Magyar Egyház, 1958 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1958-02-01 / 2. szám
10 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ Beside Peter they were the only ones with Jesus at the Transfiguration, they were with Him when the daughter of Jairus was raised, Christ took them also to the Garden of Gethsemane. The two disciples loved the Lord with an unspeakable love. The others sometimes faltered in their faith, these two never. From the time they left their fishing boats they served Jesus with the same dedication. And now they hear from the One they loved so much that He is ready to leave and enter His glorious Kingdom. But before that, He has to suffer much. The others are afraid, the two find new courage. The others see only the sufferings, these two see only the glory. The others step back, the two step forward to take the seat at His right and left hand. Jesus wanting to save them from disappointment asks: “Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of”? But the ones who love are happy to suffer for the loved one. We hear their answer through this happiness: “Yes. We can. That is what we want. To suffer with you, to be where you are. Let us fall with you and then let us receive the glory with you.” After the assuring answer Jesus told them: “To sit at my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give”. Jesus gave this answer not because He was unable to fulfill their wish but because He wanted to convince the two that their request was wrong and therefore they did not know what they were asking for. The meaning of His answer is: You want to be first in my glory, then first you must be last on the earth. Servants to everyone. It is not up to me to give you the seat at my right and my left hand, because it is up to you to meet its test. Can you be the last? Servants as I am? For 1 did not come to be served on, but to serve others and give my life for many. If you can be like this, you should not look for the first seat, but wait with hope for the future, which is prepared for you. Jesus is not talking to pharisee-like people, who like to sit in the front rows in the church, pray, give alms and fast before other. For they receive their reward by being admired. He talks to the ones who expect their reward in life eternal. We must realize that even the ones who feel that they serve Christ truly, should not expect to be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. For in that kingdom there is no competition, no jealousy or hatred, there is only truth, peace and happiness. If we want to enter this Kingdom let us stop the competition against our fellow men. For our knowledge, service we should not expect speacial high rewards. You who give, do not boast with your donation, you who pray, with your pious life, you who fast, with your selfcontrol, even you who suffer do not boast about it, because “Boast is excluded” from that Kingdom. Instead, the strong should carry the burden of the weak, the tall should lift up the small one, the happy should comfort the unhappy, the wise should teach the unwise, the one who sees should lead the blind. Let us all be each others’ servants without want of reward. And as to our place in Heaven, not the right or left side of Jesus is important but that we shall be with Him. Kalman Adorján I KNOW AND YOU KNOW AND GOD KNOWS Dean Wicks of Princeton: “You should never try to make another person a replica of yourself, for you know and I know and God knows that one like you is enough.” THE CHURCH (continued) The first Christian congregation came into being in Jerusalem ten days after the ascension of Jesus, at Pentecost. Today Christian congregations can be found all over the earth. The many congregations are grouped into many denominations. There are Reformed, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and several hundred more denominations. All the Christian denominations together make the ONE CHURCH of Jesus Christ. As the United States of America is made up of forty-eight states, similarly, the One Church of Jesus Christ is made up of several denominations. When we recite in the Apostles’ Creed that we believe a holy Christian Church, we make a testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ cannot be more than One since Jesus has only one body, and the Church is His body. The One Church of Jesus Christ, composed of many denominations, is called “catholic” or universal, because her members are from all nations, languages and races. The Roman Catholic denomination has no right to call only herself catholic as if that denomination would be the only true church of Jesus Christ. We, Reformed Christians, are catholic too in the sense that our Reformed Church is also a part of the One Church of Jesus. After this the following question comes up naturally: if all denominations are regarded as parts of the One Church of Jesus, are all denominations equally “good” and does it make any difference to which denomination we belong? Before we answer this question let us remember that all denominations are supposed to follow the example of the first, ancient Christian congregations, organized by the apostles, in doctrines and church government. God had a record preserved in the Bible of those first congregations. We know that they regularly came together to worship God, to listen to the preaching of the apostles or the pastors who took the place of the apostles in the congregations. They were baptized, they partook in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, they practiced charity, they had pastors and elders to take care of the spiritual and material matters of the congregations. Today every Christian person has the liberty of the conscience to be a member of that Christian denomination which he thinks faithfully follows the example of the ancient congregations. I am the member of the Reformed Church because as far as I can see the Reformed Church is striving all the time to follow the ancient Christian congregations as closely as possible in doctrines and church government. Of course my steadfast loyalty to the Reformed Church does not hinder me to love and respect my Christian brethren in other denominations. More questions will be dealt about the Church in our next article. Stephen Kovács “The world leaves a debt stamped UNPAID as long as Hungarians remain in refugee camps.” Richard Nixon
