Title: Spiritual Discernment (Matthew 16:1-12)
Contents
Title Spiritual Discernment / Scripture Matthew 16:1-12 / Space Daebok Church
***Introduction
What best expresses God's will for this generation?
Let's look at Romans 12:2. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, which is good and acceptable and perfect.” These words must be the expression of God's heart toward this age in which we live.
The story is told during the days of Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929), the 30th President of the United States. When they were invited to the White House to have breakfast, many people who were invited said that they were embarrassed. The reason is the president's actions at the meal.
At mealtimes, the president picks up a cup of coffee and pours it into a saucer, with sugar and cream. The invited people followed suit, even though they thought it was a bit odd. But soon the president gives the plate to the cat. What would your customers do with that coffee? Can you give it to the cat? would you like to drink It's really difficult.
This generation is really weird. They have no personality and imitate the accessories or attire of singers, actors and actors. They even imitate the way they speak. The issue of 'the rights and interests of homosexuals' is becoming a global concern these days. Several countries have recognized or are moving towards recognizing gay marriage. In our country, even 'transgender', or 'transgender', is confusing the values.
People of the world aside, why do Christians follow the world without discernment! The church community is also raising the voice that the rights of homosexuals should be recognized. Do you think so? But Christians do not fit in with the world. Christians must be able to discern what to do and what not to do. For everlasting life.
Let's look at the meaning of what the Lord is saying to us through the text.
1. What is Discernment?
The Jews of Jesus' day ignored the greatest event on earth. They foretold through the prophets, and they turned away from the long-awaited 'Coming of the Messiah' due to their desire and ignorance.
Was Jesus, the Messiah, too ordinary? So they didn't realize? no. The ministry of John the Baptist that appeared before the people after 400 years of spiritual darkness was enough to draw everyone's attention. And the various miracles that Jesus performed during his public life were so great that they could never be denied. Nevertheless, the Jews still stubbornly denied that Jesus was the Christ. They could not discern truth from falsehood, what to follow and what to avoid.
The Lord groaned toward them. “You know how to discern heaven and earth, but cannot discern the signs of the times?!” If we are not conscious of the hand of God working in the world today, we are just blind believers like the Jews.
2. What is the Lord's expression of discernment?
The text contains the Lord's rebuke against the crowds of the "Pharisees" and the "Sadducees" and the Lord's lamentation toward His disciples.
1) It is spiritual ignorance due to the love of the world.
The Pharisees and Sadducees asked for a “sign from heaven” to test Jesus. They are trying to find fault with Jesus' mistakes or incompetence. At that time, Jesus lamented that although he knew how to discern the weather by seeing the light of the clouds in the sky, he could not spiritually discern the coming of the age of the Messiah. The Lord knew that they were not trying to believe in Jesus, but to find fault. Knowing that they could not give faith by any sign in their hearts, he ignored their request.
Pharisees and Sadducees, they are proud to be the political and religious leaders of their time. Still, the Pharisees were committing hypocrisy to indulge in wealth and honor while keeping the law literally, while the Sadducees were pursuing worldly power and glory. The Lord referred to them as “an evil and adulterous generation.”
They were not unaware of the coming of the Messiah. They were trying to pretend to be ignorant for their own interests and power. No, they were doing something illegal because they wanted to deny that they were the Messiah and prove their thinking right.
Even today, it is more spiritual ignorance than those who do not believe in Jesus because they know it, but want to “not know” because of their desire and love of the world. In this way, 'trying to deceive yourself' is 'evil', and 'love the world more than God' is 'obscenity'. The Lord said. “And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
The Lord ignores this evil and adulterous heart.
2) Lack of spiritual discernment due to dullness of heart.
As he left the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At that time, the disciples thought among themselves, ‘We forgot to bring bread.’ They thought they could not prepare food.
It is indeed the Eastern Book Answer (東問西答) and the Ui Reading Sutra. The Lord expressed his troubled heart with sighs. “O you of little faith, why do you consult with one another because there is no bread?” Then, he reminded me of “The Miracle of the Five Beasts” and “The Miracle of the Seven Beasts” that just happened a few days ago. Only then did the disciples realize that ‘leaven’ was a metaphor for ‘learning’ or ‘teaching’. The Lord is telling us to discern the teachings of those who have a superficial, worldly point of view.
Even if we are Christians who have eternal life, if we have worldly desires, our ears will be drawn to the teachings of the world. And the worldly interest of the saints eventually leads to dullness of heart.
The Lord has already spoken through “the parable of the sower.” Look at Matthew 13:22. “Things that were sown among thorns are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and bring it to fruition.” And in Luke 21:34, “Be careful of yourselves. Otherwise, your hearts will be heavy with debauchery, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly like a trap.” Again, this is a warning against a worldly perspective that dulls spiritual discernment.
3. This is a generation in need of discernment.
Now is definitely the time for discernment. There are many things we need to discern, but these are just a few concrete examples.
1) It should be avoided. The Lord avoided persecution and those who oppose the truth, and He told His disciples to flee. In Matthew 10:23, He said, “If they persecute you in one town, flee to that town.” Useless bumps are rather a hindrance to the gospel, and it is easy to reveal one's feelings and eventually lead to sin.
To oppose the truth is to undermine God's will and establish their own ideas. Such are the ideas and behaviors of ‘Gay, Lesbian’, ‘Transgender’, ‘postmodernism’ and ‘New age movement’, which are of interest in the world today.
2) We must control the truth. Temperance is required for foolish people who do not know the truth and do not accept it. Proverbs 9:8 says, “Do not reprove the scornful, lest he hate you. Rebuke the wise. He will love you.” And in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs. lest they trample on it and turn and tear you apart.”
3) We need to know the object we need to share the truth with and love. As the Lord did, the marginalized, the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the oppressed, etc. It is they who realize that they are weak. However, we should not be misunderstood. Even if we have worldly wealth and glory, not all are those who oppose the truth. They too are the ones to whom the truth should be preached. However, we should love even those who persecute us.
4) What to pray for and what not to do. It is right to pray for anyone, even for those who persecute. But the Lord said that there are sins that cannot be forgiven, and that we do not ask them to pray for them. The unforgivable sin refers to the sin of blaspheming or blaspheming the work of the Holy Spirit as Satan's work. 1 John 5:16, “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, ask him. Then he will give him life for transgressors that do not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death, and for this I do not say to ask.” / Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, all sins and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven; and if anyone speaks against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven, but whoever speaks Against the Holy Spirit, neither in this world nor in the world to come will not be forgiven.”
5) It is an object to be rejected and away from. Their targets are those who promote sin, and heretics. He told them not to even say hello to the heresy.
4. We must seek discernment.
As mentioned earlier, spiritual discernment is a gift from God. 1 Corinthians 12:10 states that “discerning spirits” is a gift. This means that it is a gift from God, not something that people can try or obtain on their own.
Clearly, this is a generation in need of spiritual discernment. If you follow the world as it flows, your spirit will die. And if you follow a guide who is burned by the power of the world or the glory of wealth, you will also fall into a pit. The Lord called this fact, “The blind lead the blind.” Ask God for discernment. Therefore, I pray that you will prepare the fruits of life by discerning and obeying God's will with correct discernment even though we live in a dark age.