February 3: “Application” by Eric Reynolds
Luke 10:37, “...and Jesus said to him, go and do likewise.”
Have you ever been to the estate sale of a hoarder? The question often asked is, “what in the world did they think they were going to do with all this stuff?” When it comes to Bible reading and study, only learning and memorizing is akin to hoarding things. If you can quote Ephesians 4:32 (be kind one to another...) but you snarl at everyone you meet, what good is the knowledge?
Throughout the Gospels we read accounts of Jesus interacting with people and teaching through para- bles. Pay attention to how many times He ends interactions with instructions such as, “go and do like- wise,” or, “go and sin no more.” Understanding what He did or said was the starting place with an expec- tation to live differently as a result.
This call consists of two parts—our internal response and our external action. Our internal response is the heartfelt desire and intellectual decision to act on God’s Word; our external action is the fulfillment of that desire and decision. One side alone of the response-and-action equation is not sufficient for application; without a genuine internal response our external action may be misguided, and without an authentic external action our internal response may prove ineffective.
The application of a biblical text affects our individual lives, of course. But it often also extends to the corporate life of communities, societies, and institutions. As salt preserves food and light penetrates darkness, practical action preserves health and illumines the conscience of a society.
Essentially, to “go and do likewise” calls us to be changed and to help change those communities, societ- ies, and institutions that do not live in accord with God’s ways—his love, grace, and peace.
In the 10th chapter of Luke, Jesus sends out 70 disciples to carry out what He had been teaching and demonstrating. He knew that the disciples needed to apply what they had heard and seen. His last words on Earth in Matthew 28 include the command to “go.” Those words are for us today, just as they were for the disciples then.
By now you understand the point: study all the genres of the Bible, understand what the words meant when they were written, and understand what they mean now. Acknowledge that the Holy Spirit direct- ed the thoughts and words of the authors. Be willing to allow the knowledge that God provides through His Word to be the yeast that infiltrates all your thoughts and words and deeds. Be confident in what you know when presented with ‘every new wind of teaching.’ Finally, learn of God and from God, and then GO AND DO. What, if anything stops you from acting upon your understanding?
Father, put feet to my understanding to deeply impact individuals for Your glory. Create in me a desire to apply and not just know. Amen.
