Sunday, January 20, 2002
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Sunday, January 20, 2002 |
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Scriptures mean more in proper context By MARY JANE HOLT At the request of a reader, what follows is an edited reprint of a column I wrote in 1997. My thoughts are with this reader and all who share her present anguish. I was driving down the road and pushed in a tape my sister had left in my car. The first line of the song that came on went something like this: "Whenever two agree in my name, they can ask what they will of the Father and it will be done. ..." It has always bothered me the way those words are so loosely tossed around. Don't get me wrong their message is most comforting. However, in too many situations we try to distort or twist their meaning for our own selfish gain. We do not always accept them entirely in the context in which I believe they were intended to be heard and claimed. Of course I am just one opinionated person, and many far more learned Bible scholars than I have attempted to discuss the concept proposed here: that God answers the prayer of two or more of his children who are agreed. But it is my opinion that the whole of Scripture should be considered when laying claim to various truths that we think make our lives a bit easier from time to time. Do we fully understand the "two or three gathered in my name" concept? In the early years of our marriage, my husband and I had a joint checking account in his name. If I wrote a check, I signed it "Mrs. Daniel Holt." And if I sought to obtain anything with that signature, in his name, I always tried to make sure he knew about my action and was in agreement with what I sought to purchase in his name. (Honest, I did!) It was not always possible to contact him about every single purchase; so, in order for that arrangement to work, I had to get to know my husband rather well. In fact, I had to learn to know him well enough to be able to make decisions even when I could not consult with him. I think it is a good idea to know well anyone in whose name we attempt to do business. What bothered me about the message conveyed in the song I mentioned is what I perceived as too much emphasis on the "two or three gathered together" and not enough emphasis on "in my name." I don't want to oversimplify this concept, but the bottom line is we sometimes get together and decide among ourselves what's best for those we love and then we pray to that end. We pray and believe and expect in force, only to grow weary and become disappointed, and even bitter, because God did not do what we think he said he would do if we agreed and asked. Or we look around us and wonder who the guilty one is who is not in full agreement. But do we ever consider the impact of those three little words "in my name"? What does it mean to ask for something in the name of Jesus? I believe it means we have to walk with him and talk with him and get to know him really get to know him. Here again I don't want to shift too much emphasis toward how well we know Him. Faith is the name of the game, not works. All the studying of the Scriptures that I could ever do will never qualify me as knowledgeable enough of Jesus to speak for him. But I do think it is possible to discern his will and know what he would do in certain situations. We just have to communicate with him. We have to walk with him and talk with him and discuss the affairs of everyday living with him. We have to ask him questions and be patient until the answer comes. And it does come. Always. And he answers in a voice we can hear and know. When we know that voice and listen to it, it will lead us into truth and there, in that glorious realm of truth, we will find the wisdom to know how to pray to our Heavenly Father. ... (The voice, of course, is that of the Holy Spirit. We must remember, Jesus said he had to go to the Father so the Spirit could come to us ... and he said his Spirit would be everywhere and respond to all, and lead us into all truth.) That, I suppose, is a point I am trying to make. It is truth that we must seek to know. God's truth for our questions, our lives, our many challenges, predicaments and heartaches. Assuredly, miracles do happen when two or three pray in unison. Prayers are heard and answers come. People and circumstances change. Grace reigns over all when, united as one, we claim God's blessings in the name of Jesus Christ.
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