3.2.26 – No More, No Less

This week's Torah portion, Ki Tisa ("when you lift up"), is packed, packed, and packed full of the most relevant and pertinent information for the 21st-century believer. By God's grace, we will unpack some of these practical and life-transforming concepts, which are too often hidden through familiarity and our "hooked on phonics" abilities.

Whether it is lifting up the heads, the half-shekel for those aged twenty years and up, the Sabbaths, the golden calf, and more Sabbaths, this Torah passage is like our proverbial flashing neon sign: "Pay attention" (pun intended).

Over the years, I have always encouraged you to pay attention to certain words in Scripture. For instance, when you see the word "for," "wherefore," or "therefore," you have to ask what it is therefore :-).

The Apostle Paul was a master at his word usage. When he used the word "for," "wherefore," or "therefore," he was reminding you to look at the statements just before. In other words, "Hey gang, I am getting ready to summarize or conclude what I have just informed you about."

The book of Romans is a forensic or legal document. It is written in the format of a courtroom drama, where evidence is provided and concluding statements are emphasized with exclamation points!

To the casual reader, we would never connect the members of the body of Christ (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4) to the half-shekel offering required for every man from twenty years and above. But with our Sherlock Holmes magnifying lens, we will see clearly that this is what Paul was emphasizing.

Paul, the "defense attorney," is a master at connecting one point to another. "Therefore," do not allow your hooked-on-phonics skills to simply read through a text and miss the connections and point of his statements.

A classic example that Paul uses is found in Romans 12:4, where he talks about the body made up of many members. His statement begins with the word "for," which gives us the neon sign to look back at the previous verses (Rom. 12:1–3), where Paul tells us to present our bodies (collectively, not individually) as living sacrifices—not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so we can know what is the acceptable and perfect will of God. And ironically, that passage begins with "therefore," which tells us to go back to the previous verses concerning God's mercy grafting us into the Olive Tree (Rom. 11:16–36). And that passage, ironically, begins with "for," which tells us to go back... I think you get the point :-).

As we will attempt to reveal this week, each of us is responsible to be transformed by the daily renewing of our minds so that collectively we can function as the body. However, with that thought, we also have to emphasize that with individual responsibility comes the essential concept that we are His workmanship (God does not make junk!). Therefore, through the transforming of our minds, we become living and breathing examples of God's will for the world to see. And though self-esteem is valuable, Paul emphasizes that not one part of the body is more significant than the other, and we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to (Rom. 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12:1–31; Eph. 4:1–32).

Everyone has a role to play. EVERYONE! Therefore, the "Lone Ranger" mentality is not valued within God's economy. We can only function when the individuals function as a unit. Hence, the enemy's strategy is to divide and conquer.

God has given you a certain gift (charis). He is the maestro who directs the orchestra. He sets the stage where everyone is functionally placed, and He is the One who gives us the sheet music to play. When we play our instrument based on the movement of His baton, the individual notes, collectively, make Beethoven's Fifth look like "Chopsticks."

Oh yes, we all know this, don't we? But do we really know this?

If I am not functioning within the body according to God's design, then we are frustrating His intentions, hindering the orchestra's ability to sound better than sounding brass or tinkling cymbals (1 Cor. 13:1–3).

We have to quit trying to be what we are not. If you are the eye, be the best eye you can be. If you are the right ear, be the best listening ear you can be. If you are the right thumb, grab onto those things that will endure to eternal life. If you are the big toe, be the best directional digit you can be. If you are the armpit, then sweat like a Kentucky Derby thoroughbred and shower regularly—be the best you can be!

If you do not know how God designed you, it is time you asked Him persistently until He reveals His role in you (Luke 11:1–13). He wants you to function properly within His body and impactfully in the world. Ahh, the half-shekel (Ex. 30:13):

"When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls."
(Ex. 30:12–16) 

Shalom,
Alan

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