“Il cuore conosce la propria amarezza, e alla sua gioia non partecipa un estraneo.” (Proverbi 14:10) Meditazione giornaliera “Apri la porta del tuo cuore”. Rubrica a cura di Anna Cupertino. Speaker: Daniele Magliulo. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01319tF5LdA
Lesson 2.The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness? | 2.1 A Brokenhearted Savior
Lesson 2.The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness?
The Heart of Christianity: Love, Resistance, and Community in the Early Church
Warm welcome to the second lesson of our comprehensive thematic cycle “From Shadow to Light.” In this lesson, we will delve deeply into an essential question that touches the heart of our spiritual journey: Love or Egoism? This fundamental choice, which each of us makes daily, influences not only our personal lives but also our relationships, our community, and ultimately our entire worldview.
In this lesson, we will explore the profound significance of love in the Christian context and how it acts as an antidote to egoism and darkness. We will bring together biblical concepts, inspiring stories, and practical applications to gain a deeper understanding of the transformative power of unconditional love. Additionally, we will shed light on the themes of providence, fidelity, caring for the community, and the enduring legacy of love.
Let us dive together into this lesson to recognize how we can personally and collectively tread the path from the shadow of egoism towards the light of love. Prepare to be inspired, challenged, and encouraged as we explore these profound principles of the Christian faith together.
2.1 A Brokenhearted Savior
The Broken Heart of Jesus: Love, Warning, and the Tragedy of Jerusalem
The section “A Savior with a Broken Heart” speaks of the deep emotional connection and boundless compassion Jesus had for His people, especially concerning the impending destruction of Jerusalem. The text emphasizes Jesus’ love and His repeated efforts to warn and call people to repentance.
The quoted Bible passages from Luke, Matthew, and John illustrate Jesus’ compassionate attitude and His efforts to bring His people to repentance. They also depict the sad reality of human rebellion and rejection that broke Jesus’ heart.
Read Luke 19:41–44; Matthew 23:37–38, and John 5:40. What do these verses tell you about Jesus’ attitude towards His people and their response to His gracious and merciful invitation? How do you see God’s character revealed?
The quoted Bible passages from Luke 19:41–44; Matthew 23:37–38, and John 5:40 provide deep insights into Jesus’ attitude towards His people and their response to His message.
In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus expresses His deep sorrow and regret over the impending destruction of Jerusalem. He demonstrates strong empathy and loving concern for the people who did not accept His message and offer of grace and mercy.
Matthew 23:37-38 also shows Jesus’ deep regret and His loving invitation to His people, but also their rejection and unwillingness to accept Him as the promised Messiah.
John 5:40 emphasizes individual responsibility and choice in faith. Jesus shows that despite His loving invitation and revelation of His divine identity, some choose not to accept Him.
Regarding God’s character amidst the destruction of Jerusalem, it is crucial to recognize that God is always loving, merciful, and just. His heart was deeply broken seeing the suffering of His people. He always sought ways to guide, protect, and love His people. The tragic events were not a direct work of God but the natural consequences of the people’s rebellion and choices.
It is also essential to emphasize that Satan is portrayed as the instigator of chaos, deception, and destruction. He exploits human suffering and weakness to cause confusion and blame God for the consequences of his own evil deeds.
In summary, these Bible verses and the subsequent text highlight Jesus’ deep love and compassion for His people, human rejection of His loving invitation, and God’s enduring love, mercy, and justice even amidst suffering and tragedy. It invites us to reflect deeper on human responsibility, God’s character, and the role of Satan in the spiritual battle.
Read Matthew 24:15–20. What instruction did Jesus give His people to save them from the impending destruction of Jerusalem?
In Matthew 24:15–20, Jesus gives His disciples a clear instruction regarding the impending destruction of Jerusalem:
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.”
This instruction from Jesus was an urgent appeal to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions to flee in time to escape the impending disaster. It was a divine warning signal to save as many as possible from the imminent destruction by the Roman troops.
It is crucial to emphasize how much God was concerned about the well-being of His people. Despite the impending destruction, He provided clear instructions to save lives. This demonstrates God’s loving and caring nature, even in times of trials and disasters.
Reflect on the following statement: We do not judge God’s character by the events we see around us; rather, we filter all events we see through the prism of His loving character as revealed in the Bible. Why is this very good advice?
The statement that we should not judge God’s character solely based on the events around us but filter all events through the prism of His loving character as revealed in the Bible is profound and wise advice for several reasons:
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Limited human understanding: As humans, we have a limited understanding of the world and the events that take place within it. Our perspective is often restricted and can easily deceive us. If we judge based solely on what we see, we could easily come to false conclusions about God’s character.
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The Bible as a reliable source: The Bible is regarded by many as the Word of God and provides a comprehensive portrayal of God’s character, His intentions, and His actions throughout history. By filtering events through the teachings and principles of the Bible, we gain a clearer perspective of God’s true character.
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Love as a central attribute of God: The Bible reveals God as love (1 John 4:8). Viewing all events through the lens of His love helps us better understand the intentions behind His actions and see the world from a perspective of hope and trust.
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Avoiding hasty conclusions: Without a solid framework or filter, we might be tempted to jump to premature conclusions about God’s character, especially in challenging or painful times. Holding onto a loving image of God’s character helps us remain steadfast amid uncertainty and suffering.
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Strengthening faith and trust: By remembering that God is always loving and caring, even when we may not immediately recognize it, we bolster our faith and trust in Him. This enables us to remain steadfast during difficult times and rely on God’s guidance and care.
In summary, the advice to view all events through the lens of God’s loving character is a valuable guideline that helps us gain a deeper and more accurate insight into God’s nature and intentions, while also reminding us to remain firm in faith and trust, regardless of the circumstances we face.
The central themes of Lesson 2 and the accompanying Bible verses – love, resistance, and community – have direct implications for our daily lives and our faith. Here are some connections and considerations:
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Love as a central element: In our daily lives, we often encounter challenges, conflicts, and misunderstandings. Recognizing Jesus’ deep love for us and all people can inspire us to be more loving, understanding, and compassionate ourselves. It encourages us not to give up in difficult times and to show mercy and patience to others.
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Community and resistance: The early Christians in the early church remained firmly anchored in their community and faith in Jesus Christ despite persecution and resistance. This attitude reminds us of the importance of sticking together in difficult times, strengthening our community, and standing up for our beliefs, even if it means facing resistance or rejection.
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Trust in God’s guidance: As emphasized in Matthew 24:15–20, God gives us clear instructions and guidelines for our lives. It reminds us that we can rely on God and trust Him, even when we don’t always understand why certain things happen in our lives.
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The prism of love: Considering all events through the prism of God’s loving character has a transformative power for our daily lives. It helps us change our perspective, find positive aspects in difficult situations, and maintain hope and trust in everything.
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Human responsibility: As emphasized in John 5:40, we as individuals have responsibility and choice in faith. This reminds us that our actions, decisions, and faith play a role and that we need to actively work on our relationship with God.
Overall, Lesson 2 teaches us how to prioritize love over selfishness, live in community, resist, and trust in God’s loving guidance in all situations. These lessons are not only relevant for our spiritual journey but also for how we lead our daily lives, maintain relationships, and handle challenges.
Despite life’s challenges, Jesus’ unconditional love and compassion remind us of God’s gracious and just character.
Misplaced Love
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. Psalm 105:26.
Aaron was a man of amiable disposition, whom God selected to stand with Moses and speak for him…. God might have chosen Aaron as leader; but He who is acquainted with hearts, who understands character, knew that Aaron was yielding and lacked moral courage to stand in defense of the right under all circumstances, irrespective of consequences. Aaron’s desire to have the good will of the people sometimes led him to commit great wrongs…. The same lack of firmness for the right in his family resulted in the death of two of his sons…. Nadab and Abihu failed to reverence the command of God to offer sacred fire upon their censers with the incense before Him….
Here is seen the result of loose discipline. As these sons of Aaron had not been educated to respect and reverence the commands of their father, as they disregarded parental authority, they did not realize the necessity of explicitly following the requirements of God…. Contrary to God’s express direction, they dishonored Him by offering common instead of sacred fire. God visited them with His wrath; fire went forth from His presence and destroyed them.
Aaron bore his severe affliction with patience and humble submission. Sorrow and keen agony wrung his soul. He was convicted of his neglect of duty. He was priest of the most high God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. He was priest of his household, yet he had been inclined to pass over the folly of his children. He had neglected his duty to train and educate them to obedience, self-denial, and reverence for parental authority. Through feelings of misplaced indulgence, he failed to mold their characters with high reverence for eternal things. Aaron did not see, any more than many Christian parents now see, that his misplaced love and the indulgence of his children in wrong was preparing them for the certain displeasure of God…. His gentle remonstrance, without a firm exercise of parental restraint, and his imprudent tenderness toward his sons were cruelty in the extreme.7Testimonies for the Church 3:293-295.
Courage and Conflict p. 102
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for our family. Buck
—-Please pray that the advertising done for our special Sabbath program will bring people into our church and lead people to Jesus. Kathy
—-Please pray to GOD for my complete healing and recovery from Parkinson’s disease. Myke
—-I would also like to have prayers for a friend of mine who is still struggling with the death of her husband and son. Name is Reta. A couple months or so ago he went to work and literally fell dead and a month later the son died. Maryanne
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Dear Friends,
A week or so ago, I was looking at some old photos and videos of when Ronnie Jay and Esther were in college. I was reminded of something that happened after Esther’s recital. All of the attendees were invited to the main level for refreshments. I asked Ronnie Jay if he would take pictures since I had left my camera at home. He handed me his camera, so I could click away at my heart’s content.
After I had taken quite a few pictures, I decided that I’d have a few tortilla chips and a glass of punch. I hung the camera around my neck (a big mistake for someone as klutzy as I) and balanced them on my lap. Esther’s professor came over to talk to me. This made me nervous as I’m a little shy and I also knew all of the troubles he had given Esther that year, but here he was praising her profusely. Suddenly, as I turned my head to look at him (he was behind the chair that was beside me) the nearly full cup of juice became airborne and overturned all over Ronnie Jay’s camera as well as all down the front of me.
I didn’t even think of my pale blue suit that was now wet and sticky. I had only one concern. I grabbed Ronnie Jay’s camera and looked around for some way to dry it. The professor rushed to get some paper towels. I followed. After drying it carefully, I found my son to tell him what had happened. I knew how much that camera meant to him as he loved to go out into the fields and woods and take pictures of various wild animals. He was very sweet about it and assured me that it was ok. He knew it was an accident. Then, after looking it over carefully, he took a picture of me (I looked very distressed) and put the camera in its case.
On the way home, he was assessing the damage. All seemed to work except the zoom was slower than normal. I offered to see if it could be fixed, but he thought it would be alright after using it for a while. How thankful I was that Ronnie Jay understood and forgave me!
How often we fall into sin just as easily as I overturned the sticky fruit punch. Soon we are covered with our sin just as surely as the camera and I was wet with sticky juice. Soon we are in the condition Isaiah described, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isa 1:5, 6 We become alarmed and attempt to clean ourselves up, but we soon find we are unable to do so. As Jeremiah says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer 13:23
Praise God! There is Someone Who can clean us up! He, Who gave His Life for us, not only forgives us, but He helps us to follow His example. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 1:9-2:6
Yet, although Our Loving God forgives, He does not always take away the consequences. Often the scars remain just as surely as the zoom on Ronnie Jay’s camera did not respond as quickly as it did before the sticky bath I gave it. They are reminders so we may not want to do wrong again and desire always to do the right. May we do those things that are pleasing in His sight is my prayer.
Rose
The Great Controversy – Lesson 2.The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness? | Sabbath School with Pastor Mark Finley
Series THE GREAT CONTROVERSY with Pastor Mark Finley |
Lesson 2.The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness? |
The Heart of Christianity: Love, Resistance, and Community in the Early Church |
In the second lesson, we delve deeply into the heart of the Christian faith, characterized by love, care, and selflessness. This lesson highlights significant moments in the lives of Jesus and the early Christians who, despite rejection, persecution, and tragedies, left a legacy of love. We will explore the transformative power of love in the lives of believers and its impact on the world around them.
Memory Text: Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Content:
2.1 A Brokenhearted Savior
The Broken Heart of Jesus: Love, Warning, and the Tragedy of Jerusalem
The Savior Jesus Christ felt deep pain and sorrow at the rejection and rebellion of his own people, as described in Luke 19:41–44 and Matthew 23:37–38. His broken heart reveals God’s boundless love and mercy, which persist despite human disobedience. The destruction of Jerusalem was a tragic consequence of human decisions, not God’s direct will. Jesus even warned his people about the impending disaster and provided instructions for escape to save as many as possible. Satan uses such tragedies to sow confusion and blame, while God is always striving to offer salvation and rescue.
2.2 Christians Providentially Preserved
God’s Sovereign Guidance: Protection and Preservation of His Church
God’s providence and protection for His church are clearly visible in the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem. When the Roman troops unexpectedly withdrew from Jerusalem and the Jewish troops pursued them, the Christians seized the opportunity to flee to Pella. This “promised sign” testifies to God’s guidance and care for His followers. Psalm 46:2 and Isaiah 41:10 emphasize God’s unwavering presence and protection amidst uncertainty and threat. Although Christians often experience persecution and suffering, as described in Hebrews 11:35–38 and Revelation 2:10, God preserves His church and continues His work despite resistance.
2.3 Faithful Amid Persecution
Unwavering Faith and Rapid Growth: Early Christianity Amidst Persecution
Despite intense persecution and threats in the early centuries of Christianity, the church grew rapidly. The Acts of the Apostles shows that the disciples boldly proclaimed the Gospel filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. This faithfulness and unwavering belief led to profound changes and numerous conversions. Even under the harshest conditions and despite resistance from paganism and Roman authorities, the Gospel spread relentlessly. Pliny the Younger’s letter to Emperor Trajan confirms that Christianity was widespread just a few decades after the crucifixion and was perceived as a threat, despite the persecutions and danger to believers.
2.4 Caring for the Community
Active Compassion and Holistic Healing: Authentic Christianity of the Early Church
The early Christian community was characterized not only by its proclamation of the Gospel but also by its active compassion. They lived out Jesus’ example by attending to the needs of people and striving for both physical and spiritual healing. The Acts of the Apostles shows that the community was caring and supportive, sharing with one another and caring for those in need. This authentic Christianity emphasized not only the spiritual but also the practical side of faith, restoring the image of God in humanity and contributing to healing in all areas of life. This holistic approach demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel and its profound impact on the world.
2.5 A Legacy of Love
Love as the Hallmark of True Christianity: A Legacy of Compassion and Selflessness
The verses from John and the first letter of John emphasize the central importance of love in the Christian faith. They reveal that true Christians are distinguished by their love for one another, posing a direct challenge to Satan’s temptations in the Great Controversy. These verses teach us that genuine Christianity is lived not just in words but primarily in acts of love. Historical accounts of the Christian community in the early centuries confirm this impressively, especially during times of pandemics. Despite the dangers, Christians showed selfless care and served the sick and suffering, deeply impacting those around them and leading many to faith in Jesus. This legacy of love and selflessness remains an inspiring example of Christian action to this day.
2.6 Summary
The Heart of the Christian Faith: Love, Care, and Resistance Against Selfishness
Lesson 2 highlights the core of the Christian faith: unconditional love and care. Despite rejection and tragedy in Jerusalem, Jesus showed deep love and mercy towards people. This love and God’s providence preserved the early Christians in times of persecution and led to rapid growth of the church. Authentic Christianity was characterized by active compassion, both spiritually and physically. Finally, the verses from John emphasize the essential role of love in faith and demonstrate how the Christian community left a profound legacy through their selfless love and care.
Sunday: A Brokenhearted Savior
Daily Lesson for Sunday 7th of April 2024
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem, His heart was broken. John’s Gospel says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11, NKJV). Jesus did everything He could to save His people from the coming destruction of their beloved city.
Jesus’ love for His people flowed from a heart of infinite love. He repeatedly appealed to them in love to repent and accept His gracious invitation of mercy.
Read Luke 19:41-44; Matthew 23:37-38; and John 5:40. What do these verses tell you about Jesus’ attitude toward His people and their response to His loving invitation of grace and mercy? What revelation of God’s character do you see?
Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com
It is difficult to understand such an event as the destruction of Jerusalem in the light of God’s loving character. History reveals that tens of thousands died as the Roman general Titus led his armies against the city. Jerusalem was devastated. Men, women, and children were slaughtered. Where was God when His people suffered so greatly? The answer is clear but not easy to grasp fully. God’s heart was broken. His eyes were filled with tears. For centuries He reached out to His people. By their rebellion against His loving-kindness, they forfeited His divine protection. God does not always intervene to limit the results of His people’s choices. He allows the natural consequences of rebellion to develop. God did not cause the slaughter of innocent children in the destruction of Jerusalem; the tragic death of the innocents was Satan’s act, not God’s.
Satan delights in war because it stirs the worst passions of the human heart. Down through the centuries, it has been his purpose to deceive and destroy and then blame his evil actions on God.
Read Matthew 24:15-20. What instruction did Jesus give to His people to save them from the coming destruction of Jerusalem?
It is well to remember that the vast majority of Christians living in Jerusalem in a.d. 70 came from a Jewish background. A loving God desired to preserve as many of His people as possible. That is why He gave the instruction that when the Roman armies approached, they were to flee the city.
Reflect on the following statement: we do not judge God’s character by events we see around us; rather, we filter all the events we see through the prism of His loving character as revealed in the Bible. Why is this such good counsel?
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