Thursday, March 22, 2007

El Eunuco The Eunuch

Porque ningún varón en el cual haya defecto se acercará; varón ciego, o cojo, o mutilado, o sobrado, o varón que tenga quebradura de pie o rotura de mano, o jorobado, o enano, o que tenga nube en el ojo, o que tenga sarna, o empeine, o testículo magullado. Ningún varón de la descendencia del sacerdote Aarón, en el cual haya defecto, se acercará para ofrecer las ofrendas encendidas para Jehová. Hay defecto en él; no se acercará a ofrecer el pan de su Dios.
Levítico 21:18-21

Hoy terminamos de estudiar estos versículos que tantas cosas nos han enseñado acerca del ministerio. En esta ocasión vemos que ningún hombre con el testículo magullado podía servir en el tabernáculo. Lo cual alude a dos casos posibles: a un hombre que ha sido castrado o a uno que es impotente. Los hombres que servían a Dios debían tomar muy en serio su responsabilidad. Sólo los levitas -los hombres de la tribu de Leví- podían servir en el templo. Los de las otras tribus estaban excluidos de esta función. Por ello, los levitas debían asegurar la continuidad del ministerio. Y si no hubieran procreado, su tribu se hubiera extinguido. En ese sentido, el servicio en el templo de Dios también era muy diferente al de los templos de dioses paganos, donde muchas veces los que atendían se volvían eunucos voluntariamente, pensando que así agradaban a sus dioses. Pero Dios siempre ha querido tener a un pueblo y un sacerdocio fructíferos.

Hace unos años atrás yo estaba orando para que el Señor me diese hombres para discipular y ayudar a crecer en la fe. Quería tener “hijos espirituales”, como Pablo tuvo a Timoteo y a otros. Mientras oraba Dios me habló un día y me hizo recordar que mis tres hijos no habían nacido porque me hubiera esforzado mucho o me hubiera preocupado por tenerlos. Ellos nacieron porque había pasado momentos de intimidad con mi esposa. En la misma forma, si quería tener hijos espirituales necesitaba pasar tiempo con Dios en la intimidad, disfrutando mi relación con él y escuchando su voz.

Es muy importante recordar que no podemos dar a otros lo que no poseemos. La vida viene desde adentro. Si Dios no ha puesto nada en nosotros, nada tenemos que compartir. Estoy convencido de que uno de los problemas más grandes que tiene la iglesia moderna es que pensamos que podemos hacerlo todo por medio de programas, publicidad y espectáculos atractivos. Y como consideramos que nosotros lo podemos hacer, no clamamos a Dios ni pasamos tiempo buscando su rostro. Nuestra meta ya no es hacer discípulos santos, sino iglesias grandes con buena música, edificios bonitos y programas para toda la familia. Nos hemos quedado impotentes y frustrados. La primera cosa que nuestros pastores, líderes y discípulos deben aprender es cómo orar y orar de verdad. Dios está interesado en el fruto.

En Juan 15:1-8 dice:
“Yo soy la vid verdadera, y mi Padre es el labrador. Todo pámpano que en mí no lleva fruto, lo quitará; y todo aquel que lleva fruto, lo limpiará, para que lleve más fruto. Ya vosotros estáis limpios por la palabra que os he hablado. Permaneced en mí, y yo en vosotros. Como el pámpano no puede llevar fruto por sí mismo, si no permanece en la vid, así tampoco vosotros, si no permanecéis en mí. Yo soy la vid, vosotros los pámpanos; el que permanece en mí, y yo en él, éste lleva mucho fruto; porque separados de mí nada podéis hacer. El que en mí no permanece, será echado fuera como pámpano, y se secará; y los recogen, y los echan en el fuego, y arden. Si permanecéis en mí, y mis palabras permanecen en vosotros, pedid todo lo que queréis, y os será hecho. En esto es glorificado mi Padre, en que llevéis mucho fruto, y seáis así mis discípulos”.





‘For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. [1]
Leviticus 21:18-21

Today we will finish studying the list of physical problems that disqualified a Levite from being able to serve in the tabernacle. We’ve learned so much about ministry in these verses. This time we see that a eunuch couldn’t serve. There are two possibilities here when we try to understand what this portion of the verse means. It could either mean a man that has been castrated or a man that is impotent. The men that served in the tabernacle had to take their responsibility very seriously. Only men from the tribe of Levi could serve. The other tribes were excluded from this role. Due to this the Levites had to make sure that there would always be men from their tribe available to serve. If they weren’t able to procreate their tribe would vanish. In this way, their service to God was very different than what happened in the temples of the pagan Gods where the men that served were made eunuchs because the people thought that this would please their gods. God has always wanted His people to be fruitful

A few years ago I was asking the Lord to give me men to disciple and help grow in their faith. I wanted “spiritual children” like Paul had in Timothy and others. While I was praying one day God spoke to me and made me remember that my three children hadn’t been born because I really worked hard at having them or because I had been so worried about having them either. They were born because I had taken some time to relax. I had intimate moments with my wife. In the same way, if I wanted to have spiritual children, I needed to spend intimate moments with the Lord, enjoying my relationship with Him and hearing his voice.

It’s so important to remember that we can’t give others something that we don’t possess. Life comes from what’s inside. If God hasn’t put anything inside us, we don’t have anything to give. I’m convinced that one of the big problems that the modern church has is that we think we can do almost everything with a great program, some good publicity and some great shows. Due to the fact that we think we can do it, we don’t really see the need to call on God or spend time seeking His face. Our goal is no longer to make holy disciples. Our goal is to have big churches with good music, nice buildings and programs for the whole family. We’ve become impotent and frustrated. The first thing that our pastors, leaders and disciples need to be taught is how to truly pray. God is interested in fruit.

Juan 15:1-8 says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." [2]



[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

2 comments:

Shelley Family said...

That is a beautiful picture about your children and spiritual children.

Financial Support said...

Thanks Tracy
I appreciate your comments


Making disciples in Peru,


Brian Vander Kodde