Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, November 2, 2024
Shabbat Shalom,
The Love Of The Spirit III (continued)
By David Harwood
I’d like us to consider the Spirit’s loving favor as the motive behind our experiencing the gifts of the Spirit. To begin, let’s recall that the Ruach distributes them to us.
But one and the same Ruach activates all these things, distributing to each person individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:11)
The Scriptures speak of these gifts. The word generally used to describe these phenomena is charismata. That word comes from charis. Charis is the Greek equivalent (Septuagint) of the Hebrew, Chen. Chen, basically, means favor.
In the Apostolic Writings, charis is generally translated into English as grace and only occasionally by favor. Personally, I think that’s a mistake because, unlike favor, it doesn’t seem as if people generally associate grace with an emotion. Allow me to be clear: charis, grace, or favor, is motivated by love. One way love expresses itself is through the bestowing of grace-favor.
Degrees of favor are motivated by degrees of love. Favor springs from love. Favor is love’s fruition. Favor is provoked by love.
Let me repeat that and substitute the word “grace” for “favor”.
Degrees of grace are motivated by degrees of love. Grace springs from love. Grace is love’s fruition. Grace is provoked by love.
Love is an emotion the lover feels. The degree of felt love influences the type of decisions and actions of the lover. God’s Ruach loves each person who congregates with others in the name of Yeshua. He evaluates them as being lovely. He also loves the gathering. They provoke His love.
The charismata mentioned in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 are revelations of loving favor-grace towards the Messiah’s communities. Because of God’s Ruach’s love, these grace based, favor empowered, manifestations are available to the Body of Believers.
Now there are various kinds of gifts (charismaton), but the same Ruach. (Corinthians 12:4)
Most who read this will be familiar with 1 Corinthians 13. Paul’s catechism on love is strategically placed to train Yeshua’s followers to exercise these gifts because they love God and the community of disciples.
The Spirit who inspires these activities is the essence and fountain of patient, kind, love. That is why He inspires those attributes. His impartation of, and ministry through, these charismata is motivated by love. In case we might forget, the love revealed in the Scriptures is the emotion we identify as love. It is not the volitional exercise of virtues, or gifts, without the heart of love which is to inspire these virtues and ministries.
Prophecy, miracle working faith, extravagant generosity, utter dedication, are to be motivated by character transforming affection. The sanctification of our characters transpires because of love. Love produces patience. Love motivates kindness. Loving others produces meekness, the desire to cover another’s faults, and perseverance for their sake. As we love we don’t keep score and, therefore, since those around us have clean slates, we can expect the best from them.
This is the cultural environment the Ruach of God develops. None of this is possible without His intervening mercy in our lives. The Spirit’s fruit is the result of His activity. It is God’s purpose that the gifts of the Spirit should be the result of the fruit of the Spirit. We are the fruit bearers. We are where the Ruach’s fruit are revealed.
If this is how He wants us to be, how do you think He feels towards those for whom the gifts are intended? How does He feel when He’s distributing these gifts? How does He feel when people benefit from one another’s Spirit motivated, empowered, ministry? He is not encouraging us to walk in a holy love that He is not feeling.
The operation of the Spirit’s charismata is an aspect of the love of the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
Pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts … (1 Corinthians 14:1a)
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 2-Nov -2024 1st of Cheshvan, 5785 Parashat Noach Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan II
Ge 11:1-32, Nu 28:9-15 Isa 66:1-24 Rev 21:1-8