A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding. A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide fairly for the land's afflicted. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips (Is. 11: 1-5)
When I read this passage from Isaiah, a prophecy looking forward to the Messiah to come, I cannot help but think of a quote from Boehme: When I see a man standing before me, I see three worlds.
Jesus Christ was and is the "Complete Man," according to Boehme's definition. In His own Person and Personality, He perfectly integrated the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual worlds. He was and is perfect God and perfect Man. Like us, in the physical, psychological, and the spiritual realms, he was tempted to "worship" his own bodily needs of hunger and thirst and rest, his psychological need to know better than God what was "good," and his spiritual need to be "like God," the same temptation given to Adam and Eve.
Looking again at the quote from Isaiah, I am struck by the fact that Eve "judged by appearance and by hearsay -- what she saw with her eyes and what she was told by Satan. What she and Adam abandoned in that moment of temptation was the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and of Strength, and the Fear of the Lord. They looked to their own understanding and wisdom instead, learning as we do the hard way that we are NOT "like God."
The man who embraces the spiritual life, who integrates into his physical and psychological world the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, of knowledge and of counsel from above, is the compete man. This is a man we can trust, whether in politics, in business, in education, or simply in the neighborhood. The one who relies on his own wisdom and understanding is easily recognized. In fact, sooner or later -- and usually sooner -- that man will reveal himself as a fool.
When I look at our political candidates for an upcoming presidential election, I see very few "complete men" (or women, for that matter). I cannot vote for someone whose "human wisdom" relies solely on his prior experience in the business world, in the world of politics and intrigue, or even in his good intentions, his "humanism." I need to see a "complete man," one whose person and personality incorporates the Fear of the Lord and who acknowledges that he is not a "god." I need to see someone who wears justice as "a band around his waist" and faithfulness (to God and to the public) as "a belt upon his hips."
Never mind which party he represents. Unless he stands with humility before God and man, he will never find my vote.
Jesus Christ was and is the "Complete Man," according to Boehme's definition. In His own Person and Personality, He perfectly integrated the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual worlds. He was and is perfect God and perfect Man. Like us, in the physical, psychological, and the spiritual realms, he was tempted to "worship" his own bodily needs of hunger and thirst and rest, his psychological need to know better than God what was "good," and his spiritual need to be "like God," the same temptation given to Adam and Eve.
Looking again at the quote from Isaiah, I am struck by the fact that Eve "judged by appearance and by hearsay -- what she saw with her eyes and what she was told by Satan. What she and Adam abandoned in that moment of temptation was the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and of Strength, and the Fear of the Lord. They looked to their own understanding and wisdom instead, learning as we do the hard way that we are NOT "like God."
The man who embraces the spiritual life, who integrates into his physical and psychological world the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, of knowledge and of counsel from above, is the compete man. This is a man we can trust, whether in politics, in business, in education, or simply in the neighborhood. The one who relies on his own wisdom and understanding is easily recognized. In fact, sooner or later -- and usually sooner -- that man will reveal himself as a fool.
When I look at our political candidates for an upcoming presidential election, I see very few "complete men" (or women, for that matter). I cannot vote for someone whose "human wisdom" relies solely on his prior experience in the business world, in the world of politics and intrigue, or even in his good intentions, his "humanism." I need to see a "complete man," one whose person and personality incorporates the Fear of the Lord and who acknowledges that he is not a "god." I need to see someone who wears justice as "a band around his waist" and faithfulness (to God and to the public) as "a belt upon his hips."
Never mind which party he represents. Unless he stands with humility before God and man, he will never find my vote.
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