The Ugly and The Beautiful: A New Way of Looking at Everything

The Ugly and the Beautiful

I guess at some time or other many of us have heard the term.

“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”

In fact I have written a Hub on the theme. Today after Christmas Australia enjoys perfect weather and

one of the great Ocean races.

Sydney to Hobart

In the far North of Australia an Indigenous settlement Exists and here a 10 year old girl was raped by six boys and men. What a marvelous way for any young girl to become an adult literally overnight. Even a worse horror this young girl was raped at the age of seven.

Finally when these six monsters were brought to trial, the Penalty enacted was 1 night in Jail. The Judge, who was a female, maybe aged somewhere from 40 to 45 years of age, gave each of these six monsters one day in jail. My mind boggles that any judge could so offend God’s laws, that they could do that to a young girl of ten. Can you imagine that a female Judge could do that? One would think that the sex of the child and the Judge would have made an impression on the Female Judge. Does she hold life that cheaply?

It was alleged that the prosecutor requested this sentence of the Judge. The Judge decided that as the Prosecutor had suggested the punishment, she would grant it like some wicked witch of the North. Her comment was ‘The 10 year old had probably said yes and therefore it was consensual sex.’ Where did this lady grow up? Apparently the young girl was raped when she was 7 years of age. What a disgrace.

It was further alleged, that the young 10 year old girl was heard asking for condoms. I do not know if this was correct or not. I can only think that if I was a 10 year old girl, who was raped previously at 7 years of age. I would be carrying the protection with me as well. How can this Lady, being a Judge or not think in that kind of pattern?

Matthew Ch. 18 Verse 6.) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Strangely enough, the Prosecutor was involved in another court case with one of the same young men or Boy (16 years) He kicked his young brother in the head, so the Prosecutor suggested he went to jail for six months. I think I would rather be kicked than raped.

It is not my wisdom being called into question, but the two people who condoned this type of action against this young ten year old girl.

Matthew Ch. 18 Verse 6.) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

The Premier of that State is a newly elected and is a Lady and is calling for all of the Judge's Judgments’ for the last two years and will go though with a fine tooth pick. Good ON YA Madam. There is a huge possibility the Prosecutor will be sweeping out the horse stables from now on. The Judge can not be sacked, who knows she might be given the Ambassadorship of Some Country, where that kind of thing does not happen.

On Boxing Day the 26 th December a West Australian Farmer accosted 3-4 young indigenous youths for taking some alcohol out of his eskie at the beach. These young people did not stand around for the farmer to tell them off. They disappeared. Some time latter twenty five indigenous young people came back and beat this 49 year Farmer to death. They attacked the Farmer's son and he is in hospital, with a broken jaw and an eye injury.

The police in that part of Australia are aledged to say that this was not an indigenous happening. In other words that was normal for the Area. WOW!

The above paragraph has not been slipped into this hub on the subject of indigenous wrongs or rights, but more on it happening at Christmas. Genesis Ch 3 V.5 'For God knows that when you eat of that tree, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God and knowing good and evil.'

Nor did that farmer conceive in his mind that morning when he went to the beach with his family that he would be dead before the setting of the sun.

Acts, Ch 1 V. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time ^restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the ^seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive ^power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be ^witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in ^Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was ^takenup; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said? Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into ^heaven? This same Jesus, who is ^taken up from you into heaven, shall so ^come in like ^manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

There are two more betrayals of mankind and that was of the Lord Jesus Christ:

The First one was by Judas Iscariot

For Thirty Pieces of Silver

The feast of the unleavened bread due near. But now was the time of the Passover. So Jesus ominously reminded the 12 “As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross.” (Matt 26:2) It with such Fateful words that Jesus again prepared the minds of the disciples for what lay ahead. His hour will come, and fully instructed by the Holy Scriptures – he knew it well. But it is doubtful whether they did, even though their master had made persistent efforts to prepare their minds for the faith-shattering events that must soon come to pass.

“The Son of man is being betrayed”, he said. The next verse insists that the chief priests and scribes were meeting at the hall of Unhewn Stone to find a way of removing this troublesome prophet of Galilee

But How? There past attempts to trap and trick Jesus had been dismal failures. What could they do against to an opponent of such calibre and Character?

Whatever was done must be done quietly, for the Romans were nervous about the excitability of the Passover crowd. Only a few days ago Jesus and his surging pilgrims entered Jerusalem.

There seemed to be only a ray of hope left to them, they would wreck this movement from within. This line of attack offered some promise. They must act quickly. Mark has a sinister conjunction of Phrase “they sought how they might put him to death… Judas sought how he might betray him” (Mark 14:1, 11)

That day, an emissary of these desperate unscrupulous rulers, was empowered to enter negotiations with Judas right away.

The timing of this meeting with Judas could hardly have been better. For a year now (Jn 6:15, 60-71) “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself….On hearing it, many of his disciples said ‘this is a hard teaching who can accept it?

“You don't want to leave also, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, who can we go to? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Then Jesus replied, "Didn't I choose you, the 12 disciples? But one of you is a devil!" 71 He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the Twelve. But later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies.” Judas convictions about Jesus had been becoming more and more unsettled, and in various ways the past week had added bitterness and disillusionment.

· The house in Bethany his virtuous protest against the waste of perfume, earned a blunt rebuke before the others

· The next day the opportunity presented by the tumultuous entry into Jerusalem, as though he were a king taking possession of his capital, alas it did not come to past

· The next day was no better, in the temple Jesus tells of the Parable of the vineyard, Here Jesus was representing himself as this Son of the vineyard –but a Son to be despised, killed and cast out, while the rest were left in possession (Mk 12:6-8) his master, it would seem, he was obsessed with sense of failure. What use all those fine qualities of his if this weakness was to cancel them all out?

· The following day Judas was rocked, when Jesus said “render to Ceaser the things that are Ceasers” did really Jesus really mean this?, all his hopes of seeing a Son of David reign in Jerusalem on David’s throne

With the vision of a royal throne in Jerusalem fading, Judas believed he needed to act quickly.

So the meeting with the emissary of Caiaphas and Annas came at just the right time.

Judas went away from the secret meeting, his purse heavier with 30 pieces of Silver. This was a small amount for a greedy man to ask for supplying such crucial help, when it is considered that chief priest controlled - millions – all the revenue of the temple. This was the price of a mere slave, which we can see from (Ex 21:32) “If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned.”

The 30 pieces of silver was a down payment, the rest being paid on completion.

“Judas accepted their offer. He watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. He wanted to do it when no crowd was around.” (Luke 22; 6)

“And when the hour was come he sat down, and the 12 apostles with him.” (Luke 22:14) In these last hours of strain and leave-taking Jesus needed all the fellowship and help his followers could give him. How distressing for him there should be another competition among the 12 for precedence. On this occasion the disciples as they were at table was the more effective because at first no word was spoken. Jesus rose and, removing his upper garment, he took a towel and basin and proceeded to wash the feet of first one and then another disciple (Luke 22:27) Jesus must have been greatly disappointed as the disciples had no thought to their colleagues, but instead were concerned to the point of bitterness about their own personal status. So Jesus with basin and towel and earthenware jug went systematically from one to the next. “He took on the role of the servant…he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death” (Phil 2:16, 18)

And you are clean, though not every one of you. For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean”.

These disciples! – With their quarrelling and their crudities and their dim opaque vision of the Master they claimed to follow-they were clean! But not Judas, even though his feet had been washed as clean as Peter’s for he alone out of all the 12 had now lost faith in Jesus. The essential lesson is that a man may be diligent in his attendance at the Lord’s Table, but if he does this in a spirit of formality then it does him no good at all, but only harm. The others are made clean, but not him!

Jesus is doing everything to reclaim this lost sheep.

‘And while they’re eating, he said, “I tell you the truth; one of you will betray me.” (Matt 26:21) The Lord was clearly willing Judas to continue in fellowship with the others.

Jesus spoke to them under tremendous stress –he was “troubled in spirits” his warnings of impending betrayal, was for the concern of Judas. But Judas did not hasten to be healed. Judas, whose hand happened to dip into the dish at the same moment as the hand of Jesus, knew he had been identified by his master as the traitor.

“But woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed” Even though it was true of the traitor, there was still time for Judas to draw back, & so there would be, right up to the fatal moment when he greeted his master with a kiss.

This is why he persisted with the appeals and warnings. “It had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Judas lean over “master, it is not I is it?” “Yes it is as you say” Jesus replied.

Judas went out from the presence of the Lord, he went to his downfall. There was opportunity for repentance right up to the dramatic moment in Gethsemane.

68 Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? 69 And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. 70 And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God. 71 Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil. 72 Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve.

Judas, whose hand happened to dip into the dish at the same moment as the hand of Jesus, knew he had been identified by his master as the traitor.

“But woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed” Even though it was true of the traitor, there was still time for Judas to draw back, & so there would be, right up to the fatal moment when he greeted his master with a kiss.

This is why he persisted with the appeals and warnings. “It had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Judas lean over “master, it is not I is it?” “Yes it is as you say” Jesus replied.

Judas went out from the presence of the Lord, he went to his downfall. There was opportunity for repentance right up to the dramatic moment in Gethsemane.

In say an hour of the betrayal by Judas Iscariot for the 30 Pieces of Silver.

Simon Peter would deny Jesus Christ thrice before the cock crowed.

“Simon, Simon! Satan has asked to sift you disciples like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon. I have prayed that your faith will not fail. When you have turned back, help your brothers to be strong.".” (Lk22:31-32)

(Matt 26:33-35) “Then Jesus told them, ‘this very night you will all fall away on account of me for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

Peter’s reaction was swift in his characteristic way “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” The answer to his cocksureness bravado was the most solemn of warnings “I tell you the truth,” Jesus Answered “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me 3 times” “But peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”

Peter considered his lord’s warnings to be utterly needless. His declarations in reply were as vigorous as could be expected.” Peter knew that his strength lay in being with His master. Separated from, him, he was a very uncertain quantity. Trying to walk on the waves of Galilee he had floundered helplessly when terrified by the sight of danger all around; but a minute later, with his master at his side, he was calmly immune from fear.

In Gethsemane, less than an hour after the present warning, though separated from Jesus by only a small distance, he slept with the rest, and incurred the reproof; “Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour.”

But when Jesus was arrested, Peter at his side was bursting with courage and resolution and willing to risk all in a desperate attempt to defend his Lord against impossible odds.

Yet in the courtyard of the high priest’s palace, with Jesus out of sight, he could not muster enough bravery to confess himself a disciple of the Galilean prophet. But it needed only the appearance of Jesus and one look in the direction of Peter to restore the apostle to his right mind, so in remorse and contrition he went and wept bitterly.

Even after the resurrection, the temporary absence of the risen Jesus threw Peter on the only resource he knew-his fishing – and he went back to that, only to be reminded by a remarkable miracle that his fishing days were over. Except for the catching of men; and he got himself out of the boat to be at his master’s side as quickly as possible.

Just now, his over-emphatic assertion of unshakeable loyalty was to his discredit in 3 different ways

· He contradicted his master

· He set himself up as better than the rest

· And he spoke out of a confident reliance on his own strength

“Then Jesus Went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane” The struggle for man’s redemption, foretold in a garden (Gen 3:15), was now to come to its crisis in a garden and finally resolved in another (Jn 19:41).

But now Peter saw only one thing – which his pride was being rebuked and he was loath to acknowledge his need of it. “No”, said Peter “You shall never, wash my feet”, he asserted with characteristic vigour.

“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” If you don’t participation in this breaking of bread service, then no sharing in the Messianic future.

Peter responds to the other extreme, “Then Lord” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well”

But no, Peter! You have been washed already, in the baptism of your early discipleship, and “he that is bathed all over needs not save not save to wash his feet” this a reminder that as we come to the lord’s Supper we are continually cleaned from the renewed and unavoidable tainting of our daily life. Jesus is the purifier of the troubled disciple who finds with mortification and distress though he wills for Christ’s to have done with sin, sin has yet not done with him. Even there the power of Christ can reign. The Son of man has the power on earth to forgive these sins also, and he signifies this through the memorial feast which he now appointed.

Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.

Edify:- To build, to Contruct a house, Temple

Edification: - Act of Building: Instructio: Moral or Spiritual Instruction and improvement: Enlightment.

1 Thessalonians 5:4

But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

At the close of Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he exhorted them to "edify one another" (1 Thes. 5:11). The word "edify" comes from the Greek word oikodomeo. This word occurs thirty-nine times in the original text and means “edifying, edification, building up, strengthening.”

A short time I was involved in some research and stumbled across a rather heated discussion via Hubs by a fair number of Hubbers. As I was an innocent bystander, I was amazed at the way one Hubber was attacked by others. There was no building of a person, rather to my way of thinking perhaps more like search and destroy.

Our Lord chose to use this word, oikodomeo, in Matthew 7:24 when He spoke of the wise man who "built his house on the rock."

The idea here is that we believers need to be in the construction business, not in the demolition business, unless we’re demolishing those things that are sinful and destructive in our own lives.

This is what the Lord is doing in the lives of every one of His people in Christ. He is building us together so that we can become this dwelling in which lives the Spirit of God. And we are seen as living stones.

How or when are we seen trying to edify each other so that this wonderful house of Hubbersis seen to be a place, where we would all like to increase our skills, dwell instead of just a place where people gather on an occasion to show off their Hubs.

Are we that proud, that only Thee can formulate the perfect Hub? I would believe that most of the Hubbers, I have met are extremely great people and would offer a helping hand, where ever it was asked or required.

And Paul makes the point that to accomplish this.

A love for each other must abound.

1^st. Corinthians 10:24 "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."

Romans 15:1 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2. Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. 3. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

Philippians 2:4 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.v5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:"

Now, here’s where the Hubber meets the road, because even as True believer Hubber, our old nature’s sometimes gets in the way of wanting to put the interests of others ahead of our own.

Paul isn’t saying we can’t have any self interests, he’s just saying that if we have to lay those interests aside for a time when we have the opportunity to edify and build up another Hubber.

We must be part of the "building crew," and not part of the "wrecking crew." We are called to EDIFICATION, not DEMOLITION.

It is not the Lord who stands in need of strengthening or building up, but the Lord’s people. In this sense, the meeting, this ecclesia, is for the benefit of the people present. The fellowship that we have and share is designed to edify us.

Notice how Hebrews supports this concept of strengthening, 10:24-25: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see someone struggling.”

The reason for “submitting Hubs” is to “encourage” one another. We are to think of ways to “spur” one another on toward love and good deeds. In this sense these hubs should be placed so we all gain from them, not to build the individual’s ego.

"...let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." Romans 14:19

All people on Earth should love one another. Loving one another is not only a matter of words; it is a matter of deeds. It is one thing to say to someone, "I love you," but quite something else to prove it by our actions. People, who care, edify one another; they build one another up. It is much easier to be a destroyer than to be a builder. God has given us several spiritual tools that we can use for building up one another!

Here are ten questions you should ask yourself?

#1 -- Love One Another! Do you?

#2 -- Encourage One Another. --- "Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

The Greek word translated "encourage" is parakeet, a combination of two words which literally means "to call alongside." It conveys the idea of taking someone to our side, placing an arm around them, and comforting, cheering, encouraging them in some way.

#3 -- Be A Positive Example To One Another! We are in full view and observation every day to many, both within and outside of HUB world. Our example will impact the lives of others, either positively or negatively. By a poor or careless example we may actually "build up" someone to do that which would be harmful to them.

(Bob Lloyd) - Dr. Albert Schweitzer is reported to have said, "Many have discovered helping others to be the most enduring therapy, for it’s the burdens you help another to bear that make your own seem light."

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

God made the body with a sympathetic nerve so that if one part of the body is hurting, the whole body suffers. If we can only acquire this kind of a sympathetic nerve for each other, then we will leap to the aid of one who is hurting, and in the process, we will find that our own hurts are minimized.

So the best way to heal our hurts is to look outside ourselves – in this way we end up being a positive example for each other.

#4 -- Promote Peace With One Another. --- "So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another"

"But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another" (Gal. 5:15). When we pursue the things which make for peace, we will at the same time be pursuing edification!

#5. Be affectionate to one another, and honor one another - Ro 12:10

#6. Serve one another - Ga 5:13

#7. Bear with one another - Ep 4:2

#8. Submit to one another - Ep 5:21

#9. Be kind to one another, and forgive one another - Ep 4:32

#10. Exhort one another - He 3:13

Now you have read and hopefully consumed “The Ugly and The Beautiful”

Take a moment to introspectively review your behaviour: Do we set aside our self-interests to the profit of others? Do we perceive others as The Judge and The Prosecutor?

Do we appreciate our fellow Hubbers and our neighbours?

You should be saying, “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be better and become great."

We are not saved by knowledge; we are saved by God’s grace, which we have access to through a faith that works in love. How tragic it would be if we should lose the great prize because we have become specialists in biting and devouring our Own.

Let each of us remember the premier identification of brethren in Christ: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Each of us can do what we can with what we have right where we are to make life a little more bearable for others.

One of the highest duties that we should fulfill is towards encouraging, building-up, lifting up, bearing and strengthening one another. In a world filled with pessimism, despair, temptation and selfishness, our need for edification is great.

"I have showed you all things how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Jesus gave his life for us.