Some Thoughts on the Soul, the Trinity and The Republic

Deut 4:9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children
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I like this - "keep your soul diligently" - it really ties in well to the Dallas Willard book I've been reading, "The Spirit of the Disciplines" in which he delves into the nature of the soul. Plato's "Republic" which I have also been reading recently, has lot of commentary on the soul. I have always understood my soul to be the part that God breathed into me to make me uniquely human. When I was younger I had a much more distinct sense of where my body ended and my soul began, but in the past few years I have developed a much more Catholic opinion of the incarnational relationship between body and soul. I confess I have not done any word studies and therefore read a bit of ambiguity into the word "spirit" - especially as it relates to the nature of animals. Some people use the word "spirit" as a synonym for soul. I don't believe that's accurate. I do believe that there is some kind of a parallel between our soul or spirit with the Holy Spirit. That is to say, looking at the nature of the Trinity gives us a perfect example of how we were designed to be unified in mind, heart, strength and soul for the purpose of relating to God and sharing His joy. To keep one's soul diligently seems to imply that the soul is like the natural physique, perhaps prone to certain elements of unhealth. I imagine my own soul, lounging on a couch, getting fat on selfishness. Keeping my sould diligently would require me to get up and pursue those things which are healthy for a soul - the spiritual disciplines. In order to motivate myself to do these things, I should call to mind the nature of that life, remembering the significant divine markers that God has used to get me off the proverbial couch.
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"Make them known to your children and your children's children" - places further onus on me to "be" the sign that helps another person/child escape the life of soul-captivity. Socrates certainly diverges here (Allegory of the Cave). His conception of the soul's captivity seems similar, but I believe a closer analysis shows that God's cave is quite different. Socrates would like to make mind and soul equal and neglect the body. God never intended for there to be such a chasm between soul and body. Jesus, the "body" of Christ, felt separated from the Holy Spirit and God for a moment so that we would be able to "cross" that chasm with him when he finally emerged from his cave. While Socrates seems bent to share some kind of philosophical gospel, he does not seem to love all men in the same way, nor does he have an affinity for his children.

The Author of Life

Acts 3:15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus [6] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
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We killed the author of life. What story have we ever read in which the auther, that is, the trute author, dies for me? That's gotta be mind blowing. That would be the greatest story ever told.

David as Prophet

Acts 2:29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
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Remember that riddle that Jesus threw at the pharisees? Here Peter lays it all out. He says explicitly that King David was a prophet and that his psalms contain moments of spiritual percetion into the future and hidden truths of God's plans. King David was truly an exceptional person: a warrior, a musician, a passionate worshipper, a sinner and yet a man after God's heart. I find it so comforting that God would allow David to know this truth, centuries before it would happen, without scientific proof, or even firsthand experience. Or perhaps you could argue that he was, in fact speaking from the truest and most trustworthy source of scientific knowledge, and that he has firsthand experience with God, the very same person who was coming in the flesh - either way, I am comforted.

Remembering God

Psalm 78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wildernessand grieved him in the desert!41 They tested God again and againand provoked the Holy One of Israel.42 They did not remember his power [2]or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,43 when he performed his signs in Egyptand his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
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I am exactly like the Israelites in the desert, only my desert is my comfort. When I am left alone in my comfort, I am very likely to lose touch with God's reality, the reality that He has been actively participating with my life from start til now and will continue with me forever. I forget, as if my brain were being intentionally sabotaged, on a regular basis how many blessings and amazing answers to prayer He has done.

God, please forgive me today and set me on the right path with you. Call to my mind your fulfilled promises and memories of your faithfulness. You are my God and I desire to serve you with my whole heart. In Jesus' name, amen.

Greater Works than Jesus

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me [9] anything in my name, I will do it.
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Who has ever done greater works than Jesus? Surely his work on the cross and in the tomb and in our hearts is the very greatest miracle possible. So what is he saying? Is he saying that we will simply perform impressive miracles? Elsewhere he says that some willl come to him in the end who have cast out demons in his name, but will not be welcomed because they did not know him. There is some mystery here, or at least some points to pray on.

God, please give me faith and discernment to do things even greater than you have done, whatever that means. You are God, and I love you. You are so high above me, and yet you have called me into service with you. Let Your kingdom come, and I will gladly help in any way I can - in Your name and for Your glory, amen!

Giving One's Life for Christ

John 13:37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
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Peter was willing to die for Christ, but God was calling him to live out a mission. His denial of Christ, followed by repentence, galvanized his dedication to this life.

The Trinitarian Path

John 13:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
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I understand this to mean that one may receive a disciple [or perhaps the Holy Spirit] and take a step towards Jesus. Receiving Jesus is in turn a step towards relationship with God. Relationship with God is then a daily walk in communion with the whole trinity, mankind and creation.

Looking for Love in Signs

Numbers 17:8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.
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I am reminded of Jesus' statement that a wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign.
It seems that God was using signs and wonders to give this rebellious remnant of Israel an opportunity at faith all along. How much more wonderful it is to take God at his word! Certainly a sign of God's power is impressive, but a sign of His Love is the real imperative. We are looking for His love. He is looking for ours.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
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What do I learn from imitating Christ in this? What does it mean to not entrust oneself to people? On one hand this sounds very different from the version of Christianity I have seen. Surely a life of faith is inharmonious with one of distrust. But wait... the verse catches my eye for exactly this reason. Discernment. Following Jesus. This life in Christ is more complex, and yet more clear, than simple naivety.

Kyrie Eleison

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, [11] who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” [12]
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This one always gets me - like the story of the woman with the contant bleeding, or or blind Bartimaus, or the thief on the cross who trusted Him, I find myself in that place of saying, "Lord, have mercy!" and my heart cries out for his grace.

Often we have some small need that provokes us to seek him in this way. Certainly the characters listed above had much larger needs and pains than I have ever known, but they understood that the grace Jesus' offered went much deeper than the surface symptoms. He reached inside to cover sin, to restore life and to salvage relationship with him.

Increase Our Faith

Luke 17
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
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I think that Jesus' challenge here is in direct answer to the apostles' request. They want to want faith. That is, they realize it would be better to have more faith, but they cannot force themselves to believe certain things that they believe they should believe. Jesus sees the circular trap of doubt and issues a singular challenge: JUMP!

There are many who resist the post-modern theology of a leap of faith. Reason and faith must be in harmony, certainly. But what does the mind make of Jesus' challenge regarding seeds and mountains?

Perhaps faith in the little things grows until, eventually, moving mountains and other seemingly permanent objects, is no longer a matter of suspending reason. But from our humble position of faithlessnes, the faith-filled world appears irrational and it is not until we begin to believe that things make sense.

Certainly there are many who come to Christ because He makes the most sense. He is reasonable. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

I suspect that God deals with each individual differently, according to how he made them. So one man might approach Christ through his reason and other through his intellect. But it is God's intention that we would all, in the end, approach him with everything - heart, mind and strength - and Love him with everything.

The Scapegoat

Leviticus 16

20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
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Jesus had all of our sins placed on him in the same way. How lonely and difficult it must have been to receive it! I watched the end of The Passion of the Christ last night and I felt myself being penetrated once again with the Truth of God's sacrificial Love.

We are called to present our bodies as living sacrifices in the image of Him.