Beatitudes #2 - The Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

'Blessed are the spiritually destitute' is another and perhaps better way of translating the opening words here.

For the heavy responsibilities I have, I am totally inadequate spiritually and in my fundamental personal characteristics. Without rich resources coming from God I am inadequate in so many ways -- as a doctor or as a patient, as a parent or as a child, or whatever. I can't even begin to conquer personal temptation or the evil flooding about me in society.

And the promise -- 'for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. This immense concept is a central theme in Jesus' teaching; the essence of his ideology. Every doctor everywhere would do well to ponder Jesus' meaning. It is the highest good which can be conceived. It is present: it is future. It is personal: it is universal. It is the 'place' where God's will is sought and done, where what he says is done. It is the new society; the new mutant in human life, the new man and woman. In this beatitude Jesus is saying that anyone who knows his or her need can turn to God to find his way and be given the grace and power to follow it. His disciples living this way are the new society, the 'kingdom of heaven'. I have found that a sure way to become aware of my need is to ask God to make me aware of it. It never fails to work!

Keep me mindful Lord, of my own inadequacy and
of your boundless resources; so that I might be
used to effect your eternal purposes.

Further reading: Jn 15:1-11.

DA

Beatitudes #1 - Thoughts on the Beatitudes

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them... Matthew 5:1-2

Professor William Barclay has noted that 'the Sermon on the Mount is the summary and the essence and the core of all that Jesus continuously and habitually taught...It is the opening of Jesus' whole mind to his disciples'. It contains the essential truths he wanted them to live by and give to the world. Thus nothing more significant than these three chapters of St Matthew's 'Good News' has perhaps ever been written. The Beatitudes encapsulate some of these thoughts in the forms of teaching aphorisms.

The word makarios (Gr) or beatus (L) is translated 'blessed'. Makarios means supremely joyous -- 'at the root of my being' joyous because I am in the favour of God. But why and how can this be so? Jesus explains it in these sayings, which are guidelines for the joyous or favoured life. I see these as the distinctive qualities of a new order of human beings, the living constituents of the new society, the Body of Christ.

Lord, teach me your way, and grant me grace to follow it,
that I may know your joy.

Further reading: Mt 5:1-2.

DA

The Simple Life

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:11, 13-14 (AV)

A medical training carries the danger of glamourising the complex. The student is notoriously liable to remember the small print stuff, or to identify the sparrow as a canary. But even in medicine the great advances have often been simple. Cholera eradication in Britain is owed more to sewage control than to advances in bacteriology. Nowadays, economic factors prompt us to take decisions on priorities. The question changes from 'can we?' to 'should we?'

There is a general awareness of the forbiddingly complex nature of our society, and its vulnerability when one link in the chain is disrupted. Hence we see the rise of ecology parties, the development of cottage industries and disillusion with high technology.

The Christian also, for greater reasons, should aim to simplify life. He, more than any should take the 'long, cool view'. Why 'be with it'? Why complicate domestic or professional life? When we recall the 'ordinariness' of Jesus' life, it is little wonder that those who have done most for him have been those whose lives have been noted for their simplicity. Such a life will, to some degree, entail a deliberate withdrawal from the general trend - a retreat. The psalmist, before asking for a plain path, has already confessed his one desire to 'dwell in the house of the Lord'. We choose where we live, and in order to live in one place we have to withdraw from any other.

'A man must keep a little back shop where he can be himself without reserve. In solitude alone can he know true freedom.'
Montaigne

Lord, that I may learn of thee,
Give me true simplicity;
Wean my soul, and keep it low,
Willing thee alone to know.
Charles Wesley

Further reading: Pr 3:1-10. Phil 4:10-13.

DEBP

Who needs a Physician?

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Matthew 9:12

It would hardly seem necessary to remind doctors of this one of our Lord's sayings. Two sides of it are familiar in medical experience. First, there are those who take up the physician's time unnecessarily -- the hypochondriacs and the over-anxious, who have no need of a physician or would seem to have no such need. But that last qualification is important. The absence of apparent physical or mental illness does not necessarily mean absence of need. The wise physician will be looking for the hidden need to see if it can be met in some way.

So the other side of the picture is of those who do need a physician but either do not know it or will not admit it. The serious condition that is diagnosed too late is all too tragically familiar. Ignorance, fear, denial or something of that sort has inhibited action.

Jesus was, of course, talking about spiritual sickness. The Pharisees were raising their self-righteous eyebrows at the fact that he was eating with tax collectors and sinners. It was they whom he had come to help, for they (or many of them) were aware of their need. The 'righteous' Pharisees were unaware of their need. There was real irony in the Lord's comment. And it is still relevant today.

C S Lewis, who accepted many invitations to present the Christian faith to service men and women during World War II, has recorded some of the difficulties in these assignments. One great difficulty was linguistic, because of the different educational backgrounds of speaker and audience. The speaker had to learn and use the language the audience understood. Apart from this, he writes, 'the greatest barrier I have met is the almost total absence from the minds of my audience of any sense of sin... The early Christian preachers could assume in their hearers... a sense of guilt... Thus the Christian message was in those days unmistakably the Evangelion, the Good News. It promised healing to those who knew they were sick. We have to convince our hearers of the unwelcome diagnosis before we can expect them to welcome the news of the remedy'.

Help us, Lord, in communicating with people, whether
patients or others. make us aware that in both medical
and spiritual matters there are barriers of both
language and understanding. Grant us both wisdom and
patience in seeking to overcome those barriers.

Further reading: Mt 9:9-13.

RRW

What is Man?

What is man that thou makest much of him and turnest thy thoughts towards him, only to punish him morning by morning or to test him every hour of the day? Job 7:17-18 (NEB)

From 1942 to 1946 I was a medical student in Tokyo, and learned much about what the war really was. In March 1945 downtown Tokyo was heavily bombed and largely destroyed by fire, leaving thousands of half-charred bodies scattered over the burnt earth and scorched debris. Hundreds of soaked and swollen corpses were floating in the Sumida river together with the packages of clothes and utensils which people were carrying on their shoulders when they fled from the fire. It was a scene which nobody could bear to look at.

In August 1945 atomic bombs exploded above the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leaving thousands of burnt bones and scorched bodies with eroded skins, depilated heads and bleeding limbs. The pictures and paintings of the time tell us how abhorrent it was.

What then impressed me most was that man is so feeble and subject to sorrow. 'Dust you are, to dust you shall return'. After becoming a Christian, I could realise that God makes much of us and turns his thought towards us.

Take pity on us, Lord, as we are feeble and subject
to sorrow. Make us strong in faith to follow you,
serving our neighbours who need our love to them.

Further reading: Mt 6:25-33.

S-IY

My Shepherd #6 cont'd

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Psalm 23:4

It is possible for us, as for sheep, to have got into our valley imperceptibly, by wandering on without listening for orders, or more precipitately by running heedlessly after other (or another) wayward sheep. It is also possible for a completely unforeseeable valley experience to have me taken aback or even resentful and embittered. This sort of reaction can indicate that it was about time that my complacency, and perhaps my self-righteousness, were brought up short. The sides of a dark valley are so steep and awesome that a lost sheep must feel woefully small and intimidated there. I, too, can only cry out in a new and painful awareness of my own inadequacies, at last shown up in the face of such difficulty, danger and darkness. My answers are no longer slick, my confidence no longer in myself. I recall the Lord's 'why?' in his valley with deeper insight and a warmer response (Mt 27:46). I now see the answer to his question in the light of the resurrection: he sees now the answer to mine. As then, so now, he loves me. His presence will never fail. His power will open up the way and bring me out into the clear again. I cannot fly out of this valley, nor run away from it, but I will walk through it, step by step, with his help. In this dark, strange, confined and fearful place I shall get to know the Shepherd more personally than I have ever known him before. 'He' becomes 'Thou'. 'He leads' -- but in the valley 'Thou art with me'.

Some years ago, an African nurse invited me to her home in a tall apartment building. She met me at the entrance to the liftshaft, carrying her little boy, just a few months old, and as we got into the lift apologised that the light bulb had failed. It was a noisy lift, and conversation stopped as we went up in total darkness, surrounded by ominous clangs and clashes. No sound came from the baby, but as we reached the top and the door opened, there he was, eyes wide with apprehension but now turning eagerly to the light, his arms still wrapped tightly around his mother's neck. She saw my glance and said in a voice full of loving satisfaction, 'Ah, he fears the dark, so he holds on to me'. He was too little to know Psalm 23, but he had just experienced the message of its fourth verse!

In time, I shall be able to thank my Shepherd for all that he came to mean to me in the valley, but until then the moment by moment task is to reach out for his presence and trust to his love.

When through the deep waters He calls thee to go,
The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow;
For He will be with thee in trouble to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

Rippon's Collection.

Further reading: 2 Cor 4:8-18. Rom 8:25-39.

JG

My Shepherd #6

Even thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me. Psalm 23:4

We can rejoice in the Shepherd's clear leading and share enthusiastically with others that he never fails -- until he suddenly seems to lead us into a blind alley. Does the trust then evaporate and the rejoicing stop? Whatever the initial impact may be and however we arrived there, this is a chance to discover that our Lord does not lead into blind alleys, yet he sometimes allows us to enter dark valleys. At times, it may seem that the long, dark, uncharted way will last forever, and that I may even die there (if only I could...). Yet it seems that David is not here referring to death itself, as verse 5 speaks of enemies so cannot refer to heaven; yet even the shadow of death conveys a picture of loss, of grief and of gloom. The dark night of the soul may be precipitated through the loss of a loved one, or of a patient, by personal illness, or the slow death of hopes (even of hope itself) taking us into an experience of desolation and deprivation hitherto unknown.

Yet, as the shadow of a wolf is not a wolf (however fearful), so the shadow of death is not death. We do not need to fear the shadows, however real they may seem, when the substance has been conquered by our resurrected Lord. The presence of a shadow across our path often indicates that there is sunshine not far away -- indeed, shadows may fall precisely because we have our backs to the light. Even when completely in the dark. we can trust that the Light of the world will finally break through. Bewildered and frightened sheep are not left by their shepherd to panic alone in the valley, and neither are we. There is no possible evil that our Good Shepherd cannot either keep at bay, or slay. He is a match for them all.

Christ, who knows all his sheep,
will all in safety keep.
He will not lose one soul,
nor ever fail us;
Nor we the promised goal,
though hell assail us.

Richard Baxter.

Further reading: Jn 8:12. Jn 14:1-6.

JG

Burden and Liberation

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered... Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:1,11

Carl Gustave Jung mentioned once that people today go to see a psychiatrist, whereas formerly they went to the minister. By this statement he wanted to indicate the need to learn to deal with guilt and guilt-feelings, in order to maintain mental health. Psalm 32 is a wonderful guideline and help in this direction.

The experience of forgiveness of guilt produces a sense of freedom (vv1-2). Sometimes psychotherapy deals with the (psychic) background of guilt feelings; but the burden will come back after a short time of counselling. Where guilt-feelings are a symptom of neurosis, depression or psychic reaction to inner or outer conflicts, we have to be aware of two abnormal aspects: either we suppress the guilt (feelings), accentuating the inner conflict, or we exaggerate them, using them as a hanger (pretext) for other hidden conflicts. There are depressive people who exaggerate their guilt-conscience, accusing themselves even of the sin against the Holy Spirit. Instead of discussing with the patient whether his guilt-feelings are 'real' or just an expression of depression, it is better to follow an empirical way: offer him forgiveness. If he accepts it and feels free: then it was a matter of authentic guilt. If the guilt-feelings come back then it is a psychological matter, and treatment is medical or psychological.

Even if people in olden days liked to exaggerate, the expression 'When I declared not my sin, by body wasted away (v3a) is most illustrative. The whole person suffers and is confused. the expression 'through my groaning all day long' reveals a depressive mood.

It seems that verses 3-4 express a spiritual condition rather than a depression in the medical sense, for verse 5 relates the experience of God's grace in the forgiveness of sin. Verses 1 and 6-7 show the real result of confession of sin: they express mental comfort, and demonstrate the healing power of prayer. The 'godly' person is the person who admits his powerlessness, and is ready to accept God's help.

Verses 8-10 teach us the divine aspect of faith. Most people think of faith as human trust in God's help. But faith means also that God himself believes in us, and trusts us as a father his child. Thus faith is a bi-polar action: man trust God and God offers man his grace and trust. Therefore faith represents a personal relationship. This is the experience of witnesses in both Old and New Testaments. We are invited to a similar experience, and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the guarantee of its realisation.

Verse 11 mentions joy as a result of the experience of forgiveness of sin. the 'righteous' man is a person who has had such an experience. Is there a better sign of mental health than to live with such a joy? The words of Psalm 66:20 are then a very real prayer of thanksgiving:

Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.

Further reading: Ps 32.

BH

Not my Own

You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Bleep, bleep! There it goes again! I'm wanted somewhere in the hospital. If only they would leave me alone to finish what I am doing! There's not a minute's peace!

It reminds me of our life as Christians; we have no rights, we have been bought with a price, we are not our own. We have deliberately chosen, and must continue to choose moment by moment to belong to God. We are 'on call' for Jesus.

My bleep is long range; God can call me wherever I am. It works one way; it is for me to listen to it and answer the call. It can call me at any time; I must always be ready to hear it. Every day it needs recharging as does my life in God. I must spend time seeking his resources as I read the Bible carefully and prayerfully, and as I bring myself to him to be moulded into his pattern, and as I pray for the needs of others whom I shall meet today.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Rom 8:14).

The entrance fee to the kingdom of God is nothing,
the annual subscription is everything.

Henry Drummond.

Now read the story of a man who heard God's call wherever he was, whatever he was doing, whenever it came, and did at once whatever he was asked to do. Acts 8:5-12, 26-40.

FMJ & RMJ

Sin's Sad Entail

God gave them up... Romans 1:26

The second half of the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans is one of the saddest portions in the whole of Scripture. Paul is about to expound the grand doctrine of justification by faith. But before he does so, he paints in black colours the devastating effects of sin and disobedience go God. If you are unfamiliar with the passage, please read Romans 1:18-32 before you read on.

As I write the first cases of AIDS have been reported in Australia. Much still needs to be known about this disease, but it seems evident that infection with HIV, with its horrific spread and devastating effects, is associated with the misuse of our sexuality by both men and women, as described in Romans 1:24-27. Further, promiscuity (both hetero- and homosexual) accounts for the involvement of both innocent and guilty. Together with the debasing of parenthood and the breakdown of family life so prevalent in our permissive society, it fills hospital beds and saps national resources. The God who made us - including our sexuality - is the God who inspired the Scriptures, and it should be no surprise to find that disobedience to his commands in this area leads to sad and terrible effects in our bodies and in society.

As we think of these matters, there are two great Biblical principles which we need to keep firmly in mind. The first is that stated by the apostle Paul in Galatians 6:7 (NEB): 'God is not to be fooled: a man reaps what he sows'. This principle is as true in human life as it is in agriculture. We need to be careful in all that we do, as we shall surely reap what we sow.

The second is the wonderful truth stated by the apostle John in 1 John 1:8 -- 'The blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin'. 'All sin' includes the sins that Paul wrote about in Romans 1. When he wrote to the church in Corinth, Paul again listed some of those sins, which were so characteristic of the great pagan temple cities of the Middle East and Greece. Then he went on to say: 'And such were some of you: but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God' (1 Cor 6:11). There is salvation for every sinner who turns to God through faith in our Lord Jesus.

Lord, as I treat people with diseases which have been
acquired through actions which are contrary to your word,
whether done by the patients themselves or by others, let
me always remember that while you hate sin, you love the
sinner and help me to follow your example.

Further reading: Rom 1:18-32.

JWMcM

The Thorn

I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me... 2 Corinthians 12:8-9a

As soon as I saw this particular patient lying on his bed I knew that the agony of the thorn was going to start all over again.

The young man had presented with pyrexia of unknown origin, and I was sent to see him. At eighteen, good-looking, well built and intelligent, he fitted well into what may be described as the 'Greek God' category. And as I carefully examined him -- felt the smooth enlarged glands in his neck, palpated his abdomen methodically for any liver or splenic enlargement and looked into his bright steel-blue eyes -- I wondered if he had any idea at all of the way I felt about him.

Did he know the waves of emotion he was firing in me? Was he conscious of the quickening of my pulse and the slight tremor of my hands? I doubt it. This was not the first time I had had to cope with such an internal crisis, and God, over the years, has given me more than adequate grace to come through these trials without anyone being aware of the struggle within.

I have been conscious of a homosexual trait since I was at secondary school. Though it has waxed and waned throughout my life, and many times I have pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me -- and perhaps one day he will -- so far it remains as the most persistent and painful 'thorn' I have ever known.

My reason for writing this is not to elicit pity, however, It is because I believe that every Christian who means business with God encounters some kind of thorn in his life, which usually comes, as in Paul's case (2 Cor 12:7), to counteract the even more serious problem of spiritual conceit.

God has given me a keen mind -- and scholarships, prizes and (so far at least) a fulfilling and successful series of good jobs have come to me with relative ease. If it were not for this hardship in another area of life, I often wonder if my ambition would have caused me to abandon the road of discipleship long ago.

The blind George Matheson once wrote 'My God, I have never thanked thee for my thorns... I have been looking to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross; but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the glory of my cross: teach me the value of my thorn'.

I thank God that I have come to that place of thankfulness and contentment in spite of pain, and I rest at peace in the fact that God keeps us weak that the power of Christ may be seen in us, and may not be obscured by our own self-sufficiency.

Further reading: 2 Cor 12:1-10. 1 Cor 1:21-31. 2 Cor 4:1-5:10.

Anonymous

Communication

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... full of grace and truth. John 1;14

We communicate in many ways, but basically by the spoken and written word. Yet in the most effective contacts we also communicate by our attitude. It is not simply what is said that matters, but the way it is said, and the actions that accompany and follow.

God communicated with man over many centuries, by the spoken, and by the written word. But finally, he communicated in the most effective way possible by coming among men -- the Living Communication: the Word. The infinite and absolute qualities of Deity have now become knowable in human terms! Just try to describe 'infinite power' -- or simply ponder a miracle of Christ. Define 'infinite knowledge' -- or just speak of the way our Lord knew what was in the hearts of men. Expound 'absolute love' -- or just point to his concern for a blind man, a fallen woman, or a dying thief. After all, he came to reveal the Father: 'Father, I have shown your Name (your Nature) unto the men you have given me' (Jn 17:6).*

Moses craved a deeper relationship with God: 'Show me now thy ways, that I may know thee' (Ex 33:13). We have the inestimable privilege that the Way has become man -- God has become knowable in human terms. Philip asked: 'Show us God'. 'See Me -- see God', Jesus replied (Jn 14:6-9).*

And what about men to whom the Word means nothing? We are a letter to them, says Paul. 'You are a letter from Christ'... 'written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God' (2 Cor 3:3 AV). He made the invisible God visible, he made absolute Holiness infinitely attractive...do we?

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All his wondrous compassion and purity.
O thou Spirit Divine, all my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

Tom Jones

Further reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4. Jn 14:1-11.

PCE

* The actual text has been paraphrased.

The Way #6 - The Open Gate

Jesus said: I have come that you might have life -- life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (GNB)

When the diagnosis of a serious disease or disability has been made, and effective treatment is available, it would seem crazy to refuse or ignore that treatment. Yet some people do just that, for reasons that may be clear or unclear. Others accept the treatment at first and then give it up, gradually or suddenly. This is sad when it happens in the physical or mental sphere. It is even sadder when it happens in the spiritual realm.

The Way to true spiritual life, to life in all its fullness, to eternal life, is wide open to those who will enter it. It remains wide open to those who will continue in it. The mission of Jesus was to open the gate and to hold it wide open in gracious welcome to all who are willing to enter. This is the offer of salvation -- his offer. To pass it by or to opt out is surely crazy -- and ungrateful.

The gate to the Way was flung wide open when the Lord Jesus by his death on the cross broke down the barrier of sin between God and man. This had begun in the eternal councils of God as a living plan to meet the desperate soul-sickness of mankind. 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life' (Jn 3:16).

So the Son of God came among us, shared not only our life but our very humanity (Jn 1:14) and in due time gave his life as 'a ransom for many' (Mk 10:45). 'He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree', writes the apostle Peter (1 Pet 2:24). There he took the load of our death-dealing sins, as our Representative and our Substitute. Only because he was man could he represent mankind. Only because he was God could his death atone for the sins of the whole world.

On the cross not only was the power of sin and death and the devil broken, but the love of God was supremely revealed. 'God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself' (2 Cor 5:19 AV). Paul sums up a great deal in a few words: 'God our Saviour...wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men' (1 Tim 2:3-5 NIV). We cannot add to that. But the least we can do is to say 'Thank you' as we enter the open gate and to go on saying 'Thank you' in practical terms every step of the Way.

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts

Further reading: Jn 10:7-18. 2 Cor 5:16-21. Heb 2:14-18.

RRW

Fatalism or Faith

Come, now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town, and spend a year there...; whereas you do not know about tomorrow... Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that'. James 4:13-15

I am writing these words in hospital -- in bed, as a patient. I've just had a biopsy, and am awaiting the result. Is it inflammatory or malignant? I shall know in a few days. Whatever the result, God is in charge, and I know that he does all things well. This is not a kind of whistling to keep one's spirits up, or 'putting a brave face on it'; it is a sincere affirmation of complete faith in God and in his will. We make our plans -- and so we ought -- but always with the proviso 'if the Lord wills'.

Twenty-five years ago, I faced a similar situation. The lump was benign, but statistically it should have been malignant.

Forty-five years ago I was in another situation which might have spelt the end. I was facing an angry horde of armed savages in Central Africa advancing on me and my two African companions. I was scared. Then I remembered the promise, 'Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day' (Ps 91:5). God was there. Later that night we sang together:

'Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;'

and there were the foes lurking threateningly behind the forest trees. We encouraged each other with the words 'I will trust and not be afraid' (Is 12:2).

This note of confidence, of utter trust in God sounds strongly throughout scripture. Whatever the appearances, God is in charge. However black the night, however delayed and uncertain the dawn, God is still in charge; he always has been, 'out of them all the Lord delivered me' (2 Tim 3:11 AV); he is now, 'He delivered us...and he will yet deliver us' (2 Cor 1:10 AV); he always will be, 'Though I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me' (Ps 23:4).

Nothing -- no, nothing -- can separate us from the love of God. Rest in that assurance. 'Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for evermore' (Scottish Catechism).

God's will for us is to be enjoyed, not endured.

Further reading: 2 Cor 12:7-10. Rom 8:35-39.

SGB

Doctor, Be Still: The Voice of Stillness

'... and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:12

Does life ever overwhelm you? So many things can happen -- good things, bad things, all kinds of things -- that they knock you flat. Do you wonder when they will stop -- when the tumult will cease? Can medicine never be the quiet life?

Elijah was one of the great men of God, but things got him down sometimes. When Jezebel put him on her death list he packed up completely. Rather paradoxically he asked God to let him die. God treated him gently and strengthened him. He wandered off, but was obviously still unhappy. He came to Horeb, the mount of God, took refuge in a cave and had another attack of the miseries, pouring out his heart to the Lord in a stream of self-pity.

This time God was not so gentle. Elijah really got the treatment: 'And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake and, after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire...'

God was showing his power. Elijah apparently needed to be made aware of it. The demonstration must have been terrifying, but Elijah had to learn the hard way. The demonstration had, however, been made, and the message was getting through. Elijah was ready for something different, and something different came: 'after the fire a still small voice'. Another translation says: 'a voice of stillness'. And in the stillness he was again able to tell his troubles.

Somehow the atmosphere is now different. Perhaps in the stillness Elijah is now listening, really listening. God shows him the way ahead. Communication is restored. Confidence is restored.

The story is worth pondering. Sometimes we think we have had enough, whether it is sheer physical exhaustion, deadness of heart, discouragement, even a sense of spiritual abandonment. God may then treat us gently, and we at least pretend to take the healing with gratitude. But we may not be really listening. Self-pity can cause severe deafness. And God may have to give us the treatment, as he did to Elijah.

The experience can be rough and tough and tumultuous.

'Where is the god of love?' we then ask, unheeding of the fact that Love is shouting at us. When we are ready to listen, then -- only then -- comes the still small voice, the voice of stillness. And in the stillness God reaches us.

God, who was not in the earth when it was shaken,
Could not be found in fury of the flame,
Then to his seer, the faithful and forsaken,
Softly was manifest and spake by name.

F W H Meyer, St Paul.

Further reading: 1 Ki 19:1-21.

RRW

Strength in Weakness

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses...for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

The university where I received postgraduate medical training placed a copy of its emblem, a huge letter U, on a hillside near the medical centre. The U was surrounded by lights which were illuminated during sports events. At the conclusion of each contest, the U announced the outcome to the surrounding community -- the strong lights flashed with each victory. The president of the university explained the symbolism of the lights saying that the university flashed with enthusiastic celebration in victory, yet remained consistent and sure even in defeat. It is true that our real character may be revealed in the manner in which we deal with adversity.

The Apostle Paul knew much of adversity. From shipwreck to stonings and from conflict to confinement, he frequently faced difficult times. And he learned that God does not always choose to relieve personal discomfort. Nonetheless, Paul saw God's strength as the means of overcoming periods of distress.

We, like Paul, will face difficult times. We might be over-burdened by the demands of our profession. We might find difficulty dealing with the results of personal failings. Or we might face overt persecution as we stand firm for God's ways. Paul's example can serve to instruct and encourage us as we face undesired situations.

Paul realised that he was not omnipotent. He even suggested that some of his discomfort, his 'thorn in the flesh', was intended to remind him not to exalt himself. We too must face up to our own limitations.

Paul knew that God is almighty. He realised that God's power was also personally applicable. He could, he told believers in Philippi, do all things through Christ. It was in facing up to his own weakness that Paul was able to appropriate God's strength. Thus Paul found his utmost strength in his own weakness. Perhaps we can avoid some of our own difficulties by recognising our own weakness and calling on our strong God before we get ourselves into trouble.

With God's strength, Paul knew how to live through adversity; he persevered. He could be down but not out. He could be perplexed but not despairing. He kept living with the attitude of a servant despite the adversity in which he found himself.

Like Paul, we shall face adversity. We, too, must learn to recognise our own weakness, to appropriate God's strength, and to keep pressing on. Thus, we can shine brightly even in seeming defeat.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that
the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Cor 4:7).

Further reading: 2 Cor 4:5-10, 6:1-10, 12:7-10. Phil 4:11-13.

PRF

Healing with Jesus

Then again Jesus laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. Mark 8:25

The chronological context of this healing recorded in Mark 8:22-26 is significant. Prior to it, Jesus admonished his disciples: 'Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?...Do you not yet understand' (vv18,21)?' The healing is followed by the confession of Peter 'You are the Christ' (v29), Christ's first prediction of his suffering (vv31ff), and the transfiguration on the mount (9:1-8).

In our calling, we are often tempted to draw distinctions between medical or scientific therapy, psychological recovery, and spiritual healing. In this narrative, one of the two miracles recounted only by Mark, we see a gradual healing where every aspect of the human person is involved -- body, mind, emotions and spirit.

Friends had brought this blind man to Jesus -- as we need to bring our patients to God, the Great Physician, in prayer, 'begging him to touch' them. His friends wanted for him the gift of God's healing; Jesus gave himself, the Giver! Jesus led the blind man out of the village, spat on his eyes and laid his hands upon him.

Jesus, possibly conscious of some lack of faith in the recipient, asked 'Do you not see anything?' (v23). When we ask God for signs, we ask him to do something for us and, indeed, he does do much for us. But he loves better to do things WITH us -- he seeks our co-operation. If we were more ready to respond and do things WITH him, he would be able to do much more FOR us.

This man had to make his own effort and contribution. After Jesus had AGAIN laid his hands upon his eyes, he looked intently (ie opened his eyes wide), and saw everything clearly.

Unlike the Pharisees who refused to see (Jn 9:39-41), the disciples of Jesus, of whom Peter was chief, went on from the first stage of recovery (confused knowledge of Christ) to clear sight -- of his transfiguration, death, resurrection, ascension and the sending of his Spirit.

Jesus doesn't do his work by halves -- in his thoroughness, he will only be satisfied with perfection!

Heavenly Father, help me to see and understand by your
word and your Holy Spirit what you want to do in me and
with me, that I may this day and always co-operate
more readily with your purpose and power in healing men
and making them whole persons in Christ.

Further reading: Jn 9:24-41. Mk 7:31-37.

LT

Terminal illness.

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. Isaiah 38:1

It is never easy to care for a terminally ill patient. Hezekiah seems to have had a carbuncle of some kind. There were no antibiotics in those days. No one knew anything about bacteriology. Hezekiah must have developed septicaemia, and it was obvious to those caring for him that his condition was rapidly getting worse, and that there was nothing that any man could do about it.

Their fears were confirmed when the king was visited by the prophet Isaiah, who brought him the stern message: 'Thus says the Lord; "Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall not recover"'.

The king turned his face to the wall, and prayed, and wept with a great weeping. The Lord heard his prayer, and while Isaiah was still in the middle

court of the palace sent him back with a new message to the king. It was this: 'Thus says the Lord: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life"'.

Hezekiah did recover, and the psalm or poem which he composed after his recovery is one of the most poignant writings in all literature. Read it for yourself in Isaiah 38:9-20.

Lord, give me special grace today as I have contact with
any who are terminally ill. May I bring them, by my
words and action, some comfort from yourself, the God
of all comfort. Give to your children who may be dying
this day the knowledge that you hear their prayers and
see their tears, and that you are planning in love for them,
whatever happens.

Further reading: Jn 14:107, 27. Is 38:9-20.

JWMcM

Slow to Anger

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)

One day I was running later than usual. I greeted the next patient in the waiting room -- but she did not return my smile, and I could sense that her handshake was unwilling. She looked grim! We had hardly sat down in my consulting room when she burst out with 'You kept me waiting nearly forty minutes and I had to rush from work to get here on time. You care more for your other patients than for me -- you should keep them to their time. I don't go over my time!'

The patient had been in intensive psychotherapy with me for some months. For a moment I felt hurt and angry, for I had invested much thought and emotional energy in her therapy, and her accusation seemed unfair. Moreover, I had had a lot of phone calls that day and had steadily slipped behind in my appointment schedule. I hadn't asked for those phone calls!

Fortunately, I quickly remembered an important principle of counselling and psychotherapy -- it is usually better to explore anger than to return it. That way, the potential quarrel can be turned to good therapeutic use. And the gift of the Holy Spirit for which I prayed that morning, was with me. So I replied: 'I'm so sorry -- and I'm glad you can tell me how you feel...' She interrupted: 'I know, I know. My adult tells me you couldn't help being late and I shouldn't be angry -- but I am -- my little girl feels shut out and angry, as if you don't really care about me...'

I listened as she went on, and she recalled that her father often derided her and closed the door on her -- and she used to lie awake terrified as a child when her parents were late home after evening outings. Her anger subsided, and the usual warm rapport and trust returned.

What would have happened if in my own anger I had forgotten my therapeutic and Christian principles? I think it likely that if I had been quick to become angry and had given her a stern lecture about what a hard day I had endured, etc., etc., she would have retreated into crushed silence as she used to with her father, and the opportunity for self-expression, insight and growth would have been lost.

Lord, help me to love my patients with your kind of love
and to be sensitive to the pain that so often lies
behind their anger.

Further reading: Tit 1:7-9.

BP

Einbahnstrasse

The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

While recently driving with my family in Germany, I struggled to orientate myself to a German road map and to German street signs. After a half hour of unsuccessfully trying to find our hotel, I realised I had seen several directional signs labelled 'Einbahnstrasse'. Figuring 'Einbahnstrasse' must be a site of some significance, I followed the signs with the expectation of stopping at 'Einbahnstrasse' to orientate myself to the map. A series of right and left turns led us nowhere, and my father correctly concluded that 'Einbahnstrasse' meant 'One way Street'.

It was as if a light of understanding went on in my head. With one word of German vocabulary, I could avoid further futile searches. I thought of the new-born Christian who senses new insight and freedom as the Spirit begins to reveal spiritual truth to him.

Over the next few days of our German visit, however, I still felt lost in a foreign world. One word of German vocabulary is a nice starting foundation, but it doesn't go very far.

I am thankful, as I look back over my beginning years in medical school, for the factual foundation I received. Sadly though, much of what I learned has been forgotten. The material I reviewed, studied and applied, however, is the material I can still recall to use in patient care.

Spiritually, we have a sure foundation in Jesus Christ. Each of us must, Paul warned, be careful how we build on this foundation. Just as continuing medical education is vital to our ongoing good medical practice, so continuing spiritual education is vital to our Christian growth. Peter urged us to grow in knowledge, and we can do so as we study God's word and as we get regular biblical teaching. We also grow in grace as we commune with God and as we apply his truth in our daily lives.

As Christians, we need not forever chase 'One Way Street' signs. Equally though, we must not settle for a limited spiritual vocabulary. Following God's direction, we can grow to enjoy him more.

I count everything loss because of the surpassing worth of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil 3:8a).

Further reading: 1 Cor 2:6-3:18, 2 Pet 3:17-18.

PRF