THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RESPONSE

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RESPONSE

Monday, February 08, 2016

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

James 5:12 … above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation [ὑπόκρισις; hupokrisis; hoop-ok'-ree-sis ].

  We can learn much about people by the manner they respond to questions. More importantly we can discover considerable about self by the way we personally respond to questioning, but only if we are listening to what God’s Word says on the matter.

  Though not always so, there is often question or inquiry that requires no more than yes or no to answer, but when being evasive and/or desiring to shift focus, we respond with a narrative that comes from evil and if not already involved leads to hupokrisis (i.e. hypocrisy in acting a feigned role)

  When pondering this problem personal or societal, please keep in mind the people then hearing or reading God’s Word on the topic. Hebrew ears and eyes were connected to minds knowledgeable of the Genesis account, as with most of us this day.

  The first instance of hupokrisis being far less than straightforward yes or no to God’s interviewing: “… when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

  But that was way back then, wasn’t it?!? We today have much much more of God’s commandments, encouraging exhortations, warnings, and explanation, so our hearing and sight is considerably clearer than Adam and Eve . . . isn’t it? Would we dare to attempt making our sin understandable due to extenuating circumstances absolving us of responsibility or at least serving to make an offense look less serious? My answer is “Yes.”, what’s yours? (This last question is rhetorical for your personal consideration.)

EBB4