HOLY WEEK
And that because of false brethren
unawares brought in,
who came in privily to spy out our liberty
which we have in Christ Jesus, that they
might bring us into bondage:
Paul remarks about these bogus believers in Galatians 2:4,5:
“And that because of false brethren unawares brought in,
who came in privily to spy out
our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into bondage:
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not
for an hour; that the
truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
These “false brethren” in Jerusalem were in fact genuine brothers who had deceptive motives in their dealings with Paul. They projected one impression, but in reality, their intentions were very different from what they projected. They were “false” because they pretended to be in agreement with Paul’s doctrine. In actuality, they wanted to take Paul’s converts and revert them back to legalism.
Paul’s emphasis is not that they were unsaved,
but that they were “false” with him.
It is heart-breaking to discover that someone you’ve
trusted has been presenting a false image before you in order to gain
some advantage over you.
If this has happened to you, take heart,
for it
happened to Jesus too
Judas Iscariot claimed to be a disciple, but in reality,
he had a secret agenda.
Those who operate with secret agendas and
undeclared motives are “false”
in the sense that they are feigning to be something they are not.
This would qualify them in a certain sense as “false brethren.”
Spy Wednesday;
“do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
(Matt. 7:12).
Spy
a person who secretly collects
and reports information on the activities, movements, and plans
of an enemy or competitor.
The Golden Rule
is the principle of treating others as one wants to be treated. Various expressions of this rule can be found in the tenets of most religions and creeds through the ages.[1] It can be considered an ethic of reciprocity in some religions, although different religions treat it differently.
The maxim may appear as a positive or negative injunction governing conduct:
- Treat others as you would like others to treat you (positive or directive form)[1]
- Do not treat others in ways that you would not like to be treated (negative or prohibitive form)
- What you wish upon others, you wish upon yourself (empathetic or responsive form)
Moral compass
used in reference to a person's ability to judge what is right and wrong
and act accordingly.
an internalized set of values and objectives
that guide a person
with regard to ethical behavior and decision-making:
What Is Holy Week and the Meaning of
Spy Wednesday?
Palm Sunday (Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, clears the temple)
Holy Monday and Tuesday (Jesus spends time with disciples, feet anointed by a woman)
Holy Wednesday (Judas agrees to betray Jesus)
Maundy Thursday (Jesus holds the last supper, arrested in Gethsemane)
Good Friday (Jesus tried and crucified)
Holy Saturday (Jesus in the tomb)
Easter Sunday (Jesus leaves the tomb)
Holy Wednesday, the day when
Judas met with the
Jewish leaders and was paid 30 pieces of silver
to betray Jesus,
is called “Spy Wednesday.”
Spy Wednesday
commemorates events described in
Matthew 26:12-14, Mark 14:10-12, and Luke 22:3-6,
where Judas agrees to betray Jesus.
Before these events though,
something happens which sets them off:
a woman anoints
Jesus’ feet
with expensive perfume and
her tears
According to John 12, Judas (possibly joined by other disciples)
rebuked her for doing this,
arguing the perfume could have been
sold to provide money for the poor.
The Gospel of John follows this action by observing
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because
he was a thief;
as keeper of the money bag,
he used to help himself to what
was put into it
(John 12:6).
Jesus responds by telling
Judas, “Leave her alone…
It was intended
that she should save this perfume
for the
day of my burial.
You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me”
(John 12:7-8).
The Gospels describe what Judas did next in several different ways.
Mark and Matthew go directly from this event to
Judas speaking to the chief priests,
while Luke 22:3 says after this event,
"then Satan entered Judas…”
Regardless, after this rebuke from Jesus,
Judas met with the chief priests and they gave him
30 pieces of silver to
betray his master.
After that, he
"watched for an opportunity
to
hand Jesus over to them
when
no crowd was present”
(Luke 22:6).
In other words,
Judas agreed to spy on Jesus
for the priests.
Later (on the day traditionally called Maundy Thursday),
Judas left the Last Supper
and led a group of people to
arrest
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
He identified Jesus by kissing him,
and after some trouble where one of
the disciples resisted,
Jesus was arrested
Jesus had an interesting reaction to
this betrayal
Matthew 26:50 says that when Judas approached Jesus, Jesus’ only response was,
"Do what you came for, friend.”
Luke 22:48
records Jesus saying,
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Given that Jesus knew he was going to be killed,
his refusal to fight back is not surprising.
It is a little interesting that in Luke’s version he seems to be prodding
Judas to consider what he’s doing.
The fact Jesus uses the term “Son of Man,” which in Daniel 7:13
describes a Messiah figure who gains everlasting
control of God’s kingdom,
may emphasize how serious this betrayal is.
Judas plays a crucial role
in the story of Jesus’ death and
resurrection
By choosing to betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities, Judas helped set the
plot in motion for Jesus to be crucified. The moment where Judas
agreed to betray Jesus is one of the key dramatic moments
in the Passion story,
setting the stage for the
Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane.
If we think about the themes that come up in the Easter story,
Judas is important because he
highlights the tragic element in the
Easter story
Holy Week is full of sad moments,
particularly Good Friday with all the bloody details of Jesus’ death.
However, Judas’s actions are equally sad without being so graphic.
His betrayal has a personal weight to it
because he was considered a good friend.
Like the rest of the disciples, Judas had traveled with Jesus for some time
(possibly as much as three years).
He was part of the group that Jesus selected in Matthew 10,
giving them authority to perform miracles and a message to preach.
Judas wasn’t just a straggler along for the ride,
he was part of the core group and did everything that the other disciples did.
He was even given spiritual power to heal sickness and exorcise demons
(Matthew 10:2).
Even after Jesus rebuked Judas for
his callous behavior,
Judas apparently didn’t do anything to show
he was spying on Jesus.
When Jesus announced at the Last Supper
that one of the disciples would betray him,
none of the disciples knew he was talking about Judas.
In fact, they questioned whether any of them would dare to betray Jesus
(Luke 22:23).
Each of them wondered if Jesus was talking about them
(Mark 14:19),
thinking “could it be me?” instead of “I have my suspicions…”
Even when Jesus singled out Judas and Judas left to do his work,
the other disciples
didn’t realize that Judas had admitted his guilt.
They assumed that Jesus was telling Judas to go buy some supplies
or do some charity work
(John 13:26-30).
To a certain extent, this sense of personal betrayal applies to all of the disciples. They all fell away in the Garden of Gethsemane, falling asleep when Jesus needed company. Peter betrayed Jesus in his own way by denying him three times. However, Judas went beyond these actions and was directly part of the plot to have Jesus arrested and killed. Jesus wasn’t just let down and betrayed. He was let down and betrayed by his close friends, and his death was made possible by a friend who seemed above reproach.
In discussions about Easter,
it’s tempting to downplay the dark elements entirely and just
focus on Easter Sunday,
or to highlight the gory sacrifice that
Jesus did on Good Friday.
Spy Wednesday
provides an opportunity to consider the
personal pain in Easter,
the reality that Jesus suffered emotional
as well as physical blows on his
road to the resurrection
What Crucial Lessons about the Crucifixion should
we contemplate regarding
Jesus Sacrifice?
Compassion
sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
mercy
compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is
within one's power to punish or harm.
unrighteousness
failure to adhere to moral principles;
"forgave us our sins and cleansed us of all unrighteousness"
sin, sinfulness, wickedness -
estrangement from god. impiety, impiousness -
unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god.
Unmerited
not adequately earned or deserved :
not merited. an unmerited award. unmerited insults.
unmerited criticism/praise.
Neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially
through carelessness; disregard
Impose
to take unwarranted advantage of something
Pride
a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from
one's own achievements, the achievements of those
with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions
that are widely admired.
selfish
(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others;
concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
ridicule
the subjection of someone or something to contemptuous
and dismissive language or behavior.
Demean
cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something).
to lower in dignity, honor, or standing; debase:
He demeaned himself by accepting the bribe.
mockery
teasing and contemptuous language or behavior
directed at a particular person or thing.
disregard
: the act of treating someone or something as unworthy of
regard or notice : the state of being disregarded
rumor
be circulated as an unverified account.
talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source
: a statement or report current without known authority for its truth
talk or report of a notable person or event
mockery
ridicule, contempt, or derision
a derisive, imitative action or speech
a subject or occasion of derision
an imitation, esp. of a ridiculous or unsatisfactory kind
a mocking pretense; travesty
a mockery of justice
something absurdly or offensively inadequate or unfitting
DECEIT, TRICKERY
specifically, intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right
was accused of credit card fraud
an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : TRICK
a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : IMPOSTOR
He claimed to be a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.
also : one who defrauds : CHEAT
one that is not what it seems or is represented to be
indignity
treatment or circumstances
that cause one to feel shame or to lose one's dignity.
Opportunism
is the practice of taking advantage of circumstances – with little regard for principles or with what the consequences are for others. Opportunist actions are expedient actions guided primarily by self-interested (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-interest) motives. The term can be applied to individual humans and living organisms, group
s, organizations, styles, behaviors, and trends.
“Exploitation”
(A) means unjust or improper use of another person or another person's resources for one's own profit or advantage, with or without the person's consent; and
(B) includes acts by a person who stands in a position of trust or confidence with a vulnerable adult or who knows or should know that the vulnerable adult lacks the capacity to consent that involve obtaining profit or advantage through undue influence, deception, fraud, intimidation, or breach of fiduciary duty; in this subparagraph, “fraud” has the meaning given
a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others
rumor or report of an intimate nature
Identity theft and identity fraud
are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. What Are The Most Common Ways That Identity Theft or Fraud Can Happen to You?
• In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing"– watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number – or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit-card number over the telephone.
• If you receive applications for "pre-approved" credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge. Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals may simply intercept and redirect your mail to another location.
• Many people respond to "spam"– unsolicited E-mail – that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise. In some cases, criminals reportedly have used computer technology to steal large amounts of personal data.
What is defamation?
Generally, defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someone's reputation, and published "with fault," meaning as a result of negligence or malice. State laws often define defamation in specific ways. Libel is a written defamation;
slander is a spoken defamation.
What are the elements of a defamation claim?
The elements that must be proved to establish defamation are:
1 a publication to one other than the person defamed;
2 a false statement of fact;
3 that is understood as
• a. being of and concerning the plaintiff; and
• b. tending to harm the reputation of plaintiff.
If the plaintiff is a public figure, he or she must also prove actual malice.
Defamation, slander, and libel
are terms that frequently confused with each other.
They all fall into the same category of law and have to do with
communications that falsely debase someone’s character.
What is defamation?
Defamation is a false statement presented
as a fact
that causes injury or damage to the character of the person it is about.
An example is “Tom Smith stole money from his employer.”
If this is untrue
and if making the statement damages Tom’s reputation
or ability to work, it is defamation.
The person whose reputation has been damaged by the
false statement can bring a defamation lawsuit.
Defamation of character happens when something
untrue and damaging is presented as a fact to someone else.
Making the statement only to the person the statement is about
(“Tom, you’re a thief”)
is not defamation because it does not
damage that person’s character in
anyone else’s eyes.
A crucial part of a defamation case is that
the person makes the false statement
with a certain kind of intent.
The statement must have been made with knowledge
that it was untrue
or with
reckless disregard for the truth
(meaning the person who said it questioned the truthfulness but said it anyhow). If the person being defamed is a private citizen and not a celebrity or public figure, defamation can also be proven when the statement was made with negligence as to determining its truth (the person speaking should have known it was false or should have questioned it). This means it is easier to prove defamation when you are a private citizen. There is a higher standard required if you are a public figure.
Some states have laws that automatically make certain statements defamation. Any false statement that a person has committed a serious crime, has a serious infectious disease, or is incompetent in his profession are automatically defamatory under these laws.
What is the difference between slander and libel?Libel and slander are both types of defamation. Libel is an untrue defamatory statement that is made in writing. Slander is an untrue defamatory statement that is spoken orally. The difference between defamation and slander is that a defamatory statement can be made in any medium. It could be in a blog comment or spoken in a speech or said on television. Libelous acts only occur when a statement is made in writing (digital statements count as writing) and slanderous statements are only made orally.
You may have heard of seditious libel. The Sedition Act of 1798 made it a crime to print anything false about the government, president, or Congress. The Supreme Court later modified this when it enacted the rule that a statement against a public figure is libel only if it known to be false or the speaker had a reckless disregard for the truth when making it.
Damages for defamationSuing for slander, libel, or defamation brings a civil suit in a state court and alleges that under the slander laws or libel laws of that state the person who brought about the lawsuit was damaged by the conduct of the person who made the false statement. A libel or slander lawsuit seeks monetary damages for harm caused by the statement, such as pain and suffering, damage to the plaintiff’s reputation, lost wages or a loss of ability to earn a living, and personal emotional reactions such as shame, humiliation, and anxiety.
Defending a defamation caseIf you are accused of defamation, slander, or libel, truth is an absolute defense to the allegation. If what you said is true, there is no case. If the case is brought by a public figure and you can prove you were only negligent in weighing whether the statement was false, that can be a defense as well.
Defamation is an area of law that protects people’s reputations by allowing them recourse if false statements are made about them. This type of civil case is an effective way to protect your reputation.
false witness (usually uncountable, plural false witnesses)
- (countable) A perjurer; a deceptive or misleading witness.to bear false witness ― to perjure oneself
- (uncountable, countable) Deceptive public statements.
The gospel message
is the
good news of God’s grace,
so it is important to know what grace is and to constantly seek
to get a better view
of what grace does in our lives.
Grace
is an essential part of
God’s character.
Grace is closely related
to God’s benevolence, love, and mercy.
Grace can be variously defined
as
“God’s favor toward the unworthy”
or
"God’s benevolence on the undeserving.”
In His grace,
God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly,
in spite of the fact
that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or
dealt with so generously.
To fully understand grace,
we need to consider who we were without Christ
and
who we become with Christ.
We were born in sin
(Psalm 51:5),
and we were guilty of breaking
God’s holy laws
(Romans 3:9–20, 23; 1 John 1:8–10).
We were enemies of God (Romans 5:6, 10; 8:7; Colossians 1:21), deserving of death (Romans 6:23a). We were unrighteous (Romans 3:10) and without means of justifying ourselves (Romans 3:20). Spiritually, we were destitute, blind, unclean, and dead. Our souls were in peril of everlasting punishment.
But then came
grace
God extended His favor to us. Grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Paul repeatedly identified grace as the basis of his calling as an apostle (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 3:2, 7). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace, coupled with truth (John 1:14).
The Bible repeatedly calls grace a “gift” (e.g., Ephesians 4:7). This is an important analogy because it teaches us some key things about grace:
First, anyone who has ever received a gift understands that a gift is much different from a loan, which requires repayment or return by the recipient. The fact that grace is a gift means that nothing is owed in return.
Second, there is no cost to the person who receives a gift. A gift is free to the recipient, although it is not free to the giver, who bears the expense. The gift of salvation costs us sinners nothing. But the price of such an extravagant gift came at a great cost for our Lord Jesus, who died in our place.
Third, once a gift has been given, ownership of the gift has transferred and it is now ours to keep. There is a permanence in a gift that does not exist with loans or advances. When a gift changes hands, the giver permanently relinquishes all rights to renege or take back the gift in future. God’s grace is ours forever.
Fourth, in the giving of a gift, the giver voluntarily forfeits something he owns, willingly losing what belongs to him so that the recipient will profit from it. The giver becomes poorer so the recipient can become richer. This generous and voluntary exchangefrom the giver to the recipient is visible in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Finally, the Bible teaches
that grace is completely unmerited.
The gift and the act of giving have nothing
at all to do with
our merit or innate quality
(Romans 4:4; 11:5–6; 2 Timothy 1:9–10).
In fact, the Bible says quite clearly that we don’t deserve God’s salvation. Romans 5:8–10 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. . . . While we were God’s enemies, we were
reconciled to him
through the death of his Son.”
Grace does not stop once we are saved; God is gracious to us for the rest of our lives, working within and upon us. The Bible encourages us with many additional benefits that grace secures for every believer:
• Grace justifies us before a holy God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:6; Titus 3:7).
• Grace provides us access to God to communicate and fellowship with Him (Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 4:16).
• Grace wins for us a new relationship of intimacy with God (Exodus 33:17).
• Grace disciplines and trains us to live in a way that honors God (Titus 2:11–14; 2 Corinthians 8:7).
• Grace grants us immeasurable spiritual riches (Proverbs 10:22; Ephesians 2:7).
• Grace helps us in our every need (Hebrews 4:16).
• Grace is the reason behind our every deliverance (Psalm 44:3–8; Hebrews 4:16).
• Grace preserves us and comforts, encourages, and strengthens us (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Timothy 2:1).
Grace is actively and continually working in the lives of God’s people.
Paul credited the success of his ministry
not to his own substantial labors but
to “
the grace of God that was with me”
(1 Corinthians 15:10).
Grace is the ongoing, benevolent act of God working in us,
without which we can do nothing
(John 15:5).
Grace is greater than our sin
(Romans 5:20),
more abundant than we expect
(1 Timothy 1:14),
and too wonderful for words
(2 Corinthians 9:15).
As the recipients
of
God’s grace,
Christians are to be gracious to others.
Grace is given to us to serve others and to
exercise our spiritual gifts
for the building up of the church
(Romans 12:6; Ephesians 3:2, 7; 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10).
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