Nathanael Szobody on “He who winketh with the eye,” has an evil mind; but he who understands the invitation of the eye is not pure…for he who says Raca to his brother is guilty before the council, but he who hears it, when it is said to him, is not perfect in love.
–Soren Kierkegaard
Nathanael Szobody on The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has voted against blessing same-sex unions and ordaining homosexual ministers. As a Lutheran minister being interviewed on NPR explains, there seems to be two gospels being preached in the Lutheran church: one, a gospel of affirmation, the other, a gospel of transformation.
Nathanael Szobody on In Romans 7 Paul talks about his own struggle with the flesh. He says (in my paraphrase) that he always seems to find himself doing exactly the opposite of what he desires to do, i.e. the good that he wants to do and knows he should do. Then he makes an interesting statement: “…if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Wow, sounds like a license to sin; hey it’s not me who does it!! Man I’m likin’ this!
Nathanael Szobody on We read the book of Revelation, Jesus’ prophecies concerning the end times and Daniel’s visions as well, and we try to make some sense of it all. What we get at first is that there will certainly be judgement.
We pray that God’s kingdom comes, but do we really mean it? I mean, do we look forward to the judgement? I’ve often found myself praying that God’s kingdom come, when what I really mean is “may the present aspect of your kingdom be realized.” What I mean by the ‘present aspect’ is the reign and rule of Christ in the hearts of his people.
Now as theologically correct as this may be it is also somewhat of a subterfuge. Christ’s kingdom is most certainly here to some extent; the essence of it is realized through a communion with him through faith. But certainly his kingdom will not come fully until all sin is judged and we dwell with him in the new creation.
So is it wrong to desire not to be alive on this earth in the last days? The prophecies are full of comfort for the believers that Christ is in control and that those who remain faithful will be rewarded, but does that mean we are to look forward to it? Or perhaps the position of the believer is simply to be at peace with what is going on around, whatever the time that has been given.
Of course this seems to be the only viable answer–to the point of being almost cliche. But practically this could seem like a passivity that borders apathy. God revealed these things to us for a reason; there is real spiritual combat that does and will take place.
I suppose fear is never the right way to approach life, for I John 4:18 says that there is no fear in love. How can we be afraid of Christ’s coming? And yet will not all be in awe and fall the their knees at the sight of Jesus coming to judge the world? Whatever the case; I know that I am to pray and desire for him to come and rid this life of all the sin and pain that besets it, and to bring us to eternal joy with him. As for the judgement, that will continually shape my outlook on the future and its ramifications for life today–thought perhaps I can’t define exactly how yet.
Nathanael Szobody on Ever wonder what the relationship is between the new man and the old man as they are both felt to be present in the life of a Christian? Luther explains thus:
If here upon earth, the body is unwilling, not capable of grace and Christ’s leading, it must bear the Spirit, upon which Christ rides, who trains it and leads it along by the power of greace, received through Christ. The colt, ridden by Christ, upon which no on ever rode, is the willing spirit, whom no one before could make willing, tame or ready, save Christ by his grace. However the sack-carrier, the burden-bearer, the old Adam, is the flesh, which goes riderless without Christ; it must for this reason bear the cross and remain a beast of burden.
Nathanael Szobody on In Deuteronomy 14 God instructs his people on how they are to go about tithing when they come into the land:
22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire
Nathanael Szobody on That which the apostle [James] warns against is the disturbing of God’s blessed being through the unrest of temptation, as if his heart had either become cold or weak. That which he emphasizes is that as God’s all powerful hand made everything good, so he, the Father of Lights, still constant makes everything good in every moment, everything into a good and perfect gift for everyone who has the heart to humble himself, heart enough to be confident.
— Soren Kierkegaard
Nathanael Szobody on Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel
Throughout the centuries the doctrine of the virgin birth has been one of the key tenets of the Christian faith. And this rightly so. Matthew certainly takes time to explain exactly how the conception and birth of Jesus Christ came to pass, and exactly what the reactions of Joseph and Mary were through the whole unfolding of events. As selective as Matthew and the other gospel writers are in their choice of events to record out of the life of Jesus, every event must be seen as significant to the purpose of their writing.
Nathanael Szobody on We read of St Vincent, that, about to die, and seeing death at his feet, he said: Death! what wilt thou? Thinkest thou to gain anything of a Christian? Knowest thou not that I am a Christian? Even so should we learn to condemn, scorn, and deride death. Likewise, it is written in the history of St Martin, that being near his death, he saw the devil standing at his bed’s feet, and boldly said: Why standest thou there, thou horrible beast? thou hast nothing to do with me. These were right words of faith. Such and the like ought we to cull out of the legends of the saints, wholly omitting the fooleries that the papists have stuffed therein.
–Martin Luther
Nathanael Szobody on For the Christian who sees temporal pleasures as by definition distractions from a life of godliness and therefore sinful, then for them this is in fact the case. And no one should say that he is foolish to avoid such things.
For the Christian who sees temporal pleasures as gifts from God meant to create a joyful spirit of thanksgiving to him, thereby strengthening his fellowship with him, then for them this is in fact the case. And no one should try to burden him with guilt.
For in Christ righteousness is not defined by rules but by what serves to enjoy the gifts of God, both spiritual and physical, in a way that produces a spirit of service to others.
As a Christian music group puts it: “Freedom is sometimes just another perspective away.”