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When we moved to Corpus Christi, Texas in 1982, Elmer Moore was preaching at Parkway. He gave me a Thompson Chain Reference Bible with the above note in it. I didn't think too much about that note in 1982 but when I pulled out that old Bible today for the first time in years, the caption really pulled at my heart. Here was an old fellow who apparently had lost his wife after 44 years of marriage. And as he reflected on how much she had meant to him he decided to honor her by honoring the thing that was so dear to both of them... Our Lord Jesus Christ. Brother Blake had provided these Bibles and told Elmer to give them to young men who had a zeal for the Lord. What a great gift... and great example.
Uncle Rob
In Luke 10:25-37, in a discussion with Jesus, a Jewish lawyer correctly states that to inherit eternal life one must do two things; love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
Then the Lawyer (true to his profession) asks, “Just who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus tells the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. There are three major characters in this story and they are not there by accident. One is a Jewish Priest and the other is from the tribe of Priests. They represent the best of Jewish faith… they possess the truth and they practice the commandments of God faithfully (John 4). The third is a Samaritan who practices a corrupt version of Judaism. The Samaritan does not possess the truth nor does he practice it correctly.
And yet in the story of the “Good Samaritan” the righteousness of the Samaritan surpassed the righteousness of the other two… He truly loved his neighbor.
So who of these three characters is saved according the two things that must be done to inherit eternal life? The Priest and the Jew from the tribe of priests have the truth and have the correct religious practice but fail miserably when it comes to “loving their neighbor”. The Samaritan practices a corrupt version of Judaism, so by definition he is not, “loving God with all his heart” and yet he excells in “Loving his neighbor as himself”.
The correct answer would be that none of the three were saved. To be saved we must love God by doing his commandments and by demonstrating love to our fellow man. We don’t get half credit… it is not enough just to be “good”. Let’s be sure in our pursuit of eternal life that we do everything God asks of us.
I find it interesting that the letter to the Romans contains more than 60 quotations from the Old Testament. That is interesting because the majority of Christians in Rome were from a non-Jewish back ground. And yet Paul makes extensive use of the Old Testament to a people who were totally ignorant of the Old Testament before they were introduced to Jesus Christ.
For comparisons sake we usually say that the Gospel of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience because it contains 64 references to the Old Testament. That makes sense because the Jews knew the Old Testament.
I submit to you that the reason Paul used so many references from the Old Testament to the Roman Christians was because they were very familiar with it… they were converted to Christianity through the teaching of the Old Testament. In fact, when the Gospel is referenced in Romans 1:16 it is referencing the Gospel (or good news of salvation) revealed in the Old Testament.
The “righteousness of God” (Ro. 1:17) that is revealed from “faith unto faith” is revealed in the Old Testament as God dealt righteously with faithful men like Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, etc.
The “wrath of God” (Ro.1:18) that is “revealed from Heaven” is revealed in the Old Testament as God dealt with righteous wrath against Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt, the destruction of Jerusalem, etc.
Paul uses over 60 quotations from the Old Testament when he writes the Roman Christians because they had been taught extensively in it. The stories of the Old Testament were their stories, the heroes of the Old Testament were their heroes. Abraham was their father and Sarah was their mother.
Sometimes, in my opinion, we over emphasize the New Testament and under emphasize the Old Testament and relegate it to children’s classes. To do so would be a mistake. After all, the faith of the Romans that was famous world-wide was based upon the teachings concerning the good news of salvation found in the Old Testament.
Julie and I were at a gathering last night and I saw an older couple (probably married 50 plus years) who I know on a casual basis. A friend told me that the wife had gone into the hospital for a cardiac procedure and had nearly died. He added that at the time he was pretty sure she would pull through but he wasn’t sure her husband would. My friend told me the man was so shaken and overcome with worry for his wife that he couldn’t even talk.
I watched the older couple and while everyone else was gathered around tables, playing games and having fun… they sat off by themselves just holding hands and looking at each other and saying a few words to each other and smiling at each other.
And I thought I saw in him happiness and sorrow. Happiness that the thing he treasured the most in this world, his wife, had been given back to him and sorrow that it was just a preview of what was to come.
It was a learning moment for me that things don’t last forever and to treasure the moments with each other and perhaps be a little more patient with each other.
There are a lot of great things in this life but unfortunately a lot of sorrow too. Thank God there is something better waiting for those who believe in Jesus Christ.
