our love for Him? If we are placing things of this world before Christ, then there is something more important to us than Christ. This is an idol. Better to not have the things of this world, than to forget about the One who loves us and gave Himself for us.

What is death? It is only temporary. It is just sleep. It is true the second death is more than sleep. It is utter destruction besides the suffering attending it. Are we willing to put saving our lives before being faithful to God? If so, what does this say about our priorities and our belief in death being sleep?

How can we make sure we have the mind on the unseen world rather than the present circumstances that demand our attention?

[Richard Myers]

Thursday April 21

Letting the Dead Bury the Dead

Read Matthew 8:18-22.

 8:18   Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 
 8:19   And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 
 8:20   And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head. 
 8:21   And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 
 8:22   But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. 

What is Jesus saying to these men here about what it means to follow Him?

What is it that we can do for the dead? Nothing. God wants us to help those who can be helped, the living. And, we can only help them if we are walking in the path of Jesus. We must be His witnesses if we want to help others be saved. Are we wanting the things of this world or are we wanting to glorify God?

First, in Matthew 8:18-22, we see two men approach Jesus with the desire to be His disciples. Both are sincere; and yet, both seem to be held back by something. Jesus, who knows all our thoughts, goes straight to the heart of the matter. He questions whether the first man is really willing to give up everything—including his own bed!—to follow Him. This does not necessarily mean that a person will lose all earthly possessions if he or she follows Jesus but simply that a person needs to be ready to do so.

Jesus then asks the second man whether he’s truly willing to put Jesus ahead of his own family. At first glance, His words to the second man seem very harsh. All the man wanted to do was bury his father. Why couldn’t he do that first, and then follow Jesus, especially when in the Jewish faith it was considered part of obeying the fifth commandment to ensure that one’s parents were properly buried?

However, some interpreters argue that the man’s father wasn’t yet dead, or even at the point of death; instead, the man was basically saying to Jesus, Let me get everything with my family all worked out, and then I will follow You.

Hence, Jesus’ response.

Another call to discipleship is found in Matthew 9:9-13, with the call to Matthew, a despised tax collector.

 9:9   And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 
 9:10   And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 
 9:11   And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 
 9:12   But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 
 9:13   But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 

Jesus knew the man’s heart, which was obviously open to truth, as his reaction to the call showed. Jesus surely knew what reaction His calling someone like Matthew would bring, which it did, as the texts reveal. From our perspective today, it’s hard to see just how upsetting to the status quo the call to someone like Matthew would be to the people back then. What we see here is another example of just how universal the call of the gospel really is.

Read Matthew 9:13.

But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Though the context is different, how does the principle apply even today, even when we substitute the idea of animal sacrifice with the sacrifice of Jesus? That is, how can we be careful that we don’t let religious beliefs or practices, no matter how right, get in the way of doing what really matters to God?

Right religious beliefs are not as the Pharisees saw them. Right religious beliefs and practices come from the heart. If they do not come from the heart, then they are contaminated with selfishness. This is the all important subject where Satan has stolen a march on God's people. Keeping the commandments of God as true religion dictates is not Phariseeism, it is reflecting the character of our God. This is what it means to be His witness. What "really matters" to God is that we are filled with His Spirit and thus we act like Him. When we sin, we are not filled with His Spirit, we are not partakers of His divine nature, and we are not doing what really matters to Him. Love for God and our neighbor is keeping the commandments of God. If we do not keep them, then we do not love God and our neighbor. Just take a moment and look at each commandment and we will see that the law of God reveals love. And, if we break one of the commandments, we are not loving and kind.

If we want to do what really matters to God then we need to be changed, born again of His Spirit. This is what Jesus told Nicodemus. And, He told him what he must do in order to be born again. He must look upon Jesus uplifted upon the cross (John 3). And, if we will spend that thoughtful hour a day contemplating Jesus suffering and dying in our place we shall be transformed into His image by His Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).

[Richard Myers]

Friday April 29

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “‘Thou Canst Make Me Clean,’” pp. 262-271, in The Desire of Ages.

I am tempted to post the chapter for all to read, but since we have it posted in our daily reading, I won't. There is nothing as import in Friday's lesson as what is revealed in this chapter. Here is a very important statement that will help many discern a great deception about the state of man during conversion.

     The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was "full of leprosy." Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,--deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." Isaiah 1:5, 6. But Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution. His presence has healing virtue for the sinner. Whoever will fall at His feet, saying in faith, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean," shall hear the answer, "I will; be thou made clean." Matthew 8:2, 3, R. V.   
     In some instances of healing, Jesus did not at once grant the blessing sought. But in the case of leprosy, no sooner was the appeal made than it was granted. When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Galatians 1:4. And "this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14, 15. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.


The Germans have a saying, “Einmal ist keinmal.” It means, literally, “One time is no time.” It’s an idiomatic expression for the idea that if something happens only once, then it doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter. If it happens only once, it might as well never have happened at all. Whether you agree or not, think about this idea in context of Thursday’s study, when Jesus said to the man who wanted first to bury his father and then to be a disciple: "Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." (Matt. 8:22). What did Jesus mean by implying that the man, a living man, was dead? Well, if “Einmal ist keinmal,” if “one time is no time,” then to live upon this earth only once, with no eternity to follow, then you might as well have never been born at all. You might as well be dead now(see John 3:18). Secular thinkers, who believe in no afterlife, have groused over the meaningless of a life that exists here only once, and for quite a short time, too, before dissipating for eternity. What can it possibly mean, they have asked, if after this short stint we are forever gone and forever forgotten? No wonder, then, that Jesus said what He did. He was seeking to point the man to a reality greater than what this world, in and of itself, offered.

Discussion Questions:

    With the idea presented above, go back and read the story in Matthew when Jesus said what He did to the man about burying his father. What should this tell us about how crucial it is to keep the big picture (and when we say “big,” we mean real big) in mind with all that we do? How does our theology help us to understand just how big the picture really is?

    We don’t always know God’s will for physical healing, but we do always know His will for spiritual healing. In what way should this affect your prayer life?

Since we now understand Jesus does not delay an answer when we sincerely ask for cleansing from sin, and since we will live in our vile sinful flesh until Jesus returns, it would be wise to pray daily for His Spirit to indwell our hearts continually that we might be cleansed and able to live a holy life. If you did not read the quote from Desire of Ages, then you may be shocked by such a statement. Few really believe when we make a full surrender, Jesus takes possession of the life and we are enabled to keep His commandments.

    What are the things that are most important to you? Make a list and bring that list to class. What can you learn from your priorities? What do our priorities teach us about ourselves and about our view of the world, of God, and of one another? How different would the list be if a group of atheists were doing the same thing?

If you have made a list and are going to bring it to class, have you been honest? A Laodicean remains apart from Christ, therefore the things most important will reveal selfishness. Better to not bring a list to class than to be dishonest. It is not a very good thing to ask of those not in a converted state.

Bring a list of those things you think would please God.

[Richard Myers]

As we study our Bibles, we are given much information on those who have gone before us. We read of what was important to them. Consider Abraham, what was more important, his son's life, or doing what God asked of him? Consider King David. Was God and His law most important or the wife of Uriah? Character what makes the person what he is. Character can be changed. A sinner can be transformed into a saint, no matter how many say otherwise.

If King David had been asked to write down what was important to him, what would he have written before Samuel reproved him?

Are not we blessed to understand the character of our God. He is just, but His justice does not preclude His great heart of love from  wanting to forgive us our transgressions. He allowed His innocent Son to suffer and die that we might live. Such love!!

[Richard Myers]

What part does character play in "faith and healing" and being able to "get up and walk"?

Who has an easier time becoming a true Christian, a child that was reared in a Christian home by Christian parents, or one whose character was marred by age 6? Of course each must choose, but we all understand when the character has been formed early in life, it is easier to be grafted into a tree that bears similar fruit. "For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" Romans 11:24.

Notice also that Paul is speaking about Gentiles who had been grafted into a "good olive tree", Christ. So, it is not an argument that the "wild child" cannot be saved. But, it is harder because of character. It is a more difficult battle to turn to Christ and away from habits developed sometimes over a lifetime which are many years. With man it appears and is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.

What was the character like in King David when he had Uriah murdered? It was not holy and undefiled, but remember the character formed in his childhood and youth. What happened to it? It was being formed in another direction, but habits formed over many years does not vanish over night. What we see working is the freedom to make choices that hurt us. Every time we sin, it is working for or against forming a good character.  A character that will either help or hinder us from "getting up" and walking. When Nathan the prophet reproved David, what did David do? "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." 2 Sam 12:13. His repentance was quick and real. Even though he had broken God's commandments, the character formed over a long period of time helped him to make the right decision to repent. But, that repentance did not come from David only. It was the grace of God that led to his repentance, but character did not hold him back as it can in so many lives who have not developed a character in harmony with God's law.

Is it possible for us to play a part in being able to come to the point of overcoming both our evil nature and a bad character? Absolutely! We are saved by grace through faith. Grace surrounds us and is a thick as the air we breathe. But, we need to bring it into the heart. That depends upon our faith, out trust in God. We must see His grace before we can bring it into the heart. How do we increase our trust in God and see His grace that it may work on the heart?

Jesus and Nicodemus met under cover of darkness. Nicodemus was a Laodicean leader in Israel. He thought he was "rich and increased with goods," but knew not that he was "miserable, wretched, poor, and blind and naked." Jesus cut off his discussion and told him he was unconverted and needed to be born again of His Spirit. And, He revealed what he must do in order to see His grace that his faith might increase and he be saved. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word. What did Jesus reveal to Nicodemus that his character might be formed after the divine similitude?

He told Nicodemus about something that happened in Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. He said "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up."  What has this to do with seeing the grace of God and trusting more fully in Him for saving grace? The brass serpent had no magical power to save the life of those bitten by the deadly serpents. No, only God can save. It was a spiritual lesson revealing that man must look upon Jesus on the cross in order to be saved from the wages of sin, death. It is both an intellectual and spiritual truth that by beholding we become changed. The mind is as plastic, it gradually adapts itself to what it dwells upon. If we will spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ, we shall be changed into His image, character (2 Cor. 3:18). Then it is not only possible, but we shall be able to "get up and walk." Let us then "look and live."