Hebrews 3:1-11
There are things I hope for that are, in the grand scheme of life, of little lasting importance. For example, I hope the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA championship this year. As a fan, I would be very proud of that accomplishment and it would give me a certain amount of confidence, I suppose, among other basketball fans. Besides, the Spurs are a model of consistency, led by an outstanding coach and a core group of players who understand the importance of teamwork. So I hope they win the championship. But even if they do, in a matter of months it would mean very little as my life moves on and challenges arise; challenges like providing for my family, or caring for those in need, or participating fully as a citizen of my country. Those are issues that cannot be resolved or dealt with simply because a particular team wins a title. And yet, even these aspects of my life, these challenges, do not approach the level of meaning expressed by the writer of Hebrews. In our epistle reading for today we read, “Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope” (Hebrews 3:6). True hope, true Christian hope, leads to a kind of confidence, a sort of pride that stands over and above the day to day aspects of our lives –– even the important ones –– because it is focused on eternity and not merely on the here and now. Indeed, to live with the sort of hope that the writer of Hebrews is talking about is to live with no fear of what challenges may confront us, but with a sense of peace and resolve that transcends even the most trying of circumstances because we know –– we know –– that something better, something more complete, something more profound awaits us.
As one whose faith is placed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, I have the opportunity each and every day to face life with all the energy, all the strength that I can muster, embracing life and all of its ups and downs. Even even if I fall well short of the goals or aspirations that my faith holds out to me, even if I am subjected to ridicule or hardship because of what I believe, I am blessed with the knowledge, the certain hope, that in Jesus Christ God has claimed me and will continue to love and guide me no matter what. And when I allow that to really sink in, when I let that enter into my consciousness in a meaningful way, I realize that I really do have nothing to fear. The confidence I feel is not in my own abilities, the pride I have is not based on anything I have done; it is all based on the fact that in Jesus Christ I am a part of God’s house and as such blessed beyond measure.
I will be rooting for the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA title in 2013. But regardless of whether or not they do, I will be striving to live my life with the pride and confidence that comes from knowing God is at work in and through me and that something far greater than I could ever imagine awaits me. That is the nature of Christian hope.
Prayer: Almighty God, may we each live out the hope with which we have been blessed, and may we demonstrate our confidence and pride in you to those around us, this day and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label The Household of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Household of God. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, November 26, 2012
Of Households and Houses
Zechariah 10:1-12
Among today’s readings I was struck by a passage from the prophet Zechariah. In 10:2 we read, “For the teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they suffer for lack of a shepherd.” The word teraphim is hard to define largely because of its unknown derivation, but it seems to refer to items that served as household gods. This may seem like a minor point, but the prophet makes it clear that at that time God’s people were beset by an absence of sound moral guidance. God’s anger, then, “is hot against the shepherds” (v. 3) –– shepherds being a common biblical image for leadership –– because they have failed to care for God’s flock. This is why the people turned to items such as teraphim and to diviners and dreamers in the first place.
But no matter who we are in terms of our faith, it is far too easy to accuse others of following their own teraphim or of acting as poor shepherds. What we don’t do well is examine our own values, seek out the places where we ourselves fall short. Zechariah was clear: God alone has the sovereign authority to guide God’s people, and it is by turning to God with open hearts and minds that we find our true bearing. But we have got to start by recognizing our own propensity for self-centeredness and moving beyond ourselves.
Years ago my wife and I were struck by the thought that even when people are the most divided there almost always seem to be areas of common ground where God’s grace can be found. For example, think about the question of who should be ordained, set aside for particular forms of service within the church. Some believe that only men should serve in positions of leadership while others believe that leadership roles are open to men and women alike. Others believe that sexual orientation should not be considered in making such decisions within the church. These differences in perspective are stark. Yet virtually no one would deny that adequate housing is essential for all people. God’s household, as fractured as it may be, could find a sense of unity in providing homes — or households –– for the least of those in our communities. If people with various opinions on ordination shared in the work of Habitat for Humanity or the Fuller Center would it solve the question of ordination? Probably not. But it would bring glory to God while drawing God’s people together in service to the world. It might also begin replacing some teraphim — household gods –– with a better understanding of the one true God while also providing for sheep in need of protection.
Prayer: Lord God, give us the courage to turn to you and to live in faithful obedience rather than condemning others for their faults as we perceive them. Amen.
Among today’s readings I was struck by a passage from the prophet Zechariah. In 10:2 we read, “For the teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they suffer for lack of a shepherd.” The word teraphim is hard to define largely because of its unknown derivation, but it seems to refer to items that served as household gods. This may seem like a minor point, but the prophet makes it clear that at that time God’s people were beset by an absence of sound moral guidance. God’s anger, then, “is hot against the shepherds” (v. 3) –– shepherds being a common biblical image for leadership –– because they have failed to care for God’s flock. This is why the people turned to items such as teraphim and to diviners and dreamers in the first place.
But no matter who we are in terms of our faith, it is far too easy to accuse others of following their own teraphim or of acting as poor shepherds. What we don’t do well is examine our own values, seek out the places where we ourselves fall short. Zechariah was clear: God alone has the sovereign authority to guide God’s people, and it is by turning to God with open hearts and minds that we find our true bearing. But we have got to start by recognizing our own propensity for self-centeredness and moving beyond ourselves.
Years ago my wife and I were struck by the thought that even when people are the most divided there almost always seem to be areas of common ground where God’s grace can be found. For example, think about the question of who should be ordained, set aside for particular forms of service within the church. Some believe that only men should serve in positions of leadership while others believe that leadership roles are open to men and women alike. Others believe that sexual orientation should not be considered in making such decisions within the church. These differences in perspective are stark. Yet virtually no one would deny that adequate housing is essential for all people. God’s household, as fractured as it may be, could find a sense of unity in providing homes — or households –– for the least of those in our communities. If people with various opinions on ordination shared in the work of Habitat for Humanity or the Fuller Center would it solve the question of ordination? Probably not. But it would bring glory to God while drawing God’s people together in service to the world. It might also begin replacing some teraphim — household gods –– with a better understanding of the one true God while also providing for sheep in need of protection.
Prayer: Lord God, give us the courage to turn to you and to live in faithful obedience rather than condemning others for their faults as we perceive them. Amen.
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