Luke 14:12-24
Jesus told a story about a great dinner to which many had been invited. When the time came, however, the guests made excuses for not attending. “Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room." Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner'" (Luke 14:21b-24). The fascinating dynamic at work here is the way the original invitees are excluded while others, many of whom are what we might call “street people,” are “compelled” to attend. It would appear that in some cases being one of God’s elect is not even a choice we could make if we wanted to.
When reading the full passage, note the stark contrast between those who attend the dinner––what we are to understand as the coming reign of God––and those who don’t. Those who had been invited originally have all found other things to do, other objects of devotion. Land, livestock, a family; none of these are bad things in and of themselves. But when they keep us from responding wholeheartedly to God’s claim on our lives they become idols. Those who do attend the banquet have nothing to distract them, no idols, no ideologies, no prejudices. Nothing deters them from hearing and responding to the good news. Nothing stands in the way of their inclusion into God’s household. While some have turned down the generous offer of salvation, others really are given no choice. They are compelled to come.
It is, I think, an understanding of the doctrine of election that deserves our careful attention. Should we allow ourselves to be blinded by our own possessions or our own perspectives we may find ourselves left out, not by God but by our own doing. Meanwhile, God will fill the coming reign with those who are able to appreciate the joy and the grace it offers.
Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom to receive your gracious offer of salvation and to live toward your coming reign. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label Doctrine of Election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doctrine of Election. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2012
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Picking Teams
Psalm 147:12-20
When I was a kid in elementary school one of the more complex rituals we carried out on a regular basis was picking teams for softball or kickball. If you wanted to know where you stood in the pecking order this was a good way to find out. For the most part I was usually somewhere near the middle. And that was fine, so long as I was not picked last.
This isn’t exactly what the psalmist is talking about in Psalm 147, but notice the joy expressed in these verses: “He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 147:19-20). When it comes to being on “God’s team” as it were, the people of Israel were not only picked first, they were the only ones chosen. No other nation, no other people could claim such a distinction. With the children of Jacob alone had God dealt in this way.
Of course, being chosen by God carries with it certain expectations. God expects such a people to respond to God’s word, to live in God’s way, to trust in God’s providence. Even as we have come to understand the Church to be the people of God the expectations remain. But so should the joy! God has not dealt thus with any other institution. And in forming the community of faith God has picked each of us as individuals, not in some sort of pecking order, but in order that we may have life and have it abundantly, and that we may respond to God’s word, to live in God’s way, to trust in God’s providence.
Prayer: Lord, you have chosen us to serve you by serving others. We rejoice to be your people even as we seek your Spirit’s guidance for the living of these days. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Elected To Be A Light To the Nations
Isaiah 49:1-11
In pondering the meaning of the doctrine of election—an understanding of how God calls or chooses people with whom to be in covenant—I find it helpful to remember that election is not just about salvation. It is also a call to service. When God “elects” people it is to work for the coming reign of God, not to enjoy perks of membership.
“I will give you as a light to the nations,” God says, “that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). This is very similar to what God told Abraham, how he and Sarah would be a blessing to the nations. But here in Isaiah there is a sense of burden, or of weight being laid on the prophet’s shoulders. No longer is it enough to call the children of Israel back to God, now the entire world is to be included in the invitation. To be God’s people automatically means thinking beyond ourselves, caring for others beyond our immediate circle, reaching out to the world so that God’s salvation may be known and others may join in the community of faith.
This can be a little overwhelming for sure. But like so many other aspects of faith we never know what we can accomplish with God’s help until we try, until we give ourselves over to the effort, accepting the burden, and serving God by serving one another. We, like the writer of Isaiah 49, have been called as lights to the nations. It is an important task for which God has chosen us. We have the opportunity to respond with gratitude and with zeal. We have the chance to share good news and to make a difference. It is a task well worth doing.
Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with love and with determination, that we may share your love with the world and may live to your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Compelled Into the Kingdom
Luke 14:12-24
Tucked in among today’s readings about God’s judgment and the fall of great cities is an interesting little comment from Luke. There Jesus tells a parable about someone who gave a dinner. When the time came, however, those whom he had invited declined to attend. So the one giving the dinner sent slaves out to bring in all the people that they could find: “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (Luke 14:21). When this had been done there was still room left in the banquet hall. Then the master said, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house my be filled” (v. 23). Compel them to come in? Really? In all the usual talk about who will be found worthy by God, about who has been elected for salvation, I don’t remember much talk about God forcing people to enter the kingdom. And yet, the ones for whom the banquet was prepared had opted out when it was time. They had made a choice not to come. This left the master in the parable—whom we may assume represents God—to look elsewhere for guests and to gather in even some who had never really thought about coming. Jesus’ story seems to muddle the whole idea of salvation.
And yet Jesus does make this much clear, that election is not just about salvation, it is also about service, about responding at the right time, about being ready for God’s call. The original invitees were distracted by their own interests. None were unable to come because they were working at a soup kitchen or helping a traveler found bleeding in a ditch. There were tending to personal property and to marriage. And the ones who were ultimately admitted were either the blind and lame, or ones who had to be shoved through the door, possibly because they had always been told that they didn’t belong.
I take this passage as a word to the wise. Salvation––a place at the great banquet––is a gift not to be taken lightly because it also is a responsibility. It precludes our self interests and forces us to consider those around us, our fellow guests, and the will of the host. It gives us choices and then urges us to make the right one. It lays claims to our time and talents. Most of all it surprises us because God surprises us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live as your people, aware of both the gift and the responsibility of salvation, and eager to respond to your call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tucked in among today’s readings about God’s judgment and the fall of great cities is an interesting little comment from Luke. There Jesus tells a parable about someone who gave a dinner. When the time came, however, those whom he had invited declined to attend. So the one giving the dinner sent slaves out to bring in all the people that they could find: “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (Luke 14:21). When this had been done there was still room left in the banquet hall. Then the master said, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house my be filled” (v. 23). Compel them to come in? Really? In all the usual talk about who will be found worthy by God, about who has been elected for salvation, I don’t remember much talk about God forcing people to enter the kingdom. And yet, the ones for whom the banquet was prepared had opted out when it was time. They had made a choice not to come. This left the master in the parable—whom we may assume represents God—to look elsewhere for guests and to gather in even some who had never really thought about coming. Jesus’ story seems to muddle the whole idea of salvation.
And yet Jesus does make this much clear, that election is not just about salvation, it is also about service, about responding at the right time, about being ready for God’s call. The original invitees were distracted by their own interests. None were unable to come because they were working at a soup kitchen or helping a traveler found bleeding in a ditch. There were tending to personal property and to marriage. And the ones who were ultimately admitted were either the blind and lame, or ones who had to be shoved through the door, possibly because they had always been told that they didn’t belong.
I take this passage as a word to the wise. Salvation––a place at the great banquet––is a gift not to be taken lightly because it also is a responsibility. It precludes our self interests and forces us to consider those around us, our fellow guests, and the will of the host. It gives us choices and then urges us to make the right one. It lays claims to our time and talents. Most of all it surprises us because God surprises us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live as your people, aware of both the gift and the responsibility of salvation, and eager to respond to your call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Attention All Elected Officials
Zephaniah 3:1-7
Luke 13:18-30
According to Zephaniah, God has found Judah, and Jerusalem in particular, to be full of corruption and sinfulness. And according to the prophet it begins with those in positions of authority. “The officials within (Jerusalem) are roaring lions; its judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning. Its prophets are reckless, faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is sacred” (Zephaniah 3:3-4). Those who should have known better, who should have lived lives of righteousness and fidelity to God have instead lived with complete disregard to God’s will. Jerusalem is condemned from the top down.
What God expects, what God promises in the coming kingdom, would appear to flow from the bottom up. At least that’s the impression Jesus gives us in our reading from Luke. The kingdom of God, says Jesus, is like a mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19), that smallest of seeds, and like yeast mixed by a women in a bowl of flour (vv. 20-21). These are humble, domestic images that, when set next to the power—and the corruption—described in Zephaniah offer a stark contrast. “Indeed,” adds Jesus, “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (v. 30).
Here in the United States we have just held national and local elections. Those who have been chosen by voters to serve in various positions would do well to consider these things carefully. Power and authority can corrupt a person all too easily. What is needed is consideration for the least and last of our society, those whose activities or whose standing seem to best represent the coming kingdom of God. It is they for whom God is concerned, not the powerful and affluent. But make no mistake, God will bring about salvation. People will come from all directions and converge at table in God’s presence (v. 29). What can we do, not to secure our own standing in this life, but to provide for all God’s people now and thus prepare ourselves for the life to come? After all, God’s salvation is referred to as “election.”
Prayer: Lord, help us to resist the temptation of power and instead to concentrate on your will, living as your humble servants and ministering to one another. Amen.
Luke 13:18-30
According to Zephaniah, God has found Judah, and Jerusalem in particular, to be full of corruption and sinfulness. And according to the prophet it begins with those in positions of authority. “The officials within (Jerusalem) are roaring lions; its judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning. Its prophets are reckless, faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is sacred” (Zephaniah 3:3-4). Those who should have known better, who should have lived lives of righteousness and fidelity to God have instead lived with complete disregard to God’s will. Jerusalem is condemned from the top down.
What God expects, what God promises in the coming kingdom, would appear to flow from the bottom up. At least that’s the impression Jesus gives us in our reading from Luke. The kingdom of God, says Jesus, is like a mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19), that smallest of seeds, and like yeast mixed by a women in a bowl of flour (vv. 20-21). These are humble, domestic images that, when set next to the power—and the corruption—described in Zephaniah offer a stark contrast. “Indeed,” adds Jesus, “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (v. 30).
Here in the United States we have just held national and local elections. Those who have been chosen by voters to serve in various positions would do well to consider these things carefully. Power and authority can corrupt a person all too easily. What is needed is consideration for the least and last of our society, those whose activities or whose standing seem to best represent the coming kingdom of God. It is they for whom God is concerned, not the powerful and affluent. But make no mistake, God will bring about salvation. People will come from all directions and converge at table in God’s presence (v. 29). What can we do, not to secure our own standing in this life, but to provide for all God’s people now and thus prepare ourselves for the life to come? After all, God’s salvation is referred to as “election.”
Prayer: Lord, help us to resist the temptation of power and instead to concentrate on your will, living as your humble servants and ministering to one another. Amen.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Return to Sender
Acts 26:1-23
Luke 8:26-39
In our reading from Luke this morning Jesus heals a Gerasene man possessed by a number of demons. Near the end of the account Luke tells us, “the man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you’” (Luke 8:38-39). In Acts, Paul tells King Agrippa the story of his Damascus-Road conversion. There the risen Lord said to Paul, “I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light…” (Acts 26:17-18).
Sometimes we concentrate so much on what it means to be “called” by God that we forget that we are also “sent” by God, often in the very same moment. Yes, the disciples were summoned to walk with Jesus during his ministry, and yes, Paul was drawn into the early church as a convert. Likewise, we are called to enter into the community of Christian fellowship. But the disciples were frequently sent throughout the countryside to perform tasks, on Pentecost Sunday they were practically propelled into the streets to proclaim the good news, and Paul found himself traveling the known world sharing the new of Jesus Christ. In the same way we, too, are sent as disciples and followers of Jesus into the world to “declare how much God has done” for us. This is where the doctrine of election can be seen as a two-way street of sorts. God chooses a people and sets them aside. But election is not solely a matter of salvation; it has every bit as much to do with service. To be one of God’s people, to follow Jesus Christ, is to embrace opportunities to share the good news, to bring light to those who face darkness, to live as though the faith has really made a difference in who we are.
The Gerasene demoniac was so utterly changed that others became frightened. Some who heard Paul speak remained angry and unmoved by his words. We can expect similar circumstances. But every so often we will find ourselves ministering to someone who is touched by the Holy Spirit through our words or actions. At moments like this we will have made the transition from those who are called to those who are sent. Each is vitally important. Each is the will of God.
Prayer: God, help us to live faithfully as your people, praising you and seeking your forgiveness, but also reaching out to others that they may know the good news of the gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 8:26-39
In our reading from Luke this morning Jesus heals a Gerasene man possessed by a number of demons. Near the end of the account Luke tells us, “the man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you’” (Luke 8:38-39). In Acts, Paul tells King Agrippa the story of his Damascus-Road conversion. There the risen Lord said to Paul, “I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light…” (Acts 26:17-18).
Sometimes we concentrate so much on what it means to be “called” by God that we forget that we are also “sent” by God, often in the very same moment. Yes, the disciples were summoned to walk with Jesus during his ministry, and yes, Paul was drawn into the early church as a convert. Likewise, we are called to enter into the community of Christian fellowship. But the disciples were frequently sent throughout the countryside to perform tasks, on Pentecost Sunday they were practically propelled into the streets to proclaim the good news, and Paul found himself traveling the known world sharing the new of Jesus Christ. In the same way we, too, are sent as disciples and followers of Jesus into the world to “declare how much God has done” for us. This is where the doctrine of election can be seen as a two-way street of sorts. God chooses a people and sets them aside. But election is not solely a matter of salvation; it has every bit as much to do with service. To be one of God’s people, to follow Jesus Christ, is to embrace opportunities to share the good news, to bring light to those who face darkness, to live as though the faith has really made a difference in who we are.
The Gerasene demoniac was so utterly changed that others became frightened. Some who heard Paul speak remained angry and unmoved by his words. We can expect similar circumstances. But every so often we will find ourselves ministering to someone who is touched by the Holy Spirit through our words or actions. At moments like this we will have made the transition from those who are called to those who are sent. Each is vitally important. Each is the will of God.
Prayer: God, help us to live faithfully as your people, praising you and seeking your forgiveness, but also reaching out to others that they may know the good news of the gospel. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)