February 25, 2015
In Place
Most people are familiar with
Paul’s teaching and instructions on putting on the full armor of God. During a
recent sermon the pastor spoke about being dressed with the “breastplate of righteousness
in place,” however his emphasis was not so much on the breastplate as it was on
being in place. The breastplate, if
it is to be effective, can only be worn over the chest. It occurs to me that
sometimes I might be throwing on my armor without making sure it is adjusted to
the proper fit. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:10-11 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Metaphors are good for only so much. There’s a limited set of characteristics within a metaphor’s object (in this case, the breastplate) which can match a similar limited set in the target (righteousness.) A good metaphor should fit like a glove. But trying to carry on the metaphor after every finger of the glove has been filled with a finger is like putting socks on a rooster.
-----Did the preacher offer why righteousness fits only the heart, as revealed by a breastplate fitting only the chest? I’ve noticed in my life a great deal of contemplation has gone into finally convincing myself to take higher, more righteous roads than the low, easy ones to travel. But contemplation is a thing of the mind. Though the mind involves the heart some, it doesn‘t reside in the chest. So, if we were going to case harden the particular of this metaphor, the mind gets left out, and well, righteousness sought mindlessly indeed strikes me as a leftist activity. We only need look at the consequences fifty years of leftist ingenuity has heaped upon our society to realize the mind does have some to do with righteousness.
-----I think a good comparison for the Salafist ISIS movement chopping and lopping off heads would be the Inquisition. Of course, we would have to pardon the Inquisition’s having moved much more slowly and torturously. But they both are tied at the waist by their identical penchants for thinking God granted to them all of the knowledge of truth and all authority to act accordingly. Also noting nearly two thousand years of splits and divisions and theological walls and barriers cast up everywhere in the church illuminate the danger of righteousness by mind beyond the atrocities committed by the ever knowing Salafists and Inquisitors.
-----”Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Ps 1:1-2) I think it so appropriate that Psalms opens God’s splendor by showing where He stayed our righteousness. Yes, the mind meditates, which is a productive process, but the heart holds. It longs. It desires. And thereby the mind meditates. The mind lingers around the heart’s desire.
-----And there is something interesting about desire. Desire is abstract, knowledge is concrete. Abstract fits many concepts. Concrete is what it is; all else breaks when cast upon it. Knowledge will analyze an idea into pieces looking for keyholes for its keys. Desire merely permeates an idea, softens it, and fits it to its needs. So also, as much as knowledge is a finite quantity, desire never runs short of the capacity to conform thoughts; it is endless. “ I will delight in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word.” (Ps 119:16) “Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov 4:23) Maybe the preacher had not exceeded the bounds of Ppaul's metaphor after all.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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