Choice Word: “Eulogia” (Blessing others with a ‘good word’)
Choice Word: “Eulogia” (Blessing others with a ‘good word’).
CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this era of amazing advances in technology, there are sometimes unexpected consequences that turn out to be harmful to our Christian faith. One of these harmful improvements is the flood of believers who read scripture online, on the smart phone, on the computer screen. I’m convinced there should be a warning label on every one of the online Bibles… CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. So many of us now read the Word like we would read our emails or social media or the daily news. We skim the material hurriedly, superficially, carelessly. We skim the Scripture. Skim-reading the Bible doesn’t really bury the seed very deeply, of course. And in our skimming, we would be more likely to just skip over an important word or phrase without thinking, a word that could be vital to the whole passage. The fact is, the Bible is full of single words or short phrases that are too important to simply gloss over as if it wasn’t there. There are times in the Word when single words are intended to feed us, nourish our faith, stimulate us to think at a deeper level about the biblical text.
There are single words in Scripture that are like stop signs asking us to stop and consider carefully, to pause before moving forward in the reading. This series on my blog will try to unpack some of these power-packed words or phrases in Scripture… Words like: Behold; Rejoice; Truly; Woe; Blessed; Beware; Come; If. And I will attempt to also explore the meanings of some short phrases that are single words in the original biblical language, such as “Himeni” (Here I am); “Shema” (Listen and Do’); “Splagchnizonai” (deeply moved with compassion); “pistence” (believe), and “kal-v’chomer” (How much more). If it is poetically possible to “see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower, and hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour,” as William Blake once imagined, then certainly we readers of Scripture can find a world of meaning in a single word, we can grasp something profound in a simple phrase.
“Then Jesus took the disciples as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He spoke a blessing (eulogia) over them. And it occurred that while He was blessing them, while Jesus was in the act of blessing His disciples, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven. And worshipping Him, they went back to Jerusalem with great joy.” (Luke 24:50-53).
Blessing Others. The Hebrew word for bless, “barak,” means to “bow the knee” in honor of someone of high value, and is a prayer to the Lord that He demonstrates favor and acceptance of another person, that God would enable that person to flourish. The Greek word for bless is “eulogia,” which means to speak a “good word” over others in seeking God’s best for them. To biblically bless others is to seek God’s favor for someone else. To bless someone is to “eulogize” that person, to speak words of encouragement, affirmation, loving acceptance. To bless others is to assure others that they are worthwhile, they are highly valued. A blessing for others often includes a focus on that person’s qualities. To bless others is to offer a eulogy in the sense that if our words of blessing are the last words someone hears, they will be certain of their being highly favored and valued by God. Praying for God to bless others in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is to intentionally follow Jesus into his lifestyle of blessing. By blessing others, we participate with Jesus in His public ministry.
“And the people kept bringing babies and small children to Jesus, so that He could touch them and offer a blessing. The disciples impatiently tried to shoo them away with stern words. But when Jesus saw this going on, He rebuked His disciples. He was indignant, and it pained Jesus just to see this happening. So Jesus said to His disciples, “Allow these children to come to Me, do not prevent them or hinder them in any way, for to such belong the kingdom of God. I tell you the absolute truth, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child, will never, not ever, enter it at all.” And then Jesus embraced them in His arms, lifted them up one by one, laid His hands on each child, and fervently spoke a blessing (eulogia) over them.” (Mark 10:13-16; also Matt. 19:3-5 and Luke 18:15-17).
The Rabbinic Touch. In this famous passage above of Jesus blessing the children, He was doing what was expected of all itinerant rabbis during that day. Once parents heard that a rabbi was visiting nearby, they would flock to the rabbi and ask for his blessing on their children, which always included the Hebrew tradition of laying his hands on the child during the blessing. Blessing children was an ingrained part of the Jewish culture from its very beginnings. To this day, every traditional weekly Sabbath service at home involves the father going from one child to the next, laying his hands on each child’s head and speaking a blessing.
A Mission of Blessing. Is it any surprise that Jesus blessed people, whether verbally or tangibly, everywhere He went during His earthly ministry? He made it very clear that His whole mission was to be a blessing as He quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4: “… to bring Good News to the poor; to proclaim liberty to the captives; to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind; to set free those who are oppressed.” So that’s what Jesus did, blessing people everywhere He went, whether through His healings and miracles, His edifying stories and teachings, and certainly through His personal presence and His friendships. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with strength and power; Jesus went about doing good, in particular curing all that were harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38).” Jesus engaged in a lifestyle of blessing others to the very end as He became our Redeemer and Savior. And even now Jesus blesses us by remaining our Intercessor at God’s right hand on the heavenly throne.
No Such Thing as Untouchable. Vital to the work of Jesus was His ministry of touch. He seemed to touch everybody in need. He specialized in touching the untouchables… the leper, the prostitute, the morbidly sick, the demon-possessed, even the dead. He operated under the assumption that touch was an integral part of his life and ministry on earth. Throughout Scripture, a blessing was physical as much as verbal, a touch accompanying the spoken word. So if possible, and sometimes it’s just not very possible, we do with others just what Jesus did with the children… We touch them while we bless them.
The Importance of Touch. Being the co-designer of the human body, Jesus understood the importance of touch. In psychological studies, it is estimated that each person needs 8-10 meaningful touches each day for emotional and physical health. In fact, human touch has several physical benefits. The hands of blessing are especially important in establishing sensitive connections. since one-third of our five million touch receptors are located in the hands. It’s also interesting that, when touched by hands, a person’s body tissues immediately receive an influx of added oxygen. This oxygen provides energy and it aids in regeneration of body tissues. Touch is literally a healing agent. And too, physical touch lowers the blood pressure of the person being touched in a meaningful way. Innocent and loving physical touch is the most intimate and helpful way we can minister to others when appropriate, and is the best way to bless others with the hands of Jesus.
Blessing Others by Praying the Word. Have you ever been at a loss in figuring out how to bless others in a meaningful way, to warmly accept that person, and pray God’s best for that person? Whether the person being blessed is a child, a sibling, a spouse, a parent, a friend, or even a total stranger who invites a blessing, what words should be used in the blessing? If words fail you… think about this. What better way to speak a blessing over others than to pray His inspired Word? How can there possibly be a more effective and fruitful way of blessing others than with the inspired Scriptures? Praying the Scripture is praying into the mind of God, to pray into His thinking using His inspired words. To pray the Word is to pray in the spirit of the Spirit. To pray the Scripture is to pray according to His established will. Praying His Word over others puts our thoughts into better expression than our own words, though God wants those too. Unlike many of us, God loves to be quoted, because He fully knows His words bring life. Biblical blessings are “good words” spoken over another person, are literally inspired by the Holy Spirit, and thus will not return to God empty. “For as rain and snow fall from the heavens and return not again without watering the earth, bringing forth life and giving growth, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, it is the same with my Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
The Aaronic Blessing. The most significant blessing in the Hebrew Bible is the traditional priestly blessing that has stood the test of time, and is a part of biblical history. This Judeo-Christian Aaronic blessing has been used effectively for centuries, and literally came word-for-word from the mouth of God. There is no doubt that Jesus, being a rabbi, would have been praying this blessing over the children as He laid His hands on each one. It is also likely that Jesus used this same ancient Hebrew blessing as He ascended into heaven.
Doesn’t it give us chills as we think about Jesus speaking these very words of blessing over the children and over His disciples:
”May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may He turn His face towards you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).
- “May the Lord bless you and keep you…” This petition is for that person’s physical blessing and protection. The blessing applies to physical health and material needs, to grant prosperity, provision and success, with the understanding that one will be kept from the corruption of wealth. There are 8 Hebrew words for “prosper” and none of them includes the idea of accumulation of goods and money;
- “May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you…” For a face to shine upon someone is to show affection, favor and friendship. It is to show someone a smiling face, the opposite of hiding His face out of displeasure or anger. One’s face “lights up” when one sees a friend. Also, this blessing asks for the Lord to leave a visible trace of His Presence on the face of the one being blessed. To ask the Lord to be gracious to someone is to ask that He extend mercy, have compassion, to see the best in someone and seek the best for that person. Asking God to show someone grace is to ask God to offer that person the free gift of mercy and compassion, that God would fully accept that person and reveal His forgiveness for them. When the Lord is gracious to someone, He is not concerned about whether that person deserves His love or not. God is gracious to all of us, even though we haven’t earned His love in the least.
- “May He turn His face towards you and give you peace.” This part of the blessing asks that the Lord look upon that person with approval, that He turns towards him/her with favor, and fondness; that He makes eye contact, so to speak, and affirms one’s worth and dignity through a personal relationship. This blessing asks for God to give this person a constant awareness of the Lord’s presence, the presence of the goodness of God. God is Someone who will not ignore a person, or just pass them by, but instead will give this person His undivided attention. The seal of this entire blessing is shalom, peace, that the person being blessed will be granted freedom from strife, disorder and disquiet, bringing harmony, wholeness and abundant well-being. To ask God’s blessing over another person is to show your desire to bring that person shalom, that the person would flourish and be able to say in faithful confidence, “With God, all is well.”
Pauline Blessings: Praying a “Good Word” Over Others:
1.”May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know
the hope to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and
the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe,
according to the working of his great might
which he accomplished in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:17-20)
2. “May the God of all grace,
who has called you to share his eternal splendor through Christ,
after you have suffered a very little while,
restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power forever and ever.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)
3. “May the Father, out of his glorious riches, strengthen you with power
through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge –
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
(Ephesians 3:16-19)
4. “May you be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share
in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Colossians 1:9-12)
5. “Now to him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to make you stand without fault in the presence of his glory
with unspeakable joy, to the only God our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, power and authority,
before all time and now and forever.” (Jude:24-25)
6. “May you be resolute, encouraged in heart and bound together in love
until you have the full riches of complete understanding in order that you
may know the mystery of God, who is Christ, in whom are hidden all the
jewels and treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians2:2-3)
7. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who
loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and
word.” (2 Thess. 2:16-17)
8. “May your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best, and may be pure
and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
(Philippians 1:9-11)
9. “Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord
Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal
covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his
will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)
10. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy
Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
11. “May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, Son and
the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.”
(Philippians 4:7, and Book of Common Prayer)