The Pilgrim Path (10-8-20)

And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it."

Genesis 9:5-7

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Matthew 5:21-26

The Heidelberg Catechism

Q107. Is it enough that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?

1. No; for when God forbids envy, hatred, and anger, He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves: to show patience, peace, meekness, mercy, and all kindness towards him, prevent his hurt as much in us lies, and do good even to our enemies.

To shut our eyes to an injustice, to look the other way, to pretend ignorance of evil, to excuse evil as good because greater evil exists—to do these things is to connive. We usually think of connivance as a case of active conspiracy, but is does not have to be and usually is not. This conniving can be a result of confirmed bias, passive inaction, keeping our eye on the wrong ball, etc. Regardless, knowledge of it is another call to humble repentance for followers of King Jesus. It is another picture that Shalom has been broken by sinners. Things are not the way that they are supposed to be.

“In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.”—Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

“If a man is allured by the things of this world and is estranged from his Creator, it is not he alone who is corrupted, but the whole world is corrupted with him.”—Mesillat Yesharim

Pray that you/we might strive for Shalom. Pray that you/we might wish to see things the way that they are supposed to be. Pray that this permeates every part of your/our lives for the sake of King Jesus.

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ our Risen Lord, Pastor Peter