11/26/2019
After Jesus had been going about the land teaching and performing miracles he returned home. When we look at this portion of His life we talk about how He was rejected by the people there in Nazareth, but for the most part we skip over the fact that when He returned home, He started doing those same things He had done while growing up... He went to synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood to read. This scripture refers to these as being His custom. What are our customs? What are we doing now in our pursuit of God, and faith that are becoming who we are?
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.”
Luke 4:16 ESV
In His youth, Jesus practiced the Jewish faith, and He did the things that were customary to it, and when He returned home He continued doing the same. He honored the Sabbath, stood and read there, taught lessons, and in general continued the practice of Judaism as was His custom. In this way we see Him living out what He told us His relationship was with the law...
“"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:17-18 ESV
When I was a boy in grade school we had chalkboards, and the teacher would use them to write our lessons on. She would typically begin the day with a blank board, and then begin writing, and building on the days lesson until the board was full of knowledge, and more often than not assignments that we were to complete before we returned the next day. At the end of the day a student would be chosen to erase the board, and then overnight the maintenance man would wash it, but on occasion the lesson would not have been completed and our teacher would write boldly on the board “DO NOT ERASE!”
When Jesus came into the world, and went to the chalkboard He found it partially filled with God’s prior lessons, and the bold instructions that read “DO NOT ERASE!”. His assignment was not to erase what was there, or to begin anew, but to complete what had already been started.
“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:19 ESV
This obedience to God’s will is how Jesus remained perfect. He was not there to begin a new lesson for us, but to complete what had been started in the days when God said “It is good”.
Have you ever seen a complex mathematical equation written out on a blackboard? Well many are not completed in a day, require huge blackboards, and are built over long periods of time until at last they are solved. Here is an example of one-
“The Rolf Schock Award in Mathematics will go to Michael Aschbacher for helping figure out the longest proof ever made by mathematicians. In 2004, he plugged a hole in the Enormous Theorem, a proof that began in 1971 and has only recently been completed. The Enormous Theorem has taken over three decades, a hundred different people working on it, and 15,000 pages of calculations, not including the 1200 page guide that Aschbacher published to plug the hole in the proof in the first place.” -
https://www.google.com/amp/s/io9.gizmodo.com/whats-the-largest-math-proof-in-human-history-5838930/amp
If man’s longest known equation is this, then can you imagine the enormity of the task Jesus was assigned to complete when God asked Him to fulfill the law? If we compare His task to the ‘Enormous Theorem’ mathematical example, then we would say the God wrote the 1200 page guide, and Jesus was tasked with completing the 15,000 pages of calculations... to do this it would take his life.
“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"”
Hebrews 10:5-7 ESV
So Jesus picked up God’s will where He was asked to begin, and carried on. He took what had been customary to Old Testament Jews regarding their worship of God, and made it His own custom before obediently taking it on towards completion. In our desire to be like Jesus Christ, what are the customs of both Old and New Testament faith that we have picked up? Where have we begun our journey? Are we honoring the Sabbath? Are we teaching in church? Are we praying, and reading scripture? Are we loving our Neighbor, Being baptized, and taking Communion? When we go into the land to spread the gospel in obedience to the Lord, are we fulfilling those things Jesus has taught us, or are we trying to erase the board and begin writing anew? Who are we?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for leading us on this pilgrimage of faith that you began before creation, and continues on in us today. we thank you for creation, the Garden of Eden, the covenant with Abraham, your pleasure you found in David, the life, death, and resurrection of your Son Jesus, and we thank you for our part in your continuing story through our faith in you, Christ, and by your grace. Help us Holy Father to obey your commandments, and will. Purify us with the blood of Jesus, and give us an understanding of your Word through your Holy Spirit. Let your ways be ours, and the customs of Christ live on in us. Teach us Father that we are not observers, but active participants in your will; sojourners who are walking in fullness with Jesus within the one eternity which is you. Open our eyes to the fact that old Testament, New Testament, and our Revelation lives are all the same customs, and story... they are our love story for one another. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who was, and is, and is to come. Praised be your name for the flow of our customs and pilgrimage through the continuity of faith in you, and wonderful is the unwavering perfection that is your will. All glory is yours Lord, and without blemish is the love and grace you pour over us. Hear our prayers of thanksgiving, our songs of love, and our tears of remorse and contrition as we ask for forgiveness. Strengthen us as we abide by our customs of faith we have learned at your feet, and give us resolve in our worship of who you are... our Eternal Father.
“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah”
Psalms 89:1-4 ESV
Rich Forbes