Yoda Theology
“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7 NASB
Master – “To be sure, we sin. Each of us has a yetser, an impulse to evil, but as God said to Cain, sin ‘desires to have you, but you must master it’ (Gen. 4:7). He does not ask for perfection. The whole thrust of Genesis is that God scales down his demands to the point where they become liveable [sic], rather than a code for saints. When we sin, all we have to do is acknowledge that we have sinned, express remorse, and resolve to act better in the future—in short, that we repent.”[1]
Sacks’ analysis helps us overcome the terrifying translation of Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” No verse strikes more despair in the heart of a true believer than this one. All because of the Greek mistaken word, teleios. The Lord cites a passage in Leviticus, but in Leviticus it does not say “perfect.” For centuries we have lived under the damming implications of perfection. Christian theology is philosophically based on the Greek idea of perfection. As a consequence, we have absorbed the ethical notion that we are required to be perfect, and since we all know that we are not, we are helplessly condemned by every imperfect thought, word or deed. No wonder early Christian thinking eventually led to a doctrine of total depravity, sinful nature and unconditional election. No one is perfect except YHVH and if that is the standard He demands, no one deserves anything but extinction.
Is this God, the one who threatens His creatures with impossible demands, the God of the Tanakh? Sacks clearly says, “No.” The logic is obvious. Men are not perfect. Every one has a yetser and every life is a battle, not a victory celebration. Heschel notes that “we are a blend of modesty and insolence, of self-denial and bias.”[2] We are homogenized, the inseparable combination of both yetsers. Mastering one in favor of the other is a life-long task.
For those of us who have experienced the slavery of perfection there is hope. Intimately knowing our paralyzing failures only led us to despondency. What was the use of fighting when every step forward only revealed the widening gap between practice and perfection? We were defined by what we were not. By what we could never be. But the God of the Bible asks for something else. He asks for perseverance, tenacity, commitment. Those are not synonyms for perfection. They are processes, not states of being. The reason we resonate with the words of Yoda is not because they are true but because they express the myth of our cultural heritage. We want to be gods, but we are born men.
If our real task is repentance, then what does it mean to repent? Sacks follows Maimonides. “Perfect repentance comes about when you find yourself in the same situation but this time you act differently.”[3] Perhaps we should read the stories of the Patriarchs with an eye toward this transition. “This time act differently.” Is that not possible? Of course it is possible. The only question is why don’t we. And the answer to that question reveals the truth of our repentance.
“Forgiveness is easy, repentance—true change in character—is difficult.” Jabbok is testimony to just how difficult it is.
Topical Index: perfection, sin, yetser, Genesis 4:17, Yoda
[1] Jonathan Sacks, Not In God’s Name, p. 153.
[2] Abraham Heschel, Man’s Quest for God, p. 6.
[3] Jonathan Sacks, Not In God’s Name, p. 154.
I don’t think we even want to be gods because they are perfect: I think we want to be gods because we perceive that they can get away with imperfection because of their POWER. No pagan god that I am aware of ever claimed perfection: they all get away with bloody murder! The gods are those that have figured out how to grab all the power. Even Buddha sitting there in nirvana on the other side of all the consequences is there because he figured out how to duck all the causes: he exists in perfect nothingness. The head honcho can screw up all day long and get away with it because he has stooges to spare that can take the blame and clean up the mess. It’s the stooges that we see have to not screw up ever because they don’t have anyone to take the fall for them. I think we resent the notion of perfection because we think it is equated with total responsibility: a condition that everyone knows the bottom stooge always gets stuck with. If you are carrying the load you better not stumble! This is pagan thought to the core, and yes, I agree, we have to address our pagan thinking before we even get to defining, much less using, heavenly language and thought. I think for most of us on the idea of perfection, we have a long way to go (speaking for myself, of course!). I know that wherever I see resentment in my life at the very word, I am most likely entertaining a worldly definition of perfection. Back to Skip: must redefine…
Laurita just a thought… is this pagan idea not based on Jewish history… Job, Noah, Lot’s wife, David’s army, Sodom, Nineveh… and so we can go on…
Either the history be documented incorrect to create fear for believers to follow as does those pagan convictions… Is it not this concept that Yeshau came to rectify…
My understanding is the word translated as “perfect” is an agricultural term meaning “mature” or “ripe”. That always worked better for me. Particularly in light of Hebrews 5:31.
Hi Larry,
Yes, to your comment!
Maturity is a better word. ABBA looks for matured Believers who endeavor to walk in humility and wisdom.
“Hebrews 5:31”? Would you mean 10:31- It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living God.
Shalom!
Excellent. Thanks Skip.
Repentance doesn’t happen in the dark.
When God spoke to Cain, He exposed Cain to His light.
David, too, was exposed to it and wrote: The Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
The Master’s life was the greatest exposure of all. ” I am the light
of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have
the light of life.”
We, who have seen that light, and repented because of it, are spoken
of boldly: “You are the light of the world.”
Thus, we have been directed: “Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Hello Skip and additional readers,
I like your citation defining repentance by author Rabbi Sacks. What will you do when the same situation “occasion to sin” occurs again?
I would add have a simple plan in mind to answer that question that is simple, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely, SMART. Mine was hit the delete key on an email received. Inwardly I said no.
David R
In my recent study with Dr. Miram Adahan , in ” Emmet” and her series of A.C.T. training , ( “Emmett , Emotional Maturity through Torah Training”), an excerpt or Para phrase from her articles. I feel is so related, to the anatomy of “yetzer hara” in it’s untamed state, and the maturing and developing of the “Yetzer ta’avah”..
“While the primitive brain or( Baby Brain), is fully developed by six months in utero, the pre-frontal cortex isn’t developed until age twenty!”
“To help children develop self-control, tap the back of your head and say, “This is where your Baby Brain [BB] is. Like a baby, it gets upset when it doesn’t get what it wants. It tells us to hit, fight, nag, grab, lie, kick, yell, steal, sulk or pinch. Tap your forehead and say, “Here’s where our Adult Brain [AB] is. Its job is to think of smart solutions.”
• Scientifically, new neural connections are created each time we resist BB’s demands and theatrics.
• It takes constant repetition to make AB stronger and weaken BB! This is the only way to help children to resist temptations throughout life.
• Don’t make BB seem bad, as this is scary for children. You can also say, “animal brain” or “Paroah brain,” as it is located in the oref, the same letters as Paroah.
Also , They have a new PTSD disorder called SCD , Situational Change Disorder, linked to grief and PTSD .. and not processing grief is the new PTSD.. according to his new book ;
“Reframing PTSD as Traumatic Grief: How Caregivers Can Companion Traumatized Grievers Through Catch-Up Mourning (The Companioning Series) Hardcover – November 1, 2014
by Alan D. Wolfelt PhD (Author) ,
I think we all need new incite to moving through stuff ..
The last few days in prayers for those in recovery of ……., and times of letting go, adapting to new, moving through, coming to acceptance and making peace with the past . A survivor and a 30 some years of sobriety, a non mediator by choice.. Praying for heavenly help for those that are navigating very difficult things, situational changes , transitions of loss and pain .. life.
PS, 77- 78 Heavenly Father, we come to you in prayer;
In times of distress, anguish, I seek You Adonai, I am overwhelmed , agitated and cannot speak, tears fill and wash over your words.. from grief, loss, hard difficult things.
I need courage, patience, humility, strength to make changes , I am week, Adonai convince my heart may it trust and believe you are with me , for me. May, I experience you in a way I can understand, know in my heart that, I am enough, I belong, I am yours, I am loved, you will lead me out of this.
Help me rely and trust in this opportunity to grow and learn , be closer to you. you are my heart desire . My destination.
Open heaven and send help resources, solutions , strategies , Command your skies and gates of heaven to open and pour down your manna of loving-kindness, gentle words ,to guide me through, sturdy me steps on this path of uncertainly not knowing the destination of my efforts.. life takes time .
Your word says if I am fed up with my cravings, and turn, you will fight for me, and destroy my enemies , I choose to make all that is not of you, that is the source of addictions, my enemy, I surrender and acknowledge it, May it no longer satisfy the ways I use it for ….. please bring help, and heal what it has done in my life , body, relationships, be my love and my ,strength safe place, I adore your , may your word part of me.. Adonai ,may you be the thing that satisfies all of me and my needs.. AMEN AMEN
as something of a further aside, research also indicates full ‘brain’ maturity (distinguished from personal maturity) can still continue well into the twenties. There are parts of frontal lobe which make for a very late maturing organ
Is forgiveness easy? That has not been my experience. One survey done by a church found that about fifty percent of the members had issues of unforgiveness. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. I had some real issues with forgiveness around family members. It was powerfully destructive to me.
Life is a constant battle with lies, deception, violence, impatience, unkindness and tyranny, to name a few….
Are we not sickened by them?
For us who are on this difficult yet enriching journey, question is, do we desire to walk in obedience of YHWH’s ways?
Have we been touched by His chesed, rachamim, that we would so desire to change, to live a disciplined life, encouraging and being kind to one another?
It is a process that requires great effort- tenacity and commitment.
That Yoda clip is fun to watch, wish there was a little bit more! Shalom!
Hi Mark,
You have done it, the website is getting better and better!
Well done,if I may say so!
Shalom, shalom!
Thank you Ester! I am who I am and do what I do because of the compassion, mercy, lovingkindness, and sovereignty of our great God and Messiah.
There’s still much to do and we’ll get it all done in due time with attention to the details. Most things we’ll finish working on when Skip returns.
Shalom!
Wow, appreciate your humbleness, Mark.
Shalom!
Shalom Mark,
Perhaps Skip and you ought to place a definite number of words alloted to Comments? This has come up before, and most of us here agree that long comments seldom get read.
We should be more precise?
Todah! Not putting more pressure, I hope!
Blessings and shalom!
Oops. My mistake. Hebrews 5:13-14.
“For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
Amein, Larry!
It is a daily exercise, a discipline to have discerning senses over choices and decisions.
Shalom!
Great job on the website, Mark!
Skip, you have said that God wants obedience out of heart not principle. Which leads me to a thought about our salvation. One can believe, but that does not mean they trust. I can believe a person has good intentions toward me, but it does not mean I totally trust that person. So our walk with God can be like this as well. So throughout my life, I wonder now if God was providing tests for me to see where my devotion lay. Having finally passed the test, my life is radically different now. But it is still a learning process
Marks of Maturity
There is only ONE “perfect” man ever to have lived!! Are we agreed? And as for the rest of us? [imperfect] sinners, (all).
All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God? Does “all” mean all? I believe so. None, but One is “perfect,” as far as “sinless perfection” goes.
However, we have been enjoined, “Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect!” (Matthew 5.48) “Perfect” — having reached its end, i.e. complete, by ext. perfect or mature. A “‘perfect” (mature) rose, tomato or peach.
Our Father desires that we should grow in grace and in knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3.18) There is much to be said, and much is written concerning the growth of a child of God. “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation..” (1 Peter 2.2). But God does not want us to remain “babes in Christ..” He desires that we grow or mature in Christ. How long will this be so? ~ Until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God’s Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah ~ (Ephesians 4.13)
When we pass ‘our’ test whatever it is for each one of us, then our ‘heart’ experience begins. With this comes freedom and understanding. Obeying from a place of love not fear or obligation. The walk changes and the focus shifts from me to others. Tying this into repentance or turning back to a relationship with God. With a heart relationship comes blessings untold. People can have a relationship with God but if they aren’t obeying they’re missing so many blessings. I just wish I’d passed my test (sacrifice) earlier. NWould you give up that relationship or that million dollars if YHVH asked you?
Forgiveness is easy, repentance—true change in character—is difficult.” Jabbok is testimony to just how difficult it is.
And yes to this too. My recent actions with a friend and a stranger showed me this.
“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must MASTER IT.” Genesis 4:7 NASB
“MASTER IT (SIN)” – I would like to share a renewed, deepened, and expanded insight I recently realized, which I believe I received from YHWH, about “mastering sin”. Maybe it sheds no new light or maybe it won’t be renewing of His light about this topic for you. But maybe, nevertheless, you will confirm or dis-confirm what, if anything, is or is not of the truth, as you see it.
This insight about mastering sin involves, what I believe is, the ESSENTIAL and VERY SIGNIFICANT need for the activating of, may I say, our own “DIVINE WILL” via the empowerment that comes from YHWH. It also, therefore involves the debunking of several faulty notions about mastering our sin:
1) We can master sin by merely renewing our mind and/or emotions.
2) We can master sin by merely believing and praying for YHWH to, we think, “miraculously” (it’s actually “magically”) deliver us.
3) We can master sin by “cranking up” our own will and trying harder.
It is written that we were created “in [His] image, in [His] likeness”.
Gen. 1:26-27 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
In part, I believe, being made in His image, in His likeness, means we are FUNCTIONALLY like Him. We have the functional enablements of a mind, will, and emotions, like He has the functional enablements of a mind, will, and emotions. Without being created in His image, like Him, in these functional ways, how can we ever hope to be created in His image, like Him, in righteousness of character?
In the same way, how could we ever hope to be the UNIQUE individuals, with unique personalities, talents, skills, abilities, callings, purposes, and destinies, He created us to be IN HIS IMAGE, IN HIS IMAGINATION, yet-to-be-realized, actualized, and maybe even eternally CO-CREATED in partnership with Him. [Possibly He DOES have “limited omniscience”, and the unfolding to Him of HOW we will become who are in His imag(e)ination, and exactly WHO we will become, is His eternal, exhilarating fascination springing forth out of His fearless, perfect love and willingness to humble Himself by entrust us with such POTENTIAL POWER of mind, will, and emotions.]
Back to the very essential and very important matter of our own will in mastering over sin. We are to “rule over” or master, not only the chaos of every living creature, but we are also to master (rule over) the chaos or our own sin, including mastering over the dual yetzer (good and evil inclinations) AND our works (good, evil OR dead). This mastering involves our mind, will, and emotions, just like, as in THE SAME WAY, His mastering involves His mind, will, and emotions. Be perfect (mature) AS (in the same way as, not just having the same character as) your heavenly Father is perfect.”
It may be said that our “heart” is our mind, will, and emotions. Repentance, then, is a change of our mind (thoughts and beliefs), will (inclinations and motivations), and emotions (affections and feelings), and definitely not, as many according to false Christian doctrine, just a change of desire, feelings, confessions, wishes, plans, or hopes. Repentance involves a turning FROM sin, beginning with a turning from or resisting the yetzer hara (evil inward inclinations leading to evil thoughts, will, and emotions – sin) and turning TO good works, beginning with the yetzer hatov (good inward inclinations leading to good actions, behavior, and conduct – righteousness). But the mastering of sin and righteousness involves more than just repentance. It involves but both repentance AND good works (bearing fruit in keeping with repentance), actually doing that which is good, that which is righteous, that which is obedient to YHWH, His Ruach, Voice, and Torah. TRANSFORMATION THAT LASTS!
Matt. 3:8 – Bear fruit IN KEEPING WITH repentance.
Often, when dealing with our sin, we can tend to function from one end of the spectrum or the other, which really is the “broad way that leads to destruction”, believing that either YHWH will just miraculously, really magically, “DELIVER us”,. OR, on the other end of the spectrum believing we must “crank up” our own will apart from His help, and just try harder to willfully change ourselves.
How often have we prayed with the belief that our sin could only, and would hopefully, be taken away from us, like a magical, we think miraculous, “deliverance” by YHWH, apart from our own will, as though our will can only be toward the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and is powerless to do good, as though, according to false Christian doctrine, we are “born into sin” and have no yezer hatov (good inclination) and even believing the devil or Satan or sin or addiction or circumstances or emotions or others have power over us to do what is righteous? OR, on the other end of the spectrum, how often have we prayed with the belief (which is actually humanistic), that our sin could only and would hopefully be overcome ONLY by trying once again or harder as an act of our own will?
But, in truth, mastering true repentance and good works are not only by the function of OUR own will, but also of HIS will, and, conversely, not only by the function of HIS own will, but of also OUR will. This is both relationship, love, and worship. It all involves His will and our will, and being divided of heart or mind won’t do it. It takes singleness of heart. It takes singleness of mind. It takes singleness of will. Duplicity of will or being weak-willed will not do it. It requires our will being empowered by Him even to be willing to be wholly and holy set-apart, surrendered and obedient, to master sin.
Php 2:13 For the One working in you is YHWH—both to WILL and to work for His good pleasure.
Repentance IS a GIFT from YHWH.
Act. 5:31 – This One God exalted at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to GIVE repentance to Israel and removal of sins.
Act. 11:18 – …..“Then even to the Gentiles YHWH has GRANTED repentance leading to life!”
We must not just expect Him to “deliver us” from sin as though our will can be passive or resistant and we will master sin. It will never happen! We must receive His help, not just for the working for his good pleasure, but FIRST even for the willingness to do so! Apart from receiving His help and becoming wholeheartedly willing, there will be no TRUE repentance! AND if there is no true repentance, there will be NO good works for His good pleasure! If we don’t first receive His help for the willing, neither will we receive help for the doing. It’s like trying to drive a car while you’re pulling on the hand brake. If we’re not willing, then we ought to pray that He helps us to be willing. Once we are wholeheartedly willing, the doing, the mastering of sin, will much more be a “light and easy yoke”.
I like this quote by Eric Liddell in the movie, Chariots of Fire:
“I want to compare faith to running in a race. It’s hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. [Yeshua] said, ‘Behold, the Kingdom of [YHWH] is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek Me, you shall ever surely find Me’. If you commit yourself to the love of [Messiah], then that is how you run a straight race.”
I do not ‘master’ sin by striving with it. I master it by demanding it leave my being, my presence.
It’s called deliverance and it has been the single, most powerful tool in my arsenal of living for YHVH that i have ever encountered.
The race is ever so much easier to run and life so much smoother when i remember to walk accordingly.
All that you listed are have steady merit as well, but dang, lightening the spiritual load is a venue worth investigating.
Thank you Jerry for explaining rebirth by the Spirit (calling by God). Not according to hour power but by His grace do we have this ability…
BP thanks for the reminder to decide and do…