John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

Did Jesus cause a division within the Pharisees? No, there was already division and strife within that sect. It was the actions of Jesus that got them talking about those divisions.

Some will point out the man who Jesus healed. Some will point to the law regarding the Sabbath. Some will even point to Jesus. How many point to the division?

The division is the essence of Christ’s mission on earth. Every point in His ministry seems to center around division.

Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Jude 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

Even at the dying moments of the Cross Jesus was between two thieves, only one of whom was promised to be with Him in paradise that day.

But no greater division has there been in His mission that to cause division within us.

Hebrew 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

How can He do that?

He is God. All things are possible with God.

Psalm 30:9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

We have an offering we make called Dying Moments. We take a deep inventory of ourselves and hear that deepest most discerned sin of the moment, that which the Lord wants us to lay before His Cross. It is that part of us that most closely resembles this issue in Psalm 30:9 which cannot and will not glorify Christ in any way. My blood, the sacrifice of self. Going down to the pit, to lay it to rest, bury that thing, put it to death. The issue of the dust praising Christ has everything to do with this thing being that particular sin, attitude, character, fault, habit, or understanding which the Lord says “Lay it down.”

If we hear Christ aright and we have taken to that dying moment the very thing which He is asking of us to sacrifice, it shall declare unto you that you have heard and obeyed the truth.

I would by all good counsel ask each of us, myself especially, NOT to pick it up again. If we can hold the memory of those sacred moments when we knew in our hearts that this was true obedience of faith and remember the relief in letting go, perhaps it will remind us, it is a dead thing, touch not, want not.

Do you practice dying moments? We in a particular community of believers celebrate these moments together but in truth should and many do, exercise Dying Moments in private. I must admit that a public declaration does make it more memorable but not more effective. It does make it more memorable and if so that is more significant in that you will find it easier to remember.

Don’t touch, don’t want. It’s a dead thing to you.