Hope That Means Something

Isaiah 54:1-13

One key aspect to God’s relationship with humanity has been the series of covenants God has established. God bound the divine self to Noah soon after the waters of the flood receded (Genesis 9:8-13). God did the same with Abraham (15:18-21). The blessing that Jacob received at the ford of the River Jabbok is covenantal in nature (32:22-29). And of course at Mt. Sinai God made a covenant with the Hebrew people (Exodus 19:1-9). In our readings for today the prophet Isaiah reminds us of the nature of God’s connection with God’s people. “This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:9-10).

Here, then, is hope that truly means something for humanity. Not only has God entered into a binding relationship with creation, but God has renewed that pledge over and over again. For Christians the most grace-filled sign of the promise came in the birth of Jesus, for in this way God entered into our lives standing with and for us even unto death. In Jesus our faith finds a focus that allows us to live more fully just as God has become more fully known to us. The mountains and hills may fall away, but God’s “steadfast love” will never end and God’s “covenant of peace” will not expire.

Prayer: Lord, give us eyes with which to see your love and hearts to share it with those around us that we, too, may live in a covenant of peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Teachable Moments

Acts 16:16-24
John 12:20-26
My son taught me a valuable lesson once when he was about 5. We were driving along when we saw a beautiful rainbow perched above our town. Being the dad that I am I began to explain to my son how sunshine passing through rain causes the light to refract and to display the various colors that it contains. My son grew serious.

“No, Daddy,” he said. “The rainbow didn’t come until the rain had stopped.” He was talking, of course, about the Noah account from Genesis 9, a lesson that he had studied in Sunday School. And while from a strictly scientific viewpoint he was wrong, in terms of faith he was exactly right. It was a teachable moment in which I was the student.

I thought about that conversation with my son when I read our passage from John. Some Greeks have come with the desire to meet Jesus. Jesus instead takes the opportunity to teach his disciples about the cost of discipleship and the events that are about to take place in Jerusalem (John 12:23-24). The whole world seems to be catching on, figuring out that Jesus is up to something special. But Jesus wants to make sure that the disciples at least get the correct message so that when his death and resurrection take place they can look back on his teaching and understand.

In the Acts passage for today Paul gets tired of being “called out” by a slave girl with a spirit of divination. So he drives the spirit out of her. At first this seems like a strange thing to do. At least she knows what she is talking about. She knows that Paul, Silas and the others “are slaves of the Most High God” (Acts 16:17). Is it really so bad to have her saying this? But Paul sees a teachable moment, “and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out of her that very hour” (v. 18). Now the words of the slave girl have been amplified by the actions of Paul, and any who had witnessed this will have a clearer understanding of the forces at work.

Teachable moments can pop up at any time. A 5-year-old boy may set you straight on rainbows and faith, or a Bible story may make things a little clearer for you. Pay attention. These moments are important, and they just may contain the answers to prayer.

Prayer: Lord, help us to learn from the teachable moments that overtake us. Pour out your Spirit upon us and open our hearts and minds to your truth. Amen.