Reverence

When is the last time you were so amazed by something that you were rendered speechless? I think the scene in Acts 2 would have had such an effect on me. Jesus had promised his Holy Spirit. In fact, he told his disciples that "it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). As always, the promise is fulfilled. And the Spirit does not arrive quietly, He comes in style. No one can deny his presence.

²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And all the people were "amazed and marvelled" at what they had seen. They had experienced the presence of the Lord, and they would never be the same. This experience that leads to transformation seems to be a theme throughout the whole Bible. An encounter, or an epiphany, with the living God just cannot leave someone unchanged. Jacob wrestling with God, Moses and the burning bush, Uzzah (killed for touching the Ark of the Covenant, which was God's presence), Paul on the road to Damascus, to name a few. Throughout the Bible, the presence of the Lord brings people to their knees. It wrecks them, and forever changes them, just like it did in Acts 2. Maybe it's not all about understanding God, but experiencing his presence in a way that brings us to our knees in worship.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

Finishing the Bible before Christmas? Probably not

I pretty much failed at any attempt to read the entire Bible this semester, but mostly because I was already on a journey to read the Bible under a different time frame. I can't imagine reading the whole thing in such a short amount of time. It seems like I read half a chapter of the Old Testament, and it takes me a few days to process it. There is so much depth in the "J" stories and even in the "P" writing that confuses me and baffles me and amazes me. So... even though I may have failed in regards to the assignment from this class, my endeavors will not end with the end of the semester. I'm excited to get the the minor prophets books that I have never read before and soon enough to try to make some sense out of Revelation.

I am in agreement with this quote from David Plotz, considering the incredible impact the Bible has had on our society, literature, and history.

"Not to sound like a theocratic crank, but I'm actually shocked that students aren't compelled to read huge chunks of the Bible in high school and college, the way they must read Shakespeare or the Constitution or Mark Twain."

Sermon on the Mount

The Beatitudes

1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

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

4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

THAT is countercultural. Everything our society is telling us, Jesus is basically saying the exact opposite. Society says, "Blessed are those who believe in themselves," but Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Society says, "Blessed are those who find happiness," and Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn." Society says, "Blessed are the prideful," but Jesus values the meek. Society says, "Do whatever makes you feel good," and Jesus says blessed are the righteous. You get the point. The Sermon on the Mount is radical, and not just radical today but radical from the day that he said them until today. These teachings are not only countercultural but they are counter to human nature. The Jesus of the Bible is undeniably radical. C. S. Lewis makes this argument:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse."

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."