Jesus handled the ultimate affront to modesty & holy dignity, when He dealt with the issue of Mary Magdalene and her accusers in the temple.
She had been setup by these religious leaders and was plying her trade. Then pulled out while yet unfinished with the act of adultery on his part and prostitution on her part was cowering naked at the feet of Jesus Himself. Jesus she knew and was His friend and was definitely not dressed appropriately for church or public life. This was her ultimate embarrassment, and a very deep laid plot that would cost her life, just so they could discredit Jesus. How did He handle it ? He knows the law He instructed Moses in. She had no mortal husband to accuse her - this was a kangaroo court bent on murder. He her Divine husband/ Lord/Master - does not defend her sins - but uses the interests of her accusers to get them close enough to watch Him write in the dust. They too are prostitutes, religious prostitutes who think themselves righteous and persecute this open sin which they created, and that not according to the letter nor spirit of Scripture, which they hold up as a front to the people to cover themselves.
It doesn't matter to them that the cost of discrediting Jesus, would be sending Mary Magdalene into eternity unready & lost.
He does not expose her other sins, she is already very openly guilty. She has no defense for her guilt yet in existence. He(Jesus) can look to Calvary ***HERE IS HER DEFENSE & RECONCILIATION*** as yet not done in the eyes of men but done by the God who calls future things as though they were already done . Calvary is the Divine voice of hope & mercy for the repentant and be-darkened trying to grope toward the light, but the roar of Divine wrath unto the defiant, hypocritical, and persecuting who judge hearts and measure not with Scriptures tape-measure but use their own.
Now there are definite standards and they were given by inspiration, just like tithe paying. But what did Jesus say about tithe paying to religious leaders - who tithed ok but operated out of harmony with the intent given by the cumulative context of Scripture regarding Divine worship & everyday life.
Before I paste in the texts, remember to read how these texts progress and describe a spiritual internal process that has external repercussions. The initial external circumstances may not truly reflect a matter, but continued actions declare the condition of the heart and how God will deal with those persons. This law of sowing and reaping applies to us as well. With all of our Remnant position and status, if we be inwardly unclean because we lack judgement in harmony with the expressed mind of Christ, merciless lack of God's love that reaches to save to the uttermost - that if possible - they might save some, faith to believe that not only does Jesus want to save us to the uttermost cleansing us internally & externally from all our sins - but also them -- though to us they seem to be the most undesirable candidates and may well disgust or infuriate us in our own human nature . His promises are always true, therefore be careful what you cause Him to promise you.
Matthew 23:
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are [b]within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but [b]within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (By surrendering to Jesus in repentance and rising up to newness of life. Which they refused to do.)
34 ¶ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
The last two verses 38,39 are a chilling echo of the spuing out of the mouth of Christ that which in Laodicea has made Him so nauseated He can and will no longer endure the unrepentant hard heartedness that refuses instruction. His standards are to regulate and maintain and protect but never to persecute and evilly surmise falsely the heart.
Therefore uphold the standards as inspiration writes them, but also learn and practice their intent as inspiration writes them for in so doing a door of ministry is opened .
In case you wonder what does this all have to do with clothes? Consider clothes were the means by which the woman so mortified the little boy he was Biblically offended and never returned to God & church till too late after his death.Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Matthew 18:6 But <1161> whoso <3739> <302> shall offend <4624> (5661) one <1520> of these <5130> little ones <3398> which <3588> believe <4100> (5723) in <1519> me <1691>, it were better <4851> (5719) for him <846> that <2443> a millstone <3458> <3684> were hanged <2910> (5686) about <1909> his <846> neck <5137>, and <2532> that he were drowned <2670> (5686) in <1722> the depth <3989> of the sea <2281>.
Mark 9:42 And <2532> whosoever <3739> <302> shall offend <4624> (5661) one <1520> of these little ones <3398> that believe <4100> (5723) in <1519> me <1691>, it is <2076> (5748) better <2570> <3123> for him <846> that <1487> a millstone <3037> <3457> were hanged <4029> (5736) about <4012> his <846> neck <5137>, and <2532> he were cast <906> (5769) into <1519> the sea <2281>.
4624 skandalizw skandalizo skan-dal-id' -zo ("scandalize")
from 4625; TDNT-7:339 , 1036; v
AV-offend 28, make to offend 2; 30
1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend
1a) to entice to sin
1b) to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
1b1) to cause to fall away
1b2) to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority
1b3) to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another
1c) since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed
1c1) to cause one displeasure at a thing
1c2) to make indignant
1c3) to be displeased, indignant
(Some definitions of little one & offend)
R&H article
February 24, 1903 "Take Heed to Thyself"
Mrs. E. G. White
"There are many who desire to command before they have learned to obey. The first lesson they need to learn is the lesson of submission,--submission to Christ. God bids me say to ministers, teachers, and leaders in every department of his work: You must be Christians in word and act, or you will fail of gaining entrance into the city of God. It is because of a neglect to heed the instruction given in the first six verses of the eighteenth chapter of Matthew that many of those who ought to conduct themselves as in the presence of Christ are making themselves obnoxious to him. To the members of our churches, from the oldest to the youngest, Christ says:-- {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 1}
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 2}
"Whoso shall offend one of these little ones,"--not only those young in years, but those young in experience and weak in faith. To him who fails to help and bless these "little ones," who does not treat them tenderly and courteously, but harshly and unkindly, discouraging and disheartening them, God says, "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 3}
Workers who do not heed the instruction so plainly given in the Word of God, who do not adorn the doctrines of Christ by a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, be they teachers in our schools, directors in our publishing houses, or physicians in our sanitariums, should not be retained in their position of trust, unless they repent, and change their attitude. Those who teach others must themselves learn daily in the school of Christ, that they may know how to reveal the love and tenderness of the great Teacher. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 4}
Christ's life of holiness is our textbook. The question that ministers and people must answer is, Am I eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God? Am I making his words a part of my daily experience. Were God's people molded and fashioned by the Spirit of Christ, they would constantly act out his words in their service for him. And so plainly would the Saviour be revealed, that many souls would be won to him. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 5}
Are we Christians,--Christlike in spirit, in word, in disposition,--or are we falling continually under the temptations of the enemy, with no power to escape from his snare? Every life is a sermon, telling either for good or for evil. A true, noble life tells more for Christ than do the most powerful discourses. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 6}
One of the chief reasons that so few sinners are won to Christ is that so much of self mingles with the words and acts of his professed followers. Their daily life witnesses against him; therefore sinners are not converted. Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of many of Christ's followers reveal self, self, self. Every day the Saviour is grieved by their misrepresentation of him. In spirit and word and manner they say of him, "I know not the Man." The sermons preached against him by their lives counteract the influence of the sermons preached for him in the pulpit. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 7}
The Saviour is grieved by the dissension, the lack of love, seen among his people. He says to them, You have left your first love, and unless you repent, unless you humble yourselves as a little child, and seek my guidance, I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 8}
"Thou hast left thy first love." This is the secret of the lack of power in our churches. If those who have received such great truth would live this truth, they would have no time to quarrel, no time to do that which bears the testimony, "I know not the Man." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 9}
My brethren, be whole-hearted Christians, or else make no profession of Christianity. To many the words are spoken, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." Their conduct is not in harmony with God's holy law. They present before the world a life of selfishness, corrupted by sin. They do not love Christ; if they did, they would love their brethren. They do not bear witness by unity and unselfish love for one another that God sent his Son to save sinners, to put the impress of divinity on all who believe on him. Ignorant of their true spiritual condition, they place a high estimate on themselves and their efforts. Boastingly, they say, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." But God says to them, "Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 10}
These words describe the condition of many among the people of God. How much longer will they venture to delay, to remain in ignorance regarding their failure to reach God's standard of holiness? Will they not receive the message of warning? Will they not repent and be converted? Christ declares, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 11}
"I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. . . . Repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place." Return to your first experience, when your soul was filled with love for Christ. Gather to your heart the obedience of a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Obedience to the law of the Lord makes men pure, holy, undefiled. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." And this law is contained in two great principles,--love to God, and love to man. "A new commandment I give unto you," Christ said to his disciples, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 12}
O that there might be seen among our people a deep and thorough work of repentance and reformation! O that they would fall on the Rock, and be broken! Let us crucify self, that in our hearts may grow up a strong love for Christ and for one another. Let us bring into the daily experience the instruction contained in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Self must be surrendered to God before there can take possession of the life that strong, steady belief in the truth that is broad and comprehensive; that casts out from the heart all enmity, all petty differences, and transforms coldness into Christlike affection. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 13}
Why should not believers love one another? It is impossible to love Christ, and at the same time act discourteously toward one another. It is impossible to have the Christ-love in the heart, and at the same time draw apart from one another, showing no love or sympathy. The deeper our love for Christ, the deeper will be our love for one another. {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 14}
"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." "If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
{RH, February 24, 1903 par. 15}
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Edward F. Sutton
[This message has been edited by Edward F. Sutton (edited October 21, 2000).]
