Written by A.W. Workman |
Sunday, August 4, 2024
When Jesus says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone,” he is really saying that he is indeed good, and therefore he is God. The rich young ruler, merely intending to be respectful, was speaking more truly than he knew. His standard of goodness was woefully insufficient, as proved by his assessment of his own life. But God allowed him to address Jesus in a way that was utterly and ironically spot on. Jesus is a good teacher; in fact, the only good teacher.

“But Jesus himself says he is not God!” In Mark 10 and Luke 18, he says, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’”
This is one of the more common arguments from the Bible that Muslims will try to use to disprove the divinity of Jesus. Not too long ago, a Muslim commenter on this blog said this very thing. If you spend any time at all doing evangelism with Muslims you are bound to hear this claim. So, how should a Christian respond?
I actually like it when my Muslim friends bring up this passage. This is because instead of Jesus denying his divinity here, I think there’s a case to be made that this passage is an example of the direct opposite – of Jesus in fact claiming to be God.
First, the context. Jesus is here responding to the rich young ruler who asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. But this young man has begun his question by addressing Jesus as, “Good Teacher.” So, Jesus’ response to him is in two parts. First, he calls into question the way in which he addressed him. Then, he goes on to answer what is required for this man to inherit eternal life. Those of us familiar with this passage know that the young man goes on to claim that he’s kept all of the commandments that Jesus draws out of him. But then, when Jesus tells him to sell everything that he has, to give the funds to the poor, and to follow him, the young man goes away sad because he cannot bring himself to part with his wealth. You can read the passage for yourself here and here.
When I’m talking with my Central Asian friends about this, I will often respond first by saying. “Well, what’s going on here is that Jesus is a good teacher, and you of all people should know that the best teachers teach not only direct lessons, but also indirect lessons.”
Usually, this response is met with some level of furrowed brows. So, I’ll go on to explain.
“Here, in Central Asia, you use indirect communication all the time. In little things like saying yes to an offer of tea, you actually don’t say ‘Yes.’ Instead, you say, ‘No,’ then, ‘Don’t trouble yourself.’ Even more, you greatly value the ability of indirect communication to teach profound lessons. So, you should be able to appreciate when Jesus is using indirect communication to make a point – and not all of a sudden become like Westerners who insist something be communicated simply and directly in order to be understood.”
Here, I might remind them of a folk story of their people where a father has seven sons who are always fighting. Fed up, one day he lines his sons up and hands six of them a single stick. Then, one by one, he commands them to break the stick. Each of the six sons breaks his stick easily. But on the seventh son, the father hands him the bundle of broken sticks and commands him to break them.
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God is in control and he is working all things for my good. Whatever comes my way, whether success or failure, victory or defeat, celebration or mourning, all have passed through the hands of my Father who loves me. Everything in my life is being used by God to sanctify me and bring me closer to himself. Here’s the good news according to Job 42:2: his plan can’t be thwarted. There is no power in this universe that can stop God’s working in my life.

Only the bravest people dare to venture outside in the middle of a Texas summer day. The rest of us are either in an air-conditioned building or near water. I have young children, and being inside all day supplies them with abundant energy that needs to be burned if there’s any hope of a decent bedtime. Thankfully, they love to swim, so we spend many hot summer days at the pool.
After one evening of swimming, as our kids were getting out of the water and drying off, I took the life vest off my three-year-old son and told him to get a towel. I then continued doing all the many tasks that needed to be done to get four wet children to the van. As I was drying another child, I happened to see my son getting back in the water. I knew he didn’t have his life vest on and couldn’t swim without it. In the brief moment between watching him go under and jumping in the pool after him, I saw him completely submerged in the water, unable to come up for air. I could sense his panic, but there was no loud splashing, gasping for air, or any noise we often associate with someone who’s drowning. It was silent, and had I not seen him go in, I might not have known.
That’s a terrifying thought.
It reminded me that there are many details of my life that are beyond my control. It’s easy to forget, isn’t it? It’s easy to tell ourselves that we are in the driver’s seat. Having a sense of control gives me comfort and eliminates fear, but the truth is I can’t guarantee anything. I do my absolute best to watch my kids at the pool, but the worst can happen quickly. I strive to drive carefully and obey traffic laws, but that doesn’t always prevent accidents. Hard work and loyalty at work go a long way, but some company layoffs can’t be prevented. Even with my best efforts, certain outcomes are simply beyond my control. Being reminded of this reality can tempt me to live in fear by avoiding situations in which I feel out of control. However, living in fear is antithetical to a life of faith.
How can believers face this lack of control without giving in to paralyzing fear?
The Sovereignty of God
While going through this uncertain life, the sovereignty of God is one of the most comforting truths for the believer. When fear and doubt leave my soul cold and shivering, being reminded of God’s sovereignty is a steaming cup of soup and a warm blanket.
Scripture teaches us that nothing is outside of God’s control. Consider these verses:

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Ps. 115:3)
The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Prov. 16:9)
O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. (2 Chron. 20:6)
I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jer. 32:27 NIV)

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To combat fear, we must trust and confide in God’s character and promises. Scripture is replete with God’s promises to be with us, provide for us, protect us, comfort us, care for us, resource us, redeem us, sanctify us, and bring us into eternal glory. Hoping in God means knowing His promises and relying on them daily.

“Then God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.’ – Exodus 20:1-3

As we reflect on the first commandment, we must understand what it truly means to have no other gods before our God. This commandment is not a mere suggestion to avoid placing idols above God in a hierarchical list. Instead, it demands the total eradication of idolatry from our lives. We are to bring no idols, unclean desires, rogue emotions, or sinful affections into His presence. Given that all of reality falls under “His presence,” this commandment calls for the complete and eternal abolition of idolatry.
This understanding teaches us how to approach our thrice-holy God. We cannot enter His presence boldly with our idols in tow, expecting grace to abound despite our blatant disobedience. Instead, we must approach Him in purity, with undefiled allegiance and perfect loyalty—a feat impossible without the justifying work of Jesus Christ. For those justified by faith in Christ alone, we must also embrace the necessity of repentance. To enter and commune with our King in an idolatry-free manner, we must abandon our petty idols and refuse to carry them even a step further. Why? Because He is utterly holy!
The Idol of Fear
Today, let us focus on one of the most pervasive and insidious idols: fear. Fear must be mortified so we may live abundantly unto God and in His presence (Romans 8:13). When we fear anything other than God, sin festers within our hearts, eroding our faith and destroying our trust in the Almighty. Fear indicates a lack of confidence in God’s sovereignty. If we truly believed that God controls all things, what would we ever have to fear? Unchecked fear leads us to question God’s goodness, doubt His promises, and indict His character and love for us.
Fear drives us to disobey God’s clear commands, avoiding where He calls us and neglecting His directives due to the anticipated cost of obedience. It erects idols of self-preservation and control, preoccupying us with our circumstances and making us functional narcissists.
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Does having a higher degree guarantee, in and of itself, that a person will perform better in ministry than one with a basic required degree? Does a pastor with a Ph.D. give more of himself or is more productive in ministry than one with a M.Div.? Does he have greater influence on the spiritual outcomes in the lives of members of a local church than others with lesser educational achievements? Is it educational achievement or the Holy Spirit that blesses the ministry of a pastor?

How pastors are paid can be confusing to many. The range of pastoral compensation can be incredibly broad; from richly to poorly compensated pastors. This broad range does not appear in Scripture for those ministering in the church. Were the priests on different levels of compensation?
There is little biblical evidence what the apostles or pastors were paid. We do know they were not wealthy. We know they were worthy of compensation. Much of what churches took in went to proclaim the Gospel and meet the needs of the hungry, widows, and persecuted Christians.
Throughout time, more clergy appeared to suffer financially than those who prospered. Many required other financial support. Some added part-time or full-time occupations along with their ministerial duties.
A more recent trend that appears to affect pastoral compensation today, a phenomenon coming into the church from cultural influences: Pastors are being compensated according to the degrees they’ve received. If a pastor has more than the regular seminary M.Div. degree, such as a Th.M., or a Ph.D., compensation is raised accordingly by each advance degree received. Since there is no biblical reference to the impact the amount of education has on how pastors are compensated, from whence does this notion originate?
This practice appears to originate from the academic and business worlds where individuals are valued relative to degrees earned. A question worth posing is how did a worldly standard and practice come into the church? Does it even belong? Should highly educated Paul have expected more than fisherman Peter? Why should pastors putting in the same time in pastoral care, sermon preparation, visits to the sick, performing marriages and funerals, and sacrificing personal and family time be valued and compensated unequally. Is this practice wise? School districts can testify that teachers with more degrees are not necessarily better teachers. CEOs in the business world with MBAs do not necessarily perform better than CEOs without them.
I’ve had the privilege of serving on pastor search committees. Unfortunately, some of these search committees were seeking pastors who appeared much like Chief Executive Officers. Isn’t this a far cry from the servant-heart leadership model given in the New Testament for shepherds? Arguably, this is an unhealthy approach with unhealthy expectations. One pastor remarked how stressful it was, when the search committee appeared to diminish his time spent in prayer and sermon preparation. The world’s business model is now defining the role of pastors/shepherds.
This more recent trend represents a new concept of paying people according to what and how many degrees they have received rather than for what tasks they are expected to do. The ability to receive advanced degrees can relate to privilege and provision. Not everyone can afford the cost of an advanced education—a reality that cannot be denied. Those who work to provide for themselves with such have something not all possess, including financial backing, scholarships, moral support, encouragement, and other provisions. I, as many others, worked my way through college. The encouragement I received from others that I could make it to the end often buoyed me up. Summer jobs and a campus job enabled me to pay for my college education. I recognize both the privilege and provision these circumstances afforded me. I’m keenly aware others did not receive what I received, which is little in comparison to those who were more financially able to pay for their education.
Does having a higher degree guarantee, in and of itself, that a person will perform better in ministry than one with a basic required degree? Does a pastor with a Ph.D. give more of himself or is more productive in ministry than one with a M.Div.? Does he have greater influence on the spiritual outcomes in the lives of members of a local church than others with lesser educational achievements? Is it educational achievement or the Holy Spirit that blesses the ministry of a pastor? The privilege of receiving a higher education should not be disparaged. But is the higher education in itself worthy of greater compensation than for those who have not received a higher education?
A comparison in Christian service enables us to see how this appears and why it can be suspicious taking place in churches. Missionaries are also ministers, messengers, and servants of God. Missionaries serving under their respective mission organizations tend to receive comparable remuneration as their fellow missionaries. Most mission organizations compensate their missionaries equally across the board. There are the natural compensation differences related to the cost of living in the various countries in which they serve. A missionary serving in Japan or France may receive a higher cost of living amount than those serving in the Amazon rain forest or the Nepalese mountains. However, the relative value of compensation for their mission service is not ordinarily based on number of degrees received.
Hopefully, no one is in the pastorate primarily for the money. The expectation should be that they’ve been called by God, have been gifted by the Holy Spirit, have the requisite spiritual equipping, display a love for Jesus Christ, and desire others to know and grow in Christ. All deserve livable wages so they can provide for their families. Pastors are prophets—not profiteers. Compensation based on an inordinate fixation on higher degrees can promote a distraction from the priority of ministry.
My intent in addressing this issue is not to disparage the search for greater knowledge or seeking further education; achieving more can be a reward in itself. Any of us fortunate enough to go beyond basic elementary and secondary education do well to recognize what a privilege we’ve received in growing through learning. But we need to keep it all in perspective: Does acquiring more degrees deserve greater reward or compensation at the expense of the church’s overall ministry?
Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.
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Rather than loving Jesus so much that we hear his call and gladly do it, finding our contentment in Christ and pressing on for his glory because it is what we most want to do, we focus on ourselves, our felt needs and end up shying away from what Jesus asks because it doesn’t “meet my needs”. It is, when all is said and done, a failure to trust in Jesus. 

It is not uncommon to find people dissatisfied as believers. They may be dissatisfied with their lot in life. They may be dissatisfied with their church. They may even have become dissatisfied with the Lord himself.
There is often a common theme with such dissatisfaction. There is a belief that either they deserve better or that the Lord had committed to giving them something that they don’t currently have or enjoy. When the Lord isn’t giving them what they think he should, they become dissatisfied. This may lead them to try and ‘make good’ what is currently lacking and chasing after things they hope will fill up their lack. In worse cases, it may lead to people backsliding altogether and rejecting Jesus because he hasn’t given them what they want.
The problem is obviously not with Jesus (you knew that!) The problem does not even lie in the dissatisfaction itself. We may all be prone to dissatisfaction sometimes. The issue in these kind of cases is in the belief that things are not how God promised they would be. Although more accurately, the real issue is that God often hasn’t promised these things at all.
Most of us can clock on to the more obvious stuff – the things of the unabashed health and wealth gospel – and recognise God simply hasn’t promised to make us all healthy, wealthy and happy if we just trust in Jesus. At least, not this side of glory. We recognise ‘Lord, fill up my bank account’ is just not something Jesus ever promised to answer with a ‘yes’. But there is a soft prosperity thinking that creeps in which says that God has effectively promised I won’t be dissatisfied, and if I am I must do something to find the contentment he promises.
Only, Jesus doesn’t promise us contentment; he commands us to be content. That is subtly different. Along with the command to be content, he also commands us to do a whole host of other things too. Some of which are quite difficult and may not seem like the obvious road to health, wealth and blessèd happiness.
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Sometimes, people refuse the thing that will heal them because they fear the pain of treatment. Let us not be that way. Let us love the hand that strikes us for our good. And let us be willing to be that means of grace for others. Let us be willing to cause the pain that brings restoration.

A common question I get in the hospital: “Is this going to hurt?” My response: “Probably.” That might be a weird thing to read. To be clear, I’m a registered nurse. Nursing is about serving those who are sick and vulnerable. “So what do you mean that you hurt people for a living? Don’t you mean you help people for a living?” And here is the question that I want to ask: Why can’t it be both? And yes, it is very often both.
As I’m working to bring people back to better health, pain is often involved. I can’t count the number of needles I’ve used, catheters placed, wounds packed, bandages wrapped, shots given, etc… All of these things bring incredible discomfort, and yes, pain. But this is not pointless pain. This is purposeful pain with the goal of bringing healing. That shot is painful, but the sickness it is treating is deadly. The process of cleaning and treating a wound is painful, but without the poking and prodding the wound could get infected and spread to the whole body. I hurt people for a living, but the pain is not the goal. The goal is restoration.
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Other church gatherings beyond the main Sunday meeting are ready-made opportunities to live out the “one another” commands. Did you ever wonder if you are required to go to the Wednesday Bible study? It’s typically better to think not so much about what is expected, but what is beneficial. Yes, learning more Scripture at the Wednesday night meeting is a blessing, but so also is the interaction with other believers. Think of it — you just might get to “encourage the fainthearted” or “help the weak” if you go (1 Thessalonians 5:14). But if you don’t attend, you’ll miss that critical ministry opportunity.

Once you get past the four Gospels and Acts, the “one another” commands start appearing regularly in the New Testament. Here are just a few:
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10)
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
We know these commands are prevalent, but they are there to be obeyed. Here are a few ideas to help you accomplish that.
First, adherence to the “one another” commands requires more than just attending church meetings. We don’t gather just to exchange pleasantries. We all need to be loved, and shown honor, and encouraged, and treated as significant, and exhorted, and stirred up to love and good works. We all need to be pointed to the grace of God that is ours because of our union with Christ. Others are called to do this for you, and you are called to do it for others.
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The disciples recognized again that this man from Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph, was also God. For everything else about which the disciples are confused, there is no doubt about the divinity of Jesus in the Gospels on the part of the disciples. The early disciples accepted as fact that Jesus is God. This truth about Jesus is as simple as it is astonishing and beautiful all at the same time. More importantly, without this fact, there is no Christianity. In the boat on the Sea of Galilee that morning was God Himself.

Perhaps no miracle was more spectacular than the one that finds Jesus and Peter walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee. And the fact that Matthew’s account (Matt. 14:22–33) unusually employs the word “immediately” three times (Matt. 14:22, 27, 31)—a stylistic choice more typical of Mark—suggests that Matthew is recording an eyewitness account given to him by Peter himself. Peter is saying to Matthew, “I want you to tell this story as I saw it!”
And what a story it is! A storm at sea. Stunning miracles involving both Jesus and Peter. And an embarrassing collapse of faith followed by a rescuing hand of the Master.
Faith Will Be Tested
The disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee because Jesus told them to “go before him to the other side” (Matt. 14:22). Crowds had gathered to hear Jesus. They wanted to see miracles too. But it was now time to dismiss them because evening was approaching.
The disciples are “a long way from the land” (Matt. 14:24) when a storm arises. This is not the first storm that Peter has witnessed. He had seen Jesus’ power in stilling a storm on the Sea of Galilee before (Matt. 8:23–27).
The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet above sea level, and 30 miles to the north, Mount Hermon rises to an impressive 9,000 feet. Topography dictates that sudden downdrafts of cold air from the north can quickly cause windy gusts and choppy waves on the Sea of Galilee. No doubt the disciples had experienced these many times. Yet on this occasion, they were in trouble at sea because they had obeyed their Master’s command to sail to the other side. Obedience can sometimes get you into trouble.
Faith will always be tested. It was one of the very first lessons that the Apostle Paul learned following his first missionary journey: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Peter would reflect on this idea many times afterward: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12–13). “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Peter came to understand all too well that there are “various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). The word translated “various” (Greek, poikilos) suggests multivariate, an entire rainbow of tribulations: physical, spiritual, mental, or even a combination of all three. They may appear to be strange, and God may orchestrate them for a season, but He is always in control. Still, we need never think that He will abandon us.
God moves in a mysterious wayhis wonders to perform;he plants his footsteps in the sea,and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable minesof never-failing skillhe treasures up his bright designs,and works his sov’reign will.1
Terrified
The disciples are suddenly “terrified” (Matt. 14:26). It isn’t only the ferocity of the storm that makes them afraid; it is the sight of Jesus walking through the storm “on the sea” at around 4 a.m. (Matt. 14:25).
It is “the fourth watch of the night” (between 3 and 6 a.m.; Matt. 14:25). This means that the disciples have been at sea for more than nine hours. Jesus has made them wait. He could have come to them at the very beginning of the storm, but He did not. For reasons known only to Him, He wanted them to experience the trial for a certain amount of time. It was a test. Trials always test our faith.
What was Jesus doing all this time? Praying! He had ascended a mountain near the shore “to pray” (Matt. 14:23).
Why should the Son of God need to pray? After all, He holds the universe in the palm of His hand. He dictates the course of history. Are not the forces of the universe, including the powers of darkness, subject to His will? Why, then, does He pray?
Before answering that question, it’s worth noting that Jesus’ praying on this occasion was not an anomaly. He prayed after His baptism, in the morning before heading to Galilee, after healing people, before choosing the twelve disciples, before feeding the five thousand, while healing a deaf and mute man, before feeding the four thousand, at Caesarea Philippi when He asked the disciples who people thought He was, at the transfiguration, at the return of the seventy-two, before giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer, before raising Lazarus from the dead, when He blessed little children and laid His hands on them, at the Last Supper, for Peter when Satan asked that he might sift him as wheat, in the upper room the night before His death, in Gethsemane, when nailed to the cross, in His dying breath, and before eating bread with His disciples in His resurrection body.2 In short, it’s probably not an exaggeration to suggest that Jesus was always praying. It formed an essential pattern of His daily life.
But to go back to the original question: Why? The answer lies in the reality of His incarnation. In the words of the Nicene Creed, Jesus is “God of God, . . . very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.” But He is also human. He has a human body and a human soul. He has a human mind and a human will. In His earthly life, He experienced pain, hunger, and thirst. More profoundly, He experienced death, the separation of body and soul.
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The heart of spiritual warfare has to do with seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness as opposed to seeking the kingdom of the world from which we have been delivered. That warfare takes place in our walk with Christ, and our work for Him. Paul explains: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)” (Eph. 5:8–9; see also Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thess. 2:18). 

… to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light,and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sinsand an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.(Acts 26:17–18, NKJV)
How would you react if you heard this news alert? “A criminal has escaped and is on the loose in your neighborhood. He is a convicted murderer. Be alert and on guard. He is a master of disguise. Do not open the door.”
My guess is you would be on high alert.
That is precisely our situation as we live in what Paul calls “this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4). Peter urges us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
It’s been like this since the beginning, not the creation of the world but the beginning of existence in a fallen world. After Adam and Eve succumbed to the wiles of the serpent, they were exiled from the Garden of Eden. What would life be like on the other side of the fall?
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How, then, shall I spend this short life, these few winged moments appointed to me? Surely, in nothing better than looking out and laying up for eternity! “This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever!” 1 John 2:17 “Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away!” 1 Corinthians 7:31

What is all this struggle in the world for? Why so many attempts to be something and have something in a realm that will not last? This struggle for passing vanities is like foam and bubbles contending for a place on a rapid stream—gone in a moment!
We forget that we are here today and gone tomorrow. It is a shame to think so much about these fleeting days and so little about the endless ages of eternity! Let me look to the generations past. How few of our deceased acquaintances are remembered! And how soon, like them, shall we also be forgotten!
How frail is our life! It is likened to a pile of grass, a withered leaf, dry stubble, a fading flower, a breath, brittle clay, fading flesh! How swift is our life!
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