Our thanks to Dave Campbell for his unique contribution to our morning menus. If anyone wishes to contact Dave for further explanations feel free post a comment to this blog. I will pass on your questions.
Have a blessed weekend
The Biblical Revolution II
But the Bible goes beyond this. Its message breaks the power of the honour and shame system. It teaches that every person is of infinite worth and value, There is an infinite amount of honour available, because honour comes from the infinite and unlimited God who bestows it freely upon His people. True, we have fallen short of God's standard through transgression, which the Bible understands as the violation of God's law. But this transgression is thus defined as guilt, and for this there is a solution -- forgiveness. Better yet, this forgiveness has been provided by God Himself, who sent His own Son to die for us.
Consider the revolutionary implications of Phil 2:6-11 in the light of the Greek culture into which it was spoken. It tells us that Jesus, who held the place of highest honour, took upon Himself the form of a slave and suffered the most shameful death. Yet in the process He did not lose honour, but found it! For the place of highest honour is reserved for Him at the Father's right hand. The cross, to the Greek the symbol of awful fate, for the Christian is the sign of freedom.
So for us, the place of greatest honour is the place of greatest service. When we are wronged, our honour is not at stake, because it does not depend on what others think of us, but only on the infinite worth and value God has already given us. Forgiveness is the way of freedom. To the pagan mind, this was and is offensive. Fate and honour glorify position and power.
The German philosopher Nietzsche viewed Christianity the way the Greeks would, as contemptible in its care for the weak and the poor. His influence on Hitler led to a world where the strong are honoured and the weak destroyed, where appearance is everything, where fate is expressed through genetics and where might is right. Against this Paul warned the Corinthians that, while they wanted the honour of kings, he himself was without honour (1 Cor. 4:9-10). Yet He goes on to say that God delights to pour His transcendent power only into vessels that are without honour in the sight of the world (2 Cor. 4:7).
Jesus said only those coming as little children can enter God's kingdom!
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