Salvation THEN Works

Ephesians 2:1-10
How is one actually saved by God through Jesus Christ? According to the writer of Ephesians, “by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Ephesians 2:8-10). This may seem like a fine distinction but the fact is that the good things that Christians are called to do—justice, righteousness, compassion, hospitality, worship, and praise to name just a few––are not how we earn God’s love, they are how we respond to it. A life lived in faithful obedience is the thank-you note we write to God for the gift of grace that we receive.

But we are to have faith in Jesus Christ, right? That must mean we have to make some sort of decision or commitment to God’s will in order to be in relationship with God. Well, yes and no. As we have just read, faith “is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…,” so yes, we must believe in God through Jesus Christ, but the only way that happens is when God makes it possible.

Does that mean that God is actively keeping some folks from believing? If that is true, it would not be as alien to scripture as one might think. The gospels of John (12:39-40) and Matthew (13:14-15) and the book of Acts (28:25-28) all quote the book of Isaiah which says, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend, keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed” (6:9-10). Ultimately, though, salvation is God’s decision and God’s alone, and not something we can readily determine about others. Those who do believe, who have received faith as a gift, must assume that a part of the Christian calling is to live and share the good news of Jesus Christ with the hope that others may come to recognize God’s activity in their own lives. But we are not entitled to make assumptions about who God is willing or unwilling to call to faith.

The writer of Ephesians looked at the world, the people who accepted the good news of Jesus Christ and those who did not, looked at Gentiles who believed Jesus to be the Son of God and at Jews who did not, and came to the Spirit-let realization that faith is a far more complex issue that some would suggest. Yet it is never something that can be won or earned or secured through our own works; it is, first and foremost, a grace-filled gift from God, one by which we may be amazed, but one for which we are led to say thank you by doing the will of God.

Prayer: Lord, in you alone rests our hope and salvation and from you alone comes the gift of grace. May all people come to know your love and to respond to your gracious work in Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

An Honest Woman

Luke 1:26-38
I admire Luke’s portrayal of Mary when he writes, “But she was much perplexed by (the angel’s) words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:29). The conversation between Gabriel and Mary should not be passed by hurriedly. It is one of the most transforming moments in all of scripture through which the work of God unfolds. This is as much a call story as is Exodus 3, or Isaiah 6, or Jeremiah 1 and in each of those cases the men in question hem and haw with fear and trepidation. Why should Mary, called to bear God’s Son, be any different? Why should she not be perplexed? Why should she not wonder how this could be true of a virgin? Her questions are honest and straightforward. Her concern is natural. This is a real person dealing with really surprising news. By the time Mary says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,” we know that she means it.

May all of us strive for the honesty of Mary, allowing our questions to rise and our concerns to be expressed. God seeks the best that each of us can offer and honesty is high on that list. When we say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord,” may it be with true conviction. May we know that we mean it.

Prayer: Lord, may our minds be active and our hearts alive during this season as we welcome your word into our world and accept the challenges that you give us. In the name of your Son our Lord. Amen.

Expect the Unexpected

Amos 7:10-17

The book of Amos offers only a brief description of the prophet’s call from God. “Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel”'” (Amos 7:14-15). This is not a unique story in scripture. Moses was herding the flocks of his father-in-law when God called him (Exodus 3). Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) were minding their own business when the presence of the Lord burst upon them with work to be done. In the New Testament Mary was surprised to learn that she would bear God’s Son (Luke 1:26-38); Simon, Andrew, James and John were interrupted in their daily activities when Jesus called them to follow (Matthew 4:18-22); and Paul was stunned by Jesus’ appearance to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). These are just a few of the examples that scripture gives us.

Advent is a time for listening to God’s voice in our lives, for following where God leads us, for doing the unexpected. Few of us herd livestock, prune sycamore trees, or fish for a living. Even fewer—I suspect—are in the habit of persecuting Christians. That’s not the point of these stories. What we need to understand it that God sees in us gifts and skills that we may not readily see in ourselves, and God seeks to use those skills to serve God’s will. The tasks we find ourselves doing may be small or large, may cause us little discomfort or force us to completely change our way of life. Whatever the case, God’s people must always “expect the unexpected.” That may seem difficult during Advent when we think we know pretty well what is going on, but if we are really listening, really paying attention, then we will learn all sorts of things about God, about ourselves, and about the world around us.

Advent is a time for expectations, some of which are very unexpected. Be ready.

Prayer: Lord, keep us focused on what you are doing in our world, and give us the strength to respond when you call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Eternal Reign

Revelation 4:1-11

Our reading from Revelation today continues with John’s experiences. “After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne!” (Revelation 4:1-2). John had been granted a glimpse of heaven where he witnessed the one who reigns there.

In many ways this vision is like that of the prophet Isaiah who centuries before had also been allowed to witness the heavenly court and to overhear the proceedings there (Isaiah 6). Taken together these visions offer a profound sense of comfort to me for they remind me that come what may, there is always one who reigns. Earthly kingdoms come and go. Societies collapse and are replaced. Institutions run their course. Entire cultures rise and fall. These are the ways of humanity within the flow of history. But in the court of heaven there is eternal certainty and everlasting stability.

The Greeks and Romans imagined wars of succession being fought among the gods they worshiped, deities constantly engaged in intrigue. Not so with the people of God. We worship one whose dominion is unquestioned and unwavering. The uncertainty we may feel in this life is countered by the absolute assurance that God is Sovereign and that in God’s time all life will become what God wills it to be.

Prayer: God of eternity, help us to live these days in the knowledge that you alone reign over time and space and that in you all life finds its fulfillment. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What Do You See?

Jeremiah 1:11-19

Among the gifts given by God to those called as prophets is an ability to perceive things in a way others cannot. Even before he was called Isaiah saw the Lord sitting in the temple and heard the members of the court of heaven speaking (Isaiah 6:1-5). According to our reading from Jeremiah today, the same gift of perception was given to this prophet as well.

“The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’ Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’ The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north’” (Jeremiah 1:11-13).

Twice God calls on the prophet to take note. “What do you see?” God asks. In the first case Jeremiah sees an almond branch. In the conversation that follows God reveals a pun. The Hebrew word for almond tree is shaqed; God will be “watching” (Hebrew: shoqed) or guiding the divine word to make sure it is achieved. Jeremiah receives this message from the Lord and grasps it’s meaning because of his gift of perception. In the second case Jeremiah sees a boiling pot which is tilted in such a way that it points to the south. As God goes on to reveal, this vision also speaks of events to come. Someone without Jeremiah’s gift of perception might well have missed the meaning, but the prophet comprehends what God is saying.

There are those within the modern community of faith who have the ability to perceive things in unique ways, who can imagine possibilities that would not occur to others. This is not to say they are on a par with the prophets of old, but the church can benefit greatly from their gift. But really, all of us should be challenged by the question, “What do you see?” When we look at a neighborhood do we see opportunities for outreach? When we observe the practices of a congregation do we see ways to make it more open to others, more caring, more accepting? When we take time to note the policies of our state or federal governments do we recognize a greater need for justice? When God asks us, “What do you see?” how do we answer? Jeremiah faithfully shared the word of God as he perceived it. What has God revealed to us, and what will we do with it?

Prayer: Lord give us the willingness to look beyond our own lives and into the world around us, and help to accept the challenges we find there as opportunities to serve you. Amen.

Hardening of the Heart

Isaiah 63:15-64:9

I’ll have to admit I’ve never gotten completely comfortable with the notion that God would lead people to actually turn away. But that is what is suggested in our reading from Isaiah today. “Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you?” (Isaiah 63:17). Nor is this the only such case in scripture. On a number of occasions God is said to harden the heart of Pharaoh against Moses and Aaron (Exodus 8:19 and 10:20, for example). Earlier in the book of Isaiah God speaks of obscuring the divine word lest the people “look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds and turn and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10). Jesus quotes this very passage in explaining to the disciples why he teaches in parables, the meanings of which are not always plain (Matthew 13:14-17).

So what’s up with all of this? Why would God obscure the divine message? It’s one thing to harden the heart of Pharaoh, but why would God wish to lead God’s own people astray or keep them from understanding and returning to God’s ways? Like I said, I’ve never gotten completely comfortable with this idea. But my comfort with what God is doing is not really the point. God has a purpose, and we, as creatures, are not always going to “get it.” If in the course of things God wishes to harden our hearts, if God wishes to keep us from readily understanding or too quickly returning to God’s will, that is God’s prerogative. God is Sovereign. God is above all that is. In the end God’s will is done. In the meantime, as the hymn says, “God is working his purpose out/as year succeeds to year/…nearer and nearer draws the time/the time that will surely be/when the earth will be filled with the glory of God/as the waters cover the sea.” What we can do is live as faithfully as possible, doing the best we can to love God with everything we’ve got and our neighbors as ourselves, leaving divine matters to God, thankful that the coming kingdom does not rely on our understanding.

Prayer: Lord, even when we do not understand what you are doing, give us the strength to live by faith that we may trust you and your will for creation. Amen.

Burning Coals and First Stones

Isaiah 6:1-13

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

John 7:53-8:11

“To this end,” writes Paul, “we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call…” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). But what does it mean to be “worthy of (God’s) call” and how might that happen? Isaiah and John offer a bit of insight.

When Isaiah encountered the heavenly court there in the temple he immediately recognized his predicament. “Woe is me!” he said. “I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips…yet my eyes have see the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5)! Then a seraph touches his mouth with a live coal from the altar and blots out Isaiah’s sin. He is now worthy to accept God’s call in his life.

In John, a woman is brought to Jesus accused of adultery. The law says she should be stoned to death, but what will Jesus say? Fine, is his response, just let the one without sin be the first to throw a stone. Before long the crowd has departed and Jesus and the woman are left alone. “Go you way,” he tells her, “and from now on do not sin again” (John 8:11). I would suggest that like Isaiah, this woman is now worthy to accept God’s call in her life. She has been forgiven and restored to a life in community.

So what are we to say about these things? For one, God alone is the arbiter of human worth and worthiness. How much we matter or to what extent we are “worthwhile” comes from no other source but God. For another thing, worthiness arrives in strange and unexpected circumstances, like a walk in the temple or in the face of a mob. And finally, this sense of worthiness changes everything. Now I don’t believe that Isaiah or the woman lived the rest of their lives without sin, but I do believe that the reordering of their lives by God removes questions of worthiness from the equation. If God says we are worthy, that settles it, no matter what happens next. And that is good news.

Prayer: Lord, walk with us and guide us in worthiness that we may respond to your call with all our hearts. Amen.