Daily Discount
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
Deny Himself – What does this mean? What must I do to deny myself? Is it like the Roman Catholic practice of giving up something desirable for lent? Should I refuse myself food, pleasure or gain? Or does Yeshua mean that I must reject the ploy of immoral behavior? Is this about refusing to lie, cheat or steal – or any other morally suspect act?
We would like to have a list, wouldn’t we? Then we could check off the “I didn’t do that” box for each action and consider ourselves denied. Of course, that isn’t what Yeshua means. But when we ask exactly what He does mean, we get confused. Maybe a return to the Garden will help.
The Greek here is arnesastho heauton.[1] The meaning is pretty clear: to refuse or deny oneself. The verb is used once in the Torah of the LXX for the Hebrew kahash (Genesis 18:15). The Hebrew verb basically means “to lie.” The example is Sarah’s statement, “I did not laugh.” Sarah denied the truth. So, how does this help us see what Yeshua means (considering he did not use the Greek term)? Let’s think once more about the Garden.
In the Garden, the serpent asks Havvah to act upon something that is not true, namely, her personal assessment of what is “good.” In other words, the serpent agrees that God prohibits eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but he suggests that Havvah has the “right” to decide for herself. She should be the one who determines what is good and what is evil. In that moment, human beings are introduced to a second step in ethical evaluation. The issue is no longer what God says. The issue becomes what I decide about what God says. Kahash is to reject God’s truth and replace it with my truth. Therefore, to deny myself is to reverse what happened in the Garden. To deny myself is to acknowledge my own propensity to pursue self-satisfying evaluation and to discount how I see things. It is to opt for God’s view regardless of my evaluation. To deny myself is to listen to Him rather than me.
Now we have a guideline that works in any situation. We avoid “checklist” ethics. We simply ask, “Have I discounted my own assessment? Have I squared my behavior with what He says regardless of my personal evaluation?” To deny myself is to stop listening to me – and to pay attention only to Him.
Topical Index: self-denial, arnesastho, kahash, Luke 9:23
[1] The Textus Receptus read aparnesastho. There is no explanation in the NA 27th edition for this change.
Kudos on an excellent lesson about a very important commandment; is it true that in the Hebrew language when there is a list of objects or separate actions in order that usually the first one listed is the most important? If this were true, then what Jesus would say to those wanting to follow Him, “deny himself” would carry more importance than “take up his execution-stake daily” and “keep following Me.”
One of the techniques used in languages without punctuation is word placement. So, yes, we should look at the first word (in the Greek or Hebrew text, not the English) to see what the emphasis might be. But there are other techniques and those need to be considered too.
“That’s What He Said.” This should have been the answer given to HaSatan when He first asked Eve the twisted question “Hath G-d said?” or maybe we ourselves might “twist” His words to say- “did G-d really say that?”. Mr Twister- that is who HaSatan is. Let us look once again at “iniquity” to see the “twistedness” of sin. (“Perversion” is the political incorrect term for this). Calling black-“white” and white- “black”. Saying up is down and down is up. You see, all HaSatan had to do was to just slightly alter “G-d hath said” by “rearranging” the order of these three words (or twisting them).
We also are very capable of “twisting” our words. (We’ll save this matter for another day..)
G-d says what He means and He means what He says. (Get a “tat” if necessary- to remind yourself of this fact). -G-d don’t play-. (like we do). He cannot lie.(like we can). The mother of Yeshua was absolutely positively “spot on” when she said to the servants- “whatever He says for you to do- do it.”
“Remember” the words of Pharaoh to Moses? – “Who is the LORD- that I should obey Him?” (He “too late”- found out “the hard way” didn’t he?)
“It is written” (don’t you love those three words?- I know someone who doesn’t!) – Ps 138:2 I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy Name.
You know it. I know it. Hallelujah!- G-d is “always Faithful” to keep His word. “G-d hath said” and “it came to pass” have a long history of being true.
Many of us (I’ll quickly confess my guilt) take what G-d says- (black print on white paper) and then run it past the “twisted” judgment bar of our minds. “Cafeteria Christianity” if you will. “I’ll have a little of this, but none of that”, thank you.
“Remember” the truth. “Remember” -what He said. It is the function of the Ruach HaKodesh to “help” us to remember His words. Why? -What place does the word of G-d hold in our lives? How necessary are His words to our existence? Do we esteem His words? Do we value His book or is it laying somewhere on a shelf collecting dust until next Sunday when we tip our hat to YHWH by reluctantly acknowledging His lordship by “dutifully” attending a “worship” service somewhere.
Yeshua defeated Hasatan as a man. Why?- He was showing us something. He was teaching- always teaching- with every breath, every word, every action- He was teaching. What did Yeshua demonstrate to us? What were the words that proceeded forth out of the mouth of the G-d/man consistently in answer to the prince of posers? Yes, and amen- “It is written.” Not my will (what I want)- but Thy will- (what You want) be done. Not my words- His words. Not my ways- His ways. Not my wisdom- His wisdom. –“That’s what He said”. (Amen.)
“What did Yeshua demonstrate to us?
…. It is written.” Not my will (what I want)- but Thy will- (what You want) be done. Not my words- His words. Not my ways- His ways. Not my wisdom- His wisdom. –”That’s what He said”. (Amen.)
Hi Carl,
With all due respect, I think your argument is very unclear, but what you are saying is true.
Yeshua is advising others to follow his Father’s will, not his own will; Yeshua is the Son.
Even his disciples in Luke compare Yeshua to John and John is just a man.
Please see Luke 11:1-4 below.
Luke 11:1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Luke 11:3 ‘Give us each day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'”
Yeshua is advising others to follow his Father’s will, not his own will; Yeshua is the Son.
We might run into danger of “chasing our own tail” here but Yeshua was G-d in human flesh. He is the Logos Incarnate. He was (and is!) the Son of G-d and was (and is!) the Son of Man. (His favorite name for Himself!).
G-d entered into humanity in the form of a man. The Divine became Human. This G-d/Man lived His entire “life” while here on this planet as a man. From His virgin birth to His ascension into the heavens He never “pulled rank” but lived in humility as a man. He did this in order to “show us the way to the Father, yet at the same time- He is the way to the Father- yet, at the same time He said (His words) “I and my Father are one!” If you don’t think I’m confused by all this “trinity talk” you’ve got another “think” coming! (It makes me dizzy- trying to “figure it out.”
But here is the “glory” of it Michael. I serve a G-d whose thoughts are not my thoughts and whose ways are not my ways! I am very much “plugged into”- “Hear O Israel, the LORD our G-d is ONE.” Father, Son and Holy Breath- these three agree in ONE. Again- One LORD, One Faith, and ONE Baptism- One G-d and Father of all. (I believe G-d’s favorite number is one! “The two shall become one flesh!! “In Christ” we find the union of two houses- (both) the human and the holy. Also suprisingly to me, again “in Christ” we find the perfect man AND the perfect woman!!. (In the image of G-d made He them!)
Woah! Are you dizzy yet? … (me too!). Hear my confession brother Michael.. “the LORD- He is G-d!! I would love to shout this from the mountaintops! the LORD- He is G-d!!
We are all going to be very much surprised (I guarantee it!) when we “get there” and stand (I’ll be kneeling! -and on my face) before Him. Those who have “encountered” Him fell at His feet as a dead man. He will not “appear” as a Lamb at His next advent- this time around it will be as the Lion of the tribe of Judah!. – Not to worry,- you’ll know Him when you see Him- just look for the one with the nailprints in His hands!!…
I was also reminded of this verse found in Matthew 16.16- Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Yeshua apparently was happy with his answer:) – Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. (v17)
I would like to “add” to Simon Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living G-d (and you are the Messiah- G-d, the (now living) Son!”)
The ONE who was crucified on the cross (and rose the third day!) was the same ONE who created this world. “For G-d indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and He hath placed in us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5.19)
Hi Carl,
Thanks for your reply; it is very clear and the logic is finely tuned!
I’ve got to walk my dog Max back over to the family’s house now.
When I get back I’ll find a bone to pick or hair to split with you 🙂
=:0 I can hardly wait!.. nuthin’ I enjoy more than bone pickin’ and hair-splittin’.. -bring-it brother!! (lol!!) This we do know- ..- G-d is love and Jesus is Wonderful!
“in Matthew 16.16- Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Yeshua apparently was happy with his answer:) – Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. (v17)”
Hi Carl, I’m back.
In the statement above, Jesus asks his disciples who he, the “Son of Man,” is.
Peter tells Jesus that the Son of Man is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
So, in my view, Jesus = Son of Man = Messiah = Son of the living God (Father).
Jesus then tells Simon that the message was not revealed by flesh and blood.
In my view, by flesh and blood Jesus means himself, not his Father in Heaven.
If I may ask (very bluntly) who (then) is Jesus? And again (very personally) who is Jesus to you? -Is He worthy of our worship and if so.. why?
For me Jesus is the hero and most important character in the Bible, next to God.
On a personal level, I tend to think of Jesus as a gift from God to show us how to live.
He represents a fully developed human being and a model of psychological and spiritual perfection.
I believe he is the Messiah, a Son of the living God, and a much kinder and gentler character than his Father, whom I worship 🙂
Just one small suggestion. For a century, German higher criticism has influenced the Church with its proposal that the God of the Old Testament is stern, angry, harsh and basically implacable. In opposition, this view also sees Jesus as a gentle soul full of love for others. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. The God of Israel is filled with hesed, showing Himself to be merciful, compassionate, kind and gentle. Of course, He is also holy and that brings with it wrath over sin. All these characteristics are seen at various times. They are also just as much true for Jesus. If we put aside our presuppositions and just read the text, we will find that Jesus is the manifestation of the Father, in all ways. But since not all the characteristics are manifest as the same time, we should expect that we see each of these attributes on various occasions. By His own admission, the Son shows us everything we need to know about the Father. When the Messiah returns, we will see the rest of the picture.
Hi Skip,
Well I’m just a student of the Bible with a lot to learn but I’m not really part of any Church or particular school of thought.
My view of God is probably most strongly influenced by my readings of Genesis, Job, Isaiah, and Mark.
God has been very good to me and I’m very grateful to Him.
I’ve probably tested Him more than He has tested me.
“The God of Israel is filled with hesed, showing Himself to be merciful, compassionate, kind and gentle.”
“If we put aside our presuppositions and just read the text, we will find that Jesus is the manifestation of the Father, in all ways.”
Hi Skip,
I’m open to your points above but they are not clear to me; if you would be so kind as to bear with me, I’ll share what I see.
The God of Israel is the same, both harsh and capable of kindness and mercy, in both Testaments.
One could argue that God’s treatment (test) of Jesus is even harsher than His treatment (test) of Job, but in either case it is extremely harsh and lacking in kindness and mercy.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes a model of kindness that is antithetical to the wrath of God.
In my view, with Jesus, the God of Israel is giving us a new Man to model; a Prince of Peace.
We are not supposed to act like God, we are supposed to obey His commandments
Let me see if I can offer some thoughts here.
1. Use of the term “harsh” might inadvertently set the tone for comments on God’s character. God displays enormous patience, goodness and mercy – until such time as repentance and restoration are deemed impossible. Then we see His wrath. But wrath is not “harsh.” It is the inevitable consequence of the demand for holiness. Would we consider the surgeon harsh when he cuts away a cancerous tumor? His actions are radical. He spills blood. But we know that the operation is needed to save a life. God does the same thing. When He eventually shows wrath, He is cutting away a tumor that, if left alone, would infect the entire body. The overwhelming theme of the entire biblical record is not this saving surgery. It is the mercy, forbearance and grace of God. Wrath only shows up when all else fails. By the way, wrath is not the same as chastisement. Chastisement is always aimed at restoration. Wrath is punishment. The difference is important since it helps us see that a lot of God’s apparently severe acts are really attempts to push His people back into alignment. Kind of like a child who needs correction.
2. The biblical record points out the Yeshua volunteered for this assignment. The Father did not insist on it. Furthermore, while Job’s experience may have been a test, Yeshua’s experience was not a test. It was the execution of a redemptive plan developed before the foundation of the world. There is no sense of “test” here, as if the Father is attempting to assess the reliability of the Son. Careful reading of the Matthew account shows that the Father declares His full favor over the Son before a single event in the ministry occurs (“This is My Son in whom I am well pleased’). It is the Accuser who attempts to circumvent the redemptive plan (Note the difference between the occurrence of the “test” with Job and the “test” of Yeshua). While it is true that the Spirit drives Yeshua into the wilderness, there is no indication that it is God who initiates the testing. As we read the rest of the story about Yeshua’s life, we see Him declare that He was born for just this experience, we see that He remains in control of the circumstances at every moment, we see that He could have called for relief at any time and we see the agony of the Father over the evil done to the Son.
3. The Beatitudes are far more complicated than a surface reading suggests. While they do describe the state of being for people who experience the Kingdom, this does not mean that they offer a full picture. The full picture comes from the connections between Yeshua’s words and the parallels in the Tanakh. In addition, if we look carefully at the predicate adjectives that introduce each of the descriptions of these people, we will be shocked to see that each one contains implications about the nature and character of God Himself. So, in this sense, the Beatitudes describe who God is – and according to these verses, He is not harsh and full of wrath.
4. While we can certainly see the model of the truly human being (the new man) in Yeshua, that model cannot be divorced from the picture of the Father in the Tanakh. After all, Yeshua Himself commends us to see the Father in Him. If He were so contrary to the Father, He would not ask us to look at Him in order to see the Father. Finally, the term “Prince of Peace” is actually part of an extended name (see my previous Today’s Word on this) from Isaiah 9. The full name includes “eternal Father,” so we have to incorporate all the name into the characterization of God.
5. On the issue of obedience, we are in fact commanded to be like God (Lev. 19:2 – cited with Greek mistranslation in Matthew 5:48). Obedience is the process by which I take on the characteristics of God. The whole purpose is to act like God.
Hope this helps with the discussion. Thanks for putting up with my long answer.
ah.. the “rest” of the story!!– lol!!- that’s right brother Skip!- like the commercials we see on t.v.- “but wait!- “there’s more!” G-d has promised (to each and to all)- if you seek me with ALL your heart- you will find me. But you know and I know- with G-d and “in Christ”- there is (always) more!.
Brother Drew… help me out here.. – let’s return to Isaiah 53 and look once again at His name. Maintaining the Hebrew worldview (amen,brother Skip!) G-d’s name will give us a clue as to His identity.
If we were to say G-d’s name- we would run out of breath before we finished. My full name is Carl Elton Roberts. But the full name of YHWH goes on and on and on. Do a short study on this Name and you will quickly realize the grandeur of G-d and the tee-ninsy speck of dust we are in His image. The LORD our Counselor, Comforter, Creator..- the list is endless my friend. “Who is the LORD that I should obey Him” is a very relevant question for all of us (still today!).
This Jesus- this G-d/Man, this second Adam, this Holy ONE, this name above all names, this Savior, this Deliver, this Advocate, this Artist, this Architect, this Foundation, this Lamb of G-d which taketh away the sin(s) of the world is “more” than I know. I can’t find the bottom and I can’t find the top or the sides. He is holy G-d -far above my limited ability to begin to fathom.
Yeshua said, “I AM.” My confession is: – “He is.’ (not was.. not shall be.. IS- as in “right now”). He is the G-d who rules. He is the G-d who reigns. Our Sovereign Savior- King of kings and LORD of lords. My mouth is too little and my brain too small to “attempt” to describe Him.
“Bow the knee” is all I can do. I worship the ONE known as Jesus. He is worthy. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy, holy is He. With all creation I sing- Praise to the King of kings- He is my everything, and I will adore Him.
Now.. “back to the Bible”- brother Skip! – precept upon precept and line upon line- we will continue to “learn of Him”. Tell me the story of Jesus- write on my heart “every word.”
The biblical record points out the Yeshua volunteered for this assignment. The Father did not insist on it. Furthermore, while Job’s experience may have been a test, Yeshua’s experience was not a test. It was the execution of a redemptive plan developed before the foundation of the world. There is no sense of “test” here, as if the Father is attempting to assess the reliability of the Son.
Hi Skip,
First let me thank you for the time, effort, and wealth of knowledge embedded in your responses.
Regarding your comments on the “testing” of Yeshua, I’d like to share some of my thoughts.
It seems to me that even if Yeshua volunteered for this assignment, to reduce the experience of being crucified in public to the objective “execution of a redemptive plan developed before the foundation of the world” is to discount the magnitude of the agony and horror of his subjective experience. Seems to me that the Crucifixion tested his ability to endure pain if nothing else 🙂