A Weakness in the Resurrection Story—Women?

Skeptics of Christianity must argue successfully that Jesus Christ, the Author of the Christian faith, was not who He claimed to be--“God in human flesh (John 1: 14; 4: 24-26).”  Like most readers of this article, you probably have at least given much thought to the character, words, and reported miracles of Jesus Christ.  You may also have grappled with whether or not to believe that Jesus bodily rose from the dead as the Bible claims.  Whether or not you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, do you realize that within the four Gospel accounts--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- you can discover men and women in various stages of disbelief and belief?

Resurrection of Christ three days after His body was sealed in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock is one major event that must be addressed to establish (or refute) His claims to deity.  Skeptics claim that the four New Testament accounts are fictitious.  However, if they are fictitious, the authors missed a major opportunity to fabricate a stronger argument for Christ’s resurrection.  As Pastor Tim Keller explains in his sermon, ”Encountering the Risen King,” all four accounts err in placing too much weight on the supposed eyewitness reports from women. 

Women as eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection?  Yes, women of all people!  Couldn’t the writers have rested the resurrection story on the witness of men of stature and trustworthiness?  A Lutheran blogger writes, “The cultural attitudes toward women in Jesus’ day were deplorable. There were no such thing as equal rights.  Women were treated as second class citizens.” But surprisingly, we read that three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were the first to discover that the tomb was empty (Matthew 27: 56: 38: 1; Mark 15: 40; 16: 1; Luke 24: 10).  

If it were not enough that Christ’s resurrection account depended in large part upon the witness of women, consider the unsavory reputation of one of the women.  Mary Magdalene was one of several women who had followed Jesus and His disciples since the time that Jesus had healed them of evil spirits.  Luke reports that Mary had been possessed by seven demons until Jesus cast them out (Luke 8: 1-2).  We can only imagine the inner struggle, social behavior, and reputation Mary had earned in the town of Magdala and surrounding community.  Yet, according to all four Gospel accounts, this formerly despised and rejected woman was the first person to whom the resurrected Christ appeared!

Modern day skeptics of Christ’s resurrection should not be surprised that the female eyewitnesses already faced doubters as soon as they reported what they had seen and heard.  In Mark 16, we read that when Mary Magdalene reported to those who had been with Him [Jesus], while they were mourning and weeping…they refused to believe it (16: 11).  Luke records that their words …appeared to them as nonsense, and they refused to believe them (Luke 24: 11).

So far, the Gospel accounts of Christ’s resurrection appear to present the skeptic with three strong arguments for disbelief.  First, because the witnesses were women, they were of questionable value.  Second, one of the women had a shady past; and third, even the close companions of the women doubted their reports that Christ had arisen.   These points would seem to deal a damaging blow to the case for Christ’s resurrection.  However, if the emphasis on the role of women here seems unusual, any unusualness should face away when we consider the complete Gospel accounts of the Life of Christ. 

Women gained a place of honor in Christ’s earthly ministry.  Details of the character and conversations of both Elizabeth and Mary, the mothers of John the Baptist and Jesus, respectively, are featured prominently and with high regard in the Gospel of Luke.  The Gospel of John reports on the intimate personal conversations of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman (John 4); and with another woman named Mary and her sister, Martha (John 11).  Numerous miracles of Jesus involved healing of women, some of whom, like Mary Magdalene, were in great need.  Jesus’s dealings with women beginning when he was a boy of twelve (Luke 2: 39-52) and lasting into His adulthood show that He held them in high regard.

The accounts of how Jesus related to women and the subsequent teachings of the Apostles Paul (e.g. Ephesians 5) and Peter (1 Peter 3) are responsible for the role of Christianity in the elevation of women to a status of great respect.  According to Jack Wellman ¹, Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas, “In many of the world’s religions, women are suppressed and not even allowed to speak or appear in public without the husband’s permission. For those that do, the ramifications can be deadly, but Christianity has elevated the status of women because there is no distinction or respect between the free and slaves, Jew and Greek, women and men, because you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).

Wellman explains how the change in the status of women came about in the first century: “Jesus’ treatment of women in the New Testament is radically different from the way the Jews, the Greeks, and the Romans (indeed, nearly all societies) treated women.  Women couldn’t be a witness in a court or sit on any council or be seen in public apart from the will of her husband. In short, they treated their wives as so many cattle.  A wife could be easily gained and easily disposed of, but this was not so from the beginning.”  Jesus made this clear as recorded in Matthew 19: 8.  Mistreatment of women was not an acceptable part of God’s created order. [While we may argue that women in Christian churches today are treated unequally with respect to leadership roles, that is a topic for another article—and for local church leadership to consider.]

If it is plausible that Jesus was inaugurating a first-century counterculture in which women were given high regard, then we could make the case that the eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, both women and men, were both authentic and representative of those who were present in Jerusalem on that first Resurrection Sunday.  Indeed, the account might be more suspect and less meaningful to women in general if the eyewitnesses of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection had not included women.

The spread of the Gospel message began with women.  According to John’s account (John 20: 11-18), after the women, and Peter and John, had witnessed the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene lingered outside the open tomb, weeping:

…as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”  Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I think this encounter of Mary Magdalene with the Risen Lord Jesus may be the most intimate and powerful expression of God’s love for women and for all mankind in all the Bible.  The Risen Lord Jesus, the Everlasting God, having claimed victory over death, chooses to reveal Himself in His resurrection body to Mary as the first human being to see and talk with Him.  Although hundreds of people would see the Risen Christ during the 40 days following His resurrection, Mary’s encounter has special significance for us.  For it is in this encounter that a “witness” of questionable background comes face to face with the only One Who could “witness back to her” about who she really is in the eyes of Her Creator.

If you are now like I once was, skeptical of the Resurrection and Life of Jesus Christ, humbly take time to look at the Gospel accounts.  Consider the ‘nothing special’ character and ability of the witnesses, and read their reactions.  More importantly, read how gracious and merciful the Risen Christ is toward the confused, grieving, witnesses; and, how He comes to them, comforts them, and raises them up to become bold and complete in His power.

Timothy Keller has spoken of the special significance of Christ’s Resurrection and I would highly recommend that you listen to his message, “Encountering the Risen King.”  But, in case you’d rather read and ponder Keller’s words (paraphrased in places), I have included the most relevant part of his message on the adjacent graphic.  My prayer for myself and for you is that we will witness anew the power of Christ’s resurrection.  And, in so doing, may we allow our encounter with the Risen Lord to witness to us about who we are in Him.  Your “Comments” and questions are always welcome.
__________________
¹ Emanuel Lutheran Church Blog Article. 2014.  Jesus Gives Women Honor, Value, Dignity and Respect.   New London, WI
² Wellman, Jack.  2016.  How Does Christianity Affect Gender Roles?   Patheos (online)

Gethsemane: Did It Matter?

Sometimes, we find it hard to communicate with a friend or our spouse even when we stand face-to-face!  Yet God, who we can't even see, claims to hear our prayers!  Does God really hear us when we pray--alone where no one else can hear?  Does God hear our quiet utterances from quivering lips?  Our groans without words—offered from deep within our souls--in total silence and in solitude?  

My faith is often so weak.  But God knows our weakness and clearly invites us to pray:  Call unto Me and I will answer you… (Jeremiah 33:3).  The Apostle Peter who was no stranger to doubt and fear encourages our faith to pray:  Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him… (1 Peter 1: 8).  And Hebrews 11: 1 adds that faith is the substance (or “reality”) of things hoped for, the evidence (certainty, conviction, proof) of things not seen. 

God knows how hard it is for us to exercise faith.  His knowledge of our human frailty is demonstrated in part through His incarnation—God …became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us (John 1: 14).  The Apostle Paul explains that …although He [Jesus, the perfect ‘God-Man’] existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2: 6-8).

Jesus Christ surrendered His kingly position with God the Father and become a willing bond-servant to serve His Master out of love.  According to many Gospel accounts, Jesus’s life was marked by His habit of praying to His Father in Heaven.  When our faith is weak, we can look to Jesus as our example--and look to His Spirit for power. 

As was Jesus’s dependency upon His Father, so is to be our dependency upon Jesus (paraphrased from F.B. Meyer).  We are to abide in Him.  Jesus taught this principle to His disciples on Thursday of the Passion Week using two methods.  First, he used the parable of the vine and the branches (John 15).  Then He showed His disciples what it means for a person to “abide in His Father” as He approached His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Consider first, the parable of the vine and branches.

As Jesus and his disciples walked toward Gethsemane, He may have pointed to a grape vine while He explained, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit (John 15: 1-2).  In this parable, Jesus pictures the life of every Christ-follower as a branch of a fruitful vine (Jesus); and, the Father is pictured as the loving caretaker of the vine. 

Then, Jesus explains that Christ-followers (“branches”) are joined and nourished by the vine so that we can be fruitful (see Galatians 5: 22-23):  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing…(John 15: 5).  If we are to “abide in Him” we must (a) hear and obey His Word and (b) commune with Him through prayer in knowledge of His will:  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15: 5, 7).

The disciples heard this wonderful parable of Jesus.  They had also just heard Jesus tell Peter that Satan has asked permission to “have you to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you (Luke 22: 31-32).”  They also heard Peter’s vow never to deny Jesus; and, Jesus’s prophecy that Peter would deny Him three times (v. 33-34).  Now it was time for them to see what “abiding in Him” actually looks like, especially when they were about to face great trial and turmoil.

Jesus had prayed many times in the dark, lonely setting of the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 39).  But neither His disciples nor we as readers of the Gospel accounts will ever understand the physical, mental, and spiritual struggle Christ faced on that crucial night.  There, Jesus poured out His anguished soul to His Father as He anticipated being separated from God the Father as He would take upon Himself the sins of the whole world and carry them to the grave in His physical death.

When we are faced with a great decision, a trial, or a spiritual battle, this example of Christ teaches us to resort to prayer.  His disciples entered the garden with Him; and then, He invited Peter, James, and John to accompany Him to pray and keep watch while He drew aside to pray (Matthew 26: 36-46; Mark 14: 32-42; Luke 22: 39-46).  As we carefully read these accounts of Christ praying in physical and spiritual anguish in the Garden, may we find great comfort and instruction to help when we face temptations and trials that threaten our abiding in the vine-Life of our Savior.  Remember, Christ's dependence on the Father is our example to follow.

When we feel isolated and alone in times of spiritual and emotional distress, may we find comfort in knowing that Jesus knows all about this experience.  His disciples, especially the three closest to Jesus, saw Him praying nearby in great anguish and distress.  But they did not continue in prayer.  Jesus found them three times fast asleep.  If we’ve ever felt the loneliness of being forsaken by our dearest friends in a time of need, we can be sure Jesus knows how it feels.  What’s more, Jesus’s spiritual battle may have been even greater if He heard Satan saying something like, “See, no one cares for You!  Not even your closest friends.  And, you came to “seek and to save” them?”

In times of spiritual battle, our obedience and prayers may not only face “spiritual interference” from our sense of loneliness and from Satan’s attacks.  We may also experience doubt when we don’t cling to God’s Word.  In His humanity, Jesus Christ’s spiritual battle in the Garden of Gethsemane may have brought back memories of the spiritual battle faced by His first human image bearers, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden.  Genesis 3 records how Adam and Eve let go of their faith in God’s Word as Satan twisted the truth and convinced them that he offered a better way than God had promised.  Failing to abide in the Word of God, the first humans took and ate the only fruit that was forbidden in the Garden of Eden.   Now, Jesus had come to a pivotal point in His messianic mission to rescue Adam’s descendants from the curse of sin. Thankfully, Jesus the “second Adam” (1 Corinthians 15: 45) faced the spiritual warfare in “another Garden” and, through prayer and obedience to His Father, did not lose the spiritual battle.

When we face many-colored trials--loneliness, being misunderstood, the lust of the flesh, spiritual lethargy, doubt, or some combination of these, may we be encouraged by the teaching and example of Jesus, the Son of Man-Son of God.  The Apostle Peter who matured through many humbling trials and sufferings later wrote (1 Peter 2: 21-24),

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Our Savior Prays for Us:  If the teaching and example of Christ are not enough to encourage us in our trials, consider that according to Hebrews 7: 24-25, Jesus is now our faithful High Priest Who holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore, He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.  In Romans 8: 34, in response to the question, “Who would condemn us?”—we read that it is Christ Jesus…who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

As we remember the anguish of Jesus in Gethsemane, and His victory over sin and death through His Resurrection, may we be encouraged that He ever lives and makes intercession for us.  May we abide in the True Vine and so aim toward the ideal of Christ who prayed to His Father, I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (John 17: 4).  Abiding in Christ with His mind and purpose is the foundation of all stewardship.  And praise God, even when we feel most helpless and besieged, “We are in Christ, not because we hold Him, but because He holds us…” -- F.B. Meyer

How About You?
Like many people, you have no doubt experienced times of turmoil and isolation.  Do you know that God knows all about you and your need?  He also has made provision for you.  If you have not experienced dying to self and being raised through faith to New Life in Christ, perhaps the Steps to Peace with God will point you in the direction of Salvation in Christ.  If you have additional questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail me at silviusj@cedarville.edu

Black History 2 Reparations or Reconciliation?

My junior high and high school history classes in the early 1960’s were enriched by our celebration of the American Civil War (or War Between the States).  My imagination was captured by books, TV programs like The Rebel, and a series of centennial stamps.  Because of the notable character qualities of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, the South drew my allegiance and I was saddened that they were defeated.

Then, I grew into manhood in the era of Alex Haley’s Roots which chronicled the life of the noble African native Kunta Kinte and his offspring through several generations of American history.   I began to realize that human glory and valor had distracted me from the untold suffering, humiliation, and death brought about by the institution of slavery, and the terrible cost of the Civil War that destroyed the lives and families of so many Americans.  I cannot imagine being a descendant of slaves wondering how my ancestors had suffered from being uprooted from  homeland and family in Africa, transported to a foreign land, and then be confined to labor on a plantation as the property of another human being.

My boyhood wish that the South had won soon gave way to the wish that this bloody chapter of American history had not occurred.  A chapter in which both the North and the South benefited from building their livelihood on the backs of an ethnic group of human beings deemed to be inferior—and a chapter which has continued to play out in the lives of African Americans who have not had the advantages of growing up a two-parent home, receiving a good education, and having a good network of peers.   So, I can at least partly understand the call for reparations (to “pay back,” or undo past offenses) to Black Americans for the losses they and their families have incurred over many generations. 

Ta-Nehisi Coates, correspondent for The Atlantic, has written a landmark article, “The Case for Reparations.”   Coates introduces his argument by quoting Deuteronomy 15: 12-15 in which God commands that slaves be offered freedom every seventh year, and that their masters not send [them] away empty-handed…[but give them] a generous farewell from the bounty of the land, all the while remembering that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you!

While some evangelical leaders today appeal to the Old Testament biblical command, many who do not profess faith in God are still moved by their God-given, inborn sense of right and wrong that enables them to feel in some indirect way the pain of injustice against Blacks.  The following Twitter exchange expresses this desire for reparation:

So let me get this straight; our [Black American] ancestors were robbed of their culture, lineage, dignity, and multiple trillions of dollars in wages over hundreds of years.  [But you still think] It’s an “entitlement” mindset for the modern descendants of those ancestors to demand to be paid?

In response to the questioner, Bob Woodson, Founder and President of The Woodson Center, tweets:

How is it (reparations) a remedy for the problems facing Black America?  What does it solve?  Reparations is a distraction, false solution, and an illusion of a cure.

I Invite Your Opinion
Rather than writing at great length about reparations when I’m just beginning to grasp the complexity of the subject, let me offer some points for discussion and invite you to respond in “Comments” below.  My points are as follows:  How will the cost of reparations be computed?  Will reparations really help?  Are reparations the right moral response?

Family separation at a slave auction.

Computing Reparations
First, consider the difficulty in computing the cost of reparations to Black Americans.  How could we establish the monetary value?  At what point in history would we choose as the starting year for the computation?  Realizing that most Black Americans today are not subject to the same harshness of their ancestors under slavery, how would this variable be factored into the cost to be paid for reparations?  For example, in his Atlantic article, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes that enslaved Africans in 1619, though torn from their homeland and transported to the colony of Virginia, “…did not initially endure the naked racism that would engulf their progeny. Some of them were freed.  Some of them intermarried. Still others escaped with the white indentured servants who had suffered as they had.”  So, are reparations also owed to enslaved whites?  Should Native American tribes who enslaved Blacks also be required reparations?

The fact that reparations are difficult if not impossible to compute does not itself provide reason for opposing the notion.  As Coates argues, “…for the past 25 years, Congressman John Conyers Jr., who represents the Detroit area, has marked every session of Congress by introducing a bill calling for a congressional study of slavery and its lingering effects as well as recommendations for ‘appropriate remedies.’”  Conyers’ bill does not require computation of reparations, but would “submit the question to study, and then assess the possible solutions.”  What do you think—should the Conyers bill be brought to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives?

Will Reparations Really Help?
Some argue that reparations to Black Americans would simply be another slap in the face in which “advantaged White’s” are perceived as “paying charity” to “inferior people” who are not capable of “making it on their own.”  And, even if reparations were not perceived in this way, what will be their effect on the social and economic status of Black Americans?  Bob Woodson believes, “It is important to recognize that the destiny of Black people is not determined by what White people do or not do; it is in our own hands… It is our values that determine our condition in life not what some oppressor has done.”  
What do you think?  Instead of trying to pay reparations, would it be more beneficial to Black Americans in the long run to use contributions and tax dollars to develop educational, spiritual, and employment opportunities for all ages aimed at restoring hope, dignity, and purpose to individuals and families?

Are Reparations Morally Right?
Here, as with any moral issue coming under the category “social justice,” we must identify an objective standard for judging what is moral.  For example, in his landmark article cited above, Ta-Nehisi Coates references a biblical command given in Deuteronomy.  Whether he acknowledges it or not, the only truly objective foundation for moral judgments is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3: 16; Proverbs 1: 1-7).  Unless we all agree that Blacks and all other ethnic groups are equal and valuable, that racism or any oppression of one ethnic group by another are moral and spiritual problems, and that reparations must be weighed against the need for moral and spiritual restoration of people living today, our efforts in my judgment will fall short.

The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel presents a view of social justice and ethnicity (or “Race”) based on the Word of God:
God made all people from one man. Though people often can be distinguished by different ethnicities and nationalities, they are ontological equals before God in both creation and redemption. “Race” is not a biblical category, but rather a social construct that often has been used to classify groups of people in terms of inferiority and superiority. All that is good, honest, just, and beautiful in various ethnic backgrounds and experiences can be celebrated as the fruit of God’s grace. All sinful actions and their results (including evils perpetrated between and upon ethnic groups by others) are to be confessed as sinful, repented of, and repudiated.

DISCUSSION:  Inviting Your Comments:
Question #1 Individual Accountability:  Do you agree that everyone of us is individually responsible to act according to an objective moral code or law?  For example, how would you respond to the following statement and the Scriptures cited:
Any human deviation from obedience to God’s commands in Scripture, including our neglect to love our neighbor, regardless of ethnicity, is sin.  The Bible teaches that every person is individually accountable to God for his or her own thoughts and actions (2 Corinthians 5: 10; Romans 1: 18-2: 16).  The Bible also teaches that every person has an inborn sense of right and wrong which can lead us to repentance, confession, and forgiveness (Romans 1: 18-21; 1 John 1: 9).  This point is illustrated in Acts 3: 17-21, a portion of the Apostle Peter’s sermon preached not long after the crucifixion of Christ.  As you read it, notice how Peter’s challenge comes down to a clear invitation to individuals and their spiritual accountability to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Question #2 Responsibility for the Past:  Do you feel responsible to make reparations for the sins of our ancestors? What motivates individuals to look beyond their individual moral standing and become committed to reparations for the failings of others throughout history?  Do you agree or disagree with the following:
Grievous as human sins of the past may have been and as much as we wish we could be a part of erasing the evil of the past, those sins are not “our sins.”  We are not meant to bear the weight of conscience from sins committed by others in history.  Yet, many in both the Church and in the secular world are obsessed with paying back what is owed by the injustices inflicted throughout history.  But God’s plan through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is for redemption of humans and His whole creation is not about reparations, but all about restoration.  God spiritually regenerates and restores individuals and adds them as “living stones” into His church, the body of Christ on Earth (1 Peter 2: 4-6).   As the psalmist writes (Psalm 49: 7-8), only God can redeem us (buy us back) from the slavery of sin because only He can pay the infinite cost:

No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—

Only God knows perfectly each sin of the past, and only God has the full remedy.  The Apostle Paul declares, For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 19). 

Can we agree, human effort alone cannot eradicate injustice?

Question #3 Is there a “right way?”:  Most would agree that history is filled with gross violations of what many call “social justice.”  Although we may not agree on how to address social injustices, would you agree that we must have a moral standard or reference by which to judge what is or is not “just?”  Would you also agree that this moral standard ought to address the nature of humankind and our tendency to fall short of that standard?  If we answer the above in agreement, then can we also agree that there is a common root cause for both the actions of perpetrators of injustice and the responses of those who are objects of injustices?  Finally, if we can agree on the root cause of injustices, can we also agree on at least the general nature of a restorative plan for both perpetrators and those unjustly treated?  Consider the following excerpt from the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel which states, based on God’s Word, that …whatever evil influences to which we have been subjected via our culture can be—and must be—overcome through conversion and the training of both mind and heart through biblical truth.

For anyone who is grieved at the injustices perpetrated against Black Americans, and for those who have been victims of perceived injustices, healing and restoration begins by repentance and confession of sin.  Our restoration and healing are made possible because Christ paid for both our sins and our griefs on His Cross (Isaiah 53).  We must rely on the authority and trust in the sufficiency of His Word (2 Timothy 3: 16).

Will reparations of past injustices solve current ones?

Once we are transformed by the grace and forgiveness of Christ, the words of Bob Woodson can become a guide to moving forward in the freedom of Christ: “…the destiny of Black people is not determined by what White people do or not do; it is in our own hands… It is our values that determine our condition in life not what some oppressor has done.”  

All of humanity, deceased and living, are offenders and have been offended.   Grave injustices still occur all around the world as statistics on current human slavery reveal.  Christ-followers need to be attentive to how they might participate or support efforts to end human slavery and other injustices through biblical means.  

Concluding Points to Consider:
We began with a citation from Deuteronomy 15: 12-15 by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his Atlantic article that slave masters not send [slaves] away empty-handed…[but give them] a generous farewell from the bounty of the land, all the while remembering that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you!   Based on the spirit of this passage, what would be the nature of an approach to promote meaningful and lasting restoration of Black Americans and others suffering under real or perceived injustices?  Are you aware of organizations or programs that resemble such an approach?  Check out The Woodson Center which offers a hands up approach.

Related Articles: 
Black History: 1  Correct History Brings Light
Black History: 3  Bible and Biology Erase Racism

Will “Mittens” Be in Heaven – Part 1

Our 10-year-old granddaughter, Della Rose, became a forceful advocate for a stray cat that she eventually named “Mittens.”  But, for some unknown reason, soon after Mittens snuggled and purred her way into the family, they found her dead.  As you can imagine, Della Rose was devastated and began to question her mom and dad, and even her grandpa, about where Mittens went after her death.  But her lead-in question to me was more general:

Della Rose and doggy pets, Riley and Ruby.

“Grandpa, do you think there will be animals in Heaven?  

When I heard her question, I thought to myself: “How can I comfort a sweet granddaughter while her little brown eyes search my face with childlike faith and wait for an answer to her big question?  Sure, Della Rose believes her Bible which promises that her faith in Jesus as her Savior from sin makes her a child of God (John 1: 12; 3: 16; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-10).  For every Christ-follower, Eternal Life begins at their moment of decision (Luke 23: 43) where they also receive the assurance of a home in Heaven.   Babies and young children, developmentally disabled children who remain childlike, and the unborn who die of “natural causes” or tragically by abortion will also enjoy Eternal Life in God’s presence (Deuteronomy 1: 39; 2 Samuel 12: 18-23; Isaiah 7: 14-16)

Della Roses's kitty named Lily still lives in Wooster.

Whether I can answer her questions or not, I am thankful that Della Rose is falling in love with Jesus and is prepared to go to Heaven one day.  However, on that day of her distress, I soon realized the real purpose of Della Rose’s big question.  She really wanted an assurance that she would see her Mittens again.  Trying to be too logical, my mind remained fixed on her more general question, "Will there be animals in Heaven?”   

My answer was “Yes, I am sure animals will be in Heaven.”
But then, I quickly dashed Della Rose’s hopes by adding,   
“Della, I don’t know if you will see Mittens in Heaven.”
Sadly, she replied, “But Grandpa, I want to see Mittens again.”

Learning More about Heaven
Realizing my inability to comfort her and give hope on that day, I decided to do more study on the subject.  Fortunately, the Bible has much to say about animals.  Randy Alcorn, in his excellent book, Heaven (Tyndale, 2004), states that the Bible portrays animals as Earth’s second most important inhabitants.  God entrusted animals to us, and our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives (p. 373).  Why wouldn’t animal life also be a part of Heaven?

Before we discuss the future God may have in store for animals, we ought to lay some groundwork to establish God’s plan for humans who will receive the reward of life forever in Heaven.  Two questions are important to consider:  Where will Heaven be?  And, what will the nature of the lives and bodies of God’s redeemed people in Heaven?

The subject of Heaven is vast and is well supported throughout the Bible.  Alcorn’s treatise on Heaven is regarded as one of the best single sources on the subject and I highly recommend the book.  Yet many preachers and teachers seem to shy away from addressing the details of this eternal hope of Christ-followers.  Consequently, many believers lack the knowledge and enthusiasm exuded by men like the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12: 1-4) and the Apostle John (Revelation 21, 22).  Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

Alcorn attributes our lack of anticipation of Heaven’s glory to both the lack of clear teaching on Heaven, and to the blindness promoted by “the father of lies” (John 8: 44), Satan himself.   Alcorn quotes Revelation 13: 6 which states that the satanic beast opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.  Here, Alcorn rightly points out that Satan slandered “God’s person, God’s people, and God’s place—namely, Heaven.”

Heaven on the Resurrected Earth
I appreciate that Randy Alcorn’s teaching about Heaven is based on his careful interpretation of Scripture.  After all, “now we know in part” and will not know fully until “the perfect comes and the partial is done away (1 Corinthians 13: 9-10).”  Therefore, I am comfortable with Alcorn’s interpretation of Scripture that locates Heaven on what he calls the “resurrected Earth.”  This view is very consistent with what Jesus taught about Heaven when He prayed, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6: 10).  Early Christians anticipated the imminence of a New Heaven and a New Earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3: 13).  This claim is reinforced in Old Testament passages like Isaiah 65: 17-19:

For behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I create;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and take delight in My people.
The sounds of weeping and crying
will no longer be heard in her.

Notice that Isaiah’s prophecy affirms that God will one day come and “rejoice in Jerusalem.” According to Revelation 21:22, God’s beloved “city of peace,” will have no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  

In his book, Heaven is Place on Earth (Zondervan, 2004), Michael Wittmer states, “The story of Scripture is the story of ‘Emmanuel’, for it describes how God progressively comes to live with us on our planet, at each appearance staying longer and in more permanent form (p. 205).”   Scripture suggests that God is looking forward to the time when His coming to Earth will not be a visit for a few hours like He spent with Abraham (Genesis 18), or for only thirty-three years as He did through the incarnate life of Jesus Christ (Luke 3: 23), or even for 1,000 years of the Millennium (Revelation 20: 4).  He will come to abide forever—then, Emmanuel will literally be “God with us.”

I hope my brief summary of what at least some theologians believe about Heaven will motivate you to read more on the subject and search the Scriptures for confirmation of your belief.  Before considering what God may have in store for the very prominent and valuable part of His creation, namely animal life, we ought to consider what the Bible promises for human life in heaven.

Resurrected Bodies on the New Earth
As I have written in an article entitled, “Recognizing Loved Ones in Heaven,” God’s special revelation in Scripture affirms and complements His natural revelation in creation to teach that resurrected Christ-followers will have new bodies and personality (1 Corinthians 15).  Consider that the resurrected Christ is a “first fruit” or promise of things to follow.  We understand that we will have at least some of His capabilities in our resurrected bodies.  This means we will engage in meaningful worship, work, fellowship, and enjoyment of meals together, even as the resurrected Christ enjoyed with His disciples (John 21). 

It seems logical from Scripture that humans who are created as relational beings in the image of God would enjoy an eternity in intimate relationship with our Creator, with one another, and with God’s creation—including animal life.  Heaven will represent a complete restoration of what was so tragically lost in the Fall of humankind in the Garden of Eden.

With reference to these and many other Scriptures, Alcorn’s vision of Heaven is reflected in a Gospel Coalition interview in which he states (emphasis mine):  What God made us to desire is exactly what he promises to those who follow Jesus Christ: a resurrected life in a resurrected body, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected earth. Our desires correspond precisely to God’s plans.

Grief Gives Way to the Joy of Heaven
I can understand why both children and adults grieve at the loss of loved ones including their beloved pets.  When a death occurs, an intimate relationship is broken and we feel as if we have lost a part of ourselves.  But for Christ-followers who anticipate a blessed reunion with family members in Heaven, God’s Word offers comfort and assurance that what we hope for will become reality.  As Alcorn believes (emphasis mine), It’s not that we want something, so we engage in wishful thinking.  It’s the opposite—we want real human lives as real embodied people because God has wired us that way, and has always planned for it.

The Bible offers much assurance to Christ-followers of our hope of Eternal Life in Heaven.  But, for a little girl who has lost her kitty, the assurances about human life in Heaven may bring little comfort.  Della Rose’s plea sums up this point: “But Grandpa, I want to see Mittens again.”  

Will there be animals in Heaven?  More specifically, will Della Rose see her beloved Mittens there?  Please stay tuned for Part 2 of “Will We See “Mittens” in Heaven.”

How About You?
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus came into our fallen world to rescue sinners, people whom God’s Spirit has convicted of their sin, or rebellion against God’s authority in their lives.  When a sinner is convicted of his or her sin, repents, and asks Christ to become Lord of their lives, they are assured of Eternal Life in Heaven.   For more specific information on Heaven and the Resurrection of those who have surrendered to Christ, refer to the article entitled, “Recognizing Loved Ones in Heaven.”

George Washington: A Worthy Hero?

During my elementary school years, the month of February was one of my favorites.  As winter daylengths grew longer, February brought Valentine’s Day and the excitement of exchanging Valentines with my classmates.  I gave special attention to preparing and then exchanging Valentines with the girls in my class.

On a more serious note, February invited my teachers to offer interesting projects and studies of two of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.  I was always impressed that, unlike my birthday, theirs was honored with red numbers on calendars--February 12 and 22, respectively. 

George Washington (1732-1799) was born in Westmoreland Co., Virginia, south of what would become our nation’s capital, now named for him. His vocations were varied and significant:  Virginia farmer, Ohio valley wilderness land surveyor (1749-1750), commander of the militia in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), contributor to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution (1787), and first president of the United States (1789-1797). 

Washington’s accomplishments became familiar to me very early in my study of American history—accomplishments that made him one of my most worthy heroes.  Later, I learned to associate George Washington with other titles—Anglican, Deist, Freemason, slaveholder.  More recently, the era of political correctness has labeled Washington as simply “a dead white guy.” 

Peter A. Lillback’s 1,200-page treatise which now rests heavily on my lap is entitled George Washington’s Sacred Fire.  Lillback attempts to portray Washington accurately from his extensive references to the historical records.  I highly recommend this book, and have chosen to include only a few excerpts here in defense of Washington’s integrity and faith in God.

The most frequent attempt to deny that George Washington had placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior and as his hope of Eternal Life claims that he was a Deist.  Many who label Washington as a Deist would align him with the agnostics who claim neutrality on the issue of whether God exists.  If God does exist, He has been so uninvolved in the world that He is unknowable.

The Deist label upon Washington can be soundly dismissed.  In Sacred Fire, Lillback notes that the practice of prayer was gradually abandoned by Deism.  After all, why pray “to a Deity who on principle had abandoned all contract and communication with his creation?”  On the other hand, Washington is documented as having adopted a “lifelong practice of prayer.” Sacred Fire contains references to and excerpts from over 100 prayers that Washington had written out!  In addition, according to Lillback’s research, “There were numerous accounts from family and military associates—too numerous to be dismissed—of people coming across Washington in earnest, private prayer.”

Regarding our first president’s practice of the Christian faith, Lillback writes, “George Washington was not a perfect man. He occasionally lost his temper, he drank wine—maybe too much when he was a young man…he had a revenue producing distillery on his Mount Vernon estate…he owned slaves…which was not uncommon for a Southern gentleman of his day.  Like other human beings, [Washington] struggled with personal challenges such as illness, fatigue, pain, deaths of loved ones, loneliness, financial pressures, and step-parenting challenges, to name but a few.  Yet, as we can see from his writings, he attempted to walk according to the duties of the Christian faith.

George Washington’s Farewell Address (September 19, 1796) near the end of his two terms as president expresses his humble faith in the Almighty, a love for the nation he helped to form, and a hope that his contribution of over forty years would be viewed with good will for many years after he has gone to his eternal rest:

Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest.

I’ve lived through many February’s since I first celebrated Washington’s birthday.  But, having read portions of George Washington’s Sacred Fire, I am pleased to say that he remains one of my heroes.  Any of us who study the history of Washington or any other historical figure ought not to miss the blessed evidence of the hand of Providence in the lives of imperfect men and women.  As for me, I must especially remember that their lives are now history, but my race is still to be run to the finish. 

Lord, may we who fix our eyes on You lay aside the encumbrances and sin that weighs us down, and run with endurance.¹  May we speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty² –the liberty that causes us to live in the Joy of our salvation and to be gracious and merciful to others because of the costly grace and mercy Christ purchased for us and extends to all who will receive.

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George Washington:   Monday Evening Prayer:³
Most Gracious Lord God, from whom proceedeth every good and perfect gift, I offer to thy divine majesty my unfeigned praise & thanksgiving for all thy mercies towards me. Thou mad'st me at first and hast ever since sustained the work of thy own hand; thou gav'st thy Son to die for me; and hast given me assurance of salvation, upon my repentance and sincerely endeavoring to conform my life to his holy precepts and example. Thou art pleased to lengthen out to me the time of repentance and to move me to it by thy spirit and by the word, by thy mercies, and by thy judgments; out of a deepness of thy mercies, and by my own unworthiness, I do appear before thee at this time; I have sinned and done very wickedly, be merciful to me, O God, and pardon me for Jesus Christ sake; instruct me in the particulars of my duty, and suffer me not to be tempted above what thou givest me strength to bear. Take care, I pray thee of my affairs and more and more direct me in thy truth, defend me from my enemies, especially my spiritual ones. Suffer me not to be drawn from thee, by the blandishments of the world, carnal desires, the cunning of the devil, or deceitfulness of sin. Work in me thy good will and pleasure, and discharge my mind from all things that are displeasing to thee, of all ill will and discontent, wrath and bitterness, pride & vain conceit of myself, and render me charitable, pure, holy, patient and heavenly minded. be with me at the hour of death; dispose me for it, and deliver me from the slavish fear of it, and make me willing and fit to die whenever thou shalt call me hence. Bless our rulers in church and state. Bless O Lord the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and thy son Jesus Christ. Pity the sick, the poor, the weak, the needy, the widows and fatherless, and all that morn or are borken in heart, and be merciful to them according to their several necessities. Bless my friends and grant me grace to forgive my enemies as heartily as I desire forgiveness of Thee my heavenly Father. I beseech thee to defend me this night from all evil, and do more for me than I can think or ask, for Jesus Christ sake, in whose most holy name & words, I continue to pray, Our Father.

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¹Hebrews 12: 1    ²James 2: 12  
³From:  George Washington’s Sacred Fire, page 807 (Providence Forum Press, Byrn Mawr, PA)

Science Research: Is Smaller Better?

Today, a large percentage of scientific research is conducted in large, collaborative teams.  But according to a paper published in Nature yesterday (February 13), “researchers may be better off working in small teams.”  The Nature study, led by James Evans of the University of Chicago, was reviewed by Ruth Williams’ article in today’s online edition of The Scientist.

Evans et al. studied the citations of tens of millions of research papers and patents.  Papers were evaluated for degree of innovativeness or “disruptiveness” based on the degree to which subsequent research articles cited the papers alone without including citations used in the paper itself.   Highly disruptive papers, those cited alone by subsequent authors, were found to contain research that was more transformative.  Such innovative papers provide a ‘jumping-off point’ for a new field of research,” says sociologist Jason Owen-Smith of the University of Michigan.

A closer look at the disruptive papers revealed that “big teams tend to work on existing theories rather than instigating new ones.”  The analysis showed that “the most disruptive papers, patents, and software products tend to be produced by small groups, and that, as team size grows, disruptiveness declines.”  Interestingly, even an individual scientist’s disruptiveness tended to drop as the number of co-authors increased.

At a time when big government funding has contributed toward major inflation in cost of health care, housing, and college tuition, the Nature report affords the scientific community a timely opportunity to consider how research funding approaches affect research progress.  According to Anita Woolley, who studies organizational behavior and teamwork at Carnegie Mellon University, funding agencies often “push us in the direction of having bigger and bigger teams.  This [research] is really calling that into question.”

I thank my friends Roger and Margaret Riffle who have long ties to West Virginia for sharing an article by Connor Griffith, business editor of WVNews.  The article, entitled “Touchstone Labs: Growing Business and Sending WV Coal into Space,” features the innovative research by a small R & D firm, named Touchstone Research Laboratories.  Touchstone was launched in the basement of a monastery, in 1980, by president and CEO, Brian Joseph.

Since its founding, Touchstone Research Laboratories has become a “three-time Tibbetts Award recipient for its broad-based product development research philosophy, which focuses on the development of next-generation, over the horizon materials and products.”*  Since its founding, Touchstone has formed a research park and has spawned three other companies. Other spin-off companies are in the works.  According to Joseph, “This is not that far off from Thomas Edison’s whole approach.  He called his place the Invention Factory and what we basically have is an invention factory.  Everything we’ve been spinning out, we invented this stuff.”

One of the companies spawned by Touchstone is CFOAM, named after its principal product, CFOAM®, short for “carbon foam.”  CFOAM is produced by pulverizing coal (something West Virginia has plenty of), foaming it under pressure, then heat-treating and cutting it into desired shapes.  This structural foam is light-weight and can withstand temperatures above 6,000 degrees!  CFOAM is now used in place of ceramic tiles on space shuttles, and its future is promising for applications not yet discovered.

Touchstone Research Labs also developed Metpreg, the world’s strongest aluminum.  Metpreg is now used in bicycle frames where it provides as much strength as current commercial frames at one-third of the weight.

I’m sure that Touchstone is but one example of the many “invention factories” that have arisen from the innovative ideas of small groups of researchers.  Such stories make it tempting to conclude that the future of science and technology rests in the philosophy that “small is better.”  However, Ruth Williams concludes her article in The Scientist with a reasonable assessment by Jason Owen-Smith who believes “we need a combination of big teams developing and strengthening existing ideas and small teams performing high-risk, high-reward, innovative projects.

The fact that there seems to be no end to the creativity of humankind is a testimony to our Creator God in whose image we were created.  The Genesis account in Scripture records that, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1: 1-2).  Into this formless void, God began to create order and diversity of mineral, microbe, plant, and animal.  God created these things with the capacity for further development and diversification through science and technology.  And then, He created Adam and gave him and his descendants dominion over creation with a mandate to exercise servant stewardship as His representatives on the Earth.  The current article seems to have featured some of the more positive examples of God-given creativity in science at work.

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* https://www.sbir.gov/sites/default/files/SBAsuccess_TRL_FINAL.pdf