Jim:
Zechariah 1:7-17
I found verses 12 and 13 to be comforting. “Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which you have been angry these seventy years?’ Then the Lord replied with gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.” As is often the case in scripture—in the Psalms especially, and in conversations between Abraham and God, Moses and God, and Job and God—we see that God is willing to listen and to respond to questions and even complaints. There is no earnest question we can not raise to God. Out of our most heartfelt anguish we may call on God, question God’s motives, call ourselves to God’s attention, wonder at what God is doing. And in graciousness God responds. We will not always know what God is doing, but we can trust God to be conversant with God’s people.
Revelation 1:4-20
I found the words in verses 5b-6 to be very similar to one of my favorite passages elsewhere. “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priest serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” This is a lot like 1 Peter 2:9 which says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” I love the passage in 1 Peter because the first time I remember hearing it, it gave me a real sense of belonging, of purpose, of hope. The words in Revelation echo the same sentiments and give me the same sense of hope. Taken with the words from Zechariah, I find comfort and optimism as I look to the future, both mine and the world’s.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Open Doors, Open Hearts
Jim:
Ezra 1:1-11
The latter part of verse 1 makes an important claim: “…the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom…” The truth is that God is at work within the actions of nations and peoples beyond those with whom God has a covenant relationship. Indeed, God works in and through all of human affairs to bring about the divine will.
1 Corinthians 16:1-9
Paul recognizes the hand of God as well. Verse 9 says, “…for a wide door for effective work has opened to me….” God is involved in the ebb and flow of human events, through those who recognize God’s sovereignty and those who do not. As the hymn says, “God is working his purpose out,” and kings are just as must a part of God’s work as apostles. Doors are opened, spirits moved, lives changed by the presence of God.
Ezra 1:1-11
The latter part of verse 1 makes an important claim: “…the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom…” The truth is that God is at work within the actions of nations and peoples beyond those with whom God has a covenant relationship. Indeed, God works in and through all of human affairs to bring about the divine will.
1 Corinthians 16:1-9
Paul recognizes the hand of God as well. Verse 9 says, “…for a wide door for effective work has opened to me….” God is involved in the ebb and flow of human events, through those who recognize God’s sovereignty and those who do not. As the hymn says, “God is working his purpose out,” and kings are just as must a part of God’s work as apostles. Doors are opened, spirits moved, lives changed by the presence of God.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
God Is Our Hope
Jim:
Lamentations 2:8-15
Verse 13 offers an interesting point. “What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can heal you?” The part that struck me is the question, “Who can heal you?” The answer, of course, is God. God can heal Jerusalem. But it is God who has caused ruin to befall the city. In fact, the destruction of the city is attributed directly to God: “The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of daughter Zion;… he did not withhold his hand from destroying…” (verse 6). So the question that verse 13 asks is really, “Now that God has enacted divine judgment upon Jerusalem, who is there who can rebuild the city?” Indeed, what hope Jerusalem has comes from God. So even as “rampart and wall lament”, God remains the only hope.
As I reflect on this passage I am mindful of the vast devastation in southern California caused by wildfires. Perhaps the destruction there, the burned houses and charred forests, the grieving families, give us some idea of what Jerusalem went through. Who can rebuild the homes and lives of southern California? Who can heal the devastation? God can, and God will.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Verse 58 says, “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This is an eloquent call to discipleship. Our work in the Lord is never in vain, our effort to do God’s will is never wasted. We are called out into the world where fires rage and where violence is so prevalent, and we may doubt our ability to effect meaningful change, but Paul reminds us that our work in the Lord is never pointless. Even our simplest acts of faithful obedience (or of “steadfast, immoveable” living) can be blessed by God to produce much good fruit.
Lamentations 2:8-15
Verse 13 offers an interesting point. “What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can heal you?” The part that struck me is the question, “Who can heal you?” The answer, of course, is God. God can heal Jerusalem. But it is God who has caused ruin to befall the city. In fact, the destruction of the city is attributed directly to God: “The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of daughter Zion;… he did not withhold his hand from destroying…” (verse 6). So the question that verse 13 asks is really, “Now that God has enacted divine judgment upon Jerusalem, who is there who can rebuild the city?” Indeed, what hope Jerusalem has comes from God. So even as “rampart and wall lament”, God remains the only hope.
As I reflect on this passage I am mindful of the vast devastation in southern California caused by wildfires. Perhaps the destruction there, the burned houses and charred forests, the grieving families, give us some idea of what Jerusalem went through. Who can rebuild the homes and lives of southern California? Who can heal the devastation? God can, and God will.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Verse 58 says, “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This is an eloquent call to discipleship. Our work in the Lord is never in vain, our effort to do God’s will is never wasted. We are called out into the world where fires rage and where violence is so prevalent, and we may doubt our ability to effect meaningful change, but Paul reminds us that our work in the Lord is never pointless. Even our simplest acts of faithful obedience (or of “steadfast, immoveable” living) can be blessed by God to produce much good fruit.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Faithful Living
Jim:
Lamentations 1:1-12
I preached from this passage not too long ago and in that sermon I mentioned how profound the sorrow must be if “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals…” (verse 6a) It reminds me a bit of New Orleans in the months after Katrina when few tourists were willing to travel there. It also reminds me of the plight of the great cities of Europe during World War II, as devastated as they were by the war and the oppression of the Nazis. In Jerusalem’s case, of course, the circumstances are a direct result of unfaithfulness to God. Now, says the writer of Lamentations, the sorrow is so deep that even the paths that people once traveled grieve. The meaning is pretty clear: faithfulness to God leads to joy; unfaithfulness leads to sorrow.
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus helps us to understand just what faithful obedience can mean. In verses 28-30 he says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Faithlessness leads to sorrow and pain, to weariness and “heavy burdens”, but trust and faith in Jesus leads to rest and joy for our souls.
Lamentations 1:1-12
I preached from this passage not too long ago and in that sermon I mentioned how profound the sorrow must be if “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals…” (verse 6a) It reminds me a bit of New Orleans in the months after Katrina when few tourists were willing to travel there. It also reminds me of the plight of the great cities of Europe during World War II, as devastated as they were by the war and the oppression of the Nazis. In Jerusalem’s case, of course, the circumstances are a direct result of unfaithfulness to God. Now, says the writer of Lamentations, the sorrow is so deep that even the paths that people once traveled grieve. The meaning is pretty clear: faithfulness to God leads to joy; unfaithfulness leads to sorrow.
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus helps us to understand just what faithful obedience can mean. In verses 28-30 he says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Faithlessness leads to sorrow and pain, to weariness and “heavy burdens”, but trust and faith in Jesus leads to rest and joy for our souls.
Faithful Living
Jim:
Lamentations 1:1-12
I preached from this passage not too long ago and in that sermon I mentioned how profound the sorrow must be if “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals…” (verse 6a) It reminds me a bit of New Orleans in the months after Katrina when few tourists were willing to travel there. It also reminds me of the plight of the great cities of Europe during World War II, as devastated as they were by the war and the oppression of the Nazis. In Jerusalem’s case, of course, the circumstances are a direct result of unfaithfulness to God. Now, says the writer of Lamentations, the sorrow is so deep that even the paths that people once traveled grieve. The meaning is pretty clear: faithfulness to God leads to joy; unfaithfulness leads to sorrow.
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus helps us to understand just what faithful obedience can mean. In verses 28-30 he says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Faithlessness leads to sorrow and pain, to weariness and “heavy burdens”, but trust and faith in Jesus leads to rest and joy for our souls.
Lamentations 1:1-12
I preached from this passage not too long ago and in that sermon I mentioned how profound the sorrow must be if “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals…” (verse 6a) It reminds me a bit of New Orleans in the months after Katrina when few tourists were willing to travel there. It also reminds me of the plight of the great cities of Europe during World War II, as devastated as they were by the war and the oppression of the Nazis. In Jerusalem’s case, of course, the circumstances are a direct result of unfaithfulness to God. Now, says the writer of Lamentations, the sorrow is so deep that even the paths that people once traveled grieve. The meaning is pretty clear: faithfulness to God leads to joy; unfaithfulness leads to sorrow.
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus helps us to understand just what faithful obedience can mean. In verses 28-30 he says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Faithlessness leads to sorrow and pain, to weariness and “heavy burdens”, but trust and faith in Jesus leads to rest and joy for our souls.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Hope and Faith
Jim:
Jeremiah 37:3-21
In verse 19 Jeremiah asks the king of Judah a question that cuts to the heart of the matter: “Where are your prophets ho prophesied to you, saying ‘the king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land?’” This is a theological way of saying “I told you so.” The truth of God’s word becomes apparent in time. As God’s people, called as we are to faithful obedience, one of our greatest challenges is to live with expectant hope, with patience and confidence that God is working out the divine will. Many will claim to speak for the Lord but will say only what others want to hear. God’s true word is good news inasmuch as it is from God whose will is done and whose reign is near at hand, but what it calls us to do, the standards by which it calls us to live, will likely lead us places we would not have gone of our own volition. The king of Judah had trusted in prophets who told him what he wanted to hear. But when push came to shove those prophets were nowhere to be seen. The prophet who had spoken the true word of God was still there, still speaking, still faithful to his call.
I Corinthians 14:13-25
I like the imagery in verse 20. “Brothers and sisters,” writes Paul, “do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.” I have a pretty clear picture of what “infants in evil” would be like: innocent for one thing. The news is full of all sorts of trouble that people get into, all sorts of awful things that people do to one another. In our own lives we are challenged to live in innocence before God when it comes to the ways of evil, but with maturity in our thinking, our reasoning, our ability to understand what God is doing in our world. It is far more challenging to trust God and to contemplate God’s activity in the world than it is to accept the ways of evil, but it is worth the effort.
Matthew 10:24-33
Verse 29 is powerful: “Do not fear those who kill the body by cannot kill the soul…” We know these words best, perhaps, from Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The point is that while the world may be able to kill those who trust in God, it cannot break the relationship between God and the faithful believer, and as Luther points out, that relationship is far more important than life itself.
Jeremiah 37:3-21
In verse 19 Jeremiah asks the king of Judah a question that cuts to the heart of the matter: “Where are your prophets ho prophesied to you, saying ‘the king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land?’” This is a theological way of saying “I told you so.” The truth of God’s word becomes apparent in time. As God’s people, called as we are to faithful obedience, one of our greatest challenges is to live with expectant hope, with patience and confidence that God is working out the divine will. Many will claim to speak for the Lord but will say only what others want to hear. God’s true word is good news inasmuch as it is from God whose will is done and whose reign is near at hand, but what it calls us to do, the standards by which it calls us to live, will likely lead us places we would not have gone of our own volition. The king of Judah had trusted in prophets who told him what he wanted to hear. But when push came to shove those prophets were nowhere to be seen. The prophet who had spoken the true word of God was still there, still speaking, still faithful to his call.
I Corinthians 14:13-25
I like the imagery in verse 20. “Brothers and sisters,” writes Paul, “do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.” I have a pretty clear picture of what “infants in evil” would be like: innocent for one thing. The news is full of all sorts of trouble that people get into, all sorts of awful things that people do to one another. In our own lives we are challenged to live in innocence before God when it comes to the ways of evil, but with maturity in our thinking, our reasoning, our ability to understand what God is doing in our world. It is far more challenging to trust God and to contemplate God’s activity in the world than it is to accept the ways of evil, but it is worth the effort.
Matthew 10:24-33
Verse 29 is powerful: “Do not fear those who kill the body by cannot kill the soul…” We know these words best, perhaps, from Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The point is that while the world may be able to kill those who trust in God, it cannot break the relationship between God and the faithful believer, and as Luther points out, that relationship is far more important than life itself.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Faith and the Reign of God
Jim:
1 Corinthians 13
It’s a minor point in a very beautiful passage, but a part of verse 2 caught my eye this morning. “…(A)nd if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” This sounds a lot like Matthew 21:21-22, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you so what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will do done.’’” So my question is, did Paul know this to have been a saying of Jesus’, or was it perhaps a common saying in those days? It seems too coincidental to have been an accident. I’ve already checked a book of Pauline parallels, that is similar passages in Paul’s letters, and it would appear that this is the only place we know of where Paul uses this expression. But the gospels were not written until after Paul’s letters. So I’m stuck with a question that I will seek answers for from some other sources.
Matthew 10:5-15
Here, in verse 7, Jesus tells his followers, “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’” That’s the gospel in a nutshell, that the kingdom of heaven, the reign of God, the age of the Lord’s favor has drawn close to God’s people in the person of Jesus Christ. Good news indeed! God is in our midst with the power to heal, teach, call, and encourage.
1 Corinthians 13
It’s a minor point in a very beautiful passage, but a part of verse 2 caught my eye this morning. “…(A)nd if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” This sounds a lot like Matthew 21:21-22, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you so what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will do done.’’” So my question is, did Paul know this to have been a saying of Jesus’, or was it perhaps a common saying in those days? It seems too coincidental to have been an accident. I’ve already checked a book of Pauline parallels, that is similar passages in Paul’s letters, and it would appear that this is the only place we know of where Paul uses this expression. But the gospels were not written until after Paul’s letters. So I’m stuck with a question that I will seek answers for from some other sources.
Matthew 10:5-15
Here, in verse 7, Jesus tells his followers, “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’” That’s the gospel in a nutshell, that the kingdom of heaven, the reign of God, the age of the Lord’s favor has drawn close to God’s people in the person of Jesus Christ. Good news indeed! God is in our midst with the power to heal, teach, call, and encourage.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Scripture is a Living Word
Debbie:
Psalm 104
As I read this psalm this morning I was reminded the scripture is a living word. I have read Psalm 104 any number of times, but today I read again, afresh about God’s manifold works; I read anew how the stork, coney, wild goats, and leviathan live to give God praise; I read afresh how God created the sun to rise and set at appointed times. I read how the earth works together in a rhythm and in harmony to God’s glory. All of this reminded me that scripture is a living word, giving us the opportunity to meet God afresh each and every day.
Psalm 104
As I read this psalm this morning I was reminded the scripture is a living word. I have read Psalm 104 any number of times, but today I read again, afresh about God’s manifold works; I read anew how the stork, coney, wild goats, and leviathan live to give God praise; I read afresh how God created the sun to rise and set at appointed times. I read how the earth works together in a rhythm and in harmony to God’s glory. All of this reminded me that scripture is a living word, giving us the opportunity to meet God afresh each and every day.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
God's Love vs. Idols
Jim:
2 Kings 23:4-25
Reading this passage one can begin to grasp just how far the kings of Judah had turned from God’s will. The list of reforms that King Josiah undertook is amazing, with all the idols he had burned and all the high places he had defiled. No wonder God was angry! But the really amazing thing to me is what we read in verse 22. “No such passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, even during all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah.” So while the worship if foreign gods had steadily gained a foothold among the people of Israel and Judah, the celebration of Passover, in many ways the defining event of their history, had ceased. Amazing.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Paul also wants his readers to turn their backs on idols and focus instead on worshiping God. Paul is talking about spiritual gifts. So when, in verse 2, he writes, “You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols…”, he is talking about those who reached a highly emotional state in their pagan worship. This does not prove anything, he says. It is easy to become emotional. But it is only by the Holy Spirit that one can say Jesus is Lord.
Matthew 9:18-26
Matthew does not put as much detail into recounting these stories as Luke does. But the point is made. In healing a little girl and a woman with a flow of blood, Jesus demonstrated God’s concern for the lowest members of society, and even those who were considered ritually unclean (as the woman would have been because of her bleeding).
2 Kings 23:4-25
Reading this passage one can begin to grasp just how far the kings of Judah had turned from God’s will. The list of reforms that King Josiah undertook is amazing, with all the idols he had burned and all the high places he had defiled. No wonder God was angry! But the really amazing thing to me is what we read in verse 22. “No such passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, even during all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah.” So while the worship if foreign gods had steadily gained a foothold among the people of Israel and Judah, the celebration of Passover, in many ways the defining event of their history, had ceased. Amazing.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Paul also wants his readers to turn their backs on idols and focus instead on worshiping God. Paul is talking about spiritual gifts. So when, in verse 2, he writes, “You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols…”, he is talking about those who reached a highly emotional state in their pagan worship. This does not prove anything, he says. It is easy to become emotional. But it is only by the Holy Spirit that one can say Jesus is Lord.
Matthew 9:18-26
Matthew does not put as much detail into recounting these stories as Luke does. But the point is made. In healing a little girl and a woman with a flow of blood, Jesus demonstrated God’s concern for the lowest members of society, and even those who were considered ritually unclean (as the woman would have been because of her bleeding).
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Judgment and Grace
2 Kings 22:14-23:3
When King Josiah inquired of the Lord through the prophetess Huldah he was told that Judah would be punished according to its sins, just as the book of Deuteronomy described. But because Josiah was faithful and had set his heart on worshiping and following God according to the law, he would not live to see the disaster that God would bring against Jerusalem. In this way Josiah strikes me as a counterpoint to Moses who, because of his actions, was not allowed to enter the promised land but only allowed to glimpse it from a nearby mountain. Moses did not live to see Israel established in its new home. Josiah would not live to see its final downfall, all based on God’s judgment.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
In verses 23-26 Paul relates to his readers in Corinth the words of Jesus during the last supper and how they guide the practice of communion. In verse 26 Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” According to the Oxford Annotated Study Bible “the celebration (of communion) is a sermon on ‘Christ crucified.’” In other words our actions in the practice of communion help to elucidate the crucifixion and its meaning for the world. This reminds me of an adage that is used in playwriting circles. When you want to convey information in a play, “show me, don’t tell me.” The act of communion is inherently dramatic, and one of its purposes is to “show us” the truth of the crucifixion in ways that we could not be told.
Matthew 9:9-17
In verse 13c Jesus says, “For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” This really has to do with perception, I think. Because of their mindset and attitudes the Pharisees were not in sync with God’s will, yet they believed themselves to be righteous, and in a very narrow interpretation they were—at least according to the details of the law. The ones that Jesus called sinners knew that they were not righteous, and in many cases had given up trying. This self-understanding made them receptive to the good news that Jesus had to share, while the attitude of the Pharisees kept them from seeing who Jesus was and what he had to offer.
When King Josiah inquired of the Lord through the prophetess Huldah he was told that Judah would be punished according to its sins, just as the book of Deuteronomy described. But because Josiah was faithful and had set his heart on worshiping and following God according to the law, he would not live to see the disaster that God would bring against Jerusalem. In this way Josiah strikes me as a counterpoint to Moses who, because of his actions, was not allowed to enter the promised land but only allowed to glimpse it from a nearby mountain. Moses did not live to see Israel established in its new home. Josiah would not live to see its final downfall, all based on God’s judgment.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
In verses 23-26 Paul relates to his readers in Corinth the words of Jesus during the last supper and how they guide the practice of communion. In verse 26 Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” According to the Oxford Annotated Study Bible “the celebration (of communion) is a sermon on ‘Christ crucified.’” In other words our actions in the practice of communion help to elucidate the crucifixion and its meaning for the world. This reminds me of an adage that is used in playwriting circles. When you want to convey information in a play, “show me, don’t tell me.” The act of communion is inherently dramatic, and one of its purposes is to “show us” the truth of the crucifixion in ways that we could not be told.
Matthew 9:9-17
In verse 13c Jesus says, “For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” This really has to do with perception, I think. Because of their mindset and attitudes the Pharisees were not in sync with God’s will, yet they believed themselves to be righteous, and in a very narrow interpretation they were—at least according to the details of the law. The ones that Jesus called sinners knew that they were not righteous, and in many cases had given up trying. This self-understanding made them receptive to the good news that Jesus had to share, while the attitude of the Pharisees kept them from seeing who Jesus was and what he had to offer.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Building a Godly Community
Jim:
2 Kings 22:1-13
Verse 8 says, “The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.’” As the Oxford Annotated Study Bible says, most scholars believe the book Hilkiah is talking about (a scroll really) is an early form of Deuteronomy unearthed during renovation of the temple in Jerusalem. What a profound moment for God’s people, what a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with God’s will. For King Josiah, the discovery of the book of the law was like a lost traveler discovering a road sign with directions to his destination. One of the blessings we enjoy as Christians is the fact that we have scripture to read and to reflect on regularly. We have a map for our journey and don’t have to grope for directions. The shame is we don’t always take advantage of it.
1 Corinthians 11:2-22
In verses 11 and 12 Paul writes, “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, or man independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God.” Whatever else Paul may have said or not said about the role of women in the church and in the home, this fact remains central to his thought: in God there is a relationship between man and woman of mutual need and accountability. They depend on each other and find their fullness in each other, not only as couples or families, but as a community as a whole. We are all interrelated in God and our relationships stand under God. We are to treat one another with respect and to cherish each other as gifts from God. Jesus, of course, says that the one who wishes to be great must be the slave of all, and the Christian ethic teaches us to put the needs of others first. Taken as a whole, these ideas create the foundation for a loving, caring, blessed community in which no one is subject to anyone else, but all are subject together to God. What a great place that would be!
Matthew 9:1-8
Jesus first action in the case of the paralyzed man is to forgive his sins; in other words to heal his relationship with God. Only after he has done that does Jesus heal his physical condition. God continues to offer healing in our relationships with God and with each other. Like the book of the law in 2 Kings, or Paul’s words about the relationship between the sexes in 1 Corinthians, Jesus’ actions offer guidance to us for living in a godly community, with regard for God and one another, and with our lives focused on God’s will.
2 Kings 22:1-13
Verse 8 says, “The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.’” As the Oxford Annotated Study Bible says, most scholars believe the book Hilkiah is talking about (a scroll really) is an early form of Deuteronomy unearthed during renovation of the temple in Jerusalem. What a profound moment for God’s people, what a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with God’s will. For King Josiah, the discovery of the book of the law was like a lost traveler discovering a road sign with directions to his destination. One of the blessings we enjoy as Christians is the fact that we have scripture to read and to reflect on regularly. We have a map for our journey and don’t have to grope for directions. The shame is we don’t always take advantage of it.
1 Corinthians 11:2-22
In verses 11 and 12 Paul writes, “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, or man independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God.” Whatever else Paul may have said or not said about the role of women in the church and in the home, this fact remains central to his thought: in God there is a relationship between man and woman of mutual need and accountability. They depend on each other and find their fullness in each other, not only as couples or families, but as a community as a whole. We are all interrelated in God and our relationships stand under God. We are to treat one another with respect and to cherish each other as gifts from God. Jesus, of course, says that the one who wishes to be great must be the slave of all, and the Christian ethic teaches us to put the needs of others first. Taken as a whole, these ideas create the foundation for a loving, caring, blessed community in which no one is subject to anyone else, but all are subject together to God. What a great place that would be!
Matthew 9:1-8
Jesus first action in the case of the paralyzed man is to forgive his sins; in other words to heal his relationship with God. Only after he has done that does Jesus heal his physical condition. God continues to offer healing in our relationships with God and with each other. Like the book of the law in 2 Kings, or Paul’s words about the relationship between the sexes in 1 Corinthians, Jesus’ actions offer guidance to us for living in a godly community, with regard for God and one another, and with our lives focused on God’s will.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Idol Worship
Jim:
2 Kings 21:1-18
This chapter tells of the evil done by King Manasseh of Judah, who, among other things, seems to have even practiced child sacrifice (verse 6 says, “He made his son pass through fire”). God’s response by way of the prophets includes this from verse 12b: “I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.” When I hear something that disturbs me or disgusts me I shudder, but I think “ear tingling” is basically the same thing. In other words, Jerusalem was to suffer such destruction that it would startle any who heard of it. Considering the sorts of things that happened to cities in that time, the sieges and sackings that took place, the way civilian populations were treated, God’s words convey a significant amount of horror. But the apostasy of Manasseh was so great, and the disregard for God was so profound that God was almost compelled to respond in this way. Clearly the people of Judah, beginning with the king, made bad choices and turned their backs on God. God’s response was to warn them of coming judgment which would arrive with the capture of Jerusalem and the exile. God would get the people’s attention eventually.
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
As is so often the case, we find a connection between the Old Testament reading and the one from the epistles. In verses 21 and 22 Paul writes, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” The situation in Corinth had to do with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul says that if a Christian is offered food by a non-Christian, the Christian should not ask about where it came from. But if the Christian finds that the meat has been offered to an idol, he or she should not eat it out of consideration for the host and concern for those of a weaker conscience. But whatever the case, it would be impossible to willingly participate in the act of sacrifice to idols and to participate in the worship of God. Idol worship was one of the things that got Judah in trouble at the time of Manasseh. Paul was warning against it in his day. I wonder how we’re doing on this score today? Are we “provoking the Lord to jealousy” with our actions? Or are we focused only on God and God’s work in our world? This should be a question that we consider every day of our lives, and every time we make a decision.
2 Kings 21:1-18
This chapter tells of the evil done by King Manasseh of Judah, who, among other things, seems to have even practiced child sacrifice (verse 6 says, “He made his son pass through fire”). God’s response by way of the prophets includes this from verse 12b: “I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.” When I hear something that disturbs me or disgusts me I shudder, but I think “ear tingling” is basically the same thing. In other words, Jerusalem was to suffer such destruction that it would startle any who heard of it. Considering the sorts of things that happened to cities in that time, the sieges and sackings that took place, the way civilian populations were treated, God’s words convey a significant amount of horror. But the apostasy of Manasseh was so great, and the disregard for God was so profound that God was almost compelled to respond in this way. Clearly the people of Judah, beginning with the king, made bad choices and turned their backs on God. God’s response was to warn them of coming judgment which would arrive with the capture of Jerusalem and the exile. God would get the people’s attention eventually.
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
As is so often the case, we find a connection between the Old Testament reading and the one from the epistles. In verses 21 and 22 Paul writes, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” The situation in Corinth had to do with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul says that if a Christian is offered food by a non-Christian, the Christian should not ask about where it came from. But if the Christian finds that the meat has been offered to an idol, he or she should not eat it out of consideration for the host and concern for those of a weaker conscience. But whatever the case, it would be impossible to willingly participate in the act of sacrifice to idols and to participate in the worship of God. Idol worship was one of the things that got Judah in trouble at the time of Manasseh. Paul was warning against it in his day. I wonder how we’re doing on this score today? Are we “provoking the Lord to jealousy” with our actions? Or are we focused only on God and God’s work in our world? This should be a question that we consider every day of our lives, and every time we make a decision.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Knowledge and Love
Jim:
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
In verses 1b-3 Paul writes, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.” This is a good reminder that God calls us, first and foremost, to trust God and to live in faithful obedience. Jesus said that the whole law hinges on loving God with every part of our lives and loving our neighbors as ourselves. In his song Mind Games, John Lennon sings, “Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.” I don’t believe that Lennon was inspired by the words of 1 Corinthians, but the sentiment is apt. Love, God’s love, is the answer to living in right relationship with God and with one another. Trusting our own knowledge can only lead to pride, arrogance, and ultimately to a false sense of security. Love is the answer.
Matthew 7:13-21
Jesus tells his followers, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?…Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (v. 15-16, 20) Jesus reminds us that the ends do not justify the means. In fact, the fruit we produce will be a good indication of where our hearts lie, where our treasure is, whether we are guided by love for God and neighbor, or by our own desires or knowledge.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
In verses 1b-3 Paul writes, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.” This is a good reminder that God calls us, first and foremost, to trust God and to live in faithful obedience. Jesus said that the whole law hinges on loving God with every part of our lives and loving our neighbors as ourselves. In his song Mind Games, John Lennon sings, “Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.” I don’t believe that Lennon was inspired by the words of 1 Corinthians, but the sentiment is apt. Love, God’s love, is the answer to living in right relationship with God and with one another. Trusting our own knowledge can only lead to pride, arrogance, and ultimately to a false sense of security. Love is the answer.
Matthew 7:13-21
Jesus tells his followers, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?…Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (v. 15-16, 20) Jesus reminds us that the ends do not justify the means. In fact, the fruit we produce will be a good indication of where our hearts lie, where our treasure is, whether we are guided by love for God and neighbor, or by our own desires or knowledge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)