Welcome to the September 2024 Archive. You are welcome to read the entire archive, or find a topic on the list below that is of interest to you. Just click the link, and you will be taken directly to the day it was written. Enjoy, and may you know God's peace as you read His Word.
You are welcome to use these writings or pass them on. All we ask is that in all things you remember the Author and give Him the glory, and remember this vessel which He has used to bring them to you. Peggy Hoppes
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A WORD FOR TODAY, September 2024
September 3, 2024
“But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer. And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms. If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:7-11, WEB
My husband and I spent the weekend at a cabin at a Christian camp we support. We unplug, in a sense, although we do take a television and blue-ray player to watch movies. We do puzzles, hike, read, and just sit on the porch watching the wildlife. We were blessed by visits of deer every morning and we watched the promise of rain in pretty clouds at sunset. It was a lovely weekend away from the stress of life, enjoying the peace of the country.
One of the movies we watched was a documentary that was produced a couple years ago about the 50th anniversary of the disastrous flooding in Northeast Pennsylvania from Hurricane Agnes. The storm did over three billion dollars of damage (1970’s value) in twelve states, but two thirds of that happened where the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks in the Wyoming Valley. Families and businesses lost everything; it took many years for those who were affected to return to “normal” (whatever that means).
The flood of 1972 was not the first to do significant damage to the valley. The valley experienced flooding throughout its history, but there was a flood in 1936, caused by the combination of heavy rain and melting snowpack that crested in early March at about 29 feet. The flooding stopped when a cold front stopped the snow from melting. Though there was significant damage, they breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t worse. Unfortunately, the river began again just a few days later and ultimately crested over 33 feet. The double peak made the flood worse than any flood the valley had experienced until that day. That flood led to the construction of the levee system that was meant to protect the valley. The natural banks of the Susquehanna rose to about twenty feet, and the levee added about fifteen feet of protection.
Unfortunately, though the levee protected the city for nearly forty years, the circumstances around Hurricane Agnes were extraordinary. Agnes dropped as much as 18 inches, after a period that was wetter than normal. Early in the crisis, authorities called for volunteers to help raise the levee a few feet, a task that was expected to take ten thousand people. They worked valiantly, filling sandbag after sandbag to top the bank. The documentary included pictures and videos of a diverse group of people working together to save the city. Unfortunately, not only did the river rise to over forty feet, but it undermined the levee system. The force of the water in the river was too much for the way the levee was built. Despite their hard work, the river breeched the levee in several places and water poured into the communities along the river.
One of the most beautiful things that happened in the horrific flooding was seen on the streets of the communities, including that day when tens of thousands of people worked tirelessly to save the city on the bank of the Susquehanna. Young and old, black and white, rich and poor, men and women, and even children gathered to shovel sand, fill bags, then pass them onto the bank.
In one interview taken after the breech, an elderly man talked about how he thought all the young were lazy hippies (it was he 70’s), but after watching so many young men work so hard, he had a whole new understanding. Young folk saw the elderly with new eyes. They laughed together, and then cried together, no matter who they were. Military, government, and civilian rescuers worked together with official craft and private boats to save people who were trapped by the flood water. This care for others was apparent after the water receded. Neighbors helped neighbors clean the disgusting, smelly muck that had settled on every surface, up to the second and even third floors of homes and businesses. People came from far and wide, but some of the most beautiful photos were of the victims of the flood helping one another carry their lives to the garbage heaps that grew on the city streets. They gave each other hope in the midst of utter destruction. They loved one another and shared light in the darkness.
It wasn’t easy. Many people lost their jobs. Most people did not have insurance. How do you repair a house that has been washed off its foundation? How do you replace a lifetime of possessions? How do cities replace bridges that have been washed away and repair streets that were destroyed by feet of rushing water? Government help was long in coming, though they did what they could. Trailer parks were created with thousands of $7000 mobile homes so that families would have a place to live while they rebuilt their lives. Some people fought hard for a change in government response; the Flood (as it has come to be known) brought about the creation of FEMA. People helped as they could in the trenches of both the mucky streets and the hallowed halls of government to make a difference in each other’s lives.
That’s how its meant to be, isn’t it? When our world is comfortable and happy, we can easily look at others with judgment and uncertainty, but when it falls apart, we realize that we are in the same place, facing the same difficulties together. We are all just a moment away from disaster, but together we can make incredible things happen if we give one another a chance. We are not meant to divide ourselves by age, race, economics, or sex. We all have something to offer, abilities that can be used to make a difference for our neighbors. Let us always use God’s grace, in good times and bad times, to make our world a better place.
Lectionary Scriptures for September 8, 2024, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17; Mark 7:24-37
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.” James 2:17, WEB
Have you ever known someone whose very presence changed the atmosphere in a room? Perhaps it was a favorite aunt whose sweet demeanor was able to calm the nerves at a family reunion. It may have been a very good teacher who could cause a room full of rowdy children to be quiet and attentive in an instant. These people have something special that brings about transformation in the world around them.
I think for most of us, transforming power comes to us in a more personal way. A romantic partner can change our mood in a heartbeat. A kindhearted neighbor can help us to see that we should not trample through her flower beds. A Sunday school teacher can plant the seeds that make us want to know more about Jesus. The transformation from these one on one encounters is longer lasting; it transforms not only the mood of one moment, but our lives forever.
Israel was in a bad place. They were exiles in Babylon, far from home and far from the dwelling place of their God. They felt abandoned. They had little hope. However, Isaiah spoke words of hope into their lives, words that promised transformation. God promised that the day would come when He would save them, and that day would be the most spectacular experience. God’s presence among His people would change the entire atmosphere, even the desert would be transformed. God promised that He would heal their brokenness and restore them to wholeness.
The promise would not be fulfilled immediately; they heard the promise of what was to come. However, trusting in the promise, the people were called to be strong and to not be afraid. They might have been in a bad place for a moment, but God would not allow them to stay there forever. He would come and bring change. The enemy would be punished and those who were hurting would see God’s grace.
This promise was fulfilled when God saved Israel from Babylon, but this text also looked forward to a better day: the day of the Messiah. Isaiah points to the reign of Jesus Christ, whose very presence would bring healing, freedom. He would make the blind see and the deaf hear. He would give walking legs to the lame and words to those who couldn’t speak. All of creation would be transformed: the world would be brighter, cleaner, and fresher. The thirsty would have cool, clear water to drink. Jesus is the promised Messiah who is the living water that nourishes those perishing people who are caught in the darkness of sin and death.
It would be a joyous time.
The Gospel lesson shows us the fulfillment of the promises found in Isaiah. In this passage we see two examples of people healed by Jesus. The first story is about a mother who believed that Jesus could heal her demon possessed daughter. The second story is about a group of friends who brought a deaf and dumb man to Jesus for healing. These stories don’t mention faith, yet their acts of approaching Jesus showed that they believed Jesus could do something. Jesus answered their boldness with transformation, healing, and wholeness.
The woman in the first story was definitely not a person we would expect to be a typical follower of Jesus. She was a foreigner. She was a pagan. She was a woman. She probably did not feel comfortable talking to a man, particularly a Jewish man who was seen as a rabbi. Yet, she sought Him out and interrupted a well-deserved and long needed moment of solitude with her request. Jesus seems to reject and ridicule this woman and shocks us by calling the woman a dog. It isn’t something that we would expect from Jesus. Why would He refer to the woman as if she were a mangy street mutt begging for a morsel that might keep her alive?
This has been explained in a dozen different ways, from Jesus pushing the woman to demonstrate her faith to Jesus being convinced to change His mind. Mark tends to leave some questions open so that we’ll ponder the purpose of these stories for our own faith and see the different faces of Christ that affect our lives in different ways at different times.
From the woman we learn about humble boldness. She knew her place in Jesus’ world, even if Jesus did not really think of her in that way. She knelt before Him and agreed with His assessment that she was a dog, but she was bold enough to seek His grace, even if it was just the leftovers. Her words made Jesus act. He said, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” At first Jesus seemed to indicate that He would not do anything for her, but her words seemed to change His mind. Whether Jesus planned this all along or the woman convinced Him, the child received the healing the mother sought.
We learn from the woman that we can approach our God with humble boldness that knows our place and trusts God’s mercy even when we think there’s no chance to receive an answer. He will hear and He will be present in our circumstances. We will know and experience the transforming power of His grace. It might seem odd for Jesus to treat the woman as He did, but Jesus was teaching His listeners a lesson through this woman who had faith enough to seek Jesus and ask Him for help. Jesus knew her heart. He knew she was there because she believed. He knew that faith gave her a humble understanding of her place in the world but also the faith to know that God is merciful. She receives the mercy she seeks not because she deserves it, but because she seeks it from the One who can grant it. That is faith.
The second story is about a man who is deaf and dumb. Jesus follows a strange ritual and in the end the man can both hear and speak clearly. What do you think about Jesus’ actions in the second story? He put His fingers in the ears of the deaf man, spit and then touched his tongue. This sounds like some sort of pagan practice; I can almost see the old witch doctor in a frightening feather mask and cape screaming some strange words at the demons that caused the deafness and muted voice. Jesus often healed with just a word, why were the weird acts necessary in this healing? Was Jesus reaching out to this man in a way he might understand? The same, perhaps, is true of the woman. She expected to be treated as a dog; anything else, even compassion, might have been frightening to her.
Even stranger in this story, however, is that Jesus told the man and his friends to be silent about what happened. Yet, how can someone possibly keep silent when their tongue has been loosed? We don’t know how long the man had suffered, there were surely a million things he wanted to say. He was able to thank his friends and tell his family how much he loved them. He would finally be able to hear those sentiments returned. It would have made it possible to do business to earn a living. Jesus transformed His life. Yet, with all these wonderful things to say and hear, the most important would be praise to God for this incredible gift. When you are transformed by the presence of God, how can you remain silent?
Though Jesus repeatedly told the man to keep silent, his joy was so great he could not keep silent. Do we feel that same sort of joy? Do we receive God’s grace with such an enthusiasm that we can’t help but share it with others? No matter what Jesus said, the man’s joy was so great he could not help but sing for joy. I can almost hear his voice joining with the Israelites singing today’s Psalm, “Praise the Lord!” After living as a deaf and dumb man, unable to hear or speak, it was natural for the man to sing “Hallelujah!” His life was transformed by that encounter with Christ.
An encounter with Jesus transformed both the woman’s world and the man’s life. What can an encounter with Jesus do for a congregation?
It is natural for us to be drawn to those who have wealth. After all, people with wealth can get things done. If a wealthy person is happy, they might just do something that makes our life better in some way. Yet James asked if they were really manifesting faith in Christ by showing favoritism to the rich. By favoring the rich we trust in them and their money more than we trust in our God to provide us what we need. This favoritism is divisive and judgmental. Even worse, however, is that we miss out on an even greater wealth in the hearts of the poor, for God has given them such a great measure of faith and love.
There is a story about a pastor who dressed in old, dirty clothing, covered his head with a hat and disguised his appearance with a beard. He laid on the church steps while the congregation gathered for worship in the hope that at least one of the members would do something for the stranger on their doorstep. He was sorely disappointed. He overheard them grumbling about the dirty man on the steps. Some of the people pointedly spoke loud enough for the stranger to hear, calling him lazy and disgusting and unwelcome. The pastor was disturbed to discover their attitudes. When everyone was seated, the pastor came in the front door. The congregation was shocked as he approached the pulpit. He took off his hat and his false beard and gave a powerful sermon about their Christian responsibility to help their neighbors.
In another story, the congregation was seated in their pews waiting for the service to begin. A young man in ripped jeans, a t-shirt, and long hair came in to the church. He walked down to the front of the worship space and plopped himself on the floor. The congregation was shocked that anyone would do such a thing, but no one dared say anything. As the pastor prepared to speak, an elderly man got up. He slowly moved to the front of the church. Most of the congregation could understand why he would want to confront the young man. He was a long-time member of the congregation. When he reached the young man, you could almost hear the members holding their breaths. Instead of chasing him away, the old man slowly sat on the floor, enjoying the worship with the young man so that he would not be alone.
What did those congregations learn in these two stories? It is said that the Gospel should be preached in a way that both comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. The first pastor was brokenhearted to discover how self-centered were the members his congregation. In the second story, the pastor began his sermon with the statement, “You won’t remember a thing I say in this sermon, but you will always remember what you have just seen.”
In both these stories, the members of the congregation made judgments based on what they saw with their eyes through their own world views. These stories may not happen often in today’s modern churches that are more often more open to cultural differences. As a matter of fact, many churches pride themselves in how open and welcoming they are to everyone. “Come as you are” is the mantra for so many Christians today. Yet, James’ words are still important. We have our own biases. We still show favoritism to the detriment of those who don’t fit into our boxes. All too often, our favoritism falls to those who are willing to give us exactly what we want. It wasn’t much different in the days of James, was it? Fancy clothes indicate wealth, and wealth can be used for our benefit. Poor people seem to have nothing of value to offer. We forget that in God’s Kingdom, wealth has nothing to do with money, and that through the eyes of mercy we can see incredible value of those whom God sends our way to teach us how to live according to His grace.
We who have been given mercy have been called to be merciful.
When James asked, “Can faith save you?” in relation to the good works he described, he wasn’t suggesting that good works would ever save a person. He taught that those who are saved, who live in the faith that comes from grace, will have mercy on those they see that need to be saved. We see Christ in those who are hungry or naked and offer them what they need. It is not enough to wish them well in their hunger and nakedness. God sends us opportunities to serve Him so that we can respond in faith with the gifts we have been given. Faith without works is a dead faith.
Jesus was God’s presence in the world. We don’t always understand everything He did. Why did He call the woman a dog? Why did He perform a strange ritual and then command the man and his friends to silence? Whatever His purpose, we read these stories and many others in the scriptures and see that God came to save in an active and powerful way. We are then sent into the world to be God’s hands and share His grace with others.
Isaiah talked about the work God is going to do in the world. The eyes of the blind will be open, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame shall leap like a dear and the tongue of the speechless will sing for joy. God transform people those who couldn’t do things and made them into people who could. Faith calls for action: seeing, hearing, leaping and singing! Faith is about praising God for His mercy and grace. And then faith is about going out into the world to help others see, hear, leap and sing. God gives us the faith and we respond to that faith, and in that faith, with action.
As children we learn the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but there is a greater law at work, the law of God, the “Royal Law.” God’s law is not about equal action and reaction, it is about love: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
This is why James followed up his treatise on favoritism with a comment about works. We are called, by faith, to a life of mercy. If we do not show mercy, our faith is as good as dead. Mercy means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Mercy means loving our neighbor whether they are rich or poor, native or foreigner, healthy or sick, young or old, in dirty rags or the latest fashion. Mercy means being God’s hands, feet and mouth for those who need to see God and hear His Word. We are to be God’s presence in the world so that the world will be transformed by Him.
That’s what Jesus did and what He calls us to do.
I’m not an expert, but in the simplest terms the electricity from a battery is created by a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction is started by the movement of electrons from the positive to the negative terminal. When an appliance is turned on, the current is allowed to move in and through the battery causing the chemical reaction that creates more electrons. If you just take a wire and hold it to both ends of a battery, you will create electricity in the wire. An appliance (load) is placed along the wire to slow down and control the electrons, using the electricity for practical purposes. If there is no path along which the electricity can run, the battery does nothing. It just sits there, lifeless.
Faith is like a battery. It is a gift from God, who places it in our hearts to transform our lives. Faith moves us to action. When we are “turned on” we can make things happen. By faith we can be God’s hands, His feet, and His mouth. By faith we are His presence in this world. What happens when a battery is not used? Batteries have long shelf life, but they do not last forever. Eventually they become useless. It is even worse if they sit too long in an appliance without being used because they become corroded and destroy the appliance. It is best to use the battery once it is installed, to make the light bright or the radio sing. The battery is useless otherwise. Isn’t it interesting that the appliances are lifeless without the battery and the battery is lifeless without the appliance? We need faith to accomplish God’s will and God installs faith into our hearts so that we will be His hands, feet and mouth. James writes, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.” Just like a battery.
Mark tells us that the more Jesus ordered the people to be silent, the more loudly they proclaimed God’s glory. They sang praise to God, and they told everyone about the good things Jesus could do. They were so amazed and proclaimed how Jesus made the deaf hear and the mute sing. This brings us back to the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah. Jesus was, from the beginning of His ministry, fulfilling the very things that were promised of the One who would restore Israel. And we see in the story of the Syrophoenician woman that Jesus’ power was not limited to Israel. Jesus would restore all people to God. Our faith makes us part of that salvation story: first as recipients and then as God’s hands sharing His grace with others, no matter who they are.
You’ll note that the lectionary reading from James is missing a few verses. These simply expound upon verse 10, but the passage as a whole is about how we judge others. It is not about eternal judgment but about how we treat our neighbors. James focuses on the difference between how the rich and the poor are treated. We cozy up to the rich because we know that they can be of some benefit to us, but we ignore the poor because there is nothing they can do for us.
What I found interesting about the missing verses is the two commandments James decided to use in this comparison. “For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery’ also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” We know that these things are wrong. Even in modern America where too many people are frivolous with their love, renaming adulterous behavior and justifying certain infidelities as being harmless, we admit that adultery and murder are wrong. We have a little more trouble with some of the other commandments, however. Do we not covet? Do we not have idols? Do we not steal and cheat and lie? Oh, most of us don’t rob banks or scam our neighbors, but we all tell little white lies, which are still lies even if they seem harmless. I once knew a woman who justified keeping the extra dollar a cashier gave her by saying, “It was her mistake and God knew I needed that dollar today.” She praised God for her sinful behavior instead of considering that He was watching her dishonesty. She accepted His grace without admitting her sinfulness. Where is her faith?
Faith does not justify sin. It is faith that gives us the courage to admit our sinfulness and trust in God’s mercy. Like the woman who accepted that she was a dog, as people of faith we recognize that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We trust that Jesus Christ has saved us. We might be able to say we are living a good life, but the reality is that none of us are good. We might do good works in the world, but our good works will never save us. James makes us ask ourselves if our faith is alive if we do not live as God has called us to live. Do we have faith if we justify our sin? Do we have faith if we make judgments based on what we see with our eyes through our own world views? Do we have faith if we seek what is best for ourselves rather than responding to the opportunities God has sent our way?
Jesus was God’s presence in the world, not only in word but also in deed. He brought transformation. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the death, feet to those who could not walk and voice to those who could not speak. He did this for us, too, even though we may not have ever thought ourselves as blind, deaf, lame or dumb. We were once prisoners to sin, but He set us free and brought us through the desert with life giving water. He gave us sight to see the truth. He gave us ears to hear His Word. He gave us feet to go out to serve, and He gave us the voice to sing praises to God. He calls us to live our thanksgiving in very real and tangible ways, ways that will transform the world. He’s put the battery of faith in. Now turn it on and go. Praise God and do whatever you can to make a difference. Manifest the faith that has been given so that the world will see the glory of God.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.” Luke 1:5-7, WEB
God was silent during the four hundred years that passed between Malachi and Matthew. The people still believed that God had not forgotten them. They were living by the Law of Moses, but God’s promised Holy Land was occupied by foreigners. They longed for a sign from God, anything to might give them courage to get through their suffering and pain. They longed to hear His voice again, a genuine word that God was still with them. They longed for the fulfillment of the promises.
God promised to send a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord through the prophet Malachi. Isaiah spoke of a voice crying out in the wilderness that would make the people turn to the LORD. This forerunner would preach repentance and baptize the people for the forgiveness of sin. Luke tells us that in the time of Herod king of Judea, that man was born into the house of a priest named Zechariah who was married to a woman named Elizabeth.
We know very little about Zechariah (or Zacharias) and Elizabeth, only what we are told about their role in the birth of Jesus in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, their story lasts a mere seventy-five verses in the Bible. None of the other New Testament writers included them in their stories, but Luke saw their role as important enough to not only include them, but to begin his story with theirs. They mark the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the fulfillment of all God’s promises in Jesus.
When Zechariah was in the Temple on duty, he had a vision of the angel of the Lord who appeared to tell him that his prayers would be answered. Zechariah and Elizabeth would bear a son. The angel gave Zechariah specific instructions about the child: he was to be named John and was never to drink wine or other fermented drinks. The angel promised that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and he would bring Israel back to God.
Zechariah asked, “How can I be sure of this?” It was not a surprising question, after all he and Elizabeth were well beyond child-bearing age and Elizabeth was barren. This doubtful response to the message from the angel Gabriel, left Zechariah speechless until the child was born. He was in the Temple longer than normal, and when he came out without his voice, the people knew he had seen a vision. Zechariah went home to Elizabeth, and they conceived a son. Elizabeth praised God for taking away her disgrace. The angel Gabriel went to Mary to give her the news of her own pregnancy and used the miraculous story of her cousin Elizabeth as a sign of the truth of the promise. Mary went to visit Elizabeth and when she heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leapt for joy. Even before he was born, John knew Jesus was the Messiah.
The one thing we do know about Zechariah and Elizabeth is that they were both righteous in God’s eyes, without any fault in keeping God’s commandments. They prayed, studied God’s Word, and lived according to His teachings. They prepared to do God’s will, then God favored them with a child even though it was impossible. Sometimes God’s answers to our prayers come in the most extraordinary ways.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are commemorated today; we learn to be faithful even when it seems that we are not blessed by God through their story. The world around us will seem to prosper and will ridicule us for our struggles, but God has a plan for those who love Him. His plan does not always meet our expectations. Our hearts are shaped by our prayers and our obedience to God’s Word, making us willing to conform to the will of our God who is loving and merciful. Zechariah and Elizabeth lived long and faithful lives but didn’t seem blessed until the very end when God used them in a small but miraculous way. We won’t give birth to the forerunner, but our task will be just as extraordinary when we respond with praise to the life God has given to us, no matter what it holds today. Tomorrow we might just see God’s plan unfold in a miraculous way that will change someone’s life forever.
September 6, 2024
“Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19, WEB
Corrie Ten Boom is known around the world as a forgiver. She spent many years in a German concentration camp where she was embarrassed and degraded by so many. The women in the camps were not even able to take a shower without leering eyes watching their naked bodies. The guards never let them alone. The humiliation was great, but she eventually believed that she forgave all who had harmed her, including those creeps. She went on to preach forgiveness to audiences around the world.
One day a man approached her at a speaking engagement in Munich Germany. She immediately recognized him as one of those guards who had humiliated her all those years ago. She suddenly realized that she had not truly forgiven that man. She could not greet him with love or mercy. She could not even shake his hand. She was so ashamed of herself, unable to do what she had preached for so long. The man said to her, “It is wonderful that Jesus forgives us all our sins, just as you say.” She prayed, “Lord, forgive me, I cannot forgive.” She knew as she prayed that she was forgiven, and she was able to forgive.
I doubt any of us have or will face such terrible experiences, but we all have been hurt over the years. It is easy to say “I forgive,” but what happens when we see them again? Can we face them with grace and mercy? Can we even say hello and shake their hands? Can we work or fellowship with them? It is easy to say the words, but very hard to actually act out the forgiveness we are called to give. It is true for those whose faith is weak and for those whose faith is strong. It is impossible for us all without the love and forgiveness of God. We need to truly know God’s forgiveness for ourselves before we will every really know how to forgive others. It is by God’s forgiveness that we can forgive.
The most incredible promise of the Lord our God is that He will forgive us and not remember our sin. He has mercy and compassion on His people. He removes those things that affect our relationship with Him. Unforgiveness builds walls between people that can’t be overcome, and it builds walls that block our relationship with God. Corrie’s lack of forgiveness for the guard made it impossible for her to even speak to him. It is even more difficult when the relationship is with someone close to us. Families have been divided, friendships broken, and workplaces destroyed because people are unable to forgive one another. Those broken relationships then become a barrier that disrupts our life with God.
Corrie was ashamed because she thought she had gotten over the humiliation and anger. She may have even felt like a hypocrite, preaching forgiveness even as she still hurting over what that man had done to her. In her prayer she realized that the only way she could forgive him was to realize that she too was a sinner in need of forgiveness. When she prayed in faith that God does pardon those He loves, she knew it was true. Only then could she forgive. She could forgive because she was forgiven.
That’s how it is for all of us. When we face those that have harmed us, unable to even shake their hand, we can pray the same prayer: “Lord, forgive me, I cannot forgive.” God is faithful to His promises and He will always forgive those who pray in faith. Jesus Christ tramples our iniquities underfoot because He death on the cross fulfilled His promise. We are forgiven. Sometimes we need a reminder, especially when we realize we have not truly forgiven another. When we remember our own sin has been removed, that we have been forgiven, then by His grace we will have the strength to reach out and shake the hand of the one we thought we could never forgive.
September 9, 2024
“Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.” Proverbs 10:14, WEB
Philip Melanchthon wrote about today’s verse, “Many of Solomon’s sayings are concerned with speaking and the bridling of the tongue. The particular vices related to the tongue are lying, gossip, hastiness, over-inquisitiveness, reproachfulness, slander, trickery, vanity, boasting or bragging, hypocrisy, coarseness, aggression, shamelessness, love of strife, buffoonery, foulness, mockery, and, finally, flattery. These vices must be kept in mind. We must learn to avoid them with diligence, checking our impulses, and refraining from pouring forth every thought that crosses our minds.”
In Philip’s time, and Solomon’s, the issue was definitely the tongue. Since many people were not literate, they did not write much, definitely not as much as we do today. Today the tongue stands for much more than the words we say. We put so much into writing, such as posts or comments on social media or texts on our phones. I don’t know about you, but I much prefer to send a text than to talk on the phone. I confess that I have even texted someone who is in the next room!
There is a judge on one of those daytime court shows that often says, “Say it forget it, write it regret it.” This is a warning to the young people who appear before her that spend so much time on social media. Many of them get into trouble because the posts provide proof for the other litigant’s case. I have become very careful about the comments I make on posts I see. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve typed a lengthy post, but deleted every word and let it go. I want my opinion to be heard, but I also realize that my post would not be helpful. Like the judge said, the words we put it writing are eternal. We can’t take them back.
There is a story about two men talking a walk. The first man said something that hurt the other man deeply. The second man bent down and wrote, “Today my friend said something that hurt me,” in the sand. They continued their walk, and the first man said something very kind to his friend. The second man scratched the words, “Today my friend said something nice about me,” into a rock. The first man was confused. “Why did you write the first thing in the sand and the second one on the rock? The second man replied, “I don’t want to remember the hurtful words, so I recorded them in sand to be blown away in the wind. I do want to remember the kind words, so I scratched them on the rock where they will last forever.”
I have read different incarnations of the following quote: “If what you want to say is neither true, nor good or kind, nor useful or necessary, please don’t say anything at all.” This is a good and wise practice. Like those litigants on the court shows, we often learn the hard way that our mouths, or our fingers, can get us into all sorts of trouble. I love the way Solomon worded today’s Proverb, because it reminds us to stop and consider what we are going to say. Wise men lay up knowledge. We hear, we think about what we hear, and we consider how to respond. Sadly, we don’t always stop and consider our words. This is the foolish response that gets us into trouble. We type our comments in the heat of the moment, not thinking about what our words might do. We forget that our words can be used against us, and that anything we write on the Internet can be found long after it has been written.
I’d like to think that I don’t commit any of the sins of the tongue that Philip listed in his commentary about today’s Proverb, but sadly I am sure I have committed them all at some point. The same is probably true of you, too. We have all been foolish. Thankfully, most of us won’t come to ruin for our words, but we’ve probably caused hurt that has affected our relationships with our family, friends, and neighbors. It is worse for us today, because our words don’t blow away. May we all learn the lesson of wisdom, to stop and consider our words before we speak or write them so that we will say what is true, good, kind, useful, and necessary, both for the sake of our neighbors and for our own sake. A wise word does good work and glorifies God.
September 10, 2024
“Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him..” Colossians 3:12-17, WEB
A number of years ago, a celebrity received a gift. It was a bouquet of hydrangeas from a fan. It was an odd selection to use at the time, although they have become more popular, even as flowers for weddings and other occasions. We’ve had them in our gardens; the large bushes add a spot of bright color and a lingering scent, but I never thought to cut them to display them in a vase because they are large and delicate. The gift became a viral sensation, not because of the odd choice, but because of the celebrity’s response.
Celebrities probably receive many gifts they don’t want. Royal families often have particular etiquette they must follow when it comes to things given. They are expected to be gracious and accept anything worth less than a few hundred dollars. Those gifts are recorded and often passed on to charities. As for other celebrities, I’m sure most things end up in a closet, donated to the local thrift store, or even tossed in the garbage. Flowers can be easily passed off to a staff member to be dealt with. However, this particular incident is remembered for what happened after the celebrity graciously accepted the flowers.
When she received the gift she smiled and said, “Thank you,” but as soon as he was gone she threw the flowers under a table said to a woman nearby, “I absolutely loathe hydrangeas. He obviously doesn’t know that.” Unfortunately for her, the statement was caught on camera; the clip was shared on the Internet and was seen by millions of people in a matter of minutes. It was the talk of the town for a time. Though the celebrity was gracious to the man’s face, she will be remembered for how ungracious she was behind his back.
What was really interesting at the time was how the public responded to the clip. The words “Hydrangea” and “loathe” became the top words on Internet search engines. Millions of people wanted to know more about those flowers. Others wanted to find the meaning of the word “loathe.” I wonder how many were disappointed when they discovered the word means, “to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance.” I wonder how many lost respect for that celebrity because she was so unkind with her response to a simple and heartfelt gift.
We’ve all gotten a gift we do not like. How do we deal with it? Do we smile sweetly and then throw the gift in the garbage with a catty remark? Or do we receive it and find some way of honoring the giver, even behind their backs? Kindness is not meant to be something we do only when we are face to face with people. We are to be kind even when they can’t see it. That’s what it means to live as God has called us to live, in word and deed in light and in darkness. It might not seem very important, especially when the gift is nothing but a perishable bouquet of flowers. So let us face one another with love and love one another even when we aren’t face to face, treating them with kindness always.
September 11, 2024
Lectionary Scriptures for September 15, 2024, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 50:4-10; Psalm 116:1-9; James 3:1-12; Mark 9:14-29
“Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing.” James 3:10a, WEB
I worked in retail. I began working on the floor and cash register, but eventually entered a management training program and held the position of assistant manager. I learned everything I needed to know from the senior store manager. It was a good program, very informative while also giving me the experience I needed to do my job well leading the people.
As a manager, I felt it was important to be an example to the employees. A retail store requires people to do all levels of work. We need people with accounting skills to take care of the money as well as people who can mop the floor and clean the bathrooms. We need people who can unload a truck or unpack a box. A well-run store has people who can determine future needs, able to order the right amount of merchandise that will sell through each season. All these tasks are vital to the success of the store.
I was often “every-man.” In other words, there were times when the janitor was not available to deal with an emergency, so I grabbed a mop to clean up the mess. If the crowds were overwhelming the cashiers, I jumped on a register to ease the load. If a truck with an extra-large load showed up at the back door, I unloaded boxes. A willingness to experience hard work gave me credibility. If some smart aleck kid refused a job saying, “You do it,” I could easily answer, “I have; now it is your turn.” There was nothing I didn’t experience, and the employees knew it. They also knew that I was the boss, and they had their own job to accomplish.
Our Old Testament lesson for this week is a servant song spoken by one who was chosen to bring hope to God’s people. Some prophets were sent to speak words of warning or discipline, but this prophet was sent with a word of hope. The song is filled with hope for those weary from living in the midst of suffering and pain. This servant knew what it meant to suffer. He not only received the gift of the word, but he also lived in the midst of pain. He was persecuted, humiliated, insulted. He was shamed, but without shame. Though he experienced this suffering, he never turned from his calling. He persevered through it, trusting that God was there with him.
A favorite author posted a meme yesterday that said, “Two most important rules for interpreting the Old Testament: 1. Assume this text, in some way, is connected to the person, work, and kingdom of the Messiah. 2. See #1.” Through these eyes, we understand that this song was sung by our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the suffering servant who was persecuted, humiliated, and insulted. He was even crucified on the cross. Yet, He never wavered; He stood firm on the word that had been given to Him. He spoke those comforting words to the people and those who had ears to hear found hope in the midst of their own suffering and pain.
David was in a pretty bad place in his life when he wrote today’s Psalm. “The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.” I don’t think I’ve ever felt so close to death and the grave as David felt. It is as if he has one foot in the grave. Most commentators believe this psalm was written by David, though we aren’t certain. It was most likely written by a king, perhaps the king of a nation that was facing a time of war or siege. It seems as if everything they knew and loved was about to be destroyed.
Still, the psalmist wrote, “I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy.” This does not seem like a very good reason to love God. First of all, how would he know that that God hears unless there was an answer to the prayers? Should we love God only because of what He can and does do for us? That seems rather self-centered and selfish. Yet, it is a very human response to God’s gracious mercy. Who are the people with whom we truly enjoy spending time? We spend time with the ones who listen to us, even if they have no answer to the problem or way to fix what is wrong. We appreciate their compassionate presence and listening ears.
We need not be so cynical about the attitude of the psalmist, here. Love for Yahweh comes not only as a response for answered prayer. Love for God is is manifest because God is there, present and listening. We are not promised answers to all our prayers. We are not guaranteed lives without suffering or pain. However, God has promised to be with those who love Him and that He will listen to those who cry out to Him.
There is a pattern to the poetry of this psalm. It begins with praise to God for listening. Then the psalmist describes his difficulty. Finally, the psalmist speaks words of thanksgiving and praise. This is a powerful pattern for us to follow when we pray: begin with a hope-filled prayer, praise God for His compassionate mercy based on faith and trust that God is present and that He hears, even if we have not seen evidence of His presence. We know that He is near, and we trust that He hears our cries because He has promised, and He is faithful. We worship Him and acknowledge His presence first, then we approach Him with our needs. Finally, we sing thanks and praise to God for His mercy.
The psalmist talks of death, but we need to remember that we face deaths throughout our lives that have nothing to do with our physical bodies. We experience broken relationships, unemployment, illness, and other difficulties that are like death. Death can happen when something about our circumstances changes and impacts our life. We grieve when we have to leave something behind. Even our hopes can die. It is then, especially, that we can cry out to God in praise, supplication and thanksgiving because despite these circumstances, we know that He is present and listening. God hears our cry and delivers us from death by His mercy and His grace.
I went to college to be an elementary school teacher. I did fairly well in theory, excelling in my classes and in the assignments designed to prepare me for the work. I was good at lesson planning and resource collection. I had long lists of children’s books and a collection of ideas that would make any elementary school child’s day fun and educational. I did not do well in practice. The classroom was not what I expected, and I did not have the aptitude to control a group of first graders.
My mentor was wonderful. She was almost perfect. The children listened to her; she never had to raise her voice. The class was difficult: it was an extremely diverse group of children, many of whom needed special classes because English was their second language. Still, she was able to impact their lives with her teaching and her kindness. I did well with the tasks that she assigned me, but I could not handle the most important thing: teaching the children. My frustration set my nerves on edge and reacted by raising my voice. During my reviews, my mentor constantly reminded me about my language. My raised voice and the words I used did not help the situation. I often resorted to the phrase “shut up” in my effort to get the children to listen. My attitude made the children respond negatively, rather than positively. Instead of getting quiet, they got louder. Instead of listening, they turned on their neighbor.
“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” is a modern-day proverb that you often see posted in memes on the Internet. Most people interpret this to mean that everyone in the house (especially the father!) should do everything in their power to make Mama happy, believing that if Mama is in a good mood, she’ll do everything that will make our lives satisfying and comfortable. However, if Mama ain’t happy, she’ll make our lives a living nightmare.
The lessons learned in that classroom has helped me to look at that proverb from a different perspective. It is a reminder to me, as Mama, to do what I can to make my little corner of the world better for everyone. If I’m not happy, the atmosphere around me will be unhappy. My attitude affects the world in which I live. So, if I make a willful attempt to be happy, under any circumstance, those around me will feel comfortable and satisfied. If I had followed the example of my mentor when I was a student teacher, I might have had a much different impact on the children in my classroom. If I had been quiet and encouraging, rather than loud and angry, the whole class might have turned around.
I confess that I’m not always happy. I still occasionally use the phrase “shut up,” but I am much better. I try to take a breath before I respond to frustration with anger. I’m more likely to stop and hold my tongue, to respond with self-control. James wrote, “Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing.” While this is true for all of us who are both saints and sinners, it is not how we are called to live. I did use language in that classroom that was unhelpful and disturbing. Yet in the years that have passed, I have also been able to have a very positive impact on the lives of children, including my own. I’ve taught preschool and provided activities for the young ones at church. I have mentored elementary aged children, with kindness and peace. It is much better to live in a way that brings forth blessing from our mouth rather than cursing. This will help to make the world around us better, even happier.
The focus of the scriptures this week seems to be on the mouth, on the words we speak. Isaiah said, “The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.” The psalmist said, “I called on Yahweh’s name.” James reminds us that we are able to bless and to curse with the same mouth and that we will be judged accordingly, so we ought to be wary of becoming teachers.
Our words matter. We might learn that old song, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” but words do hurt. Words cause broken relationships. Words condemn people. Words lead people down the wrong and perhaps destructive path. When we speak, but even more so when we teach, we give people words that might even change their lives. We might give them encouragement, direction, and knowledge. But our words can cause discouragement and guide people in the wrong direction. Our words can impart false or wrong knowledge.
There are writers who include shocking truths about the Church and its history in fictional novels that have been taken as truthful facts. These facts have been proven false repeatedly, but one writer’s excellent mystery has been understood as gospel truth not fiction. Too many people have given those falsehoods legitimacy, including other writers piggybacking off his success. I even attended a function where the guest speaker quoted that book extensively to convince a room full of Christian women that they should follow a different path.
Our words matter. Every word we write and every word we speak can have an impact on somebody, and not always in a good way. Our words plant seeds that grow and can spread destruction to others. A parent that yells or a teacher that responds in anger may not directly or immediately affect a child, but repeated negative comments can bring about change. Peer pressure can lead a teenager into dangerous decisions. Words are used and abused throughout the election cycle every year.
Peter and the disciples were called to be teachers, and they did as Jesus commanded them to do. It is not easy to follow God’s will in our world today, but we walk in faith knowing that God is always by our side. Speaking the truth can be dangerous. Our words might be “politically incorrect” or go against the popular consensus of the day, standing diametrically opposed to societal expectations. Our words can lead us toward our own cross. Yet, we are called by faith to confess that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, to take up whatever cross we may face and follow Jesus, blessing and not cursing so that our lives will bear good fruit to the glory of God.
We approach God in prayer with praise, supplication, and thanksgiving. Unfortunately, our mouths are not always filled with these good things. I did not respond well to my students and created an atmosphere of chaos. My positive example as a retail manager was more powerful than my raised voice and poor choice of words ever was. When we live our life with a positive and kind attitude, we make the world around us better.
Jesus, Peter, James, and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration when the crowds began to gather around the rest of the disciples. A man approached them hoping that they might heal his boy who had been possessed by a demon. Jesus and his disciples were quickly gaining notoriety because of the miraculous works they were doing. Even the disciples did amazing things when Jesus sent them to heal and preach the kingdom. They were excited by the power and amazed at the things they could do when they returned from that experience. They saw people transformed before their eyes. They thought they could do anything. People were flocking to these men who could do such incredible deeds, even without Jesus around. The disciples were basking in the glory, and the people sought them as they sought Jesus.
This man’s child was possessed by a particularly difficult demon. It rendered the child speechless and often threw him to the ground in violent convulsions. It even tried to kill the child by throwing him into dangerous situations such as water or fire. The disciples were unable to cast the demon out of the child. Jesus asked what was happening when He came down from the mountaintop. The man was desperate. Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, and it left the boy so violently that the child fell to the ground and appeared dead. Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet. The boy was healed.
Later, the disciples asked why they were unable to cast the demon from the child. The disciples were so confident of their ability from their successes that they forgot the most important thing: that Jesus is the source of their power. They took for granted the gifts given to them, trying to do it on their own volition. They did not take the time to pray, to ask God into the situation and to call on Him for the power to do His work. An unplugged light will not work, and the disciples would never bring healing without a strong connection to their power source: God. The disciples needed to pray, to stay in constant touch with God. They were seeing and doing incredible things, but they were being distracted from the work of faith by the glory of this world. They were trying to do it with their own power. We do the same.
Young pastors in training often think they can wing-it in the pulpit. When an internship pastor asked one of his trainees to see her notes, the trainee said she didn’t have any. She thought she would just let the Holy Spirit speak through her. She approached the podium on her day to preach with great expectations but stumbled over every sentence. Her sermon left the congregation bewildered and unfed. She was disappointed, “Why didn’t God put the words into my mouth?”
She forgot that it takes more than confidence and opportunity to share God’s Word. We must be prepared through prayer and study. We must be familiar with the text and everything about it. We must know who is speaking and who is listening. We must know how the thoughts fit together so that we can apply it to the world in which we live. We must be prepared. God doesn’t just fill us with words in our mouth, but through study and prayer He fills every cell of our being with His Word. An adlib sermon can work, but not without hours of preparation. In an information sermon, a researcher discovered that pastors spend an average of thirteen hours preparing their sermons, which often last less than fifteen minutes.
God can and does make an impact through us, but we must begin by seeking Him in prayer before we try. It will never be our power or knowledge or abilities that makes anything happen. God’s power, word, and Spirit makes things happen. We will be judged when we speak; sometimes we will disappoint those who have expectations beyond our ability. We might face persecution, rejection, and death. Whatever we do in word or deed in and for God’s Kingdom, let us always begin with prayer, seeking God’s purpose, word, and power. It takes so much more than what we see on the surface to accomplish God's work; the world might follow us because they see tip of the iceberg, but we know that without the unseen majority of the iceberg we would be nothing.
We will get there when we listen for God’s voice in our life, but it all begins with trusting that God is present and listening to our prayers even when it seems like He is nowhere to be found. We may have experiences like David, the prophets, and the apostles who were threatened, in danger, rejected, ignored, and even died as martyrs. We are to follow Jesus with faith and trust, knowing that in the end God is in control. Jesus went before us as the Suffering Servant who died at the hands of those who refused to believe He was sent by God. We are invited to follow Him through His cross, to join in His work with the promise that He will be with us through it all, listening to our cries and answering out of His great and wonderful mercy.
A woman I met in a Christian chat room thought she was a prophet, and she gave the title to me, too. She wanted a connection with others like her so that we could discuss the things of God. She was impressed with my words and looked to me for advice. She sent me several things that she had written, and quite frankly they were horrific. Not only was the theology questionable, but the writing was terrible. She had no grasp on spelling or grammar. Her sentences were confusing and sometimes incoherent. She was young and passionate, and she truly believed she was doing what God had called her to do. I encouraged her, but since she had sent me the writings for review, I was gentle but firm and gave her some honest opinions to help her make her message stronger and easier to understand. I showed her biblically where she was in error, and even rewrote some of the text to make it better. She was shocked at my response because she was expecting me to fawn over her wonderful work and tell her she was really a prophet.
She didn’t really want advice, but she needed to hear the truth because she would be judged by her teaching, not only in human terms, but spiritual. James wrote, “Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.” Prophecy and teaching are closely related and are often mentioned together in the scriptures. Some people are gifted at proclaiming the message of God’s Kingdom, while others are gifted at explaining it. It is vital that churches find those who are gifted in teaching, so that the congregation will learn how to apply the lessons learned from those who prophesy. These are gifts, not something we can grasp for ourselves. They are given by God, and though we can develop the gift, we can’t learn how to be a prophet or teacher if God has not first called and gifted us to that work. We might think that we want to prophecy and teach, but we won’t succeed if God is not calling us to that vocation.
Too many people try to be something they aren’t called or gifted to be. They try to teach, but leave their students confused and doubtful. The young lady in the chat room boasted that she was a prophet, but her words proved her wrong and she refused to accept the words of others. I was not the only one who tried to encourage her to seek God’s true purpose for her. She most certainly had other gifts that would glorify Him, but she was so focused on being a prophet that she missed the blessed life God had for her.
I originally went into elementary education as my college major because I was timid about teaching older students. I was encouraged to be a teacher, and I thought the youngsters would be easy. I quickly learned I did not have the aptitude for that career. I am a teacher, however, and God has used me in many other situations with this gift, including my job in retail management. Now I am blessed to teach the Bible through devotional writing and in adult forums and workshops. It took time for me to figure out how to use my gifts and I pray I will never take them for granted, always seeking God’s help to do what He wants me to do. Finding our place in God’s kingdom requires a connection with God. We have to listen to Him, trust in Him and let Him guide us in the way He wants us to go.
There are many things we can do as Christians every day to bring the Kingdom of God to the people who are dying in this world. We can love, serve, and speak the Word into their lives. We can step forth in faith and provide our neighbors with what they need, both tangible and spiritual. Yet, we should never forget the source of all we have is God and begin every word and work in prayer. We can do nothing without Him. Jesus reminded the disciples that they need to turn to Him, that it is not their own power or authority that brings healing and peace into the lives of those who suffer.
God will impact the world through us as we continue the work begun by the Suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus. It takes prayer, of course, because without that connection we can do nothing. Unfortunately, we use words in ways that won’t always glorify God, but as we grow in faith we learn to breathe before we speak so that we bring forth blessing from our mouths, trusting that God will help us make the world around us better by His word of grace that we speak by His power.
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, WEB
I try to be apolitical in this devotion. I know that I have readers that are on every side of the issues of our day. I have readers that have nothing to do with American politics. They aren’t even interested in our issues. I have a remarkable number of readers from Nigeria, as a matter of fact, I have three times more followers from Lagos than from my hometown. I read an article last week that reported the extreme persecution that is happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nigeria. According to a report, there were more people killed for their Christian faith in Nigeria than in all other places around the world combined. In the four years between October 2019 and September 2023, more than 16,000 Christians were killed. The country is dangerous for people of all religions, but the number of Muslims killed in the same time period is one third of Christians. The nation is around fifty percent Christian. Christians around Africa are being targeted; they are dying for their faith. They don’t care who becomes our next leader. They don’t care about our issues.
We don’t have the fears that global Christians are experiencing, so we have the freedom to focus on our attention on things that don’t have eternal consequences. The next president will have an impact on my life in this world, but Jesus guarantees my life. Now, some things do matter. Some things need to be discussed. We need to fight for what is right. God calls us to stand for His Word in a world that does not believe that He even exists. The issues of our day might divide us because we see them from different perspectives. We are a house divided, so much so that we think that people from the “other side” are not even Christian. We need to be careful about this attitude, because we don’t always know how God is working in their lives and how God is using their point of view to His glory. Paul reminds us in Romans that God has appointed the government, even the government we don’t like. We don’t always understand His purpose, but God is always at work in our world. His ways are higher than our ways. He knows the end game, and it is up to us to trust that He will always be faithful to His promises, even when the world seems to be out of His control.
Sometimes the issues that divide us matter, but we need to be careful how we treat each other in our differences. There was a man at one of our former churches that was extremely adamant about a particular issue. He made passionate speeches about it every time he spoke, even if that was not the subject of the conversation. It was his sole concern, and he was determined to convince everyone that he was right. I agreed with his point of view, but not the way his answer was always condemnation. Anyone who disagreed with him were surely going to hell. God’s grace had no place in his view on that issue. He focused on law and punishment rather than a call for repentance, ignoring the promise of forgiveness. He lacked humility; he never recognized his own need for God’s mercy. He would never have described himself as chief of sinners, as Paul does in his letters.
I would not call the man a prophet, but like the woman I described in yesterday’s devotion, he acted like a self-appointed prophet. His words divided our congregation. He isn’t the only one I’ve known. Too many people are so set in their understanding of scripture that they bash it over the heads of others. They use the Bible as a weapon to condemn sinners, forgetting that they deserve condemnation, too. There is a time and a place for speaking about judgment against sin, as long as we remember that we, too, are sinners in need of God’s grace.
The man in that congregation thought he was sent by God for the very purpose of convincing the world that his issue was the most important ever. His problem was not his passion, or even the issue, but that he did exactly what those on the “other side” of his issue were doing. He did not focus on the Word of God. He was more concerned about his opinion and his feelings; he did not know or understand what God said about it. The Bible was lost in his condemnation.
Jesus and the Bible are clear in their warning against false prophets. A false prophet is one who claims to speak for God, but whose message does not fit with the truth of God’s Word. Unfortunately, those who follow the lead of the false prophets walk down a dangerous path. They move away from God. In Matthew 7, Jesus warns that there will be people who cry out to Him, calling Him Lord, but are not recognized as His followers. They have trusted and believed the words of the false prophets and do not know Him as He intends to be known. Let us always remember, however, that it is not up to us to decide the eternal consequences of their opinion.
So, we ask the question, why does God allow false prophets? Couldn’t He just wipe them out, silence their tongues, or cause the people to reject their words? It is true that God can do all those things, but He doesn’t. He does this to test the saints. Will they be true? Will they continue to walk in the right path? We think it is easy to stay on track, but when a false prophet gives us a message that sounds good, sometimes it is hard to know if it is right or if it is wrong. It is becoming almost impossible for us to even know what is true in our world, in the church and in our politics. Too many are able, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, to twist God’s word just enough to make the false sound good. That’s why it is important for us to reject those who ask, “Did God really say?” and look to God’s Word for the truth.
God allows false preachers so that the truth will be made ever so clear. The world will always try to oppose the truth, and the devil will try to rip it from you, but God trains each of us with the Word so that we’ll keep our eyes on Him. God will reveal the truth. He allows the false prophets to build up those who will keep focused on His Word, giving us the courage to stand up against those who oppose the truth and the strength to reject the schemes of the devil. We may not like what we see in this moment, but we can trust that God is working for the good of those who love Him.
There may be something specific that God is calling you to do in this world, some specific issue that is to be your focus in life. Some are called to work with the poor, others create ministries that help children, yet others who are given the gifts to be community activists. The thing we need to remember is that whatever our focus, whatever our issue, whatever our political position, as Christians we are to keep God’s Word as the center of everything we do. If we stay true to the Word of God, we will be able to do our individual work in this world, working together with those who might disagree about any issue. In God’s grace, loving our brothers and sisters in Christ despite our disagreements, we can accomplish His will together. He has a purpose for them, too, even if it seems to contradict our own. Instead of condemning the world like the false prophets, we can glorify Him by proclaiming His Word through which He will reveal His truth to those who are on a wrong path so that they will repent, experience His forgiveness, and be transformed into the people that He created, redeemed, and calls them to be.
“As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:6-9, WEB
Superstition is defined, “A widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief.” Most superstitions are considered irrational, although everybody has something that they hold to, even if it is subconsciously. There are periods in history that are more superstitious than others. The people who lived in those times were more likely to attribute events, particularly negative, as supernatural signs that were beyond their control. Superstitions are often connected to fears, so we respond to the happenings in our world through our ability to control, often seeking supernatural means to control what we fear will bring us harm.
There is a video online of a herd of cows moving from one field to another. For some reason, the first cow jumped over the white painted line in the center of the road. All the other cows followed. It is a funny video, but it brought to memory the childhood superstition with which we are all probably familiar, “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Step on a line, break your father’s spine.” It was just a game, but we played along because something deep in us were afraid of the consequences of stepping on the cracks and lines.
The source of most superstitions is questionable. Look up “Friday the 13th” and you’ll discover a number of different reasons why it has become a day of bad luck. None of them are truly rational. The number 13 has long been considered unlucky. It is thought to go back to the Code of Hammurabi, a legal document from the 18th century B.C. which omitted the thirteenth law from its list of rules. However, like all things superstitious, this theory fails because the laws were not originally numbered, and the missing law was an error by a scribe. Still, many people avoid the number thirteen. Tall buildings often do not have a thirteenth floor. People avoid planning important events avoid doing so on the thirteenth of a month (even when the thirteenth is not a Friday, but especially when it is a Friday.)
In the Bible and other cultures, the number twelve is a perfect number. We have twelve months and two twelve hour periods of time in a day. There are twelve tribes and twelve disciples. There are twelve days of Christmas. It is no wonder that the number thirteen seems lacking. Some people refuse to have thirteen guests at a dinner party. To quote one website on the matter, “This fear of the unknown would seem to play into two other popular theories for the number’s unlucky connotation, both of which revolve around the appearance of a 13th guest at two ancient events: In the Bible, Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper, is the person who betrays Jesus. Meanwhile ancient Norse lore holds that evil and turmoil were first introduced in the world by the appearance of the treacherous and mischievous god Loki at a dinner party in Valhalla. He was the 13th guest, upsetting the balance of the 12 gods already in attendance.” It has been suggested that Friday the 13th is particularly unlucky because the Last Supper was on Thursday, which led to the betrayal of Judas and the death of Jesus. No wonder people don’t want thirteen guests at a dinner party.
Do you suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia which are terms that describe an abnormal fear of Friday the 13th? According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Ashville, North Carolina, millions of people suffer from this phobia to the point of changing their daily routine on the day to avoid bad luck. Some people refuse to go to work or even get out of bed. Interestingly, the Dutch Center for Insurance Statistics report that fewer accidents, fires, or thefts are reported to have happened when Friday is the 13th compared to all other Fridays. So, is it really unlucky? Or, are people so frightened by the possibility of an accident that they are extra careful on Friday the 13th?
Why did this superstition come into being? Though some fears are extreme, there are often reasonable reasons for them. We are afraid of snakes because some snakes can really hurt humans. The fear of heights can come from a real experience of falling or knowing someone who fell. The news is filled with images of fiery plane crashes, so it is understandable when someone refuses to board a plane. But have so many people really experienced something so horrible on Friday the 13th that there is substance to the fear? Probably not.
The world seems to think that faith in the Christian God is nothing but superstition, that the story of Jesus Christ is a mere fairy tale. They have a limited understanding of the God of our salvation and think we are foolish for believing. Yet, I suspect that many of them hold to some sort of superstition of their own, such as avoiding cracks or being extra careful on Friday the 13th. We get worked up over our fears because we forget that we do not go through our days alone. Friday the 13th is like any other day; we are afraid because we do not trust. If you are afraid to go out into the world because it is Friday the 13th, remember that Jesus has promised to be with you always, and face the day with courage and faith. It might not be a perfect day, but with God in the midst of it everything will work out just the way He has planned.
“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service. The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.’ These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch; whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:1-7, WEB
We are planning a long road trip in a couple of weeks, and we wanted to make sure that my car is in good shape for the journey, so I took my car for a “well-baby” check-up. We had an appointment first thing this morning. I arrived a few minutes before they opened and waited for check-in. I was busy scrolling through the phone when I heard a garage door go up. The business we were using was in a block of garages that served different needs, and each shop was waking up for the day. I watched as the staff member opened the front door, then went from garage door to garage door to put them up. The turned on the lights, hit a few other switches, then made his way to the office to serve me.
I enjoyed watching this very mundane routine and thought about what he thinks about as he goes through this repetition every day. Is it boring? Or is he thinking about the people he is serving as he fixes the cars in his garage? The garages do important work, keeping cars running safely for the owners, ensuring that they get from place to place safely. For customers like me, the “well-baby” checks help keep our cars running longer, saving us money. Their job is important, but often overlooked or seen with disdain, because it is focused on worldly, material stuff. Yet, who among us can get though our lives without access to a vehicle?
There was nothing spiritual about the moment. I can’t even say I spent the time watching in prayer or worship to God. I simply watched a man doing his job, simple as it was, and thanked God for his service. I knew that when my appointment was over, I could drive my car without worry. I suppose I feel closer to God when I’m in worship or when I hear a sermon that touches me deeply. I have experienced God’s presence when listening to music, looking at art, and enjoying God's beautiful creation. Yet, we can experience God in the ordinary moments of life, sitting in the parking lot of a garage, watching a mechanic prepare for the day. That was the whole reason I began "A Word for Today," so that we will see God in the ordinary moments of life.
It is not easy to see our daily tasks in life as being holy and worshipful. A mechanic’s work is hard and dirty, but it also takes intelligence and observation. They have talents that we do not understand and are worth our respect and the cost for their time. Sometimes a big problem is caused by the smallest things like a loose screw or a pinhole leak. There are many other tasks we do on a daily basis that seem so worldly, ordinary, far from spiritual, but are important to the daily lives of those whose lives we touch. Their vocation might not seem important, but they are vital and deserve our thanks and blessing.
Martin Luther understood vocation as living out our faith in the world, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. As we go about our daily lives, it is good for us to see God in the lives of all those who serve us, even if those tasks have nothing to do with faith. They might not even be a Christian.
We have each been given a vocation, a calling in this world. It is through our vocation that God’s grace flows into the lives of others and His purpose for our lives is accomplished. Our vocation might not sound very godly; as a matter of fact, sometimes our jobs seem very counter to God’s intent. Is a stable hand really doing God’s work when he shovels the manure each day? What about those accountants, lawyers and stockbrokers riding the train each day? Is a mother serving God when she feeds her children or a shop clerk ringing up my total at the grocery store?
When we believe and trust in God, we will thank Him for giving the mechanic the talents and knowledge he needs to make our vehicles run well. And if we have a job that seems worldly and unimportant, we are to remember to take our faith into that job, to glorify God with our gifts and to use every opportunity to share His grace with those we touch. We do not even realize how God is near as we do this work, we rarely sing God’s praise for the opportunity to do hard and dirty work. Yet, as Luther understood vocation, it is even at these times we are called to thank God and worship Him with our work. These are holy callings when done in faith, because in these tasks we are serving God by serving others. Though those who serve us might not be doing so in thanksgiving for God, let us praise Him for their work, pray for them, and thank them for helping us in this world.
September 17, 2024
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, WEB
I made toast to go with my breakfast one morning. Everything else was finished and already on the table as I waited for the bread to cook in the toaster. All I could do is wait. When I knew it was nearly finished, I stood right by the toaster, watching for it to pop. Even though I was watching and ready, knowing it would pop at any moment, the toast made me jump and cry out when it did. I laughed at myself because it shouldn’t have surprised me. I knew it was coming!
That happens to me often. I am pretty good at guessing what will happen in movies, spoiling the surprise for myself by predicting what’s coming next. I don’t watch slasher movies anymore, but when I was young, I saw all the movies like “Friday the 13” and “Halloween.” With those, of course, it was fairly easy to know when to expect something would happen because of the movie. Everyone knows that when the soundtrack hits a peak, the slasher is going to jump out from behind the bush or slam into the door. We know, and yet we always jump and cry out when it happens. The movie makers know exactly how to build to that expectation and then make you wait that extra second as your adrenaline comes back down and you take a breath before it hits. It is in that moment after you expect it that you let your guard down and are surprised.
I’m ready for Jesus to come, aren’t you? There are so many days when I cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” It isn’t that I don’t love living, but there are some days when it seems the only solution to all the world’s problems is for Jesus to come and finish His work. There are some days when I think, “Surely this has to be the day, Jesus can see that we need Him right this minute.” Of course, people have thought that same thing for two thousand years. As a matter of fact, if we look at history, we will see periods of time that are worse than we are experiencing today.
My next thought, however, is an important one to remember as we live each day: “Jesus is here; He is here in me.” I need to remember that I am the one (and so are you) who has been called to speak His word and be His hands until that day when He will come again. It is tempting to sit and watch as we wait, living in the expectation of His coming. It is tempting to study the scriptures to try to figure out the day and the time of His return. It is tempting to think that we will know He is coming before He actually comes. It is good to be prepared, but we need to also remember that no matter how prepared we are we will still be surprised when He comes.
I would have been much better off starting my toast while I was cooking my other food; it still would have popped unexpectedly, but I wouldn’t have been so focused on it and I would not have thought I would know exactly when it should pop. The same is true about the coming of the Lord. We might think that we know the moment it will happen, but the truth is that our expectations are for the moment we want it to happen. It will be a surprise for us when He does come, so we would be better off doing His work as we wait, continually sharing His word with the world so that more people will be prepared for that moment. Jesus does not want any to be lost, and He has called us to share the Gospel with as many as possible.
He will come again, and we will be surprised when it happens, but let’s not be so caught up in the waiting that we will jump and cry out when it does. He wants us to be ready to receive Him with the joy of seeing the fulfillment of all His promises.
Lectionary Scriptures for September 22, 2024, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 54; James 3:13-4:10; Mark 9:30-37
“Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth.” Psalm 54:2, WEB
I was reading through Timothy Keller’s year long devotional on the Proverbs a few years ago, when I came across the day that focused on the dangers of windfalls. As it happened, the Megamillions jackpot at the time was about a billion dollars. I was never one in the habit of buying tickets regularly, but I did buy them occasionally, especially when the jackpot was huge. Keller’s words struck me, and I stopped immediately. The devotion was about Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.” Some versions translate the beginning of this proverb, “Wealth gained hastily.” Keller wrote, “The word dishonest translates a Hebrew phrase that means literally ‘money out of the air,’ meaning wealth that comes suddenly rather than gradually. The warning is this: If you don’t grow wealth over years through diligence, vigilance, and skillfulness, you may not have grown the character and habits necessary to manage money well.”
This has proven to be true among lottery winners over the years. Still, I admit that I have wished for a lottery win. It is hard to see the signboard at the grocery store advertising incredible jackpots and not buy a ticket. After all, what’s a few dollars once in a while? What harm could it do? I always promised God I would use the winnings in ways that glorify Him. I know many charities that could use that money. I know a camp that needs a new dining hall. And yes, I wouldn’t mind using some of the money for myself. I’ve had moments in my life when I prayed for a lottery win in the hope it will make life better and easier for my family.
There is a joke that is popular among rabbis “There was a man who went to his Rabbi for advice on how he could win the state lottery. He was in dire need of money and that windfall was in necessity to him. The Rabbi gave him some advice and told him to start praying once a day. The man went home and followed the advice. Ten years later he had still not won the lottery. He went back to the Rabbi and this time the Rabbi told him to pray twice a day. The man went home and followed the advice and another ten years went by and he still hadn't won the lottery. Once again, he returned to the Rabbi and in desperation he promised to do anything to win. The Rabbi, a bit puzzled himself, advised him to pray three times a day. The man returned home and began to pray fervently three times a day, awakening the angels in heaven who in response to these heartfelt words of pleading by this human being beseech God to help this poor man. God looks at his angels and He Himself looked quite sad as he said, ‘I wish I could fulfill his request as he is definitely deserving; if only he would go out and buy a lottery ticket!’”
I don’t pray for a win anymore because I don’t buy tickets, though it would still be nice to have that windfall. At least that’s what we think. If you listen to the stories of lottery winners, however, you will find that it is rarely the solution to their troubles. As a matter of fact, things often get worse. Everyone comes knocking for a handout and will do anything from pleading to threats, to manipulation. They try everything to make you cave to their requests. Many people who win the lottery lose it within eighteen months. A million dollars sounds like a great deal of money until you start buying cars and houses and the best of everything. It doesn't take long to use up a million dollars when you treat your friends to fancy dinners every week.
When we hear about someone who has won the lottery, we wonder what they did to win. Did they pick special numbers? Did they buy the ticket at a certain time or in a certain place? We wonder what we can do to have the same kind of luck. We think about praying, recalling Jesus’ words in the scriptures that we need only ask and we will receive. When we find that nothing works. The wisdom of the winners is useless, and we become discouraged. We even become jealous.
James reminds us, however, that when we pray for this outside God’s will we ask wrongly. Even when we promise to God that we will use the winnings to His glory, we also have other things in mind. We might give ten percent or more to the church, but we are also thinking about that new car or the two-month cruise we want to take. If we do win, we quickly become cynical of those seeking aid because we see how much they are willing to do to get what they want. Praying for the lottery win is self-serving and creates walls between people. We are called to live according to the wisdom of Christ rather than that of the world, the kind of wisdom that considers what is best for all: for the community, for your neighbors, for your family. In God’s wisdom we’ll ask according to His will, not our own. He knows how He will accomplish those things we want to do with the money. They charities will be served, even if all I can give is a few dollars. The dining hall will be built in His time and way. I have to trust that it is better for me to be satisfied with what I have, rather than seek what I want, trusting that God will give me everything I need according to His heart and His wisdom.
It is such a temptation because we live in a world that has a very self-centered attitude. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” is a common thought among human beings, not only today but from the very beginning of time. The apocryphal book named “The Wisdom of Solomon” includes advice for the carefree life that lives for today knowing that tomorrow may never come again. The people who lived at the time the book was penned were Hellenized Jews in Alexandria. They were torn between the life of faith and the tempting cultural life in Egypt. It was exciting to live there, with fascinating mystery religions, cults, astrology, and other religious perspectives. Who wouldn’t want to live by the doctrine, “Eat, drink and be merry”? It is better than a life of servanthood and of suffering.
In that kind of society, the righteous person is often targeted by the schemes of the wicked. Christians are the outsiders, the ones unwilling to go along with the crowd. The faithful, those who willingly submit to a life of servanthood, are inconvenient to the life the wicked want to live. Believers are both the doormats and the stumbling blocks in this world. Jeremiah was being persecuted. His words fell on unwilling ears and his expectations were unwelcome. He was opposed on every side; even his family was against him. His words brought the wrath of the leaders on his head, but they also had the potential of destroying his family. They would suffer, too, so they schemed to destroy him, to stop his words to protect their lives. The Lord made this conspiracy known to Jeremiah.
The brief passage from Jeremiah this week is a personal lament by the prophet over his suffering. It is difficult enough to experience persecution when it comes from the world and from the powerful, but it is even more difficult when it comes from your own family. Jeremiah was honest with God. He was hurt and angry, so he asked God for vengeance. This is not really the way we should be dealing with our enemies. As a matter of fact, from our Christian perspective we know we are called to love our enemies and to face the persecution with trust and faith. Yet, our human nature doesn’t think it is too much to ask God for a little vengeance.
Jeremiah shows in these words a deep trust in God. The trust is not necessarily that God will hear and answer our prayer as we might ask, but that God is big enough to listen even to our ranting and our anger. Jeremiah was honest with Him, speaking the words he felt and to admitting his desires. This display of anger and lament did not bring God’s wrath on Jeremiah; God answered with mercy and grace.
The early Christians faced their own persecution, just like Jeremiah, and they held on to his words as they tried to understand their suffering. They had faith enough in God to speak their fears and their anger, knowing that God is bigger than their human failings. He gives strength to those who call Him, even when the cry is one of anger and lament. He lifts us up and brings us through our troubles, forgiving our frailty, and giving us the grace to go on.
The disciples were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant when He said that He would be delivered into the hands of men, killed, and after three days rise again. They didn’t want to know. It is so much better to be ignorant, to be blind to the troubles that surround us. Many people within the church refuse to become involved as leaders, members of the council, attending meetings, because they simply don’t want to know what’s going on. Perhaps they have been there before. I worked for the church where I had my membership, and I have to confess that it made me hesitant to ever work for my own church again. I hated to see what goes on behind the scenes. Oh, I know we are all sinners in need of a Savior, but I like being blind to the drama. I, and many others, have learned the hard way what goes on behind closed doors, they’ve been hurt, and they really don’t want to know what’s happening.
Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, did not rule over us as a powerful monarch. He was a humble servant to His disciples, doing the most mundane and humbling tasks for them, like washing their feet. Jesus asked what they were discussing, the disciples were embarrassed to tell Him that they were arguing over who was most important. They wanted to know who would lead by His side, who was the boss? He explained that greatness in the kingdom of heaven was not as it is in the world where the rulers seek fame, power, and possessions. Greatness in God’s kingdom would never come with a windfall, whether it is cash or some other worldly bonus. In the kingdom of heaven, the least are the greatest. Welcoming a little child is like welcoming God Himself, and if they want to be first, then they must be the last and servant of all.
They always became quiet when Jesus taught them something important that they did not understand, but they were always vocal when they were thinking on their own terms, according to their wisdom. We aren’t any different. We all have a skewed idea of what makes a truly wise person. We think in terms of flesh, earth, and natural things. Jesus wants us to see something greater, something beyond ourselves.
I wasn’t happy when I realized how foolish I was for seeking wealth by playing games. I knew the downside, but it took a few words from a wise teacher to remind me to trust that God will give me enough to do what He wants me to do. Yes, with great wealth I could do great things, but is that what God has in store for me? When I read that devotion from Timothy Keller, I realized that it was enough to do what I could. I don’t have to be the lead disciple, the CEO, the General, or the boss. I just to believe I am a child of God and serve my neighbors for His glory.
Matthew Henry wrote that the key to today’s psalm rests in the title. “For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, ‘Isn’t David hiding himself among us?’” The Ziphites were traitors, men who turned David over to Saul, because they knew Saul wanted to kill David. David was God’s intended king, but Saul thought that if David were dead, he might be able to hold onto his reign. He relied on men like the Ziphites to betray David.
God’s people always suffer at the hands of those who are self-centered and self-serving. David and Jeremiah are just two of the stories of persecution that happened to God’s chosen ones. They faced threats from people who were close to them, people they trusted to protect them. In the midst of such betrayal, David lifted his voice to God and cried out for salvation from his enemies.
David sang, “Save me, God, by your name.” We all know name droppers, and perhaps do a little name dropping ourselves. Knowing the right people can get us a better table at a fancy restaurant or it can get us free ice cream at the local grocery store. Knowing the right people can get a road fixed more quickly or it can get a child into a better school. We rely on the clout that comes from the right name when we are job hunting or when we are making a major purchase. My Dad was once able to get me a better deal on a car and a friend once got me a discount on an electronics purchase; all I needed was their name.
The name of the LORD is the manifestation of His character and accessibility to His people. We cry out to Him by His name, and He hears our prayers. In the psalm we once again hear a cry for vindication. David asks God to judge him according to His own strength (the strength of God) not by the strength of David’s life or importance. Vindication will come not because David has done anything particularly important but because David is the chosen one of God. Vindication will come not to the glory of David, but to the glory of God.
David trusted that God is his helper. In this psalm David began with a cry for help, then a confession of trust in God, and finished with a vow to offer thanksgiving and praise. David was confident that God would save him from his enemies. He comforted himself in the knowledge that God is faithful to His promises. We can do the same thing. When we face persecution, we too can cry out to God with our worries and fears. Like David, we can do so with the assurance that God hears our prayers and is our helper.
This brings us back to the words of James, “You ask wrongly.” We want what we don’t need for all the wrong reasons. We pray with the wrong motives. We want vengeance on those who hurt us, crying persecution, but we think that way because we don’t trust God. Persecution exists and we might experience it. God knows and He responds appropriately. We are human. We are all sinners. Sometimes we are wrong. David was the great king of Israel, beloved of God, but he was not perfect. We are just like David, and he reminds us to trust that God knows what is right. He will make all things right in the end.
We need to be careful that we don’t think every hurt or disagreement is a matter of persecution. Ralph Waldo Emerson is reported as saying, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” Ben Carson said, “Just because somebody happens to disagree with you about something doesn’t mean that they become your mortal enemy and that you should try to destroy them and destroy their life and destroy their family.” Morgan Freeman is quoted as saying, “Just because I disagree with you does not mean I hate you. We need to relearn that in our society.”
Martin Luther and other reformers understood that there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. They believed that God ruled both kingdoms, but He did so in the kingdom of the world through temporal authority. The left hand of God is found in the hands of kings and presidents, church leaders, bosses, parents and others who hold positions of authority. These temporal authorities have the power to rule through law, including the use of military power as necessary. The right hand of God rules the spiritual, and this authority is not given to man, but to the Holy Spirit whose power is the Gospel. A Christian can (and must) serve in the kingdom of the world but should never allow the kingdom of the world to usurp the authority of the kingdom of God. Notice that church leaders are appointed to rule in the kingdom of the world.
Martin Luther wrote, “God has ordained the two governments: the spiritual, which by the Holy Spirit under Christ makes Christians and pious people; and the secular, which restrains the unchristian and wicked so that they are obliged to keep the peace outwardly... The laws of worldly government extend no farther than to life and property and what is external upon earth. For over the soul God can and will let no one rule but himself. Therefore, where temporal power presumes to prescribe laws for the soul, it encroaches upon God’s government and only misleads and destroys souls. We desire to make this so clear that everyone shall grasp it, and that the princes and bishops may see what fools they are when they seek to coerce the people with their laws and commandments into believing one thing or another.”
Luther also said, “We are to be subject to governmental power and do what it bids, as long as it does not bind our conscience but legislates only concerning outward matters... But if it invades the spiritual domain and constrains the conscience, over which God only must preside and rule, we should not obey it at all but rather lose our necks. Temporal authority and government extend no further than to matters which are external and corporeal.”
We want the life in which we can “eat, drink, and be merry,” not the one where we lose our necks, a life that could literally happen if we are beheaded as so many of the martyrs both ancient and modern. We might not experience that kind of persecution in America, but Open Doors US reports that an average of thirteen Christians a day are dying for their faith. Many of my readers are from Nigeria, and we have heard the frightening stories of what happens to Christians at the hands of extremists there. None of us would choose that kind of life.
We might not choose it, but by choosing Jesus we are laying our lives on the line for Him. We are asked to sacrifice ourselves for His sake. This means ignoring the temptations of the world, like the possibility of a huge lottery win, to trust that God knows what is best. We are at even greater risk when we actively participate in the Kingdom by sharing the Gospel with others. It is a matter of trust, of course. Do we, like David, trust that God will make everything right even when it seems like everything is out of control? Are we willing to face persecution for His sake, humbling ourselves for His glory?
The disciples were thinking like politicians on that road through Galilee. They were arguing with one another about who was the greatest. In other versions of this story, some of the disciples insisted on being Jesus’ right hand and left-hand men. They wanted to be part of the ruling party and felt they deserved it. They saw themselves as better than the others and thought Jesus should appoint them to the positions of power and authority. Jesus had another way. He has a better plan for us, too; it is a plan that doesn’t include a billion dollars. It is a plan that He will fulfill by giving us everything we need.
Jesus answered their discussion by lifting a little child onto His lap and told them they should believe in His words the way a child does, without fear or worry or anxiety. They should just act in faith, doing what it is they’ve been gifted to do while trusting that God will make it work to His glory. Children aren’t afraid to hold someone’s hand when they are crying. Children don’t worry about whether or not they have the right words, they speak from their hearts. Children talk about Jesus and God and love and peace and hope in a way that we no longer understand because we have lost our innocence.
The disciples did not understand, but do any of us? We still want to live in that world where we “Eat, drink, and be merry” or chase after the lottery win. Who wants to be persecuted when going along with the crowd can be so much fun? Who wants to be a servant when there’s a chance for a position of power and authority? Perhaps we don't really want to be ignorant, but we'd rather follow our own wisdom. James asked where the fighting among them came from. Isn’t that what happens to the lottery winner who is inundated by everyone who wants something from them? Instead of responding with grace, they turn away from those relationships. We become involved with conflicts and disputes because we follow our cravings rather than trust in our God. We ask for the wrong things. We seek pleasure and in doing so we turn from God. We are motivated by our flesh rather than our spirit.
Most of the disciples were martyred. Jesus taught them that they did not need to be the best or the first or the greatest or the richest, they simply need to believe. That’s the kind of humility Jesus is looking for in our lives. The humble Christian is a servant that does not seek gold, power, or fame, but who walks and works in faith that God will accomplish His good work through those He loves. The world will think this attitude is ridiculous and we will struggle with their response, which can be violent because we won’t live as they demand, but we can trust that God will get us through to tomorrow, singing His praise and knowing that He is faithful to hear our cries and answer in His good and perfect way.
TopSeptember 19, 2024
“Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things. The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:1-9, WEB
Have you ever known anyone who was perpetually happy? Have you known one of those people that no matter where they are, no matter what is happening in their life they have a smile on their face? In the movie “Sister Act” starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy played Sister Mary Patrick, an upbeat nun who helped Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi) find her place in the convent. Sister Mary Clarence was actually Delores Van Cartier, a Las Vegas headliner who was in hiding because her boyfriend had threatened her life. The convent life was far from Delores s comfort zone and no matter how temporary it was to be, she needed people to help her adjust.
In one scene, Sister Mary Clarence and Sister Mary Patrick were sitting together, chatting about their lives. Slightly annoyed by the constant giddiness, Sister Mary Clarence asked Sister Mary Patrick if she was always so happy. Sister Mary Patrick answered, “Yes” and said that her mother thought she would grow up to be either a stewardess or a nun. Most of us look at people like her with the same annoyance as Delores. We can’t imagine always being happy. It is exhausting to be with them, how much more exhausting must it be to be them?
Yet Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’” Always is a very long time. Sister Mary Clarence seems to have found that place where she seems to be always rejoicing, but I don’t know many people who can get there. We go through a whole range of emotions, sometimes in just minutes. Even as we watch the movie “Sister Act” we experience fear, worry, sadness, hope, doubt and happiness. We react to the experiences of those characters on screen, and we respond with smiles as well as tears.
However, rejoicing need not manifest merely as giddiness. Sister Mary Clarence has that kind of happiness, even in tough times, because she always sees the glass as half full. But we can rejoice even as we cry tears of pain and doubt because in this passage Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord.” This is different than mere happiness. This is living out trust in God and responding to the world with a steadfast faith that is visible to the world. It does not mean we have to smile at all moments, but it means standing firm in the promises of God knowing that He is faithful. It means praising God even in the midst of the pain and trouble that we experience. It means being thankful, even when it seems like there is nothing to be thankful for.
Sadly, this letter was written by Paul in part because two fellow co-workers for Christ were at odds. We don’t know why Euodia and Syntyche were fighting, but I’m sure we all know people who disagree with one another. Each is passionate about their opinion and is willing to fight for what they believe to be right and true. That is certainly true right now in the United States as politics has divided our nation. Many are divided over religion, also, even Christians. Perhaps Euodia and Syntyche had differing opinions about certain doctrines of faith or the direction of the new and growing Church. It would be impossible to find full agreement in the pews of our churches today, let alone between church bodies.
But Paul said that we should “think the same way in the Lord.” Does this mean that we have to agree fully about every detail of our faith? Some might think so, but Paul goes on to talk about rejoicing in the Lord. Despite our differences (differences that occur because God has created us as unique individuals), we can be of the same mind, praising God in all circumstances, even when things are not going so well.
We can share the peace of God as we dwell in the love of God in Christ Jesus, instead of dwelling in our differences. As Paul wrote, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things.” Jesus Christ is all this, and in Him we can rejoice together, singing praise and thanksgiving to God.
TopSeptember 20, 2024
“They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, ‘Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.’ He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” Mark 10:13-16, WEB
I once read an article called, “When She Was Three.” It was the musings of a man whose youngest daughter turned four years old. He remembered the joys of having a three-year-old in the house. He was father to several children and noted that he’d had a three-year-old child in the house for several years, but after his youngest’s birthday, he would never have that particular joy again. He talked about the little things that children do that can be annoying as they grow up but are delightful when it is done by a toddler, like those handfuls of dandelions they present as gifts. He recalled the number of times he watched the same show or read the same book. He recalled the questions, the many, many questions beginning with the word “Why?” He recalled his three-year-olds’ first encounters with death. He especially remembered the incredible moments his three-year-olds shined the light of Jesus.
Those of us who have experienced life with a three-year-old understand. It is a magical time of life. Three-year-olds are just beginning to know independence but are still completely dependent. They remember things we don’t even realize they witnessed. They have learned things we do not think it was possible for them to know. To watch a three-year-old is to see an imagination in action. The writer of the article talked about how his daughter sang “Jesus Loves Me” during the Eucharist, despite other music playing, because it was the one hymn she knew by heart. He added, “If she has any organizational skills, she may even get some folks around her singing, too.”
The most beautiful sound in church is a child singing “Jesus Loves Me” even if it has nothing to do with what is happening around them.
Children learn by repetition, and they learn the liturgy and music and things of God learn by being in church regularly. It brings me such joy to watch the children in our church recite Lord’s Prayer and join in singing hymns of praise. Even when they don’t know what is being said or can’t read what’s on the screens, they know the pattern of worship. I’ve heard more than one three-year-old respond to the end of a prayer a loud and enthusiastic “Amen” a heartbeat after the rest of us. It always makes me smile. We might think they have no idea what they are saying, but children know in their hearts the joy and peace of God’s grace much better than any adult. According to Matthew, Jesus said, “See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” We think we know so much about God, but children are so close to Him that they have not yet forgotten that He is their Father.
I smiled as I read that article because I remembered my own three-year-olds. It was a long time ago, but I can still feel their little hands reaching for mine. I can still feel their weight on my lap as we read a favorite book for the hundredth time. I can still see their faces covered in spaghetti sauce. I still call Coleslaw “cold slop” because I hear my daughter’s voice mispronouncing the word. I can still see my son giving communion to his herd of stuffed animals one afternoon. The sounds of “Jesus Loves Me” and “Amen” ring in my ears, returning me to my own childlike relationship with my Father in heaven. Jesus welcomed the little children into His presence with enthusiasm because they love Jesus and know the way to heaven is to trust in Him. May we learn from them and love God with our whole hearts, enthusiastically praising Him even at those moments that are not expected.
“‘For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘But you say, “How shall we return?” Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, “How have we robbed you?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘Your words have been stout against me,’ says Yahweh. ‘Yet you say, “What have we spoken against you?” You have said, “It is vain to serve God;” and “What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies? Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.” Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name. They shall be mine,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.’” Malachi 3:6-18, WEB
Helen Keller once said, “Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
Eric Hoffer said, “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.”
Kim Hubbard said, “It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness: poverty and wealth have both failed.”
Bertrand Russell said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.”
George Burns said, “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
Ok, that last one was a bit of humor in the midst of an important subject. What is happiness? What does it mean to be happy? Verse 15 of today’s reading is a sad statement, but one I think many of us can identify with: we call the proud happy. The NIV translation says, “We call the arrogant blessed.” The Message says, “Those who take their life into their own hands are the lucky ones.”
Reader’s Digest once had an article about happiness. An interesting sidebar gave a history of happiness. I wondered how they could put happiness into a timeline, but then I read the list. They began with a quote from Aristotle in 350 BC that said, “Happiness is the best, most noble, and most pleasant thing in the world.” In 1776, the writers of our Declaration of Independence included that all men have the right to “the pursuit of happiness.” Laughing gas was invented in 1799. Books about parenting in the early 1900s focused on children’s happiness. The term “Happy Hour” came into use by sailors in the 1920s. The song “Happy Birthday to you” was copyrighted in 1935. The laugh track for radio and television was invented in the 1950s. The term ‘happy pill’ for tranquillizers was coined in the 1950s. The idea of national happiness and happiness in international relations came into style in recent years.
In 2010, Matt Salzberg said, “My vision of success is based on the impact I can have, much more than the pursuit of money or prestige.” Perhaps Matt was the first one in that timeline to get it right.
The article gave several steps to finding happiness. First, they recommend valuing your relationships. In a University of Illinois study, researchers discovered, “The highest levels of happiness are found with the most stable, longest, and most contented relationships.” Second, those who are happy express themselves. According to a Wake Forest University study, participants were tracked over a two-week period and they found that they were happier when they were more outgoing and less happy when reserved or withdrawn.
A study done by the editors of forbes.com discovered that people were happier when they used their money to buy things for others. The researchers gave cash to strangers, from $5 to $20. Half the group was told to spend the money on themselves and the other half to spend it on someone else. Those who bought something for someone else were much happier. The fourth step is to focus on the positive. They recommend keeping a journal and writing down three good things that happen each day. Those who did this found themselves to be much happier. Finally, the article suggested drinking water. Apparently, dehydration can cause mood swings.
I think it is true that happiness comes when we do not put the focus on ourselves but turn our actions and thoughts to others. Those who take their lives into their own hands are not the lucky ones. God says, “ “‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.” They didn’t understand. “How have we turned away?” “How have we robbed you?” God told them that they were focused on the wrong things. They were more interested in themselves and their own happiness. Instead of sharing their blessings with others, they were keeping it for themselves.
Instead of serving God, they served self. They thought it was a waste of their time and resources to serve God. We might think that a new car or party dress will make us happy, but true happiness comes when we love God and live for Him in this world. This doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t have the new car or pretty dress, but let’s remember what matters most. Our happiness comes from living the life God is calling us to live, with Him in the forefront, doing His work in this world.
“For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, ‘“As I live,” says the Lord, “to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.”’ So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:7-12, WEB
I had an appointment with a garage for a check-up on my car. It was only going to take an hour or two, so I decided to walk to a restaurant a block from the shop for breakfast. I wanted to finish reading a book for the Bible study I’m preparing, and this was the perfect opportunity to have an hour or so without distraction. I was a few pages into my reading and a gentleman who had been eating when I arrived stopped to ask if I was enjoying my book. I was, although most people might think that Philip Melanchthon’s Commentary on Proverbs isn’t very exciting. He was impressed that I was reading that type of book and that I was preparing a Bible study. He said that I was such a blessing to be teaching about God.
I thanked him and began to turn back to my book, thinking he was about to leave, but he sat down across from me and continued the conversation. It lasted about forty-five minutes, and I never finished reading my book. He was older than I, and though his conversation was not meant to “convert” me, he definitely wanted to teach me a few things. I listened politely, but also shared my point of view. I pointed to scripture and history, explained why his position was skewed. I didn’t change his mind, that wasn’t my purpose, but our conversation gave him something to think about. It gave me something to think about, too.
Someone recently said, “See every conversation as an invitation.” In some cases, that invitation is to do something kind for someone. I was interrupted at the grocery store the other day by a woman complaining about how the canned fruit department was much smaller (the store was recently remodeled.) I agreed with her complaint because I couldn’t find what I needed in that same department. She was in a scooter, so getting around was difficult for her. I wondered whether the items I needed were in another aisle, so I went to look. They were, and I was able to send her exactly where she needed to go. It took a few extra minutes to help her, she hadn’t even asked for my help, but that encounter was an invitation to help.
My conversation with the man in the restaurant was also an invitation. I don’t think God put us together to change each other’s minds, but to encourage one another in our faith. Our differences were not so large, and we both believed in Jesus. That is our common foundation, the thing on which our faith is founded, on which the universal catholic Church is built. Our differences were not matters of salvation. They might matter, but we have no place to condemn each other or wonder if the other is really saved.
The book of Romans is Paul’s opus, his theological essay about our faith in Jesus Christ. He tells us that we are sinners in need of a Savior, all of us, and that Jesus is that Savior. After convincing us of our need, and of our hope, he teaches us how to live in our faith in Christ. Today’s passage focuses on how we treat people who have differing opinions about things. Those who were “weak” (according to Paul) could not, in good conscience, eat the meat that had been sacrificed to the false gods.
Paul’s point in this passage is that we are not to pass judgment on those who believe this about the meat. We can teach them from the Bible why it is ok to eat the meat, but we should never do anything that will harm their conscience. This means even not eating in their presence for their sake. Our issues are much different than theirs, and there are things that matter. In those issues we might have to rebuke or correct our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we may even have to deal with heretical ideology, but most things about which we disagree are not matters of salvation.
No matter what, it is not up to us to condemn them for their ideas, no matter how bad or wrong they might be. Condemnation is “above our pay grade”; only God can judge, and He does not want anyone to be condemned. When it comes to those issues that matter, it is up to us to teach with grace, and if there is no repentance, to walk away and trust that God has a plan for that person’s life. We are to thank Him for the interruption and ask Him what it is that we are meant to learn from the encounter. It is also important to remember that we could be wrong. For most issues, there is a middle ground that is likely closer to the truth than any of our extremes. If we believe what Paul taught in the first thirteen chapters of Romans, then we know we are the worst of sinners, which means anyone in front of us is not the worst of sinners. And if we believe what Paul has been teaching us, we know that we stand on the same foundation with all those who also believe in Jesus, so we are to accept them in Christ, even when we have a hard time accepting their ideas.
September 25, 2024
Lectionary Scriptures for September 29, 2024, Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29; Psalm 104:27-35; James 5:(1-12) 13-20; Mark 9:38-50
“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:29, WEB
The Old Testament lesson for today begins, “The mixed multitude that was among them...” Some versions translate this “The rabble...” This is referring to the non-Israelites that traveled with Moses out of Egypt. The crowd that left Egypt during the Exodus was not made up solely of Israelites. We don’t know whether the Egyptians and other foreigners were God-fearing, or if they had other reasons for fleeing Egypt. We don’t know why they traveled with the Israelites, but they were among the crowd that made it across the Red Sea into freedom and the new life promised by the God of Israel.
The rabble were the ones that began to grumble about the lack of food. They hated the manna sent by this God they did not know or understand and were possibly bothered by the fact that their escape wasn’t the easy trip they’d expected. They couldn’t have known when they left Egypt that they’d have to go so far for so long. And this was just the beginning of the journey.
The grumbling began very early during the exodus, within days of leaving Egypt, even before they arrived at Sinai. God remained faithful despite their unfaithfulness. He provided food and water. He healed them and led them on the path to the Promised Land. They turned from God quickly as they waited beneath the mountain for Moses to return, where they created a golden idol while Moses received the tablets of the Law. This unfaithfulness led to God’s chastisement; that generation would never enter the Promised Land, so the nation would wander in the wilderness for forty years. Today’s story took place just three days into that journey.
Though they were probably still in the shadow of Sinai, but they had already forgotten to trust in the God who saved them from Egypt. The Israelites had already forgotten the reasons they had cried out to God: they were slaves and were abused by the Egyptians. The day they left Sinai was just one year, one month and one week after the day they left Goshen, and yet they remembered their time there as “the good old days.”
The rabble were craving the life they used to have, the food they used to eat, the comfort of their homes, and the stability of being in one place. They complained and the Israelites wept, remembering a life in Egypt that was much different than the reality. They remembered a good life, with good food and comfortable homes. They saw their past through the eyes of those foreigners, and they forgot the pain and suffering of their slavery. They trusted in the memory of the rabble and forgot that the God of their forefathers was fulling the promises that He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
They saw Him at work through the amazing things He had done in that one year, one month and one week. He parted the Red Sea, killed the Egyptian army, provided water, manna and quail in the desert. At the foot of Sinai, He proved His power and He gave the people His Law. Despite His chastisement, He never left them, showing them His presence in the cloud by day and fire by night. He was leading them toward the Promised Land, to the place He gave to their father Abraham, but by the third day all they could think about was how inconvenient it was. God was using the wilderness wandering to teach them how to trust in Him, but they quickly (in three days!) fell back into their old ways, desires, and arrogance. They thought they knew better than God and they complained.
There is an ancient Jewish folktale about two beggars and a king. Each day the two beggars went to the king’s palace to ask for food, and each day the king gave them both a loaf of bread. The first beggar thanked the king for the bread, the second thanked God for making the king wealthy enough to be charitable. The king was upset that the second beggar never thanked him for the bread.
One day the king decided to punish the second beggar for his ungratefulness. He ordered the baker to fill one loaf of bread with valuable jewels and to give it specifically to the first beggar. “That will teach the beggar a lesson.” The baker was extremely careful to give the right loaf to each beggar – the one filled with jewels to the first beggar, the loaf only to the second. When the first beggar felt the weight of the loaf, he thought there was something wrong with it and asked the other beggar to exchange loaves. The second beggar, always desirous to help a friend agreed. Later, when he ate the loaf, he discovered the jewels.
The king was curious the next day and when the first beggar appeared at the gate, he asked him about the bread. The beggar told the king that his loaf felt hard and poorly baked, so he gave it to his friend. Though he was angry that the second beggar thanked God instead of himself, he saw God’s hand in the blessing of the one who had thanked Him and realized that all good things truly come through God. Only God can change the circumstances of men; not even a king can change God’s will.
In the lesson from Numbers, Moses complained to God that the people are ungrateful and complaining about their circumstances. “Why have you done this to me?” he cried out to God. “You have made them a burden I cannot carry.” Moses didn’t know what to do. He knew that God had done a good thing for the people, delivering them from slavery. He had risked his own life to lead the people out of Egypt, and he knew the dangers of returning. He knew the blessings of following God. “Why did you stick me with this mess?” he wondered to God. Moses was frustrated. He was given the responsibility to care for this grumbling crowd, both Israelite and non-Israelite, and he found it difficult to deal with their attitude. “If this is what I have to put up with, God, just kill me right here and now.” He wanted the easy solution; he looked for the extreme answer to his problem. Instead, God decided to appoint and anoint other leaders to be his helpers, to help carry the burden of leadership.
Seventy men were chosen and at the given hour, God took some of Moses’ power and gave it to the seventy. Two men in the camp also received the power. They prophesied just like those who had been in the tent of meeting. A young boy heard the prophesying; he went to Moses and told him about the two men in the camp. Joshua was a man of discipline and control and was disturbed by the lack of order. How could those who had not been in the right place at the right time have received the same gift as those who gathered as directed? “Stop them,” he said to Moses because they were not among the chosen.
God is not limited by our sense of order or by our fears and uncertainties. Those two men received the Spirit because God chose them to be leaders. Tradition holds that Eldad and Medad gave the most incredible prophecies that day. They say that Eldad prophesied that Moses would die before entering Canaan, that it would be Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land. Medad is said to have prophesied about the quail. We don’t know why they weren’t among the other leaders. God doesn’t seem to care. They were His chosen and they were given the gift of the Spirit.
Moses knew that God was in control. He couldn’t stop someone that was given the spirit any more than he could choose those who would receive it. “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!”
God knows the deepest parts of our hearts and the most hidden secrets of our lives. He knows most about us than we do. He knows His will and His purpose and His plan. We don’t always understand, and we tend to complain about the gifts that have been given to us. We try to make things better, like the beggar who wanted what he thought was the better loaf of bread and the Israelites who wanted more than manna. Yet, in the end we discover that what God has planned is quite possibly the most miraculous thing that could happen. We are reminded that it is to God we can and should be grateful, for He is the source of all things good.
Jesus makes some shocking suggestions in today’s Gospel lesson. Does He really expect us to cut off our hand or our foot, or gouge out our eyes? He is not telling us to go around amputating our body parts for the sake of some spiritual transformation. Instead, He is using extreme examples of what it means to turn our life around for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It isn’t easy. As a matter of fact, it is very hard. It might even hurt. That’s what happened to John.
The Gospels tell us that the disciples were often inadequate at doing the miraculous things Jesus was doing, that Jesus suggested they could do. They saw success in ministry, but they also saw failure. They did not always understand what Jesus was teaching. They tried to convince Jesus to do things their way. They couldn’t exorcise a demon from a little boy. They must have felt humbled and humiliated at times.
The disciples saw someone who was not part of their circle doing what they were unable to do: drive out demons. I can imagine what they were feeling; I have felt it myself. It is called jealousy, and it is quite a powerful emotion, especially when we are passionate about the work that we believe we are called to do. We feel it when we see someone else able to do what we can’t seem to accomplish. We wonder “why not me?” We wonder why God would call us to a position and not give us the ability to do the work. We wonder if we have properly discerned our calling. And we wish others couldn’t do it.
It is hard to deal with jealousy. It forces us to look at ourselves with a humble heart and at others with grace. It forces us to see other people through God’s eyes, to see that they too have been gifted with power and authority, even if they are not part of our crowd. It forces us to realize that we are not the most important thing in God’s plan. Jealousy makes us bitter, and bitter salt does not provide flavor or preservation to the food. So, Jesus tells us to cut it out of our life.
Joshua and John had the same reaction to the people with unexpected gifts. Were they jealous for Moses or Jesus’ sake, or for their own? Joshua was Moses’ right-hand man, and now there were seventy others called to leadership. Was there room for even two more? John was part of Jesus’ inner circle, Jesus’ closest friends. John even asked Jesus if he could be His right-hand man when He ruled. There were already twelve leaders. Was there room for more? What would happen if the disciples were never able to drive out demons, or heal, or impact the world? Would someone more gifted take their place? It was a very real fear for them, as it continues to be for us.
Jesus said, “Don’t stop them. Whoever is not against us is for us.” Perhaps this sounds backwards. We usually say, “Whoever is not for us is against us.” This limits our allies to those who are part of our circle. Jesus turns our thinking upside down. He tells us that we need not be concerned about those who are not against us. There were enough people against Jesus. Jesus assured them that they would not have to worry. “There is no one who will do a mighty work in my name and be able quickly to speak evil of me.” Deeds of power came by the Spirit of God. If anyone has that Spirit, they cannot work against the will and purpose of God.
Jesus said, “Don’t stop them.” Don’t stop them in a manner that would cause them to stumble. Don’t let your jealousy bring them to a point of rebellion and rejection of God’s will and purpose. Don’t chase them away from the life God has called them to live. Be salt. Rather than cause a brother or sister to stumble, we should cut out those things that are causing us to sin. Jesus gives a radical response to sin: cut off your hand, feet or eyes if they cause you to sin. It is unlikely that we will be amputating body parts, but there are aspects of our lives that should be cut off.
In last week’s Gospel text, Jesus made it clear that they should be servants to one another. In this story, Jesus continues the thought to include the outsiders, “the rabble.” We should never doubt what God can do, for God does what He knows to be right and good, whatever our expectations. We are called simply to trust Him and to follow where He leads us because His way is always the right way to go.
We are reminded how to keep our focus where it belongs: in God and His Word. We tend to hear the voices of those around us who grumble about problems, who make it seem like the extreme solution is the best solution. It is easy for us to get caught up in the attitudes of complaining that are around us, as if that will ease our pain.
James gives us three life situations and the appropriate Christian response. What should we do in the midst of suffering? We should pray and praise. Though it is hard to praise God while we are facing difficult situations, we will find blessing in the midst of it if we keep our eyes on God. What should we do when we face illness and dis-ease? We should seek the healing and forgiving power of God that is found in the church through the authorities anointed and appointed to do the work.
Finally, what should we do about error? We are called to bring light to the truth, to point out the errors and sins of our brethren. However, how we do so will make a difference. Will we present these words in a tone of criticism or an act of grace? Will we speak in a way that admonishes and restores people or will we do it in a manner of condemnation and alienation? It is not helpful to constantly criticize because it will either cause the other to deem themselves unworthy or will sever the relationship. We might have a valid point, but if we don’t salt our conversations with grace, we will never make a difference. God calls us into fellowship to help one another grow and mature in faith.
What would you do if someone wanted to pay you for a day’s worth of work with salt. The most expensive salt in the world is called Amethyst Bamboo 9x which is a Korean delicacy that costs nearly $100 for an 8.5-ounce jar. While this might have value, would you feel like you received a fair wage? Rock salt costs about $58 a ton. Where would you put all that salt and what would you do with it? Table salt is less than a dollar a pound, so it would take a huge quantity for us to think we have received our just reward. How would you use it all, especially since doctors suggest that too much salt is dangerous for our health?
The Phoenicians were the first to use salt from the sea, flooding the plains with saltwater and allowing it to dry. Then the salt was harvested and sold to other nations. High output production helped to depreciate the value of salt. In the United States, the difficulty with salt production was not finding the salt but transporting it from place to place. Morton Salt solved this problem by having salt plants all over the nation.
In Jesus’ day salt was very expensive, perhaps worth even more than gold. Soldiers were paid in salt and slaves were traded for salt. This is why we have phrases such as “salt money” and “he is not worth his weight in salt.” Salt was used for flavor, but even more so it was used as a preservative and to seal covenants. If salt was used during a meal, it represented a relationship of loyalty, protection, and hospitality. As a matter of fact, the ancient Greeks had a saying that “no one should trust a man without first eating a peck of salt with him.” A peck is about eight quarts. By the time two men ate that much salt, they would know each other very well.
When Jesus said to the disciples, “Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another” He was referring to the salt covenant. They were the salt “salted with fire” by God. Through them, God was revealing His kingdom to the world, and through them He was establishing the covenant of loyalty, protection, and hospitality. “But if salt has lost its saltiness...” Jesus said. If salt has lost its saltiness, then we can’t do what we are called to do. If we do not live at peace with one another, how can we possibly share the peace of Christ with the world?
Our scriptures this week cause us to consider how we determine who has the power and authority to do the work of the kingdom in this world. All too often we are quick to point fingers, like Joshua and John, at those who are outside our circle, complaining that they should not be able to prophesy or heal because we do not believe they stand in a right relationship with God. “Lord, stop them” we say. Yet, we have to consider what it is that makes us question their gifts. There might be a valid reason for rebuke or correction. Yet, if they are doing the work in Jesus’ name, as Jesus has commanded, might there be another reason for our irritation? Are we jealous because they are doing things we can’t do? Are we frustrated because they stand outside our understanding of God? Are we offended because they do not fit into the mold we have established? This is what we should cut out of our lives or else our salt will lose its saltiness and there will be no peace.
James reminds us that we have the responsibility to keep our brothers and sisters focused on the right source. If we see someone falling into the trap of following the rabble, we are to remind them of God’s Word and to help them turn back to the right path. We tend to avoid any sort of criticism or judgment because we are afraid to seem intolerant. We are afraid they will take it the wrong way. While it is true that we must be aware that our criticism and judgment can alienate or condemn, our role as Christians is to call people to repentance so that they might know the forgiveness of God and be reconciled with Him and all of God’s creation. We are called to help one another see our sin and turn from it so that we will all dwell in the fold of God’s loving arms. It is easier to let the crowd go their own way. It is much harder to trust that God has a plan that will lead us to a Promised Land that is better than anything the world has to offer. It may seem like a burden, but it is by God’s gifts that we are able to do what He has called us to do.
Today’s Psalm is a song of hope of how it can be with the world and all created beings living in the shadow of the Most High, trusting Him to provide all they need. In a perfect world, all of God’s creation will look to Him for food and all good things. In a perfect world, there is no anger or hatred, no war or violence, no tears or pain. Even the sea monsters - the leviathan - frolic in the ocean, leaving the ships to travel safely from port to port. In a perfect world, all creatures live together in fear of God and tremble in His presence, not because they are afraid but rather humbled by His magnificence. Unfortunately, the world has not been perfect since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. We have not feared God or looked to Him for all we need. Yet even in this there is hope, “You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.” He gives His Spirit to those He chooses; He can choose to give it to as many as He pleases. He knows the hearts of those who will live in humble obedience to His Word, and He equips those He calls to do His work in the world.
He that is not against Jesus is not against us, and therefore is for Jesus and for us. We are no better than the rabble who instigates or the crowd that follows. We are no better than Joshua and John. We fail. We follow the wrong people. We complain and doubt and desire our own way. We want to be satisfied, and we seek the wrong things to satisfy us. But God has called us to a new life in Christ. He has forgiven us, given us gifts and sent us into a world that needs to hear the Gospel. They need what we have to give. Let us always trust that God will use us to share His grace, even when everything seems to be out of our control. Here’s the secret: all is well when everything is out of our control because God will always be faithful and make all things right according to His good and perfect will.
“If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say, if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us; then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be Yahweh, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in Yahweh’s name, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124, WEB
Cliffs have long fascinated people. When we stand at the top and look down, we are awed by the thought that one slip of the foot could bring our death as we plummet to the bottom. When we stand at the bottom, we long to climb to the top just to see what is beyond our view. Cliffside adventures can be dangerous.
I have always been a bit adventurous, willing to go out on the ledge for the perfect picture, but I have to admit that there were more than a few moments when I was not sure on my feet. At one park I felt lightheaded as we walked along the cliff, thankful for the railing that kept me safe. At another I carefully sat on the edge so that Bruce could take the perfect adventure photo; I felt a little shaky as I did so. I really wanted to look over the edge of those cliffs even if there was no safety rail, but I did so with more caution than I would have used half a lifetime ago. Things weren't much easier at the bottom of the cliffs as I nearly got a headache staring up so long and I tripped over more than one rock and tree root. We are headed on vacation in Wyoming next week, and I though I am feeling stronger and healthier these days, I have to remember that I’m a sixty-year-old woman, and be careful to follow the rules for my safety.
There is a story about a man who slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountaintop. On his way down he grabbed a branch. He was twenty feet from the top and a long way from the bottom. He feared for his life and cried for help. A booming voice spoke up, “I am here, and I will save you if you believe in me.” “I believe, I believe,” the man yelled back. “If you believe me, let go of the branch and then I will save you.” The man’s fear of death was so great he yelled, “Is there anyone else who can help?” What he didn’t know is that he was just feet from a shelf; if he let go, he would land and it would be easier to save him. We don’t always believe the voice. It takes faith to let go and trust that our Lord will save us.
Today’s psalm is a song of praise that praised God after He delivered His people from her enemies. Israel hung perilously on some spiritual cliffside over and over again, but God was with her all along. The people sang songs of thanksgiving after He saved her, but they often went looking to others for help. They turned to the strength, power, and might of other nations, unwilling to be obedient to God s words. “Is there anyone else,” they asked, ignoring the truth that God is greater than even the greatest nation.
As we look back on our lives, we can see moments when we have slipped off a cliff. When we cry for help, the voice of God asks, “Do you believe?” All too often we cry back, “Is there anyone else?” Yet in hindsight we can sing this hymn of praise knowing that our help is the Lord. We will experience new adventures, sometimes looking down from the top of a cliff in awe of the potential danger or gazing up to the top of a cliff pondering what lies beyond. As we do, let us remember that if the Lord had not been with us, we would have been destroyed. This gives us the courage, hope and peace to face each new adventure with faith in the Lord who is always faithful.
“But you, Yahweh, will remain forever; your renown endures to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come. For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust. So the nations will fear Yahweh’s name, all the kings of the earth your glory. For Yahweh has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory. He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come. A people which will be created will praise Yah, for he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven, Yahweh saw the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoner, to free those who are condemned to death, that men may declare Yahweh’s name in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.” Psalm 102:12-22, WEB
I love to visit churches. Some of my most profound religious experiences have happened in incredible worship spaces in England. I enjoyed our visits to churches during our trip to Germany. One of my favorite places to take visitors to Texas are the painted churches of the Schulenburg area. As an artist, I enjoy looking at the art in the architecture, furnishings, and objects used to decorate the space. The cathedrals of Europe are filled with items of spiritual and historical significance and meaning. There is a church in Fairford, England that has an extraordinary set of Medieval stained-glass windows, which were saved from destruction during the Reformation and World War II. The builders of the painted churches wanted to remember their European homelands, so they painted the walls, altars, and arches of their simple buildings with colorful patterns and images. These spaces, and many more for their own unique reasons, are breathtaking.
We put a lot of time and money into the design, building, and maintenance of our worship spaces. This bothers some people who would rather spend the money on caring for people than inanimate objects, but there is a long history of creating impressive and inspirational worship spaces. It is not just a matter of making donors or congregations happy, but it is also about honoring the God that we worship with our best.
The temple in Jerusalem was spectacular, made with the best materials to honor the God who was worshipped in its precincts. The stone used was mostly a local white meleke limestone from Jerusalem with a veneer of marble and gold. The blocks were finely cut and dressed that fit together without mortar and polished to reflect the sunlight. It is said that you could see the Temple from a distance because it glowed much like a snow-covered mountain. Travelers were often pilgrims on their way to the Temple, but the sheer beauty of it drew them into the presence of God.
Psalm 102 is a penitential, individual lament that sings about community suffering and eschatological hope. It is a model prayer for those who are afflicted in some way, a song that can help us focus during those days when we struggle with the problems of this world of which there seem to be many. It is likely that the psalm was written by David during Absalom’s rebellion. The prayer is divided into three parts. The first verses (1-11) is filled with David’s complaints. He had no appetite, his years were passing too quickly, he was malnourished, lonely, abused by his enemies, and sad. David is heartsick and says a prayer for mercy, like Job and Jeremiah. In the final verses (23-28), David meditates on the brevity of human life and the eternity of God. He repeats his individual struggles and nots that life is short and fragile. This leads him to reflect on God’s eternal nature. God is the opposite of all human frailty; everything will perish but God is imperishable. God will be here for future generations. When the future generations remember the great works of God, they will worship Him. There is hope; though we are fragile, God is eternal. David is aware of his approaching death but he is full of assurance in the everlasting God.
In between his complaints and lament, David praises God for His mercy. He anticipates deliverance and asks God to show His favor. He has certainty and hope that God will act in His time. Zion, which can mean the city of Jerusalem or God’s people, needs restoration. David is confident that God will be faithful, and that His people will notice His mercy. God is King and will hear the prayers of His people. The promise that the destitute will be blessed encouraged and persuaded outsiders to believe and strengthened the faith of the descendants of God’s people. God does not just see the needs of His people, He acts. David wrote the psalm so that they would know. God’s acts in David’s day would elicit future worship. Just as the beauty of the Temple drew people into her precincts, David’s praise of God would draw people into His heart so that they will see His will help and respond with thanksgiving and praise. Eventually the whole world will join in the praise.
Our God is Creator, the sustainer and the immutable LORD of heaven and earth. All will gather to serve the King of Kings. We may not need beautiful spaces to worship, and there may be better ways to spend our money, yet the art in the architecture, furnishings, and objects used to decorate the space, does help tell the story of God’s mercy to future generations of believers and those outsiders who need to hear the Gospel. There is nothing but brokenness without Jesus and they need to draw near to God to hear His promises. His Kingdom means eternal life. Jesus is outside and over all time: He participated in creation and lives forever. He is unchangeable. This psalm reminds us of the everlasting nature of the Godhead despite our complaints and laments about today’s struggles. Jesus was there from the beginning; through Him all things were made (John 1:3). He is with us now and has promised to be with us forever no matter what happens to us today. So let us join together in praise, honoring God with words, deeds, and even the tangible aspects of our world so that others will see Him and seek His mercy and grace.