God's Gift of Scripture with Belton Joyner: Recent Episodes
NC Conference of The UMC
Belton Joyner has enriched and enlivened our study of scripture with his insightful writing over the years. Now, we're offering a new way for you to engage with the Bible Study: an audio version of his weekly commentary, narrated by Belton himself. "God's Gift of Scripture with Belton Joyner" is a new way for you or your group to utilize this Bible Study.
Children are dependent on others for food and clothing. Children are dependent on teachers who can help them learn basic facts. Children are dependent on those who can protect them from hidden evils. Children are dependent. So, who does Jesus say is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Children! Dependent!
Have you ever been happily reading the Bible and suddenly—boom!—come across a text that you wish were not there? This week’s focal text is one of those. It doesn’t match up with the world in which we live. It doesn’t match up with life as we know it. It doesn’t match up with the way we have lived our own lives.
When our retirement home was about to be built, my wife and I drove out to the site to enjoy its construction. All we saw was a pile of lumber. That didn’t look like much of a house! But when we came back the next time, those lengths of wood had been put together and we could begin to see the shape of the place where we would live. Peter says that each of us believers is like a stone (1 Peter 2:4)— that doesn’t look like much of a house!—but we can be formed together to build a spiritual house, a temple. Together!
Holy Communion is one of the sacred moments in the life of the Church. Nevertheless, some very funny and unusual things have happened at the Lord’s Table.
Back when I was in college, I decided to go out for the track team. This was new for me; my high school did not have a track team, so I had a lot to learn! One of my new teammates invited me to his dorm room and spent a couple of hours teaching me how to get a good burst at the start line. Coach Wilson pulled me aside at practice and showed me how to pace myself in a longer race.
When Matthew tells the Gospel story, he ends by telling how the story is to be passed on (Matthew 28:16-20). Guess what! It’s in our hands. Jesus is still with those of us who follow Him, but His instructions to the disciples (and to us) is to make disciples, baptize, teach, and obey.
Have you ever been reading the Bible—shall we say, more or less routinely—when suddenly something jumps out at you? That happened to me last Sunday at our Sunday School class. We were discussing Revelation 22:1-5 when my eye fell on verse 2. It told of God’s healing (loving, caring for) “the nations.” Nations! Plural! It was a powerful reminder that God’s saving power is intended for all people.
Often, when someone will ask me (a retired pastor) if I have preached anywhere lately, I will jokingly reply, “Why, yes! My life is a walking sermon.”
The fact that my joke is so far from the truth gives folks a chuckle. But our focal text for this week (John 1:1-18) gives us the truth about someone whose life is the walking Word of God. Jesus’ life is indeed a walking sermon! “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14).
When I read this week’s focal text (Luke 1:46-55), my memory goes back to singing it at a daily worship service when I was in seminary. What tune do you hear when you read “Mary’s song of praise”? Think of a hymn tune that matches the tone and spirit of these verses. Do you hear Azmon (“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”)? Do you hear Hymn to Joy (“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”)? Do you hear Antioch (“Joy to the World”)?
Let me be upfront and honest. When I saw that this week’s theme was “Love,” I thought, “What can be said about love that has not already been said before? This is not going to be an easy session to write!”
Then, boom! Part of this week’s focal text (Matthew 22:34-40) jumped out at me. Of course, Jesus tells us to love God. Of course, Jesus tells us to love the neighbor. But here is what we often neglect: Jesus tells us to love ourselves!
As we move into this Advent season, it seems the right time to acknowledge and celebrate the basics of the Christian journey. Our focal text speaks of creation (Colossians 1:16), Christ as God made visible (Colossians 1:15), reconciliation through the cross (Colossians 1:20), the gift of the resurrection (Colossians 1:18), life within the Church (Colossians 1:18), and the ongoing mission and witness of the faithful (Colossians 1:22-23).
Do you remember the song “Pass It On”? It begins: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love. Once you’ve experienced it, you spread His love to everyone. You want to pass it on.”
The apostle Paul writes that we are “hidden” in Christ (Colossians 3:3). That means that what is shown in Christ is what the believer also shows. We know it is true when the world gives credit to Christ and not to us. When I show love to my neighbor, I am to be hidden in the love of Christ. The credit for such love goes not to me, but to Christ in whom I am hidden.
This commentary is being written well in advance of the football season that will be underway when November 10 comes around. I wonder how the Blue Devils will be doing this time. Did the Carolina Panthers pick up some early season wins? How has the Atlantic Coast Conference season unfolded with the addition of teams from California?
You may be assuming I have slipped a cog or two with all of this pigskin pondering. Here’s what got me thinking this way. This week’s focal text is clearly about competition. It is Death versus Life
(Romans 6:4). It is Sin versus Freedom from Sin (Romans 6:11). It is Law versus Grace (Romans
6:14). Who wins?
Over the past weeks of this month, we have been reflecting on how our identity (“Who I am”) is shaped. Family. Circumstances. Relationships. Each of these helps form our identity.
This series of lessons continues to look at how our identity is formed. Using the story of Jacob and Esau as an example, it speaks of how relationships help to form us.
One of my prize possessions is the first Bible that I owned. I was seven years old and my daddy said that I was beginning to read well enough that I should have my own Bible. I remember that he opened up a Cokesbury catalog and let me pick the one I wanted.
There is a lot of confusing stuff in Esther 8, describing how legal announcements were made back in that time. The bottom line was a new freedom for the Jews and they found many ways to celebrate (v. 17). If we look over a bit further, in Esther 9:18, we read about the beginning of the Feast of Purim. It was a time of partying and eating. They made sure that even the poor could be a part of it (Esther 9:22). It’s a time of joy that the Jewish community still observes today.
The lesson for this week goes back toward the beginning of the story. We learn that Haman is high in the administration of King Ahasuerus (Esther 3:1). And now we know how the plot ends, with Haman’s death by hanging (Esther 7:10). What is the difference...or more accurately, who is the difference? Esther! It is amazing how much God can do with the help of one person!
Okay. If you have read this week’s focal texts, you know that Esther keeps her faith and calls for the freedom of her people, the Jewish community. The king is so angry that someone would try to take away Esther (and her people) that the king ends up hanging to death the man (Haman) who had tried to destroy Mordecai and the Jewish people (Esther 7:10).
The king has made Esther his queen (Esther 2:17). Things look pretty good for her, but there is one royal stipulation that even she has to obey: No one is to go into the king’s inner court without being called there (Esther 4:11). And now, as the story, unfolds, Mordecai wants Esther to go to the king on behalf of the Jews. She knows this is illegal (Esther 4:16), but she agrees to go in spite of her fear. Stay tuned!
This is a little embarrassing, but let me be honest. I remembered the story of Esther, but I had to go to Table of Contents in my Bible to find the Book of Esther. (It’s nine pages between Nehemiah and Job.) We are going to be living into the Book of Esther for all this month.
Today’s lesson from Esther, along with one of David’s psalms, form the biblical background for reflections on grief.
This week’s lesson grows out of three parables that Jesus told. Although we usually focus on themes of repentance (Luke 15:7, 10, 21), there is another emphasis the three stories have in common: community.
The word “praise” appears thirteen times in this one psalm! The Old Testament word translated as “praise” is halal. Its primitive meaning is “to be clear.” We praise God because we find it clear that God provides; we find it clear that God forgives; we find it clear that God creates; we find it clear that God loves and restores. So, let us be clear in our praise of God! Our praise is such that it is clear what we are doing.
The other day I was in a favorite restaurant of mine. One of the staff came over to chat for a moment. He told me that he had decided to leave that job and to get training to become a financial advisor. He said, “I want to help people learn how to use their resources wisely.”
Last Sunday, after the worship service, a woman, who had been sitting two rows in front of me, came up and said she enjoyed my singing. Good grief! I must have been bellowing! I guess that is the kind of joy and celebration the psalmist was recalling in these focal texts.
After eight weeks of looking at the themes of work and Sabbath, we
come to the good news (Good News?) that we are not alone in this
venture. Jesus offers to be linked up with us (“Take my yoke upon
you”—Matthew 11:29). And now because Jesus is carrying the load of
the yoke, “the burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Thank God for such a
gift!
Last week, I stopped for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. I
go there a lot, but I was surprised that the staff must have seen me
drive up, because when I walked into the eatery, they immediately
escorted me to a booth where they had waiting for me my standard drink
order, a pitcher of unsweetened tea. Thank God for such a gift!
This came to mind, because the truth is that when we come to Jesus, He
already knows our needs, our strengths, our journey. And He is
already prepared to meet us there! I don’t have to pretend when I go
to our Lord in prayer. We might say “He saw us drive up,” so He is
ready with the grace, the support, and the comfort we need. Thank
God for such a gift!
Yes, we are still called to times of Sabbath. Yes, we are still
called to places of service. Yes, we are still called to meaningful
work. But, in these verses Jesus is telling us that we do not
undertake all this alone. Jesus says He is the one to reveal God (v.
27) and He reveals a God who joins us in the adventure of creation, in
the struggle of relationships, and in the possibility of victory.
Thank God for such a gift!
Do you worry sometimes that you are not sharp enough, intelligent
enough, to understand the meanings of Scripture or the subtle
theological points that our teachers may make? Fear not! Jesus tells
the disciples that God’s way makes more sense to an infant than it
does to the most learned among us (Matthew 11:25). We can come in our
ignorance. We can come with our misunderstandings. We can come with
our spiritual baby steps. Thank God for such a gift!
The word that is translated as “yoke” (Matthew 11:29-30) can be used for any instrument for connecting. In inviting us to put His yoke on us, He is inviting us to be connected to Him. He is carrying us, not the other way around. Thank God for such a gift!
What Someone Else Has Said:
The anonymous hymn 341 in The United
Methodist Hymnal (United Methodist Publishing House) includes this
stanza: “Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mime enfold; I walked and
sank not on the storm-vexed sea. ‘Twas not so much that I on thee took
hold, as thou, dear Lord, on me.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You for such a gift...”
On the day I am writing this, the local newspaper has an article about
how much of the land and atmosphere is suffering. Hmmm. You don’t
suppose St. Paul saw that article, do you? In his letter to the
Romans, the apostle writes of how all of creation is groaning and how
it is in the bondager of decay (Romans 8:21-22). That sounds a lot
like the twenty-first century!
Moses heard God addressing the same problem. In Leviticus 25, Moses
records what God sees as the way forward. The animals and the crops
will be sufficient if you give creation a rest from time to time.
(Now, here is a brief side trip from our study of Leviticus. Isn’t it
interesting, even encouraging, that so much of the biblical material
deals with real life situation? These passages speak about how to
preserve holy living, even while getting enough to eat. The spiritual
and the practical come together! The divine and the human walk the
same streets! The Scriptures and the Internet roam the same earth!)
As I write this, I look out my study windows. In every direction, I
see tress and plants. I remember when we were making plans to build
this house. My beloved late wife Toni made a suggestion. “Why don’t
we build it in the sky and lower it in by helicopter, so we don’t have
to cut down any of these trees to make room for the house?” The
contractor who would build the house joined Toni and me in laughing,
but when I look out the window, I see towering evidence of trees that
were left, a stream still rippling, and a narrow lawn that saved a few
trees.
In 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 (When was the last time you turned to 2
Chronicles!), there is a report that the exile of the Israelites after
the fall of Jerusalem lasted for seventy years. That was to make up
for unobserved sabbaths and it took seventy years to do it. The way
in which the Sabbath was observed varied, but the rhythm of work and
rest was (and still is) God’s wish for creation.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Methodism in the American Forest (Oxford), Russell Richey quotes John Wesley: “As all the blessings of God in paradise flowed through man to the inferior creatures; as man was the great channel of communication between the Creator and the whole brute creation; so when man made himself incapable of transmitting those blessings, that communication was necessarily cut off...And then it was that “the creature,’ every creature was subject to vanity, to sorrow, to pain of every kind, in all manner of evils.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Forgive
me, Lord, for the ways I have abused Your creation...”
Is Sabbath about taking off a day and doing nothing? There may be
times when that is the case, but Jesus offers a larger view. In
today’s focal text (John 5:1-18), Jesus shows that sometimes Sabbath
is about reaching out to help others.
Jesus does not do this healing in order to get attention or gratitude.
In fact, He disappeared back into the crowd and the man who was healed
did not even know who had healed him (v. 13). Only later (vv. 14-15)
does this man understand who it was who healed him.
One of the things that upset some of the religious observers was that
Jesus not only broke the Sabbath, but He did it and made it seem as if
this was the action of God (John 5:17), thus making Himself equal to
God. The writer John has already made that point: “It is God
the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him
known.” (John 1`:14, 18) Breaking the Sabbath law for the healing
was a sign that God was still at work.
The other day I went to the burial of the ashes of a friend. As we
stood around after the service, his widow asked those of us there to
offer some memory of Bill. I had to laugh as I recalled something
that happened on a Sunday during General Conference. Bill and I were
rooming together and at the halfway point of General Conference, I
realized that I had not packed enough clothes for the two weeks. “I
need these shirts and underwear cleaned. I’ll never have time to do
it tomorrow when we crank up full tilt again.”
Bill replied, “I know it is Sunday, but you need those things for the
next week. I’ll go and find a laundromat and wash them for you.”
“But, Bill,” I protested. “That would mean you would miss the special
afternoon worship program.” We debated as to whether washing clothes
would violate the Sabbath. I think Bill had a better understanding of
Sabbath than I did. When I got back from the worship, Bill was
walking into our hotel room with a bag of my newly cleaned clothes.
Amen.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Everyday Matters (Abingdon Press), L.
Gregory Jones wrote: “Instead of trying to cram time for sabbath-
keeping into my schedule, or even adding ‘rest’ at the end of my ‘to
do’ list, I discovered a need and a desire to cultivate practices for
‘opening the gift of time.’ Could I refocus my life in a way that
keeps the gospel’s sense of time at the heart of my life, in the core
of my imagination?”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord
Jesus, You have shown me the way to keep Sabbath...”
After all these lessons on work, we come to this: God rested (Genesis
2:2) and so should we (Exodus 16:30).
In today’s focal text (Exodus 16:22-30), the house of Israel made sure
they could rest on the seventh day by getting food for day seven
prepared on day six. Some Orthodox Jewish communities still practice
that discipline.
In Mark 2:23-28, we have a situation in which Jesus put this whole
sabbath rest into perspective. As the disciples walked through a
grainfield on a Sabbath day, some of them began to pluck up grain for
food. When the Pharisees protested, Jesus gave an example from the
life of David. In that account (1 Samuel 21:1-6), on a Sabbath the
high priest gives David food that was supposed to be reserved for the
high priest. Then, our Lord clarifies what that means: Sabbath rest
is for the benefit of humankind. Humankind was not created to benefit
the Sabbath; it is the other way around; Sabbath was created for
humankind.
This does not mean that we ignore the gift of Sabbath rest. It is
part of God’s creating rhythm. Genesis 2:2-3 tells us of God’s
example of rest. (The Hebrew words translated “rest” and “Sabbath”
are varying forms of the same root word.)
Does Sabbath begin on Friday night? Does Sabbath begin on Sunday
morning? If a pastor works all day on Sunday, can Monday be the
Sabbath? What our Lord is trying to make clear is the importance of
Sabbath is not in its “legal requirements.” The importance of
Sabbath is measured by the way it honors the one who is Lord of the
Sabbath (Mark 2:28).
Right after Jesus spoke up about the Sabbath, He had another
opportunity to clarify Sabbath practices. Mark 3:1-6 tells about
Jesus’ healing a man on the Sabbath. This so upset the Pharisees—
sticklers for the law—that they began plotting how to get rid of Jesus
(Mark 3:5). Even against that threat, Jesus gave priority to healing.
If we do not observe Sabbath, we are missing one of the strong gifts
of God.
What Someone Else Has Said:
Matthew Sleeth (24/6, Tyndale Momentum of
Tyndale House Publishers) put it this way: “Up to this point,
everything has been created out of nothing, but on the morning of the
seventh day, God made nothing out of something. Rest is brought into
being.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You,
Lord, for rest...”
Our work honors God. And God uses work within the Church to build up
the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).
Paul acknowledges that it is easy to get tricked by those who would
mislead us within the faith community (Ephesians 4:14). However, God
in Jesus Christ provides those who can help us mature in the faith (v.
15) in order for us to grow into love (v. 16). That is the standard
that Paul offers as the testing point for life in the Church: Does
it help us grow in to love (v. 16)?
I am encouraged when I look at Ephesians 4:11. Notice the wide range
of gifts that Christ gives to the Church: apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, teachers. That is encouraging, but what really
excites me is that Paul uses the word “some.” Faithfulness does
not depend on my having all these gifts. A teacher might not have the
gifts for evangelism. An evangelist might not have the gifts of a
teacher.
Often, the Scripture points us to ways we can reach out into the
world: serving the needy, working for justice, inviting others to our
Lord, caring for the lonely. All that is good and is not to be
forgotten, but in this word to the Ephesians (and to us), Paul is
calling for work within the Church, within the family of faith.
As I have traveled in the community of faith, a variety—and I mean
variety!—of people have escorted and challenged and comforted and
instructed me. About all they had in common was accepting the Lord’s
love. How about my third grade Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Rowland?
How about my sixth grade public school teacher, Mrs. Murdock? How
about the brilliant professor Carl Michalson? How about a close
friend whom I dare not name here? How about Martin Luther King (who
never knew my name, but shook my hand once)?
Your community gifts would be different from mine, but—using Paul’s
term—they spoke (and lived) the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Thanks be to God! I suspect that we ourselves are such a gift to
others. We may not recognize it; we may not claim it; but God is
using you and me to help build up the body of Christ. Thanks be to
God!
What Someone Else Has Said:
The United Methodist Book of Discipline
(United Methodist Publishing House) says this about the local church
(para. 201): “Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit, the church
exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers,
and the redemption of the world.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You
for Church!...”
Some times in the Book of Exodus, the same word (aw-bad) is used both
for worship and for work. (For example, look at Exodus 5:18).
Although that is not always the case, it does suggest that the Hebrew
mind saw a close connection between the two—worship and work.
In this week’s focal text, the work to build the tabernacle was paid
for by the freewill offerings brought by the worshippers. Note that
the workers whose elaborate design was used to construct the
tabernacle were divinely inspired (Exodus 25:31). The gifts and
abilities for work came from God. It is as if worship and work are in
dialogue.
It may be relatively easy for someone who works in religious settings
to think of her or his work as worship. But, what about those who
labor and toil in other kinds of work? If what I can do is the best I
can do it, I have worshipped God. A teacher, a farmer, a police
officer, a storekeeper, a factory worker, an architect, a caregiver, a
babysitter, a student, a road worker, a basketball coach, a
manufacturer of toothpicks, a chef----what do they all have in common?
If each has made use of the way God has equipped them for life, they
have, in their work, worshipped God.
Usually, I think of worship as a pleasant, even comforting,
experience. Usually, I think of worship as filled with beauty and
peacefulness. Usually, I think of worship as an intentional
acknowledgment of God. And, worship can well be all of that. But
worship can also be caring for a crying baby, reaching the top shelf
for a “vertically challenged” customer, mowing the lawn on a hot day,
advising a client how to invest money, or cleaning the teeth of a
dental patient.
One thing that jumped out at me in this week’s focal text is the way
the people came forward with voluntary gifts to pay for the work to
build the tabernacle (Exodus 36:3). My mind goes to the financial
offerings we bring for the work of God’s people. I can’t be in El
Salvador, but I can give funds to pay for those who are there. I
can’t be at our church colleges and universities, but I can give funds
for those who study and teach there. I can’t spend a summer at camps
created for the Christian journey, but I can give funds for those who
staff those camps. I can’t administer the complicated work of church
life, but I can give funds to support those who do that ministry.
Worship. Work. It all comes together.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers
(Augsburg Books), Martin E. Marty has said: “For God to call to be
worshipped is not a divine ego trip but somehow the expression of the
love of God, which also means that worship is good for human
creatures, the result of God’s activity.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You,
Lord, for work...”
Every Wednesday, Sharon Stone comes to Bethany Church to gather the
plastic that members have saved for re-cycling. James Apisai changed
his college major from Communications to Environmental Science. Nick
Jeffries teaches care for creation by having an active farm on the grounds of Camp Chestnut Ridge. At my county dump, there are separate containers for things that can be re-cycled. When Gary and Michael Corsi-OConnor had a florist shop, they had a day each year when friends could come and get free flowers and plants to share with shut- ins. Octogenarian Eddie Jenkins told me that today he worked to fertilize some bushes in his yard. Major League baseball player Adam Wainwright (Go, Cardinals!) has noted that taking care of one’s body is a way of caring for God’s creation.
These examples show how some of us have worked to live out the
instruction from God that we human beings take care of what God has
created (Genesis 1:26). The word translated “dominion” suggests that
we have responsibility for God’s creation. After all, we are created
in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). (The Hebrew word used here for “image”
is tselem. It means “a representative figure”. We are created to
represent God.)
Psalm 8 is a reminder that God has made us responsible for the care of
things that belong to God. When I hear an analyst speak of the major
negative changes in our climate that are due to human action and
inaction, I recognize that we are not always doing such a good job
taking care of what God has created and given us to maintain and
enjoy. That eighth psalm reflects the account in Genesis 2 when God
puts Adam in charge of God’s Garden. That didn’t go too well, did it?
Even for folks who are serious about caring for the environment, there
is one dimension that is often overlooked as part of “creation care.”
Go back and re-read the last sentence of the first paragraph. When I
get on the scales next Thursday, I wonder if God will think I am
caring for God’s creation, my body. When I decide to stop keeping
track of my daily steps, I wonder if God thinks my pedometer was
telling God how I care for my body, God’s creation.
Everything God made was good (Genesis 1:31). What can we do to keep
it that way?
What Someone Else Has Said:
Greta Thunberg (No One Is Too Small to
Make a Difference Penguin Books) wrote: “Erosion of fertile top soil.
Deforestation of our great forests. Toxic air pollution. Loss of
insect’s and wildlife. The acidification of our oceans. Here are all
the disastrous trends being accelerated by a way of life that we, here
in our financially fortunate part of the world, see as our right to
simply carry on.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let our prayer begin: “Creator
God, use me...”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to the Book of Ecclesiastes
very often. I get confused when I try to figure out what the Teacher
says. (“Teacher” is the self-given name of the writer of this book—
Ecclesiastes 1:1.)
For example, Ecclesiastes 2:18 tells of hating one’s work In
Ecclesiastes 2:24, the writer says there is nothing better than work.
For example, Ecclesiastes 3:9 asks what one can possibly gain from
one’s work. In Ecclesiastes 3:13, the Teacher says it is God’s gift
for everyone to enjoy his or her work.
For example, Ecclesiastes 4:4 says that people work out of envy of
others. Ecclesiastes 4:8 tells of those who have no one with whom to
share their riches.
One thing that I learn from all this is that it is important to know
the context of biblical writings. It is important to know the
question, in order to make sense of the answer. What was God’s intent
in inspiring the biblical writer?
Have you ever played the game “Word Trip”? In this game (I play it on
my phone), one is provided seven letters and spaces in which to spell
out words that can be made out of those letters. (For example, what
words can you make out of the letters S E E C P I L?) Reading the
Bible can be a lot like that. How do you put together the various
messages in order to find out what God is saying to you?
There is a key question raised at the very beginning of this book:
“What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the
sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) The same questions emerges in Ecclesiastes
2:11, 2:22, 3:9, 5:11, 5:16, 6:8. Maybe the writer of this book
shares our stumbling for an answer. Look at Ecclesiastes 11:5: “Just
as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s
womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.”
The Teacher draws it all to a close at the end of the book. “Fear God
and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13) The commandments of God call us to find a way to
love. Even in our work and toil.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In The House on Lowell Street (Linda
Keane, Deep River Books), there is this line: “They may agree in
principle,” Rose said, “but they don’t want to do anything.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Help me in
my work, O Lord...”
According to the Conference Journal, I am retired.
However—what I remember is what a friend once said: “’Re-tired’ just
means that ‘I am tired again’.”
The Book of Proverbs is filled with verses about work. Sometimes, it
is talking about what you do to make a living; sometimes, it is
talking about how you spend your time and energy.
Proverbs 16:3 puts it all into perspective. The New English Bible
translation puts it this way: “Commit to the Lord all that you do, and
your plans will be fulfilled.”
That does not mean that life will always unfold in just the way we
want or expect. It does mean that God’s purposes will ultimately be
fulfilled.
Proverbs 12:14 says that both what we say (“fruit of the mouth”) and
what we do (“manual labor”) are tools of God’s good work.
There are two Hebrew words used for “work” in Proverbs. One of them
(mel-aw-kaw) refers to how you make your living. The other (po-al)
refers to any act or deed. Those of us who are retired don’t get off
the hook!
Galatians 6:1-10 gives some guidelines for understanding work. The
apostle Paul sees work as any burden you bear (Galatians 6:5). This
might be a physical load. This might be a mental load. This might be
a spiritual load. Sometimes we help others by bearing their burdens
(Galatians 6:2). The bottom line is that we work (carry burdens) for
the good of all (Galatians 6:10).
There is a biblical witness and challenge for the work to which we are
called. It has multiple dimensions through which God will bless us.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In his book Anthropology of the Old
Testament (Fortress Press), Hans Walter Wolff has written: “It is in
this working world, with its many facets, that the task of creation
unfolds itself to (us). Blessing is followed by progress. But
hubris (pride) encounters ‘thorns and thistles’ everywhere.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, You
have called me to work in all aspects of life...”
Was Paul’s visit and witness in Athens a failure? He tried to meet
the locals where they were in their spiritual journey. And when all
was said and done, “Some scoffed, but others said ‘We will hear you
again about this.’” Finally, this week’s focal text says “Some of
them joined him and became believers” (v. 34).
Even if there had been no new believers, I think Paul’s witness in
Athens has to be considered a success, not by the numbers of new
believers, but by Paul’s faithfulness in witnessing. We are tempted
to soften our witness in order to get more people on board. Perhaps a
better measure of our spiritual success would be the fullness of truth
that we tell.
In the Bible now open on my desk, there are headings over each account of Paul. I just happened to notice something about Paul’s journeys. On just four pages, these headings put Paul in seven different settings: Prison, Thessalonica, Boroea, Athens, Corinth, Antioch, and Ephesus. Then, I looked further and saw the different kinds of people and places where Paul showed up: prisoners in prison, Jews in synagogues, Christians in Jewish community, public marketplace, individual believer, gathered church, new believers.
The title given this week’s lesson has described the way Paul went
about his ministry: Making Connections. I think of all the places I
went last week and wonder how my way of connecting made witness for
Jesus Christ: dartball, church fellowship supper, supermarket, clergy
meeting, food pantry for homeless, Zoom meeting on racism,
conversation with repair man, Sunday School class, worship service,
entertaining house guests, car dealer,...You get the idea!
How Paul went about his witness varied from situation to situation.
Here are some examples from the Book of Acts. Praying and singing
hymns (16:25). Words of encouragement (16:40). Explaining the
Scripture (17:2). Time with friends (17:10). Left after dialogue
(17:33). Secular work (18:3). Changed his looks (18:18). Turned
down invitation (18:20). And that is just for examples!
How does my life (maybe more than my words) witness in the places I
go?
What Someone Else Has Said:
In When the Church Woke (Cascade Books),
William B. Lawrence says: “The promised future arrives through present
discipleship.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Dear Lord,
this week my life will take me to many different places and among many
different people. Help me to give a witness with my life...”
This is a different text than the one we usually encounter on
Pentecost Sunday. It is an account of a dream that Peter had and the
implications of that dream for the inclusivity of God’s people.
Those early believers had a disagreement about something (Gentile
believers), so they got together to talk about it. It turned out
that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not limited to the circumcised
Jewish community. Their conclusion (v. 18) was “Then God has given
even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
In these verses, Peter tells about a vision he had that led him to
conclude that God did not divide folks into clean and unclean in the
way some were doing (v. 9). This got me to thinking about how God
might try to reach me with some truth I needed to hear. Would I hear
it if it came from an unexpected source? Peter heard God speak in an
unexpected way—a vision. Would I hear God speak if God spoke through
someone with whom I disagreed? Would I hear God speak if God spoke in
a political voice for whom I did not vote? Would I hear God speak if
God spoke in a novel I had decided to read for relaxation? Would I
hear God speak if God spoke in the words of a coach being interviewed
after losing a game?
Of course, every unusual experience is not the voice of God, but I am
encouraged by this week’s study text to be open to God when God speaks
in an unusual way, in an unexpected way. Peter’s summary of the
situation comes in verse 17: “If then God gave them the same gift that
he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I
could hinder God?” In the Eugene H. Peterson paraphrase of the New
Testament (The Message, Navpress), Petersen has used these headings
for these accounts in chapters 10 ands 11 of Acts: “God Plays No
Favorites” and “God Has Broken Through.” Amen!
On this Pentecost Sunday, we recognize and celebrate the coming of the
Holy Spirit. Our usual study text for Pentecost is the account in the
second chapter of Acts. Remember how the Holy Spirit blasted into
their gathering with a violent wind and folks began to talk in all
kinds of languages. Now, in this week’s study verses, there is no
violent wind and there is no mention of voices in all the languages of
the world. But what these two Pentecost stories have in common is
that the Holy Spirit spoke what needed to be heard. If we wait for
the Spirit to come in mighty winds and strange tongues, we may miss
the Spirit who comes as the Spirit did with Peter simply in a time of
private prayer. I guess the bottom line for this Pentecost lesson is
“Don’t limit on where, when, and to whom the Spirit may come.”
What Someone Else Has Said:
In his book, When the Church Woke,
William Lawrence has said: “The miracle of Pentecost is understanding
others who are ethnically, socially, culturally, and linguistically
separated: ‘We can hear them.’”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Holy
Spirit...”
When I saw what the text was for this week’s study, I thought, “Oh,
good! This is one of the most familiar and appreciated texts in the
New Testament. Full speed ahead!”
Ten minutes later, I had not typed a single word. Then, I took time
to play a couple of rounds of Word Trip, a fun game on my phone.
Next, I moved to the TV and watched “Chain Reaction,” one of the
popular programs on Game Show Network. I stopped by the refrigerator
and grabbed a couple of frozen grapes. Refreshing! I sauntered back
to my computer. I have the power setting to shut off my screen when
it has not been active for thirty minutes. My screen was blank.
Why did I have so much trouble getting started on this study? It has
dawned on me that I did not want to look at these verses because over
and over again they convict me of failing to be a faithful disciple.
For starters, there are eleven disciples present, not twelve (v. 16).
When have I chosen to step apart from the work of Christ? Some of the
ones who gathered had doubts (v. 17). When have I not trusted the
promises Jesus had made? Our Lord tells them to “Go” (v. 19). When
have I preferred to have things stay the way they have always been,
rather than leaving and going to some new place some new experience,
some new relationship? Jesus sends the disciples to all nations (v.
19). When have I chosen to draw a line in my relationships, choosing
my preferences, rather than the “all” to whom Jesus sends me?
The Master instructs the disciples to baptize in the name of the
Trinity (v. 19). When have I given more attention to human
distinctions than I have to the work of God? And Jesus tells the
eleven disciples there to be teachers (v. 20) of all He has taught.
When have I been a picker and chooser of what I wanted to pass on?
Finally, our Savior calls on the disciples to remember that the risen
and ascended Lord will still be with them (v. 20). When have I gone
about my spiritual journey and mission as if Christ were no longer
present?
I’m beginning to see why it took me so long to start typing these
reflections.
What Someone Else Has Said:
William Lawrence, (When the Church Woke,
Cascade Books) wrote: “Love is humbling oneself to the needs of a
neighbor...”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Send me,
Lord...”
There are so many gifts to pick up in these familiar verses. Let’s
pick up a few!
In John 14:6, Jesus says no one comes to the Father except through
Jesus. Jesus is God’s embodied love. That means: no one gets to God
except through God’s love. In theological language, we sometimes call
this “prevenient grace,” an acknowledgment that our relationship with
God begins with God’s movement toward us.
In John 14:1, our Lord invites us to believe in Him. Some students of
the Bible think a better translation of pisteuete is “trust” rather
than “believe.” The argument for that view is that “belief” sounds
like having all the right doctrines in place; “trust” is more like
“having confidence in.” Having confidence in God is what leads to an
untroubled heart.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus says He goes to prepare a place for us. Not
only that, but He says He will come and get us to make sure we get to
the place He has prepared. What a gift! Jesus is promising that
there is a tomorrow with Him! When today seems heavy, let us draw
hope and rejoice in the promise that there is a tomorrow with Him!
In John 14:12, the Master astonishes us by saying that in the future
believers will do even more good works than He has done. He is saying
that His ministry was limited to Palestine, but our ministry of
caring, of healing, of inclusion, of proclamation, of celebration will
reach into every corner of the world we touch.
In John 14:8-11, Jesus has an exchange with Philip. Our Savior makes
it clear that He is more than just a nice and helpful man. He is
fully an expression of God. There is a voice within Him that is more
than a human voice; it is indeed the voice of God. By getting to
know Jesus, we are getting to know God.
In John 14:2, Jesus makes it clear that God’s house has room enough
for all. And that is yet another breath of Good News!
What Someone Else Has Said:
In When the Church Woke (Cascade Books),
William B. Lawrence has written: “The initial words of the risen
Christ in the New Testament also show that the mission of the church,
while consistent with the past, conveys the promise of the future.”
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord
Jesus, I come before You as did those early disciples, sometimes
uncertain, sometimes with troubled hearts, but we hear with them Your
promise to share these future days with us...”
The other day, I was at a breakfast mee@ng of local clergy. One of the pastors asked, “What are you doing for your sermon this coming Sunday?” One colleague smiled and replied, “My life is a walking sermon.”
Maybe that quip gives us a handle for this week’s study text. If I “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), then my life must be a walking prayer.
How does this work? For example, how can I give thanks in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)? In a @me of tragedy, maybe I can give thanks that God has given me sensi@vity to loss. In a @me of defeat, I can give thanks that God has given me an opportunity to learn how to do beYer. In a @me of victory, I can give thanks that God has given me the joy of celebra@on.
That does not mean that God has given me loss or defeat or even victory. It means that God has given me gi[s for each of these circumstances. How else can I “pray without ceasing,” un@l my prayer-life includes the full range of life?
When I was in the sixth grade, I had a classmate who would bow her head in prayer before each test. One @me she got back her grade and saw that she had flunked the test. I teased her and asked her if she had prayed before she studied for the exam. She shook her head and mumbled that she had not had @me to study that week. Hmmmm.
We pray with our a^tude as much as we do with our words. To “pray without ceasing” is to live with an a^tude of thanksgiving, an a^tude of supplica@on, an a^tude of intercession, an a^tude of repentance, an a^tude of trust, an a^tude of service, an a^tude of rela@onship, an a^tude of resurrec@on.
When are my prayers just words? When is my life praying?
What Someone Else Has Said: In her book Bathed in Prayer, “G.P. Putnam's Sons” Jan Karon has quoted William Law who said, “There is nothing that makes us love someone so much as praying for them.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Hear my words, O God, but help me match my life to Your will. Let me ‘take @me to be holy,’ but move my very being and doing to holiness...”
The writer of Proverbs (Solomon) says that wisdom comes from God (Proverbs 2:6-7). What are we to do with a fact that Daniel considers---that God sometimes gives wisdom to non-believers? In fact, Daniel gets word to the king not to destroy those wise ones in Babylon (Daniel 2:24). Who would have expected wisdom from those who did not believe in Israel’s God? Daniel understood that God plants wisdom in lots of places!
In our political culture, Democrats find it hard to believe that a Republican could have a good idea and Republicans are not usually accepting of an idea that emerged from a Democrat perspective.
In the life of the Church, traditionalists are often suspicious of any insight that comes from a progressive; progressives are usually quick to doubt that there is any truth in an observation by a traditionalist.
On a personal level, even before I read a book by certain authors, I am sure that I am going to find wisdom; on the other hand, I have no expectation of wisdom from some writers. (I’m too embarrassed to call names!)
Daniel gives God the credit for any understanding that comes (Daniel 2:28). When the prophet got some clarity on the king’s mysterious dream, Daniel gives credit to God (Daniel 2:21). Much of what Daniel used in his interpretation no doubt came from his years learning from the Chaldeans (Daniel 1:4). Who would have expected God to use the pagan culture to educate one of God’s chosen?
Daniel wanted to make sure that God, not the Babylonians, got the credit for any knowledge and skill that came to Daniel. That was when he set up the ten days of comparing what the rich royal rations provided or simply eating vegetables. At the end of the experiment, it was obvious—even to the pagans—that it was God who provided the real strength, the real understanding, the real wisdom (Daniel 2:17, 20).
To God be the glory!
What Someone Else Has Said: Sibley Towner (Daniel, John Knox Press) wrote: “Truly, God is the source of all wisdom...and those to whom God has revealed wisdom are of the light, sent into the world to oppose the ‘sons’ of darkness.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “O Source of all wisdom...”
Solomon had a dream in which God invited him to ask for what he thought God ought to give him (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon asks for the ability to decide between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9). God is pleased with Solomon’s request and grants the wish (1 Kings 3:11-12). God promises a long life if Solomon keeps God’s commandments (1 Kings 3:14. Then, Solomon woke up from the dream (1 Kings 3: 15).
God did indeed give Solomon great wisdom for making decisions. Biblical tradition says that the Book of Proverbs is a collection of the wise things that Solomon expressed (Proverbs 1:1).
When we use our own insights and our own devices to determine what is good and what is evil, we shall often miss the mark. Human standards are not the same as divine standards. As Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
How do we determine what is good and what is evil? One way is to ask “Which one looks more like Jesus?”
How do we determine what is good and what is evil? One way is to reflect on how the Scriptures speak to the issue.
How do we determine what is good and what is evil? One way is to confer with others who are on the journey.
How do we determine what is good and what is evil? One way is to submit oneself to steady and constant prayer.
Solomon’s wisdom to do the right thing came from recognizing that the source of that wisdom is God. It’s hard to improve on that!
What Someone Else Said: In You Are Not Special (Ecco), David McCullough, Jr., wrote: “...live deliberately (as opposed to automatically), pay attention, front the facts, come to know by experience, eschew nonsense, give true account, be wary of canned answers, know what you’re for, try your best. This is wisdom.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “O Holy One, Who with care spoke to Solomon, come now and speak to me. Speak to me so that my service will be according to Your will...”
You probably remember a lot of the story of Joseph and his brothers. When they were growing up, their father seemed to treat Joseph with special favor (Genesis 37:3), so the other fellows decided to kill him (Genesis 37:20). They end up selling him to some passers-by (Genesis 37:28), so Joseph ends up Egypt and gets in high favor with the powers-that-be (Genesis 39:2; 41:42). Hard times hit where Joseph’s birth family still lived (Genesis 41:53), but Joseph made it possible for them to get food (Genesis 42:25). The story continues until finally the brothers come and ask Joseph for forgiveness (Genesis 50:17). Then, Joseph forgives them, acknowledging that they had meant to harm him, but God had used it to provide for God’s people (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph saw that God can use even our failures as a tool to serve God’s greater purposes. This, of course, is not an invitation to do all the bad things we can so God will have plenty with which to work! It is, rather, an invitation not to give up on the journey even when we make mistakes of judgments and mistakes of practice. Here is how the apostle Paul put it: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). No wonder Paul exclaims “How unsearchable are (God’s) judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” (Romans 11:33).
I remember once when a friend of mine was harming a lot of people, mostly with his false accusations. I felt like I needed to go to him and confront him, but I could not get the courage to do so. Finally, his world collapsed when all these people turned against him. He was at a low point in his life when he came to me and said, “When everybody else hated me, you still did not accuse me, so I thought I must be worth something to somebody.” He took that grain of semi-truth and began a journey of caring, support, witness, faithful outreach, and service to God. In other words, God used my weakness and lack of courage to create a new beginning for my friend. Don’t give up even when you fail; God ain’t through with the situation yet! I guess that is what Solomon meant in Proverbs 2:11: “prudence will watch over you.”
Sometime, we may be the brothers; sometimes, we may be Joseph. Either way, God can use us.
What Someone Else Has Said: Dianna E. Anderson has written (Damaged Goods, Jericho Books): “Certainty is the enemy of faith, and doubt and questioning are necessary companions on our journeys through the sacred and profane realm that is human life.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Use my weakness, Lord...”
When I was a little boy, there was always competition when putting together the Christmas pageant. All of the boys wanted to be one of the wise men. After all, the shepherds and Joseph had to wear bathrobes but the three kings got to wear special costumes with crowns and were given beautiful jars and jewelry to carry. Who wouldn’t want to be one of those three?
The biblical wise men were probably astrologers who knew something special was going on when they saw the rising of a dynamic star (Matthew 2:2). The text in Proverbs talks of a time when wisdom and knowledge begin to shape us (Proverbs 2:9-10). That happened to these three. They followed the star even when they did not know exactly where it would lead. Have you ever answered a call from God when you did not know exactly what was going to happen?
One of the significant ingredients in this week’s lesson is the fact that these traveling worshipers were not Jews, but they sought the “king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) that they might honor and worship him. The Gospel writer Matthew recognized that God’s loving relationships included Gentiles as well as Jews. The “king of the Jews” came to save the world, and not just one corner of it.
The wise men brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). There were other times when people brought such to Jesus (John 12:4; Mark 16:1). What would be today’s equivalent offering? Here’s a thought. In today’s culture, the gift of time might be the most precious and honoring gift we could bring.
Back to Christmas pageants. I remember watching such a play once when a fellow who was one of the wise men turned to see if the others were following him down the church center aisle. When he turned, he banged into a pew, dropped, and broke the beautiful vase he was carrying. He paused for a moment, and then he picked up the fragments of the vase and carried them to the baby Jesus. As I reflect on it, that encourages me, because seldom do I have an unbroken self to bring to our Lord. Let us kneel and pay Him homage (Matthew 2:11)!
What Someone Elsee Has Said: Shirley Erena Murray (Hope Publishing Company, The Faith We Sing, Abingdon Press) has written a hymn that begins: “Star Child, earth Child, go-between of God, love Child, Christ Child, heaven’s lightning rod, This year, this year, let the day arrive when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Even now, I come to You, O Lord. What gift do I bring?...”
Do you remember what happened to Zechariah just a few months ago? He had been struck speechless, totally mute, because he doubted when the angel Gabriel told him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were going to have a baby (Luke 1:13, 18, 20). Now that the child has been born, Zechariah and Elizabeth go to get the infant circumcised (v. 59). Finally, the leaders asked him what the child’s name would be. When Zechariah wrote “John,” he had now accepted this birth and celebrated it. He began speaking aloud again. This week’s focal text is what he said (Luke 1:67-80).
The key to understanding what Zechariah said is to understand that his prophecy was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67). The Spirit led him to see the ministry would unfold for this one whom we came to call “John, the Baptist.”
What a way to end the year 2023! We close these days with a text that talks about a good tomorrow. That is a word that we need to hear. We may not know the details of 2024, but we know the One who is in charge. One way to put it is to say that Zechariah saw a good future even though he did not know what would be the shoe size of his son, soon to be an adult. We do not have the specifics of how 2024 will unfold, but we do know that there is “the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:74).
As I typed that last sentence, I made a typographical error. (Imagine that!) I saw that “tender” had been misspelled. I made a right click on my computer mouse and the correct spelling appeared. One more click of the mouse and correct spelling was restored. I wish it were that easy to get God’s will for correcting my failures. Instead of the click of a computer mouse, I have been given the life of Jesus Christ. Zechariah’s son, John, prepared the way and pointed ahead to the coming Messiah. Now I need to look to that One, being open to the Holy Spirit. It may not unfold as I figure it should; that’s what Zechariah found out. God’s plan is bigger than my limited view, but the promise is light for those who dwell in darkness (v. 79).
Happy New Year!
What Someone Else Has Said: William B. Lawrence has written (When the Church Woke, Cascade Books, Wipf and Stock): “Yet, the risen Christ offers peace and bestows power so the church can overcome fear and fulfill its purpose. As the texts from the writers of the four Gospels make clear, the church comes to life and is sent into the world.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Lord, Jesus, into the new year that Your peace may live among us...”
When I was in seminary—at Drew University about two hundred years ago—almost every evening during the week, I would go to the chapel for evening prayer. Part of the ritual for that service was singing the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55. At first, I wondered, “Why do we sing this every time we get together?” Then, it dawned on me: This was Mary’s summary of key themes in the Gospel.
I have a New Testament edition that footnotes every biblical passage that draws from or alludes to another biblical text. For just these ten verses (Luke 1:46-55), there are twenty-nine such references, all from the Old Testament. Blessed Mother Mary knew that this mission of her son was a continuation and fulfillment of what had been going on “from generation to generation.”
For example, compare 1 Samuel 2:1 with what Mary sang in Luke 1:47. Compare Psalm 138:6 with Luke 1:48. Compare Job 5:11 with Luke 1:52. It is clear to Mary that this is a consistent God who began this work long ago.
There is a stuffed animal named Snoopy Bear who has lived with a member of our family for more than fifty years. S. Bear (as he calls himself) has an excuse almost every Sunday for not going to church. If there is Communion, he will not go because (he says) “I was taught not to eat in the sanctuary.” He will not go during the Christmas season or the Easter season, because he does not want people to think he is a “C & E Christian.” I don’t want to scare S. Bear away from church, but do you think I should tell him that this Advent hymn of Mary’s is true all year long?
Some of us have the same problem as Snoopy Bear. It may not be finding excuses for not going to church; it may be finding excuses for not making personal decisions by the values of Jesus; it may be convincing ourselves that religion is for the individual with no regard for community life; it may be living with a faith that goes to church on Sunday but does not live out Church during the week. I think this week’s text is for me as well as for S. Bear.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Everyday Matters (Abingdon), Gregory Jones quotes Dorothy Jean Weaver: “The world that Jesus Emmanuel comes to is rather the real world...It is this world and none other into which God comes to be with us in the person of Jesus, the defenseless child and the crucified Messiah.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Lord Jesus, into my daily life, and bring the grace of Your love...”
Ask someone to name key biblical figures in this season’s stories. You’ll hear: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, angels, shepherds, wise men, inn keeper. You are not likely to hear “Elizabeth.”
Luke begins his account of the coming of our Lord by telling about Elizabeth (Luke 1:5). Elizabeth had figured she would not have any children (v. 7), but got the surprising news that she would indeed have a child (v. 13). She remained in seclusion for the first five months of her pregnancy (v. 24). Then Mary showed up (vv. 39-40). And, as they say, “The rest is history.”
In a sense, Jesus came to visit Elizabeth; albeit, He was still in His mother’s womb, but He was there. This reflection got me to wondering: Have I missed a visit by Jesus because I did not recognize Him? (Elizabeth and her unborn child recognized Who was visiting—v. 44.)
If Jesus comes as a needy person, would I recognize Him? If Jesus came and asked me to join Him in a social justice protest, would I recognize Him? If Jesus came and asked me to write a check for the church’s mission project, would I recognize Him?
The focal text says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (V., 41). Maybe that is why she was able to understand the visit by Mary. As we have seen over the resent weeks of study, the presence of the Holy Spirit expresses itself in a variety of ways. Interestingly, Zechariah was at work at the temple; Mary was at her home, and Elizabeth was at her home when the Spirit spoke to them. The Spirit is not limited to the temple as a place to reach out to people.
When we read further in Luke’s account, we recognize that Elizabeth’s child was John, the Baptist (vv. 57-60; 3:2). Elizabeth (and we) hardly knew what God was unfolding, but God had a plan. God often plants a seed for us to care for. Even if I do not grasp the full meaning at the beginning, I am called upon by God to nourish and grow the seed that God may plant in my journey.
What would “Elizabeth” recognize in my life if I went to visit her?
What Someone Else has Said; Bill Leonard (Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers, Westminster John Knox) wrote: “The Holy Spirit also is at work in the world; it is the stealth presence of God moving in places and persons that often the world (and church) do not recognize immediately, if ever.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “I am listening, Lord, for Your holy presence...”
By now you are probably asking yourself, “Good Gracious, is it Christmas already?” Our surprise about the closeness of the days ahead is pretty mild compared to what Mary must have felt when the angel told her she was going to have a baby! (Luke 1:31)
When was the last time you were surprised by something God did in your life? Maybe it was the healing of a broken relationship. Maybe it was a call to a special ministry. Maybe it was the emergence of friendship in what had been a lonely place. Maybe it was the unexpected gift of peace in a funeral service. Maybe it was the joy you had in feeding the homeless. God ain’t through with surprising us!
Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God’s word “shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Mary’s response (Luke 1:38) confirms this truth because she said “let it be with me according to your word.” Her willingness to bear this mystery Child is a sign that God was indeed at work in all of this.
See the title of this week’s lesson. Look back at the title of last week’s lesson. Sneak a look ahead at the title of the studies for the rest of this month The human factor varies from week to week, but there is one constant: the Holy Spirit. It is God’s abiding presence that makes all of this good news possible.
What God is doing in our midst can be mystifying. Mary was “perplexed” by the way the angel greeted her (Luke 1:28-29). We may be comfortable when God is going about business as usual, but when God is doing a new thing, we join Mary in being perplexed. In fact, if, from time to time I do not wonder “What in the world is going on...what does this mean”—I may be missing something new that God is doing.
Mary had questions (vv. 29, 34), but that was okay with God’s messenger (the angel). Mary continued the dialogue until she said “Yes.” Is God waiting for my “Yes”?
Isn’t it just like God to show up in some unlikely place (v. 26)? We best stay spiritually alert. It may be God who shows up at the door.
What Someone Else Has Said: Jonathan Augustine (Meditations for Advent, Duke Divinity School) has written: “We should all share Mary’s excitement...Ending food scarcities, undoing systemic racism, and achieving gender equality are all possible with God. Indeed, all things are possible with God.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Holy Spirit...”
After I read this week’s focal text (Luke 1:5-23), these five reflections emerged.
(1) Zechariah was at work (v. 8) when he was visited by God’s messenger. We don’t usually expect God to show up in the ordinary places of our lives. Daily routines. Daily duties. How would my work day be different if I considered the possibility that something that happened there was a message from God?
(2) An angel (Gabriel) showed up to speak to Zechariah (v. 11). That’s not the only way God speaks to us. The word “angel” means “God’s messenger,” so I am left to wonder if there are angels in my life that I ignore because I do not recognize them. Who are those in my life who seek to bring me a word from God?
(3) When Zechariah saw the angel, he was terrified (v. 12). He was expecting the news to be bad (v. 18) But, the news was good! Have I ever been so sure that things would go poorly that I missed it when things went well? God is able to make great gifts of grace even when we are convinced that all blessing is lost. God’s “good” does not always look like what we think of as “good.”
(4) Oh, my! There are consequences when we do not heed God’s word (v. 20). Zechariah goes mute. God calls for love and we do not love. There are consequences. God calls for justice and we are unjust. There are consequences. God calls for outreach and we care only for self. There are consequences.
(5) When the account continues, Zechariah goes home (v. 23). Even after a high-moment encounter with God, we are expected to live out the harvest in the ups and downs of daily life. After a journey to the spiritual mountaintop, we go back home and live out that truth in the place of our usual context.
God was not through with Zechariah. In the verses that follow our study text, Zechariah gets his voice back (Luke 1:64) and he used that gift to praise God. How do I praise God?
What Someone Else Has Said: In Leaders Eat Last (Portfolio/Penguin), Simon Sinek wrote: “Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown...Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what is ours...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Are you looking for me, Lord? Help me to recognize Your presence...”
Our study lessons for the past three weeks have explored ways in which we can experience God’s presence.
Just as I typed that first sentence, my phone rang. It was Don. He often goes with me to Duke women’s basketball games, but he had to miss last night’s game because of a conflict in his schedule. This morning, he had read about the yesterday’s game, but he wanted to talk to someone who was actually there. He asked about the crowd. He asked about a friend we usually see at games. He asked about specific players. The fact that I had actually been there made a difference to him.
The people of God had heard about the coming Savior. The people of God had read accounts of what it would be like when the promised King would arrive. The people of God had heard messages from God. But it was not the same as it was when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us! (John 1:14) God had been present in many ways, but God’s living human presence in our midst gave God’s people a chance not just to read about the game, but actually to go to the game! When we read the Gospels, we are talking to people who actually went to the game.
And now, through the Holy Spirit, we get a chance to experience that living presence. The resurrected Lord is still with us. We are at the game!
The Gospel writer makes it clear that the “Word become flesh” is the real thing. That Word is the true God from the beginning (v. 2). That true Word is the one who spoke creation into being (v. 3, Genesis 1:3). The Word of God gave us life and light (vv. 4-5, Genesis 1:3-4). With the coming of Jesus Christ, we get to go to the game.
John 14:19 quotes Jesus: “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.” That is a pretty good assurance that we get to go to the game.
(By the way, the final score last night was Duke 72, Texas A & M 52. I’m glad I got to go to the game!)
What Someone Else Has Said: Martin Marty (Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers, Augsburg Books) has written: “If it is shocking, it is also appealing, because the incarnation, God’s taking on of a form like ours, makes God accessible, available, and approachable.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Amazing grace! You have come and lived among us, O God!...”
Last Sunday, John reported on the bi-annual stew our church conducts. Twice a year, our congregation makes about 1,300 quarts of Brunswick stew, selling it to fund mission projects throughout the year. When John thanked folks for preparing, cooking stirring, and packaging—all that goes into a successful stew, he paused and said, “This is a good example of our stew-ardship.”
Brief pause for you to groan.
Deuteronomy speaks of the stewardship of the land God has given the Israelites. The key to caring for this bounty is to remember that it comes as God’s gift and not as the harvest of our wisdom. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). We are stewards of what God gives us when we walk in the ways God intends (v. 6).
Before the Israelites got to the Promised Land, they wandered in the desert for forty years. Even there, however, they were still to honor the presence of God and to acknowledge that. Leviticus 23:33-43 spells out how they were to celebrate God’s presence with a series of festivals. Desert or Promised Land, God’s presence is to be recognized.
How do we honor these instructions for our own time? When there is plenty, we give God credit. When there is desert we still honor that God is with us. [Remember Psalm 23:4—“Even though I walk through the darkest valley—valley of the shadow of death (KJV)—I fear no evil; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”]
Deuteronomy 8:11 tells us how we are to remember God’s presence, how we are to be stewards of God’s presence. It is by doing what God has commanded. How about loving your neighbor? How about caring for yourself? How about watching over the environment God has given us? How about feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, visiting those in prison? How about using a God-lens as we decide how to spend our money and our time?
Good stewardship—good stew-ardship—recognizes that God is in our midst.
What Someone Else Has Said: In his book of poetry (Becoming Just, Resource Publications) S T Kimbrough, Jr., has written: “Deeds can be our ruination if they’re rooted in conceit. / If they cause utter vexation, our lives will be bittersweet.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Open my heart to Your presence, O God...”
The loud crack of gun shots rang across the college campus. Students scattered in every direction, uncertain where one might find safety. Then, over the campus loudspeaker system came the serious advice: “Shelter in place. Shelter in place.”
In this week’s focal text (Psalm 27), the psalmist faces evildoers (v. 2), adversaries (v. 2), foes (v. 2), an army at war (v. 3), trouble (v. 5), enemies (v. 6, v. 11) more adversaries (v. 12), false witnesses (v. 12), and violence (v. 12). And the psalmist shouts with joy: “Shelter with God. Shelter with God.”
Sheltering with God does not mean that we shall not have trouble or distress. It means that ultimately one can see “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v. 13). Even death has to take second place to the presence of God (Ephesians 2:4-6). (Take a moment and read those verses from Paul’s letter to the saints at Ephesus.)
When the psalmist—attributed to David-- speaks of one request of God (v. 4), it is a desire to live in the house of God, to be present in God’s temple. The temple in Jerusalem may be a symbol of God’s presence, but it is God’s presence, not the building, that is the source of the confidence and joy that the psalmist expresses (v. 3, v. 6). This same assurance is celebrated in the familiar Psalm 23: “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” (Psalm 23:6)
The psalmist recognizes that this kind of confidence in God does not come easily. Believing in God’s sheltering presence is not automatic, so the poet pleads: “Teach me your way, O Lord.” Yes, it is going to take the Lord’s leading (v. 11).
Although written thousands of years ago, Psalm 27 is a word we need to hear in this day. Our divisions, our uncertainties, our angers confront us daily. So we plead with the psalmist, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud” (v. 7). And God will.
What Someone Else Has Said: Will Willimon (Don’t Look Back, Abingdon Press) wrote: “...Hope is always dependent upon God’s fidelity and goodness. More than wishful thinking, biblical hope is a reasonable, confident expectation that’s based upon the nature and work of God—past, present, and future.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Today I come to You, well aware that I am burdened with anxieties that only You can resolve, so I pray for Your presence in a way that will set me free to serve You fully...”
Those in the Wesleyan tradition often speak of “prevenient grace.” This tradition is a reminder that God takes the first step toward us. God speaks and invites us to listen. God offers love and invites us to respond. God spots human need and invites us to serve. God gets there first.
This week’s focal text (Exodus 29:42-46) teaches us that God wants us to create places...create habits...create practices that God can use to bring us that life-giving grace. These conditions are to be “regular” (verse 42). And God will provide leaders (verse 44). And these ordinary places will be made holy by the presence of God (verse 43).
God is not limited to this “tent of meeting” (verse 42) that we create, but God recognizes that often we hear God more clearly, more quickly, when we are in a place where we have met God before. And notice the community nature of God’s reaching out to us: “your generations” (v. 42); “meet with you”—plural (V. 42); “meet with Israelites”—plural (v. 43); “priests”—plural (v. 44); “Israelites”—plural (v. 47); “they...their...them”—plural (v. 46). These verses invite us to be in a community where God speaks.
It is not surprising that God would want to have places in the human experience where God might interact with humankind. After all, God was incarnate in human flesh (John 1:14; Romans 8:32)
Where is that “tent of meeting” for you? Where for you are the community relationships that become tools for God’s presence? God has said that these places and relationships are so God can be with us (Exodus 25:8). And these places and relationships are to be tâmîyd (v. 42). That is a Hebrew word that can be translated “regular,” “continually,” “perpetually,” “daily,” “constantly.” It is an invitation to spiritual disciplines. It is an invitation to spiritual habits.
The journey of faith is not intended to be a solo trip. Faith is not a “once and done” matter. This week’s texts remind us that we are in this together. These verses describe God’s reaching out to be with us as an ongoing gift of grace.
What Someone Else Has Said: In God Is Alive and Well: The Future of Religion in America,
(Gallup Press), Frank Newport quotes Chaeyoon Kim and Robert Putnam: “Our findings suggest that religious people are more satisfied with their lives because they regularly attend religious services and build social networks in their congregations.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “O Holy One, You seek to find ways to let me know You love me...”
After all of these lessons about the living water that God provides, we come to these verses that say that even Jesus gets thirsty. Jesus gets lonely. Jesus needs clothes. This is a bit of a turnaround isn’t it?
Our Lord so fully identifies with us that He hurts when we hurt. And now He calls on us to hurt when others hurt. Service to others is service to Christ. As A. W. Argyle has suggested: to neglect others is to neglect Christ.
It is interesting that both those who have helped the needy (Matthew 25:37-39) and those who have ignored the needy (Matthew 25:44) are surprised to find out that all this has to do with how we treat the Lord. Those who followed Jesus helped others not in order to get special credit, but simply because their character of helping was formed by following Jesus.
This lesson from Jesus does not mean that we are saved by our good works. It means that because of our saving relationship with God, we will do good works. The good works are fruits of the presence of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).
This is not the first time that God’s People have been instructed to care for others. Look at Isaiah 58:7 (The fast that God chooses is to help the hungry and homeless). Look at Ezekiel 18:7 (The righteous pays off debts, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked.)
This is not the only time that followers of Jesus have been reminded to be there for others. Look at 2 Timothy 1:16. (When everyone else turned away, one faithful household cared for the prisoner.) Look at James 1:27. (Pure and undefiled religion is caring for those in distress.) Look at Hebrews 13:2. (Helping strangers could mean actually entertaining angels.)
This lesson closes the series on the Water that God provides when our spirit is thirsty. Now, it moves us “to pass it on.” The One who has refreshed us is now thirsty because others are hurting. What do we do?
What Someone Else Has Said: In his book Is It Time? (Abingdon), Adolf Hansen has written: “According (to a study of physical and emotional well-being), the thing that has stood out with more importance than any other is ‘good relationships.’ They keep people happier and healthier than anything else.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, are You thirsty? How can I help?..
The focal text begins and ends with the crowd divided. Some even wanted Jesus arrested (v. 32), but it ended up without anyone “laying a hand on him” (v. 44). After this incident, some of the chief priests and Pharisees got upset with the temple police for not arresting Jesus. They asked the police why they had not accosted Jesus (John 7:45). The police said they wanted to give Jesus a fair hearing (John 7:51). Some of the crowd remain unconvinced; they thought Jesus was a fraud (John 7:47).
In the midst of this back-and-forth bantering, Jesus made it clear that those who believed in Him would be drinking living water (v. 38), water that would flow and relieve the thirst that comes from guilt, sin, and even death.
Notice something in John 7:38. Jesus speaks of people who believe in Him. That is different from those who simply believe Him. I may believe what someone says, but if I believe in someone, I trust that person’s values, that person’s actions, that person’s promises, that person’s significance. That is what Jesus has invited us to do: not just believe what He says, but believe in Him.
These verses maintain the biblical images of spiritual water to satisfy the thirsty. What is my thirst? Is it for assurance of forgiveness? Is it for confidence in a heavenly future? Is it for strength for living in troublesome times? Is it for divine insight into my relationships? Is it for some level of healing? Our Lord invites us to believe in Him and to drink of the water that will assuage that thirst.
I live out in the country and my water comes from a well. My sister lives in a city and her water comes from a giant public reservoir. We both have water, but how we get it differs. We are invited to believe in Jesus, the Living Water, but the route we have taken to get to that belief may vary from one another. But, there is joy from drinking from that same divine Fountain!
What Someone Else Has Said: Jürgen Moltman (The Way of Jesus Christ, Fortress Press) has written: “The peace of Christ is personally experienced through faith in the depths of the individual heart...But if this peace of soul is Christ’s peace, then it points every soul it touches beyond its own confines to the community of all created being in the cosmos...The peace of Christ is universal...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Almighty, ever living God, in Christ Jesus You have called me into love, and I am grateful. You have invited me to drink from an ever flowing fountain of love, and I am grateful...”
For the psalmist, longing for God is like a thirsty person longing for water (v. 2). We hear an echo of Psalm 23:2...”He leads me beside the still waters.”
The psalmist talks to God (v. 1...”my soul longs for you, O God”). The psalmist talks to self (v. 5...”Why are you cast down, O my soul...?) In a sense, no matter whether the psalmist is talking to God or talking to self, the message is the same: “Things are tough and I need God.”
Twice, the psalmist affirms that the time will come when there will again be praise of the God who helps (v. 5, 8). Even though there is heavy despair, there is the thread of hope.
Is the psalmist giving me permission to get peeved with God? It strikes me that the poet is showing that our relationship with and our attitude toward God should be authentic. God is not going to be fooled if I sound like “happy glow” when I am actually miserable. The psalmist is truthful in saying that although the day will come when “I shall again praise him,” that day is not right now.
Many students of the Bible say that this psalm is actually continued in Psalm 43. That psalm carries the same dual reality as Psalm 42: My enemies are about to eat me alive and I feel neglected by You...but the day will come when I shall again praise You for all Your help.
We know what it is like to have mixed feelings. When my friend Ken died, his widow said, “I hate that he is gone, but I’m glad that he does not have to suffer any more.” It is that kind of truthful sharing that the psalmist does. He feels deserted by God (v. 9); he remembers a time it was not like that (v. 4); and he points to a time when again there will be realized hope (vv. 5, 11).
The psalmist teaches us “Don’t pretend.” If we don’t understand what is going on, say so to God. If it seems that others think God is no longer with us, say so to God. And, let the hope linger that in God’s own time we shall praise God for God’s help.
What Someone Else Has Said: In the fifth century, Augustine wrote: “God has everything that will refresh you. He is able to fill anyone who comes to him...This is what I am thirsting for, to reach him and to appear before him. I am thirsty on my pilgrimage, parched in my running, but I will be totally satisfied when I arrive.” [“Expositions on the Psalms, “Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament, Volume VII, Psalms 1-50 (Intervarsity Press)]
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Just as I am, I pray...”
In this episode, God provides water for a thirsty people, but God uses people (Moses and some of the elders of Israel) to get the job done. Do you suppose God wants to use us in 2023 to do the things needed to make water plentiful and available? God’s plan to care for the creation often includes human instruments.
When I read this story, I am reminded of Isaiah 43:19 when God says that “I am about to do a new thing.” Getting water out of a rock? That certainly is a new thing! What new thing might God want to do in the twenty-first century? Would we accept the work of God if it is not “the way we’ve always done it”?
I wonder why God told Moses to leave the people behind when he went off to strike the rock (v. 5). Perhaps their quarreling and testing would have distracted Moses. Perhaps their fierce complaining would have kept Moses from doing what he needed to do. Maybe there is a clue here that sometimes leaders have to get a little ahead of the flock.
In Exodus 17:5, God tells Moses to use the same staff that Moses used to strike the Nile (See Exodus 7:20). Sometimes in our eagerness to find some new thing that will work, we disregard how God has worked in the past. Is there something we have learned from our previous experiences that will help us attack today’s issues?
Moses took along some of the elders of Israel and they saw what happened when Moses struck the rock. Water! It helps to have witnesses! Are there times when I have tried to “go it alone”? As Charles Wesley wrote (hymn 58, The United Methodist Hymnal), the faith journey is in a community context: “by saints below and saints above, the church is earth and heaven.”
Would Moses have done what he did to get water had not the people been yapping at him? [He even named the place Massah (testing) and Meribah (quarreling).] I do not mean to suggest that we ought to encourage the kind of anger expressed by the people, but I do think this occurrence reminds us that leaders need to listen to those whom they lead. As someone once said to me, “The view on the streets is sometimes better than the view from your office.”
Bottom line: God provided for God’s People. Amen and thank You!
What Someone Else Has Said: In Leaders Eat Last (Postfolio). Simon Sinek wrote: “(Being a leader) is about commitment to the well-being of those in our care...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Use me, Lord...”
This is soap opera material. A man who has fathered a child by one of the family servants (Genesis 16:4) decides that he needs to send that child away so the man can concentrate on raising the son he has had with his wife (Genesis 21:2, 12). The man tried to make things go okay with the servant he was sending away, so he gave her food and water for the journey (Genesis 21:14). Before long, those provisions ran out. The servant woman was so afraid that now her son would die that she put him off at a distance so she would not have to see him perish. That’s when God provided a well of water and a promise that this boy would lead a great nation (Genesis 21:18-19). Oops. If this is a soap opera, it must be time for a commercial.
If there were to be a commercial, it would have to be to advertise the generosity of God. With all we know about Abraham, we might assume that God is too busy with him to have any time to care for those on this little side trip. Not so! God hears the cry of the refugee. Whom do I ignore because I think God is too busy loving others...uh, others like me?
When the child had been born to the servant girl (Hagar), Abraham named him “Ishmael” (Genesis 16:15). What irony! “Ishmael” means “God has listened.” Look again at Genesis 21:17. God has listened! God has heard the voice! When I pray, I need not worry about my language, my Southern accent, or my volume. We all live in a world of “Ishmael.” We all can speak to a God who listens.
Central to this account (and to the next few lessons) is water. Water is a key instrument for God’s care for the creation. One writer has said that water is a metaphor for the human relationship with God. The Church has used the water of baptism as a sign of God’s initiation to claim us.
Hagar and Ishmael might seem like a side trip in the story of God and God’s people, but we do well to remember that these whom society might regard as “second rate” are within the purpose and care of God. Surely, in light of that, we give our attention and support to “the least and the lost.”
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2016, the General Conference has stated: “In the Bible, water in both its physical and spiritual dimensions is a gift...Water cannot be monopolized or privatized. It is to be shared like air, light, and earth....(We) shall affirm, educate, and advocate for clean, accessible, affordable water as a basic human right.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, I thirst for You...”
When I read this week’s focal text, my mind and heart started to work over time.
James is three years old. During worship, he stays in the church nursery, except on the Sundays we have Communion. When it is time to go to the Table, James’ dad goes down to the nursery and brings his son up to join in the Bread and Cup.
Once a month, there is a huge sign in front of our fellowship center: “Free Breakfast.” Our homeless and street-walking neighbors come in and share in food and conversation....
The Chandler Sunday School class goes downtown and prepares and serves meals at the urban ministry center....There is an annual pancake breakfast because that is the way the men of the church remember one of their colleagues, now deceased....Kim bakes cookies by the ton and then she brings them to church where folks buy them with all of the proceeds going to missions...At the monthly business meeting, someone in my Sunday School class will bring favorite refreshments.
How about the ice cream social and hymn sing? What about the monthly fellowship supper with mission-driven speakers? Can we include the “Little Free Pantry” that keeps food available in our church parking lot? Don’t forget the candies and cookies and sandwiches as the Halloween gift to the community in the parking lot. Snacks at the weekly Bible study. Wednesday morning clergy breakfast when local pastors get together. Meals when you get home from the hospital. Water booth at the annual PRIDE parade. Collecting groceries to be given to the homeless shelter.
Jesus knew that lives were transformed by the fellowship of food. He even said to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) as an ongoing invitation to His Table. Our Lord ate with people whom others would ignore. Our risen Lord asked, “Have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:42, and they shared some fish. Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus gave Peter the mission for the future, He said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). It was at a meal that those on the road to Emmaus recognized our Lord (Luke 24:30-31). I’m glad that I can join three-year old James at the Table.
What Someone Else Has Said: S T Kimbrough, Jr. and Dean McIntyre (A Theology of the Sacraments Interpreted by John and Charles Wesley, Resource) wrote: “At the Lord’s Table, we take a two-course meal... which consists of pardoning grace...and the life of holiness animated by the Holy Spirit. ‘O that the world with us would taste’ of this feast, says Wesley.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let our prayer begin: “Make this meal holy...”
This familiar story—feeding the five thousand—is one of the very few miracle accounts that appear in all four gospel collections, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We recognize it as a sign of Jesus’ great compassion (v. 34) and His desire to help this crowd with His teaching (v. 34). We certainly recognize that God is able to do a lot with what we consider “just a little.”
But, I want to zero in on an often forgotten dimension to this incident. The report of the miraculous meal is held in place, surrounded by two similar references. Mark 6:31 says that Jesus wanted the disciples to get off by themselves to take a break. Mark 6:45-46 tells us that when the feeding was over, Jesus still wanted the disciples (and Himself) to get some “away time” for prayer. In between these two appeals for quiet time comes the power of the miracle.
Yet, it is important to note that even our Lord and His closest followers needed time to downshift, relax, and get away. Jesus even went off by himself to pray (Mark 6:46).
I have to ask myself: Am I staying too busy? All the ways I spend my time are good. Relationships with others are important. And preaching and writing and teaching are good uses of my time. But, in light of how Jesus and the disciples used their time, do I have the rhythm of being busy and being quiet? I suspect most of us are busy being busy and do not have the experiences desired in Mark 6:31 (“...Rest a while”) and Mark 6:46 (“He went up on the mountain to pray”).
When was the last time you did nothing? When we the last time you read the Scriptures when they were not assigned for a duty? When was the last time you stopped everything you were doing and had quiet, personal prayer? When was the last time you said “Not now” to an invitation to undertake some helpful task? When was the last time you enjoyed a ball game or a movie or a concert just because you wanted to? When was the last time you thumbed through the hymnal so you could sing some old favorites?
Feeding the five thousand is certainly telling us a lot about our Lord and His values. But, to tell the whole story, we need to acknowledge the context of that miracle: quiet, apart time.
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Extraordinariness of the Christian Life (National Student Christian Federation), Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian’s life. Such customs have only one purpose—to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come apart with me, Lord...”
You would think that it would be a great moment for Elijah. He had just had a showdown competition with the prophets of Baal and Elijah had won (1 Kings 18:38-40). (Charles Wesley wrote a hymn about the follow-up celebration—1 Kings 18:41-46—541 in The United Methodist Hymnal). But things turned sour for Elijah. When Queen Jezebel found out that Elijah had humiliated her favorites and indeed that Elijah had done them in (1 Kings 18:40), she sent a messenger to tell Elijah that she was going to get revenge and have him killed.
Even though Elijah had been blessed as a servant of God’s victory, now he was frightened so much that he fled out into the wilderness (1 Kings 19:3). Doesn’t that sound a bit like us? God has been our strength and shield through all of life, but if life throws us a curve ball, we run for the dugout, not bothering to take a turn at bat. What happened to our confidence in God?
Things were so overwhelming for Elijah that he wished he were dead (v. 4). But food and drink showed up (v. 6) and thus it was for the forty days and forty nights it took Elijah to get to Horeb (v. 8)....There the word of the Lord came to him (1 Kings 19:9).
I got to thinking about it. When life’s journey gets challenging, do I assume that God will desert me? How do I approach the hard moments? What is my “solitary broom tree” (1 Kings 19:4)?
Elijah discovered that the gifts of God sometimes come one day at a time. Elijah discovered that God does not let go of us even when we let go of God. Elijah discovered what the hymn writer Thomas Chisholm expressed as “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” (140, The United Methodist Hymnal).
Elijah was one of the “great ones.” He was a strong and effective prophet. Nevertheless, he also had the time of despair and uncertainty. God found a way to break through that emptiness and to restore Elijah’s meaning and purposefulness. Let us be encouraged that moments of despair do not mean that God is through with us. God is going to go with us to tomorrow and then to tomorrow’s tomorrow.
What Someone Else Has Said: Robert P. Jones (White too Long, Simon and Schuster) quotes a plaque at National Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama: “We will remember with hope because hopelessness is the enemy of justice, with courage because peace requires bravery, with persistence because justice is a constant struggle, with faith because we shall overcome.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God of Yesterday, move with me this day, and point me toward Your tomorrow...”
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Exodus 16:15. God has provided food for a hungry people and they look at it and mutter, “What is it?” How often has God tried to give me a gift and I looked at it and wondered, “What’s going on? What is it?” When God answers my prayer in a way different from what I expect, I might not recognize the gift God wants to give.
The Hebrew children called this bread “manna” (Exodus 16:31). The funny thing is that “manna” is the Hebrew mān hū for “What is it?”
Exodus 16:16 offers some wisdom for us to use in the distribution of food in the twenty-first century. God’s will (“The Lord has commanded...”) is that everyone has enough and no one has more at the expense of those with less. The church I attend has a “Little Free Pantry.” It is a large container that is always unlocked. It has in it all sorts of daily foods. Located in the church parking lot on a busy city street, it is emptied almost every day. I was inspired by what I heard one of the “clients” say the other day. He said, “I could probably use another can of beans and some of that soup, but I think I ought to leave it for someone who hasn’t got here yet.”
Take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 8:8-15. Those verses are the insights of the apostle Paul on this matter of the fair balance between abundance and need. It is interesting to note that Paul offers his observations not as a commandment (v. 8), but as a way of testing the genuineness of our love for others.
Maybe I do not have extra food resources to share. Maybe I do not have spare financial accounts. Maybe I do not have clothes that pile up unused. But, what about my time? Can I share some of it with a lonely person? But, what about my prayer energy? Can I expand the range of those for whom I pray? But, what about my joy in church fellowship? Can I invite an “outsider” to be part of the gathered community?
In this Exodus text, there is a steady prompt to handle things differently on the Sabbath (vv. 22-30). I see this as a reminder that the final focus in all of this is to be on God, the God of us all.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Daily Devotions for Die-Hard Fans (Extra Point Publishers), Ed McMinn has written: “Whether it’s fast food or home-cooked, everything we eat is a gift from God secured through a divine plan in which some plants and animals have given up their lives....That’s worth a thank you!”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “You provide, O Lord...”
How would you like to be named “Judas”? It’s not very likely that you’d plant that name on your new baby! It was a fairly common name in New Testament times; it was simply the Greek version of “Judah,” one of the tribes of Israel and a beautiful portion of the land of the Israelites. This week’s focal text looks at the one sometimes called “Judas Iscariot.” (Some students of the Bible think the name “Iscariot” was added by biblical writers after the death of Jesus; the word “Iscariot” means “betrayer” or “assassin.”)
This man had evidently been one of the most trusted disciples. After all, he was given the role of treasurer (John 12:6). When Jesus told His followers that one of them would betray Him, they had no idea which one it might be (John 13:22). Evidently, even though Judas had pilfered from their common treasury (John 12:6), no one suspected that he might betray the Lord.
Even after Jesus identified Judas as the one who would turn Him over to the authorities (John 13:27), some of the disciples still thought Jesus was simply sending Judas off on some errand (John 13:29). The writer of the Gospel of John is clear that it was Satan that now made disciple Judas become betrayer Judas (John 13:27).
There is, of course, a lot more to the story of Judas [thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), the betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 26:48-49), the suicide of Judas (Matthew 27:5) or perhaps the accidental death of Judas (Acts 1:16-18)], but the challenge of this episode is to ask ourselves when we have been willing to turn against Jesus.
Have I betrayed Him when I chose worldly values instead of His servant values? Have I betrayed Him when I identified as part of His inclusive family in the Church and yet found ways to make some more valuable than others? Have I betrayed Him when I listened more to the cultural power brokers than I did to His message of love?
My name may not be “Judas,” but I am as tempted as the disciple with that name. And what about you?
What Someone Else Has Said: Reinhold Niebuhr (Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, Living Age Books) wrote: “....the author is not unconscious of what the critical reader will divine, a tendency to be most critical of that in (others) to which (one) is most tempted (one’s self.”)
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Master, let me walk with Thee. Keep me from magnetic sin which attracts me...”
This week’s focal text stirs a number of questions: Why did Jesus go so far from His usual region? (v. 24)...Why did Jesus not want anyone to know where He was? (v. 24)...Why did the Gentile woman seek out the Jewish rabbi? (vv. 25-26)...Why did Jesus hesitate to offer healing? (v. 27)...Why did the woman talk back to Jesus? (v. 28)...Why did Jesus heal the woman’s daughter? (v. 29-30)
One conclusion I draw from all this: Just when we think we have Jesus all figured out, He strikes out in a new direction! He brings alive the words of Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I am about to do a new thing.” When we follow our Lord, it is never “business as usual.”
At the heart of this situation is the dialogue between Jesus and the mother of the sick child. It would surely help to know Jesus’ tone of voice and facial expression when he suggested that His mission was first to the Jewish community, not to the “dogs.” (v. 27). Was He teasing? Was He testing the woman’s faith? Was He introducing a conversation starter?
The Syrophoenician woman was equal to the occasion (v. 28). If Jesus was teasing, she picked up on the joke. If He was starting a conversation, she took the next step. If He was testing her faith, she came up with an expression of belief. Bottom line: the daughter was healed.
No matter how we interpret this text, one thing is clear: Jesus has opened doors that others might close. I am left to wonder which doors do I keep closed? Who are the people that I think must be off-limits for God’s love? Indeed, who are the people that I choose not to love?
This is, of course, a story of healing, but it may well be that the deeper message is the universality of God’s love. Jew. Gentile. Agnostic. Atheist. Call the roll and there is no one left out. God loves even those with whom God disagrees! John 1:16 has captured the breadth of such a claim: “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” There is joy when the response to that grace is “Yes.”
What Someone Else Has Said: In S T Kimbrough, Jr.’s book of poetry (The Struggle to Believe, Resource Publications), the poet has written: “The love we find is to be shared,/...and nothing is with it compared./...It’s for the humble, rich, the poor/...and all may of this love be sure.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God, Your love reaches into places and people beyond my understanding. Fill me now with a healing presence that I might learn to love others, even the others who are ‘other’...”
Solomon was a mixed bag. He got the temple built...1 Kings 6:1-38 (Hooray!) He showed great wisdom...1 Kings 4:29-34 (Hooray!) He worked to make for peace...1 Kings 4:24 (Hooray!)
One of the marvelous moment’s in Solomon’s reign came when two women came before him, each claiming to be the mother of the same baby boy (1 Kings 3:16-28). To settle the dispute, Solomon said they should cut the baby in half and give each woman half of the baby. The real mother screamed “No! Give the baby to the other woman!” When Solomon saw the anguish of the one woman, he knew she was the real mother, and granted her the child. Wisdom.
But King Solomon was a mixed bag. In this week’s focal text, we see that he had hundreds of wives and concubines (v 3). He began to worship the gods of his foreign wives (v. 5) and even built high places for their worship (v. 7). God is so upset that God says, “I will surely tear the kingdom from you...” (1 Kings 11:11). Solomon loses. Because of God’s grace, there will be a token tribe left (1 Kings 11:13).
Most of us cannot identify with Solomon’s wisdom or his wealth or his power. Most of us are just ordinary kind of folks. But we need to be aware that when God judged Solomon, it was not on the basis of wisdom, wealth, or power. God judged Solomon on whether or not Solomon had obeyed the covenant (God’s agreement with God’s people) and kept God’s commandments (1 Kings 11:11). You and I are subject to judgment on these same points.
What is that covenant? What are those commandments? Some scribes asked Jesus the same question. That is when our Lord said that our agreement with God can be summed up in loving God and loving neighbor (Mark 12:28-31, Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-28). All of the gospel writers included this basic truth.
Solomon was a king with a kingdom. Each of us has a life and a “lifedom.” We are called to the same values and truths as was Solomon. In our free will, we choose ways we will (and ways we will not) honor the God of that “lifedom.” It is measured in our love for God in every way we can love and it is measured in how we love our neighbor. Solomon was a mixed bag. What about you?
What Someone Else Has Said: Francis S. Collins, (The Language of God, First Press) has written: “Knowledge itself has no intrinsic moral value; it is the way in which knowledge is put to use that acquires an ethical dimension.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Holy Spirit, touch me with love...”
It sounds like the plot of a TV drama: the heroine is a prostitute who tells lies. (Check out Joshua 2:1 and Joshua 2:3-5). This mixture hardly seems like the account of someone faithful to God.
Nevertheless, Rahab is one of the few women mentioned in Matthew’s account of the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). Nevertheless, Rahab is celebrated as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:31). Nevertheless, James uses Rahab as an example of good works (James 2:25). It seems that Rahab spoke Truth, even though she did not speak truth!
I am remembering the stories of German citizens who saved their Jewish neighbors during the Second World War. These citizens would hide their Jewish neighbors in the trunk of their car and when asked by Nazi police “What do you have in your trunk?”, they would reply “Just the usual groceries.” It was a lie, but it was love, dangerous love.
Some scholars think the Rahab mentioned in Matthew 1:5 is a different Rahab from the one in this story in Joshua. Even so, the name “Rahab” is one honored in our faith tradition. We remember the name “Rahab” because of this harlot who believed in Yahweh (Joshua 2:11). In that culture, it was uncommon for a woman to be honored, much less one who had made her living as a prostitute. What an encouragement it is to realize that God is able to use our lesser selves!
These verses in Joshua are not intended to convince us that it does not matter about our moral choices (prostitution?), but they do assure us that even when we make wrong choices, God does not let go of us and God still can use us. In those days, a woman who was not supported by the males in her family was left to desperate decisions for survival. But notice that Rahab, when asking for safety from the invading Israelite army, she includes the men (father, brothers) in her family (Joshua 2:13). The customs of that time would suggest that they had abandoned her, but she had not abandoned them. I dare not limit God to using only holy people for God’s work.
What Someone Else Has Said: In A Theology for Our Times (Wethington Family Foundation), L. Elbert Wethington is quoted from one of his sermons: “(Humans) need God’s grace, need faith to act where they can’t see the possible outcome; and power from an eternal, indestructible Source.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Grace-giving God, take my frail self and use it for love...”
When we sing the hymn “Holy, Holy., Holy,” we know that we are singing about God (“Lord God Almighty”). The writer of 1 Peter has added another dimension: “But, as obedient children, you must be holy in every aspect of your lives, just as the one who called you in holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Me, holy? This must be a misprint in every Bible on my shelf.
Many students of the Bible conclude that this letter was addressed primarily to Gentile Christians. These believers would not automatically see themselves in the heritage and learnings of Jewish Christians, so Peter reminds them of how they fit into that story. He quotes Leviticus 19:2: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to the whole community of the Israelites: You must be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’”
One meaning of the word “holy” is “set apart.” If I am “set apart,” my values are not the values of the world. My priorities are not the priorities of the world. My words, my actions, are not the words and actions of the world.
Let’s come down “the ladder of abstraction.” (Thanks to S. J. Hayakawa for that term.) How holy is our church budget? For that matter, how holy is my pocketbook? (Do I spend money in the same way as non-believers?) How holy is my use of time? How holy is my attitude toward the woman holding up the sign “Homeless”? How holy am I toward those with whom I disagree? How holy am I toward the clerk at the supermarket?
Being holy looks like an impossible task. Peter puts all of this in the context of hope (v. 6). He acknowledges that it is not easy or simple—note he acknowledges that his readers are in times of “various trials” (vv. 3, 6). Even so, the believers move on the journey with hope, a hope that lives because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Hope” and “holy.” Those two themes describe the gift and challenge of living a faithful life. We have hope because of what we have seen in Jesus Christ. We are to be holy because we are shaped by a holy God. It’s not too soon to start.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Mud and Poetry (Fresh Air Books), Tyler Blanski has written: “But holiness is also never a life of extremes for the sake of extremes. It’s extreme because Jesus demands of us the impossible. He wants us daily to die to ourselves, to forget ourselves, so that we might find our identity in him alone. And this includes every part of our lives...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Christ, the Holy One, shape me to be what I must be in order to follow You...”
If I counted correctly, in the Common English Bible translation, there are 306 words in this week’s focal text. That means that there are about 306 ways we could study these verses. Wow! Paul had a lot to say to the Corinthians about the resurrection! Where to begin?
If I counted correctly, in my copy of a Greek New Testament, there are 257 words in this week’s study text. That means that there are about 257 Greek words we could examine as we explore what Paul said about the resurrection of the dead. Where to begin?
If I counted correctly...before I pull that Spanish New Testament off the shelf, let me admit what must be obvious: I am stalling before digging into these long and complex passages.
Paul has heard that there are folks in Corinth who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12). If Christ is not raised from the dead then all the Church says and does is useless (vv. 14-15). If Christ is not raised from the dead, then we are pathetic (v. 19).
But Christ has been raised and He was human (v. 22). It is evidence that Death does not have the last word for humans ((v. 23). Death has been brought under the control of Christ (vv. 26-27). In Christ, there is life available for all (v. 22).
This morning my car would not start. I figured the battery was dead, so I called AAA. About a half hour later, a huge wrecker truck pulled into my driveway, ready to help this hapless old man. To show the guy from the wrecker service the problem, I stepped into the car and pressed the start button. The engine laughed and offered full power. I thought it was dead, but it came with new life.
When I reflect on the death of loved ones and even when I ponder my own demise, I think things look pretty dead. But in Christ Jesus I see the hope and promise of resurrection into new life. Christ is just the first fruit of the harvest (v. 20). There is more to come!
Incidentally, I know you have been wondering. There were 334 words in the Spanish translation.
What Someone Else Has Said: Margaret Thrall (I and Ii Corinthians, Cambridge) wrote: “The preliminary defeat of Death took place when Jesus was raised from the dead, but complete victory will not be achieved until the general resurrection occurs.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You, Risen Lord...”
Would Thomas fit in very well at your church? After all, even after the other disciples have witnessed to him about the risen Lord, Thomas refused to get on board (John 20-25-26). Let’s give the disciples credit for not pushing Thomas aside just because he did not believe in the same way they did. I am not always comfortable around folks who don’t agree with me on politics and religion. Would Thomas fit in very well at your church?
Would Jesus fit in very well at your church? The disciples had tried to signal that they did not want anything to do with others. They had locked the door (John 20:19, 26). It may have been out of fear (v. 19); it may have been out of the uncertainty because they did not want to have to use the spiritual power of forgiveness that Jesus had given hem (v. 23). Has your congregation in some way sent a signal as to who was and who was not welcomed? Has your congregation ever hesitated to undertake some mission planted by Jesus? (Oops. I just looked in the mirror.) Would Jesus fit in very well at your church?
But look what happened! Jesus just walked on in anyhow! He just came through the locked doors that were intended to lock out the uninvited (John 20:26). Where in my life have I tried to close out others (including Jesus) and found that Jesus has a way of getting in?
In John 20:29 Jesus mentions you and me. He blesses those who have not seen Him and yet have believed. The Gospel writer says that he has written this account just for that reason, so those who were not in that room with Jesus can believe and have life (John 20:31). There is a little of Thomas in each of us, wondering “Is this too good to be true?” That question is answered for Thomas when he sees and touches Jesus. For many of us, that question is answered when we see evidence of Jesus’ presence: forgiveness, care for the poor, persons equally loved, healing, acceptance, life-changing teaching, community, faith. It is good and it is true!
In Mark 9:14-29, there is a story that fits today’s theme. A father brings his seriously ill son to Jesus. The boy is foaming at the mouth and rolling around on the ground (Mark 9:20). The father begs Jesus to help them (v. 22). Jesus says that “all things can be done for the one who believes” (v. 23). Then comes the moment the father speaks for all of us: “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). That is the plea that I make. How about you?
What Someone Else Has Said: Jean Wise (Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room, Barbour) quotes Oswald Chambers: “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, help my unbelief...”
My house is out in the country, and my mailbox is about three-hundred yards away at the road. Today, I walked up to the mailbox around 10:00 AM to see if the mail had come. It had not. I went again around noon. The mail had not come. At 3:00, I walked up there again. No mail. Finally, when I went back around 4:30, I found the box packed with magazines and bills and advertisements. It took four trips, but I got what I was looking for. I knew what I would eventually find.
Not so at that first Easter. The women had not kept making trips to the tomb, each time looking for a resurrected Jesus. They did not anticipate that eventually one of their trips would be rewarded with the news that the tomb was empty, just as they expected. No! They went once and did not find at all what they expected. There was no body. Instead, there was an angel, some terrified guards, and the surprising news that Jesus was not there. He had risen from the dead! It was not what they had gone looking for. There was Good News when they did not expect any.
Jesus had two instructions for the women (Matthew 28:10) and I believe they are also instructions for us. (1) The first is (as Weymouth translates it) “Dismiss all fear.” (2) The second is “Let others know about this.” Which of these is more difficult for you to do? Letting go of our fears and anxieties is not easy. Finding ways to let others know that Jesus is alive is not automatic.
The New Testament word for “fear” carries with it the implication of something that is done to you. The thing that frigthens you may not even be intended to be frightening. Or, it may be frightful in one context and not in another; a campfire flame cooking a meal is wonderful; an out-of-control burst of forest fire is frightening. The women were overwhelmed by the unexpected news of Jesus’ resurrection, so our Lord tells them that fear is not needed.
How do we do what Jesus has asked the women to do---go tell others? My actions often speak louder than my words. Do I live in a way that shows that I believe that Jesus is alive? Do I live in a way that shows that I accept Jesus’ presence in my life today? Do I live in such a way that Jesus gets the credit?
What Someone Else Has Said: In his book The Joy of the Gospel (Image), Pope Francis wrote: “Christ’s resurrection everywhere calls forth seeds of that new world; even if they are cut back, they grow again, for the resurrection is already secretly woven into the fabric of this history, for Jesus did not rise in vain.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Hallelujah! You are alive!...”
Mr. Hall was in church every Sunday. He sat in the same pew near the front and every week he went to sleep, sometimes even before my sermon! Someone once asked him why he came to church if he was going to go to sleep. He replied, “I just want God to know which side I am on.”
The three disciples went with Jesus to let Him know which side they were on. Peter had just said, “Even if I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” Oops.
Do you remember the lesson a few weeks ago when Jesus asked James and John if they could drink the cup He was about to drink (Matthew 20:22)? Now, Jesus is wondering aloud in His prayer if the cup of suffering might be taken away before He has to drink it (Matthew 26:39). There is a beauty of authenticity in Jesus’ desire to escape the impending cross. He doesn’t say “Hooray! I get to suffer just to show much good I am! Hooray! I get to suffer just to show how obedient I am! Hooray! I get to suffer just to save sinners!” He does not seek the cross, but He does not turn from it. He prays, “Not what I want, but what You want...not my will, but Thine” (Matthew 26:42). There is a sense in which all of the teachings of Jesus become more believable because of the genuineness of this moment. If He is truthful about His feelings at this moment, how true He has been in times of lesser stress!
And the three disciples sleep. People these days brag about having been at a World Series game or at the Final Four basketball tournament. Do you think the disciples bragged about being with Jesus at this pivotal moment in the story? Me thinks not. If they wanted to show which side they were on, it begins to look like they play for “the other team.”
Judas walks up (Matthew 26:47). And the plot thickens. It moves unfailingly toward the cross (Matthew 26:47-27:50). “Then, he died” (Matthew 27:50). You’d think that would be the end of the story, but (spoiler alert), it isn’t.
Because I know “the rest of the story,” it is easy for me to think that I would have been faithfully awake with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is easy for me to think that I would have been a consistent and loyal follower. Truthfully, even knowing how the story ends, there is too much evidence of my “sleeping on the job” to think that this account would be any different if you substituted my name for James or John. Are you awake?
What Someone Else Has Said: In Philip William Otterbein (Board of Publication, Evangelical United Brethren Church), author Arthur Core quotes Otterbein: “Where in us has Christ destroyed the power of death?”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Awaken me, Lord...”
Students of the Bible often conclude that Matthew addressed his gospel account largely to the Jewish Christian community. He begins his account with that lengthy Hebrew genealogy of the Messiah, traced all the way back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17). So, it is not surprising to find this question in this week’s focal text: Is the Messiah the son of David? (Matthew 22:41-46)
Jesus starts the conversation with the Pharisees by asking whose son the Messiah is. The religious Pharisees know their heritage and assert that the Messiah will be the son of David (v. 42). That is when Jesus plays a surprise card; He quotes the psalm in which David refers to the Messiah as “my lord,” a term that a father would not use to depict a son (Psalm 110:1). Jesus is moving to the claim that He, the Messiah, is the Son of God.
The other gospel writers find ways to make the same claim. Mark 12:35-37 tells the same story as we have looked at in Matthew. Luke 20:41 gives the same account. John 1:14 is clear that Jesus is the Word made flesh and is the father’s only son. Going back to Matthew, remember the writer’s reminder that the Christ is from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). God’s Son.
How important is all this? Let me come at it this way. This morning I received an ad from an office supply store; it said that crayons were 20% off this week. That is not particularly valuable information for me. I suppose I could go and buy a few boxes of crayons for a local kindergarten, but you get the picture: fresh crayons are not a big part of my life. On the other hand, knowing that Jesus is the Son of God makes a transitional difference for me. It marks my relationship with God. It gives God’s voice in a human life that I can follow. It becomes the fullness of God’s saving gift to me. And it is not 20% off; it is a free gift of grace!
Let’s close with this. I have a desk calendar that has a “word of the day.” The word on the day I am writing this is “eidetic.” It means “extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall.” When I know that Jesus is the Son of God, I recall those accounts of His ministry with new accuracy: healing, love of justice, reconciliation, forgiveness, sacrifice, teaching—all as the work of God. In Jesus we are hearing the voice of God.
What Someone Else Has Said: In The United Methodist Hymnal (no. 436) (United Methodist Publishing House) is a hymn by John Haynes Holmes: “The voice of God is calling its summons in our day; Isaiah heard in Zion and we now hear God say: ‘Whom shall I send to succor my people in their need? Whom shall I send to loosen the bonds of shame and greed?’”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “I hear You, Lord, Jesus, and know that I hear the voice of God...”
Have you begun to pull together all those receipts and papers you will need to file this year’s taxes? (Now don’t embarrass me by saying that you have already filed for this year. Maybe I had to put it off until I had a chance to purview this text.)
There is something at the beginning of this account that challenges me. When those who wanted to trap Jesus (the Greek word for “trap” is one used for trapping an animal) began speaking, they began with a load of praise (Matthew 22:16). They tell Jesus that He is Mr. Wonderful and surely always He teaches exactly what God would have taught. Jesus sees right through that flattery and knows they are up to no good (v. 8). What bothers me here is that now I an wondering: Do all of my praises of our Lord seem hollow to Jesus? When Jesus looks at my actions (and not merely my words), does He see that I am posturing and pretending? When has my lauding of Jesus not matched the way I lived my life?
Jesus’ answer to his questioners is not a slam dunk of clarity. Over the years students of the Bible have disagreed as to the implications of what Jesus said. Did He mean that faithful Jews should submit to Roman authority? Did He mean that government has a legitimate place in human society? Was He giving a principle for our understanding of separation of Church and State?
It helps to look at the context in which Jesus spoke. He was addressing Pharisees (v. 15) and Herodians (v. 16). So, He was facing two groups, one of whom was a strict stickler for every minute detail of the Law of Moses and the other who was a political ally of Herod. Maybe He is saying to the Herodians, “Go ahead; pay your taxes.” Maybe He is saying to the Pharisees, “Everything in life belongs to God.” Neither Pharisees nor Herodians could argue with those statements. No wonder “...they were astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 22:33).
It helps to look at the verses that follow this study text. The Pharisees have a follow-up question: “What is the greatest commandment of the Law?” (Matthew 22:6). That is when our Lord reminded us all of our call to love God fully (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to love neighbor fully (Leviticus 19:18). And I think that is what this week’s lesson is about!
What Someone Else Has Said: In the Charles P. Frank novel Digging for Cash (iUniverse), there is this scene: “Bette Curtis got up from her seat, walked directly to Gertie, and embraced her. ‘Ms. Babble, I have loved you. I do love you. I will love you. Does that cover all the tenses?’”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, teach me to love both myself and my neighbor...”
Did you see the headline in this morning’s paper? Did you see the news that screamed across the Internet today? Well, I didn’t. I am writing this several months ahead of when you will read it, but I have a guess about the headlines you will see today. There will be one or two articles that will raise the questions “Who do those people think they are?” “Who gave him the power to do things like that?” “Who put her in charge?” It’s not unusual to raise question about the authority others have for doing what they do. That’s what happening in today’s study text. The leadership saw Jesus come into the temple (v. 23). They watched him teaching and asked a very forthright question: “Who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)
Evidently, Matthew enjoyed exploring issues of authority. Take a look at these verses in the Gospel according to Matthew: 7:29, 9:6, 9:34, 12:24, 12:27, 28:18. In each of these situations, there is some inquiry or statement about Jesus’ authority. Jesus was clear about His authority. He said, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:19).
So, when he answers this inquiry about his authority by asking a question, it is not because Jesus was unsure; it was His way of handling a devious crowd. As Matthew points out, the temple chief priests and elders got so entangled in their disagreement about the authority of John the Baptizer that they had to admit they could not agree.: “We don’t know” (Matthew 21:27). That opened the door for Jesus to set aside the issue.
Yet, the question does not go away. The Twenty-first Century asks: Is Jesus just a wise teacher from another generation? Is Jesus an out-of-date religious guru? Is Jesus just one of many who thought about serious things? Perhaps the bottom line is: Do you believe what John 1:14 says? “The Word became flesh...” Is this Jesus what God wants to say and do among us?
Perhaps this question from the leaders of the temple---“Who gave you this authority?---is one of life’s most important questions. You live your life according to what you think the answer is to that question. What say you?
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Mind of Jesus (Harper and Row), William Barclay wrote: “So then Jesus came with the claim for absolute obedience, with the claim for complete loyalty, with the claim to have the right to disturb life, with the claim to be the agent of judgment, with the claim to be nothing less than the touchstone of God. If anyone makes a claim like that, he is either a deluded megalomaniac or the Son of God; he is either mad or divine. Which was Jesus?”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord Jesus, Son of God...”
“Back in the day” there was a custom that the king would protect and give benefit to anyone who was allowed to drink from the king’s cup. No wonder the mother of James and John wanted to them drink from Jesus’ cup!
Then, our Lord explains that this might not exactly what the disciples are expecting (Matthew 20:22). To drink from Jesus’ cup does not assure one of privilege; it means that one will be given the role of servant (even stronger, as slave) (Matthew 20:26-27). To drink from Jesus’ cup is not to make oneself “number one”; it is to work for victory for others (v. 28).
In this second week in Lent, from our perspective we can begin to see the shadow of a cross. Those early disciples did not have the benefit of knowing “how the story ended.” They were “testing the waters” to see what following Jesus would mean for them.
In reality, that is not so different for us. What does it mean for my relationships if I choose to follow Jesus? What does it mean for my enemies if I choose to follow Jesus? What does it mean for social justice if I choose to follow Jesus? Jesus came to serve, not to be served. What happens if I am called to service, rather than to being served? (Matthew 20:28).
Well, maybe it won’t be so bad to do all that serving if it earns me a place in God’s Kingdom. After all, we can hardly expect to get such a reward without a lot of work on our part. Uh, Jesus doesn’t think so. Look at verse 23. Jesus says, in effect, that you can do all the good works you can but a place in God’s Kingdom is finally only by God’s grace. In a sense, we do the good works not to earn God’s grace, but to say “thank you” for God’s grace.
Why do you think the ten disciples got angry with the two who made the request of Jesus for a special pace in the coming Kingdom (v. 24)? Maybe they are upset that they didn’t think of it first. Maybe they thought James and John didn’t understand some of the basics. Maybe they are envious of the special time Jesus has for the mother of Zebedee’s sons. Jesus does not blast back at the ten angry disciples. He simply takes this as a teaching moment. What envy do I have for others in the Church? What anger do I have because I think another Christian fails to understand the Gospel? Maybe Jesus still has some teaching to do!
What Someone Else Has Saud: Chrysostom, a fourth century bishop, (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT 1b, Intervarsity Press) wrote: “A person is not a true disciple who does not imitate his or her teacher; nor is it a true image that is not like its creator.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Send me on service, Lord..
When I was in the eighth grade, as we listened to our teacher explain a Mark Twain story, my friend Paul raised his hand and said, “Mrs. Gyles, I think you are wrong.” A gasp of shock rushed across the room. We were in a culture that did not challenge authority, but underneath it all, I admired Paul for speaking up.
Truth to tell, I also admire Peter for speaking up in Matthew 16:22. It is interesting how various translations have described what Peter did. Common English Bible says “scolding him.” New Revised Standard Version reports “rebuke him.” The Knox translation renders it: “remonstrating with him.” Charles P. Williams offers “began to chide him.” The NT in Language of Today “started to correct him.” Norlie’s version says “protestingly said to him.” Moffatt’s translation offers “began to reprove him.” Truth to tell, I do not reprove/scold/rebuke/chide Jesus with my words, but I have to confess that I do reprove/scold/rebuke/chide Jesus with my actions.
Peter had just proclaimed that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah (Matthew 16:16). The problem was that Peter did not understand all that it meant; he did not grasp the part about the suffering and death of the Christ. I can understand Peter’s failure. When I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I often set aside the implications of that. (Surely He doesn’t mean I am to love my enemies! Surely He doesn’t mean I am to forgive as I want to be forgiven! Surely He doesn’t mean that I am to fight structures that keep people poor!)
I’m glad that Peter was open and honest in sharing his insight (mistaken as it was) with Jesus. I’m also glad that Jesus was ready to confront Peter with the limits of the disciple’s understanding. Jesus recognized the temptation to judge success by worldly standards, such as “how many” and “how much.” Following Jesus is defined more by a cross (v. 24) than it is by worldly triumph.
Let’s not overlook a key point that shows up in the verses following this week’s focal text. Look at Matthew 17:1. Notice who is with Jesus when the Master goes apart for the Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter with Him, the same disciple who He had said might be a stumbling block (Matthew 16:23) to the Messiah’s purpose. Have I messed up? Maybe the Lord will still take me with Him.
What Someone Else Has Said: In his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Alleson), John Wesley wrote: “If any man would be willing to come after me---None is forced, but if any would be a Christian it will be on these terms.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Correct me, O Lord...”
Friendship is more than just liking someone else. True friendship involves my willingness to go to bat for the other even at damage to me. The story of David and Jonathan in this week’s focal text is an example of the kind of true friendship.
Students of the Bible disagree on some of the dimensions of the love than Jonathan and David had for each other. Did it have a sexual component? In 1 Samuel 20:41, the two men kiss. In 2 Samuel 1:26, David speaks of his love for Jonathan being greater than the love of women. For some, this honors David and Jonathan as a homosexual relationship. For others, they note that the Hebrew word used for “love” in these verses is not the Hebrew word used for sexual love. Maybe we can agree on one point: the sexual nature of the relationship is irrelevant to the quality of friendship.
Jonathan has two competing loyalties: his father, King Saul, and his friend David. Jonathan tries to connect the two; he takes his royal identity and gives it to David (1 Samuel 18:4). David is masterful as a solider (1 Samuel 18:5), so the king promotes him. That works until the populace begins to celebrate David more than they do Saul (1 Samuel 18:7). This flips the switch for Saul who now tries to get rid of David (1 Samuel 18:10). This “yes” and “no” pattern continues with Jonathan trying to stay in good relationship with his father and with David. (This push-and-shove continues well after this week’s study passages.)
The Hebrew word most often used for “friend” is rêa<. That word comes from a root word that describes the kind of care that a shepherd gives to the flock. Is it any wonder that early disciples were moved to call Jesus “Good Shepherd”? (John 10:11) Jonathan and David had this kind of friendship, constantly caring for the other. Jesus says that friendship with God means keeping God’s commands (John 15:10). What kind of friend am I?
Indeed, what kind of friend am I?
What Someone Else Has Said: Dinah Maria Mulock Craik is quoted in Jan Karon’s novel Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (G. P. Putnam’s Sons): “Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person: having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them out, just as they are—chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Holy Shepherd, You care for me; move me to graze in pastures green...”
Get out a Kleenex before you start reading this week’s text. What a beautiful story! What an amazing account of a parent’s love! Jesus called God “Abba” (sometimes translated “Daddy”) (Mark 14:36) because He saw there a love that suffers in order to do what is good for a child. It was just the kind of love that our Lord Himself showed when He accepted the cross because it was good for us (Hebrews 12:2).
Did you catch the passing reference at the beginning of the story? The two women were prostitutes (v. 16). We might not be surprised that one of the women was willing to slice the baby into two pieces. After all, aren’t prostitutes people of low morals and sinful behavior? But, how do we deal with the fact that the brave heroine of the story is also a prostitute? Do you suppose God can use persons who are less than perfect? Do you suppose we are defined more by our bottom line values than by our mistakes? Do you suppose that God has grace hidden in the most unlikely places?
Just before this incident, King Solomon had a dream (v. 15) in which God commended him for wanting wisdom more than he wanted wealth (v. 11) The fact that this account comes immediately after that dream suggests that God gave Solomon the wisdom he desired. What have I asked God to give me? Position? Power? Privilege? Prestige? What if I asked God to give me a place to serve, a people to love, and new beginnings possible?
This is strange: a mother willing to give away a son she loves. She does it in order to save his life. She is willing to bear great hurt; she is willing to have great loneliness; she is willing to let go of her own future...and all of it because she loved the son. What is best for him? It is not ideal that he be given to the scheming other woman, but at least he would be given a chance to live.
One more thing. This woman who likes the cruel suggestion that the baby be cut in half with each woman getting half is a mother whose son has just died and he had died because she rolled over on him during the night. Can you imagine the anguish in her heart? Can you understand the self-torment that motivated her? Her dreadful request that the baby be divided comes out of her emptiness and pain. There is room here for sympathy for her crazed hope for half a child. When I see anger in another person do I know what else is going on in their life? Hang onto that tissue.
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Second Mountain (Random House, David Brooks quotes C. S. Lewis: “To love at all is to be vulnerable.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God, You have loved me...”
The answer is 27. The question is: How many times in this text from 1 John does some form of the word “love” appear? Many students of the Bible are familiar with the Greek word agapē. All twenty-seven uses of “love words” are some form of agapē. This is the self-giving love seen in God. This is the caring initiative seen in God. This is the undeserved acceptance seen in God. This is the sacrificial willingness seen in God. And we are called upon to love in the same way.
As Robert W. Wall has said (The CEB Study Bible): “God is the source and example of true love.”
The Old Testament Book of Ruth shows love that jumps across ethnic lines. The Hebrew Boaz cares for the Moabite Ruth. He knows how “to work the system,” (Ruth 4:6-8) and gets to claim her (Ruth 4:10). Then, the people who heard Boaz’s acceptance of Ruth celebrated and offered their blessing (Ruth 4:13). Out of their marriage came a son (Obed), who became the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17, 22). Out of the line of David comes the Savior (Matthew 1:5-16). A little love goes a long way!
It is one thing to translate agapē into English; it is quite another thing to translate agapē into Twenty-first Century! I keep looking through these verses from 1 John, trying to find the clause that let’s me make an exception on whom I love. The closest “escape clause” I can find is in verse 20. In that verse, I determine that if I am willing to be called “a liar” before God, then I can pick and choose whom I shall love. That’s not much of an option.
Loving someone does not mean that I agree with them. Loving someone does not mean that I admire them. Loving someone does not mean that I want to be like them. Think back over all the people Jesus met. Did He agree with them all? Did He admire all of them? Did He want to be like all of them? Of course not! Did He love all of them? Yes! Yes! Yes!
When Jesus was asked to give an example of how to love a neighbor (Luke 10:25-37), He told a story about a Samaritan who helped a man who had been beaten up by robbers. (I think it is interesting that we call that story “the Good Samaritan,” as if we assume other Samaritans are bad.) But, in the story, love does not come from the people we expect to be caring (priest, v. 31, Levite, v. 32). Love comes from an outsider. I am left to wonder: “Who is trying to love me?”
What Someone Else Has Said: In S T Kimbrough, Jr.’s book (The Struggle to Believe, Resource Publications), the poet has written: “But we must also be sign and show this love is yours and mine. We too must love the rich and poor; that’s how they’ll know God’s love is sure.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God of love, help me to love...”
The chief priests and religious authorities were trying to pick a verbal fight with Jesus, maybe tricking Him into saying something that would turn the people against Him. Jesus answered their forays by telling stories. Today's study text is such a parable.
There are several handles for picking up these verses, but let's zero in on the strange scene when the king gets upset because one of the guests at the wedding party is not wearing the appropriate attire for the occasion (Matthew 22:11-13).
In that middle eastern culture, the clothes told a lot about a person. [Take a look at last week's study; believers are invited to wear the clothes of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:10, 12)] In the parable about the wedding feast, this man is not wearing a wedding robe. The king becomes furious and sends the man away.
Jesus is telling the Pharisees and scribes that it is not enough just to say "Yes" to God. We are also expected to live according to the values of God. Showing up at the party-showing up at church-is not enough. We are also to relate to others, make our decisions, and be spiritually clothed (Colossians 3:10, 12) according to the standards of the Lord of the Church, the One who invited us to the party.
You can tell that those religious leaders were disturbed by this story hat Jesus told because the very next thing they did was "plotted to entrap him in what he said" (Matthew 22:14).
If I am not challenged by this story, perhaps I have not heard it well.
If I am not bothered by this story, perhaps I have too high an opinion of myself.
IfI am not pondering how I might "dress better," perhaps I am too settled in my faith journey.
The clothes we are to wear are those spelled out in the previously mentioned Colossians text. Am I dressed well-enough to stay at the king's party?
What Someone Else Has Said:
Bishop Kenneth Carder has written (Living Our Beliefs, Discipleship): "The church's identity and mission are rooted in God. As a community called into being for the purpose of participating in God's life and mission, the church must live its divine identity and mission."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Clothe me, Holy God ... "
Tonight, I shall take off the shirt I have worn today. Tomorrow morning, I shall put on a different shirt. The writer of Colossians uses the image of taking off and putting on clothes to describe how believers are to get rid of old practices and to start wearing new and divinely-touched garments. (I need to keep in mind that I can still put on that dirty shirt tomorrow. Even if I have grown in my faith walk, I can still go back to old ways.)
Translators scramble to find words that capture the essence of what Paul is saying. The NRSV says (Colossians 3:12): compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Common English Bible says "gentleness." W. J., Conybeare chooses "tenderness ofheart, self-humiliation." J.B. Phillips renders the text as "accept life and be most patient." In The Message, Eugene Peterson refers to "quiet strength and discipline."
Do you recognize yourself yet?
Oops. There are also those things that we might recognize: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, anger, wrath, slander, abusive language (vv. 5, 8). Surely Paul is talking about those folks who didn't get to church last Sunday. Maybe. Maybe not.
Do you recognize yourself yet?
Most ofus are described to some extent in both robes-those of Christ and those of the world. After all, this epistle is written to those who called the Church home ... sort oflike we do. Change the name of the church from Colossae to Bethany or Trinity or First or Main Street or St. John's ... and the texts still apply. Do you recognize yourself yet?
In listing the clothes of the world and the clothes of God, the writer lists items most of which are found in our relationship with others. And the standard of judgment comes in Colossians 3: 17---Can I do and say what I do and say and authentically say that it is in the name of Jesus. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus have me do? Do you recognize yourself yet?
What Someone Else Has Said:
J. Mickey Efird (Christ, the Church, and the End, Judson Press) wrote: "The Christian experience is one that is constantly and continuously renewed day-by-day, because the present world with its power of sin and evil constantly beckons to one to return to the old ways."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Stay with me, Lord; this isn't easy. Help me wear the robes of Your presence ... "
There must be a dozen or more places in this week's Gospel text that we might explore, but let's zero in on John 17:15. Jesus prayed, "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one."
Wouldn't you think our Lord would want to get us out of a world filled with racism, gender discrimination, political strife, climate damage, elitism, wars, avarice, sexual bias ... You name your own pains in the world. Wouldn't you think the Lord would want us to get out of such a world?
But, He says, "As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." (John 17:18)
If ever there were a divine injunction for us to work for social justice and political reform and human unity, this is it.
Paul certainly knew how difficult it would be to live as a faithful, holy disciple. He described that journey as being tossed to and fro and about and being victimized by lying schemes (Ephesians 4:14). Were it not for the prayerful support of our Lord, who would want to live in such a world? Sometimes, we who are Christian are tempted to believe that faith in our Lord is enough to make life flow gently. Not so! God chose to live in a world that misunderstood Him, that mistreated Him, and eventually killed Him. Jesus certainly knew what He was asking us to do when He prayed that we stay in the world!
There is a verse that comes just before today's study passage. Look at John 16:33. Then, look at 1 John 5:4. Both speak of how the Lord has conquered the world. That's why He sends us into the world. We are to be part of the way Jesus overcomes prejudice, hatred, disunity, and brokenness.
Life in the Church is not so we can escape the world; it is so we can engage the world.
What Someone Else Has Said:
Bob Farr and Kay Kotan wrote (10 Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Abingdon): "Healthy congregations have some degree of conflict. If there is not conflict, there is a lack of pushing the envelope. A healthy congregation is one that has learned how to manage conflict-not necessarily resolve it."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Go with me, Lord, into the world, and show me what difficult love looks like ... "
I wonder. Do you think we have mislabeled this familiar story, "The Prodigal Son"? We call it that because this younger son was reckless in spending what he had (Luke 15:13). He got rid ofwhat he had inherited (v. 11 ). He spent his livelihood and came home in repentance. He got a good welcome from his delighted father.
But there is another prodigal figure in this account. Was not the father extravagant in giving away the inheritance? And when the older brother got all bent out of shape, the father still proclaimed, "All that is mine is yours" (v. 31 ). Did the angry-spirited son deserve this? For that matter, did the "crawling back home" younger son deserve the welcome he got? I think this story might well be said to be about the prodigal love of the father. He is the one who gave away out of love and not because gifts were deserved. The Prodigal Father!
In a sense, the father's generosity was poured out on the undeserving son as it was on the repentant son. God's love is like that! God offers "all that is mine" (v. 31) to any who will accept it. (I wish Jesus had made this parable a little longer---what did that older son do with his father's generous (prodigal) spirit? For that matter, what do I do with God's generous (prodigal) offer of grace to me? Is God's grace wasted on me?)
If you had been there when Jesus told this story, when would you have said, "Oh, yeah! Now He is talking about me!"? For some ofus, we might identify with the son who took off on his own only to realize that he had made a mistake. Or, we might even see ourselves as one of the persons who gave the homeless young man a job with the pigs. Many ofus have stayed hard at work in the church and, like the elder brother, never wandered into "never never" land. Maybe you see yourself as one of the bystanders, neighbors who showed up for the big party, but who had no real investment in the matter. Some may even have "forgiveness" times and "I love you" times like the father.
Truth to tell, sometimes I am one of these characters and sometimes I am another. I give thanks for the God who is always the forgiving, generous, grace-pouring parent. I guess I could say that Jesus told a story about me. What about you?
What Someone Else Has Said:
In A Journey of Love and Miracles (iUniverse ), Ken and Pat Birt have written: "As you go through your own journey, remember that other people are also on journeys. Be available, as possible, to others who are in need and offer them your love as you also assure them of God's love."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Generous God, thank You ... "
Friends of mine who were adopted give varying accounts of the experience. "These were the only parents I ever knew." "I don't think my adopting mother really wanted me." "All I ever felt was love." "I was always afraid I might be turned back in for another adoption." "I didn't know I was adopted until my aunt let it slip out." "I always liked the way my family said they had picked me out." "I am no biological kin to my brother and sisters, but we love each other."
Paul says that we with faith are heirs of all that God has to give (Galatians 4:7). That's what it means to be adopted by God. The kind of dividing lines we usually draw are erased: "No longer Jew or Greek ... slave or free ... male and female" (Galatians 3:25).
The other day I had some leftover food. I didn't want to toss it into the dump, so I threw it out into my backyard. I was offering it to the deer, the squirrels, the wild birds, and the occasional fox that visit. I was glad to share my bounty. These creatures could have nourishment rather than hunger. That was four days ago. I just looked out the window. My offering is still there ... untouched. It makes me feel sad. What could have been a feast of grace is still there ... untouched. It makes me feel disappointment. What could have been does not seem to be happening. I offered it, but they didn't accept.
Am I stretching a point to say that God must feel that way when we decline the fullness of God's offering? Under the law (Galatians 3:19-23) we could be saved only by our righteousness, our right-living. Which one of us would meet that standard! But our faith in Christ saves us into the family by adoption (Galatians 3:26). It is as ifbecause our sin leaves us a few dollars short of the full price, Christ Jesus has paid the difference, so we get the full benefit. We have become heirs of all that God would give. Heirs through adoption!
In Ephesians 1 :5-6, Paul repeats this blessing from God: adoption as God's children. Galatians 3:27 sees baptism as the sign of God's adopting us. As the new year begins, we do well to recall what it means to be in God's family. Adopted as an infant...adopted as a teen-ager ... adopted as an adult...Might we say "adoptetf' in order to be "adaptetf'-according to the will and purposes of God's love!
What Someone Else Has Said:
In commenting on Galatians 3:28 (Jew/Greek, slave/free, male/female), Hans Dieter Betz (Galatians, Fortress Press) writes: "It is significant that Paul makes these statements not as utopian ideals or as ethical demands, but as accomplished facts."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Who, me, Lord? ... "
Isn't the Christmas story supposed to be in Bethlehem? But, here in this week's study text, the holy family has had to escape to a far place-back to Egypt from which the Jews had escaped centuries before. What an irony! They go to the very place from which once their ancestors had fled! (Did I hear someone say "God's ways are mysterious"?)
What a splendid reminder that life does not always unfold as we think it will! The events of daily living are not always what we anticipate ("What do you mean that we are leaving tonight for Egypt?"), but the constant is the caring presence of God.
Today I visited a church friend who has recently moved to an assisted living facility. He said, "At first I kept saying that I was only here for a brief time ofrecovery and soon I would be going back home. Now I know that God is here with me and I can stay here, knowing that I am not alone. God is here, too."
Life unfolds in that way doesn't it? We find ourselves in some situation, some relationship, that we have not expected. It may be the death of a loved one. It may be the loss of a job. It may be betrayal by a friend. It may be a painful decline in health. Or, it may even be a moment of un-expected richness and success.
This study text reminds us that God goes with us in the "Egypts" of our ives. The Christmas account is a clear mark of God's willingness to live in the same world as we do. The Incarnation ("The Word became flesh and lived among us"-John 1: 14) is the evidence of God's pres-ence in the journeys of our lives.
I am typing these words almost a year before we study this text. I have little confidence that I can grasp now in January what realities will sur-round us in December 2022; but, the Christmas gift of Christ among us and the truth of God's presence even as the Holy Family moved to Egypt give assurance that we shall not be alone. Emmanuel! God with us!
What Someone Else Has Said:
Donald McKim (Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers, Geneva Press) writes: "Why did Jesus come into the world? ... Jesus came to bring victory. Humans are captive to the power of evil. In his death he became our ransom and in his resurrection Jesus is vic-torious over powers of sin and death. Humanity is rescued, and we are saved."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Lord Jesus, You live among us even now and travel with us as our days unfold ... "
Once, when I was pastor of a local church, I was meeting with a class of elementary-aged boys. We were talking about how we could do a Christmas play, acting out the characters described in this week's focal text (Matthew 2:1-12). After we studied these verses, I asked for volunteers for the various roles.
"I want to be a wise man and bring the gold," one fellow said. Another one teased and said, "Since I am so wise, I should be a wise man." The others groaned, but smiled agreement. "Can I be Joseph?" Eddie asked. Then, one lad put on his best squeaky voice and said, "I'll even be Mary." "And if you can tell me what myrrh is, I'll be the third wise man." Then, there was silence. I waited. Silence. "We still have one more character. Who will play Herod?" Silence. Silence. Even with all of their joyful bravado and their good-natured planning, not a single boy was willing to be Herod.
What is it about Herod that stirs such resistance even in a classroom of young boys? There are other evil people mentioned in the Bible, but Herod is enough like us to scare us. Herod took something evil and made it sound like good: " ... Bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." Pay him homage? He wants to kill him! (Look at Matthew 2: 13.) There are things that we consider wrong, but if we call them "good," we think they are okay.
Would you hire someone to kill somebody you did not like, kill somebody whom you did not trust? Of course, you wouldn't! But, if we call it capital punishment, we say, "Oh, it's okay."
Would you teach your children that success comes without hard work and will come to you regardless of your effort? No; you would not. But ifwe call it a state-sponsored lottery, we call it a good thing.
Herod shows us a side of ourselves that we had rather not see. No wonder those boys did not want to take on his name, even in a play.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Me and We (Abingdon), Leonard Sweet completes a story this way: "And her epiphany was this: In order for the wise men to see the stars that led them to Jesus, it had to be dark. Darkness helps us see the stars that ultimately lead to Jesus. The light is found only in the darkness, just as peace is found only through suffering."
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Shine Your light, Lord ... "
Joseph could have dumped all the blame for the unexpected baby onto Mary (Matthew 1: 18-19). In that time and culture, women had no way to defend themselves against the claims and blasts of a man. But, he decided "to dismiss her quietly," without any big fanfare or public disgrace. Then, an angel (literally, God's messenger) kicked it up a notch and revealed to Joseph God's gift of"Emmanuel" (v. 23). So, Joseph and Mary got married.
Usually, the Advent and Christmas story revolves around Mary. These verses remind us that Joseph's attitude and spirit are key ingredients in God's work to come and live among us. This got me to thinking. Are there those in my frame of reference who seldom get honor and appreciation for what they have done? Who are the unrecognized laborers in God's purposes?
Brantley Campbell. He was custodian at my home church. The classroom and sanctuary space was always cooled or heated to a level of comfort. The rooms were clean. He would stick his head in the door just before worship started, just to make sure everything was in order. And he was never given public praise.
Pete Durham. He was a school classmate of mine. He was not elected to a class office. The only "Superlative" by his name in our senior yearbook is "Most Talkative." He was the one who befriended me as a newcomer second grader. He was the one who was a quiet "Yes" as I considered going into ordained ministry. And now, 69 years later, he is the one who stays in touch. But he has been given no great acclaim.
Iris Aybar. She was the first in her family to complete college. She studied child psychology and had a lucrative career ahead of her as a professional, but chose to work with underserved families with minimum finances. She has adopted stray animals. She has befriended folks of multiple ethnic heritages. But you will not see her name in Internet news.
Certainly we honor Mary, the mother of our Lord, but let us also recall with gratitude the unsung Joseph. The truth is that most ofus are more likely to be "Joseph" (seldom acknowledged servant of God) than we are to be "Mary ( celebrated as God's servant"). The story is not complete without both.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Useppa (iUniverse ), Ken and Pat Birth describe Bob Sumwalt: "It says something about Bob that in all his years, Bob Sumwalt never won a singles trophy, but he partnered many winners in doubles. Bob doesn't know how to be self-centered."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Thank You, Lord, for Joseph ... "
These strange verses become a reminder that ruling by human standards can have disastrous results.: first by describing how Abimelech cheated and killed his way to the throne and then, in a parable about trees, showing how paltry leaders will step forward if competent leaders do not accept the responsibility. The healthy alternative is for leadership to guide by divine standards.
Abimelech, at a minimum, can be accused of false advertising. After proclaiming how he was part of the family, he kills his brothers. My "false advertising" may not be as dramatic as this, but do I sometimes present myself as something I am not? Are there ways in which the Church says it lives by God's values, but ends up making decisions by human standards?
One thing of interest in the parable (verses 8 to 15) is how good, strong trees (olive, fig, vine) say "No" to the invitation to serve. When have you had gifts to share with others, but did not do so? Perhaps some type of false humility has led you to deny the opportunity. Perhaps some degree of "looking out for number one" has caused you to fail to serve. Perhaps some level of deafness to the cry of others has meant you were not "available."
If you read on past the assigned text, you will see that Abimelech does not come to a good end (Judges 9:56). He has been hit in the head by a rock thrown by a woman. Abimelech asks his armor carrier to stab him to death so people won't say that a woman killed him (v. 54). Talk about male chauvinism! When has gender pride led me to hurt myself (and others)?
This week's study comes during Advent. That seems like a weird time to tell the history of Abimelech. Think of it this way. When I come to understand the limits of leadership from frail human values, I begin to see the hunger for a divine presence in our lives. Maybe it is fair to say that by looking at Abimelech, I become even more eager to look toward Bethlehem to see what this is that the Lord is doing!
What could go wrong?
What Someone Else Has Said:
In More Holy Humor (Guideposts), Cal and Rose Samra share this story from a young father: "Our youngest daughter, Nancy, was almost four. My wife and I and our older children tried to prepare Nancy for Christmas by talking with her about the real meaning of Christmas and why the family celebrated it. Nancy had a wonderful Christmas, with lots of presents and toys. A few days later, she was talking with her older sister about what a great Christmas she had, and said, "I sure hope Joseph and Mary have another baby."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Come, Holy Child ... "
When the apostle Paul wrote the Church in Rome, he often got to the basics of the Christian experience. In chapter fourteen, he has written about some of the things that divide the faithful, such as what to eat (Romans 14:2-3), which holidays to observe (Romans 14:5), what is clean or unclean to do (Romans 14: 14 ). What is to be done when one lives in a community of such division? (And what are our dividing issues today?)
Paul answers such queries in verse 19. We are to pursue eirene and oikodomeo. Those words get translated as "peace" and as "build up." Literally, the word for peace comes from a root that means "to join together." Literally, the word for "build up" comes from an architectural term for "building a house."
In The Message, a biblical paraphrase by Eugene Peterson, verse 19 reads: "So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault."
Resolutions for a fresh start often come at New Year's, but could we not resolve now-the first Sunday in Advent-to practice these blessings for our life together?
What would peace mean in your congregation? What would peace mean in your denomination? What would peace mean in your daily life? How can you build up new strength in your congregation? How can you build up new strength in your denomination? How can you build up new strength in your own life?
Paul is a realist. His appeal for peace and mutual upbuilding (v. 19) is in the context of naming some of the things that divide. Peace is not the absence of fighting; it is joining together. Let's not pretend that all is well when there are broken places in our journey. Yes, Paul names them (vv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 13, 15, 21). Maybe that is a first step toward the goal of peace and mutual up building: naming the broken places.
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Who Cares About the Middle East? Poems for Reflection and Conviction (Resource Publications), ST Kimbrough, Jr. has written: "If you pursue progress and peace, you'll find they have no end. The quest for both can never cease; they on pursuit depend .... Their errors and successes few, or manifold they be, require them further to pursue with full capacity."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Holy God, as we begin this journey to Bethlehem, travel with us that we might touch peace and we might strengthen others ... "
If there were an election and the two candidates were Moses and Jethro, my vote is going to go to Moses. Yet, in this week's focal text, it is Jethro, a priest ofMidian (Exodus 18: 1 ), who brings wisdom and insight and helpful advice to Moses, a leader of the people oflsrael (Exodus 18:13-27).
That got me to wondering. Would I hear and appreciate any insight from someone from a tradition different from my own? Can a Democrat hear a good idea from a Republican? Can a Republican hear a good idea from a Democrat? Can church progressives learn from church conservatives and can church conservatives learn from church progressives? Can Christians gain wisdom from Hindus and can Hindus gain wisdom from Christians? Somehow, I suspect that God has not given me and my kind the full range of wisdom!
Sometimes it is hard to determine where the credit for an idea should go. The story about how to share leadership appears in the Old Testament three times and each time a different entity gets credit. In this account, Jethro is the one (Exodus 18:17-18). When the same strategy for life is discussed in Numbers 11, it is the Lord Himself who has the idea. Deuteronomy 1: 13 gives an account of the same wisdom and it is Moses who generates the plan. At a minimum, this all suggests that I should be super-cautious before taking credit for a good plan! Maybe I "borrowed" someone else's wisdom ... even someone from another tradition.
In reflection on this week's study of Jethro and Moses, I am reminded not to give up on the possibility of wisdom coming from an unexpected source. Also, I should be willing to offer my own perceptions to those who usually disagree with me. This story from Exodus illustrates the breadth of the human experience and how God has broken through in varying ways to varying people.
How do I separate the wheat from the chaff(Matthew 3:12)? There is clearly a distinction between the two, but Moses and Jethro invite me to be open to God's surprising wheat in surprising places.
What Someone Else Has Said:
Alice Knotts (Fellowship of Love: Methodist Women Changing American Racial Attitudes, Kingswood Books) has written: "Central to the process ( for peace) is the need to overcome barriers to communication based on assumptions about race, gender, religion, and national origin, and to cross these boundaries to share economic and political power."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Who and what am I missing, Lord? ... "
Elisha had a ton of reasons not to go to bat for N aaman. ( 1) N aaman was a high-powered official in an enemy army (2 Kings 5:1). (2) He suffered from leprosy, a highly contagious "don't touch me" skin disease (5:1). (3) Naaman captured a young girl from Israel and made her his wife (5:2). (4) The king oflsrael thought Naaman and his troupe were trying to get a fight started (5:7). (5) Naaman got bent out of shape when Elisha tried to help him (5:11). (6) He went away in a rage because Elisha did not simply wave a hand and cure him (5: 12). (7) By listing all the good rivers "back home" Naaman challenged Elisha's invitation to go to the Jordan River (5:12). The score is Naaman's Ego 7, Elisha's Ability to Help 0.
Naaman did not trust Elisha, but he did trust his own servants, so when they pointed out the benefits of washing in the Jordan (5:13), he did so. And he was healed. When he realized that his leprosy was gone, Naaman began to praise God and became a believer in the Lord (5: 15). Naaman asks for forgiveness (5:18).
Elisha did not let Naaman's attitude deflect Elisha from his prophetic role. In fact, he said, "Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." (2 Kings 5:8). I am left with the question: What do others learn about God when they see how I act?
Uh, oh! It is one thing to enjoy the strong life of Elisha and to value his steady care for a non-believer. It is quite another thing to recognize that the same challenge is put to me: How do I relate to people who are hostile or casual about the faith?
The truth is that most of my contacts and relationships are with folks from within the faith family. When I look around the sanctuary on Sunday morning, who is present and who is absent? Who feels welcomed? Who feels left out? Who is "the Naaman" in my community and how would he or she be treated in my contact?
Even within the faith community, there are those who come as a
N aaman. Because of language, sexual orientation, gender, political views-you name it-they come as a difference, even as an outsider. How can the Church be an Elisha to them?
What Someone Else Has Said:
In Inspired (Thomas Nelson), Rachel Held Evans wrote: "Often I hear from readers who left their churches because they had no songs for them to sing after the miscarriage, the shooting, the earthquake, the divorce, the diagnosis, the attack, the bankruptcy."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Help me help when it is not good ... "
In this week's text, Paul shows a remarkable patience with folks who do not agree with him. (That's a quality that sometimes seems to be in short supply.) For example, he has seen idols all over the place (Acts 17: 16), but instead of accusing the people of Athens of perpetuating falsehoods, he describes this condition to show that they are religious (Acts 17:22). And when he begins to teach them about God (Acts 17:24), he even finds a way to quote something good that the poets of Athens have said (Acts 17:28).
Now, it is quite true that not everyone was persuaded by Paul's address (Acts 17:32), but others-praise the Lord!-wanted to hear more and became believers (Acts 17:33).
How do we live with our differences? How patient are we with those who walk to a different drumbeat? How do we find where there is common ground upon which the Lord can build tomorrow? Do I only talk with people with whom I agree? Does my life match what I am telling others about the Gospel? What is of the irreplaceable essence of my relationship with Jesus Christ?
Even though the apostle builds on mutual understandings, he comes to a point where he draws a line in the spiritual sand. The world is going to be judged by the standard of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31 ). The invitation then is to repent (Acts 17:30). Uh, I re-read that passage in the New Revised Standard Version to see ifl am excused from that call. I see words like "human," "all people everywhere," and ''the world." Those inclusive terms do not leave much hiding place from the command of God.
In The United Methodist Hymnal (248), there is a hymn with an interesting refrain. One stanza speaks of the birth of Christ; another stanza tells of the coming of the wise men; the final stanza celebrates the angels who sing with joy because of Christ's birth. The challenge comes in the refrain. After each stanza, we sing "Ideo-o-o." There is an asterisk that directs us to the meaning of that word. "Ideo" means "therefore." Christ is bom ... therefore. Wise men come ... therefore. Angels sing ... therefore. And now we have heard the good news. What is the therefore in my life?
What Someone Else Has Said:
N. T. Wright (Surprised by Hope, Harper One) wrote: "What you do in the Lord is not in vain ... You are-strange as it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself-accomplishing something that will become in due course part of God's new world."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Grace giving God, use me ... "
This week’s focal text comes after some fairly complicated verses that contain words like Hethlon, Lebohamath, Zedad, Berothah, Sibraim, Damascus, Hamath, Hazerhetticon, Hauran, and Meribathkadesh (among others). The prophet is describing how the land is to be shared among the twelve tribes of Israel (v. 13). “You shall divide it equally” (v. 14). Tough job!
But that assignment may not be as tough as the verses in our study text. I can understand and pronounce the words (at least in English!), but how to apply their truth in 2022 is difficult. Lives are won and lost as these verses confront us.
The Israelites understood what it was to be strangers in a foreign land. Their experience in Egypt (as slaves) helped them see the plight of those who crossed boundaries. So now that they have their own land, the prophet is clear that they are to treat the “strangers” in their midst with the same grace they extended to themselves (v. 22).
There is much controversy about how to apply this text to our own country in these days of the 21st century. But, I want to complicate matters even more! (You’re welcome.) Strangers and aliens among us are not all from other countries. How about those whose sexual orientation makes them seem to be strangers in our midst? How about those whose skin color (or lack thereof) sets them apart as “alien” to our culture? To what extent are those in poverty treated by different values than the wealthy?
Immigration is more than crossing national boundaries. We have many divisions that separate life into “us” and “them.” Whatever the presenting issue, Ezekiel says he is speaking for God (v. 23) when he admonishes the “in’s” to share the journey with the “out’s.”
Applying this instruction to our daily life is not simple or easy. After all, Ezekiel 47:13-20 is about how to divide land. It is to be divided equally (v. 14). How is life and respect and opportunity and caring and support to be divided equally? Where are the places of separation that need to be healed?
What Someone Else Has Said: Calvin Coolidge is quoted in The Soul of America by Jon Meacham (Random House): “For differences of this kind will certainly be elements of strength rather than of weakness. They will give variety to our tastes and interests. They will broaden our vision, strengthen our understanding, encourage the true humanities, and enrich our whole mode and conception of Life.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God of equal love...
Jesus uses a story to make a point and then, boom!, He gives it a surprise ending.
After comparing the slow response of a judge who hears a widow’s plea for justice, Jesus says that God moves quickly to grant justice (v. 8). (The word translated “justice” is rooted in ēkdikŏs, a term that in contemporary lingo might be rendered “create a level playing field.”) That seems like a good thing.
But then our Lord stirs the pot a bit more. Even though God answers prayer and makes things right, “...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Oops! Do I respond to God’s faithfulness with faith?
Just when we get comfortable with this parable about God’s faithfulness in answering prayer, our Master turns the table ands asks about our faithfulness.
Our faithfulness. I remember a friend from my days in seminary who said that we ought to pray both in word and deed. He said, “When I pray for the poor, my prayer can be said to come with faith if I am also contributing to the food bank.” Most of the time I can come up with a prayer “in word,” but sometimes I struggle to express that prayer “in deed.” Three weeks ago, in our study lesson we recalled that James wrote that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17) Is my prayer offered in faith if it is not accompanied by my action? I’m still pondering that possibility.
Jesus often used stories or parables to make a point. Those accounts make Gospel truth accessible. The Scripture is clear that these are stories (or parables) (v. 1) are not news reports of actual events. In today’s focal text, Jesus tells the story and then draws attention to key elements in the story. Just in case His listeners have not understood, the Master also adds a few lines about what it all means.
It’s those “added lines” that challenge me in this text. I was doing all right with the parable until Jesus asked if faith would be found when push comes to shove (v. 8). Answering that question will open the door to prayer.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Frederick Douglass (Simon and Schuster), David Blight wrote: “...Douglass argued that the ‘most effectual sort of prayer was doing and not saying.’ “
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Hear me, Lord, as I do...”
If you could choose, had you rather be blind or be deaf? Had you rather miss seeing the gorgeous changing colors of the autumn trees or had you rather miss the playful laughter of grandchildren running back and forth in the yard?
Of course, most of us would clearly prefer not to have to make that choice! The prophet Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah and saw a time of sight being given to the blind, hearing being given to the deaf, voice being given to the speechless, and leaping being done by the lame. (Isaiah 35:5-6)
So, when Jesus moves in his ministry of healing, his followers—the disciples—want to make sure they understand what is going on, so they ask him, “Was sin the cause of this blindness?” (John 9:2) A. M. Hunter notes: ”The disciples assume a necessary connexion between sin and suffering, as did many Jews, despite the passionate protest of Job.”
Our Lord moves the discussion to another level and says this blindness is now an occasion for showing how God works with healing power (John 9:3). Then, almost as if in an effort to draw attention away from Himself, Jesus sends the man on a rather complicated multiple step process (v. 11). When the man gains his sight, he does not even know where Jesus is (v. 12).
Physical blindness is only one of many ways in which we can be blind. Emotional blindness (“I don’t care what she is feeling.”) Spiritual blindness. (“I don’t know anyone who can save me.”) Social blindness. (“I have to look out for number one.”) Psychological blindness. (“I don’t have any real feeling.”) Communal blindness. (“I don’t know anyone who cares about me.”) Regional blindness. (“I don’t care about those other people.”) Financial blindness. (“It does not matter how I spend my money.”) Relational blindness. (“I like you only if you can make me feel good.”)
The focal text says that Jesus was just walking along when He encountered the blind man (v. 1). Our Lord is able to see us as we travel on life’s ordinary journeys. What blindness do I bring with me? If I am willing to let Jesus heal me, it will bring glory to God (v. 3).
What Someone Else Has Said: Christine Harman (For the Common Good, Discipleship Resources) has written: “This may indicate that our understanding of healing should take a variety of forms and that, therefore, we would expect to see a variety of results.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Help me see, O Lord, by the Light of your presence...”
This week’s study texts give accounts of two women who please God by the generosity of their giving. Neither of them had much in Wells Fargo, but they emptied the account to give. When I typed the title of this lesson, I made a typographical error and put: “Widow of Zarephath and Window Offering.” Boy, would that have changed the meaning of the story! I suggested (by poor typing) that the widow made her gift in front of a window so all could see. Not so! In fact, if Jesus had not pointed it out, her generosity would have been silent and unnoticed.
On “Stewardship Sunday” at the church I attend, we were each given an envelope and a blank piece of paper. We were invited to write our pledge/tithe/offering amount on that paper. “Put it in the envelope; seal the envelope; and then sign your name on the back of the envelope.” Then the chair of our Finance Committee said, “Thank you. We are not going to open the envelopes. That is between you and God.”
Money. Let’s face it. Most of us undertaking this study are relatively comfortable in the dollars and cents department. Our next meal is probably already in the refrigerator. In the closet, there is a warm jacket we can wear when the fall weather takes a temperature dip. All of that makes it hard for us to hear our Lord speak negatively about those who have “contributed out of their abundance.”
There is another component to life’s journey: time. Is it fair to say that we all have exactly the same amount of time each day? How do I spend my time? If I were to tithe my time, I’d give about two hours and 24 minutes a day to causes of service and witness and ministry. (And I’d probably stop complaining about having to get up early on Sunday in order to get to Sunday School on time.)
I know of one church that has a file of what different members of the congregation suggest for their own funeral services. In one of those folders, a member has asked that at his memorial service there be an offering taken for some community need. I’ve never been to a funeral where they took up an offering. Of course, I’ve never seen a widow “put in all she had to live on.” I wonder how Jesus feels about that funeral folder.
What Someone Else Has Said: The Life Experience and Gospel Labors of the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen (Abingdon) says: “By doing acts of mercy and charity, we acknowledge our dependence upon God, and his absolute right to whatever we possess through his bounty and goodness.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “It’s Yours, O Lord, so take it and use it...”
Exodus 22:21-27 puts together an interesting list of people: resident aliens (v. 21), widows (v. 22), orphans (v. 22) the poor (v. 25), neighbor (v. 26). Almost every day, I encounter at least one or two persons from that list. The writer of Exodus has named the most vulnerable in that society. (He must have sneaked ahead and looked at 2022. The list still makes sense.)
James 2:14-17 is a New Testament reminder that bopping along thinking that mere belief is enough is to miss a core reality. It isn’t faith in Jesus Christ unless it energizes works to help the hungry and the unclothed. In this passage, I hear an echo of Matthew 25:31-36. “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And then Jesus gives the answer: “Truly, I tell you just as it did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Jesus does not give us much room in which to hide!
The United Methodist Church has a Social Creed that closes with this statement: ”We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.” (The Book of Discipline 2016¸ para. 166)
Scripture is clear that faith is not just a warm relationship with God. Faith is empty (dead?) if it is not expressed in helping relationships with others. What does that look like? It looks like a food pantry for the needy. It looks like a prison ministry. It looks like a shut-in who prays every day for the needy. It looks like someone who asks the check-out clerk at the grocery store, “How are you doing?” It looks like an effort to control damage to the climate. It looks like an appeal to the legislature for fair tax laws. It looks like working to make life safer for the immigrant. It looks like a check mailed to a local charity. It looks like a friendship with someone who is shamed because of a disability, sexual orientation, age, or mental limitations. . There are about 8 billion people in the world...that’s a lot of “It looks like...”! Your list may look different from mine—we don’t always agree—but we cannot ignore James’ reminder about faith and works.
What Someone Else Has Said In Ordained Ministry in The United Methodist Church (GBHEM), William B. Lawrence has said: “It appears that the scriptural message pairs two principles. On the one hand, salvation is available not by law but only by grace, which comes through faith. On the other hand, faith is present with saving power only where it is practiced according to Christian discipline.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Bring my faith alive, O Lord...”
The ball is on the two yard line. We are three points behind. There are four seconds left in the game. A field goal would tie the game, but a touchdown would win the game for us. What play should the quarterback call?
I am driving down Roxboro Road and just ahead is that new stoplight. They put it up when a new school was built down Orange Factory Road. I am going 55 miles an hour, eager to get to a lunch appointment. As I approach, the green light turns yellow. Do I keep going or do I hit the brakes?
Four year old Ethan is on the playground. He is enjoying the see saw with his friend Patsy. Seven year old Graham walks over and pushes Patsy off her seat and says, “Okay. I’ll ride now.” Ethan sees Patsy on the ground, crying tears of pain. Then, he sees a rock about the size of a baseball. He picks it up and aims it at Graham. Should he throw it?
Life is filled with all kinds of decisions. Some choices seem to be tinged with legal questions. Some are defined by moral issues. Some decisions are simply for convenience. Some are for pleasure. In today’s lesson, Moses is giving his final speech as leader of the Israelite journey to the Promised Land. He makes it clear to his listeners that they are given the freedom to choose life as God would give it or death as failure to obey God would mean. Decision. Freedom. Free will.
Even though obedience to God will lead to life (Deuteronomy 30: 16, 19), one can still choose to disobey. Obedience without the freedom to disobey would have no meaning. Words that mean “choose” appear in the Bible over a hundred times, as again and again God puts choice in front of God’s children. If our decisions make no difference, why does God keep asking us to choose?
Jesus struggled with what it meant to obey. Look at Mark 14:32-42 and remember our Lord finally submitting to the cruel death that was to come to Him. Ironically, by allowing death, He chose life.
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Crucified God (Harper and Row), Jŭrgen Moltmann wrote: “If (humankind) sees and believes in God in the person of Christ, condemned by the law, (humankind) is set free from this desire to have power and domination over others.”
Prayer: And you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, You have given me the freedom to choose, and I make this choice:....”
After reading this text from Exodus 17, several thoughts came to mind. First of all, if God calls me to do something totally different, how likely am I to try it (vv. 5-6)? Then, if I do decide to attempt some unusual thing God tells me to do, how likely am I to encourage others to watch with me (v. 6)? (Hardly likely! No one wants to look like a fool with others watching!) How willing am I to accept help offered by others (v. 12)? If I do actually get something accomplished, am I willing to tell others what God has done (v. 14)? How would I feel if God kept others from remembering the wonderful thing I had done (v. 14)?
So, as you see, I don’t end up feeling too good about myself after reading these verses! (How about you?) But, let’s not miss the key thrust of this focal text: God meets the needs of God’s people. And note this: God does it through the hands of God’s people. Moses (v. 6) and Joshua (v. 13) are instruments in the hands of God.
Another thing comes to mind: What would be a good name for the circumstances of my life? In verse 7, there is a record that Moses called the place where all this took place “Massah and Meribah.” Those words mean “test” and “quarrel.” The people had been testing the Lord and quarreling about having no water. If Moses were to give a name to my life journey, what words would he choose? Words like Disappointment, Sadness, Loss? How about words like Victory, Hope, Joy? What words describe your experience with God?
Here is a pop quiz. Who are James, Tanielu, and Parker? What do they have in common? (Time’s up! How did you do on this pop quiz?) These three fellows are brothers. I know them and benefit from my friendship with them. My guess is that 99.8% of the readers of this commentary did not pass the quiz. That’s because you and I know different people. We live in different places. We have different opportunities. All of this to say that we may not be expected to hit a rock with a stick (as Moses did) and we may not be expected to struggle with Amalek (as Joshua did), but for each of us, our settings and our relationships provide possibilities for being implements in the hand of God.
What Someone Else Has Said: Carl Michalson (The Witness of Radical Faith, Tidings) wrote: “To consult the Bible is dangerous and fatiguing. We come across passages like ‘love your neighbor,’ ‘love your enemy,’ be ye perfect...’ Any moralist will concede that this is about the finest ethic we find in human history. But who can keep it?...In the Gospel, we have the assurance that God has not asked anything of us that (God) will not see through with us to a successful consummation.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Use me, Lord, even me...”
On the day I write this, I worshiped at a service where we sang two hymns I did not know and another hymn important to me because we sang it at my wife’s funeral ten years ago. People of the faith turn to singing when community, growth, memory, joy, sorrow, learning all come together to seek and find expression. Today’s text from Exodus 15:1-18 is such an example.
Most of the opening verses of this hymn/poem retell the story of God’s delivering the people of Israel across the Red Sea to escape toward the Promised Land (Exodus 14). The viciousness of these verses underlines the dramatic energy it took to overcome the evil of slavery in Egypt.
In verse 10, the hymn speaks of God’s wind covering up the enemy. The faithful have often turned to “Wind” as a way of describing how God’s will blows where it will and how God’s purposes move in multiple places. John 3:8 uses that image to describe the Holy Spirit.
Note verse 13 in which God is referred to as a redeemer. That word (“redeemer”) was the term used to identify someone who purchased the freedom of a relative who had become a slave. Jesus Christ has purchased our freedom! Jesus Christ is our redeemer!
After re-telling the story of the escape from Egypt and the delivery into the Promised Land, the hymn closes with a powerful testimony to the everlasting victory of God: “The Lord will reign forever and ever.” In today’s faith talk, we might say, “I looked and the tomb is still empty!”
Do you see how easily we move from this Old Testament poem to New Testament accounts and then on to today’s faith experience? It must be true: God is still alive and well! The freeing power of God is working in 2022. (And I write that in confidence while it is still 2021!)
Notice that in Exodus 15 what follows this “song of Moses” is a kind of refrain when the women, led by Miriam, continue the song. What is your heart singing today? What story of God’s work do you enjoying telling? What echoes of God’s saving power do you hear even now?
What Someone Else Has Said: In Exodus (Westminster), H. L. Ellison points out: “The outburst of thanksgiving is only natural, but we are apt to overlook the suffering our deliverance may have caused to others. It was true spiritual insight that caused Rabbi Johanan to say, ‘When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels in heaven were about to break into songs of jubilation. But the Holy One silenced them with the words, “My creatures are perishing, and you are ready to sing.”’
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Thank You, rescuing God...”
A lot of images come to mind from my childhood Sunday School books. There is Joseph whose brothers are jealous of him and the beautiful robe his father has given him (Genesis 37:3-4). The brothers decide to kill Joseph, but one of them suggests they make a bit of money from the deal, so they sell him to some passers-by (Genesis 38:28). The buyers take Joseph to Egypt where he has all kinds of experiences and works his way into the Pharaoh’s favor (Genesis 41:39). Famine breaks out in Joseph’s home country and his brothers come to Egypt looking for help (Genesis 42:3). Although the brothers do not recognize the grown-up Joseph (now in charge of Pharaoh’s affairs), he reveals himself to them (Genesis 45:4). Joseph’s entire family—sixty-six men and their wives—move to Egypt (Genesis 46:26). They should live happily ever after, right?
Now comes our focal text: Exodus 1:1-2:10. Joseph’s family has continued to multiply and soon their very presence is seen as a threat to the native Egyptians. The powerful authorities make slaves out of the Israelites and if that was not enough the king says that all newborn Israelite boys are to be killed (Exodus 1:22). Then comes the heart-stirring story of the birth of Moses (Exodus 2:2). The baby Moses is saved by the Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:5-6). Whew! All of that and the story is not yet over!
Throughout this unfolding account, individuals are given freedom. They do not always make good choices with that freedom. Joseph’s father was free to do as he wished and he gave special favors to one son and not the others. (Bad choice.) The brothers are free to relate to Joseph; they sell him. (Better than killing him.) Joseph is offered sex by his master’s wife; he declines. (Good choice.) He is free to deny his brothers; he accepts them. (Good choice.) Pharaoh was free to kill Hebrew boy babies. (Bad choice.) Pharaoh’s daughter was free to rescue Moses. (Good choice.)
We cherish freedom, but we do not always do well with it. Through no fault of their own, the Israelites are put into slavery. Their freedom is taken away. Life’s journey sometimes puts upon us burdens we would not choose. What a risky thing for God to give human beings freedom! Present decisions can shape today and the tomorrows. But do you want to give up your free will? Where is freedom missing in your life?
What Someone Else Has Said: Walter Klaiber and Manfred Marquardt (Living Grace, Abingdon) write: “...free will (that is, a will that has been freed by God’s grace!”)
”Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Open my heart to Your love so my freedom may be used lovingly...”
I’m not sure that Mrs. Dellinger did me a favor. She was teaching my Sunday School class when I was in elementary school. Someone asked her, “How do I decide what is the right thing to do?” She said, “Use Jesus as an example. Jesus shows us how God wants things to be done.”
That bit of advice certainly puts a crimp in how I think things ought to be done. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus have me do? (Or what would Jesus not do and what would Jesus have me not do?)
This week’s focal text is a case in point. Jesus calls his betrayer “friend” (Matthew 26:50). When Peter whacks off the ear of a perceived enemy, Jesus tells him to put away the sword (Matthew 26:52). When the attackers showed up with swords and clubs, Jesus asked them why they thought they needed that to arrest a peaceful man (Matthew 26:47, 55). Is this the Jesus I want to show me how to react to enemies? Is this the Jesus I want to tell me how to treat those who don’t agree with me? Is this the Jesus I want to demonstrate how to handle troublesome relationships?
I guess this is an example of “Be careful what you pray for.”
The truth is that sometimes my spirit is violent even when my actions are not. I may keep my outburst under control, but in my inner spirit there is still a rumbling of anger or distrust or attack. Jesus is transparent; His behavior matches what His Spirit is offering.
Violence begets violence (Matthew 26:52). Violence seldom proves who is right; it only proves who is stronger. This lesson is not easy to hear. Notice how this week’s focal text ends: the disciples desert Jesus and run away (Matthew 26:56). No doubt they had figured that when push came to shove, Jesus would erupt with violent resistance. What about the “twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)? If ever there was to be a time for Jesus to call in the troops, this was it. But He doesn’t. And the disciples leave Him.
It’s seventy-five years since Mrs. Dellinger gave me that advice. I’m still working on it.
What Someone Else Has Said: In a study of the Psalms (From Whom No Secrets Are Hid, Westminster John Knox), Walter Brueggemann has written: “We might hope and wish that we could catch up to Jesus and his readiness to forgive. But it clear that we have not arrived there yet.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “How do I serve You, Lord?...”
Last November, I had an appointment to consult with someone at a church office building. She sent me an email, advising me to call her when I arrived so she could unlock the front door, “because the building is still closed to visitors.” Of course, I recognized that such a precaution was an effort to be safe from coronavirus, but it set me to wondering: Are there ways in which we close the faith journey to others?
In this focal text (Ephesians 2:11-22), the point of separation is the line between Jew and Gentile. Today, even in the faith community, we sometimes divide up by race, by sexual orientation, by financial security, by age, by political view, and by many other labels. Does oneness in Christ mean that we cannot disagree with one another? Paul reminds us that we may not think alike, but we are shaped in Christ Jesus to love alike.
Here is the way John Wesley put it in his sermon “Catholic Spirit”: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”
Paul says that Christ is our “peace” (Ephesians 2:14). Paul writes that Christ came to proclaim “peace” to those nearby and those far off (Ephesians 2:17). The apostle says that Christ has made “peace” by putting together one humanity rather than two. Paul chooses the word ĕirēnē when he speaks of “peace.” That word in New Testament language comes from a word that means “to join.” Joined, rather than separated! Love is able to join when life’s journey might separate.
Here’s an idea. I think I’ll print out Ephesians 2:11-22 and the next time I get angry with someone or get bent out of shape by another’s views or decide somebody is outside the fold of God’s care, I’ll read those verses and start to love the other person. Or, maybe I’ll just keep on choosing up sides. Which do you think I’ll do?
What Someone Else Has Said: John B. Cobb, Jr., (Grace and Responsibility, Abingdon Press) has written: “(John Wesley) contrasted this shared love with all of those doctrines, forms of church governance, forms of worship, and views of the sacraments, that in fact divided Christians and led to mutual animosities...But this is no reason to reject fellowship with those who identify with other Christian groups. What is essential is Christian love and that alone.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Fill me with love, O God, and let it overflow into the lives of others I meet...”
United Methodists often talk about the gift of Christian perfection (maturity, completeness). What we often forget is that the context for Jesus’ call to perfection is our Lord’s appeal for love of enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). That’s a pretty high standard for perfection!
The world so often seems divided into “us” and “them.” Jesus does not deny that such brokenness occurs. He speaks openly that we have enemies (v. 44), that there are unrighteous (v. 45), that there is evil (v. 44), that there is a tendency to love only our own (v. 46). Jesus lives in the real world!
The “violence” referenced in the title to this lesson is more than physical battle. There is emotional violence, forcing others to their lesser selves. There is mental violence, creating barriers to truth thinking. There is relational violence, stirring negative attitude toward another. There is spiritual violence, using our faith as a weapon. And, of course, there is indeed physical violence, power expressed in bullets and differences shown with a fist.
When Jesus says “to love your enemies,” he uses the word that gets translated into Greek as agape. That kind of love contrasts with brotherly love and erotic love. Agape is undeserved caring, undeserved patience, undeserved compassion. Such love indeed “builds a fence” around physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual violence.
I checked the small print. Nowhere does Jesus say that this will be easy. I checked the small print again. Nowhere does Jesus say that we should not even try just because it is difficult to love with agape.
In Matthew 5:9, Jesus refers to “peacemakers.” That term implies that the call is to something more than just being peaceful; it is an invitation to take the initiative in doing the things that make for peace. It is the challenge of doing something, saying something. It is an “action word.”
Where are the places in my life where I need to be a peacemaker? Where are the places in my life that need agape?
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Christian Art of Dying (Eerdmans Publishing), Allen Verhey has written: “God’s love for the sinner is the basis and prototype for human love of the neighbor.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Loving God, teach me to love...”
Text: 1 Chronicles 22:6-10, 17-19 “Violence is not God’s First Choice”
If you were planning a great lifetime project and could choose between two developers of the project, would you look to someone young and inexperienced or would you prefer someone with a proven track record? Why would I risk trusting my dream undertaking to a builder who has never done anything special?
David wanted to build a great [“magnificent, famous, glorified” temple (1 Chronicles 22:5)] but he turns the construction over to his “young and inexperienced” (1 Chronicles 5:5) son, Solomon. Why would anyone do that?
David did that because God told him to do so. God wanted the temple to be defined by peace and David had been a ferocious warrior (1 Chronicles 22:8). God does not make judgments by the same standards as we do.
Even though war and enmity are not God’s preferred tools for life, God is still able to use our mistakes to achieve God’s purposes. David acknowledges that the land now belongs to God’s people because God has used David’s misguided violence (1 Chronicles 22:18).
This is not to say that God does not care how we go about our lives; it does say that God can use even our mistaken attempts. Even my brokenness can be an instrument for God’s purposes. After all, this is the God who turned a cross into an empty tomb!
I bring my mistakes to God and say, “Lord, can we start again?”
I bring my uncertain relationships to the Lord and say, “Grace-giver, give a new beginning.”
I bring my sin-cluttered journey and say, “Forgive me and move me to a new path.”
There are many great, famous moments in the life of King David, but perhaps none is more grace-packed that this one in which he releases his errors into God’s redemptive hands.
What Someone Else Has Said: In the Charles P. Frank novel Digging Through Time (iUniverse), one character says to another, “As long as this blustery weather keeps up, you best get a change of scenery. Sometimes when folks get seasick, it helps calm a queasy stomach to look off at the horizon. Why don’t you come with me?”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “O Lord, move me from wrong places to places of Your purposes...”
This sixteenth chapter of Acts is so filled with drama and twists and turns that I have to think it would make a great TV series. Any way you slice this account, it is filled with courage and faithfulness and, in the end, triumphs for the Gospel.
I asked several friends to tell me about the “strangest and most dangerous” situation in which they had tried to be a witness for Jesus Christ. (Most of us feel that kind of experience was for another day.) I got a range of answers: “I refused to drink liquor at a college party.” “I registered as a conscientious objector during the Viet Nam War.” “I went on a mission trip to Honduras.” “I went into the ministry even though my family wanted me to work in the family lumber business.” “I got involved in politics so I could work for justice issues.”
One thing I notice about Paul’s witness is that he did not go looking for trouble; trouble seemed to find him. Perhaps his greatest testimony is that he simply was ready for whatever life put on his plate: travel (v. 10), conversation (v. 13), a wealthy woman (v. 14), an abused girl (v. 16), a severe beating (v. 22), prison (v. 23), an earthquake (v. 26), a potential suicide (v. 27), a conversion (v. 31), an apology (v. 39), community (v. 40). That’s quite a mix of opportunities!
How do I know if my outreach is my own doing or if it is the leading of the Holy Spirit? For Paul, that concern was answered by asking another question: “Is this action in the spirit of Jesus Christ?” (vv. 7, 18). The measurement of a mission’s integrity is its faithfulness to the ministry and touch of Jesus Christ.
The closing verse (v. 40) of this week’s text describes the apostles’ departure as one when they “encouraged” (NRSV), “comforted” (King James Version), “exhorted” (Henry Alford translation) the brothers and sisters who would remain. With those various renditions, I was curious about the word being translated. It turns out that it is parakalĕö, a word formed from two words: call near. Now we get a sense of community (call near) as the context for mission. The witness has created community and out of that community will come even more testimony and sharing, even in “strange and dangerous places.”
What Someone Else Has Said: In Human Liberation in a Feminist Perspective—a Theology (Westminster Press), Letty M. Russell has written: “If we adopt the stance that the form of ministry of the church is derivative from its functions as a participant in God’s Mission or traditioning action, it follows that there will be many models of ministry, both within one Christian community and across the world.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Send me, Lord, as You will...”
When God seeks to move God’s People beyond “what has always been,” it is difficult. This account of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-21) is a good example of that. Some of the believers only knew of salvation for those who practiced circumcision (Acts 15:1). Now, some were coming along and saying that God also was saving Gentiles who did not practice these Mosaic laws. Could that be?
When the debate got hot and heavy (v. 2), Peter began to tell of Gentiles who had been saved by faith “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (v. 11). After hearing this, James reported that he was convinced that God would save “even all the Gentiles” (v. 17).
Of course, this did not mean that anything goes in terms of holy behavior. James warned the Gentiles (as well as the Hebrews) that idolatry, cheapened sexual relations, and food that abuses life (blood) are still forbidden (Acts 15:20).
One thing that jumps out to me is the fact that these early Christians were willing to talk and explore these new ideas with one another. It was as if they asked one another: What insights has God given you? What understandings do you want to hear more about? What about believers who have had experiences different than mine? These are not questions that can be answered if I stay in my corner or “take my marbles and go home.”
A key word for United Methodists is “conference.” We think of church conference, charge conference, district conference, annual conference, jurisdictional conference, general conference. The word “conference” bursts out of “confer,” when we check in with one another, and that is what the early church was doing at the Council at Jerusalem. In the verses that follow the study text, the apostles began figuring out ways to spread the word of these new insights about how expansive God’s love and grace is.
When I am sick, I confer with a doctor. When I am lonely, I confer with a friend. When I am confused, I confer with a teacher. When I am planning, I confer with a lawyer. When I am bored, I confer with an entertainment. When I am hungry, I confer with a restaurant. And if I ponder if I have misunderstood God’s will for God’s Church, I confer with the Scripture...and discover that sometimes I have had it wrong: God does do a new thing!
What Someone Else Has Said: Christine Harman (For the Common Good, Discipleship Resources) wrote: “Paul chooses to address the growing breakdown of unity among the believers. He drives home the point that all are necessary for the one body to be whole...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Put us together, Lord...”
In last week’s study, the Holy Spirit led Philip to witness to an Ethiopian eunuch, a man different on a number of counts (Acts 8:26-39). In this week’s focal text, the Holy Spirit is instructing Peter to make no distinction between “them” and “us” (Acts 11:12) Good grief! Do you suppose God intends us to cross over these things that divide us?
What about the early division between the church in the West and the Church in the East? What about deciding who was Pope? How about the disagreement about even having a pope? What about disagreement about Scriptural authority? What about splits over racial make-up? What about separation on theological points like sanctification? What about dividing over whether or not to have bishops? What about arguments about war, capital punishment, alcohol, marijuana, environment? Attitudes toward divorce? How much water for baptism?
Then, this morning I went to Sunday School. Our class was considering buying food from a particular restaurant in order to serve it to a group facility for needy families. One member said we ought to vote “No,” because that chain of restaurants had an open policy and practice against gay and lesbian people. So, suddenly this week’s focal text from Acts 11 did not seem so distant. Is disagreement on this matter simply a matter of preference? Is it a point of biblical understanding? Is it serious enough to separate into two distinct Sunday School classes? Where would Jesus buy food for the needy? How do we decide what is essential to the Christian faith and practice and what is simply a matter of emphasis? You may have noticed: so far, I have raised sixteen questions.
Here’s another. When is it more faithful to Christ to stay together even when we do not agree and when is it more faithful to Christ when we do not dilute our energies by trying ineffectively to live with differences and when is it more faithful to Christ to set ourselves apart on issues of the essence of the Gospel...and what is the essence of the Gospel?
It is no secret that The United Methodist Church—and other Christian traditions—is in the midst of answering these questions. In this story in Acts, when the Spirit spoke, they heard an invitation to unity and “they were silenced” (Acts 13:18). What is the nature of the unity the Spirit would give? Oops...another question.
What Someone Else Has Said: Warren Smith (Firebrand Magazine) wrote: “To be members of a Church composed of sinners seeking to be the light of God’s holiness to the world (the only way the Church’s mission can hope to be fulfilled) is to pray for the patient and forbearing love of God.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Broken, we come to You, O God...”
The Holy Spirit must have been alive and well as this account in Acts 8:26-39 unfolds. There is reason after reason that most of us would have turned away before the Spirit’s work was done.
(All references are to the eighth chapter of Acts.) Would I respond if I thought an angel spoke to me? (v. 26). I’d think I was dreaming. Would I willingly go to a deserted road by myself? (v. 26). I prefer to stay where the streetlights are. How would I relate to someone of a different race? (v. 27) How comfortable would I be talking to someone who was in big-time high finance? (v. 27) Am I at ease with persons who are sexually different? (v. 27)
Do I trust the religious motive of everyone who has worshiped? (v. 27) How do I feel about someone I find reading the Bible? (v. 28). Maybe they are a fundamentalist! Now, what if I am led to go and get with this strange dude? (v. 30) It doesn’t get any better. This fellow asks for help. (v. 31). What if he wants to ask a question about something I don’t understand myself? This could be embarrassing! Well, you get the idea. There is talk of Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (v. 35). And this baptism thing. How do I know that the eunuch is a good candidate for this? (v. 39)?
There are multiple places in this story where I am afraid I would have bailed out. Thanks be to God that the Spirit is stronger than our human mutterings and sputterings.
So, I am left to ask if there are encounters like this possible in my life? Are there certain kinds of people I had rather not been seen with? Am I missing God’s call to me to be available to “the least, the lost, the lonely”? When have I left my “home turf” to be a witness in some “different” place?
Not only as individuals, but as congregations we need to explore how we measure up to the example of Philip as an instrument of the Holy Spirit. One way to do that is to read the story and substitute your own name or the name of your congregation every time the text mentions Philip. Does the account continue in the same flow? Where does it tilt in another direction? Come, Holy Spirit! Help us!
What Someone Else Has Said: Walter Brueggemann (Truth Speaks to Power: The Countercultural Nature of Scripture Westminster John Knox) says: “The surge of the Spirit generates social upheavals that entrenched power cannot negate and social possibility that entrenched power cannot halt.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Where do you send me, O God?...”
Reading this focal text raised an embarrassing question for me. Why has no one looked at the life I lead or heard the word I proclaimed and then asked the question that begins this account: “What should we do?”
Is my life witness so indistinguishable from the world around me that no one looks on and wonders, “How could I have a life like that, so filled with love, so confident with hope, so caring for others, so in touch with God?” Why do I not hear that question from those who observe me?
There was something about the way Peter and the apostles “stood out from the crowd” that made non-believers want to join the parade. Peter and the other believers made it clear to those around them that Jesus Christ was the one who had come to save the world (Acts 2:36). How does my proclamation today invite others to accept this truth about Jesus Christ?
One thing that Peter makes clear to those who heard him was that life would have to change: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40). In other words, life lived with Jesus Christ does not look the same as life lived in ignoring the Lord.
So, these verses not only speak to those outside the faith community, but they also speak to those of us who have “repented and been baptized” (Acts 2:38).
There is an important reassurance at the close of this study text. We are not in this alone. Note what happens as persons reap the harvest of the Spirit’s gifts: life together (teaching, fellowship, eating and praying together) (Acts 2:42). We are not in this alone! To be invited into a Christian faith experience is to be invited into community.
John Wesley wrote, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social.” That attitude lives out what this account in Acts spells out. Baptism is not a private event; it is part of a shared journey. Praise God!
What Someone Else Has Said: In Beyond Loneliness (Upper Room Books), Trevor Hudson writes: “We do not make the journey to God alone. There is no solitary Christ-follower. When we open our lives to Jesus, he comes with his arms around his brothers and sisters. As I’ve said before, our friendship with Jesus is personal, but not private. To be connected with Jesus is to be connected to his friends as well.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord Jesus, use me for others...”
Do you like to garden? I remember my first childhood effort at growing a crop. Someone told me that a radish would be the fastest plant to grow, so I went to the store and bought a package of radish seeds. After digging a few holes in the Chatham County red clay, I dropped the seeds into place. Then, I took a large can and doused my “farm” with lots of water. And then I waited. Each day I rushed to see my radish plant. Each day I saw dirt. What had I done wrong? Why wasn’t my radish emerging? And then, one day I saw the faintest touch of green poking its head out of the ground. I grabbed it and pulled, ready to show off my prize plant. What I had in my hand was not the bright red of the ripe vegetable; instead, I had the withering paleness of a stalk pulled too soon. Finally, I heeded the parental advice about waiting until finally I was able to enjoy the finest homegrown radish ever planted.
All this came to mind when I read this week’s focal text about the fruit of the Spirit. If God’s Spirit seeks to plant love and generosity in my heart, how quickly do they grow? If God’s Spirit wants gentleness and self-control to come alive in me, how soon will they appear? Is there any evidence that the seed is taking root?
How do I express love? How do I show joy? How do I live out peace? How do I exhibit patience? How do I offer kindness? How do I overflow with generosity? How do I stay with faithfulness? How do I manifest gentleness? How do I manage self-control?
Now, go over that preceding paragraph and change the word “How” to the word “When.” When do I express love? When do I show joy? When do I live out peace? When do I exhibit patience? When do I offer kindness? When do I overflow with generosity? When do I stay with faithfulness? When do I manifest gentleness? When do I manage self-control?
Getting specific like that makes me realize that I have blocked some of the Spirit’s gifts. I can vaguely be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. It is when I begin to name examples that I find myself falling short. These verses on the gifts of the Spirit are almost an invitation to confession.
What Someone Else Has Said: Walter Brueggemann (Peace, Chalice Press): “We are called to be sons and daughters, expected to grow and mature, summoned to adulthood...We are invited, expected, and urged to become persons we are not. “
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Spirit of God, I open myself to Your leading, even if it is to something I have not been...”
In these verses (Galatians 5:19-21), Paul lists fifteen practices that are “works of the flesh.” Perhaps I have given myself too much credit, but I figure that I am guilty of only ten of these. In baseball, a batting average of .333 would be truly remarkable. For a Christian believer, it is also remarkable, but not for a good reason!
“Flesh” is not bad. In fact, John describes our Lord in this way: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us...” (John 1:14) When flesh is governed by the Spirit, it becomes an instrument for love. In fact, Paul reminds us that “the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14).
But, when flesh (human beings) makes its decisions without the leadership of the Spirit, it becomes fruit of the flesh and not fruit of the Spirit. (Next week we shall encounter Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit.)
Translators have struggled to capture what Paul is attacking in Galatians 5:19. The New Revised Standard Version says “works of the flesh.” In the Common English Bible it reads “The actions that are produced by selfish motives.” The Twentieth Century New Testament has “The sins of our earthly nature.” “...kind of behavior that belongs to our lower nature” is how the New English Bible puts it. Clarence Jordan (The Cotton Patch Version of Paul’s Epistles) paraphrases it: “the results of being guided by the body.” The Living Bible calls it “natural evil desires.” Which of these is closest to your experience?
However it is said, these verses from Galatians depict a life in which decisions are made without attention to the guidance of the Spirit. Spirit-led decisions are marked by love. To be truthful, we may disagree on what love would be in a particular situation, but actions that erupt without regard to the Spirit’s values are sub-Christian. Paul gets rather specific about what these “works of the flesh” might be (Galatians 5:19-21). There are not many places to hide from that truth!
Paul told the Galatians that he was surprised at how quickly they had deserted the values of Jesus (Galatians 1:6). I wonder what he would say in a letter he wrote me.
What Someone Else Has Said: In A Higher Loyalty (Flatiron Books), James Comey commented: “Evil has an ordinary face. It laughs, it cried, it deflects, it rationalizes, it makes great pasta.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Search my heart, O God, and tell me what You find...”
A friend of mine from England tried to explain to me how cricket is played. He said something about wickets, pitch, and stumps. He was speaking in English, but it might as well have been Swahili. I only got vague—and probably erroneous—ideas.
Sometimes, God seems to be speaking a foreign language. God’s wisdom is often foreign to the world’s wisdom and as the world listens, it just doesn’t make sense. Forgiveness? (Why should I forgive? Do you know what he did to me?) Social justice? (If “those people” want to have food, let them have a good job like I do.) Love? (I love folks who are lovable, but some people are just not lovable.) Peace? (You have to yell and beat some people over the head in order to get them to understand.) Inclusive? (I find that life goes more smoothly if I stick to my own kind.) Patient? (OK. I’ll be patient for about fifteen minutes.) Giving? (If I give it away, I won’t have any for myself.) Truth? (Sometimes you had to fudge just a little bit in order to get things done.) Church? (I do better if I don’t have to put up with pious people.) Healing? (There are a few people who need some first-class suffering.) Grace? (Isn’t it better to earn what you get?)
The Church in Corinth was having trouble (1 Corinthians 1:10-11). The apostle Paul has to write them about some pretty basic stuff. In this focal text, he admits that some will see God’s wisdom simply as foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14). To make the point, Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13, reminding his readers that we are not the ones to instruct God. God teaches us and in Christ Jesus we have the mind of God.
The New Testament has two words that get translated “wisdom.” One of them means “intelligence.” The other one means “practical application or ability.” Which one do you think Paul is using in 1 Corinthians 2? Godly wisdom is more than head knowledge; it is the putting into practice the divine values.
Just before this focal text is Paul’s mention of “wisdom of this age” (1 Corinthians 2:6). Wisdom of this age is just passing by. The next generation will have a different view on what is wise. God’s wisdom, on the other hand, is eternal. To have such wisdom is a gift from God’s Holy Spirit.
What Someone Else Has Said: In From Whom No Secrets Are Hid (Westminster John Knox), Walter Bruggemann has written: “Wisdom teaching assumes the governance of a reliable creator God who has ordered the world in a reliable way. This teaching, inescapably, is ‘belief-ful learning.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Teach me, O Lord...”
There are about 8,423,178 places in these verses where one might begin exploring the work of the Holy Spirit! Seriously, I have read these over and over again and hardly know where to begin. There is wind, flames, languages, youth, old people, men, women, blood, smoky mist, sun, moon, Jesus, repentance, baptism, sins, Holy Spirit. And that just touches a few spots.
So, let’s begin at the beginning of this Pentecost story.
In the midst of all the excitement and newness and fervor two things run as a theme throughout. (1) The work of the Holy Spirit comes in the midst of community and (2) The work of the Holy Spirit falls to individuals.
Look at Acts 2:1. “They will all together.” Look at Acts 2:3. “...a tongue (of fire) rested on each of them. Community is the context in which the Spirit comes to each individual. Look at Acts 2:2. “(The wind) filled the entire house.” Look at Acts 2:4. They spoke as “the Spirit gave them ability.” The Holy Spirit was given to all, but the gifts varied as the Spirit touched each one.
Look at Acts 2:16. We are reminded that God’s community exists in more than just this moment. The prophet Joel—from “way back then”---spoke words that were part of the Pentecost community’s life. We who share in today’s family of faith are built upon the foundation of the ones who came before us. Community is not defined by calendar.
Look at Acts 2:21. In quoting the prophet Joel, Luke (the author of Acts), uses singular descriptor: “everyone,” each one individually. Look at Acts 2:17-18. The gift of the Spirit is for young, old, men, women, slave, free. The Spirit is certainly generous and inclusive.
Notice how the Holy Spirit comes on the Spirit’s schedule. not ours. “Suddenly” (Acts 2:2). “Nine o’clock in the morning” (Acts 2:15). The Spirit has a way of showing up in unexpected times and places.
Expect the unexpected. Live out your faith journey within community. Put into practice the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to you.
What Someone Else Has Said: Bill Leonard (Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers, Westminster John Knox) wrote: “The Holy Spirit also is at work in the world. It is the stealth presence of God...”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Holy Spirit...”
One of my favorite television programs is Game Show Network’s “America Says.” Contestants are challenged to fill in a blank as people in a survey have filled in the blank. For example, how would you fill in this blank? “______________ is the best place in the world to go skiing.” (On the show, you would be provided the first letter of the top seven answers.) One reason I enjoy this show is that I can play along at home. Of course, I am fairly limited in my knowledge of places to ski!
In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul offers a fill-in-the-blank opportunity. “__________________ is the way we are supposed to thank God for the gifts God has given us.” Sneak a look at verse 11. Our own giving is the way we thank God for what has been given us.
I can give money. I can give time. I can give relationship. I can give testimony. I can give ___________________________ . (You fill in the blank!)
There is something interesting about the word translated “generosity” in verse 11. In the New Testament language it is haplŏtēs. That word, in turn, comes from another Greek word that means “single” or “put together to make one.” In other words, generosity is not measured by the amount I give, but is measured by priority I have for what I give. Is this gift the single most important thing I can do with what I have? That’s what Paul is celebrating: the Corinthians have made helping others (the Macedonians, in this case) as their number one—single—priority.
I am left to wonder: What is “number one” in my sharing? If push comes to shove, what gets the “generosity” of the local church’s resources?
Paul says God’s love for us is “indescribable” (v.15). The King James Version says God’s love is “unspeakable.” Lamsa puts it this way: “incomparable gift.” New English Bible renders the phrase “gift beyond words.” And Paul says that the way we give thanks for such a gift is by the way we give.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (Harper and Row), Kennon L. Callahan wrote: “’Saving money’ does not constitute an adequate stewardship theology. Indeed, the notion that the purpose of stewardship is to help a congregation to conserve its funds is, in fact, counter to the biblical witness.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “God of unfailing gifts, move my heart and hand to thank You by giving to others...”
This week’s focal text from Joel tells of God coming to the rescue of God’s hurting people. The people’s response is to praise the Lord (Joel 2:26).
This week’s focal text from Romans describes the suffering and decay that is part of our human journey. The faithful’s response is to wait in hope as a woman who suffers labor pains in order to give birth to a child (Romans 8:22).
One way to summarize what these texts say is to proclaim “God ain’t through with us yet.”
What we have seen in Jesus Christ is life when the world intended death. What we have seen in Jesus Christ is forgiveness when the world intended punishment. What we have seen in Jesus Christ is truth when the world intended falseness. What we have seen in Jesus Christ is “Yes” when the world intended “No”.
Do you know where Bahama is? Timberlake? Rougemont? All of these communities are within five miles of my house, but there is a good chance that you have not heard of any of them. Nevertheless, you know some things about me and I know some things about you. Whether you know me or not—and whether I know you or not—there are things we know about each other. We know that life has not been perfect. We know that there are hidden hurts. We know that sin sneaks up on us. In fact, Paul says of you and me: “the whole creation has been groaning” (Romans 8:22).
But the apostle is clear that this condition is not the end of the story. Look at all the positive words as Paul writes: “glory about to be revealed to us” v. 18...”revealing of the children of God” v. 19...”hope” v. 20...”freedom of the glory” v. 21...”first fruits” v. 23...”adoption” v. 23...”redemption” v. 23...”saved” v. 24.
Both the prophet Joel and the apostle Paul have given us a picture of God who does not let go of us. God is aware of the shattered places in our lives and in Christ Jesus has shown us a new creation. Like the early morning dawn may point us toward a day of sunshine, so the resurrected Christ points us toward that new creation.
What Someone Else Has Said: Douglas Meeks (Wesleyan Perspectives on the New Creation, Kingswood) has said: “All Christian beliefs pivot on the trust that God will be ‘all in all’ and that God’s ultimate rule will leave nothing to the dominion of death, sin, and evil.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “My hope is built on You, O Lord...”
Perhaps I miscounted, but on my first try, I spotted twenty-five question marks in the thirty-eighth chapter of Job. (The number climbs even higher in the next couple of chapters.)
When we look at the breadth of creation, lots of our questions emerge, but these questions in this week’s study text are not questions we ask God, but questions God asks us. These verses are inquiries God makes of Job, but I think we could change the name “Job” to whatever our name might be and the text still makes good sense!
In spite of our efforts to control the forces of nature, as we answer these questions we recognize that God is Creator and we are creatures.
When we abuse the gifts of God’s humongous created order, we reap the brokenness of our sin. Sometimes we recognize the damage we are doing to God’s intent and we make steps to correct our faults. (The church I attend collects plastic to be re-cycled into usable products. Sharon is going to be there every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 to rescue that plastic from the landfill.)
What do you consider the peak of God’s created beauty? For some it is the crashing waves of the ocean. For some, it is the towering peaks of the mountains. For some it is the wide expanse of the desert. For some it is the brightness of the sun. For some it is the refreshment of a spring rain. For some it is a small patch of grass. For some it is the sky that peeks behind tall buildings. For some it is the rush of a flowing stream. For some it is the quiet of a peaceful lake. For some it is the solid presence of snow and ice. For some it is the row upon row of seasonal crops. For some it is the closeness of a newborn infant. For some....well, you fill in the blank. No wonder the title of this lesson includes the words “Incomprehensible” and “Magnitude.”
And no wonder that Job hears these questions, reminders of the unfolding breadth and height and width of God’s creation. Thanks be to God!
What Someone Else Has Said: In Come Rain or Come Shine (G. P. Putnam’s Sons) Jan Karon describes a scene in which folks stop their talking to look at a sun setting behind a mountain: “You could tell a lot about people who would stop what they were doin’ to watch the Almighty go about His business.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Creator God, You continue to amaze and inspire with Your creative work...”
The tithe, of course, means “ten percent.” These days, we reflect on questions such as “Is that before or after taxes?’ and “Does my tithe have to go into the church’s offering plate?” and “What if I have other debts to pay?”
In the time of Deuteronomy, God’s people measured life’s flow by crops and animals (Deuteronomy 14:23). In a festive community gathering, they would share their tithe and all would feast and enjoy life as a gift from God. Sometimes, it was too far to take the tithe offering (for example, to Jerusalem), so faithful ones were to turn the grain/grapes/herds into money, and share that money (Deuteronomy 14:25). Buy whatever that money will purchase and enjoy (“rejoicing together”).
The text takes us beyond our own personal celebration. There are those who have nothing. They are to be given a share of the tithe (Deuteronomy 14:27, 29). Those who have such needs include the “resident alien,” or in today’s terminology, “immigrants.”
May I give a word of personal testimony? On January 30, 1960, I got married. On February 15, 1960, Toni and I recognized that bills came due. It was time to write checks to others. We owed for credit card purchase of gas for the Fiat. We owed rent on our apartment. We had college debts that needed to be paid. You get the picture.
So, we decided together. The first check of our marruied life was written to Westside Methodist Church in Hopatcong, New Jersey. Last week, ten years after Toni’s death, I pulled out the checkbook for the monthly ritual. Gas. Mortgage. Electricity. Cell phone. You get the picture. The first check I wrote was to Bethany United Methodist Church, in Durham, North Carolina. The only thing that has changed over the years has been the name of the church: Westside, Grace, Pine Valley, Oleander, Highland, Mebane, Trinity, Edenton Street, Duke Chapel, Bethany. I mention this not to pat myself on my spiritual back. I mention it to give testimony to the faithfulness of God in all circumstances. Deuteronomy 14:29 promises a blessing from God in response to the tithe. I testify to the truth of that.
What Someone Else Has Said: Bishop Robert Schnase (Five Practices of Faithful Congregations, Abingdon Press) has written: “Tithing sealed and confirmed their sense of belonging to the church. They made the church’s mission part of their own and prayed for the people, the ministries, and the outreach of the church with renewed passion.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, it is all Yours...”
These verses extend the concept of a Sabbath. Not only do I as an individual honor God in a weekly Sabbath (Exodus 20:10), but I am called to give this same rest to the land (Leviticus 25:4), and even to property (Leviticus 25:13). We are hearing an echo of Genesis 2:2-4: “...and God rested from all the work that God had done.”
The word “Sabbath” means “intermission” or “stop exertion” or “take a break.” Not only does my body need occasionally “to downshift,” but so does the rest of the created order. To get ourselves or plants or crops or relationships in top running order, all need the discipline of a regular Sabbath.
The year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-13) is a reminder that it all belongs to God and not to us. Buying and selling property may seem like a strange way of recalling this truth, but it is to be done in such a way that no one takes advantage of another and in such a way that we no longer divide society into the “haves” and the “have nots.”
Charles Wesley took these strange verses and turned them into an acknowledgment that in Jesus Christ we get back our life. Just as property was returned to its original owner (Leviticus 25:13), so in Christ we are restored to our heritage as children of God. Sin no longer reigns! Brokenness no longer controls us! “Ye slaves of sin and hell, your liberty receive,” Wesley wrote. Just as the ram’s horn (trumpet) sounds to signal the beginning of new relationships with the land and with one another (Leviticus 25:9), so now we hear the gospel trumpet proclaim our salvation. (This hymn is number 379 in The United Methodist Hymnal.)
Looking at this study text through Christian lens, we see these gifts manifested in Jesus Christ.
These verses remind us that we do not live in isolation. We are related to the land. We are related to one another. We are related to the divine. We are called to disciplines that keep those relationships strong and fertile. The practice of Sabbath is at the core of those disciplines.
What Someone Else Has Said: In Peace Child (Bethany House), Don Richardson describes jubilee in Jesus: “...the new life, the love, the joy of knowing Jesus Christ in a personal way. A crisis came. I called upon Him, and suddenly He was there, alive! In fact, two thousand years had not aged Him a bit! I found He still had the same power to transform lives and hold (our) loyalty that He had manifested in the Gospels two millenniums before.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Lord, I hear the trumpet of truth...”
Creation Care. Climate Change. Global Warming. Environmental Stewardship. For some folks, the choice of which term you use is a political statement. This lengthy psalm does not choose up sides, but is clear that the created order is the work of God.
Among the creatures that get mentioned in this psalm are the clouds, the sea, human beings, light, the wind, dirt, mountains, valleys, wild animals, donkeys, coney (rabbit), birds, grass, cattle, grape drink, bread, cooking oil, trees, goats, storks, moon, sun, lions, whales, dust...No wonder the psalm begins and ends with “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Ancient cultures often saw the sea as an enemy, as a place of evil. (How about the flood that destroyed life all around Noah?) In Psalm 104:6-9, the psalmist names all the ways that God has conquered the waters and put such water into the places God chooses. God is so in charge of the ocean that it can be a place of sport (Psalm 104:26). For the psalmist, when God controls the waters, God has put evil in its place.
Did this creation just evolve or did God snap fingers and it was done? The psalmist seems to think that God’s creation moved from one stage to another. The waters flee (verse 7). Grass has to grow (verse 14). Food comes in due season (verse 27). Things are born and things die (verses 29-30). Things happen in a season (verse 19). Trees have to be planted before they can grow (verse 16). Plants have to mature (verse 14). These images suggest that the psalmist understood that everything in God’s creation did not happen at once.
The bottom line for the psalmist is that creation is God’s gift. Most of the psalm names before God all the things God has done as creator and provider. The closing verse (verse 35) seems to break a bit from the joyous and upbeat nature of this psalm. What bothers the psalmist is that sinners do not acknowledge God as the divine creator, what Richard Clifford calls “the source of the wonderful world.” The psalmist suspects that such people will not take care of the gift God has entrusted to humankind. “Let’s have no more of that disregard for God’s creation,” he says. The final word is “Praise the Lord!”
Each of the Gospel accounts tells the story of Easter in a slightly different way. Many students of the Bible think that the original manuscript of Mark ended at verse 8 of chapter 16. If that is the case, that version ends with the women who discovered the empty tomb being seized with “terror and amazement.”
It is good to be reminded of that reaction. We have lived so comfortably with Easter that perhaps we find that the discovery of the empty tomb stirs no particular emotion for us. Rather than being shocked and frightened by these things that we do not understand, we simply slide straight into a mode of celebration.
Clearly, the resurrection of Jesus is to be celebrated, but perhaps we would gain even energy for the celebration if we first struggle with the shock of just how amazing this is. But the truth is that once we learn that the tomb is empty and once we have seen the risen Christ, the mood shifts from sorrow to joy, from emptiness to completeness, from terror to triumph.
When I was a little boy, every year on Easter morning I was given some new item of clothing. It might be a shirt; it might be a pair of socks; it might even be new underwear. Easter was about a new beginning, a fresh start. Easter was about things being different. Easter was about replacing my old self with a new self.
A new self. A risen Christ. “Alleluia!” In Charles Wesley’s familiar hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” the joyful “Alleluia” comes at the end of each line. (Most scholars say an anonymous author added that word throughout the original Wesley text.) For those congregations that have not used that praise word “Alleluia” during all of Lent, it is a jubilant recovery of the resurrection victory. “Alleluia” (Hallelujah) means “Praise ye the Lord.”
Even if we have gotten comfortable with the news of the resurrection, perhaps we would do well to have some of the “terror and amazement” that filled the hearts of the women at the tomb (Mark 16:8). What does this resurrection mean for my life? What does this resurrection mean for my death? Let’s enjoy meeting the risen Christ!
One of my favorite Palm Sunday stories took place at a church that planned to open its worship service with a grand parade of the children of the congregation, each one waving a triumphant palm branch. The congregation would joyfully sing “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” as the youngsters of church celebrated the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It started off well. The first couple of boys and girls danced down the center aisle. Then, one of the palm branches accidentally was brushed against the neighboring child. He responded by swinging his branch back at the offender, and before long the entire flock of young ones was engaged in sword fights, head banging, and not-so-pious pushing and shoving. Liturgical disaster.
It happens, doesn’t it? The ones upon whom we have counted to “get it right” fall into their lesser selves and fail in faithfulness. I recognize myself in that group. How about you?
It happened to Jesus. He is at a pivotal moment in His journey and longs for the support of those closest to Him. Jesus is in “distress” (Mark 14:33), “agitation” (Mark 14:33), and “grief” (Mark 14:34). All he wanted was for these dear friends and followers simply to be there for Him. And three times when He came in hopes of having their concerned presence, He found them zonked out, soundly asleep (Mark 14:37, 40, 41).
My failure to be faithful may not always be because I do the wrong thing, but may be because I do nothing at all. Asleep.
Mark 11:1-11 tells of Jesus’ “triumphant entry” into Jerusalem and how the disciples did what needed to be done for the occasion. Mark 14:27-42, on the other hand, depicts “the rest of the story.” These same disciples cannot even stay awake as their Lord moves from triumph to despair.
Jesus is clear about this: What we see now is not the end of it. There will be change (Mark 13:8). There will be the unexpected (Mark 13:35). There will be new understandings (Mark 13:36).
Sometimes, we enjoy being in a rut, knowing exactly what to expect; but Jesus gives two illustrations of “rut living” not working. In one case (Mark 13:5-8), He says we cannot jump to a conclusion that the world is ending just because things have gotten tough and rough. In the other case (Mark 13:28-37) he reminds us that just when we think we have things figured out, along comes a surprise.
This ought to encourage us when we encounter a new interpretation of Scripture. God continues to reveal God’s truth and God’s presence, so sometimes God has to find a new way to get us to understand God’s truth. It is not the truth that changes; it is our readiness to grasp it that changes.
When I read these verses in today’s focal text, I recalled something St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). In other words, don’t put off receiving God’s saving grace; no one knows God’s schedule (Mark 13:32). As Jesus told the disciples, the owner could come back at any time, so now is the time to be ready (Mark 13:35).
Our Lord alerts us to the fact that there will those who (Deliberately? Unintentionally?) will fool us into thinking they have the final word (Mark 13:6). (Take a look at the reminders in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 and 1 John 4:3.) I must seek to be biblically informed and compassionately formed so that I do not fall for the falsehoods that might tempt me into brokenness in my relationship with God and emptiness in my love for neighbor.
Yes, we are waiting for the fullness of God’s Kingdom. Rather than inviting us to relax, that is an invitation to alertness, readiness, and willingness to change.
The first part of this week’s focal text is a strange “miracle story” in that Jesus seems to blame a fig tree for not having fruit out of season (Mark 11:13-14). Some students of the Bible see these verses as an enactment of a point Jesus often made: There is no value to a life that does not bear fruit for others.
Later, Jesus and the disciples pass by where the fig tree had been and now it is withered and left with dead roots (Mark 11:21). Jesus was right! There is no value to a life that does not bear fruit; it might as well be dead.
Then, our Lord moves to talk about the power of faithful prayer (Mark 11:24). He uses hyperbole to express that there are no limits to the power of prayer. But, prayer is not a matter of trying to get God to change God’s mind; prayer is our effort to learn what is the mind of God. As Jesus prayed in the Garden, “Not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).
One of the biggest mountains any of us has is the mountain of our sin. No wonder we want to throw it into the sea (Mark 11:23)! Jesus says the way to get rid of that mountain is to forgive those who have wronged us (Mark 11:25). This verse echoes the way Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:12).
There is a danger that we might look at these verses (Mark 11:20-25) and decide that prayer is like filling out an order blank for God to fulfill. In this sense, God becomes a kind of Amazon delivery system. No! That is not what our Lord is describing. Jesus begins His point by saying that effective prayer begins with faith in God (verse 22). If my faith is in a false God or my faith is in a value that is not God’s or my faith is centered in my will, it is not a faith that leads to God’s “yes.”
We are called to pray to the God revealed in Jesus Christ. So be it.
Five or six times I have started writing this week’s commentary and five or six times I have erased what I had written and started again. It is hard to let go of how the world’s kingdoms measure success and victory and how God’s Kingdom measures success and victory.
After James and John messed up (Mark 10:38), the other ten disciples got all bent out of shape with James and John (Mark 10:41). (I suspect they would have been angry with me, too; I like the way James and John are forthright in stating what they want.) Jesus did what He often had to do when his followers got all mixed up: He called them together and explained things (Mark 10:42).
Basically, Jesus told them that things in the Kingdom of God were not as they thought they were. Kingdom value is measured not by greatness, but by servanthood. And Jesus Himself modeled that life (Mark 10:45).
The King James Version translates Mark 10:43 like this: “But so shall it not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister.” I am an ordained clergyman and around here we clergy are often referred to as “ministers.” This got me curious about the word that that the King James Version calls “minister” and the New Revised Standard Version puts as “servant” and the New English Bible says is “willing slave.” The New Testament word is diakŏnŏs. It has a number of English expressions, including deacon, diaconal, table waiter, menial attendant, or teacher (as well as minister or servant or slave).
Any way you slice it, Jesus says that greatness in the Kingdom is measured by being for others. One becomes fully the person God has called him or her to be when that person is fully for others. That does not mean we deliberately become weak; in fact, it means we seek to be strong in order that we may be more effective servants. The greatness is not in the strength; it is in how we use that strength for others.
“Being for others” does not mean the same thing for each person in each setting. For example, James dies for his faithfulness (Acts 12:2) and there is no report that his brother, John, was martyred. God used both as servants. To such ministry we all are called.
On this second Sunday of Lent, we get some hints about fellow travelers. There is a ton of insight and challenge and comfort in these verses. Space will not permit us to pick up all of it, but all of these are important reflections for a time when Christians struggle with what it means to stay together as one people.
It boils down to this: a cup of water (Mark 9:41). I rejoice in reading of a difficult mission in a hard, foreign place; Jesus speaks of a cup of water. I am amazed and impressed when someone makes a dangerous public witness for justice; Jesus speaks of a cup of water. I delight to see the report that attendance is growing in a community church; Jesus speaks of a cup of water.
This is not to say that Jesus does not value missionary work or that Jesus is not grateful for a plea for justice or that Jesus is not happy to see filled-up pews. But in this text Jesus honors the person who gives you a cup of water! Isn’t that interesting? I would have thought that the reward would go to me because I gave away the water. Jesus says the reward goes to the one who gave me the water.
Maybe our Lord is reminding us to be recipients of grace. Do I have too much pride to let someone do me a favor? Do I have too much spiritual ego to accept the possibility that someone else may have a gift to give me? Do I insist on being in charge rather than letting another be blessed by helping me?
Might that cup of water be a theological idea that had escaped me? Might that cup of water be an understanding of Scripture that I had ignored? Might that cup of water be a spirit of acceptance that I had not accomplished?
Silly me. Now that God has opened up these new avenues for grace, I am going to have to be open to change. A cup of water.
It is about four hundred feet from my house to the mailbox. (This morning, my pedometer said it took me 342 steps to get there.) Sometimes, the walk back to the house after picking up the mail is stirred with joy (a letter from a long-away friend), concern (an unexpected bill), boredom (yet another solicitation), or smiles (a look at the cartoons in The New Yorker). Things may seem different because of what was in mail.
It must have been that way for the disciples after Jesus told them what it meant for Him to be the Messiah (Mark 8:31). Things were different because of what was in their “mailbox”! Peter was so upset that he whispered to Jesus that “Sir, you must be wrong. The Messiah is a winner, not someone to be put to death.” Then, to dig the hole a little deeper, Jesus told the gathered crowd what it meant to be on His team (Mark 8:34): “You’ll have your own cross to bear and if you fail to carry it fully, I’ll be embarrassed and ashamed of you.” That’s a lot to read as you walk back to the house from the mailbox! Things suddenly got different for the disciples!
That was a strange kind of evangelism: “Come, follow me, and you’ll get a cross to carry.” That must be in the small print of what was agreed to when we were baptized!
The disciples had some bad guesses as to who Jesus might be (Mark 8:28). Sometimes, we still make some bad guesses as to who Jesus might be, but the truth He told that day with the disciples is still the truth. When Matthew describes this account, he notes that Jesus points out to Peter that Peter didn’t figure out that Jesus was the Christ all by himself; it was a divine gift if Peter was able to understand (Matthew 16:17). It is still true that we are able to acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah only by the divinely given gift of faith.
If we had been put in charge of designing the pattern for the Messiah, most of us would have come up with a plan far different from what Jesus undertook. Do you suppose God knows better than we do?! The final word in this focal text is a good, encouraging word: “The Son of Man will come in glory” (Mark 8:38). Sometimes we get a taste of that glory even as we pursue this life. Sometimes, we wait until Jesus shares heaven with us. Sometimes, we shall see it fully when the Kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Isn’t that how Jesus said we should pray?
This week’s study text is a familiar one. It is reflected in the official mission statement of The United Methodist Church: “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
But there would have been good reason for discouragement and uncertainty as those early disciples were commissioned by Jesus. The first thing that jumps out is the fact that there were only eleven disciples present (Matthew 28:16). Judas is gone. The post-resurrection work is just beginning and already the numbers are dwindling. A second reality is that even as the risen Lord stood among them, “some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Those who had been closest to Jesus were not in full assurance that what was happening was real. There is a third concern: Jesus said to go to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19). That task is just overwhelming!
How about today? Are we discouraged by the shrinking number of faithful believers (verse 16)? Are we really sure that Jesus can make good on His promises (verse 17)? How can we go to “all nations” when we can’t even get a full house of disciples here where we live (verse 19)?
What, then, are we to do? It looks as if we are to play the game without having been dealt a full deck.
For starters, let us note that what Jesus has said is not a suggestion; it is an instruction. Then, let’s pay attention to the context: Jesus points out that all authority has been given to Him (verse 18). The word translated as “authority” is ĕxŏusia. It means not only the position of authority, but also the ability of authority. In other words, the Lord has the ability to get things done. That ought to be encouraging!
The final “yes” as we undertake this mission is that Jesus says He will be with us (verse 20). We do not go alone as we undertake what Jesus has told us to do. Shall we get started?
When I was in the fourth grade, I was promoted to the Junior Department of the Sunday School of First Methodist Church in Siler City. We had an opening assembly and then we fourth graders went off to our small classroom. There, on the front wall, was a large poster. It read: “Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” Now, that presented a new word: “doers.” Mrs. Dellinger said it meant “Don’t just sit there; do something.”
Charles B. Williams (Translation in the Language of the People) says it means “obeying this message.” James Moffatt (A New Translation) interprets “doers” as “act on the word.” The Twentieth Century New Testament translates it: “Put that Message into practice.” Eugene Peterson (The Message) renders it “Act on what you hear.” (James 1:22)
James is pretty clear on what it is we hear from God. In James 1:27, he spells it out as caring for the needy and not becoming worldly. (“Not becoming worldly” does not mean we do not get involved in the world; it means we do not make our decisions by worldly values; we make our decisions by God’s values.)
I suppose it is not very good Bible study, but sometimes I read between the lines to take a guess at what was going on when the writer took pen in hand. James is writing to a scattered group (James 1:1), but he has evidently heard that there are those within the community who were running off at the mouth, insulting others, using foul language, blabbering without thinking. Note how in this week’s text he writes about the speech of the believer: verse 19 (“be slow to speak”), verse 26 (“bridle your tongue”). James makes a point that faithfulness is measured both in what we do and in what we say (and don’t say).
I know a fellow who says that the Letter of James is so practical and down-to-earth that the writer seems to be just “one of the boys.” Therefore, he has decided to give the author a nickname; he calls him “Saint Jimmy.” Jimmy or James—this is indeed instruction and conversation that applies to daily life. That is both the comfort and challenge of these verses.
Hooray! I preached a sermon and folks told me I did a great job.
Hooray! I gave ten dollars to the needy family fund and the treasurer told me how generous I was.
Hooray! I took time to drive thirty miles to visit a friend in the hospital and he told me how thoughtful I was.
Oops.
Jesus said that the light we shine is so that others can give glory to God, not so they will see how wonderful we are. As one writer has said about this text: “While God’s glory may be made evident through creation, God’s lovingkindness and concern for justice is often most visible when those who profess faith in God make God’s love and justice evident.”
Has anyone ever asked you why you did some particular thing and your answer was “because of God”? I have grown in grace when I recognize that a strong sermon, a financial gift, and a helpful visit are expressions of how God lives in the world.
I’m not encouraging us to exhibit a fake humility. Such humility is a sham and such fakery does not please God. Instead, I am inviting us to consider the source of what Jesus calls “your good works.” Indeed, they are my good works! And Jesus calls on us to let those good works shine before the world. But those good works are acts of God for which we are simply instruments. We are imperfect examples of how God works: “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14).
You and I are gifted differently. Whatever your gift, it is as John Wesley wrote in his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, “The very design of God in giving you this light was that it might shine.” In seeing such light, others may be moved to love and serve God also.
So, I ask myself: “Has God given me a light that I have kept under a basket?”
How do you react when someone says, “Hey, listen up!”? How do you respond when someone shouts, “Hey! I’ve got something to tell you!”? What do you do when someone says, “Pay attention now!”? That’s what the word Shema means: “Hear ye, hear ye!”
Many faithful Jewish persons (tradition says males) will recite this text from Deuteronomy twice a day. It is a prayer conversation with God in which the Almighty is speaking. The Lord is saying, “Accept this!” And by New Testament times, Jesus is pointing to this divine expectation and clarifies that loving God also means loving neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40).
There is not any “wiggle room” in this commandment. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (New Revised Standard Version), note the words “alone” and “all” (three times). That does not allow for any exceptions. And, if there be any doubt about it, Jesus makes it clear that loving God (fully) and loving neighbor (fully) are part and parcel of the same relationship.
But, don’t let one other point slip by: Jesus also calls for us to love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). When we look at another and say, “Child of God,” we look in the mirror and say the same. When we respect another as someone created in the image of God, we look in the mirror and say the same. When we acknowledge others as targets of God’s prevenient—seeking, preceding—grace, we look in the mirror and see the same.
Loving God. Loving neighbor. Loving self. Which is the hardest for you to do? Loving God can be tough because God can seem abstract. Loving neighbor can be tough because neighbor can be uncaring. Loving self can be tough because so often we fall short of our best.
Yet, here it is: “Shema!” “Listen!” “Hear this!” These love expressions flow from each other, don’t they? The “go” switch on all of this is God’s grace-giving love for God’s creation and for us God’s creatures. God has “flipped the switch” of love and now it is our turn: God, neighbor, self.
What Someone Else Has Said: Kenneth J. Collins (The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace, Abingdon Press) has written: “Though Wesley often simply employed the term ‘holiness’ to describe the end or goal of the Christian life, nevertheless, at key points in his writings, he broke out this language into the elements of holy love.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Your love, O God, has set me free to love as You love...”