Sabbath Reflections – Scriptural Knowledge and Understanding

In the Meridian of Time when Christ was among the children of men and rendering all in His mortal ministry, He imparted to each, His tenderness, love and mercy without measure, even His very life was freely given, that we might live. Gratefully, the records of His life and ministry, as written by the apostles and prophets are available to us in abundance, even though the abundance we share is less than 1/100^th of all that was written and transpired. The scriptural tutorials of the Master and the prophets provide so much needed enlightenment as to what truly matters to each of us in our day.The scriptures offer critical and defining insight and understanding, and even more so, comfort amid life’s challenges and seemingly routine events.They offer perspective beyond mortality and instill within each of us, hope for a brighter day.

It is interesting to note in the Master’s teachings, that in all things He taught from the scriptures and the prophets who preceded Him. The unifying and binding process of His tutorials rests among His revelations to the prophets and that which was subsequently written and available to all, and then when teaching in His mortal ministry referring all, or making reference, to the very written word He had previously revealed to His prophets. He who came to this earth, the Creator and Revelator of all things, taught in the Meridian of Time, and does so even now, from the very scriptures and written words of His prophets as He had revealed it to them then and continues to reveal it to them today. The constancy of His teaching through scriptures is a template for us – He knew the revealed word, as the Giver thereof, and taught there from. So it is for us to know that which is written, feasting upon the words of Christ and teaching and living thereby. The abundance of His written words, through His prophets, is sustenance to each of us today. “The scriptures give us nourishment for every season of life.” Yet, being knowledgeable of scriptures while leaving undeveloped the virtues of love, mercy, meekness, and patience is not enough for full discipleship in Christ. Therefore it is incumbent upon each of us to not only know the scriptures, but to apply them, and not letting “the care[s] of this world … choke the word” (Matt. 13:22).

The perspectives from the scriptures provide for each of daily in so many ways. As we interact with each other, born of our scriptural foundations, insights and divine tutoring, we come to a greater understanding of who we are and with whom we associate. C. S. Lewis put this so well when speaking of mankind, he said: “It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals [with] whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.” May we come to a greater understanding of who we are and what we can become, by and through the scriptural and spiritual mentoring of our Savior.

1 NA Maxwell