Like a Cypress
Continuing on my adulation for the Apostle John… have you noticed the childlikeness of the man in his writings? Apart from him always writing about how He is the disciple whom Jesus loves, there is one occasion when he absolutely trolls Apostle Peter.
Joh 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary
Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone
taken away from the sepulchre.
Joh 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other
disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord
out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Joh 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to
the sepulchre.
Joh
20:4 So they ran both
together: and the other disciple did
outrun Peter, and came first to the
sepulchre.
Did you see what
he said there, he claimed to outrun Peter… and am thinking and laughing at the
same time wondering how an old man became so childlike? Am sure they both had
good laughs over it. And it sure brings a smile to any reader who notices it. I
know you are a pastor to thousands, but why so serious? I am learning the more
matured a person becomes in Christ, the more childlike he becomes – just like
the curious case of Benjamin Button. Let’s see what Jesus has to say about
this.
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and
become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat
18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Also,
Mar 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and
said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of
such is the kingdom of God.
Mar
10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
In the last
writing we discussed the New Covenant and we looked at it from the analogy of marriage
– how that God is the jealous husband and will condone no cheating on him,
which translates to idolatry. This writing will focus on the New Covenant using
the analogy of Parenting – where God is our Father and we are his children.
There is a lot of comparison between the relationship parents and their children and God the Father and his children.
Jesus was the
first person to refer to God as Father. And he was able to do so because of the
circumstances of His birth. You see, unlike everybody else He was not conceived
by man, but by the Holy Spirit. This truth seems to be the most controversial
because, it had never been done before and it will never be done again. But can
it be done? Yes, especially by the Holy Spirit who was there in the creation of
the universe. Was it done just to show off? No, it was done because when Adam
fell sin came into the world and man became corrupted, and thus there was no
man ever born afterward that had the holiness and purity to become a sacrifice worthy to
pay the price of man’s sin. It was also done to fulfill the prophecy spoken off
immediately after Adam fell:
Gen
3:15 And I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel.
God was speaking
to satan here that the woman’s seed shall bruise the head of his seed. But a
woman has no seed biologically, so this prophecy was talking about the seed the
Holy Spirit will give to the woman - in reality, Mary. This has been preached severally by others.
But please note that this prophecy also talks about satan’s seed. And these
already exist as well, these are the ones that Apostle Paul calls the Children
of Disobedience. Because they have chosen to walk and stay in the path of the first
disobedient Adam.
Eph_2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God.
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain
words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Eph
5:8 For ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye
light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of
God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in
them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man
with his deeds;
Col
3:10 And have put on the
new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Am I a child of obedience (A seed of the Woman, the Second Adam, Jesus) or a Child of disobedience (A seed of the fallen Adam)? That is a question for us all to answer before God.
To help with this
let us pray that God removes completely that spirit of disobedience mentioned above, the spirit
of the first Adam in us.
Let us now ask for the Spirit of Counsel and Might who will help us with our Obedience in Jesus name Amen.
Isa
11:2 And the spirit
of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
But where did we
have to first learn obedience? From our parents, yes? Our parents’ role in our
lives is in the most simplistic form, preparing us for a relationship with God
our Father.
Exo
20:12 Honour thy
father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
This is the first
commandment with a promise as the Apostle Paul taught.
So, let’s look at
a few things we learn from our parents that helps our covenant relationship
with God:
1) 1) Our
Parents directed our paths until we were old enough to determine the right
paths. Our education, what we ate, what we wear, our mannerisms and so on… And,
if we really honour our parents, we do not depart from the principles they
teach us. We even end up passing same to our Children. Our Father in heaven is
also directing our paths as a part of His covenant with us. His word says:
Isa_30:21
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye
in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
2) 2) Our
Parents were willing to give us the world as much as was in their ability, yet
there were times that we made requests to them and they said ‘NO’ to our
requests even though it was within their ability to say 'Yes' to our request. Sometimes, they did so because they knew what we were requesting for
was not good for us. Same way our Father in Heaven whose covenant with us
indicates that we have access to all He has in this world and in the world to
come, yet He would say ‘NO’ to some of our requests out of love for us. Apostle
James puts it this way:
Jas_4:3
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts.
3) 3) Our
Parents took the effort to discipline us when we were wrong. They helped to
install our moral compass – our conscience. Same way our Father in heaven is
always ready to discipline us.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as
unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint
when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for
what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers,
then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much
rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
4) 4) There
is also the non-visible traits parents share with their child - we can call it abilities or nature that
passes down from parent to child as encoded in the DNA. The same goes for our
relationship with our Father in heaven. Once we have put on the new man (become
born again), we share traits with God, our Father in heaven, that are encoded in our spiritual DNA. All
that we receive from God is good. That’s why the psalmist said and Jesus
seconded:
Psalm
82:6 I say, “ye are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; NRSV
John
10: 33 -38 The Jews answered, “it is not for a good work that we are going to
stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are
making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “is it not written in your law, ‘I said,
you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ – and the
scripture cannot be annulled – can you say that one whom the Father has sanctified
and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said ‘I am God’s son’? If I am
not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them,
even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and
understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” NRSV
There are many
other correlations between our relationship with our Parents and our
relationship with God. For instance, giving to our Parents, even though they
may have more than enough is a way of honoring them. Same as giving to our
Father in heaven - who doesn’t need our substance - honours Him. Most godly
parents respond with prayers of blessings when they are honored. Imagine God’s
response when we honour Him as we should.
I searched the word
honour in the bible and it is so much discussed, it must be taken seriously. It
includes more than just money; time, skills, service and so on can be used to
honour. Our dreams and aspirations must have its foundation in honoring our
Father in heaven and our parents.
1Ti_5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
1Ti_5:17 Let the elders that rule well be
counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God;
2Ti
3:5 Having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
In the last days
many shall be disobedient to parent… This is the ‘woke virus’ as Elon Musk will
say.
It is not all
gloom, a Prophecy concerning the new covenant goes thus:
Hos
14:8 "Ephraim,
what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like
an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness/fruit comes from me. NRSV
I asked Copilot, the Microsoft AI this question: " Is there a correlation or an analogy between the Cypress tree of bible times and Parenting or Discipling or Teaching? and below is its thought provoking response:
Absolutely, there are some beautiful analogies we can draw between the Cypress tree mentioned in the Bible and the roles of parenting, discipling, or teaching.
Strength and Resilience: Cypress trees are known for their durability and ability to thrive in various conditions. Similarly, parents, mentors, and teachers need to be strong and resilient, providing stability and support through life's challenges.
Growth and Nurturing: Just as a Cypress tree grows tall and strong with proper care, children and disciples flourish under the guidance and nurturing of their parents and mentors. This growth requires patience, attention, and consistent effort.
Deep Roots: Cypress trees have deep root systems that anchor them firmly in the ground. In the same way, effective parenting and teaching involve instilling deep values and principles that anchor individuals in their faith and character.
Shelter and Protection: The Cypress tree provides shelter and protection to various forms of wildlife. Similarly, parents and mentors offer a safe and nurturing environment where children and disciples can grow and develop.
Longevity and Legacy: Cypress trees can live for hundreds of years, symbolizing longevity and a lasting legacy. Parents and mentors aim to leave a lasting impact on the lives they touch, shaping future generations.
These analogies highlight the profound and enduring influence that parents, mentors, and teachers have on those they guide and nurture. It's a beautiful reminder of the importance of their roles in shaping lives and fostering growth.
May God continue
to help all the parents all over the world to raise children that will have a
good relationship with our Father in heaven. May God also help us children to
become obedient and honour our Father in heaven as well as our earthly parents,
in Jesus name Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment