once read a thought—provoking description of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting “The Last Supper” by an art critic. The critic, in writing about the unity of the painting, is warm and fairly detailed in his praise of the artist’s skill in having everything point to the central figure, but not once does he name who the central figure is. Leonardo da Vinci knows, and so do many others that it was Jesus with His apostles at their “Last Supper” before their Master’s crucifixion. Even Judas was still in the picture. He had not yet slipped out into the night.
I wonder how many people wouldn’t have any idea what the painting is about as they face it for the first time—let alone recognize the central figure.
There is a long, gripping story in the Old Testament of Jacob, his 12 sons, and their families, who had settled in Egypt after one of those sons, Joseph, had become a dominant factor in Egypt. This new Israelite nation prospered until, as Exodus 1:8 says, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” The Israelites were then oppressed and made slaves.
I’m afraid that in our day, a generation is arising that knows not Jesus, who are oppressed by sin, made slaves to sin, and do not know how to escape. That gives each one of us who does know Jesus cause to say that we do indeed know Him. The Apostle Peter puts it this way: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15b)
What Is Love?
February 04
The concept of love can be a complex one. The word love has only four letters, but we can find all sorts of baffling definitions and examples for love. For instance, a person might say, “I love chocolate.” We might say, “I love my country, or city, or countryside.” Someone has asked, “Can we feel it in our hands? Does it know how to speak? Is it only written on the heart?”
Greek was the language of the original New Testament. The Greek language is rich in words meaning love. The problem with English is that we really only have one word . . . that’s why people love all sorts of things. There are about five words for love in Greek. Two of them are prominent in the New Testament—agape and philia. Agape is God’s love toward us, and it is the love we have for God (or should have) and also the highest love we can have for one another. Philia describes only human affection, and it too is a good word. Brotherly love, indeed the name of Philadelphia, “the city of brotherly love,” is derived from the Greek philia.
The great love chapter of the Bible, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, centers on the Greek agape and concludes this way. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And of course the greatest demonstration of love—agape love—was that of Jesus in going to the cross, dying for us so that we could be freed from the bonds of sin and live with Him eternally.
“Why Don’t You Come in, All of You?”
February 05
Margaret Bottome, founder of a women’s movement known as the King’s Daughters, tells of an interesting incident in her life that illustrates what total commitment is.
She was walking along the beach one day when a young friend in a small sailboat passed by. He asked if she was interested in a boat ride and, when she agreed, brought his boat alongside. In trying to step into the boat, Margaret touched the side with her left foot and the boat skidded away. The boat was brought back, and she tried again—this time with her right foot, with the same result. Finally, the young fellow came back for the third time, saying to Margaret, “Why don’t you come in, all of you?”1
It seems to me that there’s a plea here for something we might describe as total commitment rather than tentative sampling, a plea for really being “all out.”
Recorded in Luke is an interesting conversation that Jesus had with three men as He, His disciples, and others trudged a dusty Middle Eastern road.
The first man began the conversation by saying to Jesus: “‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied: ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57–58). That seemed to end that conversation. The way with Jesus was going to be too tough.
Jesus initiated the conversation with the second man by saying, “Follow me.” But the man indicated that his father had passed away and he was needed to look after the burial arrangements. The third man indicated that he would follow Jesus, but first he wanted to go back home and say good–bye, to which the Master responded: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
Jesus was not being harsh, but he was simply indicating that with the call to His kingdom, there is no place for tentativeness.
The call of Jesus does come from within, with an enthusiasm to live life on the very highest plane of dedication or, again, as the young man put it, “Why don’t you come in, all of you.
A Superior Woman
(Part One)
February 06
There is very touching story of answered prayer in the Old Testament concerning Hannah.
After many years of marriage, Hannah had no children and seemed unable to bear children, despite her longing for them. In a society where children were particularly cherished—both for their own sakes and to build up the nation—her state of childlessness became almost unbearable. Constantly, Hannah traveled to the house of the Lord to pray . . . and to cry . . . for she was being mocked about her condition. One day while praying in the Lord’s house, Hannah made a vow. If God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord. So earnest were her prayers and so copious her tears that Eli, the priest–in–charge, chided her for being drunk—her lips were moving, but no sound was coming. “‘Not so, my Lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD’” (1Samuel 1:15).
“Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him’” (1 Samuel 1:17).
God did. And she named her son Samuel, meaning “heard of God” in Hebrew.
True to her word, Hannah took the boy back to God’s house as soon as he was weaned and there presented him to Eli the priest for service to the Lord God. “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD. And he worshiped the LORD there” (1 Samuel 1:27–28).
Samuel, of course, became one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
Some of us have prayed for many years for some dream to come to pass or for someone near and dear to us to be touched by God. God still answers prayer.
A Superior Woman
(Part Two)
February 07
Continuing yesterday’s devotion about Hannah, let us notice her song of triumph (really a prayer) found in the second chapter of the first book of Samuel. The song and prayer of Mary, the mother of Jesus, following His birth a thousand years later, has similarities indicating that Mary obviously knew of Hannah’s Song.
In
