April 13, 2023

The Bible Edge

Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge

Luke 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

The “she” is Mary, the soon to be mother of Jesus, the “him” is the angel Gabriel, whom God dispatched to her with the message that she was chosen to bring the Saviour into this world. The salutation that Gabriel used was uncommon to say the least. “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Luke 1:28 Immediately she “cast in her mind what manner of salutation…” The phrase “cast in her mind” means to reason, to think about, to consider, to deliberate, to resolve. Sometimes this is what is needed today.

It seems that so many know what they know and if they hear anything different than what they know they immediately reject it. This is mental laziness. Remember, truth never shies from being questioned. Truth is truth. In fact, II Corinthians 13:8 says: “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth”. When Mary heard something, she never heard before she “cast her mind” on it. We should be so wise today. Instead of making snap judgments, jumping to conclusions, and attacking messengers we should search out a matter so that we can make a decision based on fact not fancy. Proverbs 25:2 says that the “…honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Even some of the Greek philosophers of Athens knew enough to “cast their mind” about things new to them. Acts 17:32 relates the response of these intellectuals at the end of Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill. “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.”

God’s Word constantly encourages any and all to search out a matter. This is wise, safe, and the only way to come to the truth of Scripture. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit described this thing of searching out a matter as being noble. He wrote of those of Berea in Acts 17:11 as… These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Perhaps there are so few individuals that display nobleness in their lives and actions because there are so few that are ready, willing, and able to search the scriptures daily to learn if that which has entered into their mind is right.

You see, some things must be investigated to find the truth (truth is not new, but sometimes it has been obfuscated, forgotten, or downright ignored) do not let emotional investments or personal biases that you have keep you from growing, improving, and even believing truth (especially eternal truth). Cast in your mind a matter before jumping to a conclusion. Because, after all, eternity is too long to be wrong about some things.

William Howe, Ph.D.