Wilderness Wanderings: Recent Episodes
Anthony Elenbaas and Michael Bootsma
A daily Christian devotional for the wandering journey through the COVID-19 wilderness and beyond. New devotionals every weekday, created by the pastors of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church of Hamilton: Anthony Elenbaas and Michael Bootsma.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1 & 9)
God's name is compared to all the grandeurs of the created order. David knew a few of those: the delicate flowers along the creek banks, the roar of the lion, the bond between mother sheep and her lamb, the vastness of the night sky unmarred by modern streetlights.
But among all the majesty of the created order, nothing matches the majesty of God's name which evokes everything from fear of condemnation to outright frolicking. When we know God, its difficult to be indifferent. We either fear his judgement or revel in the depths of his love.
This majestic God has His enemies. But the praise of infants will silence the foe and the avenger. It will not be great deeds that bring peace on earth, rather, the small and weak will lead the way. Reminds us of Christmas and Jesus welcoming children!
Having been awed by the glories of the heavens, the psalmist replaces the telescope with the microscope. After marvelling at the stars, he marvels at humanity. "What is...the son of man that you care for him?"
It's not clear who David meant with 'son of man'. But the New Testament writers saw a shadow here pointing towards Jesus. In Hebrews 2, this psalm is used to validate Jesus' superiority to all the angels.
We also know that those who believe in him are being remade to be just like him. We humans were meant to be the rulers of the creation. Today, we make a mess of things, but some day we will know how to rule just fine.
This psalm takes its cue from the glories of creation. But it focuses its lens on the one created to lead all of creation: humanity. "What is man?" it asks, hinting that the honest answer is, "not much; a disaster, mostly."
But God was not satisfied with that. Nor was he willing to abandon us. He set out to recreate, reshape, restore. At the heart of the restoration is Mary's baby boy. How absurd! Jesus, the Word of God—flinger of stars into space, heaper up of the mountains, scooper of the Great Lakes; now he lies in Mary's arms, nursing from her breast.
How undignified! How bewildering! The hope of the world? Indeed.
What can we say except, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
The creation is awash with the glory of God. David saw it. Living in dense urban centres, many of us have few opportunities to really see. We must open our eyes and see. Even in concrete jungles there is plenty of evidence of God's majesty. Look for it.
To sing, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" we must see what God has made. But then, we must also know the 'Son of Man'. When we know him, "O Lord", becomes, "our Lord" and we join the song.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong" (Ecclesiastes 5:1).
What is the "sacrifice of fools"? It is telling God all about ourselves. The prayer of the pharisee in Jesus' story found in Luke 18:9-14 is a prime example. Jesus' point is simple, "God isn't listening."
Our text is followed with these words: "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (Eccl. 5:2). Which of us is not guilty in the face of this wisdom?
Why is it that we need to speak so much, even in the presence of God? Sometimes to justify ourselves. We attempt to convince God that we are not as bad as we know that we are. We make excuses for our bad behaviour, and he should let us be who we are.
Sometimes, because we believe that God's laws are unfair. We need to explain to him that He needs to lower the bar. No one can really measure up to those standards.
Since we have so much to talk about, why should we be silent? So that God can speak.
Silence is the discipline that puts a stopper to our self justifications. When we stop talking, God can tell us that there is no justification for our wrong, nor for our lack of love. He will tell us that we are as evil as we think we are. Maybe that is why we don't want Him to talk.
But then God will also tell us that our sin is gone. He remembers it no more. There is no excuse for our sinful behaviour, so God forgives us. Christ died for our sins. We are deeply loved. When we stop talking, we give God an opportunity to tell us this.
Also, speech is the most powerful weapon in our attempts to control others and our own reputations. Our tongues are full of manipulation and control.
In the silence, God can remind us that any control we think we have is just an illusion. Isn't that really what's behind God's question to Elijah, "What are you doing here?" Elijah had come to think that he oversaw Israel's spiritual wellbeing, which was in freefall. But God says to Elijah, "I got this, don't worry" (1 Kings 19). There is one who is truly in control and that is God. Only in that silence can our souls truly find rest.
This is why Sabbath is so important. Work often becomes an avenue by which we control our lives. Only in Sabbath silence do we discover that we cannot control our lives through work. Only God can control.
James reminds us that the tongue is difficult to control. We know this to be true. Yet we must not forget that Paul wrote that we have been set free for freedom's sake (Gal. 5:1). An element of that freedom is the freedom to be silent.
In our silence we hear the small still voice of God that our fears are unjustified. In silence we discover the most profound truth: we are not God, God is. And that is good news.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 16:21-28. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- Why does this man come to Jesus?
- What does Jesus say about "good"? What is Jesus' first answer to his concern?
- Why does Jesus point out the second half of the 10 Commandments?
- How much are you worth?
- What does the question, "What do I still lack?" tell us about this man?
- Can we become good by keeping the commandments?
- The man's idol is his wealth. What other idols can you think of?
- Jesus says to him, "Follow me!" What does this mean?
As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side…They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:41-44).
Jesus sure knows how to break up a party. He has been ushered into the city with the crowds proclaiming, "He is King; he comes in the name of the Lord." They are expecting him to save Israel while exacting vengeance on her enemies. For this city, peace means death to the invaders.
But when Jesus sees the city spread out before him, he breaks down in tears. And not just a few, they express a gut-wrenching sorrow. Jesus came to save Israel, but not with the kind of salvation she wanted. Hence, in a few days he would be stretched out on the cross.
For ancient Israel, justice meant an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. This principle produces an unending cycle of violence and vengeance. There is no end to the bloodshed. We still see today. Humans enjoy holding grudges, even passing them on to the next generation.
Jesus came to bring an end to that pattern. He came to bring forgiveness with a call to 'love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44) and to 'overcome evil with good' (Romans 12:21). He came to reconcile us to God (Ephesians 2:16). But Jerusalem would not have it. She wanted vengeance and bloodshed, so that is what she would get. It would be Israel's blood that would flow. They would miss God's redemption. Jesus wept.
Even though his people would so thoroughly reject him, that they would execute him on a cross, he shed tears for them. God's judgement never proceeds from a stern and cold justice, nor is it impulsive, coming in a fit of anger or frustration but always from a heart of love. Repeatedly, God delays judgement in the hope that people will turn from their sinful and selfish lives. There is never divine rejoicing over judgement.
Not many of us spend time considering God's judgement. But we are tempted to enact our own judgement on people, seeking vengeance on those who hurt us. Even among Christians, it is hardly normative to live with an eye to reconciliation. We form camps and define ourselves over against other camps, unwilling to bridge the divides.
Sometimes, Christianity is defined as having certain moral, political and ethical leanings rather than following the King on the colt. Jesus came to bring salvation which begins in the human heart. His death on the cross redeems the human heart from bitterness, anger, and vengeance. He turns our desire to lynch people into tears for what they are missing.
It is crucial that Christians grapple with Jesus and his purposes. Is this the kind of salvation we want? Do we want our hearts freed from anger and vindictiveness? Are we willing to lay down the weapons of cyber warfare? Do we really want the Saviour God sent us?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
This is a prayer of confession and repentance. The psalmist is under a great weight, feeling wretched and miserable, all because of God's anger, which, in turn, is caused by human sin.
God is not peevish, nor does he get miffed when he doesn't get his way. He becomes angry when he sees his bountiful creation getting wrecked. Not just the physical creation, but also, the stain our selfishness puts on human relationships. We beat each other up with silence and words. Injust systems keeping some impoverished arouse God's anger.
Many of us want a nice God. But our God isn't revealed as nice. To quote C.S. Lewis, "He is dangerous, but good." His anger is in response to the hard of heart, the unrepentant, those sinners who turn their backs and deliberately refuse His grace. "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Romans 1:18).
God's anger is not directed towards us every time we do something bad. It is aroused when we deliberately and willfully move away from him, hardening our hearts towards him. When we choose to deface the image of God in us or in others, to selfishly ruin what God created good and refuse to change course, that is what arouses God's anger.
This psalm calls us to take our own sin seriously; not to end our prayers with a quick "and forgive us our sins" and assume confession is accomplished. Rather, it invites the introspection with which Psalm 139 ends, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" (23-24).
It brings us to the space in which, because of our sin, we recognize that we are under God's judgement: his anger and wrath. We have turned away from God and made a mess of things. His anger has been aroused. We are in trouble.
Thankfully, the psalmist does not leave us with God's anger. Instead, we are pointed towards God's mercy. "Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint...Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love" (2, 4). We need to make such prayers because hardness of heart remains a possibility for all of us.
The only way out from under God's anger is God's mercy. The God of the Bible is not quick to anger, but he is quick with his mercy. God's anger is in service of God's love. His anger is not a permanent state but arises because of human violence against other creatures whom God also loves. We are encouraged to pray for God's mercy with confidence.
The wages of sin are death. But the mercy of God is vast and rich and without end. To know this mercy, we must know our sin first. So don't read this psalm too quickly. Take the time to make it real for you.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So, they began this good work" (Nehemiah 2:17-18).
During a war soldiers don't jump up from behind their protective barricades with hurt expressions and ask the other side, "Was it something I said?" The war is not personal.
The same is true in spiritual battles Christians face—our enemy is raging against Christ in us. He is opposing Jesus and his church. Our response should be to suit up in spiritual armor, show up on the battlefield, and persevere for Christ. Opposition is part of the Christian life.
It does makes life more difficult. We often need to be prepared to go the extra mile. Reaching the world with the truth and love of Christ will involve inconvenience and personal sacrifice.
Sometimes God allows things to proceed relatively easily, as when Nehemiah makes his requests to Artaxerxes. But other times it is more of a struggle. In chapter 1, his anxiety leads him to pray. God paved the way for him.
When things go well, we can get confident—since God is on our side, nothing can go wrong. Some Christian organizations have become enamored with success and lost their way. Or they make compromises, believing success is always God's way.
But not Nehemiah. He knows there is opposition to his work. The rubble and burned gates were a sign that Jerusalem had been defeated. In ancient culture, this meant that Jerusalem's God had been defeated too. That was the disgrace. A rebuilt wall around the city would be a symbol that God was with them and had not, in the end, been defeated.
Thus, he called on Israel to join him in rebuilding the wall to remove the disgrace. The phrase, "So, they began this good work," is more literally translated as "And they strengthened their hands for the good." Their starting point was to encourage each other to do this good work.
In Ezra 4:4, it says that the opposition caused "their hands to weaken". Later, God changed the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he gave permission and provision for rebuilding. As a result, "their hands were strengthened" or "they were filled with joy" (6:22 NIV).
Throughout Ezra-Nehemiah when Israel overcomes opposition, it is because of the things that God does and because the people encourage each other. None of them can go it alone.
The same is still true today. We can expect to face opposition. Satan does not want Christians nor the church to succeed. One of his great strategies is causing us to think that we are alone. That we can go it alone. But God calls us to encourage one another. "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Take some time today to ask God whom you can encourage, whose hands you can strengthen, so that they can continue in the good fight.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 16:21-28. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What are some of the keys to life mentioned in the sermon? Are there other things many people find important?
- What happened in the previous verses?
- What did Jesus begin to teach his disciples in our text?
- What 2 reasons for the cross were mentioned?
- How did Peter react to this news? Why did Jesus call him 'Satan'?
- Jesus calls us to a very different kind of life than the world offers. What three phrases did he use to sum it up?
- What great paradox does Jesus offer us here?
- Where will picking up our cross take us?
As [Jesus] approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it'" (Luke 19:29-31).
When Jesus was preaching in Capernaum a man possessed by a demon cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly (4:33-35).
A little later Luke makes this editorial comment "demons came out of many people, shouting, 'You are the Son of God!' But [Jesus] rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ" (4:41).
When he healed a man who had leprosy, Jesus said "Don't tell anyone..." (5:14). Likewise, after he had healed their daughter Jesus ordered Jairus and his wife "not to tell anyone what had happened" (8:56). Even after Peter had confessed that Jesus was 'The Christ of God', "Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone" (9:21).
But Palm Sunday is different. Jesus takes a new approach, arranging to enter Jerusalem as a king. Two of His disciples are sent ahead to bring him a colt no one had ridden. Among the Jews there were two things that unridden colts were used for: for sacred purposes and to transport a king. Jesus needed it for both.
With this animal, Jesus evoked the prophecy in Zechariah 9, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (9).
He came to bring God's kingdom, but that kingdom could only take root if he now embodied it in himself. He had spoken this kingdom with his word; he had lived the kingdom by touching the outcast; he had shown the kingdom with his miracles. But none of that would matter if he didn't fulfil his final act, his great sacrifice. On the cross he would break Satan's power.
The living God was at work to heal and save, and the forces of evil and death were gathering to oppose him. Pharaoh and his armies had failed in their efforts to prevent Moses from leading Israel out of Egypt. This is the moment of God's new Exodus, God's great Passover. Jesus must eat it and offer himself as the final Passover lamb. Jesus' time had come. For this, the son of man had come to earth. All eyes needed to be on him.
As we take up our cross to follow Jesus, we too must choose. Do we want a Saviour who fixes only the symptoms of the problem: sickness, loneliness, and physical death? Jesus went to the cross to deal with the problem: our bondage to sin. Will we follow him all the way to the cross? Will we receive forgiveness there and new life?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8).
How many of us wouldn't love to be able to sing the ending of this Psalm? We know the guilt of lying awake at night stewing over this and that. If only we had more faith!
We would like a worry-free life. Christians can feel guilty for not living up to Jesus' call to replace worry with trust (Matthew 6). However, he also invited his disciples to come and learn from him (Matthew 11:29). Moving from worry to trust is often a long twisting road. This psalm shines some light on that pathway.
It's a rugged psalm, moving quickly from place to place. The opening lines form a complaint against God. The psalmist is troubled by God's silence to prayers for help.
Then a complaint is raised against people who are pursuing dishonest gain. The psalmist's own life is being made miserable by these people. There's little support for a life of integrity.
The third verse is the crux of the Psalm. It answers the question, "What is God like?"
The answer is: God takes care of the godly. Instead of offering an explanation, Israel's prayer book gives testimonies of how the godly have experienced this. It makes for a rich tapestry. The psalmist is sure that God will listen to the prayers of those who desire to honour him.
Curiously, the psalmist also addresses enemies (2-5). They are called away from their sinful pursuits, to humble themselves before God.
Even if we identify more with the godly than the rebellious, the invitation to search hearts, to determine motives, should be heeded by us all. We need to test them against God's holy ways and root out any foothold the devil may find. Part of that examination is silence. How often haven't we got ourselves into trouble by spouting off, even to God? Practice listening to him.
Finally, the psalmist tells the godly to bring their case before the Lord. God is the great judge. His righteousness and justice will prevail. "Trusting in the Lord" means that we wait. In this world, vengeance and anger rarely wait. But those who trust in the Lord develop patience.
It is not until all this and more has been laid out that the psalmist writes about being able to sleep. It is not an easy place to get to. Good theology can help us. It helps us trust and wait.
The psalmist does not promise the godly an easy life; but we are offered a pattern for godly living during adversity. Next time you find yourself laying awake in worry, ask yourself, "What is God like?" Then remember this Psalm and others that answer that question.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites (Nehemiah 2:10).
Nehemiah finally makes it to Jerusalem. With letters from the king, he is official – coming with royal authority. And he did not come alone, but with an escort of officials and cavalry.
His coming did not go unnoticed, but very much disturbed Sanballat and Tobiah, who were the local powerbrokers. They were endeavoring to keep Israel weak, thereby securing their own power and influence. They recognized that his coming was a threat to their grip on power.
And they would continue to be a thorn in Nehemiah's side, seeking to undermine both the physical and spiritual progress he sought to bring. We may find this a mere curiosity with little relevance for us today, being far removed in time and geography.
But Sanballat and Tobiah are included in this story for our edification. They are part of the long resistance to God's kingdom which will continue until Christ returns. As Jesus said to his disciples, "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy" (John 16:20).
He also taught us to pray, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Sometimes we may face people like Sanballat and Tobiah: people who really do not want God's church to grow and thrive, or Christians to mature. More often our enemies are not physical, thus the Heidelberg Catechism includes the line, "our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh-never stop attacking us" (A 127).
This is seen when the hidden sins of Christian leaders are exposed. The church bears the shame, and many have given up on the church, and even on God, because of these failures.
But we, who fly under the public radar, are no less afflicted by 'our sworn enemies'. What about you? How have you experienced the attacks of our enemies? Has your faith weakened in the preceding months? If so, are you going to do something about it?
Nehemiah writes that 'the gracious hand of God was on him.' Here is the key. As the Catechism says, "By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment." So, asking, "are you going to do something about it?', is asking the wrong kind of question.
The Catechism gives us a better avenue when it teaches us to pray, "And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory."
Like Nehemiah, we can trust in God and pray that he strengthens us.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved and will endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forevermore. Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil (Psalm 125:1-3).
Driving through mountains helps us grasp the central image of this psalm. Jerusalem was a walled city on the top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains. Standing on top of the walls, looking out at those mountains, an Israelite could feel secure.
Like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. Of course, God's protection of his people is worth more than mountains. God is always more than the earthly image. We too should have earthly images that impress on us God's protection.
In the relationship God formed with His people Israel, he promised to be their God and called them to follow His ways. If they reject His ways, they break covenant and cannot count on His protection. They rebelled and ended up in Babylon.
The refugees who came back from there sang this song as they struggled to establish a righteous Israelite society. They were opposed by stronger nations, and by fellow Israelites who gave up on righteous living to pursue dishonest gain. The righteous were often left in the economic dust, wondering where on earth God's protection for them was. It was tempting to abandon their vision of an obedient nation. 'Don't give up,' says the psalmist, 'evil folks will not endure. In the end, the righteous will dwell securely in the land.' God will see to it.
How do we use this psalm to strengthen our own faith? One way is to consider Jesus' beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meek here refers to someone who has trained to do what is right, so they do it even when it is difficult, in other words, the righteous, those who trust in the Lord and are not shaken. Such folk will have a place in the renewed creation when Jesus returns and fully establishes his kingdom on earth.
As they gathered in Jerusalem, the holy city, to worship together at the temple, some measure of confidence was restored. God does do good to those who are righteous despite the circumstances that surround them each day. We too need to call on God to surround us like mountains and keep us safe from the wicked ones and those who turn aside to crookedness. May we all find places and times in which we gain new strength for our journey.
It is not easy to live righteously before God, to love him and neighbour. May this psalm fire our imaginations to hear with new ears Jesus' solemn assurance, "In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world" (John 16:33). May this psalm encourage us to live faithfully before him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God our Father himself infuse you with strength and purity, filling you with confidence when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers" (1 Thessalonians 3:13). "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (5:23).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 15:21-28. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- What is a central question of this passage?
- The woman addresses Jesus as 'the Son of David'. What does this tell us about her?
- What conflict does her request set up? Does this challenge your faith?
- What two reasons for Jesus' silence were offered in this sermon?
- What does Jesus' statement, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel", remind us of?
- Why is Jesus so impressed with her faith?
- How does this story point towards the ending of Matthew's gospel?
- Who will the fatherly arms of God embrace?
Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, "Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles." The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them (Psalm 2:1-4).
Back in 1850, a French philosopher wrote, "Each citizen is habitually engaged in the contemplation of a very puny object, namely himself". More recently, Goldie Hawn told college graduates it was time for them to attend the "college of you." Self-obsession is the curse of our day, a cause of social and personal problems.
Many Christian prayers suggests that Jesus' followers are equally self-absorbed. Our prayers sound like the whining of a 3-year-old. There is a solution. We need to pray the Psalms. Psalm 2 tells us that people opposed to God will also be opposed to His followers. As such, this psalm offers at least three points for Christian reflection.
First, we should expect to be ridiculed for our faith. Belief in Jesus is hazardous to our health. This psalm gives us hints of what the New Testament points out so strongly: Jesus is the stumbling block. He is God's Son, all must decide, are they with him or not?
Second, this opposition doesn't bother God. He laughs. No matter how many argue the contrary, God sits enthroned above, and we believe Jesus sits at His right hand. Jesus holds the sceptre of power and authority.
It is our natural inclination to get rid of our enemies right away; to get even; to triumph. But the Bible makes quite clear that God is in no hurry to be proven right. For many reasons He chooses to wait. Waiting teaches us perseverance and it gives time for others to find their home in him. This inspires prayer for people to turn to Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Third, whose side are we on? It is necessary to take time to reflect on this question. It will not do to say, "Of course, I am on Jesus' side, I made a commitment to him years ago; I made profession of faith." This requires self-examination. How do deal with controversy? If we always need to win or prove that we are right, can we really say that we are allowing God to be God?
Ponder what Peter writes about Jesus, "When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23). He left us this example to follow. Do we?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king… (Nehemiah 2:4-5a)
Not all prayers are long and eloquent. Nehemiah's certainly wasn't.
The way this is written, it appears to be offered in the blink of an eye in the king's presence, offered mid-conversation without Nehemiah so much as skipping a beat. It no doubt happened silently then—a deep breath before plunging into a response.
This is an example of what Paul means when he encourages us to "pray without ceasing". This kind of breath-long prayer illustrates how it can be lived.
It's not necessarily about the length or formality or the words. It's not about the continuity of praying throughout days and weeks. It's an unceasing prayerful posture that defines our approach and our reaction to life.
Nehemiah's attitude reflects a prayerful posture toward life. And that's just a different way of saying that Nehemiah was unceasingly aware of, and actively attentive to God.
His attention to God pervaded his life. He knew that he belonged to God. He knew that God ultimately held the power over the nations and over history. He knew that it was with God that he had to do. This naturally meant that Nehemiah prayed, that he connected his life, his thoughts, and his conversations to God in prayer.
When a deep sorrow washed over him at the plight of his people, he talked to God. As he pondered what action to take, he talked it over with God. As he prepared to enter the king's presence with his request, he inquired of God. As he responded to the king in the moment, he prayed to God. Nehemiah was constantly aware of and attentive to God, such that his in-the-moment responses turned into prayer. His life posture was prayerful.
They say that our character is what pops out of us when we hit a bump in the road. Well, what popped out of Nehemiah was prayer.
Maybe not always big or eloquent prayer—but prayer none-the-less.
We generally associate prayer with words directed to God. But it can also be silent attentiveness to God – like a child content just to sit with a parent. Prayer will take different forms at different times. As we mature in the faith, it includes becoming aware of the presence of God that actively pervades every moment.
That's part of what it means to pray continually. To be always attentive to and ready to respond to God. In the big moments, and the in small ones. In dedicated times of attention and devotion, as well as in the passing moments.
So, what's your posture in life? To God? What pops out of you when you hit a bump in the road? Pay attention today and see. Then, let it remind you to pay attention to God as you breathe a little "thanks for the reminder, God" prayer.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Our text is from Luke 7:22-23
Jesus replied to the messengers, "Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made 'clean.' Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor. Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me (Luke 7:22-23).
John the baptizer sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if he really was the messiah Israel was expecting from God. Luke is working out a central question of his gospel: who is Jesus?
In reply to John, Jesus says that he is the Messiah from God, but not the kind of messiah Israel expected. John had preached about coming wrath--destruction, fire, judgment (3:7-9, 17). But the words and deeds of Jesus had very little of this. Even John's imprisonment had provoked no counterblast of judgment from the powers of the kingdom of God.
John was clearly puzzled. Jesus wasn't doing what he had expected. If Jesus really was the Messiah, why wasn't he establishing the messianic kingdom John wanted, the kind in which prisoners like himself were liberated and folks like Herod got what was coming to them?
In reply to John's question, Jesus points to what he is doing, then quotes several prophecies from Isaiah and encourages folks to draw their own conclusion. Jesus will not be a straightforward rival to Herod. His kingdom will operate in a different mode altogether, healing people and the world at every level and it will outlast all the Herod like kingdoms.
There is encouragement for the Christian in this confrontation between John and Jesus. John had proclaimed Jesus coming, but when Jesus came, John didn't get it. Jesus doesn't berate John with some form of "how could you even ask?" Instead, he invites John and his disciples to come have a closer look. Rather than pushing John away, he draws him nearer.
If Jesus could deal with John's questions and doubts, surely, he will be equally merciful to us when we question him. Sometimes the church has frowned on people with questions, telling them to just believe. Jesus was not offended by the questions and doubts. He simply invited the questioners to have a closer look. So let us not hide and silence our questions but rather use them as opportunities to look deeper into what God is up to.
This confrontation also poses a challenge for us. Blessing belongs to the person who is not offended by Jesus. His style of ministry is not with the powerful flair of position and status the world expects and we want. Nonetheless he has been sent from God. Can we believe that acts of love and mercy bring forth the kingdom?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 14:22-33. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- How is this passage often used?
- What words are at the heart of this story?
- What Old Testament passages do they echo?
- What tells us that Peter understood what Jesus was implying?
- How does Christ's Lordship shape Christian living?
- How does 'Immanuel' encourage us?
- How should we respond to this revelation?
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the commander. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, "I tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong." (Luke 7:9-10).
How does one get noticed by God or get into his good books? How do I get into heaven? Common questions. Many Christians will answer with "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). Of course, that's right. Yet I wonder how many Christians realize how difficult it is to hold to this.
When we go to funerals, we generally get a recitation of the deceased person's good qualities. Often summed up like this, "they were an angel in this life, so of course God will let them in. Heaven has another angel." In other words, if I do enough good in this world, I will get into heaven. It's difficult for us Christians to keep this sentiment from creeping into our worldview.
Our text suggests a different question, "What amazes God?"
We meet a good Roman military man who loves the Jewish nation. He was wealthy enough to have helped the Jews build their synagogue in Capernaum. In this story, he sends some Jewish elders to Jesus hoping for help with his dying servant. These elders advocate for him, "He is a good man, Jesus, he deserves your help."
On the way to this Roman home, Jesus is met by the man's friends with a double message (7:7). First, 'I am unworthy of your attention'. He recognizes that despite having done significant good, God owes him nothing. Can we say that? Self-worth often subverts our faith. We get angry with God thinking that we deserve better than we are getting. This man did not even feel worthy of being visited by God's agent.
Second, the unnamed man believes Jesus has authority over illness, just say the word and it will be accomplished. He believed Jesus could heal by a simple sovereign word even at a physical distance—a situation that applies even more today considering Jesus' presence in heaven. And he knew that Jesus cared enough to do so.
Such faith and humility in God's power amazes Jesus. This isn't abstract belief about God or the learning of dogmas. It is the simple, clear belief that what Jesus commands will be done. Further, when God acts for our good, it is undeserved.
The gospels are full of stories in which the things Jesus does and speaks amaze people. But here Jesus is amazed. It was not the man's accomplishments or his good works, that amazed Jesus, but the man's faith in who Jesus is and in his power.
We are invited to consider our own faith. Do we believe this about Jesus? Here is a Gentile who understood who Christ is. This passage calls us to possess a similar faith. God owes us nothing, yet he extends his compassion to us. God honors us with his grace, not because we deserve it, but because he cares (1 John 4:9–10). Let us be amazed at our God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name" (Nehemiah 1:10-11).
In Genesis 2, the Lord God says, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him" (2:18). And before that, "So God created human beings in his own likeness. He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female" (1:27).
We humans were created for community. That's why solitary confinement is considered a form of punishment (probably not a helpful form). Further, we find our self-identity not in isolation but in the context of our community. There is evidence that the rise of anxiety in our culture is, at least in part, due to the lack of community shaping us. Individualism, apparently, does not form healthy people.
In recognizing this, Christians seek to include children and youth in church life. We all need community and we need that community to shape us and help us form our identity. Each of us also, whether young or old, shapes the identity of our community.
The core of our Christian identity does not change, but how we live it and express it hopefully matures. Nehemiah gives us the essence of our identity. Let me paraphrase, "we are God's servants and God's people, whom God redeemed by his great strength and his great hand."
Nehemiah was referring to God delivering his people from Egypt. We, of course, refer to Christ's death and resurrection. That was the great act of God delivering us. Because of Christ, we belong to God. We are his servants.
But we have difficulty remembering this. On the one hand we are just forgetful. On the other hand, there is a constant barrage of information tempting us to see ourselves differently.
The prayers in the Bible are frequently more audacious than ours. Did Nehemiah think that God had forgotten? "These are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed…" Did God need reminding? Not likely.
But we forget. We need the Christian community to remind us of who we are. That's why the church is referred to as a family. It's also why seminarians are constantly told, "Preach Jesus." One Sunday afternoon, an elderly parishioner called me with this, "everything you said this morning was true, but a Jewish rabbi could have preached that." He had nothing against Jewish Rabbi's; he was just reminding me, with all kindness, that I was called to preach Jesus. That was a long time ago, but I won't forget.
And here is the wonder of it, we belong to our Heavenly Father, not because we decided, but because he decided. He wanted us enough that Jesus died for us. No. He will not forget.
This prayer also reminds us of what we do. We serve God. We serve him on Sundays. But we especially serve him in the days between Sundays, in our work and our play, among our family members and among our co-workers, employers and employees.
As you journey on, remember, "We are God's servants and God's people, whom he redeemed by his great strength and his mighty hand." He will hear our prayers.
Nehemiah prayed to God, "You said, 'If your people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again… I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.' Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt" (Nehemiah 1:8-10).
Having heard dire reports concerning the returned exiles in Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat in lament, sorrow and prayer. Then he intercedes for that community, acknowledging that this exile was caused by Israel's sin. God had scattered them because they had abandoned him.
For a variety of reasons, Christians find it tantalizing to follow Nehemiah's lead, believing any misfortune to be God's judgement on some specific sins. But I think this is a misreading of scripture. This judgement in Babylon is not the norm. Isreal had needed saving from Egypt, but it was not God's judgement that brought them there. Joseph says that his coming to Egypt was intended by God to save many lives (Genesis 50:20). Horrible things happened to Israel in Egypt, but none of it was because of God's judgment.
In Acts 11:19 we read, "Some believers had been scattered by the suffering that unbelievers caused them. They were scattered after Stephen was killed." Again, that suffering had nothing to do with judgement. The Holy Spirit pushed the followers of Jesus out of Jerusalem so that they could fulfill their mission to be Jesus' witnesses to the furthest ends of the earth.
Israel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple where God was worshipped. In the gospel of John, Jesus teaches that he is the new temple (2:19). We can worship God wherever we are when we worship in his name. His promise is that he is with us there. Paul develops this temple imagery even further and declares that followers of Jesus are God's temple.
This has massive implications. The temple in Jerusalem was the place where God was present. So, wherever Jesus followers go, God is present today. That is part of the New Testament story. This brings us back to Nehemiah and his prayer.
In the face of suffering, we tend to ask why. But the more Biblical question is, 'what are we going to do in it'? John 9 illustrates this. Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind. The disciples want to know who sinned, him or his parents. That's a question about judgement, but Jesus says it is about God's glory. Then he gives the man his sight. God did not intend for us to suffer, and he never takes delight in it. But he can redeem it.
Nehemiah mentions that God's people serve him. That's a matter of glory. We can spend lots of energy on the 'why' of suffering. But if we ask, "how can we serve God while suffering?" that's a matter in which God's glory can be revealed.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless…Whoever does these things will never be shaken (Psalm 15:1,2,5).
Psalm 15 is a 'worker's' song. There are others in the Bible, all containing experiences of people living their lives much like we do. They help us pray not as detached spiritual beings but real physical people interacting with ordinary humans straining to live in this chaotic world.
This song recognizes that interacting with other humans gets us caught up in things that are not holy. Frequently, we make decisions, that with hindsight, don't measure up to the high standards God's people desire for themselves. We are reminded that we ought to examine our daily work before we go to worship God. Are our hands clean? Have we earned our income honestly? Have we given our best effort? Have we harmed people in the process?
On the surface, Psalm 15 might disqualify all of us from actual worship. But that is not the case. Scripture interprets scripture and God has already laid out what we should do when we realize our actions and words have not measured up. Leviticus 5:5 sums it up, "They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering".
Jesus echoes these instructions in Matthew 5:23-24. He doesn't mention the matter of adding "a fifth." Rather, he tells us to go and be reconciled. We need to be willing to make matters right. These passages teach that repentance is not just a matter between us and God. We cannot be clean before God if we do not make amends with those we have hurt or offended.
To climb God's holy mountain and dwell in the Lord's house of worship is a profound blessing, for "it is good to be near God" (Ps. 73:28). The Psalms push us to reckon with our workplace behavior both before and within worship. To glibly reply, "Well, Jesus paid it all, so I'm good now," is to fail to wrestle with our guilt and release the guilt that should haunt us during communal worship.
The phrase, "work is worship", is right. Yet, it is also true that only when we bring our work into the sanctuary and only when we learn how to work while at worship does our work get shaped into a gift that honours God.
So, wherever God brings you this week, prepare already today, to bring yourself as a gift to him in worship next weekend.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 8:14-17. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
What images come to mind when you think about the Holy Spirit?
What image was used in this sermon?
What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?
What three roles does the law have?
Answer 86 of the Heidelberg Catechism gives us four reasons for doing good. What are they?
How does being adopted into God's family change our relationship with God? How does it change the way that we pray?
If Israel's exodus from Egypt is a parallel to the church's story, where are we now? In what ways do we suffer?
I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind (Proverbs 8:30-31).
If we are to experience Sabbath's potential, we need to consider the practice of delight. The connection between delight and the Sabbath is easily seen. In expressing delight, we show our joy and great pleasure in the gifts of God. It is to relish the goodness and beauty of God's work and see to the remnants of the divine image in each other. We recognize and appreciate that we are all gifts to each other. Therefore, we welcome each person.
Yet, this delight takes effort. It requires personal preparation in which we halt the controlling, self-serving impulses that reduce others to servants. We no longer see people as means to our own goals but learn to pay genuine attention to them for their own sake. We have the same attitude towards the rest of God's creation. Everywhere we see the freshness of God's grace.
To this end, we must imitate God. Throughout his creative work, he took immense pleasure in what he was making. He took pleasure in creation itself, in its freedom and integrity. God beheld the world, all that was within it, but also its great potential, and proclaimed it "very good"! It was divine exuberance that built and flowed into the works of creation. It was a work of love. His declaration of 'very good", is filled with joy and delight.
This delight comes to the fore in Proverbs 8. The Wisdom of God, personified as feminine, speaks of the freshness and beauty of all that was made.
I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind (8:27–31).
Enthusiasm and excitement are being communicated back and forth between God and Wisdom as God brings each aspect of creation into being. They are like beaming parents unable to contain their delight when contemplating the potential of new life. They delight in seeing their children thriving and doing well. In the face of such wonder and splendor, the automatic response is pure joy. Scripture advises us to heed God's Wisdom, so that we too might share in this fundamental experience of delight.
Despite Israel's disloyalty and shame, despite our worst efforts to mar and disfigure what God has created, God is faithful to his promise to love and care for his people and his creation. The suffering God undertook through Jesus' incarnation was endurable because of the joy to come (Hebrews 12:2) in the restoration of all things.
Let's keep our eyes open. Let us see the gifts of God's grace. Let us delight in Sabbath joy.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
I was the king's wine taster (Nehemiah 1:11).
Why does this chapter end stating Nehemiah's position in the Persian court? The wine taster was a very important person among the king's officials, most likely responsible for other high priority files. In the Canadian context, he would probably hold several significant cabinet posts.
The bulk of the chapter relates Nehemiah's lament and prayer. After learning of the troubles in Jerusalem among the returned exiles, he fasts and weeps. It's a reminder that the journey with God rarely goes in a straight line. Times for lament come and go in the Christian's life.
Nehemiah prays on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. We can learn from him. Like Jesus, he begins with God. There are times when our prayers begin with our troubles, but overall, we need to learn to begin with God. Who are we praying to? That needs to be firmly fixed in our hearts and minds.
He confesses his own sins, his family's sins and the sins of the whole nation. Nehemiah acknowledges the heart of the matter: God had given Israel commands through Moses, but Israel ignored them and did evil.
We might think that having confessed her sin, Israel can now expect God to do something for her, a sort of tit for tat spiritual arrangement. Israel does something good, so God ought to respond in kind. Isn't that how we often approach God?
But Nehemiah does something very different. He reminds God of God's promise to Israel: that if, having experienced his judgement, Israel returned to God, he would return them to the land of promise.
Nehemiah expects God to respond to him, because God has said he would. He does not bank on Israel's goodness to evoke divine deliverance. Our God keeps his promises. This is what Nehemiah counts on. We can count on this too.
But why end with, "I was the king's wine taster." By this time, we might be expecting Nehemiah to identify as a spiritual leader among the Jewish exiles. Instead, we are reminded that he held an important position in the Persian court.
Two suggestions. First, like Ezra, God has been preparing Nehemiah to help re-establish his people in the promised land. Ezra had spent much of his life studying God's law. So, he was prepared to teach Israel how to obey God.
Nehemiah is an administrator in the Persian court who has skills that will be very important in re-establishing Israelite community. Despite his position of high standing, he has obviously remained faithful to the God of Israel. He is not a Persian.
Second, we often say that God can use anyone for his purposes, but we don't always believe it. Here we see how God used an administrative person who had face to face contact with the king of Persia. Let that encourage us all that God can use us. Let us also keep our eyes open to the opportunities he gives us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done…Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life (Psalm 143:5,8).
In the Bible, God has multiple occupations. Here are a few from the Psalms: judge (9:16), provider (16:5), midwife (22:9), engineer and builder (Ps 24:2 & 87:1), teacher (25:12), planter (44:2), scheduler (74:17), liberator of those who toil (81:6), irrigator (104:13), public defender and advocate for the poor (113:7), seamstress (139:13), craftsman (139:14), physician (146:8), cook (147:14).
Throughout the Psalms, there is repeated reflection on the works of the Lord. The things God does always stand in the foreground, whereas the things we humans do, fade into the background. We are invited to ponder the things God does and how he does them and then model our work on his.
Because we are God's image bearers, God is always first. We cannot understand our place and purpose, including that of our work, until, through song, prayer and meditation, the work of God has seeped into our muscles. When God's work is central to our worship and devotions, we wash the lens through which we can understand our own labours in this world.
Psalm 23 depicts our almighty God as a humble shepherd. We derive much comfort from this song. Yet, its primary purpose is to reveal something about God. Shepherding was smelly, dirty and difficult. A shepherd had fearful encounters with wild beasts and bandits and snide remarks from almost all other workers. They were among the lowest class, spending long lonely, cold, sleepless nights with smelly animals. Yet, God is willing to be compared to this worker.
Now imagine that you are such a shepherd, and, with your band of motley brothers, you sing this song night after night. You worship a God whose work is comparable to yours. You imagine God doing for you what you do for your sheep. I think it would both warm your heart to this God and increase your desire to do your work well. If you God does this, how can it be just a lowly job?
At the end of the psalm, God becomes a waiter, filling their cups to overflowing. The work of God will follow the shepherd all the days of his life. The psalmists work—however mundane—will be protected, guided, and nourished by the overflowing work of God. Many Christians prefer a distant god, one who commanded us to work (Genesis 1&2) and then politely leaves us along. But that is not the God we worship. He works right along side us.
Singing songs that compare the extraordinary works of almighty God to our routine labors may fill us with a sense of discomfort that is both appropriate and revealing. Why does it make us uncomfortable?
These psalms push us to seek intimacy with God in and through the more mundane aspects of working life. Our daily sweat, our stress, our late nights in the office, and our early mornings in the libraries are all spiritually "thin spaces". Yet, there we can be renewed through the intimate presence of God. The psalms depict God faithfully at work in the world alongside us. Singing together in the sanctuary, we are reminded of this simple but life-changing truth: God's work gives meaning to ours.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Ezekiel 36:24-32. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- What does soap do? Is it adequate for what God is talking about in this passage? Why or why not?
- What is God's diagnosis? How do we often treat sin?
- Who is the main worker?
- What does God say he will do?
- "I will _______________"
- "I will _______________"
- "I will give you a new _____________"
- "I will put my _____________ in you"
- What's the point of all of this?
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made (Psalm 145:9).
Our text, along with others, has given rise to the teaching known as "common grace." This doctrine reflects on different ways in which God is involved in the affairs of the universe, including among human beings and human civilization.
Here are some of examples of God involving himself. First, He restrains sin. Humans led, and continue to lead, the creation in rebellion against the creator. However, God prevents sin from expressing itself as fully as it otherwise would. It is not as bad as it could be. He uses governments, laws, conscience, family structures, and social institutions in confining evil.
Second, God preserves his creation. He sustains the world despite our rebellion. The regularity of nature, seasons, and the continued existence of society are gifts of common grace (Genesis 8:22). As Jesus reminds us, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).
Third, he bestows gifts and abilities to all people. Christians who adhere to this doctrine of common grace appreciate wisdom coming from non-believers. They can recognize beauty in the art of an atheist. We eagerly use the scientific discoveries and medical advances of folks from other religions. People who do not know Christ can still do things that are beneficial and admirable.
Fourth, the Bible speaks frequently about coming judgment. But it is long in coming. Paul writes that God patiently endures sinners, giving opportunity for repentance (Romans 2:4). And as Peter says, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Why consider 'common grace' in a mediation about Sabbath? Well, because Sabbath is not primarily about one day a week. It is a way of life, a way of looking at the world. A Sabbath life looks for signs of God in the normal events of daily life. If God involves himself in life on this earth, his activity needs to be visible. We need to look for it. That is what Sabbath people do.
However, common grace is not saving grace. It points to God but does not restore us to him. Seeing signs of this kind of grace can help us see and receive his saving grace. If we see the world as only material for us to use, devoid of God's involvement, then we are likely to miss his saving grace as well. If our eyes are open, if we are looking for indications of God's care and compassion on his whole creation, we are more likely to desire his salvation as well.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
"The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices… (Ezra 9:1).
"Moderation in all things". This popular bit of folk wisdom is helpful but not always.
Hating sin, for example, needs no moderation. We are to hate it and flee from it with enthusiasm and passion. When writing to Timothy about certain temptations, Paul writes, "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11). To the church he writes, "reject every kind of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).
Many of us want the freedom to dabble a little bit with sin. We wonder how close we can get to the line without crossing. This attitude is a long way from 'reject every kind of evil'.
To reject evil, we need to give up things. For example, negative attitudes that towards other people; stereotyping. The Bible's persistent call to love our neighbours means we cannot look down on people of another race or socio-economic status. We will need to critically question our political leanings to determine if they truly line up with the gospel.
It's really a question about worship: who or what we worship.
That's where the book of Ezra finishes. The Israelites have married folks from other nations. But that is just the presenting issue. What lies behind this is Israel's lackluster attitude towards God and worshipping him alone. Their intermarrying quickly progresses to joining their foreign spouses in worshipping other gods.
Israel was to be holy to the Lord among the nations: geographically, culturally, ethnically and religiously.
The church is not longer a separate nation. So how are we holy? This is a question each generation of Christians needs to ask and wrestle with. This is no easy task.
To help this discernment, we do well to focus on the positive aspects of the Christian life. Paul wrote, "flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." If we spend more time on the pursuit side of the equation, the fleeing will be more obvious.
We should also follow Ezra's example. When we become aware of sin, our first response ought to be confession. Ezra's awareness of the sin in the community leads him to confess it before God. He is acutely aware that they cannot presume upon God's mercy. Neither can we.
Our current Christian culture tends toward an approach to repentance that advocates "saying sorry" to God and trying (at least for a while) not to be a repeat offender. We need to recover an understanding of the seriousness of sin and how it affects us.
Experiencing the seriousness of sin in our heart (our guts) makes us more aware of God's grace, and thankful for it. This will help us to pursue a life of worshipping God alone.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17).
Growing up, the New Year was always ushered in with a reading of Psalm 90. Sometimes, just after mid-night, more often after breakfast on January 1. As a child growing up on a farm it was easy to relate to the petition of verse 17. But from an adult perspective, I realize there is more at stake then I could know as a child.
In the dead of winter, I didn't think about the sunshine and rains that would be needed for crops to grow during the warmer months. Nor did I fully understand the possibility of disease creeping into the barns infecting the pigs. Nor did I realize that fluctuations in the market impacted the price of pork and crops.
As a child, it seemed like a simple prayer. Yet, if God is sovereign then he rules over all these things. The prayer is a recognition that we are subject to many forces outside our control, many of them with evil intent. This prayer drives us to dependence on God, that he alone can establish the work that we do in this world. That without his providential care, all we do is a building on sand.
Forces at work within the economy are not always driven by people with righteous intentions. In fact, many players are downright selfish. Cheating and false accusations abound and some of it is aimed at God's people. This is a prayer that, despite the evil designs of godless people, God will cause us to prosper. When the righteous prosper, notwithstanding the intentions of bad players, these same people are shamed, and their evil schemes are exposed as malicious.
This is not a prayer that we win and others lose. That is not God's way. We prosper so that others can prosper with us. Our modern economy is based on the theory of scarcity: that there are not enough resources to go around. This model induces people to gather and horde as much as possible. As such, those with power and influence sit on heaps of resources when many others die of hunger.
Those who pray this prayer refuse to indulge in such ideas. We cannot pray these words while turning a blind eye to the needs of the poor. Read Isaiah 58 to see what God thinks of that. A prayer that God will 'establish the work of our hands' propels us to consider the community around us and how, if our work prospers, we can help others prosper as well.
As a child, I only envisioned this prayer within the context of our farm, not fully realizing what it all embraced. But now, I envision it for all of us who spend our days engaged is various activities. God does not pour down buckets of potatoes, rice and beans from heaven. No. He uses us to work in the marketplace, wanting our work to provide for many.
When you pray this prayer at the start of the week, consider how God might answer it?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 58. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive IN
What are the Imprecatory Psalms?
How do we pray them?
- Raw emotion: have you ever heard anyone pray like this?
- Anger at injustice: name some injustices that you have seen
- Directed towards God: why should we take this anger to God? Read Romans 12:19)
How does God deal with Injustice?
- What happened at the cross?
- Why do the gospel writers spend so much time on Jesus' suffering? (read Isaiah 53:4-5)
How should we respond to our enemies?
- What are the keys of the kingdom?
- What does Romans 12:20-21 have to say about this?
- Two other things were mentioned about how Christians should respond to injustice.
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O most high, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night… (Psalm 92:1-2).
Christian teaching on Sabbath is frequently rooted only in the instructions given through Moses in the 10 Commandments. As such, this training is often reduced to as list of dos and don'ts. We focus on definitions of work and what kinds of work are permissible, and which are forbidden. In doing this we reduce the Biblical teaching on Sabbath to something either bothersome or irrelevant.
The Bible includes a profound and robust theology of Sabbath which, as the writer of Hebrews says, we enter by faith. And pardon the pun, we need to work at it to live it. This is not the work of survival in this world, nor is it works righteousness, but the work of faith. It is akin to the beginning of Peter's second letter. He writes that God has given us everything we need for a godly life and a host of great and precious promises too boot. Because we have all these things, we should make every effort to add to our faith goodness, knowledge, etc. The abundant life that Jesus gives us needs to be learned.
Likewise, Sabbath rest is a gift God gives, like the land of promise in the Old Testament. Yet, it is also something we need to enter by faith and work for, just as the Israelites had to defeat their enemies before they could settle into the land and enjoy its fruits. Sabbath is more than just a day free from the frenetic pace of modern life. It is a way of life in which "every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath" (Heidelberg Catechism A 103).
Psalm 92, "a psalm for the Sabbath day" (NIV heading) shows us the way. The work of Sabbath faith begins and ends with declaring the love and faithfulness of God. This is what Eugene Peterson called "unselfing". It's the difficult spiritual work of getting ourselves off the throne of our lives and allowing God to sit there. With resolve, we refuse to make live about ourselves, rather, we set out to pursue the kingdom of God.
Sabbath is a discipline equipping us to think about the direction of our lives. It reminds us that creation ended with Sabbath, Sabbath were interrupted by human rebellion, yet history will culminate in the eternal Sabbath. Our practice of Sabbath should usher us into this grand story that God is directing. It is the discipline of passing back to God the conductor's baton of our lives.
Better than anything else, it helps us appreciate and understand what all our living is for. Put simply, Sabbath discipline introduces us to God's own ways of joy and delight. As Peter says, we are given everything we need to experience the divine life of love and peace.
Celebrating these attributes of God does not guarantee a life free of hardship and pain and stress. No. We are declaring by faith that God's work and providential care of this world, and of us his children, goes well beyond what we can see and experience. Sabbath is the discipline of learning to trust in this God and to live in hope of what we cannot yet see.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord (Ezra 8:35).
Ezra 8 records a second group of exiles returning from Babylon. This group is led by Ezra who has diligently studied the law of God and the leadership Moses gave to Israel. This journey from Babylon echoes the journey from Egypt, following the pattern Moses laid down.
The most significant is the gathering of the Levities. This tribe remained faithful while Israel prostrated herself to the golden calf (Exodus 32). Thus, they were set apart to special work for the Lord. In his final prayer, Moses offered these words regarding Levi: "he watched over your word and guarded your covenant. He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar" (Deuteronomy 33:9-10). Knowing this, Ezra will not leave Babylon without an escort of Levites.
Under Moses the Levites cared for the ark and tabernacle, under Ezra, the temple money and articles. He ensures proper stewardship of God's holy belongings by scrupulously measuring and counting the items at both beginning and end of the journey.
The gathering for sacrifices is also a result of this careful attention to the law of Moses and echoes Israel's original entrance to the land. This careful attention to the number and types of sacrifices indicates the Israelites identify as God's covenant people and desire to be faithful.
Behind Ezra's actions is the hand of God. We see God providing capable Levites (18) and giving a safe journey (23, 31). Also, the donated items are all accounted for in Jerusalem (34) and the king's orders result in assistance from the government officials.
As God redeemed Israel from Egypt, he is now redeeming them from Babylon. As God, through Moses, called Israel to be faithful, he now, through Ezra, calls for faithfulness. The sacrifices indicated Israel's intention to leave behind the ways of Egypt and Babylon and embrace the ways of God.
Both these redemption stories point forward to the greater redemption in Jesus Christ. Jesus is greater than both Moses and Ezra. He is the greatest and the final Levite. Not only does he teach us God's way, he is God's way, giving us His Spirit to lead us in the way of faithfulness.
He does not lead us in sacrifice, He is our sacrifice. He gave his own life that we may live. "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5,6).
Under Moses and Ezra, Israel needed to make the journey to the promised land, with lethal hazards along the way. Jesus makes it for us. By faith in him, we are already citizens of God's kingdom and our entrance and place in the Promised Land is guaranteed. Praise the Lord!
Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan (Leviticus 25:10).
We love distinctions. We separate sacred from secular. We divide work from worship.
In these Monday devotions, I have been attempting to bridge the gap, to help us integrate our work with our worship and to see all of life as sacred. Work is worship and worship is work. Of course, work is understood to be more than income earning activity. It is our response to God's command that we steward and develop his creation. A command that did not cease with our rebellion but in Christ we are restored to re-engage in it.
The Bible does not understand these distinctions. Consider the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25). It was a year of joyful liberty for Israel. It all began when a great horn was sounded. The rumbling note called all workers to put down their tools, to engage in the cancelling of economic debts, to release slaves and debtors, to return farmland to the original owners and to a year of resting; even the land enjoyed a sabbath.
Was this year economic or spiritual devotion? Was it part of Israel's liturgical calendar or was it the end of the fiscal year? Was it sacred or secular? Was it worship or work? It was both and. The Israelites did not recognize our distinctions.
Christians have tried all kinds of ways to apply the Year of Jubilee into the modern context. Based on this chapter, there have been myriad unsuccessful attempts to convince richer people in the world to forgive the debts of poor nations. While filled with good intentions, they misuse Jubilee, which was an internal event within Israel, not a matter of international relations.
Should Christians then just ignore the year of Jubilee? No. Let me suggest two things. First, Jubilee is clearly an anticipation of the New Creation. Jubilee is primarily about the cancelling of debts. This puts us in the place of those who had debts forgiven. Entrance to the New Creation is only through the blood of Christ by which our sins are cleansed. It puts us on the receiving side of Jubilee.
Secondly, we take up the prayer of Psalm 90, Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands! (17). The favour of God is never given for the sake of the receiver. If we receive from God, God intends for us to pass it on. That is why being forgiven by God is always connected to the forgiveness we extend our debtors. Forgiven people experience a taste of the final Jubilee. God laid this foundation in his call to Abram, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2).
This is how we bridge the gap between the sacred and the secular, between work and worship. At the beginning of the day, we pray for God's favour. We ask that his grace flows through us to our family, our co-workers, our neighbours and all the strangers we encounter. And then, even our income earning labour can be a source of Jubilee.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 110. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
Who's Who?
- The Lord
- My Lord
- Enemies
- Troops
- Who is drinking from the brook?
What's Your Favourite Psalm
- Gospels
- Acts
- Hebrews
Why Was It the Favourite Psalm?
- King
- Priest
- Troops
- Prayer
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:12-13).
Last summer, I committed to preparing a devotion on Sabbath keeping each Friday. Since, it's popular topic these days, I have gathered enough resources to stimulate my thoughts for several years worth of Fridays. But sometimes I wonder if I was correct in discerning the need for extended treatment on this discipline.
When I refer to Sabbath keeping, I am thinking about more than some sort of Sunday observance, including attending a Christian worship service, even though these things are almost always beneficial. Sabbath keeping is a deeper and richer theme which reaches back to the creation story before the fall and forward to the return of Christ when all evil will be eradicated from God's realm. It refers to lives governed by a deep trust in God's providential care. It is about people who deliberately pursue righteousness, discovering as they go that flourishing, which is so much more than material wealth, is a by product of righteousness.
Sabbath keeping involves pausing from the regular events of life to discover how unrighteous attitudes, desires and actions have been creeping into our lives. It means rooting out the ways in which our trust has moved away our God. I believe that for the Christian community to be a godly witness in our society, we must learn anew such practices. Why?
Consider that the average Canadian today enjoys a standard of living that even royalty of past ages would be jealous of. Roughly 2 000 000 millionaires populate our land. Yet, this prosperity has not led to increased enjoyment. By many measures, we are less happy than decades ago.
The result of material success appears to be the break down of families and increased loneliness. Despite some having too much, others have too little. Regularly, folks spend the night sleeping on our church property and Neighbour-2-Neighbour is helping more people, not less.
Many of us are slaves to our schedules which keep us running from morning till night leaving us stretched and stressed to the breaking point. We compile impressive resumes and accumulate so many possessions our basements, garages and closets overflow into off site storage lockers. To keep going we turn to pharmaceutical enhancers and stimulants—some legal and some not. As a culture we excel at ignoring that exhaustion, hypertension, obesity, anxiety, insomnia are signs that something is terribly wrong.
Sabbath keeping has long been the Christian antidote to this terrifying and erratic way of life. The culture we live in has lost control, if it ever had it. People are desperate to bring order to life. In this context Christians declare "that I am not my own, but belong-body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ" (HC A1). Sabbath keeping is leaning into this truth and discovering that in his hands we are safe. He controls; we don't need to. Further, we declare that our covenant God is able to provide for us "because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father" (HC A 26).
Let's continue learning how to be Sabbath keepers in this cultural moment.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
The book of Ezra began with God moving the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to provide for the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem. Once there, they began rebuilding the temple of God with finances from the royal treasury. It's curious that this book was given the name Ezra, even though the man Ezra doesn't show up till here.
Of course, the Bible's main task is to tell us about God, not folks like Ezra. Here, we get a glimpse into the nature of God, who seems mischievous, in the best sense of that word, of course. Ezra is introduced this way, "Ezra came up from Babylon" (7:6).
What was Babylon? Well, Babylon was the city of the emperors who tried to eradicate Israel. The stories of Esther and Daniel tell us just how strong the enmity towards the Jews was. It wasn't just Israel, but Israel's God that was the issue. This God needed to be dethroned.
But now, out of this Babylon comes Ezra, who "had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel". So, while Daniel and his friends were being persecuted by the establishment and while Haman was scheming against the Jews, God had a secret agent studying his law in Babylon. And when the time was right, he emerges and travels to Jerusalem fully prepared to teach this law to the returned exiles.
And the story gets even better. He has a letter from King Artaxerxes in his back pocket which includes this, "And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them" (7:25).
From out of the city that tried to annihilate God's people, the king sends forth someone who has the capacity to teach the ways of God to this new community which is re-establishing the worship of God in Judea.
So, what happens when Ezra finally arrives in Jerusalem? Will the returned exiles accept this newcomer? According to Nehemiah, the people eagerly and attentively listened to the word God from daybreak till noon (Nehemiah 8:1-3).
From daybreak to noon! That puts perspective to the words of the Psalmist: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (119:105). The scriptures don't become a lamp and light just because we want them to; for that to happen, we need to make the commitment to know them.
Revivals in the church include a renewed commitment to studying the scriptures. Paul tells us that "these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did (1 Corinthians 10:6). Things like the forty-year wilderness wanderings with Moses and the Babylonian exile. I don't think I need to say anything more.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 96 & Matthew 28:16-20. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Key Phrase:
- What has God been doing sin the world fell into sin?
- Why does God bless people?
- What impact does worship have on worshippers?
- What is the heart of Christian worship?
- Why do you think that worshippers are sent on Jesus' mission?
- What encouragement is given at the end of Matthew's gospel? Why does it matter?
For surely your enemies, Lord, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered (Psalm 92:9).
Growing up, my family rested on Sundays. As farmers, we needed to ensure our animals were sufficiently cared for. This work rarely took more than an hour in the morning and another in late afternoon. Much of Saturday was set aside for preparation, both on the farm and in the house. Often, by mid-afternoon everything was ready and we slowed down. We didn't go out Saturday nights; we went to bed early. Sundays we rested. But it was the preparation that made it possible.
This was a good rhythm. When I started in ministry, like most pastors, Monday was my Sabbath. However, when our children started school, I began to take Saturday's off so that we could do family stuff. I still take Saturdays off. I have discovered that it is good to take a day to clear my head. I'm feel refreshed on Sunday mornings. Saturday is my prep day by not working.
This matter of preparation for Sunday has largely disappeared. I think we should recover it. Recently, I came across the phrase, "Sabbath worship is the week's fulfillment and inspiration". It suggests that Sabbath ought not to be an interruption in our lives, but rather the main event, both our source and our goal.
Our text is a move in that direction, which comes to fuller expression in the book of Hebrews and is articulated well in the Heidelberg Catechism. It teaches us that one purpose of the Sabbath day is "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath" (A 103).
Our text anticipates this eternal Sabbath when all God's enemies are no more. For many Christians today, Sabbath keeping has become family time and/or not work time. These things are good, but they do not give us Sabbath. Sabbath is moving away from evil, by being justified by the blood of Christ, purified by the Word of God and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What would happen if we saw this as the focus of our lives? What if longing for the eternal Sabbath, in which evil is fully vanquished, was our highest goal?
As Hebrews tells us, this kind of living is entered by faith and the obedience that faith evokes in us. The Israelites missed out on this rest because they did not believe God could give it to them. They rebelled against Moses and God, refusing to go into the promised land. Now we are encouraged not to miss out on that rest, but rather to commit our lives to entering it.
Can we find the way? Here, the writer of Hebrews introduces Jesus as the greatest high priest. He has gone before us by entering heaven. His nail scarred body sits beside the throne of God. There, Jesus never ceases to intercede for his people. The way is open, we may enter boldly.
We are invited to see Sabbath rest not as an interruption to our self-focused lives. Rather, it refocuses us and becomes our fulfillment and inspiration. When we long for the end of evil, especially in our own lives, Sabbath keeping will not be duty but delightful. It will be an anticipation of the eternal Sabbath. What attitudes and practices need to change to embrace this kind of Sabbath rest?
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16).
To fully appreciate this joy, we need to know how Israel almost missed out on it.
God had moved the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to bring an end to the Babylonian exile. Allowing them to go home, the king made provision for the rebuilding of the temple of God. Israel could begin worshipping their Lord again. God was clearly on the move.
However, once they started rebuilding, their neighbours recognized that if this temple was rebuilt, it would not be good for said neighbours: Israel would increase and the neighbours would decrease. The re-establishment of proper worship would mean that God was present among these Israelites. That would be a problem.
So, the neighbours set out hinder the project. Several attempts failed. Finally, they sent a letter to the new Persian king, highlighting that Jerusalem had been a difficult and rebellious city. If the temple and city were rebuilt, it was bound to rebel again. An order was issued to halt the project.
The Israelites went to their homes, leaving the temple half built and God stayed away. Well, sort of. God now he needed to move the hearts of his people. He sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Both have books included in the Bible, detailing how God moved his people to relaunch the building project.
Despite their best efforts and their hard work at rebuilding their economy, it isn't going so well. Then Haggai came along and said its time to start rebuilding again, to which the people reply, "Look, we are working hard, barely making it, we really don't have time or money for the temple."
To which Haggai responds, "Don't you think that if you put God first, he will take care of your needs?" Zechariah adds, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you" (Zechariah 4:9).
Essentially, God puts a fleece before Israel: "Put me first and I will take care of you." Sounds like something Jesus echoed, "seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
The Israelites send a letter to the new Persian king, letting him know his predecessor had sent them home to rebuild the temple. And they start rebuilding. Soon a reply comes from Persia giving permission for the rebuilding. Moreover, the neighbours who were interfering are instructed to give daily provisions for the rebuilding and for the workers.
Now we understand the joy of the people celebrating the completion of the temple. They had seen what God does. It makes one wonder how much joy we miss out on because we don't heed Jesus' words, "seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn
For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete (Deuteronomy 16:15).
Let's spend more time reflecting on Israelite feasting as prescribed by the Lord. Would such feasting benefit us today? I think it would help us connect our work and our worship.
First though, let us consider the paper trail our money leaves. For many, payment for work done is deposited directly into our bank accounts. Once there, we pay our bills right from our phones. We make donations to the church and to other charities through a variety of apps. The truth is that we have become disconnected from the fruit of our labours. We don't hold it. Few even see it in the form of a cheque. Technically, paper trails are a thing of the past. The disconnect from our income, spending and giving increases the difficulty of recognizing our work as worship. Celebrations could help.
Emotionally, celebrations would give occasions to stop and enjoy the goodness of God in our careers. It would give us a place to celebrate good work well done. Promotions, bonuses, new jobs and retirement would be cause for joy in the community recognizing such things as gifts from God. It would help us recognize that these things ought to be offered up to God in worship and need to be stewarded well for the glory of his name and growth of his kingdom.
Ethically, such celebrations would give us space to train ourselves to relate well to our income, our coworkers and the poor. Our excess would bless our community and cause delight for others. Feasting, which is not a solo event, would give us a way of responding joyfully to bonuses, raises and promotions. It would create a link between our economic and spiritual lives. We could see the joy on the faces of the people we bless.
Theologically, the discipline of celebration gives us a meaningful way to connect our material resources to God's provision and presence. Without feasting we forget; we easily begin to think that bonuses and promotions and raises are the result of our own diligence, hard work, brilliance or good fortune. When our resources are the result of our hard work, then we get to decide where our money goes. We need ways to remember that God calls us to steward his resources. Celebration is a legitimate form of stewarding God's possessions
Now you say, that was before Christ. Does this apply to Christians? Let me say that Jesus was certainly not opposed to a good celebration. He had a knack for ensuring they didn't fizzle out. He also regularly compared his kingdom to a good feast. And in 2 Corinthians 9, Paul writes about the joy others will expression because of the gifts from the Corinthian congregation, ending with, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Good celebrations will give us avenues to thank God for his physical and spiritual gifts.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand… (Psalm 92:4-6).
These verses make me wonder if we aren't all a little senseless and maybe more than a little foolish. I'm thinking about Christians. Often, when we read such verses, we rarely wonder if we are in this category. After all, who wants to think of themselves as senseless and foolish? But let's take a moment to consider if we ought not to start with ourselves.
As mentioned last Friday, this is a Sabbath Psalm. Our reflections on rest must include the creation story with which the Bible begins. In the pause between the two accounts of God creating the cosmos, we find the Creator resting. Was he tired? Was he exhausted from his creating out of nothing? Did he need a little nap?
No God followers have seriously considered an affirmative answer to these questions. The consensus is that God took time to delight in his creative work. With the Heidelberg Catechism, we confess that God "out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, and still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence" (A 26). However, this upholding and ruling does not require the kind of grinding work and attention many of us are accustomed to in today's economy. God could rest and enjoy; creation did not fall apart.
Caring for his creation does not overtax him. He has more than enough energy and lots to spare. Therefore, with the Catechism we also believe that this Creator "is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him that he will provide whatever I need for body and soul… He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father."
These are some of the deeds that make his people glad. They cause us to sing for joy. When we pay attention, we discover how profound God is. But here is the rub, many of us are too foolish and too senseless to pay attention. We miss Sabbath because our noses are always pressed against the grindstone. We have not paid attention to who our God is. He is not just creator, but also provider. In Christ, he is our father. Moreover, he sends the rain and the sun on all people.
God invites us to be like him: to rest, to delight, to step away from the grindstone of work in a sin filled world. Enjoy him. Sing to him. If you cannot do it on Sundays, find other times. Trust him. He loves you and cares for you. Let's leave behind our senseless and foolish ways.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build…" But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God..." Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building (Ezra 4:1-4).
There is opposition to the kingdom of God. Israel had returned from her exile in Babylon and begun to rebuild God's temple. Immediately, enemies appear. This is normal.
When Abram arrived in the land of promise, famine struck. When the Israelites got too numerous in Egypt, Pharaoh enslaved and killed them. All through their journey in the wilderness, they faced struggle and opposition. When Jesus was born, there was an immediate threat on his life. The post-Pentecost church encountered persecution before she had time to catch her breath.
For generations, western civilization has been directed by people who by and large got their guidance from the Christian scriptures. In that cultural space the church grew lax, and church leaders exercised significant influence and even power in the public sphere. Generally, it was easy to be a Christian.
Christians are now in the minority, and the church has lost her moral authority. In fact, by her own doing, the church has largely become suspect. Like in the days of Zerubbabel, we face extensive, sustained and somewhat organized opposition. This will not go away. Jesus himself told us that in this world we would face trouble (John 16:33). We haven't taken him seriously. Thus, many Christians are unsure how to live in this new reality.
So how should we respond?
The returned exiles offer us a warning. People came to them offering help. What they really wanted was control and influence. They were folks who worshipped multiple gods and were inviting the returned Jews to compliment their worship of God by adding a few deities. Zerubbabel would not budge. We need a renewed call in the church to the Lordship of Christ, to living each day under the influence of his kingdom.
A question: have you spend anytime in personal confession recently? Confession is about discerning the ways in which we do not live according to God's Word. If we don't take time for it, can we really say that we desire to worship God alone?
When Jesus spoke to his disciples about having trouble in this world, he also encouraged them with this, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
When we face opposition, we do not need to respond in anger or with fear. Rather, we ought to ask Jesus to let his peace invade our hearts, so that we can respond with love and gentleness. We do not have to be afraid of the world because in the end, only Jesus' kingdom will remain. And that kingdom comes in small acts of love and kindness by his followers.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete (Deuteronomy 16:15).
Let us spend another week reflecting on Israelite feasting. We considered the emotional and ethical benefits of celebration. Today, let us reflect on the theological benefits—how did these feasts shape Israel's relationship with God?
God is host. The gathering is at his invitation, and it is celebrated "to the Lord". He is the focus of the celebration. Why was this important? Israel's economy originated from God; it was sustained by him, and it was for him. These celebrations were a specific occasion for the Israelite workers, farmers, business folk and others to recognize that God was worthy of harvest praise because he was blessing his people with abundance.
Having settled in the promised land, Israel was faced with two temptations. God's people face these same impulses today. First, that our wealth is the result of our own hard work; and second, that we have received our resources from some other source. Giving in to the first temptation results in pride and likely a selfish use of our wealth – "I made it, I get to use it as I see fit." The second impulse breeds a desire to keep the source of our wealth happy so that the money keeps flowing our way. This, of course, is the same as the idolatry Israel struggled with throughout the Old Testament.
Feasting in the presence of God was Israel's method of directing hearts and hands toward the Lord. It also kept them from looking back to the economy of Egypt which was directed by Pharoah. There was no feasting in Egypt, as least, not for Israel. Harvest celebrations reminded Israel of her true master, the Lord God. He was generous.
In many Christian communities, celebrations are frowned upon as frivolous. We act like the disciples when the woman anoints Jesus with perfume. "What a waste," they say, "it should have been used to help the poor" (Mark 14). But Jesus commends her. Celebration of God's good provisions is a healthy spiritual practice.
As you live out this week, consider the material things God has blessed you with. Certainly, you may share them with the poor. But also consider how you will celebrate publicly the blessings God has given. Next time you plan a family feast, are there others that you should invite so that they can share in the harvest God has given you? Consider also how might the church develop the discipline of celebration. In what ways can we celebrate the wondrous redemption that God offers us in Christ Jesus?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp (Psalm 92:1-3).
In the NIV Bible on my desk, this psalm is prefaced with, "A song for the Sabbath Day." Among God's people in the Old Testament, this psalm was the Sabbath psalm. As such, it ought to linger in the imagination of God's people today to help us into a better Sabbath understanding.
Among Christians, there are two dominate approaches to the Sabbath. In the first, we attempt to recreate as much of the Old Testament structure of the seventh day as we can. We do as little physical exertion as possible, refuse to buy and sell, and take a rest from making money. Anyone who does not make concerted effort towards this is deemed less spiritual. The challenge is that such commands were instituted through Moses for a society that was homogeneous. Everyone followed the same rule book. Since we do not live in monolithic communities, to recreate this is not possible. So, we tend to create our own rule books of Sabbath restrictions.
The second approach is to ignore Sabbath completely. Such Christians may gather for communal worship on Sundays but otherwise give little consideration to what Sabbath keeping was meant to offer us.
In both approaches, the teaching on Sabbath in Exodus and Deuteronomy is central and shapes how we understand the teachings regarding rest throughout scripture. What would happen if we allowed such passages as Psalm 92 to shape our practice of Sabbath? I suggest that it might deepen our appreciation of God's Sabbath intentions.
This Psalm lifts our eyes. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. This illustrates a central problem with focusing solely on one day of the week. We cannot become Sabbath people by putting all the emphasis on Sunday.
The Sabbath day was designed as both a goal and a launching pad. The goal was a life of praise to God 24/7. To work towards that goal, a day of rest from income earning labour was instituted for Israel. If we never cease working, we will become people who believe that survival depends on our capabilities. The more we work the more our eyes are turned downward.
Sabbath is God's invitation to turn our eyes upward; to see him and to know him as the creator, sustainer and redeemer of this world and of our lives. Have a look at your calendar. Put some slots in there for lifting your eyes towards God; time to pay attention to him. If this is new for you, start small. Notice what rhythms and attitudes of your heart begin to change.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord: "He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy" (Ezra 3:11-12).
"God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good."
Many of us have declared this. But some of us may not use it very well, that is, we only use it when we have experienced something which we consider good.
For example: when someone is in a car accident but unhurt and the insurance payout is good. Or when someone loses a job but quickly gets a better one. Or when cancer treatments are successful so that the doctor declares 'cancer free.' Or when we think we failed a test, but the teacher gives us a B+.
It's vastly more difficult to say, 'God is good,' after the doctor says there is no more treatment, or the accident results in permanent injury, or the job lose results in extended unemployment, or the test result is a D-.
So, this raises an important question: is God only good some of the time? Does God take time off from being good? Of course, he doesn't. "God is good all the time."
This is what the Israelites were declaring as they rejoiced and cried together. They had returned from exile, cleaned up some of the rubble in Jerusalem and begun to rebuild the temple. When the foundation had been laid, they paused to give praise to God. They created a such a loud noise it could be heard for miles around. However, people heard both crying and rejoicing.
The older folks had seen the temple that Solomon had built. This new one wasn't going to be anything as grand as the old one. They recognized that Israel had been reduced to little more than a stump of the tree it had once been. The new temple was symptomatic of that.
Yet, they declared, God is good.
Why? Because God's love endures forever. Those older folks new this better than the young. They were the ones who had seen Israel's sin, and they knew that the exile had been a result of this sin. Israel had done it to herself. God should have given up on them. But he hadn't. He had moved Cyrus to let Israel return to her own land, the land God had given them.
God's goodness was seen in his faithfulness despite Israel's sin. God was and is good. They saw it in this new Jewish community centred in the temple. God's goodness enables us to endure downturns. It is important to praise God, to declare that God is good, even when life is not. When we don't feel like it, praise becomes an act of faith. It's a declaration that God will see us through the darkness. And at times it is also a declaration that God will see us or a loved one through the vale of death. Jesus is our shepherd even then.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns (Deuteronomy 16:13-14).
Last Monday, we reflected on the discipline of celebration to which God invited his newly freed people. We considered the emotional benefits of this worship practice. Today, let's explore the ethical benefits of Israel's feasting.
These dinners focus attention on the food resting on the table, but also on the coworkers, neighbours and others gathered around it. The instructions read, "Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns."
Many of us learn things best when we practice them. God was training his people into a new kind of economy, very different from that of Egypt. That was one of scarcity. There was not enough to go around. The Israelites, being slaves, certainly always got the leftovers, if there were any. But now these folks were to look around the table and understand that the purpose of there work was not their own profits, nor their own personal enrichment and security.
The purpose of their labour is the flourishing of the whole community. The work of their hands would be blessed, and their joy would be complete, if their profits caused the community to flourish, and specifically, the vulnerable and the marginalized of that community. This celebration liturgy was training the landowners to see these others within the economy of God.
These things were learned not by the preaching of the priest, nor the lecturing of the ethics professor. Rather, it was practiced as they saw, tasted, smelled and passed around the fruit of their labours. Since there were foreigners, it is very possible that there were language barriers, but sharing the produce of the farm, built community and countered individualism. Justice was tasted. By sharing their table, God's people reached beyond the borders of race, ethnicity, class and gender.
Obviously, we do not have such meals today. In fact, our practice of donations leans in the opposite direction. It separates giver from receiver. Giver and receiver rarely meet. God would have us change that, to offer gifts face to face. And to rejoice in the giving and receiving. Communities flourish when people know each other. We need to find ways to interact. For example, the Out of the Cold BBQs our church hosts during the summer offer times of interaction. Volunteering at Helping Hands or Neighbour 2 Neighbour are other venues to break social barriers.
Jesus was known for eating with all sorts, accused of being a glutton and drunk. It was one of the things that led to his crucifixion. Still, we are to follow his example. How can you sit at table with other people? How can we share the bounty God has given us so that the community flourishes economically and socially? How can we celebrate together the good gifts of God?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Mark 14:1-11; John 18:33-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What have you seen this week that is 'Out of this World'? Think of things you saw on social media reels and in real life.
- What are the three scenes in today's reading from Mark?
- How does Jesus understand his anointing?
- Who do you have a difficult time being merciful to?
- How does Jesus' kingdom grow?
- What does Paul say the cross brings to this world?
- What kind of people in your life do you find it difficult to be friends with?
- What are you not willing to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom?
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:3-4).
This is quite the list of impurities that Christians may get themselves involved in. Since, this Friday edition of Wilderness Wanderings focuses on rest and Sabbath, let us focus our attention on greed. James explores how greed destroys community. He writes, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God" (4:1-2).
Peter offers a further warning when he writes about false prophets (think preachers), "With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!" (2 Peter 2:14). There are many other such warnings in the New Testament, combining a variety of things we lust for. When we do not cut off such lusts at their root, they cause us to treat everything (and eventually everyone) as tradable commodities. Think of the pornography industry. More difficult to discern is how the accumulation of wealth by some, harms other people.
Our society, like that of ancient Israel and like that of the early church, is one in which the accumulation of stuff (and people who do stuff for us) is rewarded. Success is still often measured by how much we have. This, despite all the evidence that this way of life does not sooth the restless heart. Many of our desires are artificial, conjured up by advertisement executives and by social media reels. Things we have not thought about possessing, suddenly become urgent needs. Greed permeates the very fabric of our common life.
How should Christians, called to be salt and light in the world, resist the urges of greed that arise in our hearts? Our text offers us a very simple method: thanksgiving. Sabbath keeping has always been the way towards thanksgiving. Consider the two reasons given for it. In Exodus, we are told to remember that God rested from his work, reminding us that survival in this world is not dependent on our abilities. In Deuteronomy, we are to remember that we are people rescued by God.
The goal of Sabbath keeping is to develop our dependence on God by refraining to do things that tempt us towards self-dependence. We come before God and give him thanks. Many commentators believe that when Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), he was not addressing the individual Christian but the worshipping community. Whereas there is room for collective grief and lament, the underlying and enduring tones of worship are joy and hope in the Lord.
To give thanks and to rejoice in the Lord are the primary means to uproot greed.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices (Ezra 3:3).
How do you start a new chapter in life? This is the question occupying the Jews returning from Babylon. They were few; their land was in rubbles, occupied by wild animals, weeds and foreigners. How should they begin the rebuild?
They began with the altar, their place and means of prayer. Prayer came first. Even before the temple, they needed the altar. On that altar they offered their sacrifices of confession, of thanksgiving, of praise.
What's interesting is that Cyrus had sent them home to build a temple. Such a structure would bring prestige and financial benefit to him. He was not really interested in Israel's God, certainly not in worshipping that God. He recognized that a flourishing Jewish community in Judea would be beneficial for him. That was his interest.
But when the Israelites returned, they built the altar first and renewed the sacrifices which God had commanded, morning and evening. God was first. Their concern was to honor God in the manner that was pleasing to him. Several times in this chapter the author tells us, "They followed the instructions God had given to Moses".
All of that came before the temple. The temple was not necessary. The altar was. Prayer first. We can learn from these Israelites. We do not need an altar. Jesus told us that true worshippers, worship in spirit and in truth. And all who come to the father in his name will be received. "A broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise" (Psalm 51:17), wrote David. That is how these returning Israelites approached God. We can too.
Also, they rebuilt the altar despite being afraid of the people around them. They were afraid of enemies who greatly outnumbered them. And they were afraid opposition would entice them into compromise. But the altar was the place from which they could pray for God to protect them from their enemies. Here, they could ask God to purify their hearts; to help them in their obedience.
Fear drove them to their knees.
The altar with its morning and evening sacrifices was a reminder that God was with them. Centuries prior, he had said, "For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly…before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory" (Ex. 38:42-43).
This altar is no longer with us. It has been replaced by Christ himself. When we turn to him, we are in the presence of God. Turning to him, is always the first step. Its all that is needed in the face of fear.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year…you and your household shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns…At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites…and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands" (Deuteronomy 14:23ff).
We are far removed from the agricultural society of ancient Israel in which folks brought the produce of their farms to the tabernacle and the temple. This text has been used to promote the notion that Christians should give a ten percent tithe to the church. But that is likely a misuse since, in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 and 1 Timothy 6, the New Testament offers different principles for giving.
What we ought to consider in this text is the nature of the worship God invites Israel into. For lack of better language, God wants his people to hold a party in his honour. We might compare it to a family thanksgiving dinner to which all relatives are invited. Let's not gloss over that provision is made for the temple workers and a host of others who don't have their own resources. It's a grand, lavish, generous party.
Celebration is not a spiritual discipline many of us are familiar with. Our culture is dominated by self-serious productivity and efficiency. Christianity often follows this ethos. Certainly, there is value in productivity and in efficiency. But take a moment to imagine how Israel received this news. They had been slaves for generations. They had never had excess. They had never had resources or time to party. But now, God invites them into a new reality—a reality in which he would provide for them.
This provision would be lavish—flowing with milk and honey—lavish enough that they would have time and resources to throw a rather large celebration, rejoicing in the life-giving economy of their God. Later, he will say, "Be joyful at your festival...For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete" (16:14–15).
Consider the emotional benefits of this worship practice. As they worked, his people knew that God wanted them to enjoy the goodness of their Lord and to taste the flavour of good work well done. It reminded them that they should delight in their work. So different from Egypt. God delights in work that is both free and festive. Imagine the anticipation of these freed slaves as they consider having enough produce to share lavishly with others.
As you begin a new week, take delight in your activity, whether its income earning work or not. The resources God gives you are to be enjoyed and shared. 2 Corinthians 9, which is all about generous giving, ends with this verse, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (15). This reminds Christians that our joy and thanksgiving is rooted in the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Our God is generous in spiritual and material gifts.
So, let's not be dour Christians. Let us rejoice.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 2. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- Why do people take selfies? Have you heard the expression, "My truth?" What do you think it means? Why do people use it?
- Psalm 1 & 2 both use the Hebrew word for meditation. What does meditation mean? What two very different things are being meditated on in these Psalms?
- The nations are gathering against God's anointed. What New Testament event illustrates this? (see Acts 4 à this psalm is quoted in verse 25-26).
- Why did Pastor Michael mention the commandment to "obey our parents"? Do you agree with him?
- God responds to the conspiracy of the nations in two ways. What are they?
- What should we do to nurture our faith in God's rule?
- What is verse 7 about?
- What must the church do while we wait for Christ's rule to be complete?
- Pastor Michael suggested four ways in which we might respond to this psalm. What were they? Can you think of others?
Then [Jesus] said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot" (Luke 12:15).
John Calvin wrote, "The human heart is a perpetual idol factory". Long before that, humans recognized that we have a built in need to worship something or someone. The 10 commandments are arranged around this need.
The first three commandments challenge us to worship God well. That is no easy feat, for even our worship of God can become a matter of idolatry. When churches divide over the songs sung in worship, the instruments used to accompany singing, the colour of the carpet in the narthex—these divisions are often matters of idolatry, summed up in the simple phrase, "I want."
The last six commandments direct us in loving our neighbour well. What keeps us from loving our neighbour well? Isn't it idolatry again? When money or sex or personal protection or pleasure become more important than our neighbour, we steal and lie and commit adultery and covet. "I want" becomes more important than either God or neighbour.
This is what Jesus is addressing in his simple statement in our text, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed". The greedy man in Jesus' parable is a huge success in his own eyes; but contrary to his own estimate, he is destined for death in his self-deceiving foolishness. Shortly, Jesus will tell his disciples, "Do not be anxious" (22). Do not worry about goods. The implication is that a lifestyle of gathering and than hoarding possessions leaves us anxious because we simply do not have enough; we always need more. We worship what we want.
A non gathering, non anxious lifestyle is rooted in confidence that God provides what is needed as we redeploy our energy towards striving for his kingdom (31). Jesus invites us into a different, an alternative lifestyle from the Jones' around us.
Jesus recognizes that we do not get out of bed one morning and think to ourselves, "Today, I will be greedy." Greed has a way of entering stealthily through the backroom window when we are not paying attention. We go about our daily routines, buying and selling, discipling our children, volunteering at schools, churches and mission agencies. As we go about doing all these good activities, we notice things we would like to possess. And desire grows.
The antidote to greed lies right smack in between these two parts of the 10 commandments. It is that strange one about Sabbath. God invites us into a regular rhythm in which we cease from accumulating. It's a time to give our heads a shake, to clear the fog, so that we can see the idols that have crept in through that back window. These idols are drawing our energy away from loving God and neighbour.
Jesus said, "Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." So, what defines your life?
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
The whole company numbered 42,360… (Ezra 2:64).
Does that pique your curiosity? Do you want more information? This does not seem like much of a text for a devotional, "The whole company numbered 42, 360..." Stay with me for a moment.
The book of Ezra is concerned with telling how the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple of God. The story recounts the challenges this community faced in the return and the rebuilding project.
One of the first challenges was to ensure that those returning were descendants of Abraham and Sarah. Ezra 2 is a list of names of those who could trace their ancestry back. The list includes only men and totals 28,529. Add some women and children and the total Israelite returnees are 42,630.
But why highlight this? Well, for two reasons.
First, it tells us that God is true to his word. God had warned Israel that if they walked away from him, he would return the favour. If his people insisted on rejecting him, he would reject them. Moses warns, "The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you" (Deuteronomy 4:27).
God fulfilled this warning. Israel insisted on worshipping other gods. And so, the Lord scattered them, only, 42 630 people returned. How decimated was Israel? When they entered the land under Joshua, the number of men was 601 730 (Numbers 26:44). From 600 000 men to 28, 500. That's a huge reduction.
This brings us to the second reason for paying attention to this abysmally small number of returnees. Humanly speaking, Israel doesn't have a chance. The task before her is too large, the obstacles too insurmountable.
But that is the point. It reminds us of something that keeps happening in the biblical story. Folks like Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth were barren when they became pregnant with important people. The apostles had had no formal education, and yet they had the courage, wits and intellect to go head-to-head with the best of the Jewish establishment. You see, God can take nothing and make something wonderful out of it.
This is something the church always needs to remember. God does not need large numbers or highly skilled people. Israel returned from Babylon greatly deduced in every way. Yet, she was still God's people. God still used her to accomplish his purposes. Jesus said to his disciples that he will build his church. And he has.
You may not have much to offer God. But that doesn't matter. He can still use you for his kingdom. Trust him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
"The Lord brought us out of Egypt…He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me" (Deuteronomy 26:8-9).
Our text is part of the worship that God's people began to practice once they were settled in the promised land. Take some time to read the whole chapter. There are lessons of faith to be learned from these ancient worship practices.
These rituals reminded God's people of their spiritual past but also of their economic past. Standing before the Lord, they recite a prayer recalling that Abraham was a "wandering Aramean" who had no land to work. They recall that their forefathers in Egypt were subjected to "harsh labour," that they "cried out to the Lord," who "heard our voice and saw our misery" and "brought us out of Egypt."
This prayer shaped Israel in several ways. First, the land on which they lived and which many of them farmed was a gift, not a possession. Without God's intervention, they would be landless, wandering, and unemployed like their forefathers. This intervention impacted their economy in every way. How would it shape our lives if we remembered that all that we have belongs to God? And that he considers us valued stewards.
Second, when God's people are oppressed, subjected to hard labour, or woefully underemployed, they can cry out to God as his people did in Egypt. We are still tempted to believe that God has little investment in our economy. But that is not true. God continually cared about Israel's economy and many of Jesus parables concerned economic matters. God is deeply concerned about our physical wellbeing and about our attitude towards wealth.
Third, we serve a God who hears, sees, and responds to these vocational cries. Here, we are pressed to consider the shallowness of our faith. We use the phrase, "prayer works," when we get the answer that we are praying for. But faith implies believing things about God even when we cannot see them. Faith is made real when we continue to trust in God even when the answer to our prayers appears to be silence.
Fourth, these ancient prayers teach us that our profits ultimately come from neither the fruitfulness of nature nor the power of our hands alone. There is another actor in the economic equation. The fruits of our labour ultimately come from the continued action and intervention of God in our world and economy.
We need to be formed so that we approach work as good and valuable but also, more importantly, to offer our work up as an instrument of worship and praise. Such prayers and offerings guide us into an economy of gratitude, to both God and neighbour. Profits should lead to praise. In times of wealth, gratitude is one of the first emotions to evaporate. The liturgy hinders that erosion. Offering our work to God, whether it be small or great by human standards, draws us into patterns and postures of gratitude, dependence and humility.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
"Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor (Jeremiah 5:26-28).
What Jeremiah reveals is unsettling. The wicked are not merely stumbling in the dark. They are hunters. Patient. Calculating. They "set traps", catching people, not animals. Their houses swell with gain, like cages crowded with stolen life. It is not chaotic evil. It is organized, profitable, even respectable. Thus, dangerous.
This passage was about Israel, so the church must see it as a mirror held up to our hearts. Sin in us is productive. We are capable of building systems, habits, and even reputations that quietly feed on injustice. The heart is a perpetual factory of idols. Here, we see one of its darker assembly lines: exploitation dressed up as success.
Jeremiah accuses, "They do not defend the cause of the fatherless… they do not uphold the rights of the needy." This is not merely about personal morality but covenantal failure. God's people were called to reflect His character, and God's character bends toward the vulnerable. To ignore them is not a small oversight. It is a denial of the God they claim to know. This is still true of God's people today.
So, these words invite examination. How do we benefit from unjust systems? Where might comfort have dulled our concern for the vulnerable? Sin often works like a quiet accountant, balancing our books to look legitimate while quietly erasing the poor from the ledger.
But Christ came to give life, to all. Where traps are set, He is the One who was trapped in our place. At the cross, Jesus steps into the machinery of injustice and lets it crush Him, only to rise and break it open from the inside. The One who perfectly upheld the cause of the needy now gives His righteousness to those who have failed to do so, even us.
What should we do? First, repent. Not vague regret, but a clear-eyed turning from the ways we have ignored, benefited from, or participated in injustice.
Second, look for the Spirit's renewal. In Christ, we are not left as we were. The Spirit reshapes us so that we begin, however imperfectly, to reflect God's own heart.
This is what Sabbath is for. As we pay attention to God, he shows us what cages need to be opened, what traps need to be dismantled so that the overlooked become visible. Sabbath helps us trust in God and pursue justice for our neighbour.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them (Ezra 1:1-3).
The Bible is God's self-revelation meaning it's about him, not us. We tend to read scripture to fill our needs, looking for something relevant. God meets us in specific ways, yet we must remember that in Scripture God is revealing himself to us. The Bible is for us, but about God.
The book of Psalms was likely arranged in the days of the return from Babylon. The psalter ends with a concern for God's kingdom: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations" (145:13). The returning exiles may have sung these songs as they made their way back to Jerusalem.
The story of Israel's return to Judah begins with "the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia". Here is a clear example of God of standing above all human kings and kingdoms. Israel as a nation had been crushed, her people exported or killed, her cities and buildings reduced to rubble, her land given to foreigners. From a human perspective, Israel was dead.
But now God moves the heart of king Cyrus, who proceeds to write a proclamation that all Jews who desire to return home may do so to rebuild the temple of God. How curious is that? The most powerful person in the region is moved by God to have God's temple rebuilt. Not only that, but as the Jews pack up their belongings, their neighbours are to load them up with "gold and silver, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem" (4). Not only will the temple be rebuilt, but foreigners will cover the cost.
We often say that God is sovereign, reigning over the nations. Here we see it. The temple did not spring up overnight. It took years of setbacks and political intrigue. But the story is told to encourage future generations of God followers that God is sovereign.
Earlier, Daniel, while reading Jeremiah, discovered that the exile was to last 70 years. In response, Daniel prays. He confesses Israel's sins, asks God to forgive and for God's own sake, to do something (cf. Daniel 9).
So here is the mystery of God's sovereignty: our prayers are part of it. Sometimes we say, "God will do what God will do", or some variation of that. But that is not quite right. God's sovereignty includes our prayers. We participate in some manner.
The world may seem mad to us; unstable. But God is in control. He moves the hearts of kings, bending them to accomplish his purposes. And he calls his people to pray. Pray with hope!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:11-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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What do you do when you are afraid? What frightens you about living as a Christian?
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How did Jesus respond to the disciples' fear on the first Easter? Does that encourage you?
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What mission does the church have? How do we learn about that mission? What keeps us from carrying it out? How does Jesus encourage his disciples?
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Jesus blesses his disciples as he sends them out. How does this combined blessing and sending work itself out today?
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Read the story of Mary again. With what kind of emotion do you think she went to the disciples? How does joy of Easter arrive in us?
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What is central to the mission of the church? How can we keep it in clear focus?
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What gift does Jesus leave with his disciples? Does that encourage you?
I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity. I'll bless you every day and keep it up from now to eternity (Psalm 145:1,2).
Many of us think that repetition and memorization are for the birds. We don't want to put the work into memorization and we get bored easily. Yet, God's people have long observed that developing our spiritual selves is significantly aided by both repetition and memorization.
Consider Psalm 145, an acrostic. In its original language, the poem had twenty-two lines; each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This was done to aid in the work of memorizing the song.
I wonder how long it took the composer to put this all together. It was put together to be learned, even memorized. Things we memorize shape our thinking and character. As such, this psalm invites us to seriously contemplate a life given to praising God.
Such a life does not come naturally. There are barriers, the biggest one being ourselves. I suspect that sloth is one of the more significant stumbling blocks. We don't talk much about spiritual sloth these days; we probably should.
We want our spiritual growth to happen like making coffee with a Keurig machine: stick in pod and press button. But the thing is, spiritual growth is more like making coffee from scratch; I mean from scratch: plant the seeds, tend the plants, harvest the beans, roast them, grind them, etc. Spiritual maturity takes time and effort. The move from selfishness to unbridled praise of God does not happen instantaneously or without sustained effort.
As an aid against sloth, let me suggest this: for one month read or sing or pray this Psalm in the morning and again in the evening, each day. Who knows, by the end you might have it memorized. After a month, you may find this beneficial enough to choose a different psalm.
Praising God is more than silent prayers. It impacts how we work and how we entertain ourselves. It influences our spending habits and how we relate with friends and strangers. But do we really think that God is worthy of our praise? The praise of God is rooted in His character. As you read through the Psalm, note what it says about God.
Often, we think that God is only concerned with "His people" or with "saving souls". Here we are reminded that God is concerned for everything that He has made. Is our Christian witness hampered because we don't care enough for "everything" God has made? Is our selfish way of living hindering our witness?
Many of our evangelistic methods begin with calling people to be introspective. We want them to acknowledge their sinfulness. What if we began with God? What if we invited people to consider our God? If God is concerned with His creation, should Christians not care as well? Invitations to join us in caring, can be a way of opening spiritual conversations.
Someone once wrote, "If Christians praised God more, the world would doubt Him less."
(Due to the Holy Weekend of Good Friday and Easter, Wilderness Wanderings will return next Wednesday).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you (Deuteronomy 16:9-11).
Let's take another look at worship services in ancient Israel. When you enter your worship space, what do you hold in your hands? Possibly a leaflet handed to you by an usher. If you are a parent, you might hold you child's squirming hand, so she doesn't run off to visit with a friend.
In contrast, the Israelite worshipper had their hands full of their work. Along with fellow workers and family members, they brought into God's holy presence the fruit of their labour. They had spent months selecting and preparing it. No one came empty handed before God.
Further, it was not the priest, but the worker who initiated and designed worship. The bulk of the worship was not the spiritual insight of the priest, nor the songs composed by unknown artists, but the physical work of the laborer. Worship was not prepared and then consumer by the worshipper but prepared at home and brought along.
Worship was initiated by the laity when the material for worship was ready. If the harvest was late, worship was late. The worker came to stand in the presence of God, therefore, the offering needed to be of such quality the worker felt comfortable with. It was not one size fits all. Each time of year brought unique offerings and the amount depended on income level.
Further, wine, oil and bread—the merging of God's creational gifts and human craftsmanship—were all to be brought into worship. God's creation was developed, molded, transformed, glorified by human labour. While at worship, Israel was reminded that creation is good and that human craftsmanship is good. And combined, they are worthy of being offered to God.
Through these rituals, the farmer was formed not only to approach work as good and valuable but also, more importantly, to offer that work up as worship and praise. The liturgy guided them into an economy of gratitude. In response to God's economic blessing, they gave him thanks and shared with those in need. Worship developed patterns and postures of gratitude, dependence and humility in God's people.
We obviously should not try this at home. But how will we form habits of gratitude? Do we offer up the best of our labours to God in worship? How do we offer our daily living to God? Will you come to worship in thanksgiving for both the physical blessings and the spiritual blessings in Christ? What changes do you need to make so that you come to communal worship not grumbling and not haphazardly but to give thanks? Think about these things this week.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 6:8-10; Luke 19:32-46. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN!
- When was it difficult for you to keep doing good? Think of other situations where it takes real effort to keep doing good?
- What is the Greek word for "good" used in verse 9? What are some of its characteristics? Where else do we find this word used in the New Testament?
- How does Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey illustrate 'good'? What surprising aspect of goodness does he display on this day?
- For what good things was Jesus crucified?
- Where do we find the 'inner resources' to persevere in doing good?
- Paul uses a different word for good in verse 10. What does it add? Give some examples of doing good.
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The Lord Almighty has declared, "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain" (Isaiah 5:8-10).
These ancient words judge our own culture. Whereas, our rural areas were once occupied by many small family farms, they are now littered with large houses surrounded by manicured lawns and gardens producing nothing of value. Many a retired couple lives in a house much larger than the one they raised their children in.
Our text speaks to greed for bigger houses and more land. The rich buy it, dispossessing the former owners one by one until at last the rich live alone on a vast estate, the former owners reduced to serfdom. This sin was particularly offensive to God because in the covenant the land is his. He gives it in the form of grants to his people, to be maintained in the respective families for all time. This reinforced the idea of dependence on God and a means of subsistence for the small landowner.
Such sins of greed are rooted in a failure to admit that God has the right to establish limits for us. The desire for more is coupled with the failure to recognize that our desires are insatiable and that the only way to control them is a conscious decision to stop. Self-indulgence is possible for all of us when my needs are all-important. Who has the right to tell me enough is enough? Soon, comfort, pleasure, and security become absolute goals, and whatever seems to increase them we seek to acquire.
But God announces a judgement that fits the crime. Just as the rich dispossessed others, they will be dispossessed, and all the land acquired will produce almost nothing. Would God say that same thing about rural displacement and urban gentrification that dislocates the poor and the vulnerable? Such extravagances are unsustainable. Many large and beautiful houses will be destroyed or vacated. The abandoned agricultural land will fail to produce.
What should we do when our own hearts move toward this sin of greed? The answer is simple, "Sabbath." Stop working. Only then do we have time to remember that we do not control our own destiny. During sabbath we learn to rely on God. While at rest, we have time to know that God is able to take care of us.
Today, Christian's need to reacquaint themselves with Sabbath. It's meant to be like a factory reset—putting us back in line with God. It is not a day of drudgery to be endured, but rather a day to celebrate our God who provides. God puts a stop sign before our desires to acquire and warns that ignoring that sign will have dire consequences.
Sabbath also gives us time to see our neighbour, to notice their needs. Then we realize that out our excess God desires to care for that neighbour. That is why an offering is taken during worship services. What will you bring to God this weekend, to bless your neighbour in need?
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O [church], for all generations. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:1, 2, 10).
When we think of spiritual disciplines, prayer, scripture reading, silence, retreats, often come to mind. But that's a rather narrow perspective. The Bible includes a more robust list. One of which is the discipline of praising God. "Praise the Lord," is the resounding call of many psalms. It's a discipline we ought to take up. Most often we only lift our praises when we feel like it. But these psalms do not ask us if we feel like it. They tell us to "Praise the Lord!" Just do it!
Notice how the Psalmist begins, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!" Is it possible that the psalmist doesn't really feel like it? Thus, he must remind himself to get to it. Just to do it! And then he makes this commitment, "I will praise the Lord all my life." This is why I say that praising God is a spiritual discipline. We need to commit ourselves to doing it, whether we want to or not.
This Psalm leans toward evangelism. It's a word that unnerves many. We see it as something separate from the rest of our faith; something we will get to once we are ready or mature enough, or the Spirit has made us bold enough. It conjures up the image of trying to convince strangers to become Christians.
The Bible persistently gives a different slant to evangelism. The word means 'to tell a great story or news.' If our favourite sports team wins the championship, we like to tell stories of how it happened. And who hasn't heard the story of the fish that just keeps getting bigger?
The Hebrew verb for praise, HALAL, means to make a show, to boast, to rave, to celebrate, perhaps even to be clamorously foolish--an image that may offer a fair description of the exultant experience of the first Christian Pentecost. Add the Hebrew word for God to Halal and we get Hallelujah!
These psalms tell us to declare the things that God has done. That is how Israel used them. They were sung as expressions of the joy of the exiles coming home from Babylon. God had set them free. He had brought them home. The story needed to be told.
Likewise, evangelism is telling good news, stories of hope. Therefore, Psalm 146 gives helpful advice for us. Evangelism begins with a commitment to praise God. When our goal is to declare the praise of God every day, someone is bound to hear it.
What stories about God do you have? How will you tell them? Surely, if we have become children of God through faith in Jesus, we have some stories to tell. Remember that there is a larger story: God's story. Our stories are part of his story.
So, whatever happens, remember, "Praise the Lord, O my soul!"
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
…take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name…Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. (Deuteronomy 26:2, 10, 11).
In homes with young children, many a refrigerator is adorned with the children's creative work. Parents give crafting material to the children and likely teach them some basic skills. Yet, when the project is complete, the child runs to bring it to their parents, declaring, "Look what I made for you". Together they delight over it.
Could it be that this family ritual is modelled after God's relationship with us? In our text, it is not childish craft projects, but the very work of their hands that the Israelites were to bring before the Lord and rejoice.
We often skim over the Mosaic law, believing that it is all irrelevant to us. Or, to say it more theologically, it is all fulfilled in Christ. This may be true, but there is much here that can nurture our souls. Take a moment to imagine that you are a farmer. You tend your herds. You till your fields; you plant your seeds. Day after day, you watch your flocks grow and your crops develop.
As you watch and tend and nurture, you keep looking for that animal and that crop that is the best, the closest to perfect. You take special care of that animal and crop. That is what you will take with you to worship. That is what you will offer to God. And together with others, you will rejoice over what God has given to you.
We often imagine God with eyes, watching over us. The Israelites also imagined God with nostrils breathing in the aromas of their worship, which was the fruit of their work. Their offerings were a pleasing aroma to him.
Jesus taught us to address God as Father and John teaches that believers in Jesus are children of God. When we think of God as our father, we often think of how God the father gave up his only begotten son for our salvation, and we think of God's fatherly arms comforting us in our pains and sorrows. These are real things that God does.
But the Israelites knew something else about God: he cares about the things we do from day to day. When we do them well, they are a pleasing aroma that he breaths in through his nostrils. God actually cares about the little things we work on.
As you do the little things of life this week, know that God is there watching and waiting. Not to judge, but to delight in you and your work. Don't leave them behind when you come to worship. Bring them along and offer them to him. Rejoice with him, in the good things you bring.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes; they rob them of their inheritance. Therefore, the Lord says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves (Micah 2:1-3).
Several times, I have connected coveting with a lack of rest. Today, I draw your attention to another Old Testament passage that makes this connection. A lack of rest does not refer to insomnia, nor, simply to a weekly 'non-work' day. The Bible lays out a more robust understanding of rest. It is a full-bodied trust in God that he will provide and care for us. A trust so deep that we leave behind any desires for sin, enabling us to pursue the righteousness of God's kingdom.
In our text, Micah laments that Israel absolutely refuses to accept this invitation to rest. Instead, those with means—land, money, influence, power—spend their nights plotting how to get more land, money, influence and power. They wake, leaping into action to carry out their plans. Because they already have land, money, influence and power, they have the means to implement their schemes.
These evil schemers accumulate possessions at the expense of others. This is not just a violation of the command to love your neighbour, but also of the command to love God above all else. You see, God had given to each Israelite family land through which he would provide for them. These evil schemers are seizing property God had given to others, leaving these others with nothing. They were thumbing their noses at God.
It's probable that few, if any, of us spend our nights contemplating how to defraud our neighbours. Yet it happens around us. Walter Brueggemann says, "the poetry concerns the entire system that runs roughshod over" those who have less means—less land, less money, less influence, less power (Sabbath as Resistance). This system of coveting is bound to creep into our hearts if we do not take time to rest. Sabbath keeping as I have described it is incredibly important in resisting the influences of the culture in which we live.
Micah adds a warning. God will not stand by and let this continue. He will come in judgement. He will strip those who use their means—land, money, influence, power—for evil purposes. The Lord God will remove their means—land, money, influence, power.
If we are concerned about the "entire system" of our day, let us do two things. One, lean into this profound biblical rest in which we trust in God so that we heed his command, "You shall not covet." And two, pray that God will come and set things right. In the days of our text, he used the Assyrians. They were brutal. Pray that God will use a gentler means to set things right today.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Praise the Lord! He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. Praise the Lord (Psalm 147:1, 19).
Our text says that God has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. There is a back story to this. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. What kind of songs were composed on that journey? Psalm 90 might have been.
Think about that trip. Hundreds of thousands of people plus animals. I've walked in that wilderness. There is no food. No crops were planted or harvested. How could all these Israelites survive for 40 years? God fed them. Each day he provided bread! And they lived!
Israel's experience in the wilderness was all about God's provision. Though Israel often forgot this season which fashioned them into a nation, the memory kept resurfacing. God reminded them. Their composers kept referring to it as they sang new songs. God builds His people by providing for them.
Psalm 147 is part of the long tradition embedding this truth in the souls of God's people. What truth? Moses explains, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:2,3).
And so physical provision became combined with the spiritual provision of God's Word. Isaiah 55:10,11 offers this: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
So, God's provision is two-fold: physical and spiritual. We learn about one from the other.
But notice this: while in the desert, the Israelites had to gather the food and prepare it before they could eat it. Once in the promised land, they became farmers. Even though they tilled their fields and cared for their flocks, they were to remember that God provided for them.
Likewise, our spiritual food does not simple fall into our hearts. There is work to be done to receive it. The public gathering of God's people for worship has always been an essential means for receiving that food.
How does God provide for you? Our text says, Praise the Lord! He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel (Psalm 147:1, 19). We are not Jacob or Israel. But we are God's church. He offers us His Word. Have we gone out to gather and prepare it, so we can eat? Have we gotten lazy? How hungry are you for God's provision?
How often do we praise God for his spiritual provisions? Do we eagerly reach for it? God provides, so let's eat. And then praise him for the nourishment he has provided.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
You must not live according to the customs of the nations…You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." (Leviticus 20:23,26).
The laws of Leviticus are helpful to read when having trouble sleeping. Few Christians eagerly use them for devotional purposes. Those of us who read the Bible from cover to cover are glad to be done with the book. Many never spend any time there.
So why is Leviticus in the Bible? Could it have value for us today? The second verse in our text, "You are to be holy…because I am holy", is quoted several times in the New Testament. Our first verse gives context to this holiness. We tend to spiritualize the call to holiness, not recognizing that it a call to shape our daily lives accordingly.
Israel's economy was supposed to be different from that of the nations around her. Others were supposed to experience her way of commerce to be strange. These are the things that were to set her apart from other people. The unique ways in which the Israelite workers exchanged goods, farmed their fields, paid their servants, wove garments, prepared food, cared for their animals and took rest periods at peak agricultural times distinguished them.
This unique way of doing business would be constantly challenged by their neighbours. So how was Israel to maintain her uniqueness? Walter Brueggemann argues that it was through the regular and repeated practice of worship. "It is in worship, not contextless, cerebral activity, that Israel worked out her peculiar identity and sustained her odd life in the world." It was through the liturgy that all of life—international relations, political, personal—was brought under the rule of God.
This is a challenge for those of you who stayed home from worship yesterday because it was just easier. Worship is not meant to be easy, nor just watched from afar. It is meant to reshape our living and our values. Worship is to be acted out together—a dress rehearsal for Monday living.
As you enter a new week, how did communal worship bring all of life under the rule of God? How were you challenged to reshape your living so that it more fully aligns with the values of God's Kingdom that he is establishing through Christ? How will you respond to the holiness call?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 6:6-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca.
Dive In!
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Where should we see the fruit of the Spirit?
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What image ties the things in chapter 6 together? What are the two kinds of sowing?
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Three principles of sowing seed determine the harvest.
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What warning is given?
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How can you carry your "load" in this congregation?
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What happens when in the church people "share all good things"?
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What is money good for?
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 130:5, 6).
When is the last time you waited? Just waited. Waited without doing something to distract yourself. No cellphone, no magazine, nothing. You just sat and waited…patiently.
Waiting is a waste of time! That is the motto of our age. But is it a good one?
Anyone remember when the Internet was slow? Today, 2 seconds or less is required for a website to load. If it takes 2.5 seconds, we've already moved on to one faster. Google engineers say that web surfers lose patience in the time it takes to blink an eye.
This is true, even though history notes that Rene Descartes, Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla made important discoveries when they were doing nothing, daydreaming. We also know that unstructured, unmediated time is especially important for the development of creativity in children. Social science studies find that patient people are more cooperative. How did they develop patience? They learned to wait.
Yet we consider waiting a waste of time. Technological advances have raised expectations for quick satisfaction.
This is not good for our spirits. Waiting reminds us that we are creatures, not the Creator. We do not command time, circumstances, or outcomes.
Abraham waited years for the promised child. Joseph endured imprisonment before God raised him up. David was anointed king long before he ever sat on the throne. In each case, the delay shaped their character. Waiting sanded down the rough edges of self-reliance.
Psalm 130 calls us to wait; to wait on the Lord; living before him in expectation, to anticipate his coming. Like watchmen waiting for the morning. In the darkest hours, it seems like the sun will never rise. It can seem so during the dark hours of grieving. It can seem so when we are living with the consequences of our sin. But morning will come.
There is a myth in American folk religion that God helps those who help themselves. But the Biblical truth is that he helps those who can't help themselves. The problem is that it often takes a long time for us to realize this. So, God makes us wait before he redeems.
However long the night seems, the morning will surely come! The darkness will not last one moment longer than the Father knows best. Then—morning! And it will be even more glorious because we needed to wait.
So next time you are waiting and tempted to pull out that cell phone, stow it away. Learn to wait. Learn patience. Embrace the anticipation of our Father's redemption. The Holy Spirit has always done his best work in the nothingness.
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Praise the Lord! And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 148:1,14).
In this psalm, all creation sings the praise of God. We, the children of God, are the last, singing the "Amen!" But why are we so slow to do it? Why does it take so much effort for us to praise God? The psalter ends with five entire psalms calling us to 'Praise the Lord.' Five! Why does it not come naturally to us?
The answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God's created order, we are subject to the power of sin. Thus, we say, "I don't want to! I want to do my own thing. I don't want to worship God." We've all been in a room of people, haven't we, when someone new walks in and immediately draws everyone's attention. In some small way, we'd all like to be that person, that centre of attention. Praising God gives him attention. It puts him at the centre. It's difficult to do.
So, what do we do? Is there a way forward? The psalm's ending gives us a clue: "And he has raised up for his people a horn" (14). This line is quoted by Zachariah who was temporarily mute because he didn't believe the angel Gabriel. After his son's birth, he sings, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us" (Luke 1:68-69). 'Horn' is an image for strength.
Now listen to this, from Luke 11, Jesus said, "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder" (20-22). Jesus' implication was clear. "I am the stronger one," he says, "I have come to bind Satan."
Paul builds on this when he writes, "At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin… But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross" (Col. 2:13-15).
There we have it. The way out of sin is not within us. It is not to try harder. Rather, it is to look to Jesus. We move towards praising God by believing that Jesus has bound the powers that keep our eyes focussed on this earth and our misery. Because Jesus has released us, we can look up again.
Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in hope for liberation. The one through whom the creation was formed has gone through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God.
Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of all creation being free to sing the praise of God again. So, let's sing this psalm. Let's sing the last songs of the psalter in anticipation of Christ's final and full victory.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give…Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:1,2,8).
Generations of slavery did more than destroy and demean the honour of Israel's work. It also inhibited Israel's worship of her God. Oppressed workers find it very difficult to offer their work as worship. The fruit of Israel's labor was directed to the glory of Pharaoh. How could they direct the fruit of their labour to the glory of the Lord?
Free and holy work can be offered as worship. Not by their own choice, slaves participate in an idolatrous system. God liberated Israelite workers in part so that they could offer their work as worship to him. God begins to shape this new economy in the hearts of his people by inviting them to give a free will offering. Then, they were to take these gifts to construct a sanctuary for God to dwell among them.
Take a moment to ponder the scene: liberated slaves are invited to freely offer their unique gifts, skills, craftsmanship, and artistic wisdom to adorn God's house. Those blistered hands that once built houses for dead Pharaoh, hands that stacked stones to serve his imperial and violent glory—build or die—these hands are now invited to freely offer their skill, insight, and creative touch to the construction of God's house.
Imagine, their first free work is a house of worship—a place for God to dwell with them. It is decorated with color, made with hands that are rested and free. In Egypt, Israel did 'hard labour'. To counter the demeaning work of Egypt, God invites them into this project to create a space for communion—"I will dwell among them."
The oppressive and predatory patterns of Pharaoh's economy would stick to Israel for centuries. She would constantly be tempted to slide back into economic patterns of hoarding and scarcity. With it came the impulse to treat people like Pharaoh had handled them. Her liturgies were resources to resist this. Sabbath worship was a reminder for workers to reject economic patterns of grasping and an invitation to walk deeper into God's economy of grace.
The regular observance of rest, the yearly celebration of harvests, and the public confessions of marketplace greed were designed to bring these freed slaves into a new economy through worship. The offerings God invited Israel to bring were the treasures the Egyptians had given them as they marched out of town (12:36). The tabernacle reminded Israel that she had not left Egypt emptyhanded, that God had ways of providing beyond human imagination.
As you live out this week, consider how you can direct the fruit of your labour to the glory of the Lord? How will you resist the temptation to hoard resources because it's too difficult to believe that God will provide? How can you promote conditions were workers and work are valued?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 6:1-5. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive Deeper!
- What does it mean that the church is a family? How do we develop close relationships?
- What does "caught in a sin" mean? Give some examples.
- What does restore mean?
- Who should do the restoring?
- Paul spends most of his time on "the how" of restoration? What are the things he mentions? Why do you think he places the emphasis here?
- What is the law of Christ?
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21).
Last week, I indicated that the Sabbath command introduces the last six. Rest is not just between us and God but also provides space to love our neighbour. Today, let's consider a story in which a lack of Sabbath led to deadly consequences.
It is the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21. This one is included among the stories concerning Elijah whose task was to call the royal family to account. The top family in Israel has abandoned the Lord God to pursue Baal and Asherah.
Covet is not used in the narrative, yet the story illustrates the nature of coveting and the ruin it brings to human society. Naboth is a small-time farmer whose land is his 'ancestral inheritance'. This is property which God gave to his forefather when Israel entered the land of milk and honey. For generations, Naboth's ancestors have enjoyed the fruit of the land. They had lived contently on the Lord's gift to them.
However, in our story, king Ahab has seen this vineyard. He set his eyes on it long enough for his heart to desire it. When he approaches Naboth to purchase it, the king is rebuffed. Ahab sees all property as tradable commodity; everything is up for acquisition. There is always a price. But Naboth counters, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors (3)."
The king is reminded that God is involved in economic exchanges and has imposed limits. These limits ensure that that those with power and money cannot keep acquiring at the expense of those with less influence and means. Further, in Deuteronomy 17, Israelite kings are instructed not to acquire lots of stuff nor to consider themselves above the law.
Ahab cares a little about all of this, but Queen Jezebel not at all. She implements a scheme that ends in Naboth's death after which Ahab acquires what his heart desires. The story makes clear that coveting is not only a desire for someone's possessions. It is also the active capacity to seize what one desires.
The enormity of this abuse of power is evident in Elijah's judgement on the royal couple. Everything they have will be striped from them and they themselves will meet an ominous end. A society cannot survive if coveting rules the day.
This passage invites us to explore our own hearts. We must regulate inner desires, ensuring that thoughts, as well as actions, are obedient to God. Excising the slightest feeling of covetousness that arise in the mind must be our first and only response to greed and envy. God calls us to secure a neighbor's property and rights from both active harm and inner, selfish longing. That is good Sabbath work.
This story allows us to stray into the political. When we elect our politicians, it is important that we consider their character as much as their platform. Greed at the top filters down. This story is a warning.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6).
This is a psalm of praise to God, bookended by the phrase, "Praise the Lord." The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God's people to get up and bodily worship him. But in our verse, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this turn to violent warfare imagery? This is where The Lord's Prayer is helpful. It's about the battle between God's kingdom and all the dominions that seek to thwart his purposes.
Psalm 149 addresses this cosmic struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Christians understand ourselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army.
The psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (12). The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or life.
The two phrases of our text describe each other. Thus, "May the praise of God be in their mouths like a double-edged sword in their hands." Praising God is like wielding a sword. Our faithfulness to God and the proclamation of his sovereignty furthers His reign in this world.
This psalm invites us to look beyond the troubles that fill our news feeds. Not ignoring the pressing issues of the day but remembering that we are involved in a spiritual struggle. It calls us to live and pray with confidence, remembering that we are on the winning side. There is no fear that we will lose. We pray in the assurance that through His resurrection Christ has won the war.
And therefore, we use divine strategies, not human ones. In a hymn, we sing that the battle for God's kingdom and justice is fought "not with swords' loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes."
In Our World Belongs to God, we read, "Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule…We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come (55, 57).
That's the confidence inspired by Psalm 149.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Many of us have heard the 10 Commandments often but have rarely paused to consider the impact these commands were meant to have on God's newly freed people. This command regarding Sabbath, which we have already considered several times, was much more than a command to stop working. It was God's way of shaping the economy that Israel would initiate once they took possession of the promised land.
One way to understand the impact of this commandment is to consider Israel's new allegiance. We don't know how long the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Let us say that it was half the time they spent in that land: 200 years. Further, if the normal childbearing age was at 20 years, then we have roughly 10 generations of slaves. The memory of freedom was long gone. The only master these Israelites knew was Pharaoh, who had one law: work or die.
This was an economy of scarcity. Egypt's hunger was never satisfied. And complaining was counter productive. If they had energy to complain the Israelites were accused of being lazy causing their workload to increase. Pharaoh was not known for providing sufficiently for his slaves.
Now Israel has a new master who has set her free from this brutal economy. Yet it was the only economy they knew. They may have been free from it physically, but it was an economy in their hearts and bones and habits.
Sabbath was God's way of rewriting their neuropathways. Keeping Sabbath offered habits helping them to walk in God's economy of abundance. Their new master, the Lord God, would provide for his people, no longer slaves, but freed. They were invited to choose either to keep killing themselves in the brutal economy of Egypt or to walk into the abundance of their God.
Pharaoh had his taskmasters to keep the Israelites working without rest. When the Israelites became landowners in their new home and acquired servants and slaves to work their fields, they were not to treat them as Pharaoh had treated them. They were to value the humanity of their workers and offer them a dignified way of life.
There is ample evidence that our economy is more like Egypt than like that of Sabbath keeping Israel. God calls us to resist the Egyptian tendrils that have burrowed their way into our society. We need to know him as the God of abundance who provides. That is why the apostles regularly include such questions as, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17).
As we live out this week, let us pay attention to our own hearts. Let us pay attention to the tendrils of Egyptian economy that have made themselves at home in us. What habits can we practice that help us embrace the economy of God?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:24-26. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- What was the sermon exploring?
- How does belonging to Jesus encourage us on the Christian Road?
- What does it mean to crucify the flesh? How long does it take for the flesh to die? Is it just about the things we do?
- What does it mean to walk in step with the Spirit? What's the difference between "being led by the Spirit" and "walking in step with the Spirit"?
- Where is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is making progress with us? How does the gospel change are self-perception?
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Deuteronomy 5:21).
It is commonly understood that the fourth commandment, the one about resting on the Sabbath, is the glue that binds the ten together. It reaches back, gathering our relationship with God into full expression on this day of joyous rest. "Joyous?" you ask. It was meant to be. As God delighted in his creation in Genesis, so his covenant people were invited, once a week, to delight in God's sustaining of his creation.
However, this commandment also reaches forward and sets the stage for the last six. The second half of the ten explore what it means to love our neighbour, culminating in the prohibition against coveting our neighbour's possessions. It anticipates a peaceable household and neighbourhood and sets out a discipline of mind and a limit on accumulation of possessions that will serve that peace. Without this discipline and limit, neighbourhoods get destroyed as coveting generates mistrust and sets neighbours against each other.
Some have suggested that this tenth commandment is different from the others because it involves only intent. But that is limiting the scope of the Biblical language. In the biblical tradition, coveting includes both an attitude of craving and a forceful action to secure what is craved. Surely the commandment includes both the discipline, not allowing our minds to desire something that is not ours, and the limit, not taking something that belongs to our neighbour.
House and wife are included in this commandment according to ancient understanding, not our estimation of them. House refers to all that belonged to a village household which could include various buildings, animals, land, servants and several generations of descendants. Wife should not be considered as property but as belonging with the male head of the household. The poem regarding 'A Noble Wife' in Proverbs 31 presents a severe conundrum for Biblical interpreters, but it does give a sense of the value a wife might have in Israel, giving insight into why she is mentioned here.
The entire list of items mentioned in this commandment refer to a household's economic viability—the means of production. In view is probably an agrarian village with many vulnerable peasants who lived with little margin for loss. Three times the term neighbour is dropped into this command. It is all about respecting the neighbour and by extension preserving, honouring and enhancing the neighbourhood.
As we enjoy God's sustaining graces on the Sabbath, we are invited to ponder what it means for us to help sustain our neighbours. Some questions we might ponder: how is my accumulation of possessions hindering the welfare of my neighbours? What thing(s) am I craving? What am I doing to promote the welfare of my neighbourhood?
Jesus reminds us that loving our neighbour is the second greatest commandment. This is not primarily a feeling of goodwill, but an active contribution to my neighbour's life on this planet.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Praise the Lord (Psalm 150:1).
Once, I took a two-week class with the late Dallas Willard. He began with two instructions. Each of us was to sleep 10 hours a night and we were to find a lonely place and shout Psalms 145-150 to the Lord. He explained that fatigue was one of the greatest problems in the North American church today, especially among church leaders. Fatigue hinders our ability to pay proper attention to things, especially to our own hearts and to the quiet movements of God's Spirit.
Willard also explained that praising God is difficult. We resist. It helps if our bodies lead the way. Further, the ending of the book of Psalms is raucous. It demands energy. Sitting quietly at the kitchen table whispering these psalms just won't do.
At the end of the Psalter, we are given a glimpse of what is happening everywhere, all the time: the worship of God. Psalm 150 is probably the most challenging of all the psalms: it's not about you, it's not about me, it's about God; all about God! Why do Christians gather for worship services? Not primarily for our own sake, but because God is worthy of our worship.
This psalm gives us the basics of worship. First, where is God to be praised? In his sanctuary, in his mighty heavens, of course. This is God's throne room from where he rules the universe. Remembering where he is causes us to look up to him and away from ourselves.
Second, why should we worship him? "Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness." This is a summation of his powerful rule and provision. We are allowed to fill in some details from our own lives.
Third, the 'how of worship' gets a bit chaotic. "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." As I said, its raucous. All the stops are pulled out.
Finally, the psalm asks 'Who? Who should praise the Lord?" And the answer is: everything. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." A lot has been said about God in all these psalms; we know the reasons to praise God. Just do it.
Our praise of God is more than music, more than worship services. We believe that everything Christians do ought to be worship. 'We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:2). Everything is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Such living is normally fuelled by communal worship services.
What keeps you from 'just doing it.' Find ways to pay more attention to God and to yourself. And praise the Lord! Just do it!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15).
In her book, Letters to a Diminished Church, Dorothy Sayers has a few paragraphs about work. She argues that our financial system has subordinated people to economics. Workers are merely part of the machine in which they can earn a paycheque sufficient for living and some leisure time. The worker does not recognize the work as valuable.
She quotes a very able surgeon to show the results of this system: "What is happening is that nobody works for the sake of getting the thing done. The result of the work is a by-product; the aim of the work is to make money to do something else. Doctors practice medicine not primarily to relieve suffering, but to make a living—the cure of the patient is something that happens on the way. Lawyers accept briefs not because they have a passion for justice, but because the law is the profession that enables them to live."
The modern tendency is to identify work with employment. In this view, work is not the expression of our creative energy in the service of society, but only something we do to obtain money and leisure. Sayers also argues that Christians have been implicit. It might be that we have spent too much time with Genesis 3 in which work is named a hardship and a judgment on sin. We need to recover the Christian understanding of work related to the "doctrines of the creative energy of God and the divine image in humanity".
These Monday Avodah meditations are an effort in reclaiming a Christian view of work, which can be summed up simply as: work is sacred. In our society, work and money are woven tightly together. Christians ought to raise the alarm and make efforts to untie the knots. In the Biblical view, work is a good in itself. Many things beyond making money should be considered work. It is not primarily to make a living, but a result of being made in God's image. Thus, to do something well is sufficient, it gives glory to God.
Fighting against the economic machine of our society feels futile. But let me make a few suggestions to swim against the stream.
First, let us develop and maintain a robust view of humanity and of work. Our value is not in what we earn, but as image bearers of God. Everything that contributes to the flourishing of society ought to be labeled work.
Second, wherever we have influence, we should advocate both for proper conditions of employment and for work that we can put our whole heart into. Both the worker and the work need to be valued.
Third, treat all people with dignity all the time.
These things may appear small and insignificant. But let us remember that we live for a king who uses small things to great ends. Jessus spoke about small seeds. They have great potential.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:16-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- How have you viewed the battle within? have you fought with hopefulness?
- How do you tend to drift away? What desires do you tend to follow?
- What does the Spirit desire? When and how have you experienced this desire becoming your desire?
- How has your conscience developed as you matured in as a Christian?
- How do you practice 'relying on the Holy Spirit'?
When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"—skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6).
Amos' oracles regarding Israel are eerily descriptive of our own economy. He describes those who are numbed by their obsession with making money. They have such tunnel focus that they do not notice that their extravagant lifestyle is based on cheap labour. The economy operates to trample, ruin the poor and needy (4). He warns that sooner or later this will evoke social crisis. A society that refuses Sabbath restfulness for everyone is bound to fail (8-12). Earlier he charged Israel with this offense, "You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph" (6:6).
There is at least one major difference between then and now. At least I hope there is. The exploiters did not notice—they were at worship, keeping Sabbath! But they want it done with so they can rush back to resume commerce. While keeping Sabbath, their imaginations were scheming how to get richer.
Amos accuses Israel of multitasking. They are fulfilling Sabbath laws while at the same time plotting to make a bundle. It makes one wonder if Jesus had this sermon in mind when he said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…" (Matthew 6:24-25).
The appearance is one of rest, but the reality is profound social restlessness. Its not just trade, but distorted, dishonest trade that they are longing for. The poor are made into a tradable commodity. They are reduced to an equivalency for a pair of shoes or a silver coin. Everything has become a commodity and there are no more neighbours.
What can we do to stand apart from the tide of our own economy? Let me suggest two things. First, that we make good use of Sabbath time, taking Jesus words to heart, "We cannot serve God and money". We need to ask ourselves how important money has become for us. Money is not evil, but the love of money is the root of many evils. Has our love for God softened? Is greed creeping up the ladder to bump God off the throne? Sabbath keeping is meant to dispel worry as we learn again to trust in God.
A second suggestion is that we consider carefully how we view people. We encounter so many people in the span of week, that we no longer notice them. They become commodities to be used. To love our neighbour, we must notice their humanity. When life is all about hurry, hurry, hurry, people get in the way. We deal with them as interruptions rather than as neighbours God has placed on our path. When God is our first priority, seeing our neighbour becomes natural.
So, as you end this week, plan to take time for Sabbath.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times…LORD, I call out to you with all my heart (Psalm 119:20, 145).
One more reflection on Psalm 119. Via this Psalm we have explored what it might mean that David was 'a man after God's own heart' (Acts 13:22). We have looked at four things that may have caused God to describe him this way: obedience, humility, integrity and worship.
Today, something that brings these different things together. Not something at the top of the list, but something, pardon the pun, that lies at the heart of the matter.
Years ago, I read a book called, When Did We Start Forgetting God? It argues that Christians talk a lot about God and do lots of things for God, but we have, in large part, forgotten him. It suggested that a church that has not forgotten God exhibits one principal characteristic: a desire for God—a desire so intense it sometimes looks like drunkenness or even madness.
That is what is missing in much of Christendom today. We have lost our desire for God. It is easier for us to be doing things for God and to be talking and yes, preaching and preparing devotions about God, than to fan into flame a desire for him.
If you doubt me, listen to David, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). We see this in the New Testament where, Paul writes, "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him" (Philippians 3:8-9).
I could go on. There are many other examples of this in the Bible. They are rooted in the summary of the law as Jesus gives it, "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" (Mark 12:30).
I hinted at this in my previous devotions. But I think that any reflections on what it means to be a person after God's own heart that does not ponder this, a deep desire for God, falls short. It is this longing for him, that causes God to describe David this way.
If someone were to ask you, 'What do you want more than anything?" Would you answer simply, "God!"? I'm not sure many of us Christians would answer that way. Our desires wander so easily. Thus, I invite you to pray for yourself, pray for your church leaders, pray for the church, that the Holy Spirit would fill us with the desire that filled David.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:1, 12).
On Friday, we considered the opening verses of Isaiah 55. Today, we focus on verse 12. This is not merely a poetic flourish. It is the picture of what happens when God restores his people. Those who once walked in exile now walk in freedom. The journey with God is not a forced march but a joyful procession. Joy becomes the atmosphere; peace becomes the guide.
Notice that creation itself joins the celebration. Mountains sing. Trees clap. The world is portrayed as a grand sanctuary echoing with praise because God is making all things right. When the Lord redeems his people, the effects ripple outward. Salvation is never small or private. It touches hearts, communities, and ultimately the whole creation which already longs for renewal.
It's important to pay attention to what lies between the invitation that opens the chapter and the sending that draws it to a close. Three things are considered. First, God renews his covenant with his people. In the covenant, he both calls them to himself and sends them out as his witnesses.
Second, God calls his people to leave behind their wicked ways; to repent of their unrighteous thoughts. This call is companioned with the promise of forgiveness. His mercy will cover our sin. We may feel burdened by regret, worry, or weariness. Yet God promises a future shaped not by fear but by joy, not by chaos but by peace. He leads his people forward, not alone but surrounded by the testimony of his faithfulness.
Third, God reminds us of his powerful Word. That Word we know as both his creating and redeeming Word. It is beyond our comprehension in power, potential and mercy. Here is an invitation not to understand but to trust that Word. A Word that not only redeems us but transforms all of creation.
Hopefully, you had opportunity to join God's people in worship this past weekend. And hopefully, you caught glimpses of these things. In worship, God's covenant with us is renewed, we hear his call to holiness, and we enter a new week with hopefulness and courage. God goes before us with his redeeming and transforming Word.
Walk with this vision before you: a path lined with singing hills and applauding trees. Even when the road feels ordinary or uncertain, God is still leading. His redemption turns journeys of struggle into pilgrimages of praise. And as we follow him, our lives begin to echo the song of creation itself, proclaiming that the Lord is faithful and his restoration is sure.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live" (Isaiah 55:1-3).
God's invitation in our text is worth repeated reflection and meditation. It needs savouring. It requires deep breathing so that we discern its various aromas. It must seep down into our hearts to expose all the ways in which we labour for things that do not satisfy. We must sit with it long enough to experience its fullness. As it fills us, the empty food we've eaten is revealed for its deception.
Year's ago, someone paraphrased it like this, "The Sabbath day is God's market day for the week's provision wherein God will have us come to him and buy of him, without silver or money, the bread of angels, and water of life, the wine of the sacrament, and milk of the Word to feed our souls; tried gold to enrich our faith; precious eye-salve to heal our spiritual blindness; and the white clothing of Christ's righteousness to cover our filthy nakedness."
More recently, Eugene Peterson offered this paraphrase, "Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything's free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words."
On God's market day, we need to cease our serving so we can be served. We need to cease our grasping so we can reflect on what we've been given. We need to stop talking, so we can hear Jesus say, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." There's no need to fight for our clothing in the sanctuary; here we are clothed in Christ. In the sanctuary we are immersed in God's strange and upside-down economy in which the currency of the world has no value.
On Sunday, we must cease in our calling to do our work, that the Lord may do his work in us. If all of life is worship, the sanctuary is the place where we learn how. In other words, gathered worship equips us for our scattered worship in the world. The sanctuary practices us into the gracious work of God.
I've used the words Sunday and sanctuary intentionally, yet recognizing that some must work on Sundays, and some are not physically able to come to public worship. For various reasons, the perceived need for public worship has been diminishing. But there is good reason to refresh the discipline. The church has long recognized that God does not form individual Christians, but he forms a people, his people. We need each other and we are formed together.
Public worship functions like a training ground, a spiritual gymnasium for our souls. We come for eye surgery. We cannot return to the world until our priesthood has been repaired. We come to be ministered to so that we can minister outside the sanctuary.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
"Your covenant laws are your gift to me forever. They fill my heart with joy" (Psalm 119:111).
The past few Wednesday's, we have wondered what God meant when he called David, "a man after my own heart." I say, 'wondered', because the Bible does not define this phrase. We are, of course, not talking about things we need for salvation. Rather, these are things God saw in David that delighted him.
We should want God to delight in us, as well. Three delights have been mentioned: obedience, humility, and integrity. Today, we conclude with this: David worshipped God.
Some of you may think of David and his harp, during the various stages of his life, shepherd, outlaw, king, composing psalms that are dear to God's people still today. Psalm 8, "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth". Psalm 139, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me". Psalm 32, "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing." Psalm 24, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it…" And so many more.
We may also think about the joy filled worship of God's gathered church. For us, worship is hearts and hands lifted to God in praise, knees bowed in prayer and confession, ears listening attentively to his Word read and expounded, hands offering service and gifts of money and mouths building up the people with words of encouragement and with prayer.
However, we must consider that participating in corporate worship services do not make us worshippers of God. Plenty of times in the Bible, God chastises his people for engaging in the formal acts of worship but not worshipping him at all. Take some time to read through Amos 5, Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6.
David was a worshipper of God not because he composed songs that became part of the Bible. Rather, he was a worshipper because he loved God and his love led him to obey God. I encourage you to be part of a community gathered in Christ's name in which your love for God is fanned into the flame of obedience. A community where the grace of God in Christ is proclaimed, received and lived.
In such communities, Jesus' words come to fulfillment, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37,38). We cannot worship God and not go forth to bless those around us.
Are you seeking to delight God? Here are four qualities that God delights in and the Spirit grows in us: obedience, humility, integrity, worship.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart… (Psalm 15:1-2).
It's difficult to know where and when it started. Maybe it was the monastic movements in which people retreated to the wilderness to focus on personal holiness. Maybe it was the division between clergy and laity that intensified during the Middle Ages. What ever its origins, the problem persists. I'm thinking about the continued divide between the sacred and the secular in which we separate corporate worship from life between worship occasions.
That is not the way Old Testament writers understood life. A holy life was integrated, walking in the ways of the Lord consistently—in the temple, the home and the marketplace. Every aspect of life was to be marked by holiness, spiritual and material, private and public, liturgical and economic. All of life was holy, faithfully lived out before the face of God.
When the Israelites gathered for worship, it was not an escape from the marketplace, the fields, or the political arena. Rather, worship engaged and challenged the economic, cultural, and political behaviours of God's people. While at worship, his people declared that he alone was sovereign of their lives. He was Lord of family and agriculture, money and markets, armies and kings, and, oh yes, the weather.
Israelite worship was considered an act of enthroning God (Psalm 29). He was declared king over private and public life. Singing together, worshipers were engaged in the liturgical act of submitting more areas of life to his sovereignty. Holiness flowed from the sanctuary into the network of relationships and activities. Both work and worship are named 'avodah', acts of service to God.
So, as you enter a new week, how will you live? Will you commit to live before God in all you do? Will you pursue holiness at home and at work, in buying and in selling, with soul and with body? How will you prepare for the next corporate worship time? As you live out this week, pay attention to the temptations you face. Which ones do you give in to? Bring them into worship for confession.
May only those without sin enter God's holy place? That was never the case. The Israelites came to worship confessing their sins and receiving God's liberating grace. We come the same way, covered by the blood of the Lamb. But those who have no desire to live integrated holy lives should not presume to worship a holy God. Let the days between corporate worship be days of preparation. Let your worship season your work and your work your worship.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:13-15. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- Before today's sermon, how would you describe Christianity? What is its goal?
- What element of freedom has been the focus in the past few weeks?
- What element of freedom was highlighted today?
- In what situations do you find it hard to love others? How will today's sermon help increase your love?
- In the illustration of 'the gift', what have you done with God's gift of freedom?
- Where and how can you learn to practice love as described in 1 Cor 13?
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:5-7).
Isaiah at it again—many things lie between this text and the first chapter—yet, in both, he takes a strip off God's people. Strictly speaking our text refers to fasting, not sabbath keeping. Yet rest is at the heart of God's problem with his people. In particular, the lack of rest for their neighbours.
Once again, they are doing all the right religious stuff. I'm reminded of a senior demon's advice to his mentee, "As long as they retain externally the habits of a Christian, they can still be made to think of themselves as such."
It appears that the Israelites do want to get close to God, to be in covenant relationship with him. But there is something in the way, their attitudes towards their neighbours. Other folks are tools; tools for making a profit. And if these other folks do not have time for rest, who cares, 'not my problem'.
But, according to God, it is their problem. Ever since Cain asked the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" the answer is in plain sight. "Yes, I am." We cannot worship God while ignoring our neighbour in need.
In Galatians 5, Paul writes, "the only thing that matters is faith working itself out in love" (6). James wrote, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (1:27). John adds, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (1 John 4:20).
The word 'love' used here is much stronger than how we usually use it. It includes the probability of suffering. Christ set the example for us: his patient work of healing the sick, even when tired. And we must not neglect his last days of suffering through torture and execution. This is the nature of the love we are to have for our neighbours.
The two great commandments are to love God above all and neighbour as yourself. We cannot have one without the other. With so many neighbours in need, this is difficult stuff to deal with. It starts with the heart. A heart that knows it is deeply loved is a heart that seeks to love the neighbour.
Start by worshipping the covenant God, see his concern for you. Those who love God through worship become filled with compassion for their neighbours.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
I will praise you with an honest heart as I learn about how fair your decisions are (Psalm 119:7).
A psalmist sang, "[God] chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them" (Psalm 78:70-72).
We considered obedience and humility. Integrity is a third quality David had that made him a person after God's own heart. We should ask ourselves, "Is my heart turned towards God?" or to use New Testament language, "Am I looking towards Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith?" (Hebrews 12:2).
Integrity is "the quality of being honest and living by moral principles" or "the state of being whole and undivided". But there is more here. Saul would not take responsibility for his sin (1 Sam. 15:24-30). David was willing to confess his sin and take responsibility for it.
In the matter of kingship in Israel, God was her king. But he anticipated that she would want a human king. So, he gave this instruction, "When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law... It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).
There is no record of David writing the scroll. However, his many psalms convey a man who loved God's law. When David was established as king of Israel, his first official act was to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). He established the worship of God as the central feature of his kingship, signalling to Israel that God was her true king.
So, we might say, that a person of integrity is someone whose heart is aimed towards God in obedience and worship. But how do we get to such a place? I think Jesus leads us there in his conversation with that woman at the well in Samaria, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
Jesus is making two points here. We have direct access to God through His Spirit and Jesus is the truth. However, we tend to hide the truth about ourselves from him. Like Saul, we want to make ourselves look better than we are.
Christian integrity is honesty before God; to let God see the truth of who we are. Then he forgives and we can receive his grace. Have you made time for confession? Remember, God already knows more about you than you do yourself. Trying to hide ourselves from him is a futile exercise. Let him see our sins. Let him extend his grace to us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38).
Years ago, on a flight to Los Angelos, I read a book called Margin. The author, Richard Swenson, M.D., argued that we fill our lives too full. He used the image of the old blue lined paper used for writing. It also had pink lines creating margins. One did not write in the margins. He urged his readers to maintain margins in their lives. If this was a needed reminder in 2002, surely it is as necessary today. I don't think many of us have heeded his advise.
It's become such a norm for our schedules to be packed and for our attention to be pulled in many directions. This means we do not have time to notice the spiritual hunger in us or around us. But what if we made room?
What if we slowed down enough to listen – not just to sermons and podcasts but to the people in our everyday lives? Creating margin is not just about better time management or learning how to balance it all – it's a spiritual practice, a countercultural pursuit.
It's believing if we leave margin in our calendars, God will show us where He's already moving. It's replacing our fears of not doing enough with having the faith that Jesus has already finished the work of salvation and is presently doing more than we realize.
Someone once said, "You don't need to bring Jesus into your workplace – He's already there." What if we start praying that Jesus will help us join conversations he is already having with coworkers, neighbours, with strangers in line at the grocery store.
What if God is already at work in our everyday lives, waiting for us to notice?
This shift means intentionally creating space in our lives to pay attention to what God is doing. It could be taking a longer walk and praying as we go, asking God to open our eyes to someone who needs encouragement. It might mean setting aside an evening for inviting over a neighbour. It could look like asking the grocery clerk how their day is going and really listening to the answer.
God's mission doesn't need superstars. It needs people willing to be present daily. It's being attentive to the Spirit, available to others and being grounded in the belief Jesus is already leading the way.
When we create margin to join Jesus in His work, we may find the stagnation that sometimes dogs our Christian life starts to crack open with wonder. Conversations happen, stories emerge, relationships get kindled, and joy re-enters. We're no longer just surviving spiritually on our hamster wheels; we begin to thrive as we participate in harvesting adventures far bigger than ourselves.
So, as we take Jesus at His word, let's ask the Lord of the harvest to send us, and let's slow down enough to follow Him. Not just in the rush of church activity, but in the quiet courage of everyday presence.
Because the harvest is plentiful, and Jesus is already there.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:1-12. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- What things have you added to Christ? Things you thought you needed to do t win God's favour or stay in his favour? What yokes have you grabbed? What effects have they had on your life?
- What difference does your future hope make to your life now? How can you make sure you meditate on your glorious future more often? What practical steps will you take?
- What does it mean to be truly human? What are we freed from? What are we freed for?
- Why do we lose our ability to love? What should we do when our love wanes?
[Israel] has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold—which they used for Baal," [says the Lord God Almighty] (Hosea 2:8).
Like last Friday's, this text ought to make us uncomfortable. At the very least, it should make us do some serious self-examination. A thing that Christians ought to do regularly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Again, Israel has been practicing all her religious rituals: the celebrations, festivals, Sabbaths, New Moons, etc. (2:11). From the outside, God's people look very religious. They are doing their thing.
However, their hearts are not in it. It's not that they aren't feeling God's presence; its that they have no desire to feel God's presence. The religious rituals God prescribed were intended for the people to give God thanks for his blessings, to publicly recognize that life and wellbeing were all a gift from his hand. Israel's festivals and celebrations were opportunities to give God thanks for these things and to rejoice in their covenant relationship.
Instead, the people had decided that it was really Baal who had blessed them with all these things. The took the things God gave them and offered them to Baal in thanksgiving. We should not read this text as an opportunity to turn our noses up at Old Testament Israel or to fill our hearts with pride, believing we behave better.
It's the weekend. In our culture, weekends are frequently filled with self-absorption. We have done a hard week's work, now we deserve some down time. This is also true of church life. Various movements over the past decades have reduced church to an event that 'I like.' If I don't like it, I'll find a church I do like. It's about what we humans like and don't like.
Israel was meant to gather to thank God and renew her covenant relationship with him. They gathered to acknowledge that they had broken covenant. They came to receive God's grace and to be renewed in their covenant commitment. This should also be at the heart of Christian worship as we renew our life in Christ.
This does not mean that we cannot rest or relax. Rather, it invites us into a rest that produces covenant renewal; that renews our relationship with God and our commitment to his ministry of reconciliation in this world. It's not likely that any of us worship a Baal god. Our temptation is to worship ourselves and to think so highly of ourselves that we think God owes us good things. He ought to make our lives easier.
Christian worship ought to humble us. As we lift our praises to God, we come to realize again how great he is and how small we are. So go worship this weekend, come worship the God of the Bible. Give him thanks for what we have received from him. He is our generous creator and sustainer. Come and be reconciled to him through Christ and join hands with others in worship – before him we are all equal.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
I trust in you with all my heart. Don't let me wander away from your commands (Psalm 119:10).
"A man after my own heart", God said of David. Is your heart healthy? Do our hearts align with God's? A week ago, we explored one answer, David's desire to be obedient to God's law.
On its surface, Psalm 119 is boring. It's repetitive. But I think we miss the point. Its goal is not content but enchantment with the Word of God. It's a carefully crafted poem which oozes with delight in how God has created and ordered the world. There is nothing better for the psalmist than to follow this God. Here is an invitation to catch the joy of obedience.
If obedience is one aspect of a person after God's own heart, close on its heels is humility. The delight in this psalm can only come from a place of willing submission to God. In our reflections on obedience, it was mentioned that David waited for God to put him on the throne of Israel. He would not claim it by force as his right.
This was an act of humility towards God. In 1 Samuel 25, David is slighted by Nabal and sets out to get vengeance. On the way, he is intercepted by Nabal's wife who begs her husband's pardon. David recognizes that God has sent her to keep him from doing wrong and he let's go of his desire for vengeance. Humility.
There is the sordid tale of David sleeping with Uriah's wife followed by a murderous cover up. When Nathan confronts him regarding this sin, David responds, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). Humility. Later, David counts his fighting men. This displeases God, who forces him to choose which punishment Israel will endure. When David makes his choice he says, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great…" (2 Samuel 24:14). Humility.
In each case of disobedience, David responded with an admission of guilt and a turning back to the Lord, something Saul refused to do. He made excuses (cf. 1 Sam 15:24-25). Humility before the Lord acknowledges our disobedience and then turns back towards obedience.
Disobedience never has to be the last word. With God there is mercy, forgiveness. We do not need to approach God with fear in our disobedience, but rather, we may "enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). Our identity is formed by being God's children, not by our disobedience. We are daughters and sons of the King.
If you have wandered far from God, turn back. Humble yourself before him. God's mercy is great. He loves you and wants nothing more than your face to be turned towards him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live (Isaiah 55:1-3).
Many things are expected and demanded of us. We have family obligations. Many of us are required to work for a living; this makes significant demands on us. When we don't have such work, the demands are different but certainly not less stressful. Some of us volunteer in Thrift Stores, at service agencies and even for the congregations that we are part of.
These things are good. It is good to be part of a family and contribute to its well being. Having a job that provides income as well as a means of contributing to the flourishing of society is also good. Being available to serve others reflects the mercy of our God. Contributing to the life of the church is one way in which we participate in the growth of God's kingdom. These spaces also provide community for us and that too was declared by God to be good.
All these good things can put strain on us. They become burdens that we become unable to lay down. They can sap our energy, control our emotions, dominate our lives. They can begin to act as idols that constantly demand increasingly more from us. They become irritants that cause resentment, anger, jealousy, and other fruits of the flesh to grow in our hearts, sometimes bursting forth in the most inopportune times.
The world demands more of us, always more. And often, it gives very little back. We end up depleted and empty, hungering for something that will nourish us; fill us; satisfy.
Into those demands, God speaks. No, God invites. He invites us to come. He invites those who have nothing, who are thirsty, poor, hungry, depleted from work that offers nothing in return. God offers us something the world cannot give: life, meaning, fulfilment.
Jesus gave greater depth to these words when he said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this he meant the Spirit…" (John 7:37-39).
God does not take us away from the demands of family or work or volunteering or church. Rather, he fills us with his life so that we can give life to others. He desires for the fruit of the Spirit to develop in us so that they can adorn the places we work and live and volunteer.
He would fill us so that we can contribute not from our emptiness but from his fullness. With his filling, we discover that we are able and even eager to enter our spaces. We can contribute from his resources not our own; with his filling something supernatural is truly at work. Wherever God takes you this week, ask and he will fill you. Go then and bring his life into those places and communities.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:1, 13-14. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What were the three things about freedom mentioned in the previous sermon?
- Relationship with _________.
- The result of the ___________ of _________ __________.
- Life in the ____________ of _________.
- These three are from whose perspective:
- What perspective did today's sermon explore:
- Why must we embrace our freedom? What things might hinder our freedom? Does our idea of who God is matter?
- What is our freedom not? What is it for?
- How do we live our freedom? Will this be easy? How will you do it this week?
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:15-17).
Do you know who made the clothes you are wearing? Do you know how much the server makes at your favourite restaurant? Do you know where the components of your cellphone come from? Do you know any of the people who were involved in assembling that wonderful little device? Do you know the farmers who produced the food you eat? Do you know if they were paid adequately for their produce or if they provided sufficiently for their workers?
In our integrated economy there are many things we simple do not know. A century ago, such ignorance would have been unimaginable. But this is the world we live in – a world of unceasing productivity and commerce in which producer and consumer are severely separated. Many are exploited in the process.
Thus, reading Isaiah 1 ought to make all Christians deeply uncomfortable.
Israel was keeping Sabbath. Isaiah offers a grand list of liturgical practices that God's people were faithfully participating in – offerings, incense, new moons, convocations, solemn assemblies, prayer and Sabbaths. But God was not happy with any of it. He was, in fact, utterly repulsed by it, wearied.
Sabbath and all its liturgical practices were not having any effect on his people. It was all fake. Oh, they stopped working all right. At least with their bodies. But their minds were still fully engaged in profit making. Along with the unending meditation on the accumulation of goods, came anxiety. If the profits were not as high as anticipated, it might crimp the size of the new house. That anxiety produced plans for coercion and exploitation. Those with money and power often find ways to make more at the expense of others. The great festival of rest had become simply another venue for restlessness.
Sabbath was meant to be a return to the covenant: dependence on God and concern for neighbour. But they had created a false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Sabbath was for paying attention to God, the rest of the week for making money. As a result, liturgical practices were cut off from the well-being of the neighbourhood and the protection of the vulnerable. God's covenant with Israel insisted that those with resources cared for those who had less. They had lost this connection.
In our society, with the distance between those who produce and those who buy it is easy for us to fall into a similar problem. Spiritual rest is about me and God. But if we truly pay attention to God, and not just ourselves, the Spirit will point us towards concern for our neighbour. As Paul once wrote, "The only thing that counts is faith working itself out in love" (Galatians 5:6). We can't change the system. But we can ask God to show us how to have greater concern for our neighbour. We can expect Sabbath to change us.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times (Psalm 119:20).
I remember a group exercise, probably some ice breaker, in which we were asked what we would like on our tombstone. How is that a good icebreaker? Probably, to get into a conversation about legacy. I didn't like it then and I still don't. A more interesting question to ask is "What do people say about me right now?" but not as an icebreaker.
David, the shepherd boy turned king, is introduced in the Bible not by name, but by what God says about him, 'a man after my own heart' or 'a man who is dear to my heart' (1 Samuel 13:14).
That's high honour. But no one defines what that means. So, let's consider what it might mean, beginning with what seems like the most obvious: obedience. As that famous phrase from Psalm 119 puts it, "I have hidden your word in my heart". In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we find this, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." When David sings the glory of God displayed in both the creation and in God's law, he ends with this prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight" (Psalm 19). That great psalm about God's powerful and tender presence concludes with a prayer that God remove wrong from David's heart (Psalm 139).
We see David's obedience clearly in the years before he becomes king. He does not grab the throne. God says, "You will be the next king." But David recognizes that God needs to remove the current king before he can take the throne. Even though Saul has been rejected because he disobeyed God, David continues to honour him as king.
David's obedience foreshadows a central characteristic of Jesus himself. He claimed to have come to do the Father's will (John 6:38). When on the cross he called out, "it is finished", he was declaring that he had been obedient to the end.
The pertinent question for us is, "How do we grow in obedience?" How do we become fully committed to God? Is it even possible to hum with the psalmist, "My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times" (Psalm 119:20)?
When we get started on this path, we often look to ourselves to get there. I don't think that is what David did. In Psalm 19, David spends the bulk of the Psalm looking at what God has made and said. It is only when he has composed his praise, does he ask for a pure heart. We don't get a longing for obedience by looking to ourselves. When we see God and who he is, our heart's get stirred.
So, where does your gaze linger? Is it time to look up again? As the writer of Hebrews once wrote, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…" (12:2). See him on the cross. See him alive, emerging from the tomb. See him enthroned in heaven. Then obedience is not to gain favour with God but becomes an act of thanksgiving.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).
There is hymn that begins with: "The church is not a building; the church is not a steeple; the church is not a resting place; the church is a people." And the refrain: "I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together!"
Intuitively, many Christians recognize that these lyrics are true. But we struggle with putting them into practice. Let's reflect on this challenge from the perspective of God's mission of reconciling the world to himself.
Let's first think about the people who carry out God's mission. I suspect that at least a few listeners will immediately think of pastors and missionaries as the agents of this mission. After all, these are the folks the church has set aside for God's work. We send missionaries to the mission filed and appoint pastors to lead congregations. Its as if these people are the most important in the work of God. But this does not do justice to the Biblical story of God's mission.
We need to change are understanding. Anne Rowthron wrote, "Through its laity the church is present in every area of human activity. It is in offices, in schools and universities, in hospitals, in stores, in factories and hotels" (The Liberation of the Laity).
We are all part of the priesthood of all believers. As such we have all been set apart, called by God and given a priestly authority to intercede on behalf of others and the world before him. Faithful people are living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. Our skillful and worn hands praise God. Our priestly bodies, both in the sanctuary and on the factory floor, glorify God.
We can be involved in God's mission when we speak up and advocate for truth and justice in our daily work. As people reconciled to Christ we can work towards reconciliation in our spheres of influence. This usually begins with prayers of intercession.
Our churches are often pastor centric, program centric, and building centric. This gives the impression that the focus of God's work is in the building we label a church. Somehow, we need to broaden our perception of the church and God's mission to include every Christian wherever they are. Not pastors, but the laity, are the primary agents of a church's mission in the community.
In Leviticus, God is described as breathing in the aromas of the sacrifices Israel offered (2:9; 3:5,16). God is still hovering over his priests breathing into his nostrils the pleasing aroma of their worshipful work. God does not simply mandate human work; God delights in human work. God accepts it with joy, not as mere obedience but as worship.
The spaces which Christians spend their time are the primary spaces of a church's mission. Where you spend your week is the mission field of God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
The Sovereign Lord declares—he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered" (Isaiah 56:8).
In Deuteronomy, Moses prepares Israel to enter the land of promise. As they settle in, they will finally be able to develop the habits enabling them to be God's holy people. Part of the preparation is defining who is in and who is out. Access to this holy people, and consequently to their God, is quite limited. All folks with mutilated genitalia and many foreigners are excluded (cf. Deuteronomy 23:1-8). Interactions with non-Israelites were strongly regulated to minimize the temptation to worship other gods.
This history lies in the background of our text dealing with Israel settling back into the land after the Babylonian exile. Isaiah 56 has to do with who is in and who is out. It reads very differently than Deuteronomy.
Here are a few verses, "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths…And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him…all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain" (4,6,7).
Wow. God specifically mentions those kept out in Deuteronomy. There is only one condition spelled out…keep Sabbath! This is the mark of membership, an act of generous incorporation that was previously unheard of. It allows the life of God's Israel to spill over among those who have been excluded but are now to be welcomed.
Sabbath becomes the requirement for membership because it represents a disengagement from the producer-consumer rat race of the empire, then and now. It demonstrates a visible trust in God rather than self. Members of any race or nation, any gender or social condition are welcomed so long as that person is defined by justice, mercy, and compassion, and not by competition, achievement, production or acquisition. Sabbath keeping is the link between loving God with our whole beings and loving our neighbours as ourselves.
Jesus' cousin, John, worked this out with those who thought they had an automatic in because of their heritage. He told them not to count on their lineage, instead they ought to concern themselves with fruit that comes from repentance (Matthew 3:8-10).
What kind of fences do we put around church membership? How far are we willing to invite people in? Do we keep certain people at arms length? How long do people need to show up before they are no longer newcomers? Isaiah 56 prompts these kinds of questions.
Further, John's comment about fruit leads us to Galatians 5 where Paul gives an extensive list of sour grapes. These things, wrath, violence, lusts, envy are the product of the rat race. This is what grows in those who refuse Sabbath.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit has room to grow in Sabbath keepers. What practices and habits do you have that enable you to step out of the rat race for the sake of Sabbath? There is great pressure to ignore Sabbath, even in the church. Isaiah calls us back to rest not as a burden but as a gift, as a means to joy in the Lord (7).
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…Don't pay back evil with evil…Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good (Romans 12:14, 17, 21).
What do we do in the face of evil? This is the question that ends Romans 12. Its not theoretical; its personal. "How should Christians respond when evil is done to us"? The answer is: "Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good."
Evil is insidious. It begins small, a trickle, which, if not stopped, becomes a flood that fills us. In the end, it will overcome us. Evil works that way. It grows. It begins with a thought, a flash of anger and builds until it bursts out of us.
It will grow and poison everything it touches. It is said that Eric and Dylan, perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre, were motivated by revenge. They felt mistreated, rejected, and abused, and this was a way of taking revenge and getting back—evil responding to evil, hate responding to hate. It was reported that, as they entered the building, they shouted, "This is for all the people who made fun of us all these years," and then they laughed and opened fire. They allowed hate to take root in their hearts, and it grew until the fruit of it erupted in violence.
This idea lies at the heart of the epic fantasies The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Both stories also contain the Biblical antidote: love. How do we counter evil? By overcoming it with good.
Paul has written about love, the agape of God towards us. We don't deserve it, yet he gives it to us. God comes to us in the blood of Jesus and forgives all the evil we have done. He overcomes our evil with his goodness.
This is God's master plan of salvation. His purpose is to reclaim His creation from the control of evil, transform it, and bring it back under the sway of His righteousness. In other words, He will overcome the world's evil with His good. In following the command of Christ to "bless and not curse" (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:28) and by returning good for evil, we do as God does, and we become active participants in His great plan for the world.
Jesus experienced all the hatred and injustice and violence that the leaders of this world could pour out on him. He was victim of the mindless hate and the violence of the crowd and the Roman soldiers, who used him as an excuse to vent the hatred in their hearts.
But Jesus did not take on and return their hate, and He did not let it change Him from His course of revealing the Father's love, His love even for God's enemies. Love is stronger than hate because hate enslaves, while love brings freedom. He forgave His enemies.
Christ, when he died by submitting himself to the hatred of his accusers, offered us a solution to the hatred and injustice of the world. Without him, it is eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. But now there is a new way. This does not mean that justice has been abolished. But it means that we are relieved of the burden of justice. We can leave that to God. And we can love our enemies because God loves us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
For in [Christ] all things were created…all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:16-17, 19-20)
Again, I want to address the question, "Why produce a weekly podcast on the subject of work?" Work must be understood here as more than what we do to earn a paycheck. It includes that, of course, but also other regular things we do to live in this world. Things like the laundry, the dishes, mowing the grass or shoveling snow. It includes driving our children or grandchildren to school or dance lessons. Often, we preachers make it sound like these are irrelevant to the mission of God in the world. That is wrong.
Dorothy Sayers once advised preachers,
When you find a [person] who is a Christian praising God by the excellence of their work—do not distract them and take them away from their proper vocation to address religious meetings... Let them serve God in the way to which God has called them... [Do] not take them away from it, so that they may do ecclesiastical work for you. But, if you have any power, see that [they] are set free to do their own work as well as it may be done. They are not there to serve you; they are there to serve God by serving their work (Creed or Chaos?).
In these weekly podcasts addressing work, I hope to "set you free to do your work as well as it may be done…to serve God by serving your work". I hope you come to understand more deeply that the mission of God includes your whole life.
This mission includes the Great commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and the Great Commandment to love God and neighbour (Matthew 22:36-40). But it also includes the Cultural Mandate to explore, name, develop and cultivate the creation (Genesis 1:28). Neither the arrival of sin, nor the arrival of Jesus to redeem creation nullified that mandate. The Great Commission and the Great Commandment do not lessen the value of our work.
What better way to participate in this mandate then to do our everyday, mundane, ordinary work well, offering it to God for his glory and for the good of humanity? When you are at work you are in a context where pastors and missionaries rarely if ever show up. It is in that place that God has called you to cultivate creation, love your neighbour and bear witness to the goodness of the gospel.
The mission of God includes the renewal, restoration, and reformation of all things. All Christian, in all industries, are invited to participate in this comprehensive mission. Our workplaces are the critical spaces where we will either learn to follow Christ faithfully or walk away from him. Our workspaces are integral to the mission of God, no sideshow. There, you are at the leading edge of God's reconciling work.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:1, 13-14. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca.
Dive In!
- What does freedom mean to you? What kind of things would you like to be free from?
- What does it mean to be human? How would you describe the best human? How can we become like that?
- Give some examples of good laws (not the ones Pastor Michael mentioned). What laws are you afraid of breaking? Are you afraid of God? What does it mean to be under the 'curse of the law'?
- How is the curse of the law broken? What do we have to do to help break it? What does it mean that Jesus set us free?
- When we are free in Christ, how will we live? What will be our desire and goal? Where will the Spirit lead us?
For day after day, they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God (Isaiah 58:2).
This is a difficult chapter to read. God is angry with is covenant people. Very angry. They show up for the appointed worship services and other religious festivals. They ask God for direction. They appear eager to come near to him. They love the Sabbath day. They do all the right things.
There is just one problem. A rather large one. When they return to non-Sabbath activities, its as if the Sabbath never happened. Its as if they did not hear God's direction. Its as if they never sought God or came near him.
Going back to non-Sabbath matters, they exploit their workers and fight with each other. Not just verbal sparring, also fist fights. They refuse to share their food with the hungry or their homes with the poor wanderer.
They think that God ought to be happy that they showed up for worship, that they took the day off to fast and pray. They cannot figure out why God is so unhappy with them.
They are doing all the right religious things, but their hearts are far from God. They do not really care about what he says. They have forgotten that they are God's light in the world. The way they are living is spreading darkness rather then light.
Here is the point: their Sabbath keeping has had no effect on their hearts, or their minds or their bodies. It has not changed how they live or interact with others. They are not bringing any good into the world. It is left full of evil.
So, what are your plans for this weekend? Party time, family time, alone time? None of these things are necessarily bad in and of themselves. Let me ask the question differently: when you have time off from the "work" of making a living, when you take time to rest in God, what is the point? Why do you do it?
Somewhere along the way, the prayer that ends Psalm 139, should play a role. "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" (23,24).
God wants to change the way we think, react, and act. Let the Spirit loose when you meet with God.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Don't pay back evil with evil…My dear friends, don't try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger…Scripture says, "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads." Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good (17-21).
The Heidelberg Catechism teaches us that we have a natural tendency to hate God and our neighbor (A 5). That seems about right. To repay evil with good seems overly optimistic.
Getting even is our natural bent. Have you ever seen a three-year-old, when another child takes his toy, offer a second as well? Hardly. The child immediately works to retrieve said toy, often violently. Whether its children playing in the park or adults striving to get ahead, we do not tolerate others doing us harm. Our immediate reaction is to seek retaliation.
But God calls Christians to be different. This is one of the unique qualities of the followers of Jesus. Romans 12 begins with a view of God's mercy, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. This conclusion, "overcome evil by doing good", is where we keep crawling off the alter! God wants us to return good for evil and we say, 'fat chance', we want justice, in other words, vengeance.
In life, we encounter truly difficult people–individuals who wound us, wrong us, betray us, making us want to strike back. Justice, we think, demands that they know the harm they've caused and receive punishment. We believe that this is our right. Yet, as gospel people, a sincere, forgiving love should be our response.
This is how we embody the gospel of our God in Christ: "overcoming evil with good." This is what Jesus did in his ministry and, ultimately, in his death. Jesus met the evil of this world head on with love and grace, not balled-up fists and merciless judgment. Living in love and harmony with difficult and evil people is what it means to be caught up in the rhythms of the gospel.
That's who we are as Christian people. It's wrong to get the greatest gift of God's grace and then turn right around and take revenge on others. "My dear friends" could be translated, "my dear agape people". Agape is that special, divine love that we get by grace alone. People who have been graced with God's agape can't turn around and live vengeful lives.
Bad things happen. That is an unhappy fact of life in this world. The gospel calls us to absorb such evil, to show Christ to the world not just when doing that is easy but to display the grace of Jesus precisely when it is most difficult. Others will say we have a right to justice; to see the evil doer punished. The gospel demands something else.
The only way into this life is to keep God's mercy towards me clearly in view; to remain submitted to God's way instead of the world's system. We can't do this on our own. But that has been Paul's contention all along, "in view of God's mercy." We have received; therefore, we can give.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken (Psalm 62:5-6).
Well, Advent and Christmas are behind us again. Our wall calendars have been exchanged for fresh ones (if we still use those). This means that Wilderness Wanderings returns to its Avodah series.
A refresher is likely needed. What is this series about? Why return to it?
Here is why: the rhythm of work and rest was established by God in the beginning. It was part of his declaration: "It is very good". Since the fall, it has been especially important to maintain this rhythm. It keeps reminding us that we are creatures and not gods. As such, we are finite, limited. We need replenishing: physically and spiritually. Regular rest times put us in a place of dependence on God.
Rest also puts our work in context. We are created to be productive, but not dependent on our productivity. When Israel was freed from Egypt, she was freed from endless work. All through the wilderness years, she learned to depend on God for sustenance. Certainly, we need to work to live in this world. But it is God who gives "the ability to produce wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:18). Sabbath reminds us of this.
Almost everything in our culture wars against this. There is massive pressure to work ourselves to death. Our culture says: you don't have enough, work harder, buy more stuff, work harder to maintain your stuff, to enjoy your stuff, and to upgrade your stuff. Work even harder so you can leave a pot for your descendants, if you have had time to produce any. That's crude. But it makes the point.
Christians do well to be counter cultural on this. To delightfully rest for refreshment's sake; resting so God can renew us. Many in our culture hate their work because they never rest. Work is only a means towards pleasure that in the end, disappoints and leaves one fatigued. Tired people do not enjoy life.
We are constantly pressured to be busy, busy, busy. When we are not busy, we binge watch and doom scroll. In God's invitation to rest, God wants us to join him in enjoying life, remembering that all of it is his gift to us. We teach children to be thankful for gifts received. Adults regularly need to relearn this. Thus, we return to Avodah, which is the Hebrew work translated both as work and as worship.
On Mondays, I will give a meditation encouraging all of us to offer our ordinary weekly activities as sacrifices to God. As Paul once wrote, "whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). On Fridays, I will give a meditation encouraging us to take rest seriously, rest that refreshes. We all need to instruct ourselves, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God"; and remind ourselves, "my hope comes from him". Some of us need to work on Sundays. This makes it even more important to build rest into schedules. Each Wednesday, a meditation from our Wilderness Wanderings archive will be published.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Peter 5:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Why the title "Growing Small"?
- What are the three "Ts" mentioned in the sermon?
- What two things does the word "mighty" refer too?
- What is the difference between worry and humility?
- What should we know about God that helps us trust him? How do we grow in this trust?
- What were some of the examples given from the Bible in which we see God's timing?
- Why is it so difficult to trust in God's timing? How long may we need to wait?
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved and will endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forevermore. Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil (Psalm 125:1-3).
Jerusalem was a walled city on the top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains. Standing on top of those walls, looking out at those mountains, an Israelite could feel secure. From those walls the psalmist declares: like the mountains surrounding this city, so the Lord surrounds His people.
Even today, many Christians have 'holy spaces'—places and/or times where they regularly encounter God. There we look to our Lord to surround us. The Songs of the Ascents remind us that holy spaces are an important part of our faith—they provide focal points for our relationship with God. They aren't necessary, but they are helpful.
In his covenant with Israel, God promised to be their God and called them to follow His ways. If they reject His ways, they cannot count on His protection. He will be against them if they persist in rebellion.
How do we use this psalm to strengthen our own faith? One way is to consider Jesus' beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meek does not refer to someone who gets walked over, but rather, to someone who has trained to do what is right. They do it even when it is difficult. They are the righteous, those who trust in the Lord and are not shaken. Such folks will inherit the earth, a promise that will be completely fulfilled with Christ's return.
This psalm concerns the refugees who came back from Babylon and struggled to establish a righteous Israelite society in the land. They were opposed by various stronger nations, and by many fellow Israelites who gave up on righteous living to pursue dishonest gain.
The righteous were often left in the economic dust of these two groups. They wondered where God's protection for them was. It was tempting to abandon their vision of an obedient nation. 'Don't give up,' says the psalmist, 'evil folks will not endure. In the end, the righteous will dwell securely in the land.' God will see to it.
As they gathered in Jerusalem, the holy city, and worshipped together at the temple, some measure of confidence was restored. In our holy spaces, we call on God to surround us like the mountains and keep us safe from the wicked ones and those who turn aside to crookedness. May we all find our 'holy spaces' in which we gain new strength for the days of our journeys.
Life in God's church is not much different from that of Israel of old. It is not easy to live righteously before God, to love him and neighbour. May this psalm fire our imaginations to hear with new ears Jesus' solemn assurance, "In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world" (John 16:33). May this psalm encourage us to live faithfully before him in the year 2026.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
After three days [Jesus' parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).
Of all the stories about Jesus' childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like.
This story fills in the portrait of Jesus being painted. In Philippians 3, Paul details how he had been the perfect Jew. Luke is picturing Jesus with similar colours. He was born to and raised by pious Jewish parents. Only men were required to attend the religious festivals, so Mary's going shows deep family piety.
With this family setting, Luke invites us to consider the kinds of things our children learn from us. Do our words and actions match the faith teaching that our children and grandchildren receive? Is our piety mostly showy, as Jesus decries in Matthew 6, or does it reveal a deep faith in God's activity in this world? Can those around us notice our growing faith?
Jesus and his parents were well integrated into their community. This three-day trip was traveled in caravans for protection. That Jesus' parents did not worry about him for the first day, indicates that they expected others to be looking out for him. They were likely looking out for other children and youth. Jesus' family seems very ordinary.
In that day, it was not unusual for students to gather at the feet of the rabbis to discuss the Jewish faith and how to live faithfully with God. This was usually in a group question-and-answer format, as Luke indicates. Thus, Jesus' interaction with the rabbis was not unusual. That he didn't leave Jerusalem with his parents was unusual, but the focus not here.
Luke wants us to recognize that even at this young age, Jesus has amazing knowledge of the things of God. Those listening to him are astonished at his understanding, a reaction that will occur later to Jesus' miraculous work (8:56). Already early in life Jesus values the pursuit of comprehending God.
Jesus' interest in God was not a product of his unique divine sonship. Rather, it was the outcome of a life lived among those who walked with God. It pictures how all of us should prioritize our lives before God. The way he lived his life and pursued God faithfully reflects how we should seek God's face. When David was dying, he counselled his son with these words, "If you seek [the Lord], he will be found by you" (1 Chronicles 28:9). Luke is illustrating this truth.
Finally, this story illustrates something that one of Jesus' brothers would later write, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). Jesus and the religious leaders would come to logger heads, but that was because they were threatened by him, refusing to believe that he was the Son of God. They pursued their own power rather than submitting to the Lord. Jesus began by submitting to them.
As you ponder the year that was, consider these things.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever (Psalm 52:1,5,8).
David is hiding from King Saul and his murderous paranoia. When the priest Ahimelech gives David refuge, Doeg tattles on him. Having volunteered to kill the priest, Doeg kills Ahimelech and 83 of his clan. When he's done, he feels macho: a warrior to be reckoned with. This prompts David's sarcastic line, "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?" (Psalm 52:1).
The Bible traces this "Big Lie" from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Lake of Fire in Revelation.
The "Big Lie" can be understood in various ways. It is the lie that says, "I have created myself; I am like a god; I command my own destiny; I am self sufficient and autonomous; the meaning of life is pleasure, self fulfilment, or independence."
When we live out of the "Big Lie", we deceive and manipulate people for our own ends. We make ourselves the centre of our universe. One question becomes most important: "What's in it for me?" Cut off from God's goodness, we become evil in our intentions, feeding our own selfishness.
God comes to shatter the "Big Lie" that started in the Garden. When Adam and Eve fell, they did not become like gods, as Satan promised. Instead, they simply found themselves naked and jumped into the bushes. There, God confronted them, showed them their sin, executed His judgment by throwing them out of the Garden to wander across the earth.
We are still tempted, however, to live without God, but He doesn't leave us alone. He comes with a gracious warning to show us our choices: to live with Him in the truth or live without Him in the "Big Lie." This Psalm addresses these choices.
The psalm exposes the stupidity of the "mighty person" who trusts in herself or in his money, choosing evil rather than God's goodness. Such a person loves lying and has a "deceitful tongue" to cover up their evil.
God will bring such people to ruin. The righteous will be in awe and laugh at such stupidity. The psalmist will be among them in God's house, worshipping and waiting on the Lord. Rather than finding life's meaning in himself, he finds it in the mercy of God and the goodness of His name.
But doesn't a little of Doeg live in all of us? Jesus has the cure for doegishness: "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Psalm 84:1-2).
Let's begin with a simple question, "What do you want?"
Some of you may be looking in the refrigerator to get some breakfast. I'm not interested in your breakfast. This is one of those annoyingly profound questions like what you want your legacy to be. What do you want for your life? or from your life?
I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. I find it depends on the day and the things happening around me. I'm not always sure if there is one thing that I really want.
We all have appetites and longings: a bigger house; a faster car; better make-up; successful children; political position.
We want many things. But getting these things doesn't satisfy. In fact, they tend to kill us. We humans have an infernal habit of mistaking the things God gives for the God who gives them. We tend to worship the things God gives, rather than God himself. As Paul once wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised! Amen" (Romans 1:25).
God made everything for His glory, to reveal His greatness. The things He created all point back to Him. They remind us that He is our true home, our destination. Sin makes creatures our home rather than God to whom they point. Worshipping God's creation will be our death.
The psalmist knew this. He was away from Jerusalem and longed to be home. Not because he worshipped that city but because in Jerusalem was God's temple, God's presence on earth. That is where he encountered God. That was joy.
This is even truer for us, followers of Jesus. We are his temple. God is right here, where we are. But do we want him? is he our joy? We can take either of two roads. On the one road, we focus on all the things that we can't enjoy right now and feed our longing for them.
The other road is the one the psalmist took. Rather, than feeding his longings for stuff, he fed his longing for God. We can take that road too. We can ask the Spirit to sift our desires so that we increasingly desire him. Then, when someone asks us that irritating question, "What do you want out of life?" we know our answer.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25).
There is a scene in the sixth Harry Potter movie that offers an image of the church. Harry's guardian, mentor, friend, and father/grandfather type figure, Albus Dumbledore, has just been murdered by a trusted friend. Dumbledore was the leader of those fighting against the rise of evil. Now he lies dead, at the foot of the Hogwart's walls. Thus far in the story, Hogwarts was the only truly safe place against Voldemort's encroaching evil regime.
It is a scene of despair and hopelessness. Horror-stricken people are gathering around the fallen body. Eventually, one of them raises her wand in the air: the tip glows with light, as if it were a candle. It's a statement of defiance against evil. One by one others raise their glowing wands. Soon there is a small halo of light above those who will continue to resist the forces of evil. Hope is still alive.
In Monday's devotion, I reflected on the opening words of Hebrews which introduces the grand themes about Jesus which are worked out in the rest of the book. But Hebrews can be summarized in these four words: Jesus is the greatest. The thing is though, at Christmas, Jesus is little more than a flickering candle: he lies with little fanfare in a feed trough.
After his resurrection, when he returns to the glory of heaven, he leaves behind a group of disciples who have no idea what they are up against. They don't know what they are supposed to do or how to get started. They don't even really understand what Jesus was doing. Yet, they are the ones whom he leaves behind to continue his work.
Those of us who call ourselves Christians are the descendants of those first disciples. 2000 years later the church is now an international organization, and one would think she would have her act together. But truth be told, she still seems to flounder, not quite sure what she is supposed to do or how to do it.
Christmas reminds us of our humble beginnings. It also reminds us that Jesus told us to remain humble. The mission of the church is accomplished through acts of service. It was when Jesus got down on his knees to wash his disciples' feet that he told them to follow his example. Jesus is present with us through these simple acts.
Hebrews is a heady book, picking up grand themes from the Old Testament, arguing how Jesus is far superior to anything that took place back then. It's often a slog for people to get through the book. When it finally gets to the application the author simply tells us to spur one another on to good deeds and to keep meeting together.
On our own, the flickering candle of our faith and love tends to get snuffed out by the winds of evil and selfishness. But together our combined faith and love, fanned into flame by the Holy Spirit, dispels the darkness, at least a bit of it. That is why that scene from Harry Potter reminds me of the church. We need each other.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Human words muddy the beauty of this profound text. How can we convey the intensity with which God desires to communicate with his people?
At many times and in many ways! Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day, God calls out, "Where are you?" God leads Israel out of Egypt with fire and cloud and chisels his intentions for them on stone tablets with his own finger. God calls Israel back to himself with fire by burning up Elijah's alter. And in a quiet whisper he asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?"
All these communications pale in comparison to His Son. He now speaks to us through His own Son.
What can we say about Him? This is the Son who will inherit all things. When the history of this age comes to its grand conclusion, this Son will reign overall.
What can we say about this Son? This is the Son through whom God created the world. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1).
What can we say about this Son? He is the radiance of God's glory, the exact imprint of his nature. If we care to see God, all we need to do is look at this Son. What Jesus does and says is what God does and says.
What can we say about this Son? Not only will the world be his in the end, not only was the cosmos created through him, this Son continues to hold the universe together by his powerful Word. Because we can see the smallest details through microscopes and far away galaxies through telescopes, we might forget that if it wasn't for this Son, the entire universe would disintegrate.
And this magnificent Son, he became flesh through the womb of the Virgin Mary. He made the journey from heaven's glory to die on a cruel cross thereby reconciling us to God. This Son who lay helpless in Mary's arms, who lay exhausted in a tempest tossed fishing boat, who lay dead in the tomb is now seated at the right hand of God in glory.
There is a mystery in this grandeur. God speaks to us through his son, a babe. The light of the world voluntarily reduced his splendour to that of a candle. He is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the exact imprint of God's nature. He is a babe in his mother's arms, as vulnerable as a flickering wick.
These are the kinds of words we take to the top of a mountain (or the roof of our houses), look at the stars and ponder. To these words there can be only one response -- falling on our knees in amazement.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 9:2-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How do you experience darkness? In what ways has it pressed in on you? Overwhelmed you?
- Our passages tell of God's promise to overcome the darkness. What are the two surprises they contain?
- Take time this week to meditate on the four Royal Titles given to Jesus in Isaiah 9. How do they encourage you to live well?
- What does it mean to know God?
- What things characterize our waiting for the fullness of the kingdom.
Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do (John 9:1-3).
We are exploring what it means that Jesus is Immanuel, "God with us." In the Old Testament, light is an image that gets attached to Immanuel. In John's gospel, this image explodes onto the page like a light bulb given power in a dark room. Our text is one of those detonations. The disciple's understanding of the world is turned on its head.
The disciples ask, "Why is this man blind? Who sinned causing this blindness?" They are trying to understand the condition, meaning, and purpose of this man's life. If he is blind, if he is disabled, isn't it because he or someone has sinned? Why would he be this way if no one had sinned?
In their way of looking at the world, a problem like blindness was always the direct effect of someone's sin. Today, we think such ideas are old fashioned. We are too educated for such simplicity. But just hold on. What is our gut reaction when someone is homeless or a refugee? For many of us, our first response is to ask why. To step back and analyze the situation. And isn't that exactly what the disciples were doing? Analyzing the situation, making it fit into their worldview.
They don't see a man in need of healing, do they? They're blind to his pain. They want an answer to a theological question. Likewise, we try to explain what we see as unfortunate, lamentable, regrettable. But in doing this we place ourselves at the centre of our questions; God is put on the sidelines.
In our text, Jesus flips the disciples' thinking on its head, as he so often does. In responding to their question, Jesus shifts their focus from the blind man to God and to Himself as the Light of the World. He says to them, "Don't look for someone to blame. Look instead for what God can do. This man needs light and I am the light of the world."
Jesus intends to point us beyond the problem to the possibilities it presents. When we see an afflicted individual, we should not start with blame, but rather how can peace, comfort, and healing for this person show the glory of the God. We should be about the business of bringing wholeness to them.
Jesus continues to rebuke his disciples when he says, "While it is still day, we must do the works of the one who sent me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." In other words, don't let your opinions deflect you from the task that God has put you here to do. How often do we analyse and dissect rather than act to bring God's light into the world? How often do we apply our theological minds to working out why something is the way it is, rather than doing what we can to right the wrongs we see? In being the hands and feet of Jesus, others discover through us that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
To paraphrase Jesus, "Whoever has eyes to see, let them see!"
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me" (John 5:6-7).
Jesus loved to ask questions. Some were innocent enough, like "Will you get me some water?" (4:7). Some were asked to encourage people to leave him alone, like the time he asked the Jewish establishment, "Where did John get his authority, from man or from God?" (Matthew 21). Others helped a listener probe deeper into Jesus' identity, like when he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Still others, like the one in our text, are a set up.
The question does seem a bit strange, but the setting helps us get a handle on it. Jesus went up to Jerusalem, the city of peace. He went to celebrate one of the Jewish feasts, a joyful event praising God for his work of deliverance. The scene is the pool named Bethesda, which means 'house of mercy.' So, the location is peace, joy, mercy.
We are expecting a happy story.
Instead, we are told that this pool is surrounded by a great number of disabled people, but we focus on one person. He has been lying there for 38 years. That's a long time by anyone's reckoning. We might want to know about the magical nature of this pool. How is it that only the first person who touches the pool after it is stirred gets healed? Was it really an angel of the Lord who stirred the pool?
But Jesus does not oblige our curiosity. He wants us to focus on this person lying here for 38 years. How many times has he seen the water stirred and he has not been able to touch it because someone else was always faster? Has he given up hope? Has he given in to his condition and expects to live out his life begging for scraps from passing feast goers?
Jesus asks, "Do you want to get well?"
Some suggest that Jesus wanted to know if the man had any hope left; it being a requirement for healing. Others suggest that Jesus was exposing that the man had become comfortable in his paralysis and did not want to get better. He needed to start taking responsibility for himself. These issues are not part of this story. The man doesn't answer Jesus' question. He just says, "Hey man, what I want doesn't really matter. I can't get to the pool. I won't get healed."
The man's got nothing. Jesus heals him.
His mercy is free. He comes to bring it to those who are without hope. He comes to bring it to those who don't expect it anymore. He comes in mercy to bring peace and joy.
Are you looking for God's mercy? Are you trying to figure out how to answer Jesus' question? The answer is not important; Jesus brings mercy wherever he goes. You don't need to look elsewhere. Look to Jesus.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him (John 2:11).
This Advent, we are focussing on Immanuel, God with us. Let's head deeper into the gospels to see what there is regarding this theme in the life of Jesus. Today, a wedding in Cana.
There is significant mystery in this story. There is no mention of who the happy couple are or why Jesus and his disciples and his mother are even there. There is no explanation as to why Jesus tells his mother it's not his time but then does a miracle anyway. Everything focuses on the problem and its solution.
The problem is that the wine has run out. This was simply not allowed. Hospitality was paramount in Jewish culture and a wedding with out wine…that was the worst of the worst. It would be the story of the town for generations.
But Jesus intervenes and provides an abundance of excellent wine. And I do mean an abundance. The six stone jars that are suddenly filled with wine have a combined capacity of over 700 litres.
John tells us why he included this story in his gospel. It was the first of the signs through which Jesus revealed his glory. The glory of God's kingdom revealed in an abundance of wine. "Is that wise?" you might ask.
Well yes, it is. It says two things about God's kingdom. First, it is a kingdom of plenty. Many Christians in North America wonder, if we ought to feel guilty about the abundance of wealth we possess, compared to most of the residents of this globe.
It's good to ask such a question. But the answer is that we do not need to feel guilty. Everywhere in the Bible, God's kingdom is shown to be a kingdom of plenty. Guilt should not be our reaction to our wealth. Rather, a true understanding of God's kingdom causes us to become generous. If God has plenty, then we can share what we have because God can replenish our bank accounts. That, I think, is, at least in part, what Paul communicates in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. It's worth the read.
The second thing this story tells us about God's kingdom is that it is characterized by joy. Years ago, I was walking alongside some colleagues who were struggling with their churches. They just couldn't get on the same page as the leadership. It was painful to watch. I remember wondering if it was alright for me to be enjoying ministry so much, because I really was.
Then a retired pastor told me that it was permitted to enjoy ministry. He reminded me that the kingdom of God is one of joy. Jesus brought joy with him. The angels said as much to the shepherds. So, when you receive a gift this Christmas, receive it with joy, recognizing that God is inviting you to enjoy a taste of his kingdom.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Samuel 7:1-18. Dive Deeper discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive Deeper
- David begins this chapter at rest. How would you define rest? How does God give a different shape to rest?
- David wants to honour God by building a temple for him. What does honouring God look like in your life? What specific things have you done to honour God?
- Why does God reply to David's desire with a litany of all God has done?
- What are the seeds that God plants in this chapter? In what ways have you seen the flowers from those seeds blossoming in your own life? In the life of the church?
- When and how do you "sit before" God?
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Recently, I suggested that there were frequently two things involved in God's appearances in the Old Testament. He showed his glory here on this earth and he came to call his people back. In that podcast, I reflected on God's glory; today, I want to spend some time on the second element.
Imagine God and his angels sitting under the tree having lunch with Abraham. God had important stuff to do further on, but he took the time to linger with Abraham. Many of us cannot imagine God having such time for us; but consider Jesus drawing the little children to himself when his disciples tried to shoo them away. God has time for us. He is Immanuel.
John 1 is a complex chapter drawing in several Old Testament references. This might cause us to miss the main point, which, as Peterson paraphrases, is that God has moved into the neighbourhood. Why has he come? He has come to find the lost. He came to arrange for our adoption. He wants to be able to call us his children.
In Luke 15, Jesus paints three pictures of God on the hunt for us. In the first, he compares God to a shepherd who has lost one of his 100 sheep. He ends the story with this, "And when he (the shepherd) finds it (his sheep), he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep…I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" (Luke 15:5-7).
So, if you are listening and don't follow Jesus, know that God is looking for you. He wants to find you and name you his child. He wants to give you a brand-new identity and a brand-new family, the church. Get in touch with us if you'd like to have a conversation about this.
Many of you who are listening have family and friends who do not follow Jesus. Our text has a word of encouragement for you. We wonder how on earth we are going to get them to follow God. Know this, God has his eye on them, he is out searching for your child, your spouse, your relative, your friend.
We try to figure out how to connect people to God. The thing is, God is better at arranging that connection than we are. When people find God, its usually not in the expected manner. God tends to surprise us in the way he finds his lost sheep.
Throughout the stories of Jesus birth, the gospel writers emphasize that Jesus came to save. So, let's have confidence that God can connect with people. We don't have to make it happen, rather let's pray that God will do his stuff and let's tell stories of God's love in our lives.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God (John 1:9-13).
As he begins his gospel, John draws together the story of creation and redemption – our story.
The very light through which the world had been made came into the world, but it did not recognize him. Jesus, born at Christmas, was there at the very beginning of all things with the Father and the Spirit as together, they formed this world. Creation.
We humans were created then too. The crown of the Creation, formed in the image of God to steward his rule on this Earth.
But we abandoned our royal heritage to strike out on our own, creating our own kingdom where we make the rules. We did not want to follow those set out by God. The fall.
John introduces the agent of Redemption. Again, Jesus is here, together with the Father and Spirit to do a creating work. This time creating a restoration, a redemption, a right to come home to the royal family as children of God once again.
This theme of homecoming as children of the royal family echoes all through the New Testament. Yet, it's rarely the way we think of ourselves.
Maybe we get distracted by other forms of our identity, loosing track of the most important one. We are busy being a "student" or "employee" or "employer." Being "attractive" or "successful." Being a "parent" or "friend" or any number of other things. We spend so much time with these identities that we forget who we truly are.
Underneath all these identities, there is one more durable than any of the ones we create for ourselves or are given. It's more permanent than even the identity of our own family and surname. Because unlike all these other identities we carry, our eternal identity did not come "through any human decision."
This identity was given us by God Himself. Our permanent identity is who Christ has made us: the children of God. Christian is the identity that counts in our lives. It is who we are. Royalty. Those who Belong. Those who will rule and reign with Christ. Never forget who we are in Christ. We are children of God, children of the King.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35).
Returning to the Old Testament, Exodus concludes with an important Immanuel moment. Israel has spent considerable time in the wilderness around Mount Sinai. God has spoken to his people, given his law, but also been very angry because they rebelled against him. God and Israel would have parted ways if Moses had not interceded for the people.
Yet, in the last scene of the book God comes to his people in glory, filling the tabernacle so full of himself that even Moses could not enter.
In this episode, we see the heart of what Immanuel means. God coming to his people. Many religions are concerned with how we as humans, can find the gods. And granted, many Christians live the same way. But our God finds us. "Where are you?" he asks.
It is important for us to pay attention to this. God comes to us. That is Immanuel.
That does not mean that we always experience God's nearness. For many reasons, God may seem distant. Even Jesus experienced that on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
These very real experiences of not feeling God's closeness, do not negate the profound truth of the Christian religion that God comes to us. That is at the heart of Immanuel. We don't need to search for God; he searches for us.
This story also portrays that God finding us presents us with a problem. We can't get near God. If God shows up, we can't survive. We can't see God and live as he once told Moses. There is always the problem of God's holiness, or is it the problem of our unholiness? Our sinfulness?
And thus, it is important to take time to explore Immanuel, God with us. We must keep digging into this theme that runs throughout the Bible. God searches for us because it is our sin that drives us away from him. More will be said about this later. For now, I want to leave you with two things.
First, Immanuel, God with us, is not a new theme in the New Testament. It wasn't something God came up with after a few unsuccessful ideas. It always was and still is his plan and desire to dwell among humanity.
Second, Jesus is not with us anymore! Does that matter? Well, yes it does. Jesus is not physically with us right now. He sent us His Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit he is spiritually with us. As he told his disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:14). The Holy Spirit's presence in us, makes Jesus as near to us as if he were here physically. So be not afraid. Wherever you go, your God is with you.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Deuteronomy 18:14-22. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- If you could know the absolute truth about one future event in your life, what would you want to know? Why or why not?
- What is the strangest superstition or method of "predicting luck" you've ever heard of or seen? Do we ever treat prayer like a way to "twist God's arm" rather than a way to know Him?
- Have we lost our sense of "healthy fear" or awe regarding God? If so, what should we do?
- Does our culture have "false prophets"? (think about promises of happiness through money, politics, or self-help). How do we use Scripture to test those messages?
- Practically speaking, what makes it hard for to listen to Jesus during a busy week? What is one specific noise or distraction you need to turn down this week to hear Him better?
- For the next 24 hours, pay attention to the "voices" you listen to (podcasts, news, social media, friends). Ask yourself: Does this voice align with the Prophet Jesus, or is it trying to sell me a different version of the future?
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
In The Message, we find this paraphrase,
"The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
In the Old Testament, there are stories of God visiting humans: Adam and Eve, Moses, Elijah. God came and he kept coming. Through the centuries, he appeared among his people. Two things were often part of those visits: his glory was revealed, and he called his people back to holiness.
These things come to fullness in the story of Christ's birth: Immanuel – God with us, come to save his people from their sins. Matthew tells it most plainly. Eugene Peterson writes concerning John 1, "the Word (that Creative and Powerful force by which the cosmos was formed and fashioned) became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood."
Hebrews picks up these themes and spends considerable time punctuating the fact that Jesus is the final and grandest Word of God, THE Immanuel. He is God with us, forever. End of story! This is the glory and beauty Christ's arrival.
When we Christians talk about dwelling with God and seeing his glory, we often think about life after physical death. We like to say that when a Christian dies, she enters glory. This is alright after a fashion. However, it can cause us to miss one of the truths of Immanuel. What did John say, "we have beheld the glory of God." Jesus reveals the glory of God. And before he left his disciples, he promised to send them his Spirit.
Let me say this plainly, the Spirit connects us to God's glory, now, today. This is Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians 3 which ends with, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (18).
Dwelling in the glory of God is not reserved for after death. It begins now. It's true that "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face" (1 Cor. 13:12). So yes, there is a difference between then and now, but only one of decree.
Sometimes we see the glory in the gathering of God's people at worship; sometimes we see it in the face of a fellow Christian; sometimes we see it in someone that we serve or someone who serves us. But see it we do, if we have eyes to see. Look for him. Look for his glory.
Jesus is Immanuel. He is God with us. He is here with us now.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Our Scripture is Exodus 3:7-8a
The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians… (Exodus 3:7-8a).
When Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb, he discovered that "the Lord was not in the fire." Years earlier, Moses also traveled to Mount Horeb, and that's exactly where God was!
It was on Mt. Horeb, this mountain of God, that Moses encountered the burning bush—ever aflame, but never consumed. It's out of that bush, which stood in the wilderness, on a deserted desert mountain, that Moses first met the God of his ancestors.
God had been active in Moses' life, but there is no record of Moses paying any attention to him. He certainly had not experienced standing in God's presence. But now in the wilderness, Moses had his sandals off and his face hidden, because God had shown up!
But God was not there for Moses. He had come because of the misery and the suffering of his people. They were crying out to God, and he was concerned for them. He set out to rescue them from their slavery. God stopped Moses in his tracks because Moses was God's chosen agent to bring his people out of Egypt. Thus, God in the fire.
This story is echoed in Romans 8. When Paul writes that "we cry Abba, Father" he's echoing the cries of God's enslaved people in Egypt. And as Moses discovered in the desert: those are cries that God listens to; cries that he responds to when, like a good Father, he comes down and scoops us up in his arms to comfort us in our suffering.
Noticing Israel's suffering was not a chance moment for God. Jesus launches him ministry with these words, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour" (Luke 4:18-19).
There is much suffering around us, locally and globally. Its easy for us to become immune to it. As such, we may think God becomes immune to it as well. But that would not be true. It is for the suffering ones that Jesus came and comes. We must cry out, "Abba, Father".
It's in wilderness places that God suddenly shows up in a burning bush to say: "I've seen the misery of my people and heard their cries, so I have come…" Jesus is present in our suffering even when we are not aware of it.
Paul takes this a step farther. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. As Jesus is present with us, he wants us to be present with other sufferers. Which sufferer will you approach?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:13).
Advent is all about waiting, waiting for Immanuel, God with us. The final word on Immanuel is at the end of Revelation when God makes his home on earth with us. Before that scene, the Bible is littered with stories of God with his people. This Advent we will explore some of those.
One of my favourites is God's question to Elijah in his despair, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" You can read the whole story in 1 Kings 19.
This comes just after Elijah's mountain top experience with God. He had challenged the priests of Baal to a "do or die contest" of the gods. Baal vs the Lord God of Israel. The Baal priests would build an altar to Baal and Elijah would build one for the Lord God. Which ever god sent fire to light their altar would win the contest.
God won in spectacular fashion! It was really no contest.
With all the priests of Baal killed, Queen Jezebel wants Elijah's head. Elijah flees in fear and despair.
He drops down, exhausted under a broom tree in the wilderness. He just wants to die. Many of God's people have felt the same. One of them was a great hymn writer, William Cowper. Check out his hymn, Oh for a Closer Walk with God. He regularly suffered from severe depression.
The thing in this story that always intrigues me is God's response to Elijah. He feeds him. Twice. This is not a prescription for curing depression. However, it does give us an image of God showing up in our discouragement.
Later, Isaiah would write this about God's chosen servant, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3). Jesus was and is this servant. I wonder if Isaiah got the idea from God's interaction with Elijah? Its an image of Immanuel, God with us, which Jesus embraced.
Elijah then journeys to the mountain of God, where God appears to him in the whisper of the breeze, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" We may want to lash out at Elijah, "how could you be so discouraged after what God did on Mount Carmel?"
Of course, there may be some mild rebuke in God's question. But God is gentle with Elijah and sets him back on course. Elijah thinks he is all by himself, that he is done and God is done too. But God tells Elijah that he still has 7 000 in Israel who worship him alone. God was doing a lot more than what Elijah could see.
And then God gives Elijah more work to do. So often, we think our ability to do God's work is based on our performance. Its not. It's based on God's calling and equipping. Even though Elijah wondered off course, God still showed up. He was still Immanuel, God with us. Be encouraged.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 28:10-22. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Take time to reflect on promises you made and promised you received. Do you expect them to be kept?
- What does the name Jacob mean? How does this attitude show up in your life? Where do we find Jacob in our passage for today? Have you ever been in that place?
- Write down some of God's amazing grace as revealed in this story.
- What is the stairway about?
- Jacob has a double response to his dream. How will you respond to God's promise, "I will be with you to the very end"?
"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1-2).
Psalm 21 is obviously a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.
Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God alone. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.
Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced that they are goners. None who oppose God can survive. While the enemies wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever.
Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says on the first Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. This phrase in verse 4 is likely a reference to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.
From this perspective, Psalm 21 is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It is filled with notes that resound with Easter. It's a psalm for Christians to pray on that festival, and even every Sunday. We worship corporately on the first day of the week because Jesus' resurrection is central to our faith, hope, and love.
It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. Even as he carried the weight of the sin of the world, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.
It is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, "He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever."
After passing through death on behalf of his siblings, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.
What does it mean for us? We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him "may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24). We know that God will give the Messiah his heart's desires and will not withhold the request of his lips. Therefore, we live in the hope that we will share in the glories of Christ's victory. God's children do experience suffering in this life. But we suffer patiently and with hope, confident that God's victory has been secured by Jesus' resurrection.
Furthermore, God has made us "most blessed forever," giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3,4). Or as a paraphrase reads, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love" (MSG). Even as we struggle in this life, God is at work in us accomplishing his purposes. This psalm shores up our faith when it wavers.
As you journey on into the week ahead, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Love must be sincere…Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16).
A student, having tea with her teacher, said, "I've learned all you have to teach me, except one thing. Please teach me about the ways of God."
Taking the pot, the teacher poured tea into the student's cup. The cup filled and the tea spilled onto the saucer. The master poured until the tea spilled over the saucer and onto the floor.
The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The teacher then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself."
In laying out the groundwork for Christinas to get along with outsiders and each other, Paul indicates two essentials for living in harmony, illustrated by the story of the teacup.
Being conceited—full of oneself--is the first. Conceit can come from opposing directions. We may think so highly of our own ideas and abilities that we don't have time for anyone else. Or conceit may come from a place of insecurity. We dominate conversations to boost our self esteem. Either way, we have little room for other people and their ideas and abilities. Filled with conceit, we don't listen to others and get angry when we our desires are impeded.
The way forward is to close our mouths and open our ears. We are to come with open minds, eagerly listening to others and weighing their insights. Humility seeks to understand before being understood. It prefers to communicate rather than do battle with words.
The second matter Paul raises here is similar, "do not be proud." But here he speaks about our associates. We tend to connect with people like ourselves. But Christians are called to associate with all, especially with those who may be less important, as measured by our cultural standards.
To attain harmony, we must reject the temptation to think high thoughts about ourselves, as though we are a superior breed of Christian. There must be no perches of isolation but rather mingling with people of lower position.
Jesus climbed down from His heavenly place to suffer the humiliating death of a criminal…for us (Philippians 2:1-11). We are to do like wise; but there is a caveat. Its easy for us to help others from an attitude of superiority. True harmony happens when we all see each other as equal, equally valuable and equally gifted. The renewed mind of the Christian that has learned to love, truly sees no distinctions between people. This love distinguished the church from the world.
As you journey on, go with these words:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our scripture is from Matthew 9:37-38:
Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Life can feel like a hamster wheel of daily demands: work, school, relationships, home and church. Is it possible that these daily rhythms as moments filled with possibility for God's mission?
Our text is often understood as a call to action. Christians should get out there and do something for the Great Commission – serve in the church, go on a mission trip, help the homeless. That is not all wrong, but it is not the essence of the matter. There is also this: God is Lord of the harvest.
This has implications: the mission of God is not ours to initiate, carry or fulfil. It belongs to Him. Further, it implies that God is at work all around us. He is already lovingly and persistently drawing people to Himself. He is doing that in the places we frequent regularly – work, school, coffee shop. Are we paying attention?
Many of us partition our lives into two halves. We do the spiritual stuff: go to church, have devotions, attend Bible study. And we have the rest of life: laundry, work, volunteering, studying. What happens if we take the dividing wall away? What if we see the ordinary stuff of life filed with the divine? What if the harvest is right here—the people we spend our days working, studying, playing with?
If God is present everywhere and if the harvest belongs to God, then we must believe that he is with those people we encounter daily. There is really no such thing as church missions. There is only one mission—God's mission. We either join with God in his redemptive work or we don't. Mission isn't something we create or carry alone. It begins with God, and he's at work all around us, even when we're not aware of it.
There is a popular missional phrase, "You don't need to bring Jesus into your workplace – He's already there." The harvest is already plentiful, not in some faraway place, but right now in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, the stores we frequent. And Jesus is the Lord of it.
Let's ask Jesus to open our eyes to see the harvest. Let's ask him to open our ears to hear the spiritual questions people are asking. Let's ask him to help us join in the conversations that are already happening. Let's ask that he gives us confidence to participate in the harvest, remembering that we are not responsible for it.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Our Scripture is Exodus 12:38:
A mixed multitude also went up with [the Israelites], and flocks and herds—a very large number of cattle (NET).
Israel's Egyptian experience began with this, "They set a place for [Joseph], a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so) (Genesis 43:32 NET).
Racism! That is how the Israelites were received in Egypt. They were not to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds because such an occupation was detestable there (46:34). Eventually, they became slaves. Egyptian disgust of the Israelites gave way to attempted genocide.
So, when Israel leaves Egypt, we read that 'a mixed multitude' left with them. The NET footnote explains, "The "mixed multitude" refers to a great "swarm" of folk who joined the Israelites, people who were impressed by the defeat of Egypt, who came to faith, or who just wanted to escape Egypt (maybe slaves or descendants of the Hyksos).
We are allowed to wonder how the Israelites would treat these folks, later referred to as rabble (Numbers 11:4). Would the Israelites now act like the Egyptians? Would they treat the 'mixed multitude' like Egypt treated them?
All these people are gathered at Mount Sinai when the Lord gives his commandments forming them into his people. Included is this instruction regarding the Sabbath day, "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns" (Exodus 20:10). They were all equal before God. They were all given time to rest – to be human – to take joy in life and the gracious gifts of God. Israel was not to be Egypt.
The wonder of the people of God in the Old Testament is the marvel of transformation whereby "not a people" became "God's people" (see 1 Peter 2:10), Jews and Gentiles. In Revelation, there is a great multitude gathered around God's throne, a multitude from every nation (7:9). The gathering of this crowd begins with Sabbath.
The Heidelberg Catechism offers this explanation of the Sabbath law, "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath". Surely, racism is one of the evil ways we must put aside.
When you gather with your Christian community is there evidence of this crowd? What attitudes do you hold that keep your community uniform? Let's allow the Spirit to probe our attitudes about other people so that we can set aside any pride that gives us superior attitudes "and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath".
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Our text is Romans 12:15:
Love must be sincere…Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
One of my professors warned, "There will be days when you do a funeral in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon. You will need to weep in the morning and rejoice in the afternoon. Your tears and your joy better be sincere." That advice comes directly from our text for today. Paul is laying out different shades of Christian love which is not rooted in feelings but in a decision of the mind to behave in certain ways.
Empathy is "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." Sympathy, the capacity to share in another's pain or sorrow, is one side of empathy. To rejoice when another rejoices is the other side. This, I think, is the more difficult aspect. Think about it -- to rejoice with people who are rejoicing, even if we do not feel like it. Your loved one is dying of cancer, and someone else's is healed. And you rejoice with them. That's Spirit stuff.
We are equipped with a great capacity for giving and receiving love. Even the hardest heart melts before the innocent smile of a child or the antics of puppies. Yet these two sides of empathy are often locked up in the confines of selfishness. This may be because genuine, loving, empathetic involvement is debilitating and costly. To weep when you are more interested in having fun or to appreciate another's gain when you are suffering loss is hard, but necessary. Doing so helps us overcome our selfishness; it is an act of selflessness; it is sincere love.
The problem with this rejoicing is that someone else's success often arouses jealousy and envy in our hearts. Jealousy and envy, hatred and malice are our native bents. When we can truly rejoice with someone's success without envying them, we are demonstrating a transformed mind (12:2).
Not envying those that prosper but rejoicing with them, being truly glad that others have the success and comfort which we do not, and not despising those that are in trouble, but being concerned for them, and ready to help them: this is to do as God does. He delights in the prosperity of his servants (Ps. 35:27) and is likewise distressed in their distress (Isa. 63:9).
Where there is a mutual love between the members of the church, there will be such empathy. True love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another and teach us to make them our own.
But how do we get there? Philippians holds a key, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:12, 13).
When we learn to be content with out lot in life, because we trust God, then we can be an empathetic community.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our scripture is from Colossians 3:12-14:
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
When are we involved in God's mission?
Christians often think that only activity connected to the church is involved in God's work. The implication is that God is not interested in our daily lives. But this is far from the truth. In the beginning, we were made to be involved in the development of creation, in other words, to work it. That design has never been revoked. Despite human rebellion and sin's negative effect on our daily lives, Christians participate in God's grand mission of redemption as we live out our daily lives.
When we praise God by the excellence of our work, we are exercising our proper vocation. We are serving God in the way he called us to serve him. Church work is not more spiritual or more in tune with the mission of God than carrying out our daily tasks. Our main purpose in life is not to serve the church, but to serve God; sometimes we serve God by serving the church.
Our gathering for corporate worship is not separate from our work. The common prayer that we can lay aside the distractions of the week to focus on God is misplaced. God does not want us to ignore our lives when we worship. He desires that we bring all of that in with us. He wants to hear our thanksgiving for the good things we have encountered. He wants to hear the confession of words spoken and of actions that harmed him or a human or anything else he created. He wants to touch us in our brokenness and pain. He wants to hear our prayers for the grace to forgive, for strength to resist temptation, for patience for that difficult person, for wisdom for that complicated problem.
Christian, you are on the leading edge of God's mission of redemption as you live in retirement, as you inhabit your situation for earning an income, as you live together as a family. The Holy Spirit is present with you always, nudging you towards the way of Jesus' kingdom, so that you embody love's kaleidoscope: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, a capacity to forgive.
The mission of God includes the renewal, restoration and reformation of all things (Colossians 1:19-20). Vocations in business, medicine, poetry, engineering, counselling, chemistry, marketing, construction, and finance all have a role to play in Christ's cosmic work of reconciling all things. As you live this week, gather a basket full of things you will bring with you the next time you gather with God's worshipping community.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Acts 1:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- Take a stab at defining Christian communal identity.
- What comes to mind when you hear the words 'mission' and 'missionary'? How should we understand it?
- The disciples ask Jesus about the kingdom. How does he shift their focus?
- Four responses to the Holy Spirit were mentioned: which one comes easiest to you, which is the most difficult? How will you respond to the Spirit this week? Pay attention to the way the Spirit is moving in your life.
- What does it mean to be a witness to Jesus? What should the church be devoted to?
Our text is Deuteronomy 15:1, 4-5:
"At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts…there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today."
Old Testament laws are not always easily applied to us because they concern Israel as a nation state. These laws about the Sabbath year, when debts are cancelled and land is returned to the families it was originally given to, are such instructions. We live in a very different context and economy.
However, we should not pass them by too quickly. Our economy is largely rooted in the principles of scarcity. We are all in competition for limited resources. But that is not the way it was meant to be. The creation was able to provide for its creatures. The land Israel received as a gift from God was able to provide sufficient resources for each Israelite. "There need be no poor people among you."
This was rooted in a deep belief that God would provide. Sabbath was, at least in part, a space of deep joy and celebration for Israel because life was secure in their covenant Lord. As such, this weekly rest from work, offered room for generosity to bloom in the hearts of God's people. If God provided, then his people could provide for those who had less. Israel was to be a nation of generosity, just like the God who had freed them.
This generosity is a quality that grows in those who follow Jesus. Luke's description of the early church includes this, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). And two chapters later, this is added, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had" (4:32).
Those who take time for Sabbath, who learn to rely on God, find themselves growing in generosity. The authors of the Heidelberg Catechism understood this. They teach that "especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God's people" to, among other things, "bring Christian offerings for the poor" (A 103).
Israel's generosity was rooted in her memory of slavery from which God redeemed her (15:14-15). In the same way, "God's indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15) is the source of our generosity.
In an economy of scarcity, generosity is foolish. For those who 'rest' as an act of faith in the God who provides, there is space for generosity to take root. Sabbath keeping is a pause that refreshes us and can transform society.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Our text is Romans 12:14
"Love must be sincere…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Love has many colours. Having explored hospitality, Paul ups the ante. Love is no easy thing. It flies in the face of the normal human reaction to negative things: anger and revenge. Let's start with a brief story about revenge.
On a Friday early in 1982, Kevin got drunk, got into his car, went for a drive and killed an 18-year-old. He was convicted of manslaughter and drunk driving. Since he was only 17, he served a court sentence and had to spend a year campaigning against drunk driving. The victim's family sued him for $936, to be paid by $1 cheques each Friday, hand delivered to the family home.
Kevin had a hard time doing this. It haunted him. He couldn't sleep on Thursdays. He kept missing his payments. He's offered postdated cheques, with an extra $52. But the family wouldn't accept. For 18 years they wanted to see him on their doorstep on Friday evenings. They wanted revenge. They wanted to curse him.
Christians are called to do the exact opposite. How often have you seen Christians do that? There are examples. One of the more famous is the Amish community in Lancaster County which publicly forgave the man who killed their school children. Unfortunately, there are many stories of Christians cursing their enemies, expresses a desire for really bad things to happen.
Blessing and cursing are opposites, wishing people good or ill, health or harm. We are told to bless those who persecute us. Persecution includes Christians killed for their faith, being denied benefits and freedom because they lived their faith in Jesus, deprived the freedom to publicly worship, being ridiculed by friends for going to church, or denied promotions.
Our response to all such things should be to bless. Of course, Paul was echoing the teaching of Jesus, who told us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-28). There is no better way to express our positive wishes for our enemies' welfare than to turn them into prayer and into action.
Of all the qualities of love, this is undoubtedly the most difficult to carry out. The others may fall by the wayside because we are busy or tired or self-absorbed, but we typically don't resist them. Returning good for evil, on the other hand, goes against every instinct we possess — especially when the offender is a fellow Christian. Grace in response to sin is a quality unique to God, and this ability can only come from Him and be enabled by Him.
If we are to grow in the grace of blessing those who harm us, we will need to ask for help.
As you journey on, go with these words:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our text comes from Romans 15:2,
"Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up."
This verse is written for the church community. Yet, Paul uses the word neighbour, which is rarely used except in the commandment, "Love your neighbour as yourself." So, we can apply this instruction to contexts outside the church. It a good word of wisdom for daily living. How might we apply it to our workplaces, communities in which we volunteer, and even in our homes?
It is important to recognize that we build others up without desire for personal return or benefit. It's encouragement for its own sake, to lift others up and cheer them on. It does have the goal of community building; a desire to see an increase in the wellbeing of the group. But there is no "tit for tat" intended here.
This is easier said than done. Criticism comes more naturally to most of us then encouragement. We often frame critique as a means of building up, even though we are aware that it rarely brings positive results. It creates fear and competition. It weakens a sense of community and diminishes a desire to work together.
As you enter a community, wonder to yourself how you can bless the people there? How can you lift them up? Offer words of blessing rather than complaint or correction. Be sincere. Give thanks and appreciation for something someone has done or a quality you admire.
There are practical ways we can build others up. Be on time for events, even a little early so you can help set up or stay behind to help clean up. Offer a ride to someone who can't get around. Pay attention to people who are in a different stage of life or more difficult situation. See if there is a practical way you can help them out.
Sometimes I find little gifts on my desk: a plate of cookies, a jar of honey, or even electronic gadgets. Some are anonymous, some not. They all delight my soul. This is not a solicitation for more, just an illustration of encouragement.
To bless someone includes speaking well of them. It means to see someone's energy and honour it as a source of joy and delight. To greet one another with enthusiasm – I'm glad to meet you. I've missed you. I've been wanting to talk with you. It means we refrain from derogatory comments, even when they are not nearby.
We don't always get encouragement right. But we should give one another grace and not give up. By God's grace, let's keep practising and growing in encouragement as we seek to build one another up.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Our text is Deuteronomy 5:15:
"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."
Egypt is difficult to forget – for the Israelites; also for us, Egypt seeps back into our bones.
Egypt is brick building. Quotas. Meet your quota. Exceed your quota and you might get rewarded. But if you don't meet your quota, you will be punished, severely. Brick building. Endless brick building. Mr. Julius Caesar Dithers in the comic strip Blondie is the quintessential Egypt – never satisfied.
Egypt seeps into our bones – "I haven't produced enough," is Egypt's refrain.
We are easily coerced to perform better, produce more and consume more. Not all are equal in production. Some are more effective than others. Some get all the breaks. Since not all are equal in production, not all are equal in consumption. Therefore, we are not equal in worth and significance. The more we produce and the more we consume the more we are valued. Such valuing creates "haves" and "have-nots".
Sabbath is the great day of equality when all are equally at rest: you shall not do more or sell more. You shall not control more or know more. You don't have to have your kids in ice skating or soccer or ballet or hockey. You don't have to be younger or more beautiful. You don't have to score more.
On Sabbath we are all equal. This day breaks the pattern of coercion, we are of equal worth, equal value, equal access, equal rest. In Deuteronomy, Sabbath is about remembering Egypt—that system of coercion, endless brick making. And then, remembering that God set us free from that. Free to rest. Free to rejoice.
When we forget this, we will give our lives over to coercive competition. Sabbath is opportunity to remember that God has banished this system. Our value is not in meeting the expectations of our parents, of our bosses, of our brokers, of the influencer. Remember. Remember what God did to Pharoah (7:18) and remember the Lord gives you power to get wealth (8:18). The Lord your God has set you free.
When you wake up in the night, do you mull over your 'not-yet-done" list, vexed that you did not meet expectations? Do you fall asleep counting bricks? Do you dream of the flawed bricks you made or the ones not yet made? Remember the exodus!
Sabbath is the opportunity to recall Egypt and Pharaoh and then to remember the Lord and the exodus. It is the day to dance and sing, "Free at last." To respond to the invitation, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (Is. 55:1).
Those who remember and keep Sabbath find they are less driven, less coerced, less frantic to meet deadlines, free to be, rather than to do. Take a Sabbath. Train your body, your soul will follow.
As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
Today our text is Romans 12:9a, 13
Love must be sincere…Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
We return to hospitality. Why? Because culturally, hospitality is mostly about the one hosting, whereas Christian hospitality is about the one being hosted. Let's flesh this out some more.
Hotels and restaurants are part of the hospitality industry. They seek to impress customers so that they will return. Likewise, we want to impress people so they will associate with us. Hospitality is largely understood as having people over. More importantly, people we want to associate with. I'm not saying you shouldn't do this anymore. But let me ask a question: when is the last time you invited someone to your house that you didn't want over?
You see, the thing we are talking about, 'Christian hospitality', includes such events. It can include having friends over; it can include going the extra mile to clean the house and preparing a delicious meal. But we don't do it to impress; we do it because the people we have invited are important. Not important in a worldly or cultural or political sense. Hosting them may not benefit us at all. They are important because God has sent them to us. We have the privilege of hosting them on God's behalf, even if we don't want to.
Jesus put's it this way in a parable 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me' (Matthew 25:45-46).
Many Biblical scholars suggest that the word 'practice' ought to be translated 'pursue.' There is an urgency to it. Further, the word for hospitality includes the idea, "love of strangers". It carries the idea of extending love to those who are different — folks from another culture, another race, or a different belief system. Love takes the initiative, actively looking for opportunities to benefit others, especially those who are different.
A cold, unfriendly church contradicts the gospel message. Yet unfriendliness stands out as one of the most common criticisms people have of the local church. It doesn't take people long to figure out that there is a "churchy" love among Christians that ends shortly after the service. It is a superficial Sunday-morning kind of love that is unwilling to venture beyond the walls of the church building.
Christian hospitality moves us beyond our comfort zones. It nudges us to give time, attention and space to strangers that God sends our way, tending to their needs before our own.
It also insists that we see ourselves as God sees us: his beloved children who have been loved so deeply that we are able to love. Such hospitality is not rooted in our limited resources, but in the unlimited resources of God. When he calls, he will also provide.
As you journey on, go with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our text comes from Genesis 2:15,
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
and Ephesians 2:10,
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Well, its another Monday. Rumor has it that many of us do not like Mondays. We do not like the return to the grind of work. The weekend is relief, Monday is back to it. Yet, it was not meant to be this way. Created in the image of God, each of us was created to be productive. This does not refer only to paid labour. We were each created to contribute to the well being of creation and the flourishing of other humans.
Our text from Ephesians is often understood to mean some sort of 'spiritual' work, different from the regular stuff of life. But what if it includes the original creational mandate of contributing to the thriving of creation? Having been made new in Christ, we are able to become the people God created us to be. Can we believe that in our daily activities we are doing the 'good works' which God prepared for us to do? What if we embrace the tasks of today as offerings to God, as "our true and proper worship"?
I invite you to join me in prayer, offering the regular activities of this week to God:
Lord Jesus, we bring before you our labours and their fruit – the work of our hands.
We confess that often, we take pride in our work, doing what we can to draw attention to ourselves and to our own abilities. Our work becomes a means of self-validation, of propping up our self-image and our sense of personal value.
Today, we ask that you re-orient the direction of our praise – lifting our eyes to our heavenly Father, who brings forth every good and perfect gift. Holy Spirit, enable us to do our work as activity that brings glory to our God. Help us to find our value in being his image bearers rather than in what we produce.
Take the works our hands, both big and small, using them for your kingdom purposes. May they honour you, bless other people, and direct the attention of co-workers to you and not to us.
Thank you that you join us by your Spirit in our work. Thank you that because of your grace, our labour is never in vain. Continue to teach us how to be workers in your Kingdom; ever mindful of the rhythms of grace that you kindly invite us into.
We pray these things in the name Jesus who is worthy of our work. Amen.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Colossians 1:15-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- What image of the resurrection did this sermon begin with?
- What does it mean that Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn, the firstfruits?
- Does this encourage you in your Christian life?
- What does it mean that the church is Christ's gathered community?
- Why must the church also understand herself as a sent community?
Our text is Deuteronomy 6:12:
"Do not forget the LORD."
Have you ever wondered why the book of Deuteronomy is so long? Why did Moses give such a long sermon to Israel as they were about to enter the promised land? Forty years wandering in the desert; they can smell the aromas of new land; they want to cross over; they want to finish the trip; to settle down; to build houses; to have homes. But Moses holds up a stop sign saying "Now, listen to me." The kids know its lecture time.
Why? Moses sees that the land of Canaan is an enormous temptation. The affluence of the land will create a crisis in covenant faith. The new land will produce so well that Israel will think they can manage on their own. They will be tempted into thinking, "We don't really need the Lord God". Prosperity will breed amnesia. He warns against this, "be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" (6:12) and "make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget" YOUR God (8:14 MSG).
Moses wanted the Israelites to remember where they came from, the system of unbearable pressure in which they had to meet impossible brick production schedules. If they forget the God who freed them from Egypt, they are likely to create their own pressure system. Without remembering this history, they will become materialistic, believing that the goal of life is to acquire and acquire and acquire. A system of acquisition pits neighbour against neighbour.
In Deuteronomy, Israel is warned to "Watch out!" or the land in its productivity will transform them into producers and consumers and will destroy the fabric of the covenantal neighborhood. The market of acquisition regards the land as property and possession to be bought and sold and traded and used.
Israel is not to view the land this way. For her, the land is a birthright and an inheritance, one's own property is part of the larger inheritance of the whole people of God. If the land is possession, then we live with the pressure to acquire more. If the land is inheritance, then we live to enhance the neighborhood and the extended family so that all members may enjoy the good produce of the land.
The economy was not to become a rat race in which people were exhausted from coercive goals; it was, rather, a covenantal enterprise for the sake of the whole community. In Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts Israel to reject the acquisitive culture of its neighbors for the sake of this covenantal alternative.
How were they to remember? Simple. Keep Sabbath, which is remembering who they were and where they came from. We live in a very different time and place. Yet, the temptation is the same: to join the rat race. The way out of the rat race is the same: Sabbath, remembering that we belong to God through the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ. What will you do this weekend?
As you journey on, here Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1, 2).
Psalm 21 is a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.
Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.
Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced God is stronger than all his enemies, and thus, the enemies of God's people, our enemies. While they wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever (4).
Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says at Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. Like in Psalm 16, we understand that this phrase refers to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.
But this means the psalm is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It holds notes that will become the resounding chorus of Easter and Ascension. This victory of Israel's enemies is only a small foretaste, an appetizer, if you will, of Christ's victory over his enemies on the cross. It hints at Paul's conclusion in Colossians 2, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (15). As such, the psalm gives content for our praises in the days of Easter and Ascension.
It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these very words as he was delivered into the hands of sinful men. Even as he bore the sins of the world on the tree, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.
After passing through death on behalf of his brothers, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.
Can we hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb? Can we hear, as Jesus sat down at the Father's right hand, the angels praising God, "The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!"
There is more here for us. We can have confidence today that our enemies will not overwhelm us because Christ has prayed for us. His hearts desire is that all those whom the Father had given to him may be with him where he is, to see him in his glory (cf. John 17:24). God will give his Son his heart's desire and will not withhold the request of his lips. Our future is guaranteed.
Paul affirms this in his letter to the Ephesians writing, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (1:3). And later, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (2:6-7).
We cannot imagine the joy that awaits us when God's redemption is complete. Psalm 21 whets our appetite and invites us to live in expectation of what awaits us, and while we wait, to sing God's praise.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Our text comes from 1 Timothy 6:6:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Gahazi's is a sad story. As Elisha's servant, he watched as Elisha refused payment for the healing of Naaman. Gahazi thought this was rubbish. He slipped out the back door to follow Naaman. Interrupting the commander's journey home, he lied about his purposes and came away with a sizable payment, which he hid. But of course, Elisha was wise to him. As punishment, Gahazi was inflicted with Naaman's leprosy.
Gahazi lived with and served God's primary prophet in Israel. He knew the miracles that both Elijah and Elisha had performed. Surely, he knew that to provide adequately for his prophets was no big deal for the God of Israel. Provision he had aplenty. Access to God he had at his fingertips. Yet he wanted more. He was not content.
Paul warns us about this, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
Instead, pursue this, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." There's a quiet strength in these words — a kind of wisdom that cuts against the grain. We are surrounded by messages that tell us gain comes from getting — more possessions, more comfort, more status. But Paul says, true gain does not come from adding more.
This is not a contentment that shrugs its shoulders and settles for less. It's a deep sufficiency — a settled peace that flows from knowing that Christ is enough. We don't find contentment by ignoring the world's goodness, but by knowing where our ultimate treasure lies.
This contentment isn't natural. We must learn it as Paul did, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." That learning often comes through loss, through the stripping away of the things we thought we needed. And in those moments, we discover that we can lose everything and still have Christ — and therefore still have everything that matters.
Godliness with contentment — that's not a small thing. It's freedom. Freedom from envy. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from the restless drive to prove ourselves. It is the life of one who has found their joy in God Himself.
So, what does this look like for us? It changes the reasons for paid employment. It changes the way we purchase things. As you go about your activities this week, keep an eye on your heart. Pay attention to the moments when discontentment rises.
In Christ, we already possess the greatest treasure — and when we have Him, we can learn contentment, knowing that nothing more can make us truly rich.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Our text is Exodus 34:21:
Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.
In the shadows of Mount Sinai, Israel made a choice defining her values as a nation. She chose to trust the God who created heaven and earth and to trust the reliability of the creation. The people also chose to shun the anxiety that comes from a lack of confidence in the goodness of the creator and the goodness of creation. They chose to follow the God who rests.
But that choice was difficult to maintain. The covenant is confirmed in Exodus 24, but by Exodus 32, Moses has been on the mountain for 40 days. They are not convinced he will return, and God seems extremely distant. As such, they return to anxiety. What do they do in their anxiety? They make their own god, of course, just like we do.
Their god was made of gold. Our gods are less tangible: money, production, consumerism, entertainment, knowledge, psychology, sports, even religious rituals. They assumed that they could somehow purchase security. Don't we do the same. Trusting our own resources to solve our problems.
When Moses returns, he smashes the stones with the commandments into dust. The covenant lies dissolved at the foot of the mountain. God is rightfully angry, but Moses intervenes, and God does something astonishing: he forgives. He says, "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you" (Exodus 34:10).
Then he gives them new commandments, similar but different than the ten. These include this, "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest" (34:21). Growing up in the agricultural sector, I remember the pressure to work in spring and fall when crops needed to be sown and harvested. There is always work to do. The pressure to produce rarely subsides.
It's not easy to let go of our anxiety that production depends on us. This command to rest concerns the human work of exercising "dominion" over the earth to cause it to produce. Sabbath interrupts the productive, food-producing creation system in which we must participate. It's an invitation to trust the land—creation and its creator—enough to rest, even in the busy agricultural seasons of sowing and reaping.
Our lives should conform to the rhythms of creation, work and rest in appropriate amounts. When we are in sync with that, we train our bodies away from the anxiety production causes in us. Resting teaches our bodies to trust in God; our minds and our souls will catch up if we live the rhythm.
As you journey on, go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
This archive edition is upon request from a listener. What follows is the original audio track from August 29, 2024.
Our text comes from Philippians 3:
"He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).
The gospel story sounds too good to be true. It is the story of sheep rescued from a dark and fearful wilderness by the strong arms of a fierce shepherd. It's the story of children released from prison, of demons unmasked. It is the story of fearful disciples in a storm-tossed boat; the storm stilled by the command of their Master. It is the story of sick people healed, of blind people seeing. It is the story of dead people coming to life. It is the story of the God-man.
It is the story of God who is captured, sentenced, and crucified by His own people. His friends weep and his enemies laugh. And all because of a snake. The gospel is a story about a snake who experienced the thrill of evil victory. "I have won," he hissed. "God lays in the grave." But as the sun rose over the horizon chasing the darkness from the garden, the guards ran with it, and the unexpected happened. The story turned. There was one more chapter to be written. The Shepherd came out of the tomb; God was alive. Heaven and earth shouted for joy; the angels danced, and the Father smiled as His Son went off to find His friends. And the snake; he lay in the dust; his head crushed; his tail quivering as life left him.
It is a story that we are part of. That Sunday morning, many years ago is our story. The resurrection is part of our Christian faith, its cornerstone. As we read the resurrection story our hearts are stabbed with joy. We dance with the angels as good triumphs over evil. We are glad, our faith is not in vain, Christ arose.
But…
This life and this present world are subject to sin. We seldom think of sin as vanity, but it is. Life is vanity when it has no meaning. If we do not know the meaning of life, why live? why do anything at all? Most people don't like that question because it is too deep; it gets too close to the answer that life is not worth living; that there is no purpose to it. This is the haunting refrain of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Vanity means emptiness, fluff, a fistful of wind, a pocketful of nothing. It means to pay the mortgage for all your working days and then to die. It means working hard and running fast and getting nowhere. Vanity is a political speech that means exactly nothing. Vanity is the hope that tomorrow will be different, that there is gold at the end of the rainbow; vanity is wisdom and folly, hard work and laziness, laughter, seriousness, and everything, because everything leads nowhere.
In this life, we struggle against this sin. We fight against sin in our own lives. We struggle against sin in the world. We push against greed, and we bite our tongues to keep from lying. We stand up for the oppressed and give money to the poor. We seek to elect politicians who strive for justice. When our eyes fill with longing for another's toys, we turn away.
But so often it feels like it's all in vain. The world does not get any better. And we, well, we don't seem too either. We cry out with Paul, "What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death, to vanity?" But because of the resurrection we can also answer with him, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25).
The resurrection gives us something to hope for in the future. While we struggle against sin today, we know that tomorrow sin will be gone. While our bodies are weak today, we know someday they will be strong. The gospel is our story. We too will be changed. Christ will transform our lowly bodies. They will no longer be subject to disease or age or sin or vanity. Christ will transform our characters to be like his. We will have no more inclination for lying. Our eyes won't covet our neighbour's stuff.
As surely as Christ opened the eyes of the blind and stilled the storms, he will transform us. There is hope for us. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Our text comes from Deuteronomy 25:15-16:
You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.
A few years ago, I spent some time in Brazil. A Christian businessman told me that when he took a client out for lunch, the restaurant normally offered to make the receipt out for double what he paid, so that his tax exemption would be doubled. He always declined. However, he admitted that the temptation was always present to go along with the system. To have integrity, to be honest, took effort.
Throughout history, dishonesty in the buying and selling of goods has been common practice. To promote fairness, we have developed standard weights--an international prototype kilogram made of nine-tenths platinum and one-tenth iridium is locked under 3 glass jars in Paris.
This need for honesty in business dealings extends beyond ancient scales. It applies to any area where numbers can be manipulated, such as taxes, online transactions, timesheets, donations, and even our personal relationships. For this purpose, accounting and financial rules have been enacted into law. Auditing firms analyze financial records to detect misuse of funds. But laws are subject to interpretation and manipulation.
As Christians, we seek to do everything to the glory of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31). This means, like my Brazilian acquaintance, we put effort into honesty in all our dealing, including financial ones. We do this because God himself is profoundly honest with us. He is just and true and we seek to be like him.
Sometimes, God includes a comment that a law offers long life in the land. This does not mean that every individual will live to a ripe old age. Rather, it suggests that the keeping of this law means a society can flourish for many generations. By insisting on fair practices, the community is protected from exploitation. A society where people can trust each other can thrive economically and socially.
When a society runs on dishonesty, it is always the weak and poor who suffer the most. Dishonesty deteriorates a society into strong people exploiting the weak. And God will stand up for them, dismantling unjust nations.
We should reflect on how to apply this principle in our live. Do we have accurate "weights" in our daily life, such as being truthful about our timecards, finances, or online sales? How can we advocate for fairness in a world where the powerful can easily take advantage of the weak?
Honesty in our business dealings demonstrates our faith that the LORD will sustain us both monetarily and physically.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 15:9-17. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- How would you explain friendship to someone? Who has been a friend to you? What made you feel that friendship?
- What is the first aspect of "friends of God"? What is the kingdom of God? How do we experience it today?
- What is the second aspect of "friends of God"? What are its results? What has it cost you to love and obey? How have you experienced the joy of obedience?
- What is the third aspect of "friends of God"? How has this been misunderstood? How will this change how you pray?
Our text is Exodus 20:8-11:
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Sabbath keeping is an art form in which we resist certain values, refusing to allow them to define our identity and way of life. Within the 10 commandments, it gets a place of prominence, linking our relationship to God with our relationship to fellow humans. It gets the most words. Consider these things with me.
In Egypt, Pharaoh was god, his word was an iron law. But he was an anxious god, worrying about his dreams. Knowing that famine was coming, he gathered resources. When the hungry people came to him for food, instead of sharing his wealth, he sold his resources so that all of Egypt, including its people, belonged to him. God indeed – he controlled everything!
In such a world, everyone worked for Pharaoh. And every person, including neighbours and family, was competitor for the scarce resources that Pharaoh passed out. Competition raged. Everyone was anxious.
At mount Sinai, the Israelites switch allegiance. They commit themselves to the God of Abraham (cf. Ex. 19:8), who freed them from Pharaoh's clutches. But what kind of God is he?
He is a God who rested (Genesis 2:2-3). After creating, God did not show up to do more, nor did he check on creation in anxiety to ensure it was working. He had complete confidence in the fruit-bearing, blessing-generating processes of creation. Despite sin, this still holds. Jesus pointed to the birds and flowers. They are still provided for, so stop being so anxious (Matthew 6:25ff).
Unlike Pharaoh, God is not a workaholic. He does not keep jacking up production schedules. Instead, God rests, confident, serene, at peace. God's rest bestows on us a restfulness that contradicts the "drivenness" of the system of Pharaoh and of our own day.
God invites us to a new life of neighborly freedom in which Sabbath is the cornerstone. Such faithful practice of work stoppage is an act of resistance. Our bodies declare that we will not participate in the anxious system that pervades our social environment. We will not be defined by busyness and by pursuit of more, in either our economics or our personal relations. Our life does not consist in production.
Sabbath invites us into a life that does not consist in frantic production and consumption reducing everyone else to threat and competitor. Sabbath permits a waning of anxiety, redeploying energy to the neighborhood, to exchange anxious productivity with committed neighborliness. This practice creates an environment of security and respect and dignity that defines how we live and how we view others.
As you journey on, go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13)
Hospitality, as a practise of the Christian life, means more than opening our homes to people. It is rooted in God's own character and behaviour. Jesus helps us understand.
First, Jesus came to earth. When we think of hospitality, we often think about inviting people into our spaces. When we do that, we remain in a comfortable place, and largely in control of the situation. We can expect people to play by our rules when they enter our space. But Jesus came to earth. He turns the concept of hospitality on its head. He comes into our space. And he sends us out, he says 'Go'. Go into other people's spaces. Part of Christian hospitality then, is to let go of the control that comes from being in our own spaces and learning how to live and move in some else's.
Are there places we don't want to go? Are there places that make us uncomfortable and therefore we stay away? I think the honest answer is yes. As a pastor, I have been invited into many spaces that were unfamiliar, in which I really did not know how to behave. I'm sure that I made a mess of some. But in such spaces, I have learned to ask a simple question, why did you invite me here, or what would you like me to do while I'm here. Such questions empower people; it lets them set the agenda. It also reminds me that there is much I don't know and that people might not need anything from me but my presence.
Second, because Jesus lived as a human, he can sympathize with us. The book of Hebrews makes a big deal about this. How long did Jesus live here? About 33 years. How can we sympathize with people if we don't invest time in walking with them?
An essential component of Christian hospitality is the ability to sympathize with other people. This can not be rushed. So, hospitality invites us in for the long haul. It calls us to pay attention to people, to set aside our own agendas, especially our answers to people's problems and to listen. We tend to view people as projects that we get to fix. Once, fixed, we move on to the next. People are not projects. Each human bears the image of God.
Does this understanding of hospitality unnerve us? Does it seem more difficult than just inviting someone over? Of course, it does. But remember this, after Jesus returned to the Father, he sent his Spirit. God's Holy Spirit now makes his home in us. He empowers us to be hospitable. He helps us love like God loves.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Our text comes from Matthew 5:37:
All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Words have value! In a world with too many words, we forget their value. Christians have always recognized that words have power. We believe in a God who spoke the cosmos into being. We believe that 'the Word became flesh.' We submit ourselves (not always willingly) to the proclamation of the gospel through preaching because we believe God speaks to us in this way.
But we have too many words and too many ways that words come to us. The multiplication of words has led to the multiplication of lies and fake news. Many words we do not trust. Ecclesiastes describes this well, "The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" (6:11). We live in a world that often runs on half-truths, exaggerations, and spin.
It is easy to join the fray. But the Bible teaches that "Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues" (Proverbs 19:10). And Jesus teaches us to keep our words simple and short and truthful.
In His day, people often made elaborate oaths to prove they were telling the truth—swearing by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, even by their own heads. But oaths like that often masked a lack of honesty. If we need to pile up promises and guarantees, maybe our word cannot be trusted.
Jesus cuts through all of that. He says, in essence: Truthful people don't need oaths to prop up their words. Their speech itself carries the weight of truth. Let your "yes" be yes. Let your "no" be no. In other words, be so consistent, so trustworthy, so transparent, that people know we mean what we say without needing further proof.
Before we make a promise, we ought to plan how we will keep it. This way we be able to determine if we can fulfill what we commit to.
Our God is a promise keeping God. He is well known for it. A disciple of Christ is called to mirror the character of God, and God is the One who never lies, whose promises never fail. If He says "yes," it is a "yes" forever. If He says "no," it is unshakably "no." Our speech, then, becomes a reflection of His faithfulness.
If your co-workers were asked about your character would truthfulness be mentioned? Would they say that you keep your word, you can be counted on? There is great freedom in not having to calculate, exaggerate, or cover your tracks—when you can speak with the kind of integrity that needs no backup.
So let your "yes" really mean yes. Let your "no" really mean no.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Exodus 19:1-7. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive-In Questions
- What underlies God's covenant with us?
- Why did God make covenant with Israel and now the church? How does this impact on our lives?
- Why is the "if" in verse 5 important?
- Describe "treasured possession, kingdom of priests and holy nation." Why does God use this language?
- What motivates you towards holy living
Our text is Exodus 9:1:
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me."
In 1901, Dr. Girdner coined the term "Newyorkitis" to describe an illness whose symptoms included edginess, quick movements, and impulsiveness. It was a condition of the mind, body, and soul affecting many New Yorkers. That was a world without the internet, high-speed cars, or computers. Our world has only sped up. I wonder what he would say about us.
Speed has become a god. Our culture generates in us an endless pursuit of greater security and greater happiness; a pursuit always unsatisfied because we have never gotten or done enough. This god is accompanied by the god of the market that summons us to endless desires and needs that are never met but always require more effort. The advertising god in service to the market god always offers one more product for purchase, one more car, one more deodorant, one more prescription drug, one more cell phone, one more beer.
We are harassed by many Pharaohs who kept reminding us of the inadequacy of our lives. Constantly, we see signs that we do not measure up yet, haven't quite arrived, haven't yet reached our potential, haven't been recognized by quite the right people. Weariness, being heavy-laden, carrying an ill-fitting weighty yoke are all ways of speaking of those serving these gods of endless productivity. We have become worshippers of a system of gods that leaves us permanently restless.
Into that system God says, "Let my people go, so that they may worship me." The God of the Bible is a Sabbath-keeping God, ensuring that restfulness and not restlessness is at the center of life. Sabbath becomes a decisive, concrete, visible way of opting for and aligning with the God of rest. We must choose the gods of restlessness or the God of restfulness.
Jesus declares to his disciples, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). The way of money is the way of endless desire, endless productivity, and endless restlessness without any Sabbath. Jesus taught his disciples that they could not have it both ways.
God called Israel to depart from the Egyptian system to dance and sing in freedom (cf. Exodus 15). He calls us to do the same. Sabbath is not an idea but a practical art. We are conditioned to run at brick-making speed. God offers freedom. To cease, even for a time, the anxious striving for more bricks is to find ourselves with a "light burden" and an "easy yoke." It is now, as then, enough to permit dancing and singing into an alternative life. Which will we choose?
As you journey on, go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13)
This terse command, practice hospitality, is sandwiched into a meditation on love, an attitude of the mind that leads us to bless others in practical ways. The beauty of our love and our hospitality will only be revealed when they are deeply rooted in the love and hospitality of our God and empowered by his Spirit.
Other places in scripture also address hospitality. Hebrews 13:2 says, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it". This is preceded by the instruction to keep loving each other as sisters and brothers. Luke describes the church this way, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). Hospitality within the church family naturally leads to hospitality to those not part of the family. As Luke finishes, "and the Lord added to their number daily" (47).
In the context of a famine, we also discover hospitality. God sends his prophet Elijah to a widow. He finds this woman preparing a last meal for herself and her son. After that they will die of starvation. Elijah has the nerve to ask her to prepare some bread for him first. Talk about hospitality to a stranger! He follows up his request with this promise, "this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land'" (1 Kings 17:14).
The widow did as Elijah asked. She fed him and family until the Lord provided rain. For me, she is the prime example of human hospitality in the Bible.
Hospitality has often become an act of impressing others, of showing off. We show case our homes, our decorating abilities, our capacity to put on a meal, our ability to entertain. Unless we can imitate Martha Stewart or some celebrity chef, we feel inadequate. Such hospitality is about us, portraying a sense of having it all together. The Christian discipline of hospitality is not about us.
We cannot give out of our abundance. It will never be enough. Rather, we need to give out of God's provision. He has provided us with resources, not to hold onto tightly, but to hold loosely, so that they easily slide out of our fingers towards those God invites us to love. We need to develop the faith of this widow, who acted hospitably towards Elijah, trusting in God's provision for herself and her family.
God promises that he will provide for us. Jesus says, "But seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (clothes, food, shelter) will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Trust in this promise enables us to practice hospitality.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 11:27-12:3 & Genesis 18:16-19. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dine In!
- How do curse and blessing relate to each other? To whom does the blessing lead?
- What role does the doctrine of election play in the blessing? How has our congregation been living into that role? How can we improve? What can you do this week to live the doctrine of election in your daily life?
- What was Abraham's task in moving the blessing forward? Who taught you the way of the Lord? Who are you teaching it to? Is our teaching rooted in "law" or does it proceed from the "promise"?
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you" (Luke 24:36).
Most of us live with a fear of failure. The need to succeed is strong. We don't want to be embarrassed. Think about the stress that report card season causes for teachers, students and parents. Or take field day. When I was in grade school, the day was all about first, second and third place ribbons. One year, they started handing out participation ribbons so that no student would go home ribbon-less. They were not put on display. We were not fooled; they smelled of failure.
In the Christian life, we have the same problem. We need to succeed. How many of us haven't quit devotions because we can't pray as well as the next person? Or we miss a couple of days of Bible reading and before we know it feelings of failure set in. We don't start again until some motivational speaker gets us back on track. We tried witnessing once; it was a disaster. Never again.
But what if we could see a different picture? What if we see Jesus entering the locked room his disciples were hiding in? He didn't wait for them to get their act together. He met them in their failure and doubt and sent them out as his witnesses. What if he had let Peter sink that day Peter walked on water and then got filled with fear? Jesus doesn't do that. He reached out his hand and caught him (Matthew 14:31).
Our God recognizes our weaknesses and proneness to failure. Thus, he is described as "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). Even Abraham, that Old Testament great, failed in his walk with God. But he was not abandoned. He learned from his failures; they helped him grow in faith.
Many of our unbelieving co-workers expect perfection from us. We lean into this heresy when we refuse to forgive ourselves. One of the ways that we can portray the character of our God is not getting bogged down in our shortcomings. This does not mean that we should take sin lightly, but to know in our very bones that it does not have the last work. When we let him down, Jesus reaches out and catches us.
Surely, if the world can see a people who believe more firmly in the grace of God than the taunting of the evil one, they will want to know our God. When we fail, hear the words of Jesus, "Peace be with you." The Spirit will pick you up and send you out again.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11).
Genesis 2 opens with the seventh day, where God rests, but not because he was tired. Instead, we get a picture of God finishing creation with a Sabbath that never ends. Sabbath is creation flourishing. This is illustrated in Israel's year of Jubilee in which slaves were freed, debts were forgiven, and the land was restored to those God had gifted it to; a nation created to flourish in the lavish abundance of their God.
God's desire for his creation to experience and enjoy this Sabbath is expressed by Jesus through his miracles. He provides an abundance of wine, of bread and fish; he heals, gives freedom from demons and gives life to the dead. Many of these he performed on the Sabbath, giving rest to those bound by evil.
Sin interfered with God's Sabbath in the beginning, continued to interfere throughout Israel's history and still stains our own lives today. Sin destroys shalom; it brings death where life was intended. Hebrews tells us that God is still at work; at work undoing the evil that is leeching health from us. He is moving history towards the ultimate Sabbath when all evil will be eradicated.
We are redeemed to move into this Sabbath. Our text says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." The Heidelberg Catechism offers this explanation, "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath" (A 103).
Sin is an unpopular teaching today. The Christian church has often used it to shame and manipulate people. The Catechism is helpful, "I rest from my evil ways." The emphasis is on the individual Christian pursuing righteous ways of living; to pray with the psalmist, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).
It is true that working sin out of our lives is difficult and failures are many. Yet, the Bible gives us hope, "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:11-12). This was God's promise through Ezekiel, "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (36:27).
To embrace God's sabbath, we must make every effort to set aside our evil ways. As you pray with the Psalmist, ask God to reveal one thing you can move away from, moving from sinfulness to righteousness. Trust that God will help you.
Go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Love must be sincere… Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9a, 13)
Hospitality. Many of us don't like that word. Yet here it is…an aspect of sincere love. Thus, a part of Christian discipleship. In Christian Reformed churches, the elders are charged with the promotion of fellowship and hospitality in the congregation, recognizing that it is essential to the life of the Christian church.
The word has fallen on hard times, partly because it is misunderstood. But also, because we do not spend enough time reflecting and preaching about God. We frequently focus on ourselves. What does God have to do with hospitality?
The Bible opens with God's hospitality. He plants a garden for the humans: "trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food" (Genesis 2:9). When everything goes wrong in the garden, what happens? God shows up 'walking in the garden in the cool of the day' calling out to the humans, 'where are you?' Its long been understood that it was normal for God to come and spend time with his people. But now they were hiding.
There are two things we should pay attention to here: God creates space and time. Both are essential components of hospitality. Israel's promised land is described as "a land flowing with milk and honey". God took Israel, a nation severely oppressed by Egypt, to a land of plenty, to give them rest, Sabbath. God intended it to be a space for them to flourish and prosper where he could live among his people: space and time
Isn't Jesus arrival in this world another example of God's hospitality? We use a big word, incarnation, to talk about this. It has its usefulness, but it hides the remarkable implications of Jesus' arrival. John, one of Jesus disciples, wrote that Jesus 'made his dwelling among us' (John 1:14). In other words, he made his home on this earth with us. Jesus spent time eating and drinking with people and inviting others to join him. To Zacchaeus he said, "Come down from that tree, I must go to your house today" (Luke 19:5). Space and time.
Why did Jesus come to make his home among us? Was it not to create a new community on this earth? A community in which all peoples, no matter what their language or colour or place of origin, can find a home? (Eph. 2:19; Rev. 5:9). As God was bringing Israel towards the promised land, he told them, "So, you also must love outsiders. Remember that you yourselves were outsiders in Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:19). If that was true for Israel of old, it is equally true of the church today. Paul wrote, "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Ephesians 5:1).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you (John 15:16).
What does success look like? A church picnic without rain? A business that makes money? A family that can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together? A winning sports team? Top grades in school? A vacation that leaves us relaxed and refreshed?
Now, none of these things are bad in and of themselves. And we should thank God when we experience these things. Yet, Jesus invites us to consider a different way of measuring success. "I chose you to bear fruit". It's fine to pray for good weather and restorative vacations and safe travels. But here, Jesus challenges us to deepen our prayers, to consider how his kingdom might come through our lives, including the daily, ordinary, mundane, routine activities we engage in.
There are many necessary things that we do each day: volunteering, employment, business transactions, driving children and/or parents, studying, cleaning up. While we do each of these things, Jesus calls us to bear fruit. How do we do that? Obedience. "Obey me," he says (John 15:10). This obedience is about love. Out of his love, God has initiated relationship with us in Christ Jesus. He wants us to remain in that loving relationship. But we cannot without obedience.
Here too, Jesus summarizes the law with one simple statement, "Love each other as I have loved you" (15:12). So, the people that we encounter during our day—children, parents, co-workers, clients, customers, supervisors—these are all people that Jesus call us to love. We love them not just by being nice to them. Also, by providing the best service and products that we can offer. Further, we love them by offering our goods and services at a reasonable price. It is not wrong to make a profit, but for Christians, profit is never the bottom line. Love is.
This fruit bearing involves a wonderful triad: obedience, love and joy. When we set out to live obedient lives by passing on the love we ourselves have received from God, the result is joy for us. God's joy invades our lives. This is a joy that lasts.
As we head out into a new week with the many things that will be required of us, how will we measure success? Will it be by a completing our to do list? Will it be by ensuring our bank accounts remains in the black? Or will we measure success by fulfilling the calling Christ has given us – loving obedience to our father? Can we believe that joy will come our way when we do this? Will we begin a new week but praying to bear fruit for our heavenly Father?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11).
Genesis 2 opens with the seventh day, where God rests, but not because he was tired. Instead, we get a picture of God finishing creation with a Sabbath that never ends. Sabbath represents a flourishing creation. This is illustrated in Israel's year of Jubilee in which slaves were freed, debts were forgiven, and the land was restored to those God had gifted it to; a nation created to flourish in the lavish abundance of their God.
But sin interfered in the beginning, continued to interfere throughout Israel's history and still stains our own lives today. Sin destroys shalom; it brings death where life was intended. Hebrews tells us that God is still at work; at work undoing the evil that is leeching health from us. Jesus pursued this dimension of the Sabbath in his miracles.
In Mark 1:21, he frees a man from an evil spirit and gives renewed vigour to the limbs of a paralytic in 2:27. Many of his miracles were performed on the Sabbath, such as the one for a woman "who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God" (Luke 10:11-13).
These were signs that the kingdom of God was here; the Shalom of God was being brought back to the earth; the curse of sin was being undone. Jesus resurrection from the dead marked his victory over evil. The curse was undone; his kingdom was unstoppable. That is why Christians gather for worship on Sundays. We remind each other that Christ is risen. And we celebrate the coming end of evil.
The Heidelberg Catechism gives a slight nod to this matter when it says that part of our Sabbath keeping is "to bring Christian offerings for the poor" (A 103). That is why offerings are taken up during worship services. The apostle Paul got this started (Acts 24:17; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Churches are rightly involved in alleviating hunger and rebuilding where infrastructure has been destroyed. Historically, Christians began hospitals. This was all understood as following in the footsteps of Jesus working against evil.
Sometimes, I hear Christians tell me that Sundays are family days. That is well and good, but it is not enough. Sundays remind us that Jesus died to end the curse and evil. We are called to be his hands and feet. As you prepare for this weekend, how will you rest, and how will you help others to entire into God's rest?
Go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).
Love must be sincere is the theme fleshed out in the rest of this chapter and beyond. The biblical significance of love has eroded so it needs our careful attention. Let's remember that godly love is not an emotion. It is an attitude, a mind-set, an aspect of the renewed mind. We are commanded to love; it is therefore a choice we make, a matter of the will.
Without the enabling grace of God, none of us can love in the way the Bible calls us to. Such love is never the product of our human wills. But our wills are involved. The Holy Spirit fosters it within us. It is our job to cooperate with the Spirit in developing a consistent mind-set of love toward others. We must work actively to put love into effect in our relationships. The Christian who nurtures an attitude of love will act in the ways that Paul describes here. Such love acts in accordance with God's good and perfect will (12:2).
Discernment is an aspect of this love: hate what is evil; cling to what is good (9b). Ironic, isn't it, that the exhortation to love is followed immediately by a command to hate. But we should not be surprised, for love is not blind sentiment. Rather, love passionately seeks the best for the one loved. Thus, it must hate everything evil that is incompatible with the loved one's highest welfare. Paul's word for 'hate' suggests a very strong aversion, an abhorrence, a loathing, a vomiting out. Whereas his word for cling, suggests supper glue, a bonding like two pieces of steel welded together.
Love must be sincere is the positive version of the command, "do not kill." The Heidelberg Catechism offers us this explanation of that, "I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor--not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds--and I am not to be party to this in others…By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness" (Q 105 & 106).
When love encounters what is evil, it refuses to participate, nor does it merely look the other way. Love dares to confront someone doing evil, not to judge or browbeat, but to inspire righteousness. On the other hand, love "clings to what is good." To repel evil and cling to good, love must know the difference.
How can we train ourselves in the ways of love? Anyone who has tried knows its not easy. Like all Christian virtues, prayer and scripture are the beginning. How else will we know God's version of love? We can also get our minds engaged in other ways. How about watching an episode of a favourite Netflix show or a chapter of a favourite novel? Then discern the ways in which the characters practice love or the lack there of. We may find some brilliant nuances of love right among our favourite characters.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What is your favourite 'comforter'?
- How is God's comfort more?
- How does God usually bring his comfort?
- What does it mean to praise God during suffering?
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).
This verse is well known. It is frequently used in motivational speeches encouraging Christians to pursue the things of God at church and on mission or service trips. But I wonder how often it is used to launch Christians into the daily stuff of life. How many of us wrestle with its applications in the hustle and bustle of the day?
In Matthew 6, Jesus offers commentary on a few of the common spiritual disciplines of his time: giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting. Then he encourages his disciples to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, and rounds it off with this, "do not worry."
What should we not worry about? "Your life", he says. Clothing, food, shelter, etc. Really?
Here is the thing, says Jesus, your heavenly father is more than capable and willing to care for you. Look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. Do they rush around worrying? Nope. Your father cares for them. And if he cares for them, he will surely care for you. So, stop worrying already.
When we give up worry, we create space to pursue the things of God and his kingdom. When our main concern is no longer about making a buck, when we trust that God will provide for us, we can pay attention to other things and other people.
At our church, we support a ministry called Discipling Marketplace Leaders. After this teaching was brought to Burundi, one of the pastors summarized the change he saw among Christians, "They realize that when they said "yes" to Jesus, they weren't enlisting HIM to their cause, but He was enlisting them to HIS cause" (DML Newsletter, September 1, 2025).
Jesus mentions that non-believers run around worrying about their lives, but children of the heavenly Father do not need to. He cares for his own. As you go about daily tasks and work, pause to pray the Lord's Prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep those phrases in your consciousness. In what situations are you most likely to begin worrying? Prepare for those situations. Be ready to do something different. How might God be calling you to seek his kingdom today?
And how do we learn to worry less? Not by trying really hard not to worry. But, by paying attention to God.
Go with this blessing:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8).
Sabbath is an important theme in the Scriptures. We neglect it to our peril. I will not advocate that we go back to Old Testament Sabbath keeping, nor to the fierce definitions of what qualified as work and rest that we once engaged in. However, Sabbath rest is essential for Christian spirituality.
Let us recall how Israel was instructed in Sabbath keeping. There was the rhythm of a weekly rest day. It was so essential that while in the wilderness, God provided two portions of food on the sixth day, so that the people did not even need to gather food on the Sabbath. Further, there was the yearly rhythm of the Sabbath year. Every seventh year the whole nation took a break from securing food and profit. God would provide enough in the sixth year for two years.
Finally, there was the year of Jubilee, every fiftieth year. God promised to provide three year's worth of supplies in the 48th year so that his people could enjoy his rest for 2 full years. Further, in the year of Jubilee debts were cancelled, all land was returned to the original families, and all slaves were set free. Negative market forces, bad financial decisions, natural disasters could all cause ruin on a family. But in the year of Jubilee, all was set right. They could begin over.
God provides. When praying, 'give us our daily bread', we are praying a Sabbath prayer. It's requesting that we do not depend on ourselves but put our trust in the God who provides. He provides for us physically. But there is more.
In Psalm 62, we have this testimony, "Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will never be shaken". There are things that happen in life that shake us to our very cores. Our souls, themselves, are shaken. All the securities we have put in place for ourselves topple. Where then shall we go?
Sabbath practicing Christians know where to go. They have practiced trusting in God. They understand Psalm 46, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (1-3).
When such Christians hear Jesus' invitation, "Come to me and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), they know how to go to him because it's a practice they are familiar with.
There is no time like the present to begin. If you are not a Sabbath person, you might not want to start with a full day. Mark a few hours in your calendar in which you have nothing to accomplish. Rather, simply enjoy God and the good gifts he has given you. And begin praying, "Give us our daily bread."
Learn to practice Sabbath, so that when the winds blow and the floods rise, you know how to rest in God. He provides.
Go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Love must be sincere (Romans 12:9a).
This little phrase, "Love must be sincere", is the heart of Romans 12. Everything that has come before--the stuff about personal transformation: "…in view of God's mercy…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…discerning God's good, pleasing and perfect will…" and the stuff about the relationships within the church, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…"--all of this leads into "Love must be sincere."
The phrase has no verb. Its as if the apostle is saying, "Love that is sincere will…" and then he spends the rest of the chapter telling us what sincere love looks like.
In our culture, the word love has become rather vague. It's lost its crispness. We love sweaters and the weather, and we love each other. It's a feeling that comes and goes like a wave in the bay. So, what is love and what makes it sincere?
The word used here is agape. So far in Romans all references have been to the 'love of God'—as demonstrated on the cross (5:8), as poured into our hearts (5:5) and as doggedly refusing to let us go (8:35, 39). This is a pursuing, wooing, winning back kind of love. The lover willing to sacrifice himself for the beloved. This is our reference point, our example. But it is also our source. This love has been poured into us. Now it flows out. Love is the essence of Christian discipleship. Romans 12-15 are a sustained encouragement to let love govern and shape all our relationships. At the end of the chapter, Paul will write about love for our enemies (17-21), but first he portrays it as pervading the Christian community (9-16).
'Sincere' means 'without hypocrisy'. Acts and words of love must not be pretend. We should not tell someone we love them, when we really don't. Neither should we act in love, when we despise or even hate someone. For early Christians, the primary example of non-sincere love was Judas, betraying Jesus with a kiss. This was hypocritical love in its vilest form.
In this matter of sincere love Christian discipleship is counter cultural. Feelings are paramount. "If I don't feel like it, I don't have to do it." But for Christians love is the law (13:8-10). If we don't feel loving, we need to change our attitude; our hearts need to change. We need to love like God loves us. How does that happen? The cure for a non-loving heart is not to try harder. It is to look to God, to see his love for me. For Christians, confession of sin is not about feeling bad, it's the road to experiencing God's mercy again. Love begins with a view to God's mercy. Only with our eyes fixed on Jesus, can our love become sincere. So, let us fix our eyes on him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Last Monday, we reflected on God's creation of humanity as working beings. We work under God's care and direction. Let's reflect on this some more. It is so easy to ignore God while at work or at least to think that he has little interest in such mundane matters. But the Bible will have none of that. Wealth production is the work of God himself.
Most of us have some sort of job description, even if they are not written down. When I began helping my dad on the farm, I soon learned what was expected of me. It didn't take long before I understood what was needed to be a successful pork producer and I began to lean into that.
God wants us to understand and lean into the job description he has given to us. We do not own things. We are stewards of what he has made and owns. He has equipped us with time, talents and treasures. These things are not ours to do with as we desire. They are his and to be used for his glory. Even though Joseph oversaw all Egypt, he needed to submit himself to Pharoah. Likewise, we have been given great responsibility but must submit ourselves to God.
This teaching can put us on a bit of an ego trip. Some Christians have misinterpreted this to mean they can ignore the things their supervisors tell them. Such an attitude does not jive with the Scriptures. Joseph submitted himself to Pharaoh. Paul writes, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities" (Romans 13:1). Titus is instructed to, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone" (3:1-2).
When we submit are labours to the Lord, it means that we seek to be the best employees and employers that we can be. We strive for excellence in our product, but also in our relationships. In submission, we recognize that success is not rooted in our abilities but in God's blessing.
Will you submit to God in the big things and the small things? Will you lean on Him, His power, His love, and His grace, in whatever you do? Will you trust him with the outcome of your work?
Go with this blessing:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 12:1-5 & Matthew 5:14-16. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- What image of the church is given in today's text and message?
- What three parts of 'our story' are explored in the opening chapters of the Bible?
- What is the problem in this world? What is the remedy?
- In what is our hope?
- What advice was given to keep us from being overwhelmed? How will you live into that this week?
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8).
Last week, I ended with the question, "What kind of rest do we mean?" When the Bible invites us into rest, what does it mean? What did God intend when he commanded Israel to observe the Sabbath? Let's begin this series on rest by exploring that question.
A fruitful place to begin is by noting the word that often describes Sabbath, the word 'holy'. This word does not always come with helpful connotations today. We think of those who have been declared saints or those who live by high moral standards, often with a "holier than you attitude." That is not the place to begin.
In the Bible, holy means "set apart," "separated," or "dedicated for a special purpose". Thus, the Sabbath was a day set apart for God. On it, Israel was to remember that God is both creator (Exodus 20) and redeemer (Deuteronomy 5). This was not intended to be a burden to Israel. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).
In Sabbath keeping, we are invited to rest from all our activities we engage in to succeed in this world. We are given time to remember and know that we belong to God, and he cares for us. Through the psalmist, God says, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). It takes time and some effort to still our souls long enough to hear the voice of the Spirit reminding us that we are holy, we belong to God. It is difficult to believe that we do not need to work every day to survive in this world.
The rest we are talking about here, is the rest in which we learn to lean on God, trusting that he will provide our daily bread. In this rest, God re-orients our lives so that we live for him, not for ourselves.
How has the drive to succeed taken control of your life? How is it impacting what your children and grandchildren are learning from you? What else might be interfering with this rest? Sometimes, it's our need to be entertained. Sometimes, it's our need to be busy all the time. Sometimes, its that we are living for ourselves. These are things that drive us ever onward without giving us rest or joy. God invites us into a different way of living.
Go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:4-6a).
What does it mean to be part of a church? Does showing up on Sundays for worship services count? Maybe. There are many ways to answer that question. Our text offers two.
Before we discuss those, let's remember that when the New Testament uses the word church it did not have in mind the formal structures we know today. Church referred to the people who followed Jesus Christ. They had little structure and no history; they were simply the people in the Roman Empire who believed that this Jesus was Lord and Christ. In a place like Romans 12, the apostle Paul begins to lay out what belonging to this group means. What does he say?
First, the flow of Romans 12 implies that I cannot fully "renew my mind" without the active help of other believers. I cannot understand what the Bible teaches apart from dialog with others who are reading that same Bible. I cannot live the life of a disciple of Christ apart from the nurturing context of a community of believers who encourage me, pray for me, and set an example for me. I cannot discern the blind spots in my obedience to Christ without other believers to point them out to me.
In verse 3, Paul rebuked an attitude of arrogance. We think of ourselves "more highly than we ought" and so conclude that we do not need the help of others. To go back to our question, "What does it mean to be part of a church?" Our passage tells us that we need the input of other Christians. To be part of a church means to receive help in Christian thinking and living from others. I need the church, the body of Christ.
Second, we must participate in the church to help others grow. Whatever gift we have been given, we are under obligation to our Lord to use it to serve his people. Other Christians need what each of us has to offer. As the human body is at a disadvantage without a foot, or an eye, or a kidney, so the church is harmed when the full array of gifts is not being exercised within it. Notice how strongly Paul puts this, "according to the grace given to each of us." If we disassociate from the church, we are hindering the flow of God's grace. We are God's sponges of mercy, first to the church and then beyond.
This is also why we need to think of ourselves with sober judgement. We should not consider our personal resources as personal possessions. They are gifts of God to be used for his glory. All of us who follow Jesus receive gifts to be used for the upbuilding of Christ's church. We each have gifts of grace to offer each other.
So, putting these two together: I need the church and the church needs me!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 147. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Who is our God?
- What do you do when the reality of life in this world does not match with what we expect of God?
- What two things do we do in lament?
- What assurances does this psalm offer us?
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15).
We begin our weekly reflections on work here. This text invites us to think about work as more than what we do to earn a living. In Genesis 2, God plants a garden and puts humanity in it to work it and take care for it. This means that each of us is tied closely to the created order. Even if we are not farmers, even if our fingers rarely touch the soil, we are creatures of the earth, and the flourishing of the earth is our responsibility.
We can understand this as both calling and gift.
How is it our calling? We often identify ourselves by what we do: construction workers, bus drivers, web designers, educators, financiers, business owners, policy writers, hairdressers, retirees, computer programmers, lawyers. We may view ourselves as parents or grandparents, as children or as spouses. These are things that describe who we are and what we do. But more significant--underneath all these realities—we are humans created in the image of God, called to serve him in this world; called to work in his world; called to take care of it.
Our first responsibility is to God -- how we live, how we treat his creation, how we treat other humans – it all matters to God. Jesus told us to store up treasures in heaven. Such treasures are created in each moment of our lives. God has given us all the resources we need to serve and honour him. This is our primary calling in life. It gives us our identity.
We should also understand this identity as a gift. God wants us to flourish and to find joy in this life. He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on all people (Mathew 5:45). The Spirit gives gifts to the followers of Jesus (Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 12). And we work with this promise: that our labour in the Lord is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). In Matthew 5, Jesus tells his disciples that they should love and pray for their enemies. Surely, we ought to do that for those we work and live among as well.
God wants his creation to overflow with life. And he wants to use us to make that happen. As a follower of Jesus Christ, can you embrace your work as a place of possibility and potential in these purposes of God? Will you live today believing that God is already at work in these places and will you give yourself unreservedly to his purposes in you and through you, wherever you are?
Go with this blessing:
Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:1-3).
Today, we begin a new Wilderness Wanderings Series. It is called Avodah. This is a Hebrew word which is translated into English with the words: work, worship and service. There is a long history in the Christian church to separate life into the sacred and the secular. Sunday worship, personal and family devotions and evangelism are part of the sacred. The work we do to earn a living and the schooling we take to prepare for such work are part of the secular. With such a dichotomy, we live two separate kinds of lives. One for God and one to survive in this world.
But there is an older tradition, that goes all the way back to the beginning that does not separate life in this way. In various strands of Christianity, including the Reformed, we try to live by this older understanding. This is the perspective that all of life is sacred. But maybe that is not a good term. It might be better to say that "all of life is lived for God." Paul put is like this, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
As Christians, our primary goal with our labour is not to earn a paycheck, even though that is an important element; our primary goal is to serve God with our work. This is Avodah. Our work is part of our worship of God. As Abraham Kuyper famously said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"
In this Avodah series, we will explore two basic things: work and rest. Each Monday, we will consider work as our calling from God. And on Fridays, we will consider rest. There will also be a Wednesday edition, which will be taken from the archives. If you have resources or ideas or even illustrations for this series let me know, and I will try to include them.
Since this is Friday, let's take a moment to think about rest. There is much in our text to consider, but I will only highlight one thing: God included a day of rest into the structure of creation. When God rescued Israel from Egypt and formed her into a nation, he gave her back this day of rest. Egypt had literally tried to work the Israelites to death. There is much of such Egypt all around us. It is easy to become enslaved to our labours. The stuff we do, whether its income earning or nor, can easily become our god.
Do you include rest on your calendar? If not, maybe it is time to include "rest" times. If you are required to work on Sunday, what other day will you use to rest? Think also about this: what kind of rest are we talking about here?
Go with this blessing:
Go to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matthew 11:30). May the presence of God go with you and give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 10:25-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive in! For further reflection:
- What does 'work' mean? What images does it create in your mind?
- What does Genesis 2:15 say about work? How does it change the way we view it?
- In what ways have you seen the effect of the fall on work? How have you contributed to this fallenness?
- How does Jesus' work affect our work?
- How will you live differently this week? How will Genesis 2:15 change the way you view your life?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 10:25-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the 'outsiders' in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
"Greet all God's people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God's people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen" (Philippians 4:21-23).
Well, friends, a summer of slow and steady attention has brought us to the end of Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. Today's devotional will be the last installment of Wilderness Wanderings for the summer, as we have reached a natural conclusion with these last verses of Philippians. There will not be a podcast tomorrow, nor throughout the month of August. However, Pastor Michael is making plans for a new version of Wilderness Wanderings in the fall. More information on that to come, so stay tuned.
For now, let's take a look at these last verses of Philippians 4. As we discussed with the opening of the letter, to close with greetings such as these that we read in today's verses would have been a convention of letter-writing in the ancient world. But as with all of Paul's letters, he uses the conventions of the genre to make particular theological points.
Verse 21 is translated in the NIV "Greet all God's people in Christ Jesus." However, scholars point out that this could also be translated "Greet every saint [or] holy person in Christ Jesus." Not only does this indicate his personal affection for members of this community, it also has the rhetorical effect of building on his council to the church at other points in the letter about living in unity with one another.
To a church experiencing conflict, as we discussed earlier in chapter 4, Paul's encouragement to "greet every saint in Christ Jesus" was a challenge. And the command to do so "in Christ Jesus" is a reminder again of the fact that their unity is not in their agreement, but in their shared identity in Christ.
Paul then offers greetings on behalf of "all God's people here." Paul has spoken frequently in the letter of the challenges of persecution and false teaching faced by the church in Philippi, along with their internal division. Offering greetings from others who are in his company, perhaps those nearer him also providing support in the midst of his imprisonment, was a reminder to the Philippian church that they were not alone in their difficulties. They were part of a broader movement of Christ-followers also experiencing joys and sorrows, honour and shame, God's provision and persecution by those around them. This small church was part of something much bigger than themselves, and Paul thought it important in all his letters to remind the churches of this reality.
On this note, as Paul offers his farewell to the Philippian church, perhaps this is an appropriate moment for me to offer my own word of farewell to you, my friends at Immanuel CRC. This is my last Wilderness Wanderings podcast as your pastoral intern, and my last day with you will be this Sunday, August 3. In my first Wilderness Wanderings devotional back at the beginning of my time with you, I quoted New Testament scholar NT Wright, who described the letter to the Philippian church as "overflowing with effervescent joy" and "sparkling with the delight of family affection." As I reflect now at the end of my last week with you, I find in myself a similar sentiment, a deep joy and affection for my time with you this summer.
While I would not claim to have nearly the same travel or missional resume as Paul, as I read his letters, and have paid particular attention to his letter to the Philippian church this summer, I see the longing in his words for the communities that he travels to and from throughout his career, and it resonates with my own spirit and the travelling to and fro nature of my own ministry over the last number of years. That Immanuel has been the most recent stop on this journey is something for which I am deeply grateful to God. I will miss you all.
And yet, I will carry you with me. It's one of the greatest gifts of the way in which God has formed his church, that we belong to each other. And so as I continue to travel and discern what God has next for me, I will take your greetings to your siblings in Christ in the places that I go with me. And I will hope to return to you with similar greetings from them should God give me the opportunity to do so in the future. Know that you will be held in my heart and before the throne of God in prayer.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see how God is at work among you this summer. May "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
And as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
Yesterday, Kyra reflected on the gifts the Philippians had given to Paul. Today's text is a promise that the young church in Philippi will be cared for; cared for by God. These two things belong together; they follow each other. The way Paul writes, it sounds like God will care for them because they have cared for Paul. But is that right? Yes and no.
Because we believe so firmly in 'saved by grace alone' we have a difficult time with certain texts in the New Testament. Jesus tells us to lay up treasures in heaven and Paul adds that we will receive a crown of glory. Are these rewards for good behaviour? Sort of.
There are rewards for the life of Christian faith that go above and beyond just our salvation in Christ. Should we want these rewards? Of course, but why should we want them? It's a thing we should wrestle with. It's our desires that we need to wrestle with. Paul's reflections are helpful.
Paul's desire was not for gifts, even though he is blessed by them and receives them gratefully. His desire is not stuff. His desire is the place from which these gifts come. These are gifts of love from the Philippians as a response of faith to God. These gifts mean that God's Word is bearing good fruit through the Philippians. And that is enough. There's abundance in the Kingdom of God even when he goes without, because he is strengthened not by the stuff of this world but by Christ.
The economy of the kingdom is a gift economy. Its not one of balance sheets. The things that the Philippians give are "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice" given in response to all that God has given. The Philippians were living Romans 12. They are "living sacrifices," giving all in the service of God—all that you have and all that you are. When we do that, we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven, a crown of reward.
We do it, of course, not to get that reward per say, but as a response of faith—to be pleasing to God, recognizing as Paul had said already, that our contentment—our rest—is in Christ. We can say with Paul that "our God will meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Whether he does so in this world or the next, it does not change the calculus: God has given much. We are amply supplied in Christ and therefore we give as a response of faith. It's a joyful storing up not in this life and according to the rules of this world, but rather according to the Kingdom principles of the world to come.
As the Heidelberg Catechism says, true faith is a "also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, I have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation" (A 21). But it opens with this, "Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him" (A 1). We don't live generous lives to get rewards. We do so to give him glory, to please him, believing that he is more than able to provide for us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God" (Philippians 4:15-18).
Paul, in our verses today, continues his reflection on the Philippian church's generosity toward him. He reflects on their gifts in the "early days" of their acquaintance with the gospel. They had, it seems, experienced the generosity of God's grace and responded, as many new Christ-followers do, with passion and eagerness to serve.
But Paul assures the Philippian church that the situation is not one where he "desired" their gifts. While he was grateful for their support, Paul was not financially desperate, believing that God's mission was dependent on the Philippian church. He did not see them as simply business partners. Rather, he desired their generosity so that they themselves would experience the grace of giving, that "more [would] be credited to [their] account."
There are two things we have to be careful of here. First, as Paul's comment indicates, we cannot treat our generosity as something upon which God's mission is dependent. Christians and Christian ministries have, at times, exploited well-intentioned people because of a lack of care given to language around calls to generosity. We give, not because God is impotent without our doing so, not because people will not be saved if we don't, but because we are given the gift of participating in what God is doing in the world.
We also have to be careful not to think of generosity as transactional. That was a common way of thinking in the Greco-Roman world, and is, if we are honest, often the way we think about giving too. But neither we nor the Philippian church are called to give and then wait around expecting to receive blessing because of a sense of our own righteousness. Rather, we are to understand that our generosity is, as Paul describes in today's verses, "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."
Recall Paul's words earlier, in chapter 2:17: "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." Here, Paul also uses the language of sacrifice to refer to the potential for his own impending death. And for Paul, as we've seen throughout the letter, his own death was an opportunity for him to imitate Christ, who poured himself out knowing that those his sacrifice was for could never afford to pay him back.
And this is the ultimate gift of generosity–that in being generous, we participate with Christ. The same gift of grace that allows us to freely receive–without guilt or shame, as Pastor Michael described yesterday–allows us to give. We, like Paul, can be assured that we are "amply supplied" by what already belongs to us in Christ Jesus.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles (Philippines 4:13-14).
We continue with the theme of contentment. Paul learned contentment in all things through his reliance on Christ. But this was not a simple two-way street between Paul and Jesus. Our Lord used other people to provide for Paul, as he does for us. Paul knew this and was glad for the gifts from the Philippian church. But this is a difficult teaching.
Many of us are rather stoic when it comes to receiving support from others. We decline when someone offers to pay for or give us something. We feel a certain kind of guilt or shame. Maybe we think we are deficient because we needed help. Or we feel that our relationship is now out of balance – we owe them.
People who need help are often looked down on, despite Jesus' comment that the poor we will always have with us. Our society is organized towards personal self-sufficiency. Most of us rent or own our own property, living detached from other households. We work jobs to support ourselves and our households. We own vehicles to drive ourselves where we want to go. We build up savings and portfolios to ensure that we will remain independent after retirement. These things are constructed so that we do not need to rely on the hospitality of another.
All these things are not bad or wrong. But something is amiss when we implicitly believe that all people should be able to do life this way: on their own, without burdening anyone else. Somewhere deep in our heart of hearts, we suspect such people to be weak, lazy, lesser, or at fault for it. "They did it to themselves," we think: "they deserve what they get." One should be able to do life on one's own, without the support or intervention of others. To do less than this is to fail at life somehow.
Such attitudes are dangerous. We translate Jesus words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" into, "stand on your own two feet and give to the needy who can't."
Here is the problem: if we can do it all ourselves—what need do we have of a saviour? Many have come to the very logical conclusion that we don't. "We've managed this life just fine on our own, thank you. We don't need help from anyone else—including God."
Feelings of guilt and shame when we have need or when we receive something work against our receiving the one and only thing we need but can't get on our own: God's grace in Jesus.
Our relatively wealthy, peaceful, and independent society actively works against the logic of the faith. Contentment in Christ includes the willingness and the ability to receive with gratitude and thanksgiving—recognizing, once again, that our lives are not our own creation and that we are not the ones who hold on. It is Christ who holds on to us. Christ who provides for us.
Receiving gracefully is a necessary spiritual discipline to counteract impulse towards self-sufficiency of our culture.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 10:25-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- This week evaluate your use of technology like AI, Internet, social media, etc. Maybe keep a log of all the ways you use it.
- How do you start your prayers? Do you get yourself fully involved?
- Who do you pray to? What image of God do you have in your mind? Where is he? What is he like? As you have grown in your faith, has your understanding of God changed? Has it become more accurate, closer to how he describes himself in the Bible?
- How does Jesus factor into your prayers? Do your prayers end in hope or despair? Why?
- How can your praying become more about spiritual transformation then the one-way street of asking God for things you want?
"I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:10-13).
Throughout much of this letter, Paul has spoken of his joy in the Philippian church. Here, nearing the end of the letter, he returns to one of the reasons for his joy, also reflected in the beginning of his letter: The generous financial support of the Philippian church while he is in chains for the gospel.
Paul's comment about the Philippian's inability to show their concern initially suggests that they may not, at first, have been willing or able to provide support. Their own financial limitations, or the reality of their persecution we have discussed previously, may have inhibited their ability to aid Paul. Or perhaps they did not initially have a messenger like Epaphroditus, discussed in chapter 2, willing to risk caring for someone imprisoned by the empire. This further emphasizes the significance of their communal sacrifice which prompted this joy-filled letter from Paul. It may also explain Paul's comments about learning to be content in all circumstances.
This Greek word used for "content" in these verses is a word that appears only in this single context in the New Testament. However, it was a well-known philosophical concept in the Greco-Roman world, connected with groups like the Stoics and Cynics, which spoke of contentment as an ideal state resulting from supreme self-sufficiency.
Paul's use of this word, however, conveys a contentment that comes, not from self-sufficiency, but from God's sufficiency. Both poverty and plenty are states in which he is comfortable, not because they are a result of his choices or effort, but because his economic circumstances do not reflect his status before God. Paul's "secret" of contentment, a contrast to the Greco-Roman ideal, is further stated in verse 13: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Now, this verse has often been taken out of context to exaggerate human capacity. But it is important that we retain a distinctly Christian anthropology (or, in other words, view of what it means to be human). This verse does not imply any change in what it means to be human creatures. God does not give people super-human capabilities. What Scripture testifies about humans–that we are finite and fallen, that God is God and we are not, remains true. But Paul's testimony is that accepting the reality of human finitude yields a contentment that grasping for control over one's circumstances could never produce.
This is perhaps why Paul speaks of contentment in the context of his joy at the gift he has received from the Philippians–and why, as many scholars have pointed out about this letter, he never actually directly thanks the Philippians for what they have given him. Perhaps it is because he knows that, in their generous giving out of what little they have, they are in turn being gifted the possibility of learning contentment. A contentment dependent entirely on who God is, and not what they have.
So where are you striving for self-sufficiency today? What might you relinquish to find contentment in God's sufficiency?
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).
This letter has two key concerns: persecution that the church is suffering from the outside, and, under that stress, forms of conflict that threaten to tear this church apart from the inside (like the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche).
Similar dynamics have been repeated frequently. Recent stats suggest the church in North America is shrinking and some believe that our decline is the result of persecution from a decadent society peeling away our members. Under this stress, we easily fall into forms of conflict that threaten to tear the church apart from the inside. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says: "there is nothing new under the sun."
In the face of such pressures, Paul invited us to seek the Lord's presence with joy discovering the peace of Christ. Now he asks us to contemplate better things. We shouldn't let our minds mull endlessly over the problems, pressures, and sins that threaten us from without and within. Rather, Paul invites us to feed our minds with virtuous things that are excellent and praiseworthy.
"You are what you eat," the saying goes. If we feed our minds a constant stream of junk—ruminations on sin, climate disasters, loathing of the government, gun violence, persecution, mistrust of fellow Christians, despair about the future, and whatever else is wrong—if that's what our minds constantly chew on, we're going to get indigestion. And we may very well descend into becoming more and more these things that occupy our minds the most. Thinking too much about sin may inadvertently tempt us into it; mistrusting others, we may become less trustworthy; loathing the government, we may become loathsome; despairing about the future, clouds of despair may haunt our days and nights.
As an antidote, Paul invites us to feed our minds with better things. "Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." That is, chew them over, ponder them carefully, let our minds run wild for a while on the best of what virtue has to offer. Such vegetables are far better fare to feed our minds than the empty, sugar-rush calories of bad news. As we ponder these things we may find that we become increasingly what we ingest: thinking of what is true, we align our lives to it. Pondering what is lovely or beautiful, we seek to become more lovely in character. Pondering the right, we become more righteous.
This list of virtues that Paul offers are not explicitly Christian virtues. It is a morality list drawn from the work of the pagan philosophers of the day. The subtle point appears to be this: all that is good and true in this world belongs to God and is a gift of God—no matter who came up with it. And so, as you chew over these virtues, your capacity to see God and His Spirit abundantly at work as the Sovereign King over all creation and creatures is expanded.
Slowly it may dawn on us the God, whose Spirit is everywhere present and at work, even in a secular world and in the atheist philosopher, is also here with me—and how much more so through Jesus! May that notion give you peace.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"Do not be anxious about anything," Paul begins. Well, that's quite a start. I must confess that I don't know that there is ever a moment in my life where I am anxious about absolutely nothing. There are maybe, just maybe, about 5 minutes after I read a verse like this, where I am in a devotional space, and I read this text, I pray a prayer of surrender for whatever it is that has just jumped into my head as an example of how bad I am at being obedient to this command… And maybe for those 5 minutes after I can maintain the kind of non-anxiety Paul is talking about here. But once I've left that quiet devotional space, all of reality comes rushing back in to disrupt my nice pious resolution of mere moments before. Possibly you can relate. I suspect we are not alone.
Jesus offers a similar teaching as part of his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel. Many of us are likely familiar with the text of Matthew 6 that begins "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…" It continues to reflect on the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, God's provision for them and for us.
In both passages, the Greek word for worry or anxiety is the same. And I don't think either, in spite of how they are often read, is a judgment against worry or anxiety. As we have reflected previously this summer, Scripture's commands against fear do not express finger-wagging disapproval, but rather God's desire for his people. The command Paul gives in this passage is not "Do not be anxious about anything, you irrational and untrusting fools. Do you not know God at all?" No, Paul says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Paul is offering a way of transferring our anxiety and fear to our God, who promises to respond with his peace, so we don't have to carry it alone.
Paul also calls the church to offer prayers with thanksgiving. This builds on the theme of joy which Pastor Michael reflected on yesterday. There are times when, as he described, thanksgiving is not a natural reflection of our circumstances, which may be tremendously painful. However, with the intimacy with God that comes through prayer, we can become people of joy and thanksgiving because of who God is–and who he has been and promises he will be–regardless of our present reality.
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you," Paul reflects similarly in 1 Thess. 5:18. Thanksgiving and joy, not fear and anxiety, are God's will for his people. But we don't have to carry the burden of willing or working our circumstances into alignment. In the midst of trials and suffering, we don't have to add the burden of positive thinking. Expressions of grief at what is wrong in our lives and the world is no less holy a form of prayer than joyful prayers in response to what is good, true, and beautiful. Prayer is not first about what we feel, say, or do; it is about who God is and what he can do. We may simply come before him, presenting our requests, and he will guard our minds and our hearts in Christ Jesus.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5).
Paul begins to wind down his letter to the Christians in Philippi by returning to his opening theme. In the first few chapters, he has told us of the mindset of Jesus (i.e. humbling himself to the cross and submitting himself to the Father alone rather than his own recourse). Paul wrote how he sought to live out of this mindset of Jesus. He also included how the Philippian church and those within it experiencing fights and division (like Euodia and Syntyche) should live out that Jesus-mindset, as Kyra elaborated on yesterday.
Having said all this, Paul returns to the theme of joy. This is where he began by mentioning his joyful prayers for the Philippian Christians. He was thankful for their partnership in the Gospel and for God's work in them that God would see to completion.
Now he invites the Philippians into the same prayer saturated with joy. Today let's reflect on the joy.
An antidote to the mistrust of fellow Christians that breeds division like that between Euodia and Syntyche is a healthy joy in the Lord. In the angel's Christmas announcement to the shepherds, they said, the Gospel is "good news of great joy for all people". When our joy evaporates or is replaced by fear, doubts, or suspicions, it is an indicator that our own heart needs tending in the presence of God. Only then can we engage fruitfully again with fellow Christians. We need to receive again the good news of great joy in our hearts. Then, as we encounter others, what spills out of us is a joyful, Gospel word.
How do we do that? Let me suggest a few ways. One is simply by practicing. If we don't feel joyful, we should rejoice and giving thanks to God anyway. It's often the case that working a habit like rejoicing, even when we aren't in the mood for it, can serve to usher our emotions gently along until we do begin to feel it. We can use the last few Psalms to get started.
Another way to find joy in the Lord is to remember that "the Lord is near." Even when everything else might feel like its coming undone or when it feels like there are enemies all around—a recognition of the presence of God in that place can change things. Even valleys of death's shadow can be transformed into an experience of God's care and provision when we remember that he is there, too. Meditation on Psalms 23 or 121 are helpful here.
A third way to renew our joy is simply by talking to God. We call that prayer. But that's for tomorrow.
This kind of joy in Christ enables us to make known the mind of Christ to those around us. The Greek word translated as gentleness can also mean forbearance or tolerance. A willingness to let things go or to delay our reaction or desire for retribution. Doing so offers a gracious, merciful forbearance as God has done for us. Again, we can do this because the Lord, who has displayed his gentle forbearance with us, is near. It's a cause of joy. A cause for taking on the same mindset.
So, rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life" (Philippians 4:1-3).
Paul begins this last section of the letter with a final encouragement to the community to stand firm in the Lord. Like many of Paul's other commands, this is rooted in his love for them.
The remainder of today's verses are interesting because they involve mention of a number of people found nowhere else in Scripture, and there isn't a lot of detail given about the inciting incident prompting Paul's response in the letter. Likely, the two women Paul speaks of are leaders in the Philippian church, and Paul is addressing a disagreement between the two of them. The fact that he chooses the public forum of a letter which would be read to the whole community to address this concern suggests that it is not merely a personal matter, but something affecting the whole community.
His plea that these two women be "of the same mind" is significant in several ways. It recalls Paul's command to the whole church in chapter 2:2, where he called the whole community to also be of one mind. As we discussed with regard to that verse, Paul's command is not that these two women come to perfect agreement, but rather that they prioritize a single-minded focus on the gospel and dedication to working out God's mission in their context.
Paul also stresses the importance of these women in the community and their work for the cause of the gospel, demonstrating that, even in the midst of conflict, the community is to respect these leaders and recall the cause that they share as the foundation of their relationship and leadership.
Paul then notes other figures, including someone he calls "my true companion," and a man named Clement, and other co-workers. The true companion may be a figure known to the community like Epaphroditus, Silas, or Timothy, or another church leader, called on to serve as a mediator in Paul's place to deal with the conflict. The other figures may also be involved in the conflict or called to serve as additional mediators. Paul reminds the community that all their names are "in the book of life." This may function as another reminder of what they all share in common even in the midst of differences.
Throughout these verses, then, Paul is encouraging the community and its leaders on toward unity by showing them the various ways in which they are already united–having a common cause in the advance of the gospel and their identity as those who have been given life in Christ.
Paul's way of dealing with conflict in the church is instructive for us as well. In our own conflicts with our siblings in Christ, whether historically or currently, there is a temptation to highlight differences, to seek unity only with those with whom we agree. But Paul's example, and his instructions to the Philippian church, ask more of us than that. We cannot afford to limit unity to a foundation lesser than the gospel. We are called to work harder at unity than is often comfortable. This requires humility, sacrifice, maturity–all the things we've highlighted as we've walked through this letter. But when we truly believe that our same mind is in the Lord, our identity is in Christ, and our shared cause worth contending for is the gospel, God will have his way in us.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 10:25-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel: immanuelministries.ca
- What is the lesson often given from this story? What is the question that propels Jesus to tell this story?
- In what ways have you tried to "inherit" eternal life?
- What is important about the summary of the law given in this story?
- Who is the beaten traveler? Who is the Samaritan?
- How can the church be like the inn and the inn keeper?
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).
As we conclude this chapter, we build on Kyra's reflections from yesterday. Paul writes with tears. Was some of the ink blotched because those tears had fallen while he wrote? His heart is grieved for all those who insist on opposing the cross of Christ.
Recall also that he does not name them 'my enemies'. We do well to diligently follow his example. People are not the enemy. No matter how deep our disagreements, our struggle is against powers and principalities, not people.
Regarding these 'enemies of the cross', he says, 'their god is their stomach'. Stomach stands in for all the desires of the body, the lusts of the flesh. Their chief concern is personal satisfaction. Their appetites dictate their lives; their minds focussed solely on this earth and this life; their vision to please the self in the moment. His warning is not against specific sins, but against the underlying sin of pandering to self.
On that score, are any of us innocent? Which of us Christ followers do not, at least on occasion, fall to a temptation of the 'stomach', pandering to self? Paul is reminding his readers that they themselves must remain vigilant. We do well to heed his warning; his tears fall for us as well. We must test our desires. In themselves, they are not necessarily bad. Desires for food, for friendship, for a healthy marriage or for rest are normally good. However, we can overindulge in food. Sometimes we can use friends to climb the ladder. Sometimes our desire for rest is just laziness.
Thus, Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. Our treasures, our desires, our goals for life are determined not by the desires of our bodies, but by the values of God himself. Philippi was a Roman colony, ruled by Roman law not by its own customs; its citizens were Roman citizens. Likewise, Christians live in this world, among human cultures and value systems, but our citizenship is in heaven. We derive our values from the cross.
When the truths of the cross and the return of Christ are grasped, a certain way of life naturally follows. What we believe changes our behaviour. We imitate Christ while longing for full redemption. When he returns, our Saviour will transform us so that our lowly bodies, often difficult to control, will then be subject to Christ giving glory to God.
Ours are lowly bodies because they are subject to sin. The body itself, as God's creation, is good. But because of sin, we are frail and weak, easily seduced to engage in selfish activity. While our bodies remain 'lowly', we have not arrived at our goal. But one day, our lowly bodies will give way to the new spiritual body. Eagerly we await Christ's appearance and full conformity to his resurrection body, forever in union with our God. We live in this world pressing on towards that day.
At that final day he will, from his exalted position where all things are subject to him, draw our lowly bodies up into his glorious existence. He identified with our humility so that we might in turn be identified with his resurrected body. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:18-20a).
In today's verses, Paul is building off of those previous. Having encouraged the Philippians to find models to imitate, they must also be warned against those in whose footsteps they ought not to follow.
The challenge is who these people are. You may recall that in our exploration of this letter, there have been several passages where Paul makes accusations and warns the Philippian church against groups of people. So is he referring to one of these already mentioned groups? Those preaching out of rivalry from 1:15-17? Those who oppose and persecute believers from 1:28? Those "judaizers" we discussed in the early verses of chapter 3, who advocated for circumcision among Gentile converts? Or maybe even those Paul briefly alludes to in 2:21, who seek their own self-interest?
The truth is that we really don't know. And so we have to be careful about using this text to extrapolate into our context and pronounce our own judgment on those we consider to be "enemies of the cross of Christ." In a divided culture, verses like this can be used in pretty self-serving and antagonistic ways, but that's not the posture that the rest of this letter has been teaching us to take. So if we seek to avoid this error, what do these verses teach, even warn us, about?
The first thing we see is that Paul grieves for enemies of the cross of Christ. He is not making a triumphalistic declaration that those with whom he disagrees are enemies of Christ doomed for destruction. Rather, he grieves for those who are misguided, who do not know Christ, whose "mind is set on earthly things." Paul's is not a posture of hostility, resentment, or self-righteousness. He has the same kind of compassion for these enemies of the cross that Jesus had weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19. A heart broken, not hardened, by the disobedience of others.
But what is it exactly that causes Paul to lament for this group of people? What do these verses say constitutes being an enemy of the cross of Christ? It is first necessary to highlight that he calls this group enemies of the cross of Christ, not just enemies of Christ. Some scholars suggest this may mean that those Paul is referring to are not pagan tormentors of the church, or those with lifestyles and belief systems diametrically opposed to followers of Christ. Rather, these may be believers, people who, as Pastor Michael described yesterday, maybe believe some of the right truths about Christ, but are opposed to the way of the cross as a way of life. They may claim salvation, but are unwilling to undergo the path of discipleship we have talked about over the last couple of days, and really throughout the whole letter to the Philippians.
The cross, for Paul, is the emblem of salvation, of knowledge of and participation in Christ. Cross-centred discipleship is the call of the Christian life. To crucify all privileges, status, wealth, perceived self-sufficiency in order to participate in Christ's suffering and death is to affirm one's heavenly citizenship. This is not a preoccupation with heaven to the neglect of life on earth, but a willingness to surrender all that is of perceived earthly value for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.
So where might you be resisting the call of the cross-shaped life? For whom might you intercede, even through tears, that they would come to know only Christ, and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2)?
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
So, all of us who are mature in the faith should see things this way. Maybe you think differently about something. But God will make it clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already reached. Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. You have us as a model. So, pay close attention to those who live as we do (Philippians 3:15-17).
What is Paul getting at in these verses?
It's helpful to recognize that Paul is picking up ideas from the beginning of chapter 2. There he says: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." The Greek word translated as "mindset" lies behind the phrase "such a view of things" and the word "think."
In other words, Paul is saying: "All of us who are mature should take on the same mindset as that of Christ Jesus, even as you have witnessed me doing while I was with you." Further, in considering everything a loss for the gain of knowing Christ, becoming like him in his death, Paul was practicing this mindset. In other words: to be mature in Christ is to have the mindset of Christ, as Kyra said yesterday.
Paul offers his own life and experience as a witness and pattern of this mindset. It humbly submits to God and gives up everything as loss. Maturing Christians are learning to say yes to Christ in every area of our lives every day – at home, at work, at school, in our leisure, in our finances, in our friendships. The task of the Christian life is to say, "Christ is my all in all, seeking him as a precious jewel." This had become Paul's life, full submission to Christ. And now he tells the Philippians: imitate me as I imitate Christ. Or imitate someone else whose life imitates mine or that of Christ.
If we know Christ, we will mature into living the life of Christ—that life of humble submission. If believing the right truths about Christ is as far as we get, then we have not yet grown up. This is an immature Christian life. Yet, as Kyra also mentioned yesterday, Paul remains "confident… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Indeed, as he says: wherever your mindset differs from that of Christ Jesus, Paul trusts that God will make it clear to you.
Paul also encourages us not to go backwards. "Let us live up to what we have already attained," he says. The goal is always to be straining forwards, looking ahead, keeping one's eyes fixed on Christ—or at least on those ahead of you who are following Christ—so that all of us might increasingly run the race of growing up into Christ until we become mature.
Who are you following into this mindset and way of Christ—this way of the cross: of humility, submission, and loss? Who is following you? And what is God clarifying to you? What is the next step of submission for you? How is God calling you to go deeper into the mindset of Christ? Where do you need to mature in your Christian faith?
As you seek Christian maturity, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).
Yesterday, Pastor Michael described the "upward spiral" of the Christian life, the continual dying and rising with Christ by which we are transformed more fully into his likeness. Today's verses continue to unpack what this process looks like.
The letter to the Philippians talks a fair bit about having the same mindset as Christ. This, it seems for Paul, is the measure of Christian maturity, and we've seen some examples of his teaching in this regard already in our exploration of the letter. In today's verses, he uses athletic language to describe this effort: "straining toward what is ahead" and "press[ing] on toward the goal to win the prize." Just as an athlete trains for a grueling race, so too striving after union with Christ requires a single-mindedness and self-denial.
But is striving for perfection in every step the goal Paul is describing? I'm not sure that's quite it. Paul notes that as he strives toward the prize, he must forget what is behind him. Think about Paul's history. In an earlier chapter of his life, he had been a lead persecutor of followers of Christ. He certainly had been the antithesis of what he is describing in this passage. And yet he knows himself to have been taken hold of by Christ. Were he to dwell forever on the mistakes of his past, living a life of perpetual regret, he would not have been able to do the work God had for him to do. And the challenges don't only seem to be in the past; the language of "straining" or "pressing" implies the kind of daily present hardships that Pastor Michael described yesterday.
So if Christian maturity Paul describes here is not past or present perfection, what is it? Paul locates the fullness of Christian maturity in the future–a divinely appointed goal to press toward. A goal toward which God has called, and thus for which Christ followers can expect to be supported by the Spirit.
What is perhaps most significant about what Paul says here is that, because Christian maturity is a future prize toward which a believer and believing community strains together with the Spirit's help, Christian maturity is not, at least in this life, a final destination. If a believer is pretty confident that they've already reached the fullest extent of Christian maturity, that's probably not a good sign.
If your past is full of failures or sins, or you consider yourself in a position now where you are still struggling, desiring faithfulness, but falling short–you're not a liability to Christ. Because Paul teaches that Christian maturity is not confidence of full attainment already, but a desire to grow, to admit past failures but not allow them to compromise our present or future witness, and to trust in God's calling and follow it with a single-minded focus and fervour. Like Paul, we do not consider ourselves having taken hold of all that is ours. Rather, we trust that our God is accompanying us on the journey, and there is much goodness that lies ahead.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11).
There are many little tangents one could take out of these beautiful verses. We'll stick with just one: our union as Christians with the death and resurrection of Jesus.
But here Paul throws an odd twist into it. It does not show up in the usual order of death, then resurrection. Instead, Paul begins with resurrection—then talks about suffering and death before returning to resurrection again.
The Christian life is to be an upward spiral. Every day we begin in the resurrection life of Jesus. A new day: a gift of life to be thankful for. Not simply because we woke up on the right side of the ground—but because we have life in Jesus! We wake up into a sure hope that gives purpose and direction to our giving and our grieving, our working and our washing, our studying and our suffering. What we wake up into is a life in Christ, a Christian life—a new life filled with new mercies every morning.
If we wake up in the morning and think, "What can I get out of this day? How much can I make? What urges can I satisfy?" If we start there, we do not enter this upward spiral. However, if we start with this, "How can I serve God today? What is he calling me to? Who is he calling me to love today and what form will that love take?" With such questions we enter the upward spiral Paul is reflecting on.
As we move through each new day—this Christian life calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus in his humble, self-giving, submissive way. On this side of eternity, resurrection life is not ours in its fullness. We still must die to ourselves and to our sins and all these other things that fall away in the all-surpassing glory of knowing Jesus.
We must reckon with and die to our rage at the bad driver in front of us. We must loosen our grip on our status, accomplishments, and wealth that we have. Or on our desires to have them. We must confront and suffer our way through a still sin-broken world where nothing is as God intended. But, as we do: suffering with Jesus and letting our ambitions and sins die in his death, the Spirit forms the new, resurrection life of Christ ever more fully within us.
Sometimes this happens slowly over years and decades. And sometimes we can see the full course of this rhythm of life-suffering-death-life all in one day or moment.
Round and round it goes, down through the years—a continuing spiral of rising and dying and rising again until Christ is formed in us. Sometimes we slip downward. But Christ will find us and continue his work. This is how we come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection at work in us and come to believe more fully that yes: this Christ who is bringing us to life in the little, daily things, can also be trusted to keep his promise to raise us to life at the end of all things.
So, while there is much suffering still to be endured and many things in our lives that we still must die to, it is worth remembering as Paul does that the first and final word of the journey with Jesus is life.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 14:1-24. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the 'outsiders' in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith" (Philippians 3:8-9).
In the verses for today, along with those from yesterday, Paul reflects on the salvation that comes, as Pastor Michael talked about yesterday, exclusively through Christ. The verses for today continue that reflection and look back to earlier in the letter, to the poem about Christ in chapter 2:5-11.
This poem, and Paul's words in yesterday and today's verses, talk about two people who begin with elevated status. Jesus, being in very nature God. And to a far lesser degree, of course, but still of religious and cultural significance, Paul who, as Pastor Michael described yesterday, had a strong Jewish pedigree. He was righteous, well-educated, and zealous for the law.
But Paul has come to understand, and expresses in today's verses, that his version of superiority was never actually any such thing. How does he know that? He looks at Christ and recalls his poetic description in chapter 2. Christ's adoption of the form of a slave, his obedience to God and willingness to take on the humiliation of the cross, required his willful self-emptying of what was a genuine superiority. Paul, on the other hand, comes to understand that to follow Christ in his own self-emptying requires a change in his self-perception.
This kind of reversal is critical for we who are Christ's followers to grasp. Certainly, as Pastor Michael described yesterday, because we have to rightly understand the source of our salvation. And also because, when we have recognized the grace of our salvation, we respond by becoming increasingly like Christ by the work of the Spirit. And to follow the one who took on human likeness, who was obedient to death–even death on a cross–requires, as the Christ poem reveals to us, deep humility.
This is not the kind of humility that says, "Although, in reality, I am superior because [fill in the blank], I will follow Christ and humble myself." If we are honest with ourselves, this is often how we practice humility. But Paul says there is nothing we have that can fill in that blank. It's all garbage. All we have is Christ, and the privilege to follow in his footsteps and mirror his downward motion for our sake.
So the gift of faith leads to humility, and humility leads to Christ's service, not to earn our salvation, but as a response to grace. As we undergo a change in our self-perception, a change in understanding where our value is from, because we no longer consider any of our privilege, power, intelligence, money–you name it–as valuable in themselves, they can be transformed into tools used in service of the faith we profess, in service of Christ. And this is the "righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:4-7).
No confidence in the flesh, Paul says, speaking firmly against any sort of "Jesus-and" faith. Like a faith that says salvation comes by Jesus, and circumcision; or Jesus and following the law; or Jesus and good worship; or Jesus and good kid's programs; or Jesus and good ethics. Certainly, these things are important in the life of the church and the life of the Christian—but they have no place in securing our salvation.
In the shifting sands of culture and technology, we tend to reach for something more than Jesus—something tangible we can hold on to, to know we're safe and secure. We build up walls of policy and doctrine, or of research and knowledge, or of wealth and possessions, or of whatever. Something tangible that we can control so that we can keep the sky from falling on us. This has been going on since the beginning of the church—like it does here in Philippians. There's nothing new under the sun.
But the Christian faith is not a "Jesus-and" faith. It's just Jesus that saves us. Him alone. We put no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in any of the things that we can see, achieve, hold on to, or control.
Paul gives an example. As far as Judaism goes: Paul was at the top of the class. Not only was he born into the privilege of a strong, practicing Jewish pedigree—but he also had the smarts and the drive to pursue that Jewish faith to the Nth degree—not content with the achievements of joining the legally righteous Pharisaical sect, but also pursuing an absolutely faultless life and a zealous persecution of all those who stepped outside it—like Christians. But now: all these things he once considered gain he counts as loss.
Paul does not see his previous privilege and achievements as garbage—they were gains! But considering the surpassing greatness and sufficiency of Jesus and him alone—he considers all else loss. Even what he had previously considered as gains.
So it is for our wealth and our institutions, our success and our knowledge—they may very well be gains in any other sense. But they don't save us. There's nothing there to put confidence in. In fact, compared to the surpassing sufficiency of Christ, they are a loss. Or perhaps better said, they are to be lost. Our need for them must die, such that we hold on to nothing else but Jesus. This is what Paul's getting at.
What gains in the world of the flesh do you rest your spiritual security upon? That is, your salvation? Does it rest on nothing but Jesus? Do you hold onto Jesus and some other things? What do you need to lose?
How do we go about losing those things? Two things to start: as Kyra said yesterday, worship the triune God, including within the context of public worship. Second, get to know Jesus. You will discover that he is up to the task of saving you.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence" (Philippians 3:1-4a).
Having spent some time commending partners in the gospel to the Philippian church, Paul now turns to another subject somewhat abruptly, and his tone changes with it. He has described those who are exemplary models for the community, but he now does the opposite, warning against those he calls "dogs, evildoers, mutilators of the flesh." This is very strong language coming from a letter which, up to this point, has been full of joy and encouragement even in the midst of suffering.
Paul's warning here might be familiar to you if you've read some of his other writings. In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul warns against a group of people that scholars of Paul's letters call "Judaizers." These were people who would follow along the path of Paul's missionary journeys, teaching that groups of Gentile converts (like the church in Philippi) had to be circumcised in order to join Jewish Christ-followers as a community of faith. In Galatians, Paul writes a pretty strongly worded letter to those tempted to heed the false teaching of this group of people, rather than recognizing and teaching that the grace of Christ meant that to be included in the family of God no longer required the physical symbol of circumcision. To preach the opposite, Paul said, was to "pervert the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:7). It is these teachers and their message that most scholars believe is being addressed in today's verses as well.
For the believers in Philippi, and for all believers, the thing which unites them is not a sign in the flesh like circumcision, but a unity achieved by God's presence among them and working through them by the Holy Spirit.
The exhortations that Paul gives the Philippian church just before and after his warning against false teachers begins to give us an indicator of the practices Paul encourages the community to pursue which will shape them to be resilient to false teaching. He encourages them both to "rejoice in the Lord" (v. 1) and "boast in Jesus Christ" (v. 3). In essence, he's encouraging them to worship and to testify to the truth of who God has revealed himself to be in Christ.
These are practices that believers like us today can also trust to help us as we encounter false teachings, whether those that come from within the church or outside of it. We don't necessarily always think of worship as an antidote to false teaching. We may first think of doctrinal debate or apologetics as the right approach. Perhaps we wonder, or have heard others wonder, why regular worship practices, including attendance at weekly services, are important. In this passage, Paul indicates that communal practices of rejoicing and testifying about who Christ is–things the church does weekly in Christian worship–orient believers repeatedly to what is true and what is not. Being saturated in the word, active in praise and worship, and joined with a community of faith in fellowship–these provide us with the knowledge, the posture, and the accountability structures of community to help shape our minds and our hearts for discernment. And most importantly, of course, worship fosters relationship with God, and in so doing, makes it only natural that we would rejoice.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed, he was ill and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I am even more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad, and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. (Philippians 2:25-30).
After commending Timothy to the Philippians, Paul turns his attention to Epaphroditus who gets even more space than Timothy and a commendation even grander than Timothy's because of the things he endured for the sake of the gospel. He was probably a convert since he was named for the goddess Aphrodite.
Roman prisons made little, if any, provision for the prisoner's food, clothing, bedding, or hygiene. Such things would need to be brought into the prison by family and friends. The church at Philippi, having heard that Paul was imprisoned in Rome, sent Epaphroditus with money and other gifts and charged him to remain and tend to all of Paul's needs on their behalf.
As he was fulfilling this service, Epaphroditus became deathly ill. But through God's grace he recovered. Paul now wants to return him to Philippi, an act which will relieve the anxiety of the church (which has heard of Epaphroditus' illness), and of Epaphroditus himself (who has been distressed that the church was distressed).
No doubt much of the church's anxiety was not only concern for the health of the messenger but also frustration over what seemed a failed mission. Epaphroditus was sent to serve Paul, but as it turned out, Paul ended up caring for a deathly ill co-worker. Paul wants to relieve all such anxieties and to pave the way for a joyful return.
The mission had not failed. Epaphroditus became a servant to Paul in his need, and just as Christ Jesus "became obedient to death—even death on a cross", so Epaphroditus came near death in faithful service for Christ. Just as God, in response to Christ's obedience, exalted him to the highest place, so Epaphroditus should be welcomed back to Philippi with joy and honor because of his obedience and sacrifice.
In relation to Paul, he is a brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier; in relation to the church, he is their messenger and servant. As to his performance while with Paul, Epaphroditus almost died for the work of Christ. In a hostile environment he did not retreat but risked his life to minister to Paul. The church should not doubt him but follow his example of willing sacrifice.
Therefore, says Paul, let no cloud of doubt or disappointment spoil his home coming. Welcome him with the joy and honor appropriate to his selfless and sacrificial ministry. Epaphroditus risked his life for the sake of Christ. He is to be respected for this.
Who do you know who risked or risks much for the sake of the gospel and the coming kingdom? We should all know such a person, whether they have already passed into glory or still here on this earth. They inspire our faith. They inspire our sacrifice. In the early church, there was a society known as 'the gamblers', who risked their lives to care for the sick and imprisoned and to give martyrs and even enemies an honourable burial.
The work of the indwelling God changed both Timothy and Epaphroditus into the likeness of the great Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were varied characters, with varying gifts and diverse temperaments; their backgrounds could not have been more dissimilar; but they were each coming to resemble the Saviour; they loved him and followed his example. What was true of them can be true of us; God has not changed.
As you journey on go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon" (Philippians 2:19-24).
In our text for today, Paul is doing something very practical. He is commending to the church in Philippi one of his co-workers in the gospel, a young man named Timothy, in anticipation of his visit, and the hope that Paul himself will also eventually return to them.
But Paul's commendation of Timothy isn't only practical. It is an indication of the ways in which Timothy serves as an example to the church of the kinds of things Paul has been exhorting them toward in the first part of his letter. Paul had encouraged the believers to look "not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:3-4). In our text for today, he speaks of Timothy as showing "genuine concern for [the church's] welfare." As we have seen repeatedly, Paul emphasizes the importance of relationships among believers as key to demonstrating the gospel message of grace.
Paul also indicates that the Philippian church is aware of Timothy's character in the context of his relationship to Paul, which he compares to a son with his father. Again, think of earlier in Philippians 2 and the way that Jesus is described as obedient to the will of his Father, being humbled and then exalted. Paul's description of Timothy as a son is an indication of Timothy's own Christ-like character.
So Paul sends Timothy with encouragement and, in doing so, invites the Philippian church to welcome him with gratitude and graciousness and to imitate his example. He identifies himself with Timothy, speaking of him as a co-labourer. While he hopes he can visit the community again one day, he entrusts their welfare to Timothy in the event he cannot.
This kind of sending and receiving is part of the way that churches continue to do kingdom work today. It's one of the ways we embody the mission of God that we are committed to as a church.
Immanuel has its own relationships with people it sends and receives, including various Faith Promise and missionary partners we believe are advancing the kingdom alongside us, but in other contexts. As a church committed to this work, we have a similar responsibility to Paul: To send these people with encouragement, and to cheerfully and prayerfully receive their reports about the work we have commissioned them to do. We are called to identify ourselves with them as co-labourers, and with the local and global church communities to which we send them, whether or not (like Paul) we get a chance to visit ourselves. We are one body, all of us together, and to tangibly live that out is part of the commitment a sending and supporting church makes.
So when is the last time you prayed for or intentionally encouraged those this church has committed to sending and receiving, or the communities to which you have sent them? Perhaps consider doing so today. This is part of the missional task God has given to the church, and I can speak from personal experience about how meaningful it is to receive this kind of support as a missional worker. And, as Paul himself anticipates, you may find yourself cheered by this effort too!
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Kings 5:1-16. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions:
- What question from 2 Kings 1 lies in the background to this chapter?
- What is unique about the young servant girl? Why is she a true Israelite? How does she stand in contrast to both Naaman and the king of Israel?
- What might God ask you to give up if you fully commit to him?
- How do the waters of the Jordan hint towards baptism?
- Do you believe that God is able?
And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So, you too should be glad and rejoice with me (Philippians 2:16b-18).
We are still following Paul's reflections on 'working out our salvation with fear and trembling'. This phrase does not mean nervous apprehension with which the guilty face a judge. Rather, it expresses the awe that we experience in the presence of God. Now we discover that this fear and trembling includes joy; the deep, foundational joy of the Christian life.
The salvation process in which we participate along with the Holy Spirit is worked out in all circumstances, even in pain, suffering, loss, death, prison, uncertainty, perplexity. It is not that we are glad for the pain, but we know the suffering is temporary and God is at work within it. So, even during unpleasant circumstances we know the 'joy of our salvation' (Psalm 51:12).
This joy does not ignore the suffering of loss or the darkness of depression. It does not suggest that every Christian should be happy every day. Rather, it comes with the sacrifices we willingly make for the sake of the gospel. It is the joy that comes when our sacrifices result in others entering the shalom of God's kingdom.
In Hebrews we read, "For the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (12:2). Our salvation was wrought through the shame and suffering of this cross. Christ's suffering also stands as an example for us to follow. He endured the torture, at least in part, because he knew the joy salvation would bring to us. Likewise, we are called to suffer for the sake of the gospel because of the joy it will bring to others.
Here is an element of the Christian faith that we may resist. My parents speak of the sacrifices they made to establish churches and Christian schools and to send out missionaries. They would go without for the sake of the kingdom. Have you made such a sacrifice? Take some time to reflect on this. Let the Holy Spirit speak truth to you. The Philippians have done much and sacrificed much to aid Paul in his proclamation of the gospel; he names this "the sacrifice and service coming from your faith".
In Leviticus, there are several passing references to a 'drink offering', commonly understood as a small and final offering. It was still common practice in pagan rituals in Paul's day. He alludes to his potential death as but 'a drink offering' added to all the sacrifices the Philippian Christians have made for the gospel in the process of "working out their salvation with fear and trembling". He will be glad to give his life for the sake of the gospel in addition to all that the Philippians have given. Paul views the Philippians' continued obedience and steadfastness amid persecution as an offering to God of greater worth than the offering of his own apostolic labors—labors that may end in his death.
We have no animals to bring but we do have a sacrifice acceptable to God. The gift of a life of obedience—character-building, holiness and witness—the life to which our faith prompts us. This is our priestly service to God. May we all joyfully offer it to him.
As you contiue to work out your salvation, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life" (Philippians 2:14-16a).
There are times I wonder–and maybe some of you have too–whether God might not have picked a more effective strategy for building his kingdom than this rag tag group of people called the church. Whenever I ask this question, I return to the writing of one of my favourite theologians–a missiologist and missionary in India for much of his life by the name of Lesslie Newbigin–because he answers it.
Here's one of the quotes from his book The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society which helps me when I wonder about the church: "I have come to feel that the primary reality of which we have to take account in seeking for a Christian impact on public life is the Christian congregation. How is it possible for the gospel to be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it."
This, I think, might be something similar to what Paul is getting at in our passage for today. "Do everything without grumbling or arguing" is quite a command. As is the expectation that his audience could become "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Why would he set such a high bar for struggling people? The reason, I think, has to do with what Lesslie Newbigin is articulating–that no matter what a church professes to believe, if it doesn't change the way they live, the gospel isn't going to seem all that convincing.
To live out what we profess, or to "shine" in a context Paul describes as "warped and crooked" means, for the Philippian church and for us, to acknowledge the way in which we ourselves are warped and crooked. We don't get to be self-righteous and assume that the warping and crookedness is only in the people around us. That's often where we get in our own way as Christians interacting with others outside of the church. If we are going to be effective witnesses, we're going to have to acknowledge our own failures first. This is part of the working out of our salvation "with fear and trembling" that Pastor Michael talked about yesterday, and the humility we talked about last week.
But then, as Newbigin points out, when we have acknowledged our warping and crookedness, and have received grace through Christ, the Spirit uses what we profess to work reconciliation and make an actual tangible difference in the relationships and actions of members of the church as they interact with each other and go out into the world. It makes the church, as Newbigin says, "the only hermeneutic of the gospel," or, in other words, the way people understand and interpret what the gospel is all about.
Neither Paul nor Newbigin makes this transformation optional for the Christian community. Paul insists it is part of the church becoming "blameless and pure" and Newbigin suggests that for a community of people who seek to make the gospel credible, it's the only way. As Pastor Michael pointed out yesterday, "Sometimes it appears that Christians reduce the godly life to the gathering of correct information." Paul and Newbigin tell us that's not enough. Our lives need to reflect what we believe. But this isn't just another rule to follow. When we live this way, we ourselves will be blessed as we both receive and extend the grace and love of Christ. It's the beauty of the gospel; it really is good news.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:12-13).
This is a text I cherish. For three reasons.
One, it does not place responsibility for the spiritual growth of the congregation on the pastor. Certainly, pastors have a responsibility, but it is not primary, it is not even secondary. At best our responsibility is tertiary. This helps me sleep.
Two, and more to the point, it gives us pastors permission to nudge and encourage the people under our spiritual care to get busy. Salvation is not just something received. It is received, of course, but it is also worked out. It is a matter of obedience to work out the consequences of salvation in our individual and communal lives. Christians must exert themselves, put effort in. Paul has in mind continuous, sustained, and strenuous effort. The kind of workout where the muscles get tired and want to quit, but one pushes through the pain to increase muscle strength and endurance.
As Christians, people redeemed in Christ, we are to walk in step with the Spirit as the Spirit grows his fruit in us. Or to use the words of this chapter, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (2:3,4). The grace of God does more than get us into heaven. It also teaches us to say no to ungodly activity and to live righteous lives (Titus 2:11-12). But this is not easily done.
Sometimes it appears that Christians reduce the godly life to the gathering of correct information. The most exertion required is that which gets us out of bed and to church on Sunday morning. If we have a preacher that preaches the truth, all will be well. Truth is important, but it is insufficient. If we do not apply that truth in our lives, we remain disobedient. We must allow the Spirit to identity patterns of sinfulness in our lives and to use various means to root them out.
In classic Christian literature, we face three strong and wily enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Paul calls us to make full use of every God-appointed means to defeat the evil so that the good has room to grow. Spiritual disciplines are not simply to gain knowledge or 'do time'. Such discipline should always be about this: working out our salvation.
We pastors are sometimes invited to walk alongside people as they work this out. It is a tremendous privilege and often full of joy. However, at times it can be discouraging. Progress is slow. First gear is a frustratingly sluggish pace. Sometimes, we witness people stuck in reverse. At those times, it is important to remember that these verses place no responsibility on pastors or others who walk alongside. Rather, it says, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose". That, my friends, is good news indeed and the third reason I cherish this text.
We are not on our own against our formidable enemies. God himself is at work. The God who exalted Jesus from death to the highest place is himself at work in you and me labouring out our salvation. We work with fear and trembling, not in despair, but in hope, in expectation, in certainty that progress is being made. The Holy Spirit is the chief teacher and worker after all.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
One of the reasons I love the Christ poem that we have been looking at in Philippians 2:6-11 over the past couple of days is the way that it draws together ideas from across Scripture to demonstrate the significance of who Christ is and what he has done.
One such example is the allusion that many Bible scholars find in the verses for today to an Old Testament text, Isaiah 45:23-24, where the prophet delivers these words from God: "By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame." This passage in Isaiah comes from the middle part of the book, which is a dramatic announcement, while the Israelites are in exile in Babylon, that the time of exile has ended, that God has a plan to release them from foreign domination and return them to their land.
In Philippians 2, the verses we've read for today, the same claim is made with implications for the church–in Philippi and around the Roman empire–that the oppressive power which rules them will be subdued. God the Father has, by the obedient death of the Son, brought about the redemption of his people. He has exalted the Son to the "highest place" giving him the "name that is above every name" and all will bow before him and confess that he is Lord, "to the glory of God the Father."
Just as God promised in Isaiah 45, despite the fact that the people were still in exile, that the time of exile had ended and God had acted redemptively on their behalf, in Christ, God has acted redemptively again on behalf of his people. In spite of the fact that the Philippian church still experienced the daily realities of suffering under a foreign empire, just as the Israelites had in Babylon, the work that was accomplished in Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection, meant that the empire of Rome was already defeated. Their fate was sealed; their power would give way to the one whose name is above every name.
But it wasn't just Rome; every other power across time and space would give way. Every knee would bow and every tongue confess Christ's lordship. The church, whether in Philippi or among us today, is called to live as those who believe that the Son has been exalted, that he already rules over all things, in spite of any evidence to the contrary. For those of us who do not live under oppressive powers, we can easily lose sight of the significance of this. But for our siblings in Christ around the world who suffer for their testimony that Christ rules, this changes everything. So perhaps the question for us today is this: What difference does Christ's lordship make for you and your community here and now?
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Kings 2:1-15. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Elijah takes Elisha on a journey. What do these places represent for Israel?
- Idolatry is difficult to sort out in our own hearts. It is most often about trust. Who do you trust?
- If we trust in God, we learn to obey him. But obedience can be costly. Has it cost you?
- In our story, God provided for Elisha to carry on Elijah's ministry. Will you trust God to provide for you so you can serve him?
- Where is God now?
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)
This hymn doesn't say that Jesus humbled himself for us. It just says that he humbled himself. If his humbling was before or for anyone: it was for God the Father, the only other person mentioned. Jesus responded to the Father by giving up everything and making himself nothing.
There are a few downward steps that Jesus takes. He lets go of his divine right to use his divine status and power. This is the very opposite move to that of Adam and Eve who grasped the status and power Jesus relinquished ("You'll be like God!" the serpent said).
Letting go of his rights to exercise the role, status, and power of God, Jesus turns in humility and makes himself nothing—a servant—a human—and eventually a crucified, humiliated, dead human.
He is born into this world a human. The face of God visible to all in the form of new, fragile, helpless human life. Jesus lives and teaches, suffering among a suffering people. Having borne their burdens and having compassion on their needs, Jesus submits himself to death on a cross. He could have called a legion of angels to spare him from this fate; he could have crushed the Romans; he could have come down from the cross. But he didn't do that. He did not use the divine power and status that was his to use. He gave it up. He became nothing and humbled himself to death—became obedient even to this death on a cross.
This resonates with deep biblical themes. In Deuteronomy, the first and second commandment, together with the Shema, say the same thing: submit yourself firstly, lovingly, and exclusively to God. Or in the Psalms where the action of the psalmists is to submit themselves and their situation fully to God—seeking no recourse of their own. It is God who will have to vindicate their cause. God, whose justice, power, and praise will be shown and known. Jesus does the same.
What does it look like for us to follow Jesus in this way of the cross in our relationships? What might it mean to make ourselves nothing, to humble ourselves, to make ourselves servants? That is, to let go of all our ability to control a situation, all our roles and titles, all our resources and assets, all our relational capital in friends, family, and networks of acquaintances?
This is not the sort of humility that denies having abilities, skills, relationships, or power. This humility looks with a clear eye at the rights, skills, relationships, and privileges we have and resolutely chooses not to use them for our own self—perhaps even choosing to give them up altogether.
This humility chooses not to seek another term; chooses not to step in and unduly influence an important decision; chooses not to purchase the expected property or possessions that social or economic peers have; chooses not to exact retribution; chooses to forgive.
We face variations on any of these examples from childhood on. Perhaps they sound less radical than we might expect. Yes, there are times that the call is to give up everything one has. More often we are called to give these things up slowly across a lifetime in the smaller, daily decisions of life. How might you take one step in this humble direction today? But why would you? Because, like Jesus, you trust God with your life.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
[Christ] "Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7).
Today, I'm going to begin by painting a picture for you. If you visited Philippi, as Paul did, in the late 40s AD, you would have seen a brand-new forum, a monumental square surrounded by various public buildings sheltering the civic life of the colony, a temple for the imperial cult, a marketplace, and more. You would also have seen a very long inscription (nearly 20 metres), made of huge bronze letters, engraved on the floor of the square to commemorate the paving of the new forum by a man who had been a priest of the deified Emperor Augustus. In the northeastern corner of the forum, an honorary monument supporting statues of the emperor Claudius and his relatives was erected. Then, a huge (5 metre long) dedication to the imperial family was carved on a wall at the centre of the city.
Why am I sharing all of these details of ancient Roman architecture with you? Because it's important for us to understand the magnitude of what Paul is saying about who Christ is and what he has done in our verses for today. See, wherever you went in the city of Philippi, it was impossible not to be reminded, by buildings, statues, and inscriptions, who was in charge and who should be worshipped. The answer was obvious to any occupant of Philippi: it was the Roman emperor, known by a Latin title translating to "son of God." Emperor Augustus had used this title to solidify his power and position within the Roman state. His near-equality with the gods had certainly been used to his own advantage.
But then, here comes Paul with quite a different story about who the Son of God is and what he does: "Christ, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
Pastor Michael talked yesterday about what it means to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. In the context of the Roman city of Philippi, it was to have the complete opposite mindset of most everyone you encountered around you. You would have walked past towering structures which would have been a daily temptation to interpret the Christ poem we read for today as utter foolishness. What kind of Son of God would choose to become like a servant–or perhaps, to translate the Greek even more accurately, a slave?
This is the kind of God we serve. One who is fully divine and who chose to be made in human likeness. It was not a decision to stop being divine, however, it was a decision to reveal to us what it really meant to be divine. And while we don't have towers of emperors around Hamilton city hall today, this message of radical self-emptying is not much less controversial in our context. We still often carry with us, and have modeled for us by world leaders, definitions of divinity, of power, of authority and influence, that are much nearer the definitions Paul is critiquing than those he is demonstrating as being Christ's own.
So the invitation for us today is to interrogate our own surroundings, as we've done Philippi, and the messages they have for us about what and who is worthy of worship and power. Then, we will be able to hold them up against the example Paul gives, of one who is, in very nature, God, and yet made himself nothing for us.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus… (Philippians 2:5)
Yesterday, Kyra said, "The kind of like-mindedness that Paul advocates for is the kind that comes, not from uniformity, but from the willingness to give priority to the needs of others and sacrifice one's own." And as she said, 'that's awfully hard to do." But how do we do it? Paul answers that question in our text, "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus".
Jesus lays down for us the two greatest commandments: Love the Lord Your God with all you've got and love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus defines the love he's talking about through his own action: dying for us on the cross. As he offers his life, he gives all his heart, soul, mind, and strength in an act of love for the Father and for us.
This is the crux of the Christian faith. Jesus crucified is the entire story. It tells us what Jesus has done for us. It tells us what to preach. It also tells us and shows us how to live. Keep Jesus and his cross at the centre—as that thing that defines all else—and everything else will find its way. In fact, if we do this: others will see the life of Christ in us as we live it, bringing glory and praise to God!
Paul also puts Jesus and his cross at the centre of the life of the church. He invites us to have this very same mindset as Jesus in our relationships with one another. That is, to have the mindset of Christ and him crucified. As Paul will go on to tell, and as we will cover in the days to come, to have the mindset of Christ means having an attitude and practice of humble, loving submission before God that allows us to give everything else up to be a loving servant to others.
This command is at the very heart of the gospel. It resonates with Jesus' own commands to love one another and to take up our cross and follow him. By these things, the world will know we are his disciples.
It's not easy though. There are times when I'm right and the other person is wrong; times when I want what someone else has; times when I'm paralyzed by what someone else thinks of me; times when I've been hurt by someone or when I want to hurt someone for what they have said or done. These are the sort of small, sometimes even petty things, that undercut loving relationships in the church and that can breed mistrust, fear, discord, malice, slander, and the sort of fights that lead to division. It is in these very situations that we are to have the mindset of Jesus Christ.
What are we to do when we come to these moments finding our motivations are less than wholesome or holy? Take on the mindset of Jesus and his cross. We are called to humbly die to ourselves. It often looks like a prayer. "Dear God, forgive me for my anger towards so-and-so. Help me to love them instead, even though I don't want to." Asking forgiveness is a humbling action. It's a dying to ourselves. But in that action, we take on the mindset of Christ that frees us to live and to love.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:1-4).
Yesterday, Pastor Michael talked about living as those who have died and risen with Christ, those whose witness to Christ is without fear. In today's verses, we have a practical example of what such fearless living looks like: unity, like-mindedness, humility, and self-sacrifice.
In the context of Philippi, these virtues required a sort of fearlessness. Philippi was a highly stratified and diverse city, as were many that Paul visited in his ministry. The ruling class was Latin in language, culturally Italian, and politically Roman. However, on the margins, including the outskirts of the city and in the lower classes, many were Macedonian or Thracian (which are culturally and linguistically Greek) or immigrants coming from places like Egypt, Asia Minor, and Judea. There were as many as 35 different local deities worshipped in the city, alongside the Roman emperor worship. In a context of such diversity, to seek unity, like-mindedness, humility, and self-sacrifice required the courage that we discussed yesterday. It involved dying to self.
Such division and diversity, although in a different cultural context, likely feels familiar to many of us as well. We too live in a context where divisions along political, ideological, and ethical lines are common. In such a context, unflinching conviction is often perceived as the most effective way to advance any cause.
However, Paul seems to suggest something more nuanced in this passage. Initially, it does seem that Paul expects the whole community to think the same way. He begins by saying that the Philippian church will make his joy complete by being like-minded, and one in spirit and mind. However, he quickly follows this with commands about humility, valuing others above oneself, and looking to the interests of others. If these are his next commands, then perhaps like-mindedness is a bit more complicated than his first statement would suggest. The need for humility and sacrifice for the sake of others' interests implies that this community is not, in fact, like-minded in the sense that they all agree. The kind of like-mindedness that Paul advocates for is the kind that comes, not from uniformity, but from the willingness to give priority to the needs of others and sacrifice one's own.
This, I think, is rather good news for the western church in a context of deep division. We actually are not all expected to think the exact same way on every subject. What is expected of us is finding a way to live together, with humility, in spite of that.
This seems awfully easy to say and awfully hard to do, you might say. And you'd be right. But we have to remember that Paul isn't viewing diversity of thought through rose-coloured glasses. He doesn't think it's going to be easy. He is working with a church in a deeply divided context. It's simply that for him, the fact that the church has, as he begins, been united with Christ, comforted by his love, and given a common sharing in the Spirit, was actually meant to make enough of a difference that other differences could be viewed only in that context. And that, complex though it is, is something for us to strive for too.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have (Philippians 1:27-30).
As we heard on Friday, Paul expects "to remain and continue" ministering with the church. Now he says something quite different. Now it's qualified: "whatever happens."
This is deeper than his travel plans. He does not want the faith of the Philippians to be dependent upon him, but upon Christ. He wants society and even their persecutors to see Christ in the way they suffer and in the way that they contend for the faith of the gospel—as athletes working together side-by-side on one team. When neighbours look at Christians, our witness should not be to Paul (or our own leaders), but to Christ.
This will be the witness, the sign to these others that they might be destroyed. Now, the church is to not preach this destruction, nor enact it by being cruel or retaliatory toward persecutors. Rather, by enduring our suffering in the same humble way of Christ, we bear to witness that we have something in God through Christ. We have something greater than any threat of suffering or death can extinguish.
Some baptismal traditions have a beautiful way of symbolizing this. There's a stone baptistry in Philippi where those being baptized walk down steps into the waters of a running river. They take off their old clothes as they descend into the water—a sign of dying to themselves and their old way of life in the death of Christ. Then, having been baptized, they walk up the other side out of the water. On their ascent, they are given a new white robe signifying the new life of Christ to which they had just been united.
Why the Christians could stand and face martyrdom willingly, even with joy, remained a mystery to Caesar and his subjects. But the thing is, you just can't scare dead people. These Christians were already dead in the death of Christ. They had nothing to fear. All that was on display within them was the life of Christ: joy, peace, patience, and persevering love—all the fruit of the Spirit.
We too are baptized saints: baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To those around us—whether we are suffering or living in relative peace and joy—do they see this clear witness to Christ within us? Do they see that we are a people who live without fear? Do they see that we contend together as one for the faith of the gospel? Do they see that we live in the fruit of the Spirit and the life of Christ no matter what we face? This is Paul's prayer and invitation to us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Kings 19:1-18
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
“Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me” (Philippians 1:24-25).
Yesterday, Pastor Michael reflected on Paul’s indifference, even hope in anticipation of his death, but also of his commitment to life for the sake of the church. In today’s verses, Paul dives further into why he is committed to remaining an active part of the church that God is forming among the Gentiles.
Paul’s reasons for staying include the church’s “progress and joy in the faith” as well as giving them reason to “boast in Christ Jesus.” Now, if you’re like me, growing up reading this passage and others in Paul’s corpus of letters where he makes similar statements, you might be asking yourself, “Doesn’t Paul sound a bit arrogant? Does the church really live or die by Paul’s presence?” Perhaps you’re willing to concede that Paul, significant character that he is in the story of Scripture, may be justified in such a claim. He started a lot of churches, had a pretty compelling way of talking about Jesus, and certainly was used by God in some remarkable ways.
However, Paul’s confidence in the importance of his presence with the church is not rooted in his particular talents. He is not confident merely in his own gifts for the church, but the necessity of his role as part of the body of Christ as a whole. This means that the claims he makes about the progress and joy of the church, and the fact that believers can boast on account of him are words that can and should apply to any member of a church.
We are likely familiar with Paul’s teaching on this subject in a different letter, his letter to the Corinthian church, where in chapter 12 he speaks of the necessity of all members of the body of Christ: “Suppose,” Paul says, “the foot says, ‘I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.’ By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. And suppose the ear says, ‘I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.’ By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be . . . You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.”
The reason that Paul is convinced that he must stay with the church to encourage its progress and joy, to give it a reason to boast in Christ, is because this is true of every single member of the body. Each member of Christ’s church becomes an essential part of what God is doing in the world.
Are you as convicted as Paul is that you are necessary to the body of Christ? Do you go to church on Sunday morning, provide leadership as an office bearer, on a ministry team, leading youth of various ages, or volunteering in any other capacity within Immanuel or beyond its walls in the assurance that your presence makes a tangible difference–that it will lead to others’ progress and joy in the faith, a reason to boast in Christ Jesus?
If your answer to this is “no,” read Paul’s words again. They are as true of you, no matter who you are and what your role is in Christ’s body, as they were of Paul, transformative leader that he was. If your answer to this question is “yes,” what are you doing to make sure that others around you are convinced of the same truth? We are Christ’s body, and we have reason to remain members of one another and remind one another of why that is significant–for the sake of mutual joy and progress in the faith. For the sake of Christ and his kingdom.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body (Philippians 1:21-24).
Thanks to Kyra for her wonderful series on “New Hope”. Now, back to Philippines.
Our text helps us to accept our own impending death, a topic many avoid. Historically, people died at home, with family present. In many places, this is still the case. But in Canada, many die in hospitals or nursing homes, often alone. Their bodies are quickly moved to the morgue or sent to the crematorium, families not knowing what to do with death.
It is the worst possible event for those who believe they have an inalienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. We cope with death by ignoring its existence. When I started in ministry, most families had a notion of what to do when a loved one died. Today, I often hear the question, “What are we supposed to do?” There are no cultural norms or rituals for responding to death. Preparation for it is avoided. Consider the effort put into staying young and fit.
Into this vacuum, Christians enter with a different story. Paul is writing from his prison in Rome, knowing that execution is likely. So, both Paul and the Philippians are confronted with the specter of his imminent death. Paul is conflicted in this passage. He sees advantages both in dying and in staying alive.
Paul has been saying, “Living well means seeking the glory of Christ.” This has been his motto since he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. When he dies, he will finally be with Christ and his sinfulness will no longer detract from his Lord’s glory.
As Christians, we believe that there is life after death, even the resurrection of our physical bodies. And that life is better than this one. Many people do not have this hope. To be with Christ is far better than to be here, says Paul. Do you believe that? When we do, it impacts how we live and how we view death.
Paul’s conflict is that he also believes the Philippian church still needs his service: “…it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” He is willing to stay. He is willing to sacrifice his own gain for the sake of the church. He lives what he will later write, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (2:4). Paul believes that continued life is a greater sacrifice than dying.
Let me put it plainly, physical life or death are not of ultimate importance to Paul. Living means carrying out his calling to preach Christ and dying means gaining conformity with Christ’s death and fellowship with him. He hopes for the outcome that will most clearly advance the gospel of Christ. This strikes us as strange if we have allowed the comforts of our present physical existence to have higher priority than Christ. Paul is astonishingly indifferent toward his own death. He invites us to take the same attitude.
This is not, of course, to say that mourning is out of place for the Christian when loved ones die. The fact that they are with the Lord does not take away from our experience of loss. Tears are proper for believers. Jesus himself wept. We can face our own death with assurance, but not with indifference to those who will miss us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:1-5).
Coming to the end of working through themes related to suffering and healing in connection with the New Hope program and hearing stories about our siblings in Christ in the global church, today we are going to talk about the opportunities for “looking forward” in community which are necessary to healing. In the final weeks of the New Hope program, we invite participants to complete two activities. First, we invite them to write down a source of pain, a sin, a situation or relationship causing suffering which they have reflected on over the course of the program, and write it on a slip of paper. We then burn these slips of paper at the foot of a wooden cross, with prayer and singing, choosing to surrender them to God.
Having led the New Hope program over the course of a week in South Sudan, I was doubtful about its impact on some participants. There were three young women in my group who had not answered any of the questions during the week, had not eagerly participated in the rehearsal of the stories from Scripture, and had not engaged with me after the sessions alongside their peers. I had continually prayed for them each evening when the sessions were over, but I was not sure that the program was making the kind of headway it usually made. These young women had stories of tremendous pain–fathers shot dead in front of them in tribal conflict, young pregnancies as a result of sexual violence, and one girl who was living in a refugee camp in South Sudan having fled the bombing of her city in Sudan just months before. Could these stories and simple activities really have made any difference?
On the afternoon we brought the slips of paper–and with them pain, suffering, and sin–to the foot of the cross, my perception of the way that God works was challenged. Girls were invited to give testimony of what God had begun to do in their lives that week. And what do you know? The three girls from my group who gave testimony to the others present, through tears and with thanksgiving to God, were the three girls I had assumed unmoved. God does not always work healing miracles for us to see. Others’ healing, it turned out, was not about me. Us churchy people, perhaps especially leaders, are not always good at remembering that. When any one of us engages in healing, outreach, ministries of mercy–they are not about us. The people we serve will know our intentions very quickly. We need to have the courage to get out of our own way and allow ourselves to become channels of the Spirit. God will work; what is required of us is a humble acknowledgement of the privilege it is to participate.
The second thing we do to wrap up the New Hope program is to engage with the passage from Revelation that we read for today: “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” I’ll never forget the time I led New Hope with an intercultural group of young adult Egyptians, western expats, and Sudanese refugees living in Egypt who, when they acted out this story together, and without prompting, interpreted the line “And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” and began to take imaginary leaves off the tree and pass them to one another. This is indeed the beautiful work that is ours to do. When we begin to heal, by God’s grace, we find the strength of the Spirit enabling us to extend that healing to others. And to recognize that we are part of a global and diverse church is to break down all barriers that existed in that room in Cairo, Egypt, but also in our community here in Hamilton–differences of personality, culture, ethnicity, race, nationality, experience–which led these young people to embrace the eschatological vision of Revelation and pull it into their present. May we too be compelled by this vision, arms outstretched, tree of life leaves in hand, offering friendship and belonging, healing and new life.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13).
Continuing to work through themes related to suffering and healing in connection with New Hope and hearing stories about our siblings in Christ in the global church, today we are going to talk about lament. In the fifth week of the New Hope program, participants engage with the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, and they hear the words of Christ’s own lament on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus is quoting the beginning of Psalm 22, a lament which would have been well-known by the Jewish onlookers and similar to Psalm 13, our text for today.
Lament psalms like these are prevalent in Scripture, particularly in the Psalter. In fact, individual psalms of lament are the most common type of psalm in the Psalter. As we’ve just noted, Jesus himself, in his death on the cross, affirms the centrality of lament to the Christian experience of suffering. And yet, even as the importance of lament is being recovered in some church contexts, we are still often uncomfortable with this practice. John Calvin loved the psalms and wrote a commentary on them, describing the Psalter as an “anatomy of all parts of the soul.” Yet, many churches today continue to be ill-equipped with liturgical resources for the practice of lament. Perhaps this is because lament disrupts the status quo evident in popular modern cultural scripts related to suffering such as “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” or “mind over matter.” In answer, lament psalms give scriptural testimony to the importance of allowing space for deep grief, fear, betrayal, and anger, and inviting God to meet us there.
On another note, the language that these lament psalms use, addressing God directly and inviting him into suffering or questioning his role in it, challenge another impulse common in our context–that suffering can only be effectively dealt with through medical or psychological interventions, and that spiritual and religious traditions are only for the seasons that things are going well or for the private lives of individuals, not to be engaged in the public sphere (something the church regrettably and often unintentionally confirms when we fail to engage in lament in corporate worship and allow it to translate into public action for justice).
In one New Hope group I led, a training for ministry leaders from around the world who were learning the program so as to be able to pass it along to their own ministry teams, one of the leaders confessed in frustrated tears to the group that they could not engage in the activity for this fifth week of the program. The activity involved writing a lament using four simple prompts: First, “Jesus, these things happened to me…” Second, “Jesus, I am/I feel…” Third, “Jesus, the worst part of this was…”
The fourth prompt was the most challenging for the leader because it then makes the same movement that Psalm 13 does in the last couple of verses when it says, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” The fourth prompt asks participants to finish this statement: “But I believe (or want to believe because I’ve heard this about you) that you are…” This prompt indicates that lament is not an expression of the worshipper’s own experience or personal desires exclusively, but always grounded in God’s character and faithfulness. It’s often the greatest challenge because, in the midst of deep suffering, it is only natural to wonder about who God is and what he is up to.
What we came to together as a group of ministry leaders when we discussed our members’ challenge with writing this part of the lament is that this final phrase is not simply tritely hopeful or falsely optimistic. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that the source of our complaint or our pain is something which not only offends and causes us pain, but it is actually an offense to God himself. The Bible’s testimony is that the sin and evil which causes harm to God’s beloved creation, including each of us, is even more painful to God. Thus, lament faithfully insists that God be who God has revealed himself to be.
If you’d like to try writing a lament of your own today, I’ll include the prompts in the notes of the podcast. God is not threatened by your complete honesty about your pain. He chose to make known his character and promises to his people. So you can freely answer: How are you hurting today? What do you believe, or want to believe, about who God is?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Lament Prompts
- Jesus, these things happened to me: ____________________________
- Jesus, I am/I feel ____________________________ (suffering, hurting, in pain, discouraged, desperate)
- Jesus, the worst part of this was ____________________________
- But I believe (or want to believe because I’ve heard this about you) that you are ____________________________
“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?’’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’” (Mark 5:25-34).
This week, we are continuing to work through themes related to suffering and healing in connection with the New Hope program and hearing stories about our siblings in Christ in the global church. If you haven’t been following along with this series, feel free to look back to last Wednesday’s podcast intro which will provide some context.
“Go in peace,” Jesus said to the woman in front of him, “and be freed from your suffering.” I read these last words and look up, and I see the woman’s shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. The silent tears rolling down the young man’s cheeks. Tears fill my own eyes. God is doing something in this room, and to say anything else, to add anything to Jesus’ own words seems somehow wrong.
It is week four of the New Hope program, it’s February of 2024, and I am gathered in a room full of my friends, most of them Sudanese refugees living in Egypt, those forced to flee when the war broke out again in Sudan in April 2023. A war that most of the world had, at this point, largely ignored for the better part of a year. A war which had resulted in more than 150,000 deaths of civilians through a combination of bombings and massacres but also malnutrition and disease resulting from lack of access to basic life necessities. The woman across from me, weeping, had escaped from Sudan and into Egypt the previous spring, having been held at gunpoint by officials, separated from both her older brother and the man she had intended to marry just weeks after the war broke out. The young man with tears running down his face escaped with his aunts, but neither of them have been able to re-establish contact with any other loved ones who remained in Sudan–at least as far as they know–since the beginning of the war. They face discrimination daily in their lives in Cairo, treated as outsiders by most they encounter.
The group has just walked through the story of the bleeding woman and her encounter with Jesus through a visualization activity which ends with an invitation for the listener to do as the woman did, to tell Jesus the whole truth. To tell him their story. We paused for silence. Then the words of Jesus, “Daughter, son, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” They hang in the air in the room. “Amin, amin, amin,” a woman’s voice says through tears, as though with the voice of the woman in the story herself, “bashkorak ya rob.” Or, in English, “Amen, amen, amen, thank you God.”
In my mind, there isn’t any kind of exegetical work or systematic theology (necessary though those things are) that does a better job of explaining what Jesus does than what happened in that room that day. I think the invitation for us, in reading this story, is much the same as it is for New Hope participants. To walk through the story and allow it, allow Christ, to encounter us as we are.
So who are you in the story today? Are you the woman, struggling desperately forward, believing that to touch Jesus will mean your healing? Are you the disciples, skeptical of Jesus’ encounter? Are you in the crowd of onlookers, watching in wonder or judgment? Are you being given the opportunity to, like Jesus, extend belonging and mercy to someone in pain and fear, desperate to believe who he is, desperate for transformation? No matter where you are in the story, it is for you, as are Jesus’ words–to claim as your own and to offer to others: “Daughter, son, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me— the very people I have created.
I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways.
I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,
creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.” (Is. 57:14-19).
Today, we are continuing to work through themes related to suffering and healing in connection with the New Hope program and hearing stories about our siblings in Christ in the global church. If this is your first devotional this week, and this doesn’t sound familiar, the first few minutes of Wednesday’s episode provide more context.
In the third week of the New Hope program, we talk about barriers to our healing and in our relationships with God, others, and ourselves. We read Scripture together and do a drawing activity to demonstrate how we see these barriers. In one group, a young woman sat staring at her paper for the better part of ten minutes as the women around her created detailed images of the barriers they perceived in their own lives. When the time was nearly up, she scribbled down two words and showed them to the group: “sin” and “suffering.” “I can’t figure out where one ends and the other begins,” she said. “What part of my pain is my fault, and what part is other people’s fault. It seems easy for the rest of you to find the line, but I don’t know how.” This young woman had suffered from several addictions and escaped an abusive relationship. She, like so many others in her circumstances, had been shamed by others into blaming herself for what she had experienced. She wondered aloud to her group whether God’s grace was for someone like her. She had left her home country and run far from the source of her pain, but as is true of many in these circumstances, to escape physically is only to have one of many barriers removed.
Today’s verses from Isaiah draw us into the situation of the people of Israel post-Babylonian exile. Following closely after chapters which speak hopefully of God’s redemption of his people from their captivity by a foreign empire, the later chapters of Isaiah, including today’s passage, reflect a kind of disappointment among the people. They were free from exile but not experiencing the kind of dramatic restoration they had expected their freedom to bring. They were back in the land of their ancestors, but their holy cities had become a wilderness, and there were serious divisions in the community about pressing ethical issues. They had been forced to recognize the reality of their sin, as well as the persisting effects of the suffering inflicted on them in exile. Like the woman in New Hope, the line between their own responsibility and that of others was blurry. They had moved physically out of captivity, but barriers in relationship with God and others remained.
What is God’s response in today’s passage? He reminds them that he lives “in a high and holy place” but that this does not prevent him from being “also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.” He acknowledges his anger at their sin, but promises healing, guidance, and restoration for mourners.
For God, the barriers that his people construct, whether due to their own sin or to protect themselves from the pain inflicted by others, like the young woman in New Hope, are not insurmountable: “Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people,” he commands. To those of us who live with–or watch people we love live with–the lingering effects of sin or suffering, and to those of us for whom the line between them remains indiscernible, causing us to wonder whether God’s grace is wide enough, receive this promise to his people: “I have seen their ways, but I will heal them . . . Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord.”
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day” (Gen. 1:27-31).
For those of you who listened to yesterday’s reflection, you will recall that Pastor Michael is away for the week, and so we are going to take a break from our progress through Philippians. For a few days, I’m going to walk us through a week of devotional reflections based on themes of a program called New Hope, which I participated in and led during my time serving in Egypt and South Sudan. If you didn’t get the chance to listen yesterday, I invite you to go back and listen to the first couple of minutes to get a sense of what the program is and how it will shape this week’s installments of Wilderness Wanderings.
The first time I led the New Hope program was with a group of Egyptian women and girls. About half the group were employees of a non-profit serving unhoused children and youth; the other half were unhoused youth themselves. In particular, in this group, were several young girls who were teenage mothers. In an honour-shame culture like Egypt, a teen pregnancy has impacts often beyond what we can imagine in a western context. These girls did not have any family support system, lived in a shelter (one of just two I am aware of in the whole city), and were cared for by non-profit staff.
In week two of the New Hope program, we read the story of creation together, including today’s verses, and reflect on what the story tells us about God and about us. The three things about today’s verses which resonated most with the young women in the group were the fact that they are created in God’s image, that God gave them a task–to be fruitful and to rule, and that God called all that he created good. One of the girls, through tears, remarked that she found hope in God seeing everything he had made and calling it very good: “That,” she said, “is very different from the way that everyone else sees me and my baby. Is it really how God sees us?”
The verses we are looking at today are known in our tradition as the “cultural mandate,” humanity’s God-given vocation at the time of creation. It might seem curious to some of us to start here. I’ve said I’ll be taking us through a series on suffering and healing, and at the point these words enter the story of God, there is no suffering and thus no need for healing. But that’s exactly why we need to start here.
Just as the girls recognized so poignantly, the cultural mandate reveals how God sees all of us, all of his creation. Before we can talk about the corrupting forces of evil which cause suffering, we need to understand God’s intention for creation. Before we talk about healing, we need to understand humanity’s telos, the way in which we were created and what we were created for. Only then can we discern the reason that suffering impacts us in the way it does and, ultimately, the end to which our healing is meant to bring us: As the girls recognized, to the dignity of identity with the Creator, and the empowerment to participate as co-creators of life in all its forms.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
While Pastor Michael is away for the week, we are going to take a break from our progress through Philippians, and I’m going to walk us through a week of devotional reflections based on a program that I participated in and led five times during my time in Egypt and (briefly) in South Sudan. Just for today, our reflection is going to be a little bit longer than usual so I can provide some context for this.
The program is called New Hope, and it was developed by a team of licensed clinical psychologists and counsellors, church planters, and resource specialists in teaching Scripture in oral cultures, focused on multiplying healing in suffering communities.
Rather than taking us through the entirety of the program (not possible in short reflections like these) I am going to lead us thematically through elements of it, focusing on key Scriptures which illustrate the themes, and sharing with you brief stories of the ways that I witnessed healing through them. I trust that as we daily encounter Scripture and the stories of our siblings in Christ in the global church, we will experience the Holy Spirit drawing connections between their stories, our own stories, and God’s great story, directing our attention to the way that our God works through his word and his church to multiply healing for the sake of his kingdom.
Our text for today is from Gen. 45:4-8:
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt’” (Gen. 45:4-8).
These verses come from the end of the story that groups tell together in the first week of New Hope, the story of Joseph–favoured son of Jacob, who is sold into slavery by his brothers, accused of sexually assaulting his first master’s wife, sent to jail, interprets dreams for the king of Egypt and his servants, and is eventually released and put in charge of years of plenty and famine in the land of Egypt and its surrounding regions. Here at the end of the story, Joseph, second in command over all of Egypt, makes himself known to his brothers, who have appeared before him without recognition to receive food during the famine. It is a remarkable ending to a complicated story full of suffering in many forms.
This part of the Joseph story also provides the vision statement for the New Hope program, a paraphrased version of the words we have just heard Joseph speak to his brothers upon the revelation that he is still alive. The goal for New Hope participants is that they would be able to come to terms with their suffering in such a way that they can truthfully say with Joseph, “Do not be afraid. You meant to harm me. But God has used what has happened for good. Not just for me, but so that many other people can be saved.”
Like Joseph himself at the beginning of this narrative, most people beginning the New Hope program are highly skeptical about the truth of Joseph’s words to his brothers. Perhaps, in the midst of your own suffering, you are too. “Don’t be afraid,” (or don’t be distressed, in the version we read today), is how Joseph begins. Well, that’s already quite something. It’s the most frequently given command in Scripture, and perhaps it has been a comfort to you in seasons of suffering. But for others, maybe it just feels like an extra burden for an already difficult season.
If you look closely at the contexts this command is given in Scripture, it quickly becomes apparent that this is one of God’s instructions which is not necessarily meant to logically cohere with the circumstances in which it is given. For example, it is offered to the Israelites at the shore of the Red Sea, while Pharaoh’s army is hot on their tail, by Jesus to Jairus when he comes to him with his daughter on the brink of death, and by Peter in his letter to churches scattered throughout Asia Minor and facing intense persecution. All of these people have good reason to be afraid, and the command is not a judgment of their fear, but an expression of God’s heart for his people–that he does not desire their fear nor the circumstances that cause it. Thus, with this command, suffering individuals or communities are invited to witness in hope to something that is beyond their immediate reality.
The command “do not be afraid” is not all that Joseph says. He goes on to insist not only that it was God, and not his brothers, who sent him to Egypt, but that he did so for the salvation of Joseph’s brothers and the many others who received food during the time of famine through his leadership. Joseph is able to see redemption in his pain, and able to forgive his brothers because he has taken note of God’s presence with him and his plan not only for him in the midst of his pain, but for others encountering suffering whom God has cared for through Joseph’s presence.
If Joseph’s declaration is a difficult one to hear today because God’s redemption of your pain still feels an impossibly long way off, I would draw your attention to Genesis 39. Just a few chapters before Joseph’s words in our passage for today, three times (vv. 2, 21, 23), the narrator of the story notes that “the Lord was with Joseph.” This does not mean that Joseph was free of his suffering. He remained in slavery and then in prison. His circumstances did not change, but God was present with him there. And he is present with you. To trust that, and to trust with Joseph that God works for good, even in suffering, not just for us, but so that many might be saved, is not easy. For some of us in the midst of pain, it may be beyond our capacity right now. And that’s okay. Your uncertainty is not a liability to God because he is not confined to what we can imagine. So do not be afraid.
As you go on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:18-21).
Yesterday, Kyra adeptly explored Paul’s ability to rejoice in the proclamation of the gospel, even when that proclamation comes from impure motives. This rejoicing leads him to reflect on his current situation: imprisonment for the gospel. He expects deliverance by either of two means: release from prison or death. It doesn’t matter which. Both are a good end if he does not bring shame to Christ.
Is Paul being flippant about his life? Does his life have only marginal value? Not in the least! To understand this, we remember the first great commandment, “love the Lord our God will all of our being” (Mark 12:30). This includes our bodies. Secondly, we recall Jesus words in Luke 9:23, “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Since he met Jesus on the road to Damascus Paul has been practicing this kind of life. He has been dying and rising with Christ. Daily denying himself. Daily loving God with his body. Daily facing death for and with Jesus. Daily experiencing Christ’s new life. His life hinges on his Lord’s death and resurrection. Having daily lived this kind of life, Paul is convinced that through the prayers of the Philippian Christians and the Holy Spirit, God will deliver him, either by release from prison or by death.
Following Jesus, Paul has daily picked up his own cross—a thorn in the flesh, enduring suffering and hardship, bearing grief, tending to difficult relationships, repenting from sin. In this work of dying to self: relinquishing control, admitting weakness, grieving well, turning from sin, offering forgiveness and blessing to enemies—Paul has learned what it means to face death well. To face it, indeed, with hope and trust that the Spirit works to bring the new life and fruitfulness of Christ in every circumstance.
As he writes in 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” That’s how Paul lived.
Paul knows the Lord may secure his release from prison. Even so, he will die soon. He knows that. He is an old man. But, since he has lived for many years, picking up his cross daily, dying to himself with Christ, and thereby, discovering the new life of Christ in his own body, he can rejoice. He has discovered that dying to self always leads to new life in Jesus. The future holds no fear for him: he will keep living for Christ or gain all the glories promised for believers.
An old Christian tradition says that the role of the church is to prepare us for a good death. When we live for ourselves, life is always too short. There is never enough time to satisfy our itches. Death cannot be good. When we live for Christ by dying to self, then life and death are not so different. Then physical death is just another way of dying to self to be filled with the life of Christ. Do you live in this way? Do you already now practice for a good, Christian death? If not, you can start today.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:5-18).
Last week, Pastor Michael talked about the challenge of praying for and loving our fellow believers who frustrate or disappoint us by their words and actions. In the verses today, Paul adds a layer of complexity in being obedient to this command. There are some, he says, who preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, with selfish ambition and not sincerity, to stir up trouble.
Many of us have likely encountered people, whether in-person in churches we have attended, or in online ministry or other spaces, and discerned that perhaps their motives in sharing Christ with others are not entirely pure. We are regularly exposed to stories of the corruption of church leaders whose ministries are centred around ego and personality, and yet in those same places are congregants who speak about transformation, of conversions, baptisms, healed bodies and relationships, care for the poor and oppressed. What do we make of such collisions of beauty and brokenness?
In the words of Paul in today’s verses, I think we see a couple layers to the way we are called to respond. First, is the necessity to name what is wrong, to call out false motives, to bring to light abuses of the gospel message for the sake of personal advancement. There is a temptation to read this passage as a sort of “ends justify the means” approach to ministry, to ignore the twisting of scripture and mistreatment of persons through a misreading of the text which declares, “Well, Paul said that we must rejoice whenever the gospel is shared! Sometimes that requires us to put up with the consequences of bad leadership.” But before Paul’s declaration of joy, he names the false motivations of envy, rivalry, selfish ambition, and stirring up trouble. He draws the church’s attention to those who would presumably use the message of Christ in such ways, with the intention to put them on their guard, not to excuse their behaviour. This is the first thing Paul does, and to forget this has been, in the history of the church, to use passages like this one to sanction or turn a blind eye to much abuse.
When he has called out the failures of leaders, Paul then gives thanks for the preaching of the gospel in spite of the falseness of those who have done the preaching. Now, how is it that he can do that? How do we ourselves follow this pattern without the mistake we have just identified?
First, we need to examine ourselves. Rather than being too quick to identify ourselves as the Philippian church, subject to false motives of others, we need to discern our own false motives, our own twisting of the gospel to serve our own ends, and our own limitations to see how Christ is at work among those with whom we might disagree, those whom we might be tempted to “stir up” our own trouble for.
Second, we are called to develop, by the Spirit, a capacity to do what is at the heart of the gospel (but also one of its most challenging expectations): To live in paradox. To find redemption in brokenness. To anticipate resurrection as we contemplate the cross. To hope in the “already and not yet” of new creation.
To give thanks for a gospel message preached even with false motivation as Paul does in these verses requires profound spiritual maturity and prayerful discernment with the community of the church. It requires condemning and pursuing consequences for what is false and still desiring what is true, even when it means we have to do a lot of untangling to find it. This kind of work can be deeply painful, and so it is critical that we remember that to bring beauty out of brokenness, redemption out of sin, led Jesus on the road to Golgotha, to his very death on a cross. And so, as we do this work, we are not alone. And it is for this reason that we can, even as Paul did in chains and subject to the trouble-making of others, rejoice.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Acts 2:1-24, 37-47. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What image for the Holy Spirit was used throughout this sermon? Have you ever experienced this work? Pay attention for it.
- What was the first thing the Holy Spirit did? Consider how your own heart is.
- The Holy Spirit led the first Christian community to devote themselves to four things:
- Consider your devotion to each one. How might the Spirit be ‘blowing’ your devotion to deepen
- How might we as a congregation grow in devoting ourselves to these?
Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the good news. One thing has become clear. I am being held by chains because I am a witness for Christ. All the palace guards and everyone else know it. And because I am a prisoner, most of the believers have become bolder in the Lord. They now dare even more to preach the good news without fear (Philippians 1:12-14).
It is easy to become discouraged. We confront a constant flood of bad news. On the day I’m writing this, the opening pages of the Hamilton Spectator include these headlines: wildfires, two dead, cop killer trial, suspicious home explosion, a shooting, several other deaths, increased tariffs, more on the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas. Quickly our horizon becomes clouded with nothing but bad news. We begin to despair.
This is nothing new. The Philippians had their own flow of bad news. This new little Christian community was already under threat and ostracized from their pagan neighbours. Now news comes that their founding pastor, Paul, is in prison. If Paul was jailed—would they be next? Was following this Jesus worth it?
Suffering, or the prolonged exposure to the suffering of others, can lead to despair and difficult questions. Fear creeps in. Trust erodes.
In beginning his letter with prayers of thanks and joy for the Philippians, Paul attempts to cut the roots of this hopelessness. Now, he addresses the situation directly. Yes, he’s in prison. But, “What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the good news.” These chains are not what they seem. They have become an opportunity for witness—an opportunity to live in the humble, self-giving way of Christ. God is using these chains for good.
Others have taken notice. Many Christians in Rome—noticing the impact Paul’s imprisonment is having--are now encouraged to proclaim the gospel. They are willing to take loses for Jesus, the one who gave everything up for them.
Hopelessness, despair, and fear can always creep up on us. It is easy to become discouraged. Ironically, these chains offer us a different story. Paul lives in the power of Jesus, has everything he needs in Jesus. He proclaims a God who knows how to bring good out of the bad. A situation in which hope may have eroded becomes a launching pad for it. Because Jesus is alive, Paul does not need to fear death. Because Jesus is alive, Paul has a good word of hope and life to speak, even to his captors.
Paul had already lost all things in Jesus, what more could Caesar do to him? In that situation, Paul was free to live for Jesus with joy and thanks, despite his chains. And he brought an uncommon hope to all. This utterly unexpected, counter-cultural witness to Jesus in the way of Jesus, is what turned heads and empowered the church.
These verses come to us to encourage us. As Paul writes elsewhere: nothing can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38). And as Jesus himself says: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” So as with Paul in his chains, let us take heart today and do not be afraid—Jesus is with us, no matter the suffering we face.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
Paul, having expressed his prayerful gratitude for the Philippian church and demonstrated how it is that believers are called to love one another in spite of shared brokenness, in today’s verses records for the church the very words of his intercessory prayer for them. His prayer contains several elements—that they would grow in love and knowledge, be filled with righteousness, and that all of this would be to the glory and praise of God.
He begins with the request that their love “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” Paul has already, as we have explored, expressed the mutual love between himself and the Philippian church in Christ. And yet, he begins with a prayer for a further increase in love, this time for the sake of discernment. The love that Paul calls this church to is not just a warm and fuzzy feeling. It is a posture of the heart which must also be accompanied by wisdom so that it may be expressed rightly through what Paul describes as “pure and blameless.”
However, Paul’s prayer is not only about right behaviour. He prays that the church will be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” It is through belief in Christ’s righteousness and growing love for him and for one another, as discussed yesterday, that their lives will come to display the fruit of righteousness in what is pure and blameless. Chapters 2 and 3, the theological core of this letter, will go on to talk more about what the righteousness of Christ looks like, so stay tuned.
Finally, Paul prays that this transformation in the community in Philippi would be “to the glory and praise of God.” With this, Paul indicates that there is a relationship between what the church does, what we believe, and how we praise God. In other words, Christian ethics, doctrine, and worship are all connected. When one of these elements is disregarded or disrupted in a church community, we feel its impact deeply. We will see Paul address related challenges in the Philippian community later in the letter.
You too can likely testify to this in your own experience with churches you have been a part of. When we are not sure what we believe about God, it can be hard to make decisions about how to live our lives. When ethical questions are pressing and divisive within a community, it can be hard to worship together on a Sunday morning. These are just a couple of examples, and solutions are not simple.
So where do we start? Well, with Paul, we are called to pray for our communities, that we may grow in love and discernment which will instruct us in the integration of our worship, belief, and practice. And we remember that in all of this, Christ walks with us. It is his righteousness with which we are filled. And it is his grace which gives us peace even as we do this work imperfectly, recalling Paul’s earlier words that we can be confident that he, Christ, who has begun a good work in you, in us as his body, will carry it on to completion.
So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:7-8)
Yesterday, we heard about Paul’s joyful, thankful attitude in prayer for the Philippians. Now, it appears that he needs to defend these attitudes -- “It is right for me to feel this way,” he begins.
Always giving thanks, always praying with joy—it does sound a little too good to be true. Have you met such a church? I have seen my fair share of ‘irreconcilable’ differences between Christians. Let’s think about our fellow church members. Can we say about all of them: “I thank God every time I remember you…In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy…I have you in my heart…I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus”? The more Christians we get to know the more challenging this becomes.
We cut each other off in the parking lot. We cut each other off when voicing our opinions at meetings. We make light of each other’s pain; we stay away from people in pain. We make rude comments about each other online. The church is full of sinful, broken people (just like you and me). Most Christians can name a few in their own congregation that have caused frustration, anger, or hurt.
And Paul wants us to partner in the gospel with people like that? -- judgmental hypocrites, insensitive leaders, short-sighted fanatics, culture warriors, political partisans? It’s often easier to strike out on our own: to another church, to another denomination, to be spiritual but not religious – do our own thing with God.
The Philippian church was full of sinful, broken people. Paul will allude to some of that. And yet, despite who they were, Paul writes these words of thanks and joy. Knowing some might not believe him, he gives his rationale -- “Because all of you share in God’s grace with me.”
In other words, “When I look at you—when I remember you—I don’t think of all the wrinkles and stains—the sin spots. They’re not the most important thing about you. When I look at you—I see the good work of God. I see the saints—the holy people of God in Christ Jesus who have believed in Him and so have received His grace to cover all their failures and faults. We share in that grace together. We share in that fellowship and partnership in the gospel, together. We share in the bonds of Christian love, together. And because of that—because you and I are in the heart of God and he in ours—you are in my heart as well.”
Love covers over a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). Such love comes from God. Only when we see this grace of God in others, when we see them as saints because the Spirit dwells in them, can we come to love them as we ourselves have been loved. It is in recognizing and sharing in the grace of God that we can give thanks for our fellow church members. Only then can we hold them in our hearts.
May our eyes be open to the grace and face of Christ in our fellow Christians and in the church.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6).
As Pastor Michael mentioned in yesterday’s reflection, it was common for letters written in the ancient world to begin with a formulaic greeting, including an expression of gratitude. Paul’s thanksgiving sections, often longer than other ancient letters, contain an encouragement for the believers which is also exhortative in nature, calling them to continue to live according to the pattern for which he is expressing thankfulness.
In the thanksgiving section of this letter to the church in Philippi, Paul–who is writing from prison–pens a letter that New Testament scholar NT Wright describes as “overflowing with effervescent joy” and “sparkling with the delight of family affection.” Part of the occasion for this letter and its joyful tone is Paul’s gratitude for the Philippian church’s financial aid of his ministry, what he describes in today's verses as their “partnership in the gospel.” However, this is not the whole story.
Although Paul expresses joy on behalf of the Philippian church, it was not without its difficulties. It was a relatively small church, started in a Roman colony without a sizable Jewish population like some of the other churches Paul founded, and it experienced significant persecution, some of which is detailed in Luke’s account of Paul’s own experience there in Acts 16. And yet, Paul expresses his confidence in spite of his personal circumstances and those of the community to which he writes that God’s work, begun among them through his ministry, would continue. His gratitude is both an encouragement and an exhortation to the church that they continue in this pattern, holding fast to their hope.
What Paul models for the church in Philippi falls strangely on our ears. Perhaps you have heard stories of the persecuted church in other parts of the world. Or maybe you have seen the headlines in the news, but couldn’t even bring yourself to contemplate the details. Maybe, although we here in the west do not face persecution like Paul and the Philippian church or like our siblings in Christ around the world today, perhaps you feel some anxiety about the place of the church in your context, wondering how to navigate your conviction that Christ is King when many around you aren’t convinced. Certainly, in my time in Egypt, in close proximity to the Coptic Orthodox church which proudly declares itself the “Church of the Martyrs,” and where close friends of mine faced the threat of authorities, I struggled to read Paul’s words in today’s verses. Joy, gratitude, and confidence are not a natural response to the suffering of Christ’s church. It’s not a natural response to our own suffering, and indeed, it would be inappropriate if our only response to suffering was joy. We must wrestle with and deeply honour the reality of pain which is not God’s intention for his people.
And yet, it is critical that we note that Paul’s words are addressed to a community of believers, bound together in their suffering for Christ. It is this too, then, and not only their financial contribution to Paul’s ministry, which causes Paul to give thanks for their “partnership in the gospel.” Their suffering, the suffering of the church today, because of Christ’s own suffering, becomes a mechanism by which we find identity in Christ and are transformed into a community of those worthy of partnership in witness to the truth of the gospel. It is this reality which allows Paul to pray with joy for the Philippian church, and which in turn allows us to pray in kind for ourselves as God’s people and for those suffering for Christ with whom we are united around the world.
So go forth as people of joy and confidence, people of steadfast prayer for the suffering, in the hope of our Saviour, for “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2).
Daily editions of Wilderness Wanderings are back for the months of June and July. At Immanuel, we have hired Kyra Schat to work as a pastoral intern for these months, and she and I will reflect on the letter to the Philippians. Here is a meditation on the opening verses.
In ancient days, there was a standard pattern used to begin a letter. Paul used that formula, making slight modifications whereby he offered hints of the issues to be addressed. In these opening verses, there are two things to note: the phrases, “servants of Christ Jesus” and, “holy people” (or saints).
Paul uses the first phrase to describe himself and Timothy. The word servant, better rendered as slave. There is an unmistakable undertone of humility and submission in this self-description. Paul, nearing the end of his life, has served many years as an apostle, planted numerous churches, and in other letters heaped up his credentials. But here he willingly names himself a slave of Jesus Christ; nothing more.
He models a humility which later he will urge the Philippians to follow. Although Paul is God’s apostle, set apart and called by God to his task (Gal. 1:1, 15), and although Timothy is an approved co-worker with Paul in this important service (Phil. 2:22), Paul refuses to mention these high qualifications. Instead, he emphasizes their common role as slaves of Christ Jesus. On the other hand, he gives the leaders of the Philippian church their appropriate titles of dignity. In this small way, he shows concern not for his own interests but for the interests of others (cf. 2:4).
This stands as an example for all Christians and particularly for church leaders. Life in the church is not about advancement, nor the gathering of titles and honours. Not then, and not now. In our churches, the difference between elders, deacons and pastors is not one of status. None of us should minimize our place in the church because of our role; nor should we seek applause or honours.
He names the Christians “saints”, referring to their status as the people whom God has called and set apart as his community. It has nothing to do with our modern notion about being holier than others. Rather, it’s a calling to live our lives according to the pattern laid out by Jesus, empowered by his Spirit.
This term reminds us that we are united with one another not by our own decision but by God choosing us to be his treasured possession (cf. Ex. 19:5–6). We tend to miss this in our democratic society in which the individual has the ultimate choice, many of us choosing which church to belong to. In reality, we are brought together in Christ’s blood and called to follow Christ together.
This greeting hints at Paul’s main concern: Christian unity. One critical means of achieving it: humility, placing the interests of others ahead of one’s own. We should not claim the privileges that rightfully belong to us, but look out for the interests of others.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God, keeping your eyes on the humility of Christ Jesus:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is ACts 1:1-14. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Does it matter that Jesus ascended? What did you know about the meaning of his ascension before today’s sermon?
- What is Luke’s main point in recording Jesus’ ascension?
- What are the two characteristics of Jesus’ kingdom included in our text? Do you see them in our church? What can we do so that we might see them more?
- What characterizes citizens of Christ’s kingdom? Think about what you could say if asked.
- What does Jesus say is the first task of the church?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:24-29. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How should we read this passage?
- Has there been a time of spiritual renewal in your life? Have there been times in which God has renewed his call in your life? Have there been lessons you learned along the way?
- In the past, Peter insisted he would follow Jesus no matter what. How have you been like him? How much have you depended on your own ‘spirituality’ to be a Christian?
- In what way has Peter changed? On whom does he depend?
- When Jesus calls to be his disciples he also calls us to serve with him. How will you respond to Jesus’ call, “Follow me!”?
A Sunday edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 9:1-8.
Today's service was lead by our Friendship Ministry. It is best to very the whole sevvice. Here is the link: here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:24-29. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- How is this passage often preached? How was it preached today?
- In this passage, we learn that God is re-_______ our _____________ as his church.
- People become part of the body through the ___________ of the ___________ __________.
- Do you think some people are more important than others? Is this the right way to think about folks in the church? Who has placed people in the church?
- What is more important than spiritual gifts? How will you live this out in this body?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:24-29. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:1-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What do you want people to be like? Do you want to be the same kind of person?
- What “influencers” have shaped your mind? What experiences have shaped you?
- Which “influencers” transform us?
- How does growing a seed compare to being transformed?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:1-23.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 19:28-37.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 23:44-49. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What does darkness mean to you?
- What does darkness represent in the Bible? Which ones resonate with you the most? Do any of them frighten you? Spend some time this week imagining what the folks about the cross experienced in that darkness?
- What does Jesus mean when he says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit?” How are we encouraged by this?
- Also, spend time this week mediating on benefits of Christ’s death reflected on in Romans 8. Memorize the songs of Psalm Sunday and sing/speak them regularly.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 19:28-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Why is valuable that Jesus is physically thirsty?
- How does John introduce Jesus’ thirst? What does this say about Jesus? What does it say about his death on the cross?
- Jesus was thirsty for water. But he was thirsty for more too. What was it? Do you believe this about God? How does it change the way you live?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Mark 15:33-41. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS?
- What do you see when you look at church buildings or cathedrals? What two things are often represented by cathedral architecture?
- “Why do they focus on the awful way he died?” How would you have answered this question before today’s sermon?
- What have you done to stop sinning? How do you think about sin? How problematic is it? Have you ever considered yourself cursed?
- Jesus took our curse upon himself. What does the cross make you think about? It is an awful way to die; yet does it not lead us to rejoice?
- What does it mean that the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 23:32-43. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- In this word from the cross, was Jesus just being a good son, or did he intend something more?
- Have you ever considered Jesus strange comments on the family?
- What kinds of things unite the congregation you are part of, whether Immanuel or another? Identify some things that draw our attention away from realizing our unity in Jesus?
- How can you live into the unity of the church this week? How will you be ‘the Lord’s servant’?
- Do you believe that by his death on the cross Jesus dethrones the proud? Can your actions be guide by the hope that in the end all people will confess Jesus is Lord (cf. Phil. 2:11)?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 23:32-43. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What does Paradise mean to you? How did the sermon invite us to re-imagine it?
- Consider what ways you have acted like the folks around the cross. How do you see such actions played out in society today?
- What is indicated by the word ‘Today’ as used in by Jesus on the cross? What happens when Jesus’ touches us?
- How can the ‘Today’ of the kingdom happen among us?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 23:26-34. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Where do we pick of the story of Jesus on the cross? What might it mean that those at the cross ‘did not know what they were doing’?
- Why is it so astonishing that Jesus comes to us with forgiveness? How do we usually approach people who have wronged us? Evaluate your response to someone who has done you wrong.
- What do thing think it means to forgive? Have you learned to practice it? What might be your next step?
- Forgiveness is not reconciliation. How can forgiveness open the door to reconciliation?
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Doxology is a fitting place to end this season of Wilderness Wanderings. This will be the last of the devotions for a while—and certainly the last of mine (Pastor Anthony). Perhaps Wilderness Wanderings will continue in time, but before turning to the season of Lent tomorrow, we simply give thanks to God for this good season of a unique ministry of daily devotions.
Doxology is a word that means “word of glory,” and in our usage as Christians, generally means we are giving those words of glory to God. In the letter of Ephesians, this doxology circles us back to the beginning of the letter. But doxologies are scattered liberally throughout the New Testament.
The word glory is scattered throughout the scriptures even more abundantly. To name a few, we hear that God is a God of glory (Ephesians 1:17), his glory reveals who he is (John 1:14), God gives glory to Christ (1 Peter 1:21) and his people (Romans 2:10); Christians are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18); we are to do everything for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) and give glory back to God (Ephesians 1:6). The new creation will reveal even more glory (Romans 8:18). “Glory” is one of those words that encompasses the whole of Christianity. No doubt this is why the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says “man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”
Today is the “fat Tuesday” before Lent—a day of feasting before the fasting that has more or less turned in popular culture to a day of glorifying ourselves and our worst desires. Today is also the day of tariffs (or at least that’s still how the news reads now)—a day when our attention is sucked up into politics and business as we struggle to understand just why exactly friendly neighbours need to be punching one another. Today is also the final Wilderness Wanderings for a time—a marking of an ending of a season of ministry.
But here’s the thing: no matter the day, no matter the news, no matter the grief, introspection, or self-glorification—each and every day is a day for doxology. Why? Because everything that Paul has written in the first three chapters remains true. Despite American tariffs, is it still true that Christ has ultimately destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between peoples through his cross in his church? Yes. Despite our sorrows in parting, has God still blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ? Yes. Despite any self-glorification, is it still true that the most important thing about us is that we belong to God, having been created and redeemed to the praise not of our, but of his glory? Yes.
The fact of Christ Jesus and his church, carrying on down through all the generations faithful and sure no matter what personal or global events raged—this fact is evidence enough of the power of God our Father, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
Join me then today—and every day—in giving glory to God. In the good times and the bad, in plenty or in want, in life and in death—may God be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations. Forever and ever. Amen.
For the last time, go now with his blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17b-19).
What roots and establishes us in love? As was said yesterday, it is Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith by the gift and power of the Spirit. This is our rooting and establishing in love. It is Christ’s love that grounds us, embeds us firmly in the soil of God’s reality, enabling us to grow.
Established in the love of Christ, the journey of our lives now follows the trajectory of Paul’s prayer: discovering more deeply what God has already given, namely, this love of Christ. This discovery is empowered only by the Triune God in the context of the Christian community.
At times it is said, in rather trite ways, that it’s all about love. Just love. Yet, trite though it may seem—it is also true. The love of God in Christ is everything.
Discipleship is a work of discovering this love more fully. It is a work of knowing Christ’s love. Knowing not in a head-knowledge sort of way. Paul askes that we know the love of Christ in an intimate sort of way—the kind of knowing that comes through an unconditionally loving, committed, long-term relationship, like a good marriage. The task of Christian discipleship is to tangibly experience Christ’s way of keeping this relationship of love with us, through things like his forgiveness for our failures, his commitment to us despite our foibles, his bearing with us in all situations, and his limitless gifts.
Of course, our knowing this love doesn’t come only from our experience of relationship with Christ. It comes also through the “manifold wisdom of God” that places us in a church—a church full of diverse, divided, disagreeable folks—people from all walks of life, all different ethnicities, all different personalities, all different opinions, and social classes.
To fully grasp the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love—we must know that he also loves all these people; forgives them; is committed to them and gives his gifts also to them. Even though we may not see how to be reconciled with some of these gangly Christians—we must confront the fact that they too are rooted and established in Christ’s love. We must confront the fact that they too have been reconciled to God and to us in the church!
There are no longer any dividing walls that separate us, for Jesus removed them all in his cross. To grasp the expansive love of Christ, we must face the reality of Christ’s love for those Christians we deem unlovable. This recognition demands of us a deepening conversion to Christ: an ever deeper knowing of his infinitely expansive, unconditional agape love.
Paul leaves us with a paradox here: he prays for a knowledge that surpasses knowledge. He asks that we might know something that is ultimately unknowable, or at least ungraspable by us finite human creatures. Yet in this journey of seeking to know the love of Christ that holds us and the church, the fullness of God slowly fills us up as we discover how truly established and enfolded in love we really are.
For that, we need this doxology:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
This is the final sermon in our 2 Samuel series, and also Pastor Anthony’s final message as a pastor at Immanuel. The text is 2 Samuel 7 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the farewell worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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In what way was God hidden/veiled and mysterious to David? In what ways can God be rather hidden or mysterious to us?
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Given the ways that God is often hidden and mysterious to us, how do we often respond? How does this impact our prayers, how we make decisions, and how we do our work at home, school, or at our job?
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Who is the story of 2 Samuel 7 about? What do we learn about the main character here? What good news is to be found?
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How does this revelation of God change the way we go about our lives? What does it call for in response from us?
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How might that worshipful life of submission look in your own life this week?
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:16-17).
The letter to the Ephesians is steeped in prayer. Paul begins with prayer, ends by calling the church to join him in prayer, and here in the middle, prays. As we discovered yesterday, Paul is on his knees in this prayer. It’s a posture of humility, recognizing that God is both the giver of every good gift, and the most consequential actor and authority in any of our lives.
Today we begin to discover what Paul is praying for. All these big themes have been coursing through the letter about God’s grace in Christ that creates the world, saves us, and reconciles us as a disparate humanity into a single, diverse, yet unified church. Now Paul prays quite simply that we will have the faith to believe it’s true. That we will have the power, not to do great things for God, but simply to hold space in our hearts for Christ to dwell there. Paul is on to something. This is indeed the very hardest of things to do.
It is easy to do great deeds for God. Go on a mission trip, fund a building campaign, make a big and vocal stand on principle, start an organization, or make pilgrimage to a big Christian site, rally, conference, or retreat. The extreme things are all pretty easy to do—we just go flat out, push ourselves to the end, and voila, there we are.
What is much harder to do is to simply believe.
Our inner beings are often not strong enough to hold space for this Christ and this faith. Our innermost being is most often filled with anxiety for the future, our children, our health, our work, the church, our country, and the state of the world. Fear, cynicism, mistrust, jealousy, fears, ambivalence, regret, and despondency are far more often what lines the walls of our inner being than the strength of the Spirit and faith in Christ.
So many of the things we hear or watch seem to suggest that this world and our lives are quite beyond hope or salvation. How then can we rest in any assurance that all these good words Paul has preached thus far can be true?
Left to ourselves, we can’t. Faith is a gift of God. Paul knows this and so he cuts his proofs and proclamations short to get down on his knees and pray that the God who has begun this good work in Christ will see it through to completion in us. He prays that our inner being might be strengthened by God himself through the power of the Spirit, that our hearts might be made ready to house a true faith in Christ. Even more: to house Christ himself.
Today as we read these words of Ephesians 3—we join that prayer. May God indeed dispel the shadows of fear and mistrust within us, strengthening us instead to be people of faith in whom Christ makes his home.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name (Ephesians 3:14-15).
Concerning prayer, there are two questions or complaints that come my way regularly: “I don’t know what to pray for” and “My prayers are short, I think they should be longer.”
My response to the second complaint is to shrug my shoulders saying, “Don’t worry about it.” Then I quote Jesus who specifically said, “God is not impressed by long prayers” (that’s my paraphrase of Matthew 6:7). There are a few longish prayers in the Bible; most, like the one our text is from, are quite short.
In answer to the second complaint, I point people towards the Bible: read the prayers in the Bible as your own. Offer them to God. If you ponder them, they will fuel your imagination.
Consider with me our text which begins “For this reason…” If you have jumped in halfway through this letter, this is your invitation to start at the beginning to discover what Paul is referencing. He has been exploring the great cosmic scope of God’s redemption plan in Christ. Often, we limit this to human souls, suggesting that God offers Jesus as an escape route from this world. But Paul will have none of that. In the cross, God reconciles all people into a new community which we know as the church. This fellowship is the show piece of God’s saving work, demonstrating his wisdom before all the powers of the world.
Here are reasons for praise and adoration, for thanksgiving and delight, for petition and pleading.
Then he says, “I kneel before the father”. Thus, kneeling in prayer has a good Biblical foundation. Of course, it is not the only posture given in scripture. Laying face down gets more press. But the actual posture is not of greatest import. What matters is the posture of the soul, heart and mind. We can start praying with any number of postures: anger, frustration, boredom. Yet, if we are paying attention to what we are doing, namely, addressing God, somehow prayer always brings us to our knees, the work of the Spirit, no doubt. When we address God, we tend to relax into submission.
From this place of submission, we discover ourselves on our father’s lap. He cares for us. He loves us. It matters to him that we are angry, or frustrated, or bored. He holds us until we come to that place of trust and rest again. We discover that despite the negative postures with which we have entered prayer, attitudes which often bring shame, our father has held on to us. He has not turned away from us.
Soon, we discover that we are not the only ones he is concerned about. He loves all his people. So, we look around and see some rejoicing and we share our father’s joy. We see others in pain, having been abused, bodies riddled with disease, carrying the brokenness their own sins have caused. We find ourselves grieving right along with our father. And we pray for them.
We see his church hands raised in adoration, broken by division, puffed up with pride, indifferent to the mission given, and in other places carrying it out gracefully. Some of his children resisting the reconciliation of the cross. We feel his sorrow for these children. We petition and plead for the Spirit to sanctify; to descend in power; to do his work.
We see friends and family running away from our father or indifferent to his invitations. From our place of submission, prayers for them leak out of us. That they would head his entreaties, that they would stop running. Before the father, we discover there is so much to pray for. And we conclude with,
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:12-13)
Today we come back to earth from the cosmic scope of the heavenly realms. We are to understand that God’s power is both displayed and is sovereign over the heavenly realms. That is enough. The rest of the story is here—in the manifold wisdom of God’s grace displayed in the church by the mystery of the cross. The church that God has made is not a flat uniformity where everyone is crushed into sameness, no—it is a manifold wisdom we see here: a unity in and of diversity. This is the “peace” that has been made through Christ in the Church. No one is flattened, everyone is reconciled.
Given all this—the fact of God’s Sovereign rule over everything, including the heavenly realms, the fact of the cross of Christ that breaks down dividing walls and reconciles a disparate and diverse humanity into a single, colourful church, and given the fact that in Christ there is now peace between God and humanity and the possibility of peace between people as well—given all this, we can pray.
That’s a lot of great and grand things to rattle off only to tell us that we can pray. Was it really worth all the fuss? That’s a lot of planning and heavy lifting on God’s part over thousands of years. Is the point of it all just to get a conversation going?
Maybe it is that way. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, there was nothing—all was empty and formless. Then God spoke. And when God spoke—all of creation burst forth into life and colour, substance and form, noise and light. When God spoke: creation responded. A conversation began. The word of the King had its effect and did not return to him empty. At least, not until Adam and Eve broke the conversation.
Since that day—humanity has not always or even often responded to the words that God speaks. Creation likewise has become tongue-tied and no longer responds with the vitality and goodness that it once did.
But God was not content to leave the conversation broken nor the relationship forsaken. God spoke his clearest word in the conversation through Jesus—in human form. He took all our ill responses, barbs, criticisms, jeers, and violence on himself and put them to death. In his new life, a fresh start begins.
In our own experience we know that the simple everyday stuff of relationships and conversations can be the very hardest things to navigate. We respond with hurtful words and actions, or ingest hurtful words and actions from others. We puzzle about how to respond. Mistrust, bitterness, cynicism, distance, and even violence form. These are precisely the sorts of sins and breakings of shalom that Jesus took on himself and put to death so that forgiveness and reconciliation might result.
Paul, likewise as a minister of this good news of Jesus, takes these sins and sufferings on himself—putting them to death in the death of Christ he bears so that forgiveness, grace, and the good news of Christ might be seen and heard through him.
As recipients of this grace, we are called to the same. This is our glory: to enter the conversation with God in freedom and confidence because of Jesus, receiving the power of his death and life that reconciles us to him and others. When we give or receive hurts or barbs in our relationships and conversations with others, we put them to death in his death so that we might speak a word of confession or forgiveness in his name.
Slowly, the conversation begins afresh. Humanity and creation begin to respond to the Creator in freedom and confidence, and to one another again too. Prayer is that foundational to our reality. How will you respond today? God has spoken to you. Will you respond? Will you come before him in freedom and confidence today?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10-11).
For many of us, when we think of Christ’s work of salvation, we think of individual souls being saved. We think of personal conversion stories. But when Paul writes about the mystery of the gospel, he expounds on the church. The result of the preaching of Christ’s unsearchable riches and mystery is the birth and growth of the church. Gentiles and Jews embraced the gospel, were converted, and found themselves joint members of the family of God and the body of Christ. The church is central to the redemption project of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It was happening as Paul wrote. The mystery that God revealed to him was taking concrete shape before people’s eyes. And in this new community, this new multi-racial humanity, the wisdom of God was being displayed. People could see it with their eyes. Indeed, the coming into existence of the church as a community of saved and reconciled people is a public demonstration of God’s power, grace, and wisdom.
God’s mighty resurrection power, his immeasurable grace and kindness, and his manifold wisdom were on display as people once separated by language, custom, politics and religion were forged into a new community through the anvil of the cross. The word for manifold means many-coloured, and was used to describe flowers, crowns, embroidered clothe and woven carpets. The church as a multi-racial, multi-cultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colourful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique. It is God’s new society. And the many-coloured fellowship of the church reflects the many-coloured wisdom of God.
So then, as the gospel spreads throughout the world, this new and variegated Christian community blossoms. It is as if a great drama is being enacted. History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene the story continues to unfold.
But where is the audience? The audience are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities, and powers in the heavenly places. We are to think of them as spectators of the drama of salvation. Thus, the history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for these spiritual beings.
Beyond this we cannot say much about what these spiritual beings are. We just don’t know. As the creation reveals God’s glory to humans, the church reveals God’s glory to these beings. We cannot see them, but they can see us. They watch fascinated as they see Gentiles and Jews being incorporated in the new society as equals. Indeed, they learn from the composition of the church not only the manifold wisdom of God but also his eternal purposes. This purpose he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in the arena of history, through his death and resurrection, the gift of His Spirit, the preaching of the gospel and the emergence of the church.
Who these beings are is not important. What is important is that we understand what God is doing. We must recon with the truth that the church is central to God’s grand design for history. God has a purpose for the church, she is the showpiece through which he reveals his power, grace, and wisdom. And all who believe in Jesus Christ become part of this great intergalactic drama.
It may not always appear that there is much power, grace, or wisdom in the church. But know this, God has no other plan. And he will work until all those rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms have bent the knee before the Son and declared him, Lord.
Then this doxology will be complete:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things (Ephesians 3:7-9).
This passage undermines a common misunderstanding of grace in the Christian church. In fact, it reveals, that we have shrunk grace down to something that we can manage. But it does not belong to us. It belongs to God. So we must allow him to define what grace is, what it means, and what it does.
For many Christians, we understand grace simply and only as something that we receive from God. It is limited to the forgiveness of sins and the “get out of jail free” card that permits us to escape this world into heaven someday. Its like grandmother’s fine china: as a precious possession, it remains locked up in the china cabinet for display and safe keeping. But rarely does it take up a place at the dinner table where life happens.
God’s grace is much more than that. It enlists us. Paul was made a servant because of “the gift of God’s grace.” The gift obligates and equips. Grace in this verse does not relate to Paul’s salvation, but to his ministry. Through grace he became a servant of the gospel. Grace connects us to Christ and to each other, but it also enlists and empowers us in the ministry of Christ.
Grace always brings responsibility. Paul alluded to this earlier, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (2:8a,10). In our text, we are told how it worked in Paul’s life. Paul viewed himself as a steward of the grace given him. His ministry to the Gentiles was unique, but all Christians are to be stewards of grace. All who have received grace should extend it to others.
This becomes the main theme in chapter 4, where Paul writes, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (4:7). Peter puts it rather bluntly, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). To receive grace is to be taken into its service. Grace connects, enlists, and empowers. It will not allow us to be passive, for it is God’s power at work in us.
Do we think ourselves not good enough or worthy enough to serve in this way? Paul anticipates the objection. “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me…” Paul says. He perhaps felt he should have been rejected because he persecuted the church, but God chose him anyway—a choice not based on his ability, but on God’s grace. Anything he accomplished was a result of the power of God at work in him.
What is the stewarding service that God’s grace enlists you in today? The answer is the same as the answer to the question of what you will do or did do today. Nothing in this world moves or works without God’s gracious gifts, provisions, and salvations animating it—these being “the boundless riches of Christ.” The breath we breathe is the breath of God. The skills, know-how, curiosities, and passion we deploy in our work, home, volunteering, and schooling are gifts of God. The world in which we live is his creation.
In other words: everything you do is already knee deep in the world of God’s grace. The only question is how will your life today reveal a God-attentive stewardship of all that grace? How will the grace you’ve received serve his glory? The fine china is already on the table: God put it there—use it!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text 2 Samuel 5. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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What does home mean to you? What does it mean to be at rest? How these ideas used in today’s text?
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Why does David want to build a temple? Why does God say no?
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What great things do you want to do for God? How do we sometimes get in God’s way? How is God building in your life? In the life of our church?
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When we get too full of ourselves and our plans for God, what should we do?
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What does it look like when you sit before God?
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What might deference, doxology and demand sound like in your prayers?
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:1-6).
Most Bible scholars believe that, with verse 1, Paul intended to begin his prayer which concludes the chapter. But he interrupts himself to write about the role he’s been given in God’s great work of redemption. Because of this role, he has become a prisoner in a Roman jail. Imprisonment is no big deal for him, it simply offers a different venue by which to carry out the mission he has been given.
Paul’s role of administering God’s grace is his concern in these verses. He calls it “the mystery of Christ.” This mystery is what all those saints in the litany of faith from Hebrews 11 were looking forward to. It is something that used to be hidden, but which now in Christ has been revealed.
This ‘mystery of Christ’ has to do with these Gentiles (non-Israelites). What God has revealed is that in Christ these Gentiles are now included in God’s great work of redemption. That is, the work begun in and through Israel as recorded in the Old Testament. To know what God is doing in Christ, we need to be familiar with that story.
But, of course, the fact that the Gentiles were going to benefit was already known long ago. God had promised Abraham, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). So, what new thing did Paul learn?
The very same thing that all of us learn at the heart of the Christian faith: that in the cross of Christ, all things are reconciled, including Jews and Gentiles. When Paul says the word “mystery,” he very often means “the cross of Christ.”
When Christ tore down the “dividing wall of hostility” through his cross—he not only took the penalty for our sin and defeated death—he also joined once disparate peoples together. In his cross, he overcame great divisions. The people of God is now composed of both Abraham’s descendants and everyone else who believes. They all become “the church” together.
In an age in which division perforates the church, it is important for us to hear this message of the gospel. The divisions we feel are not primarily about Jews and Gentiles (though that has recently arisen again as a point of contention)—but about politics, ethics, and national identities.
But no matter ones’ politics, ethics, or national identities—all those who come to Christ in faith are nevertheless made into one body. Through the gospel of the cross of Christ, we all become “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
We are, therefore, to live unity. We are not asked to like other Christians, to be like them, or agree with them—but simply to recognize that humbling fact that we are one with them as sharers of the same Lord and the same benefits. This is indeed a great mystery. But it is the mystery of the cross, the mystery we have been given. May God’s kingdom come and will be done—even in this, on earth as it is in heaven.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
In Christ Jesus the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22).
What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘church’? For many, it’s a building, such as the one at 61 Mohawk Road West, Hamilton, where the Immanuel congregation, which I pastor, gathers to worship God on Sundays, where we go for mid-week ministries and meetings. After all, we often refer to such a building as ‘our church’. We invest ourselves into that building and the things that happen there. Time, money, talents are all committed to ensure that things continue to run as smoothly as possible.
For others, the word church summons up images of people. The ones who sit around us on Sundays. Those that we have become friends with over the years, maybe some we grew up with. Some have walked with us in tough times. Others were our teachers in spiritual things. They nurtured our faith; they helped us grow as Christians.
Yet for others, church conjures up difficult images. Disappointment from being neglected in a time of need. Rejected because we walked away at one time. Shame for not measuring up. Or deep hurt from being used or abused by those in authority. Though it may seem all put together on the outside, often the church has dark stains hiding underneath the carpet.
Such are the things that the word church suggests to us. Yet in today’s text we are invited to view the church from a different perspective. To see what lies behind the building, beyond the people, deeper than the dark stains that deeply damage the church’s witness.
We are often tempted to believe that our time, talent, and treasure are what hold the church together and keeps her going. As useful and necessary as these are, it is Christ Jesus that binds and sustains the church. It is not primarily the preachers that bring in the people, it is Jesus. It is Jesus who builds his church. Even though we will continue to say, ‘my church’, and ‘your church’, we must recognize that these phrases are inaccurate. The church, the congregation, does not belong to us, nor to the pastors. People may come and go from our fellowship and church buildings will continue to be built and sold for other purposes. Despite the apparent transitory nature of things, Christ holds his church together.
In our text, notice that we Christians are not doing anything. All the action belongs to Christ, and to God. The church is not primarily what we do, but what God does to us and for us, she is the grand work of God. Five passive verbs are used to tell us how we get included in the action: we are brought near (13), the Spirit gives us access (18), we are built upon the foundation (20), we are joined together (21), we are built together (22). When we are pulled into the action, it is God who pulls us in. Already now, despite all our imperfections and distorted power plays and wrangling over the most minor issues, we are being gathered as the temple of God; the Holy Spirit already lives within the church.
The church is much more than what meets the eye, it is more than the building and more than the people. It is the work of Christ, who is ‘growing up’ a people who worship him, a people who are learning to follow his Word and Spirit, a people who increasingly live under the sway of his kingdom. People who are not static, but people who are maturing, who begin as acorns and grow to be oak trees.
It is not our actions but God’s that are most important in the church. There is far more to the church then what we see. Like an iceberg, we only see the tip. We see the people, the buildings, the programs, but underneath, far larger and for more important and influential is the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church is not a building. Rather, we are the building material Christ is using to build his church. It is the place where God welcomes us home. Next time you hear the word church, imagine that.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
If you recall from last week, Paul reminded these gentiles in Ephesus of how they were once defined by all the things they were not: “Not-Jews” “Uncircumcised.” “Separate from Christ.” “Excluded from citizenship.” “Foreigners to the covenants of the promise.” “Without hope.” “Without God in the world.” Seven negative identity markers covering all the things that the Ephesians were not.
How many of us define ourselves this way—by our deficiencies, by what we are not or by what we do not have? “Not skinny enough.” “Excluded from the property market of our peers.” “Not part of the group.” “Don’t belong.” “Not enough money.” “Not what she has.” “Not what he can do.” “Not happy.” “Without the right job.” Many of us do this. It is much easier to see what’s lacking in our lives than to see all the things we do, in fact, have.
How many of us define our experience of church the same way? By what it isn’t? “Not welcoming enough.” “Not my style.” “Not progressive enough.” “Not conservative enough.” “Not loving enough.” “Not serving enough.” “Not enough money.” “Not enough volunteers.” “Not the right programs.” “Not diverse enough.” “Not doing enough.” “Without all the people who used to attend.” “Without hope.”
Our eyes get good at seeing the things we pay attention to. And what we human people tend to pay the most attention to are all the things that aren’t there. The things that should be better, fuller, faster, more pleasing, and more aligned to our values, but aren’t. As Christians, this simply is the wrong way to see the world. It is an immature way of using our capacity of attention.
Paul will have none of it. In Jesus Christ, neither we nor the church are defined any longer by what we are not, but instead, by what we are. We are defined by what he has made us to be. So Paul now begins rattling off the positive identities we have received in Christ through the peace and salvation he has given. We are “fellow citizens.” “With God’s people.” “Members of his household.” “Built on the foundation of those faithful ones who have gone before throughout the generations, including Jesus Christ himself.”
We are to train our attention on the unseen things, yes. But not the unseen things that are missing. Our eyes are to be trained for the unseen things that are there: reality as it really is. Like a Holy Spirit stirring about, forming Christ in us. A God who has always provided and will continue to do so out of his Creation of abundance. A living Lord who beckons us to see his gifts that are abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine.
If we are to live Christian lives, we need to know who and what we are, not what we aren’t. And we need to know what the church is too, rather than what it isn’t. The church is the place where we citizens of God’s household and Kingdom gather to train our eyes to see the unseen reality of a living God at work, making us ever more fully into who we already are in Jesus Christ: giving us every good gift with which to bless this world along the way.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:17-18).
Jesus is our peace. He has done it. He has destroyed the barriers and dividing walls of hostility, putting them to death in his cross. And not only the barriers that stand between us people who are often harboring hostile feelings toward one another—but also the barriers between us and God. In his flesh, he has forged all of us into one single, new humanity, and reconciled us to God through the cross.
Through our Prince of Peace, we have been brought near both to God and to one another—no matter the diversity or hostility that might still separate us. Foreigners and citizens, Catholics and Protestants, estranged family members, folks with differing political leanings—no matter: all who are in Christ have been made one and the most significant word about our relationships is spoken by him— “Peace.” This peace is a grace God has worked into us. Our calling is to work it out in our daily living. That is why later we read about lifestyle, words and actions—working this peace into our lives till it becomes natural.
Jesus does not force us into this peace. He comes and preaches it. Offers it. And like a Sunday sermon—no one is obligated to take it, agree, or do anything with it. Jesus will not coerce us into working out what he has worked in by his grace. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be grace, just another form of slavery.
Remember that Jesus did not create peace in Jerusalem by overthrowing the Roman occupiers and taking control of the city, enforcing his kingdom and its peace on the population. Rather, he created peace by taking all their violence and hostilities upon himself as they cursed, condemned, whipped, and crucified him. In Luke’s telling, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, saying “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Lk 19:42).
But note what Jesus did do: he came to Jerusalem and preached his kingdom of peace. They rejected it and killed him. But peace was made all the same—it happened through the cross, through the putting to death of these hostilities. And on the other side—the possibility for a new, peace-laden resurrection life. Jesus again came and preached his kingdom of peace, even to those who had betrayed and abandoned him. Jesus continues to come preaching peace to all, both far away and near, offering his new life.
The peace of Christ is on offer. Will you accept it? If we receive and believe that Jesus really has accomplished a peace between God and us and everyone else—then by the Spirit, the working out of this peace that has been worked in will transform us and all our relationships.
And, because the source of this peace is in Christ, it is an inexhaustible gift. It continually flows from his life into our lives through the power of the Spirit, and from us into the lives of others—enough of it always, to cover every new hostility and division. As Isaiah puts it in some of our favourite Advent verses: “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).
Hard to believe. Certainly. But listen:
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG).
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:14-16)
Can Christians claim to be people of peace? Some say that Christians are the problem, having created many conflicts. From the crusades to colonial campaigns, from the bloody religious wars during the reformation to residential schools in recent memory—we Christians have little track record to draw on when it comes to peace.
It’s true that in many places and times, Christians have not been agents of peace and reconciliation. Not even in our own lives. Today is Valentine’s Day. Even for many Jesus’ followers, it’s a bitter and lonely day. Broken relationships and divorce litter our families too.
How often have you or I not added bricks to the walls of hostility that divide us from others? Even our efforts at good produce unintended harms more often than we would like. Can we say anything when it comes to peace? Are we just as much part of the problem as the next person?
But if we, followers of the Prince of Peace, cannot talk about peace, who can?
It is an important question. Violence continues to erupt all around us, embodied in wars in Gaza, Ukraine and many other places. Can we speak peace into these situations, tainted though our actions have been? Can we speak a word of reconciliation—of forgiveness or confession—among relationships that are broken and breaking, even though we ourselves have helped fortify walls of hostility?
When it comes to these questions, Paul helps us out. At the beginning of this chapter, he reminds us that left to ourselves, we are dead in our transgressions. Our history is littered with sin, discord, and division. Thankfully however, peace does not begin with us. It begins with God. Christ accomplishes it.
He is our peace. He is the one who tears down the dividing walls of hostility and destroys the barriers. He is the one who unites deeply divided ethnic groups into one new humanity within his church. And he does it through his cross where all the hostilities we can muster are put to death—whether the hostilities of our past, present, or future. All of them die in the death of Christ on the cross. His victory over human hostility is total. None of it survives, such that what remains, is peace. The peace he gives, he gives freely to all, as a gift of this new resurrection life.
This is the reality in Christ which will be seen fully at his second coming. For now, though, amidst the continuing hostilities of our lives and world, take heart that we Christians can still speak of peace. The way we do it is not by pointing to ourselves, but to Jesus—reminding ourselves and others that “he is our peace.” Of course, we must do so with humility. Confession and repentance are also requirements. For if Christians will not humble themselves in confession and repentance, who will?
Where Jesus’ resurrection life is present among us, glimpses of that peace shine through.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-13)
Wilderness Wanderings will be wrapping up soon as I (Pastor Anthony) take a call to Orillia. So: in these final installments, we will be reflecting on the letter to the Ephesians—particularly those verses that lead us into Paul’s prayer from the end of chapter 3.
In some ways, the verses from today’s text are a repeat of the verses that began the chapter where Paul wrote “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Paul begins with the past tense in both places to heighten the contrast: because in Christ, things look a lot different!
The point Paul was making at the beginning of the chapter was about death and life, sin and salvation. But now he begins to work his way into the implications—what does it mean to practice this resurrection life we’ve been given? Firstly, it means working out the grace that God has worked into us. That’s what the verses before this describe. But it also comes with a change in status and relationship.
Here Paul comes with a litany of things that the Ephesians were and weren’t before Jesus entered the picture: “Gentiles.” “Uncircumcised.” “Separate from Christ.” “Excluded from citizenship.” “Foreigners to the covenants of the promise.” “Without hope.” “Without God in the world.” Of course, what one realizes is that this list only makes sense from the point of view of an insider to all these things, that is, a Jewish person.
Pious Jews were accustomed to praying a daily prayer of thanks to God for not being created as a gentile. The Temple courts, likewise, were divided into inner and outer courts. One for gentiles on the outside, and one for Jews on the inside. Gentiles could not pass through the dividing wall on the penalty of death. Warnings were posted in Greek and Latin to make sure they knew. Hostilities ran hot between insiders and outsiders. As they did at some level between many different ethnic groups.
But here’s the thing—Jesus tears down all these ethnic hostilities and barriers. He strips these believing gentiles of all their former disqualifications. Not only that, he has the audacity to bring these gentiles who were once far away—not just into the inner court, but into the very presence of God! He tears the veil to the Holy of Holies and by his own blood, invites them right in!
This is not merely an interesting point of ancient history or Biblical research. It is emblematic of something much deeper. In his cross, Jesus shatters all ethnic and national boundaries inside his church. Not just then, but also today. And not firstly by giving courses on EDI or anti-racism to tell us of our biases or how to treat one another. No, it begins more subversively than that. Jesus begins simply by bringing those who were once far away, near. Near enough that we all have to encounter one another and contend with the fact that we’re all now siblings of the same saved family on the same basis: faith in Jesus.
Together in the presence of Jesus, stuck now with hated enemies, immigrants, and foreign outcasts who have become our sisters and brothers: this is where transformation into the life of resurrection begins. Will you submit to the encounter?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2b-3).
What images come to mind when you hear (or read) the name ‘Jesus’? A little lad hanging onto his mother’s leg in the marketplace, unnerved by all the noise, smells and people? A teen learning trades from his father? A dusty-footed traveller wandering the paths of Judea and Galilee followed by a gaggle of uncomprehending disciples? A preacher sitting in a boat? A feeder of thousands? A healer of the sick? A shepherd of his flock? An innocent person, arrested, tried and crucified? Or resurrected appearing to his bewildered disciples who in hiding?
All valid images. All valid portraits of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. But coming towards the end of his letter, our author wants us to see something different, to focus our attention not on Jesus’ humiliation, but on his glory. Not because his humiliation was not important, nor because it doesn’t have great value for our faith and life and contemplation. He draws our attention to the truth that Jesus was able to endure all these humiliations because he knew that at the end of the race there was joy.
What joy? The joy of redemption of course, not his own but ours. In Luke 10, Jesus sees Satan fall from heaven and is filled with joy, while in Luke 15, when Jesus tells stories of the lost being found, the finders are all filled with joy. Those finders represent God in the parables. Jesus was willing to endure the agony of humiliation, suffering and death because he knew that this was the road to bring us and the entire cosmos back into communion with God. And because he finished his race, shouldering the humiliation, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is this final image of Jesus in his glory and power that our author draws to our attention now. Jesus is the firstfruits of the new creation, he is the guarantee that we will be glorified too. We have a whole crowd of witnesses cheering us on, but it is not to them that we should look. No, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the prize. We see him, there, on the throne, nail scarred hands, sword pierced body, the crown of glory not hiding where the thorns pierced him. In his encouragement to us not to grow weary or lose heart, our author does not point us to the great cloud of witnesses, but rather to this one.
But it is not his battle wounds that draw our attention, its his joy. The joy that radiates from his face draws us on. Today, we might struggle. Today, we might be weary of the bills that need paying. Today, we might be weary of the brokenness we feel in our hearts and see in the lives of others. Today, we might be burdened with the endless slaughter of innocents in our world. Today, we are called to self-denial and humility, to sacrifice, to resisting the world and self even unto death. Dying is the way of the disciple.
Jesus would not have us ignore all that. But his joy draws us forward, it keeps us in the fight. It keeps us doing the right thing in the right way, just like Jesus did. His joy enables us to suffer for his cause today. His joy tells us that someday, we will be enveloped in that joy. Someday, all of creation will be filled to overflowing with that joy.
For now, we look at Him, we hear him speak, we do what he says, we follow where He leads, we trust he will provide. Looking to him and his love, till our hearts burn with it. We see him beckoning us on. His eyes are fixed on us, radiating joy, delighting in us. He is drawing us to himself, leading and perfecting our faith, changing us into his likeness from glory to glory.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter:
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
Peer pressure is a thing. So is personal determination. The author of Hebrews draws on both, cheering us on to faith in the race of life.
Of course, peer pressure and personal determination can also undercut faith when they run the wrong way. For instance, while there are many benefits of strong Christian institutions—there can also be drawbacks. A common story in the Christian schools is one where a group of friends pushes the limits of acceptable behaviour when it comes to bullying or partying. They look around at one another and encourage one another on: I won’t tell if you don’t tell. We’re all good Christians here, and aren’t Christians permitted to be strong, have fun, etc.? As one group begins to push the boundaries of what constitutes acceptable Christian character and behavior, others follow suit. This is a negative form of Christian witness: a witness that erodes character, perseverance, and faith among the community of believers. I ought to add that it does not just happen at school.
Our personal determination can also flag. It is exhausting to fight for the good against the wrong, to take personal stands of integrity against issues, whether big or mundane, not to mention the quieter internal battles against sin and despair. Our resolve can be cut short in a thousand ways: some of us have strong internal critics that hamper our confidence in stepping forward in faith, others of us are worn out, grieving, or discouraged, others still are impacted by the seasonal blues. Great athletes tell us that endurance and perseverance in a long race is ultimately about the mental resolve to keep going and push through. There are many reasons that’s hard to do, even more so when the peer pressure we feel invites us to consider giving up.
Enter the book of Hebrews. Over chapter 11, we have been reminded that our lives participate in a much longer and larger story: the story of God in, through, and among his people. It is the story of Creation. The story of Able, Noah, and Abraham. The story of Sarah and Rahab. It is ultimately the story that culminates in the good news of Jesus—his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We await the end of the story at Jesus’ second coming to set all things right and make all things new. But until then we participate in the story by living our own lives of faith.
As we do, the writer invites us to listen to the cheers of those who have gone before us. We have a larger community than just those who surround us at school, work, or in our friend group. It is none less than Abraham and Sarah cheering us on from the crowd, together with all sorts of lesser known saints—perhaps even some of those that you have known from this life. Those dearly loved ones of ours who ran the race before them—faults, foibles, and faith all wrapped together. They cheer us on, encourage us, and continue to speak to us through their example of how to fight the good fight and finish the race. That’s the kind of peer pressure we need—a positive pressure that carries us forward through hard times and hard choices of personal character and integrity that keeps Jesus ever in the fore.
We are not to look at how difficult the race is, how loud the voices to give up and give in are, nor how limited our own resources and desire to keep going. Instead, we are to keep our head up and our eyes trained on Jesus. This, we are told, is enough. Because Jesus is not just the one we run to. No: he also run this race and by his help we are enabled to run it to.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40).
The whole book of Hebrews has been heading towards the conclusion of this chapter. The Old Testament saints had something, but we have something better. They received a promise, but we have received what God promised to them. They received some small promises, such as the land God promised to Abraham and descendants too many to count. But the main promise they did not receive.
But to fully grasp our author’s intent, we need peek ahead. After this we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (12:1, 4).
Its about our struggle against sin. The letter begins with Jesus, who “after he had provided purification for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). This great promise of Jesus Christ, his redemption and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the better promises of the better covenant, the saints of old did not receive. They died in faith, not having received the promises, only seeing them from afar. Yet, in faith they struggled against sin. But our resources for that struggle are far superior.
Our author uses two words to describe the new covenant in Christ: better and perfect. The word “better” occurs 13 times in this letter. Jesus has inherited a better name; he has brought us a better hope; he is the deposit of a better covenant presented in better promises sealed with his blood; in Him we have the better country, a heavenly one.
To them God spoke through the prophets; to us through his Son. To them he offered the rest of Canaan; to us the rest of God. Their high priest was a man who died; ours is a priest for.ever. Their sanctuary was on earth; ours is the true sanctuary in heaven. Their sacrifices did not bring cleansing; the sacrifice of Jesus makes our hearts new by the Spirit; even our consciences are cleansed. They worshipped before an earthly tent; we have access into the very presence and love of the Father. God has indeed provided something better for us: the blood of Jesus and his continuing presence through the Holy Spirit.
The better thing God has provided is summarized in the word perfection; a term used 14 times. It comes from the ancient Greek term for "purpose" or "end." It does not mean sinless, even though that is on the horizon. It refers to God's ultimate plan and purpose for us which is accomplished in Christ. Paul offers us this, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Christ], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross…But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish…” (Colossians 1:19-20, 22).
In Christ, we are being made holy through the Spirit’s power. We have many more resources for the struggle against sin than the saints who lived before Jesus. Therefore, keep up the struggle. Don’t give up. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be faithless. God is perfecting us in Christ.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter:
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text comes from 2 Samuel 6 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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How does the word for peace (Shalom/Salam) get used in the names found in the books of Samuel? What do we learn about peace through the way these peace-names are used?
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Read the previous story of the Ark from 1 Samuel 4-6 sometime. What (either from your reading or Pastor Anthony reminding us in the sermon) is similar about the way Israel dealt with the ark and the LORD who was seated upon then and now in 2 Sam 6?
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What are the ways in which we can attempt to “use” God as a dead religious totem rather than submit to him as our living LORD with whom we are in relationship?
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What does a life of worshipful submission to the name of Lord Almighty look like from 1 Samuel 6?
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How might that worshipful life of submission look in your own life this week?
Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. (Hebrews 11:35-38)
Pastor Michael referred to the first half of this long paragraph yesterday—the part where everything goes really pretty well. Kingdoms are conquered, justice is administered, swords are sheathed, women receive back their dead, resurrected. Faith gives witness to God’s strength in the midst of our weakness, and what incredible things he can do!
But now the paragraph turns. The story of faith is not always a story of triumph in the near term. Sometimes it looks a lot more like God’s silence or human sadness, hardship, and death.
We heard yesterday of women who received back their dead: like the widow at Zarephath whose son was raised by Elijah (1 Kgs 17:17–24), or the Shunemite woman, whose son was raised by Elisha (2 Kgs 4:18–37). Now we hear of those who were tortured and refused release--those who ultimately died a martyrs death so that they might receive “an even better resurrection” (2 Maccabees 7). Not a resurrection within this life, like the sons of the women mentioned above received. Those young men would die again at the end of their natural lives. But a better resurrection—the resurrection from the dead when Jesus returns and death is no more. A resurrection after the end of our mortal lives. This is the better resurrection.
We desire and often think the life of faith should be one of fighting and winning our battles in the strength of the Lord right here and now. Despite all the well marketed books, podcasts, social media content, and lovely contemporary Christian Music anthems to that effect—the Bible simply doesn’t substantiate a faith that finds its victory in this life. The victory is a faith that holds on to God, even if it doesn’t come with a shred of earthly benefit. Faith holds on to God, trusting that God alone is enough. The victory is his business, not ours. He himself will bring the final victory over sin, death and evil—in his time—whether in this life or the next.
As CS Lewis once put it in The Screwtape Letters on the pen of a senior demon writing to a younger one: “Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
These people of faith in God alone who trust and obey despite all else—they, the ones who go about “in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated,” they are the ones of whom it is said: “the world was not worthy of them.” By the grace of God, may we be found in their number.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. (Hebrews 11:32-35a).
As Jericho’s walls fell, the first period of Israel’s history closes. Its time to speed up the story. Our author rattles off a few prominent names of judges, kings, and prophets, recalling what faith both produced and suffered. He wants us to see that under and behind and within all the outward events recorded, there lived faith in God. History is the record of what God has done through and for those who trusted Him.
Notice how much faith accomplished: kingdoms conquered, justice established, lions quieted, flames stilled, swords sheathed. See also that among those mentioned in these verses, few are remembered for their strong faith. Their faith was faltering and feeble. Maybe Jesus was thinking of them when he told his disciples that with faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah were hardly shining examples of godly folk. Yet, they make the list. How encouraging for us who have a faltering faith.
We see that God does not promise the faithful a life free from difficulty and danger. Rather, faith is called into exercise when human resources are exhausted and danger looms. We would never learn to know either God or ourselves as His children through a life of ease. Trials can accomplish two things. They give us the opportunity of honouring God by waiting for him in trust and they give God the opportunity of showing how faithful He is in watching over His children, working for and in us. In difficult times our hearts are drawn towards our heavenly father, in dependence and humility and trust. When we face hardship God can reveal in our open heart all the tenderness and all the saving power of His love. Suffering is the school of faith; it is the place where Christians grow spiritually.
It is also true that selfishness is the death of faith. When we seek to be strong in faith, for the sake of our own comfort and goodness and power, we will fail. Gideon and Barak, David and Samuel, were all people who lived for their nation and God’s cause in it. They were God’s chosen instruments for doing His redeeming work in His people. Likewise, when in our weakness, we give ourselves to God and others, we have the right to claim God’s mighty help.
Faith is not so that we can reap benefits for ourselves from God. Rather, it is for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom and the building up of his church. What a work there is to be done! Our involvement in God’s church, in his mission beyond it, in our fight against injustice in society and the workplace, in promoting the welfare of all in our schools and public spaces, in our struggle against sin in our own hearts, faith is needed. In all those places and more, weak Christians become heroes of faith as we learn to trust in God to subdue kingdoms, to work righteousness, to obtain promises! Let us offer ourselves to God for the struggle.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31)
As pastor Michael pointed out yesterday, we’ve skipped over 40 years in the wilderness between the Red Sea and Jericho. Or at least—that section of time is skipped over here in chapter 11’s litany of faith. But the time of wilderness testing did figure earlier in the book of Hebrews, quite prominently in fact. So why doesn’t it show up here? Because the writer considers the wilderness to have been a time not of faith, but of disobedience.
This is what we read in chapter 3: “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was [the Lord] angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:16-19)
The author uses the same word—disobedient—in our verse today: Rahab, the woman of faith is contrasted with “those who were disobedient.” We presume that the “disobedient” must refer to the other inhabitants of Jericho who died. Maybe. But if we remember back to the book of Joshua—there were also disobedient Israelites killed in the Jericho affair. If Joshua, chapter 6 told the story of Rahab’s faith that literally stood out amid the crumbling walls of Jericho, chapter 7 tells us of the disobedience of Achan who grabbed plunder from Jericho’s fallen ruins in direct defiance of God’s command.
Achan held on to Jericho rather than God and perished. Rahab held onto God rather than Jericho and lived.
We can often presume that the faithful are the ones inside the church and people of God. The Bible rarely sees it that way. Very often the wicked and disobedient are mixed up within the people of God and it’s the foreigners and sinners like Rahab the Prostitute who witness to God’s people about what it means to be people of faith. This is the story here.
The distinction between outsiders and insiders is obliterated like the walls of Jericho. What matters is not whether you were born to Abraham or within the church—what matters is the faith of Abraham and the faith of the church. All of us are “the disobedient,” and whether in the church or out of it, we remain so UNLESS we place our faith in God. This is the distinction that matters. Will you let go of all other forms of wealth and security and hold on to nothing but God, in faith that he alone will save?
Rahab had such a faith, and was saved. It happened right there in the very moment of Jericho’s fall: her life was held secure even as all else crumbled around her. God made a way for her where there was no way, just like he did for Israel as they crossed the sea. He still does the same today for all who cling to him in faith.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days (Hebrews 11:30).
Our writer teleports us from the exodus out of Egypt right to the conquest of the promised land, from the roaring waters of the Red Sea destroying the Egyptian army to the shadows of Jericho’s walls. But much has happened in between. Over 40 years of much.
And much has changed. Israel’s faith has grown. Pharoah and his army had no fear of God, but according to the two spies who stayed at Rahab’s house, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us” (Joshua 2:24). Fear of God indeed. Now, Israel fears God too, but in a very different form. She eagerly follows Joshua’s instruction to march around Jericho, confident that its walls will fall. Not fear, as in afraid, but fear, as in confident faith, our God can do it.
They could not see how it would fall; on the face of it, nothing could seem more foolish than to march round a strong fortress for seven days on end, led by seven priests blowing rams’ horns. They could not see faith at work on those solid walls. Those huge ramparts and battlements seemed to stand fast and firm. Yet, when they marched round the city seven times on the seventh day and heard the last blast of the rams’ horns, they shouted with a great shout and the walls crumbled (Joshua 6:20). No battering rams beat upon them, but faith can do better work than battering rams or dynamite
In this extraordinary approach, God was pleased to magnify himself, to terrify the Canaanites, to strengthen the faith of the Israelites, and to prevent all boasting. Israel could never claim victory over Jericho. God was victorious.
This is the faith to which we are called. God can and will in his own time and in his own way cause all powerful opposition against his interest and glory to fall down. Later in Israel’s history, the Assyrians fell, the Babylonians fell, the Medes and Persians fell, the Greeks fell, the Romans fell. And in our day too, kingdoms arrayed against the Lord have fallen. Those who seek glory for themselves will fall in confusion just like those who built the tower of Babel (Genesis 11).
For six days the Israelites marched. Each day, the folks of Jericho likely got braver. Did they mock Israel? Probably. Faith learns to wait. Faith does not grab hold of but has patience until God gives. We are called to a life of faith that expects and receives. Israel marched and waited and received.
God often uses weak and unexpected means to accomplish his purposes. Paul put is succinctly, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Our task is not to understand, but to believe.
Later he also wrote, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Our primary weapon is faith. Faith in God. Faith that his purposes will not fail. Faith that we will receive our reward, a place in God’s heavenly city.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29)
If one reads the book of Exodus, “faith” does not seem the right word to equate with the people. This is how Exodus 13 reports it: “As Pharaoh approached... They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die’” (Ex. 13:10-11).
Moses’ response comes with a bit more faith. He says: “’Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” (Ex. 13:13-14)
These are the two polls between which our lives of faith oscillate. Between utter hopelessness and despair on the one side and an uncanny ability to stand firm despite everything that says you ought to crumble on the other.
It’s worth saying that the people’s appraisal of the situation was correct. But for God: they were surely dead. Caught between an ocean and an army with livestock, children, and the elderly members of the community—there was no way the whole group was going to escape.
What we need to understand from this is that faith does not make sense. According to the maths: the Israelites die. But Moses in this moment was looking beyond the facts and statistics, strategy and common sense. He not only had an assurance about the God he could not see, but also a confidence in what he hoped for. Namely, salvation. He stood firm in a belief that an invisible God really can step in to save his people from the visible dangers they face in this world.
This is what faith is, but how many of us have it? When we speak of salvation, we’re usually speaking of a death for sin in the distant past that gives us a heavenly home in the distant future. Neither this past nor this future seem to have much import for the life we’re living today. It’s nice—a great future comfort to be sure—but it’s not going to pay the bills. Nor is it going to save us from any of the dangers we or our loved ones face. We take that work into our own hands with our own know-how. And so it is that we find ourselves believing quite orthodox things, and yet nevertheless forsaking faith in the living Lord Jesus who in this very moment still sits on the throne and steps into this world to save his people.
Like the Israelites before us, we have a hard time leaving Egypt. To finally and fully leave Egypt, the Israelites had to let go of what they knew and what their 5 senses were telling them. They had to give way to the faith Moses held out before them—that their only hope of salvation was in a God they couldn’t see, working against everything they could. They Egyptians stayed in Egypt, of course: the faithless real world logic of “you can’t walk through the bottom of the ocean” literally came crashing down on them. But the Israelites made it through an impossible danger in an impossible way. They walked by faith in a God who makes a way where there is no way, and so found themselves walking on dry, solid ground.
Whatever it is that you face right now in your life: stand firm and take hope. Believe, in faith, that the Lord Jesus still fights for his people and saves them, even today.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text 2 Samuel 5. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What qualities should a good leader have?
- Do you know a leader who has demonstrated the traits of a shepherd? What role was the king supposed to fill in Israel? Some time this week read and reflect on Ezekiel 34.
- In the middle section of the chapter David fails in several ways. What are they? How can the church follow in the example of Jesus? How can you?
- How does the story of Jerusalem (the city of David) give us hope?
- Who are the church’s enemies today? Should we be afraid of them? What has happened to them? What does the defeat of God’s enemies change us? How do we fight against our enemies today?
Because of his faith, Moses was the first to keep the Passover Feast. He commanded the people of Israel to sprinkle blood on their doorways. He did it so that the destroying angel would not touch their oldest sons (Hebrews 11:28).
God is King. The unseen God is king. My God is King. Moses believed this.
This faith is on display once more in our text. God had been demonstrating his kingship throughout Egypt with a series of plagues. Now it was time for the show down. The last plague was about to take place, the death of the firstborn sons. The death of Pharoah’s son was proof that the Egyptian gods were no match for the God of Israel, that he was indeed king.
It was time for Israel to put their faith in this God. They, too, would be subject to the destroying angel, unless they killed the Passover lamb and sprinkled its blood on their doorposts. God himself would stand in the way of the destroying angel, protecting those behind the bloodstained doorposts. Israel, too, needed to trust that God was King, that he was stronger than the enemy.
Our author is inviting us into this story, to this kind of faith. He has already mentioned the sprinkling of blood. In 9:11-22, he compared Christ’s sacrifice to the sacrificial rituals of the old covenant. The blood of animals protected Israel from God’s judgement, yet it was insufficient. Christ’s blood is far superior and cleanses us permanently.
Our text specifically mentions the smearing of blood on the Israelites’ door posts to avoid the death angel’s work. This act was an act of faith in an as-yet-unseen event. This first Passover was an act of faith that God would save Israel. She was yet in Pharoah’s clutches. All subsequent Passovers looked back to the event of the angel of death passing over the homes sprinkled with blood; that God himself stood guard protecting his covenant people. But this first Passover was an act of faith, that redemption was at hand.
Our celebration of the Lord’s Supper looks both backward and forward. We look back at the Christ on the cross, believing that his blood covers our sin. Our author recognizes that the reality of cleansing and the experience of it do not always come together. Thus, he often writes about the cleansing of the conscience. Even if we don’t feel cleansed, we are. We believe it in faith. We look back at the cross, we see God’s love for us there. His firstborn, his only son, dying for us. He died; we live. As God passed over the Israelites who lived behind the blood, so we live shielded by the blood of Christ. Christ is that Lamb, he is our Passover, he was sacrificed for us.
The Lord’s Supper is also an act of faith looking forward. Salvation is much more than just forgiveness. It is full restoration of the entire cosmos. Life in this world can often be discouraging. We see the evidence of poverty all around, we are diagnosed with disease, loved ones die, disagreements sever relationships, even marriages, wars bring destruction. Its difficult to imagine a world without all this pain. But in faith, we participate in the Lord’s Supper in anticipation of the day when Christ will return and set everything right. Our tears will be dried. Our sorrows will be no more. Shalom will fill the cosmos and our hearts. Our Christ, though unseen to our physical eyes, is King. He is stronger than the enemy. He has overcome. He will see this done.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27)
If we said it once, it’s worth saying again: God is King, not Pharaoh or any other ruler past, present, or future. Recall the words from my devotion two days ago. There the author of Hebrews stated that Moses’ parents were not afraid of the king. Now Moses is the one “not fearing the king’s anger.”
In that devotion, I wrote: “For someone to be unafraid of a king—whether that be the edict of an ancient emperor or a modern day elected President or Prime Minister—it means they have a view of reality that extends beyond what can be seen. They understand that there is a yet higher power behind the thin veneer of this present moment—a God who still rules and reigns as Sovereign Lord King over this earth. … Faith sees God. Right here, right now—on the move.”
This is precisely what the author of Hebrews means. Why was Moses not afraid? Because “he saw him who is invisible,” that is, God the true King.
You cannot read the Bible without this kind of vision. Think of our current series in Sunday worship. When we read the texts of Samuel & Kings, we are tempted to think that Saul, David, and Solomon are the king of Israel. They aren’t. They never were. God is still the King. And to the extent that Saul, David, and Solomon acknowledge that fact and point their people to the High King, the LORD—Israel is her true self. But when they forget and start acting as if they were the only king by taking too many wives, say, or naming a city after themselves like the “City of David,” that is when Israel becomes a nation “like all the other nations,” which is far less than Israel was called to be.
When one’s eyes are peeled to see God as King and we ourselves as citizens of HIS country who merely reside as foreign aliens in this one (Canada)—then we see things rightly. That is when Christians begin to do those strange, counter-cultural things that Christians do when they are willing to give up their own standing, wealth, even life for the sake of others or for our love of God.
Very often we see this go sideways when Christians make “strong” stands and draw hard lines, but seek to enact those stands through unrighteous means: violence, factional fighting, subverting the rules. This is not the way of the King. Not that Christians can’t make strong stands, but in his Kingdom the way something gets done is just as important as what gets done. Ends do not justify means: both ends and means must be righteous in his kingdom. And if that means we cannot get done what we think we ought to or need to get done, well then, it just doesn’t get done. We wait in trust for the Lord to do what we cannot, for we are always constrained by his law and his ways.
But even so: in our waiting we do not fear. No matter how bad things get or look, we do not fear. Even if our life is made hard and persecution comes our way: we do not fear. Why? Because we see “him who is invisible,” our God, still seated on the throne.
This is the root: faith. A “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” As John will write later in his letter: it is faith in this God and his perfect love that “drives out fear.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony ended his devotion on Moses’ parents with these lines, “Faith is not lived in the future, but in the present. By time heaven comes round—it’ll be too late to try.”
That sentence there, “Faith is not lived in the future, but in the present.” This is the kind of faith that the author of Hebrews ascribes to Moses, which he learned from his parents – their words, sure, but certainly also from their actions.
Our author wants us to understand something about Moses -- because of that faith, he made a choice. He grew up in Pharaoh’s household as the adopted son of the royal princess. He had access to the best luxuries and wisdom and powers of the Egyptian regal court. It was all there at his fingertips: all the papyri of the magicians who could turn staffs into snakes (Exodus 7:12), all the best food and drink, all the pleasures a young man desired, all the training of an Egyptian soldier.
But he made a choice. He turned away from it all. Moses chose to identify with God’s people rather than with the godless. He chose at great personal cost: loss of wealth, relinquishment of status, and intense mistreatment. He “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.”
This phrase squishes time together: present, future and further still. Certainly, Moses experienced reproach by identifying himself with the people of God but in doing so he also experienced the reproach of the coming Messiah (that is the present and the future). Our author does this to encourage his readers, in the 1st century and in the 21st century, to make the same choice that Moses made: to accept the reproach that comes from identifying with Christ and with his church (that’s the further still, us). He is encouraging us to join Paul in declaring, “I want to join [Christ] in his sufferings. I want to become like him by sharing in his death” (Philippians 3:10 NIRV).
Are you willing to make that kind of choice? Are you willing to be identified with a group that declares Jesus is Lord above all the rulers of the world, even when people say, ‘where’s the proof’? Are you willing to put some of your hard-earned income towards the mission of God as worked out through his church, even if it costs you that vacation or new vehicle that you are dreaming of? Are you wiling to name among your friends, people whom the world deems undesirable, people who can offer you nothing but friendship? Are you willing to be identified with a group of deeply flawed people who regularly mess up their God given mission?
Does your faith enable you to trust Jesus when he said, “Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). Does your faith live in the present, in the here and now?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. (Hebrews 11:23)
The character of any person, government, or culture is displayed in highest relief by the way they treat their weak and vulnerable ones. Under Herod in Matthew 2—the baby boys and toddlers were killed as a means of stamping out any claims of God’s Messiah coming to the kingship. In Pharaoh’s Egypt, a similar policy is taken to stamp out the threat of the God’s people of promise—they were multiplying too fast. God very often entrusts himself and his people to weakness, rather than strength, because as Paul put it in speaking about his thorn in the flesh—it is when we are weak that we remember God’s strength is sufficient for us.
For someone to be unafraid of a king’s edict—whether that be the edict of an ancient emperor or a modern day elected President or Prime Minister—it means they have a view of reality that extends beyond what can be seen. They understand that there is a yet higher power behind the thin veneer of this present moment—a God who still rules and reigns as Sovereign Lord King over this earth.
Faith is not just a hope in heaven after death or at the end of time. Faith sees God. Right here, right now—on the move. Our hope does not lie in heaven—our hope is in God. And God is not only in heaven at the end of time, but also right here with us, among us on earth in our time. That is what gives terrified parents the capacity to defy an earthly king’s order—what gives weak people strength. They believe that God saves—not just later at the end of time—but in the here and now of life as it is lived.
Christians too live by the rules and assumptions of a different culture and kingdom: the kingdom of God. In this kingdom, we are able to extend mercy in a world of hard lines; offer hospitality in a world of mistrust, and speak forgiveness in a world of grievance. We can produce these counter-cultural acts because we draw on a source outside the reality brought to us through our screens. Faith sees the God of mercy, forgiveness, and hospitality offering these graces to us—setting a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Faith hears the call to go and do likewise. Faith trusts that this same God is with us as we go.
This is how daring acts of saving and preserving life against the grain of the politics and culture of the day are done. Moses’ parents didn’t do this simply because Moses was a cute baby or because they were abnormally unafraid—no, they did it because they had faith in God. The God who they trusted would see their plight and hear their cries. A God who would set things right. A God who creates and sustains life against any whims of ruthless rulers.
Do you see this God? Will you act out in this kind of faith? By time heaven comes round—it’ll be too late to try. Faith is not lived in the future, but in the present.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones (Hebrews 11:22).
Perhaps the greatest test of faith is not sacrifice but success. If so, Joseph’s faith was of the best vintage. We know from his story that he pondered deeply the things of God. His faith could see that the suffering he endured God was using for good. Even though his brothers’ intentions were evil of the worst sort, Joseph, in faith, saw that “God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).
One can imagine that Joseph spent many hours wrestling with God in prayer, like his father Jacob at the Jabbok (Genesis 32:24). But it was not Joseph’s piety that the Holy Spirit calls our attention to. Rather, through his long and successful carrier as Egypt’s second in command, he maintained his faith that God had a prophetic and salvific plan for Israel. It was not powerful Egypt but little Israel that God would use to redeem the world. Not Egypt, but Israel, would display the glory, holiness, mercy and love of God.
Such faith must have seemed eccentric and bizarre to all who knew about it. In his day, Egypt was the dominant world power. Israel must have felt a little like Canada does today, with the USA as a neighbour. Abraham’s descendants were only a tiny tribe, scarcely more than an extended family. That Joseph rose to become Vice-President in this superpower was not that unusual. But for such a leader, while still in office, to believe and announce that hope for the world’s future lies not with superpowers, but with tiny Israel and with her God-given role in history – that is quite another thing.
It was not Israel’s holiness, nor her understanding of her identity that mattered. Israel’s history reveals she was neither very holy nor very able to embrace her God given identity. What mattered is what God had promised, and that God was a keeper of his word. The Holy Spirit gave us this chapter of faithful people to shore up our own faith. Not faith in our faith, that is silliness, but faith in God. Despite Israel’s weak position in the world God did use her.
Today, many people are concerned about the church. She is shrinking in North America. In some places she is coddling up to power; in other places she is losing her holiness. Her light seems to be dimming and her saltiness diminishing. These things are important. However, they are not ultimate. The church is not dependent on her size or even her holiness, she is dependent on God. Fear not, says Jesus, I am with you to the very end of the age.
Israel was no longer living in the land of promise. But Joseph believed that God’s people would return there. God’s plans would be fulfilled, and he wanted to be identified with them. Even in death he wanted to be remembered not as a famous prime minister of Egypt, but as a member of a fledgeling nation through whom God would redeem the world. Egypt was not her home – the promised land awaited.
Material success often dims our longing for the new creation. We become so comfortable and secure with our worldly possessions we neglect laying up treasures in heaven. Joseph’s eyes of faith did not waver from the future. He fixed his eyes on God as we fix are eyes on Jesus, longing for the joy that awaits us, not depending on the momentary joys of life today. He worked faithfully for Pharoah, all the while, keeping his eyes fixed on the Important prize, God’s affirmation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text comes from 2 Samuel 4 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What do you learn of Saul’s world ways from this passage?
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Where do you see these ways in your own life or in the world around you? i.e.: the ways of fear, mistrust, and taking life into our own hands in a way that neglects God.
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What is story of shame in this chapter (and book—read 1 Samuel 20 and 2 Samuel 9, noting that this chapter falls directly in the middle of the two!)?
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How do the ways of the Lord overcome Saul’s ways of shame in this book?
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How will you trust in God’s work in Jesus this week, rather than the fears and mistrust that might swirl about?
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. (Hebrews 11:20-22)
I am acutely aware at the moment of something I’ve observed quite often in the lives of others: it is hard to end well. It is hard to let go. And no one ever has as much control as they might hope over the circumstances that bring the end they must face.
There are all sorts of endings we must face, and it begins quite early on. The end of diapers as we graduate to being fully potty-trained. The ends of school years, eventually graduating from grade 8, then grade 12, then perhaps other forms of schooling after that. The end of living at home. The end of relationships. The end of single life. The end of jobs, houses, and cities as moves fling us to and fro through life’s middle-years. Eventually we come to the end of someone’s life: a mother, father, sibling, friend. We come to retirement. We come to an empty nest, the end of our family home, we downsize. Eventually we come to the end of driving, independent living, good and dependable health. Until eventually we come to the end of our own life.
The early parts of life teach us that life is a journey of growing up and growing into—a journey of gaining and earning friends, skill, strength, knowledge, wealth, influence, and control. But that often causes us to miss the countermovement at work underneath in the form of all these endings and moments of letting go. It is similar to the waves on an ocean that come in quite visibly on the surface, bringing energy, sound, and a living quality of vitality to the experience. But what we cannot see is what lies underneath—the undertow, the countermovement, the waves that go back out and keep the sea from swallowing up the land. These waves underneath are the movement of release and erosion: the movement that can suck you under, pull you to your end, claim your life.
So it is. Our life rolls in toward the shore, cresting and breaking at any number of high points with sound and flourish. Underneath the surface, our life continues to be struck by the undertow in the form of endings and loses—but never enough to change our direction until that eventual moment when we reach the shore. Our life peaks, and the movement that dominates our journey is reversed. We then become the waves underneath, retreating from the shore. We interact with the waves sill moving in—celebrating their journey forward of growing up and growing into. But our path is a different one now—a journey marked mostly by endings.
The Christian life is an invitation to pay our first attention to the countermovement of undertow, loss, and letting go, rather than to the movement of gaining and earning. Jesus shows and tells us that we must die before we can live. It is only the one who loses their life who truly finds it.
By faith: Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all did this. They did not learn these lessons quickly or early—especially in Jacob’s case—but they did learn them and so were able to end well. They learned to let go and let God even while they lived so that when their end finally came, they did not meet it with bitterness, resentment, cynicism, or defeat. They met it with grace—with words of blessing on their lips for those who would take over their place. They met their end with faith—a faith that no matter what they had gained or lost—God would provide a future and a salvation yet for those who came after.
Let us meet all our endings in this same faith in the God who secures the future and invites us to end with blessing on our lips.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death” (Hebrews 11:17-19).
In our ears, the story of God’s command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice is laced with ethical problems. How could God ask this? There's much in this story, told in Genesis 22, that will leave any thoughtful reader with questions, or that seems downright unspeakable. But the spare, skillful narrative points the way to its beating heart.
The story is structured in three cycles. Three times, there's a summons to Abraham - first by God, then by Isaac, and then by the angel of God. Three times, Abraham's tender answer: "Here I am" (Genesis 22:1, 7, 11). Three times, a response. And those three cycles have Abraham's trembling reassurance to Isaac at their rhetorical center: "God himself will provide" - literally, "God himself will see to it."
This is what the author of Hebrews draws to our attention. Isaac was the child of promise. Through him, the promise to bless the world, in fact, the promise to repair this sin-polluted creation, that promise would be fulfilled through Isaac. It was God’s word, his promise. Now Abraham is commanded to sacrifice him. A test of faith indeed. God’s promise and God’s command are diametrically opposed to each other.
Abraham is now a man of faith. This is God’s problem to solve, not his. So, he goes to the Mount with his son. When Isaac askes, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham simple responds, “God himself will provide.” After God provides a ram for the sacrifice, Abraham names that mountain: Jehovah Jireh, "The LORD will provide."
The church father, John Chrysostom noted that Genesis 22 is a "sketch ahead of time in shadow" for how God would one day provide for the putting right of God's whole world, once and for all. I think he was right. God said to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love” (Genesis 22:2). Later, at Jesus’ baptism, God speaks again saying, “This is my Son, whom I love” (Matthew 4:17). Eerily similar words – a sketch ahead of time in shadow.
This dark story, in the end, foreshadows another journey taken untold centuries later. Jesus of Nazareth - Son of Abraham, and Son of God - would walk into that same mountain range, with wood on his back, and make the dreadful three-day journey into death. These are the lengths to which the divine Love would go for the sake of the world.
Abraham’s son was spared death. But God did not spare his own son. Isaac knew not what lay ahead. Jesus did. He willingly took up his wood; he went willingly to the altar of the cross; he willingly offered himself unto death. But death could not hold him. Abraham was right – God can and will raise the dead.
Can we trust God in the face of a bleak future? Is God anywhere to be found when we're walking in darkness? Is God at all present in the horrors of human life? The empty cross and the empty tomb are the answer. The light has pierced the darkness. The promise of God is that someday, there will only be light, nor more darkness. With faith in that promise, we walk hopefully in the dark of our Mount Moriah.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)
They did not receive the things promised. But they believed anyway.
There are some moments in our lives when we feel like everything is going right. Life is good, our family is good, work is good, and the sun is shining. It is good to feel like we’re living our best life. And sometimes we do feel that way.
But there are plenty of other times when the ground feels to have slipped out from beneath our feet. Something or someone in our home, work, or school context feels threatening. Our health is compromised. Someone we have a relationship with leaves or abandons us.
In those moments, we are reminded of how few and fleeting are the threads that hold up our security and sense of well being.
What we often fail to recognize however, is that this is also the proper context in which to really understand the meaning of our faith—because it is the truest sense we ever get of our real situation. We’ve always lived precariously. Nothing has ever been guaranteed. Death, suffering, and hardship are far more often the norm in human history than peace, order, and good government or life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No one fully receives all the things promised until we arrive at life’s end or Christ’s return.
Citizenship in a stable, peaceful, and prosperous country (which both Canada and the United States are, despite what any politician might say to the contrary) can lull us away from the admission of Hebrews that in fact, we are all foreigners and strangers on earth. If our country on earth is pretty good—why would we look for a better country—a heavenly one?
So in those moments of feeling unsettled—say, when a pastor leaves, or a death occurs, or some other unsettling anxiety sweeps through your life—take it as an opportunity to live by faith and not by sight. Remember and believe that it is God who has promised us life and a future: not our RRSP, our children, our legacy, our government, or our or next vacation. Remember that our lives are lived in trust in God, and that our eyes ought always to be straining just beyond what we are given, to see Jesus who beckons us onward until we arrive finally and fully at our home with him. Then what we see now only as a poor reflection will be replaced with seeing our God, face to face. Then we shall know fully, even as we are fully known. Then only the good things like faith, hope, and love will remain. The greatest of which, is God’s own love. This is what our lives finally rest upon.
Because God loves us, he “is not ashamed to be called [our] God, for he has prepared a city for [us].” A home, with him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:11-12).
The Heidelberg Catechism defines true faith as “not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation” (A 21).
The author of Hebrews would probably not disagree with this definition. However, I suggest, recognizing that I am skating on thin ice, that according to Hebrews 11, more should be added to this confessional definition.
Hebrews 11 faith often involves a physical response to God. It involves action taken in response to the unseen God and his promises. Faith is not merely static belief or cognitive assent. It spurs us to act in accordance with God’s truth. There is a boldness to faith that caused Noah to build an Ark, Abraham to leave home and Moses’ parents to hide their son. This courage is rooted in the faith that, in the end, God will come through; he will keep his promises.
The folks mentioned here stepped forward with eyebrow-raising tenacity and confidence. There was no perceptible reason for doing so, except that God had spoken. God revealed himself, and that was reason enough to act. Their faith caused them to behave in certain ways, in ways expectant of promises fulfilled.
Along with the promise of a new homeland, God promised Abraham children. Well, there was only one thing to do with that promise. But this promise tested Abraham’s faith severally. He got very old, and so did Sarah; well beyond childbearing age. God continued to promise, and Abraham kept working on his faith. Finally, he was enabled to become a father because he believed God.
Abraham, an old man, and Sarah, his wife, as good as dead, became parents, trusting in the faithfulness of God. We are challenged to take our eyes off the obvious—in this case the inability of old people to become pregnant—and to focus on the faithful God who keeps his promises.
There is more hidden in this promise. The number of Abraham and Sarah’s descendants would continue to expand until their children included not just those of their blood line, but all those with their kind of faith. Paul said it best, “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
As the Catechism put it, true faith “is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation.” All those with this faith are children of Abraham and recipients of the promises God made to him.
The question remains, how will that faith effect the way that we live?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)
Without exaggerating too much, this more or less feels like my life right now—except for the “inheritance” part—as we prepare to follow the call to Orillia. “He obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going… like a stranger in a foreign country…”
Of course there is also something universal in the story of Abraham. It is not just a story for pilgrims who happen to be moving house, but for all Christians who journey toward God and the promises he has set before us in Jesus. It is a lifelong journey—the journey of discipleship.
It is a journey marked by not knowing entirely where we are going. What will we become when we follow Jesus? What does God call us to do with the few days and limited resources in our possession? Who will we encounter and befriend along the way?
We often fear that God will make us do the opposite of what we want—that if we happen to make eye contact with the Almighty and get pressed into his call, he’ll ship us off to some far-flung continent to suffer deplorable conditions as a missionary or something. It happened to Abraham, after all (to Femke and I too!). But this notion misunderstands something about our God.
Does he sometimes call us to do hard things? Sure. But God just as often works with our desires as against them—indeed the journey of the Christian life is a journey of purifying and refining our desires. God placed desires in the human heart so that we might desire him and his gifts. When lived well—the journey of our Christian lives bends our desires increasingly toward God to the point where we may begin to trust those desires to lead us home.
In the example of Abraham—he made his home in the promised land, but despite arriving in this good place of God’s calling, the promised land always pointed beyond itself to “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” So Abraham lived always as a stranger in a foreign country. Not because he had no claim on the land on which he lived—but because his true home was with God.
This is perhaps a strange thing to wrap our heads around—but its true for us as well. Whether one rents, tents, or owns a house and cottage—we too are naught but strangers in a foreign country. Why? Because our true home is not here at all—but with God in Christ. He is the one to whom we belong. Home is the place of rest we will know with him when this earth and its heavens are made new and we see him at last as he is: face to face.
Until then: we journey forward in faith, trusting that the one who made the promise is faithful and will provide everything needful until at long last he brings us home.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text 2 Samuel 3. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Spiritual ECGs usually happen through the discipline of confessing sin. How regularly do you take time for this? Should you take more time for it?
- How well do you read the Word of God? Once you have read it, what do you do with it? Consider James 1:23-25. Choose one of the gospel’s accounts of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and meditate on this story.
- When you pray, what it your goal? Is it an act of submission to God. Consider 1 Peter 5:6-7 – let your praying be shaped by these words.
- Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. How well do you live this out? Or are you more like Joab? To be shaped by peace we must go to the cross of Jesus. As you reflect on Ephesians 2:11-22, hear Jesus speaking his words to you, “My peace I give you” (John 14:27).
- What signs of weakness are given in this chapter? Jesus does perfectly what David only did imperfectly. Choose to follow him.
“Noah had faith. So, he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God” (Hebrews 11:7).
Noah had faith. What does faith mean? It can be understood as ‘faith equals creed’. So, if we believe everything professed in the Apostle’s Creed, then we have faith. Years ago, the Christian Reformed Church put a lot of emphasis on the Heidelberg Catechism; we might have been left with the impression that if we had it memorized than had sufficient faith to join the church. The Bible does at times refer to faith as a set of beliefs. For example, check out 1 Timothy 4:6 and Jude 3.
But generally, the idea of faith implies something much more dynamic and active: a life lived in a trusting relationship with God. This active faith certainly rests on sound teaching, but it cannot be summed up by intellectual assent. This is James’ point in much of his letter which he sums up with, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26). And Paul agrees, writing in Galatians 5:6, “The only things that counts is faith expressing itself through love”.
And of course, the author of Hebrews, fully concurs. In our text, we learn that God, who is unseen, warned Noah that a flood, a form of judgement on evil, was coming. And so, Noah built an ark far away from any water. It is often assumed that it took Noah about 100 years to build the ark, but we have no evidence for that. And that is not the most important matter. We ought to note Noah’s ‘holy fear’ or ‘great respect’ for God. He paid close and reverent attention to God’s instruction. When God spoke, Noah believed and built an ark, even though he could not see the waters. This is faith. The hymn writer put it like this, “there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”
But there is more. As he built the ark, his faith stood in sharp contrast to the unbelief of those around him. They had to choose whether to believe God’s word. If they believed, they would need to join Noah in building the ark. It is still true today: Christian obedience has powerful evangelistic value. People are influenced not only by what we say to them, but by the way we respond to what God says to us.
Good examples will either lead unbelievers to faith or condemn them. There is something very convincing in a life of holiness and regard to God; it convicts people’s conscience calling them to choose for or against Jesus. This is the best way the people of God can confront unblievers; not by harsh and condemnatory language, but by a holy exemplary conversation and deeds arising from our faith.
The story of Noah brings us to the waters of baptism which speak of both judgement and salvation. A baptism prayer puts it this way, “In the time of Noah, you destroyed evil in the water of the flood; and by your saving ark, you gave a new beginning”. These waters teach us that evil, even our evil, must be washed away in the blood of Christ. Faith that believes in the cleansing blood of Christ is faith that also pursues godly living (Titus 2:11-14).
As God was patient in the days of Noah, he remains patient today. His judgement is not quick in coming. “[God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Let us live by this faith.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)
Enoch is someone we know next to nothing about. His life is covered in a couple short verses in Genesis. However, we do know a few things. In Genesis 5, he is listed as the 7th individual in a genealogy of 10 people that ends with Noah. 7 and 10 are important numbers in Hebrew reckoning: both conveying a sense of “completeness.” 7 gaining its importance from the 7 days of God’s completed Creation and 10 from the number of commandments. Genealogies are often elongated or contracted to ensure that the places of honour of the 7th and 10th spots are given to significant individuals. So it is with Enoch and Noah who both wind up in our list here in Hebrews 11.
Enoch is described in Genesis 5 as one who “walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” This scant bit of information plus the allusion to Enoch being the only person besides Elijah who did not taste death led to all sorts of speculation and superstitions about Enoch by the time the book of Hebrews was written. The Book of Enoch (not written by Enoch, but a whole tradition of made-up stories about him) was already old and well known by this point.
Yet the writer of Hebrews does not engage in wild fantasies about the Nephilim, angels, watchers, and the like (as all this other Jewish superstition around Enoch did). Instead, the writer of Hebrews drags the story of Enoch from other-worldly fantasy and grounds it back in everyday, ordinary faith of the sort Pastor Michael talked about yesterday.
The story of Enoch is rather simple according to Hebrews: Enoch pleased God. Without faith, this is impossible. Therefore Enoch had faith. Nothing more, nothing less.
But we can still learn something from Enoch, says the author: we can take up this same simple faith of just the sort we’ve been talking about here so far. Faith believes that an invisible God really does exist, and not only that he exists, but also that he acts in the affairs of human history, “rewarding those who earnestly seek him.” The writer of Hebrews does not mean rewards like nice jobs, houses, and boats, nor is he necessarily talking about eternal life. In Enoch’s case, the reward was not having to face death and entering more fully into God’s presence.
Most of us will probably still have to face death, but if we look back to what the writer might mean by God’s rewards—we see it does indeed look a lot like that second thing: entering more fully into God’s presence. God’s reward according to Hebrews is “rest.” The promise is that we might enter God’s rest. It is a place of mercy, peace, and a permanent 7th-day Sabbath rest with God. If you remember, Enoch is the representative of this 7th day Sabbath rest as the holder of that 7th spot in the Genesis genealogy.
Amid all our toil and cares in this world—this sort of rest in the presence of God is very much what we hope for. Rest from our labours. Rest from our misery and suffering. Rest from our fears. Faith—like the faith of Enoch—is confidence in just that sort of thing: “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” A place of rest in God’s presence for each of us who earnestly seek God in faith.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead” (Hebrews 11:4).
The story of the brothers, Cain and Able referred to here, is told in Genesis 4. Here, as in Genesis, the details are stark and sparse. Our curious minds want more details; we want more information on the difference between the two offerings. Why was Able’s offering better than Cain’s? Over the centuries, proposals have been offered; the most common that Able offered blood, pointing forward to Christ.
But the sparse details should cause us to focus on what is here, not on curiosity satisfaction. What we know is that Able had faith and, according to Genesis, that he brought an offering from the firstborn of his flock. We also know that God counselled Cain, “Do what is right and then you will be accepted” (4:7).
The end of Hebrews 10 helps our understanding. There, God is quoted, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back” (10:38). The reference here is to the Israelites who, hearing of the size of those who lived in the Promised Land, doubted that God could give it to them. They shrank back trying to return to Egypt. But they did not make it, dying in the wilderness. Faith says, God can do this and acts accordingly.
Able leads the way in faith, as such, he still speaks today. He was declared righteous because of his faith, not his actions. Yet, his faith propelled him to do what was right. His righteous acts were not an effort to grain credit with God, rather, they arose out of his faith in God’s Word. It says in Genesis that Able gave of his firstfruits, implying a trust that God would provide enough for tomorrow.
Sometimes, we are inclined to limit faith to the big occasions in life, like when we are invited to help with a new church plant, or go on a mission trip, or give up a lucrative income to go into church work. Certainly, these things take faith. But the more common and more frequent acts of faith come in an ordinary day: putting God first, using his name respectfully, carving out time for rest and spiritual renewal, honouring those in authority, refusing to harm other people with word or action, expressing our sexuality as God intended, respecting other people’s property, speaking the truth, and refusing to covet other people’s stuff.
These are not easy things to do, as they are contrary to the way that many folks live. Yet, believers follow them because they are God’s word and will for this world. With them, we lay up treasure in heaven. The warnings against the way of Cain echo down through the ages, “The Lord hates the sacrifice of sinful people. But the prayers of honest people please him” (Proverbs 15:8). “Seek good not evil, that you may live…I hate, I despise your religious festivals…Away with the noise of your songs! But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:14,21,23,24).
The danger is always that we focus on the actions: do enough good things and God will be happy. But God sees and tests the heart. Able believed in God’s invisible Word and lived accordingly. He trusted God; as a result, he did what was right. It was his faith for which he was commended. His faith in God, led his life. Let the Holy Spirit test your motivations. Ask the Spirit to deepen your faith.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
Maybe you’ve not noticed it, but these opening three verses of Hebrews 11 run almost directly parallel to the opening verses of the book. Let me give them to you, from Hebrews 1:1-2:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Faith is what the ancient ancestors were commended for says Hebrews 11. Hebrews 1 says that their faith arose from the fact that God himself spoke to them at many times and in various ways. And now Hebrews 11 will tell us how God not only gives the word that speaks faith into being, but also how God commends that faith—how it pleases him. But first, the writer wishes to communicate something about the invisible nature of faith.
Out of the invisible, God speaks. Visible acts of faith result wherever God’s Creation responds to his word, through the creation itself and through the lives of the ancients who’ve gone before us. But the place where that faith anchors itself is in the still-invisible future sustained by nothing more than God’s word.
We make a lot out of what we can see. The question always being: what have you produced, what have you earned, what you have made? What do you have to show for yourself?
It is difficult to believe therefore that all of reality is actually created out of words—not out of what is seen, but out of what is heard. This is the essence of Jesus as the “word-made-flesh.” The invisible nature of sound waves turns into a visible reality—a person, in the flesh, born into our world. It was just the self-same thing that God did at the dawn of time through Jesus. He spoke an invisible word that generated rock and sea, tree and sky, stars and animals, even you and me. A word that became flesh.
This is the nature of faith: do you believe that nothing but God’s word can create such concrete realities as the ground under your feet? It happened twice before you know—at Creation and redemption. In just this way God has commended himself to us and to our five senses. And he has promised more. A creation re-made, sin and death destroyed, an eternity of life to the full in a visible relationship, face to face with our God.
Do you believe that nothing but God’s word can create all this in a way that’s as concrete to you as the ground under your feet? That kind of faith is what the ancients were commended for, and the kind of faith that we are invited to.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).
A little child, washing up before dinner, was overheard muttering: "Germs and Jesus. Germs and Jesus. That's all I hear, and I've never seen either one of them." The parents had likely never seen a germ either, yet they sent their child to wash their hands before eating. Their belief that germs existed, caused them to insist on cleanliness for their child.
In Hebrews, we find a chapter dedicated to faith. Christianity is a matter of faith, yet mostly, faith is assumed rather than explained or defined in the Bible. This chapter, being one of the rare exceptions, will be our focus for Wilderness Wanderings for the following weeks.
So far, the author of Hebrews has had one objective: to portray Jesus more worthy of our worship and faith than any who have come before because God’s revelation and redemption are complete in him. Jesus saves powerfully and completely. He is worthy of our faith.
Now, the author writes, faith is the beginning, the root of the Christian life. Like roots are to a giant oak, like footings are to a house, faith is to the Christian. The whole of the Christian life is built on this faith. Christians believe that God is at work behind the scenes of history preparing a hew heavens and earth, something we cannot yet see. This is what we hope for. Faith is believing what we cannot see; and living by that faith.
Here a short story that helps us see. Jesse Jackson recalls his first day of sixth grade. The teacher, Miz Shelton, began writing long unknown words on the blackboard. Looking around, the students started whispering to each other, 'She got the wrong class. She thinks we the eighth-grade class.' Somebody finally called out, 'Uh, Miz Shelton? Those are eighth-grade words. We only the sixth grade.
She turned around. 'I know what grade you are. I work here. And you'll learn every one of these words, and a lot more like them, before this year is over. I will not teach down to you. One of you little brats just might be mayor or governor, or even President, some day, and I'm gonna make sure you'll be ready.’
Miz Shelton had no idea if any of her students might amount to anything. Christian faith is different. It is based on the work God has done and the promises he has made. All the folks we will explore in this chapter based their actions on the work and promises of God. We cannot see what God has in store, but with faith we reach for it. Faith informs how we live. Thus, it’s the foundation of the Christian life.
Hebrews 11 is the great faith chapter in the Bible. This magnificent passage of Scripture was written to encourage the new believers to hold steadfastly to their Messiah in unwavering faith. Faith is not shelter against difficulties, but belief in the face of all contradictions. Faith in God’s promises to us in Christ, enable us to live for him, despite the trials that come along the way.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text comes from Luke 2:8-20 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What two things did Pastor Anthony note about the way of David, the Lord’s beloved?
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What are the ways of Saul?
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Is this story about the battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, or something else? Describe the two sides in conflict. Who is on what side? Why?
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How and where do you see Jesus in this passage?
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How will you follow the way of the Beloved in your life this week?
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:7-14)
Faced with the urgency of the Messiah’s coming and the vivid pictures of His wrath that John painted—the people asked: “What should we do then?” John’s preaching is confrontational: it demands a decision and a turning around of our lives and hearts. We may not be as quick to open ourselves to this kind of a sermon, but it’s good to try.
From the preaching of John, we learn that life is not actually a tolerance-oriented, hands-off matter of “you do you” and “I’ll do me,” however much we might like to think so. This notion so prevalent today is actually rather flat, admitting of no interference from any external agent aside from the horizontal pull of peers and influencers. They may speak into our lives, but submitting ourselves to the dictates of any vertical agent set over us like God or some institution like the church or government really rubs against the grain. So it increasingly is in our world today. Our tolerance for any vertical dimension is disappearing.
John’s preaching would seek to wake us up from this flat, individualistic cultural peculiarity of ours though, and immerse us back into a full, three-dimensional reality where there is still a God in heaven with a valid opinion about how we live our lives.
We are responsible to God for our living and doing, says John. God sees what you do, and what I do too. God judges those actions, but also invites us to repent, or quite literally “turn” toward better ones: toward actions that conform more and more to the contours of the Gospel of Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God.
“Producing fruit in keeping with repentance” is about more than just showing up at church or the Christian school. It is more than just doing the right churchy things of baptism or Professions of Faith. It is about your whole life. Your heart. Your actions at and in response to school, home, work, and the people you meet there.
You’d think then that those actions would have to be as radical as John’s message of fire—but no. John didn’t send the people out to change the world. Instead, he sent them right back to their ordinary corner of the world as changed people—people who’d encountered the vertical dimension of God and who had a change of heart, a repentance, a turning around because of it.
Nothing of John’s message changes your work or to-do lists, but it might change you. That’s what the good news of Jesus does. So, turn around. Repent—more and more each day. Live generously. Work with integrity and honesty. Be content with what you have and receive. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a few snapshots of the Good News of Jesus fruitfully at work.
Ultimately, it is through little things like these that the good-news Gospel of Jesus’ coming begins to transform workplaces, school-places, and home-places—perhaps even our society and world. But it starts ever and always with little things. The fruit of repentance, the change of heart that comes from an encounter with the living God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them… The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
Many of us have heard the words of our text in one form or another. In several variations, they are repeated throughout the end of Deuteronomy and recur in Joshua 1. They act as a book end here, because in the early chapters God tells Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua.
This is the first transition of leadership that Israel is experiencing. They have spent 40 years in the desert under Moses’ leadership, they are on the brink of entering the promised land, but Moses is not going with them. One can imagine that many of the Israelites wondered if Joshua was up to the task; Joshua was not sure that he was. And who would blame him?
These words have often been used in the Christian church to commission new leaders. They are fitting for such occasions and should continue to be used to encourage all who are taking on leadership roles within the Christian community. Also, it is good to refer to them whenever Christians are going through strenuous days.
The key words in the commissioning are “be strong and courageous” (7). They are not meant merely as a psychological boost. They are based on two great truths. First, the existence of Israel and now the church proves the faithfulness of God. God promised to give them this land. God has invested His reputation in the future of this people and so ultimately, responsibility for them rests on Him. Recall that Moses used this fact to effectively intercede for Israel when God threatened to abandon them (cf. 9:26-29).
Jesus launched the church on this foundation. To Peter he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). This is the first time the word church is found in the English translations of the Bible. Every participant in the church needs to remember this promise. The very fact that the church exists 2000 years later demonstrates Jesus keeping his word.
Secondly, Christian can count on the unfailing presence of God. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (8). According to Matthew Jesus finished his earthly ministry with these words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (28:20). In John 20, Jesus disciples are afraid. Three times Jesus shows up and says, “Peace be with you” (19,21,26).
With these words at the end of his ministry, Jesus is inviting his disciples to remember the transition between Moses and Joshua. Like Joshua took over from Moses, and Elisha from Elijah, they are to take over from him. But there is one big difference, Moses died, Elijah went off to heaven, and Jesus is going there too. But he will be coming back through the Holy Spirit. He will be with them to the very end. He has kept his word from then to now. We can be sure he will keep it till he returns.
So Christian, even if you do not have a leadership role in the church, “Be strong and courageous”. Jesus calls you to be his disciple in the classroom, in the kitchen and laundry room, in the office, on the job site, and on the playground. Be strong and courageous, he is with you.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:1, 8, 9a)
Justin Trudeau resigned Monday, the same day the American election result of Donald Trump was certified in Congress, Kamala Harris presiding (peacefully). It was another significant January 6, albeit less violent than the one four years ago. But while January 6 may have marked some significant happenings on the political stage, we do well to remember that in the Christian calendar it was also the day of Epiphany.
The context surrounding Isaiah’s call to ministry gives a fitting parallel. King Uzziah (also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21), had reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years at the time of his death. Unlike Trudeau or Trump, he was the only King that many people had ever known. Much like Queen Elizabeth had been. As her death was the symbolic, yet definitive end of an era, so King Uzziah’s death would have been in Judah.
During Uzziah’s reign over Judah, the Kingdom of Assyria began to rise in power in the East even as political unrest plagued the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The cold winds of change had begun to blow through the kingdoms of the world, even though Uzziah’s presence kept a sense of stability in the land. Not long after Uzziah’s death, Assyria would strike: conquering and exiling the Kingdom of Israel.
So it was at this shift of the epoch when all the old institutions and politics began to crumble and give way that Isaiah sees his vision. But the vision he sees is not necessarily what the astute philosopher or political scientist of the day would have seen.
In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah does not see civilization crumbling around him: he sees the Lord. High and exalted, still seated on his throne: the temple scarcely large enough to hold his royal presence and garments.
Lowly Isaiah steps into the presence of the true King of all the Earth, gripped with fear and suddenly aware of his impurity and sheer ineptitude. But with fire from the alter he was cleansed and made ready to stand in the King’s presence.
Then boomed forth the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send?” “Here am I. Send me!” replied Isaiah. “Go…” came the response.
In these days of weariness and swirling anxieties when it feels like the world we once knew is continually sloughing off into the heart of the sea: these words come to us again. The Lord Almighty is still on the throne. And we are firstly citizens of His Kingdom, not of Canada or any other country. Be still and know that he is God, our God who remains our refuge and strength—ever present in times of trouble.
And our Triune God still calls out to his people, saying: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Will you respond today? Will you go on this royal mission as an ambassador of Christ? Will you go out as sheep among wolves—shrewd as snakes and gentle as doves to minister to your nation, neighbours, co-workers, and friends in His name?
In this season of Epiphany, may you too catch an Isaiah vision of Jesus on His throne and hear the Spirit-breathed call to go forth in His name—together, in faith.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Psalm 96:
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:1-3).
What's the point of life? Where is history headed? Is it just a random series of events? Why even ask questions like this? Isn't it better just to do one's best to survive? Can't we just adopt the old bumper sticker: 'the one with most toys wins'? How would you define toys? What would winning mean for you?
As Christians, Psalm 96 helps us shape an answer to these questions. The point of history and our lives, as short as they may be, is to worship God. We have long believed that declaring the glory of God gets about as close to the heart of living as we can get.
There is an important context to our psalm. It’s a shortened version of the song Israel sang as the ark was given its place in Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16 tells the story. God is enthroned as King in the worship of his people. His presence, glory, is symbolically present among his people ‘between the cherubim’ which covered the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle.
This presence of God is a shadow leaning forward towards Jesus, for John says, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14). There is more. This psalm is about God as king. “Say among [all] the nations, the Lord reigns” (10). Jesus leans back to this psalm when he says to Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a king” (John 18:37).
The writer of Hebrews declares that “After he had provided purification for sins, [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). Jesus is king. Our text is fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. John sees and hears it in Revelation 5 when all the creatures in heaven and earth gather to sing a “new song”: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).
When we talk about the mission of the church, we start here. Everything the church does flows out of this desire to give glory to God, who is King. The followers of Jesus on this earth long for that day when all glory will be given to God. But here we come up against the problem don't we: do we desire to give glory to God?
Let's not gloss over this matter of our desires. If you are starting your day with this meditation: what is your goal for the day?
When raising your children: what is your goal? If you are on your way to your workplace: what is your goal? If you are in a dispute with a family member, co-worker, or church member: what is your goal? What do you want?
You see, most of us do believe in the bumper sticker: the one with the most toys wins! To believe that the goal of life, of history, of the church, is to give glory to God is much too difficult.
Giving glory to God begins with a passion for Him. The psalms of worship keep repeating: "For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise" (4). Worship that is passionate about God is by nature missional or evangelistic. It desires others to join us. The bigger the crowd the better.
Take some time to examine God. Do you see that he is worthy of worship and exaltation? Do you see his majesty and holiness? Do you see his righteousness and love? Do you see his justice and his mercy? Do you believe that one day the entire earth will 'ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name and bring offerings into his courts'? (8)
The worship of Christians is the aroma anticipating that day. Giving God praise is a necessary part of the Christian life because it reminds us of who we are and where we are going. It moves us away from the bumper sticker philosophy to the life described in Psalm 96.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations…You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God (Isaiah 61:10-62:3).
In ancient times, the week prior to a wedding was time for celebration, with the men celebrating in one area and the women in another. On the day of the wedding, the bride was led to her groom’s home dressed in a gown he had provided for her. There another round of feasting occurred before the bride and groom went to the wedding chamber.
These ancient wedding customs lie behind the verses of our text. Knowing them is helpful for understanding Isaiah, but even more, to understand how this theme plays in the New Testament. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes that the church will appear before Christ “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (5:27). Revelation 19 adds, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)” (7-8). Both passages are rooted in our text.
The wedding of Jesus and his bride, the church, will be the final act of this age. Rooted in Isaiah’s imagery, the New Testament makes the point that we are currently in the week of wedding preparation. Two things happen in that week: dressing up and celebration. Earlier, Isaiah wrote that God promises to bestow on the grieving “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).
Praise and thanksgiving are the natural response to grace that has been received and experienced. Inspired and gifted poets help us to voice this praise. Hymns such as Amazing Grace and In Christ Alone give us words to express our praise for God’s grace which we have experienced in Christ.
Because we live between the two comings of our Lord, the Christian life is characterized by joy. There are times when it becomes buried under the griefs and hardships of life in this sin-stained world. Yet, it keeps rising again, leaking quietly back into our lives, filling us with thanksgiving and with expectation and hope for what is to come.
Celebration marks the Christian life; but also, ‘dressing up.’ Notice how Isaiah phrases things, “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness” (10). Also take in what John sees, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Revelation 19:8).
God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that is, make us like himself, to behave as he does. To Titus Paul wrote, “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (2:13-14). Forgiveness of sin is not the end; it is only the means. The end is that we should live out the righteousness of God by faith. We cannot live out this righteousness in our own strength. Only as we believe, that through his Spirit, Jesus is giving us cloths of his own righteousness, do we discover God making us holy.
Shall we go to the wedding feast of the Lamb clothed in the rags of our own failures? Surely not! We come to the celebration clothed in a gown of righteous behavior. Jesus has caused this garment to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah invites us to lift our eyes from the horror of our own sin and to see the glory of what Jesus is doing in us. Like the ancients, let’s celebrate as we get ready.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it” (5:23).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text 2 Samuel 2. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What do you see as the goal of a sermon?
- How should we understand the long story of David? What is the question that propels the first part of David’s story? If you were in David’s place, how would you have responded to the news of Saul’s death?
- Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time for mourning and weeping. How easily do you do this? Have you? Will you? As a society, are we losing our ability to accept death?
- Do you take time to develop good friendships?
- David submitted his ambitions to God. What ambitions do you need to submit to God?
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 117).
God does not require long prayers. The issue is not the length of the words, but the intention of our hearts. For this reason, Jesus warned us about elaborate praying, believing that we are heard for our many words (Matthew 6:7). Brief praise is enough when it expresses our relationship with the Lord.
And that is what this brief psalm does. Its a simple yet powerful statement about the relationship between Israel and her God. In ancient Israel, it was recited towards the end of the Passover celebration. It was part of her thanksgiving to God for redeeming her, recited with a goblet of wine in hand.
As we echo Israel and recite, `Praise the Lord,' we declare our intention to praise God. And it is an invitation for others of all nations to join us.
The second stanza begins with the preposition 'for'. We praise the Lord 'because'. There is a reason for praise. The question is 'because why'. And the psalmist answers for us: because of the Lord's love and faithfulness towards us. These are two of God's self-descriptive words to Moses in Exodus 34:6.
Since that time God had shown himself to be true to his word. The psalm doesn’t linger here but does invite us to fill in our story of God’s love and faithfulness. Our story begins with Jesus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). With this beginning, we tell our own story of redemption.
Like Psalm 117, this verse expands our focus to those not yet part of the worshipping community. An essential element of worship is to declare the greatness of our God, not for those praising, but for those listening in. The uniqueness of this short prayer is that it is focussed on the Gentiles. They too are upon God's heart. They too need to know Him. But how will they know him if no one tells them? He is the Creator of all, and He will become the Redeemer of all.
The fulfilment of this psalm now rests in the church carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus commands the apostles to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Obedience to this command is essential for the church's life. God wants those from every tongue and tribe and nation before His throne.
Our neglect to send missionaries or go ourselves is disobedience. Only as we witness to the world can we pray this psalm with integrity. This is a short prayer for a missionary heart. Witness begins with declaring the praises of our God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
"Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.…You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it” (Psalm 65:1-4,9).
Reading through the psalms can feel like riding a rollercoaster. Psalm 64 is a deep introspection into the cunningness of our hearts. From the darkness of the human heart, Psalm 65 ushers us into the glories of God’s movements in the cosmos.
Yet the distance between the two is but the blink of an eye. This psalm does not ignore the realities of human sinfulness. Rather, it recognizes that the disasters we create are overwhelming. We get buried under the chaos our schemes create. The only way to get ‘unburied’ is to turn to God and God alone. In his goodness, God comes to the rescue. That is what this psalm is about.
If we are stuck in the darkness of the misery we have caused, or others have caused for us, this psalm offers us profound hope.
It plays two melodies. The first is the praise that describes the power of God. Those who are near him are blessed. He is the God of salvation, whose power controls the raging of nature and of human affairs. It is our Lord who gives the land fertility and brings about the joy of its great productivity. His awe-inspiring deeds bring about the reverential fear of all who dwell in it.
For Israel, God's presence was centred in Jerusalem, His holy city. But His works extended out to immense horizons of creation and history. He is the Hearer of Prayer unto whom all people may come. For Christians, we believe that, through Jesus, everyone is invited to come before God in prayer (Hebrews 10:19-22) and receive his grace.
God visits the earth and moves through it like a conqueror, but unlike human conquerors he does not leave it desolate. His trail through the land leaves fertility and abundance behind, unlike armies of old and today who leave destruction and famine and starvation in their wake. Fatness drips from the tracks of the great Hearer of Prayer. This is the first melody of Psalm 65.
The second are the petitions which ask God to pour forth His blessings. In God's rule of the universe, He does not need our prayers, yet He desires them. The strong word of Scripture is that we don't receive if we don't ask.
Thus, we turn to the great Hearer of Prayer for forgiveness of our transgressions. And he forgives, true. But the word translated ‘forgave’ has a richer meaning. It says, “you make atonement for”. God not only forgives, he also sets things right. That is what this psalm leans into. We wreck relationships, we devastate the planet, we refuse to give justice, but God does not do these things. He is the God of redemption.
The strongest impact of the psalm is surely in the joy over the gift of rain and the flourishing which results from God’s coming. He sustains His creation with active involvement in its mountains and oceans, its water supply, and its harvests, bringing life amid human devastation.
His work is to undo all the damage we bring. Surely, this is what Jesus meant when he said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working”. This comment after he enabled a lame man to walk (John 5:17).
The melodies of this Psalm sing of His saving power throughout creation and of our prayers for complete redemption. They are in captured in the yearning of the Bible’s closing prayer, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). A good psalm for a new year.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Our text is from Luke 2:46-47 Lost
After three days they [Jesus’ parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).
Of all the stories about Jesus’ childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like. Luke chooses to tell us this story to fill in the portrait of Jesus he has been painting. In Philippians 3, Paul details how in his early life he was the perfect Jew. Jesus is pictured with similar colours. He was born to and raised by pious Jewish parents. Only men were required to attend the religious festivals in Jerusalem, so Mary’s going shows deep family piety.
With this family setting, Luke invites us to consider the kinds of things our children learn from us. Do our words and actions match the faith teaching that we offer our children and grandchildren? Is our piety mostly showy, as Jesus decries in Matthew 6, or does it show a deep faith in God’s activity in this world? Can those around us notice our growing faith?
Further, Jesus and his parents were well integrated into their community. The trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem took three days and folks traveled in caravans for protection. That Jesus’ parents did not worry about him for the first day, indicates that they fully expected others to be looking out for him. They were likely looking out for other children and youth. This tidbit suggests that Jesus’ family was very ordinary.
In that day, it was not unusual for students to gather at the feet of the rabbis to discuss the Jewish faith, their understanding of God, and how to live faithfully with him. This was usually in a group question-and-answer discussion format, as Luke indicates. Thus, Jesus’ interaction with the rabbis was not unusual. That he didn’t leave Jerusalem with his parents was unusual, but Luke does not put the focus there.
His intention is that we recognize that even at this young age, Jesus has amazing knowledge of the things of God. Those listening to him are astonished at his understanding, a reaction that will occur later to Jesus’ miraculous work (8:56). Already early in life Jesus values the pursuit of comprehending God.
I think Luke wants us to understand that Jesus’ pursuit of God was not a product of his unique sonship with God. Rather, it was the outcome of a life lived among those who walked with God. It pictures how all of us should prioritize our lives before God. The way he lived his life and pursued God faithfully reflects how we should seek God’s face. When David was dying, he counselled his son with these words, “If you seek [the Lord], he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Luke is illustrating this truth.
Finally, this story illustrates something that one of Jesus’ brothers would later write, “whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25). Later, Jesus and the religious leaders would come to logger heads, but that was because they were threatened by him. They refused to believe that he was the Son of God. They pursued their own power rather than submitting to the Lord. Jesus began by submitting to them.
As you ponder the year that was, consider these things.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Our text is from Psalm 114:
“Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills like lambs? (Psalm 114:5-6).
Psalm 113 asks: “Who is like the Lord our God?” Answer: No one. Nothing. Our God is utterly unique. And in his Son Jesus Christ, we get an even better look at him. He did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage but instead became nothing. The highest of the high, the utterly transcendent, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God was born into this world as the lowest of the low: the baby out-of-wedlock of a poor peasant couple from the unremarkable town of Nazareth.
Why did our God take such a lowly path? To raise us up to the highest heights with him, that’s why. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). It was Israel who was first brought up from their poverty and need in Egypt: they were set free and made into a people.
Among Jews, Psalms 113 & 114 are recited at the beginning of the Passover meal. Why did God's people choose these Psalms to remember the victory of their God? Because it puts the eaters smack dab in the middle of the great saving acts of God. With vivid simplicity Psalm 114 proclaims what happens when God shows up.
Showing up in power, his first act is to choose Israel both for His sanctuary and His kingdom. Thus, if anyone else in all the earth wants to meet God or observe life in his realm, all they need do is show up in Israel.
All contrary powers are driven from the field by His appearance. The chaotic powers that put salvation in question must flee before Him. In His presence the mountains--the symbols of all that is solid, durable--quake.
God's mighty salvific work is proclaimed by all the facts that are brought together in this weighty hymn. When Israel is thirsty, God offers her water from the rocks and desert sands. When she is hungry, she can pluck birds out of the air and bread from the ground.
God provides for those who are near Him. The elements of creation react to the powerful appearance of God. Because they move before God's coming, Israel's passage into the Promised Land stretches out before her. All this and more are remembered as the Jews sit down to eat the Passover meal.
The early Christians choose to worship on the first day of the week rather than the Jewish seventh because they saw Easter as our Exodus. As much as the Exodus from Egypt shaped the imagination, the memory, and the living faith of Old Testament Israel, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, shapes the imagination, the memory, and the living faith of the church.
As much as the Exodus was the birth of Israel, so Easter is the birth of the church. And as much as Israel was God's dominion and sanctuary in the Old Testament, we believe the church is God's kingdom and sanctuary today.
Thus, if anyone else in all the earth wants to meet God or observe life in His Kingdom, all they need do is find the church of Jesus.
These Psalms are recited as the opening of the Passover meal. They helped the eaters enter the story of God, their story. We worship Jesus today and gather at his table to enter the story of Easter, to make it our story.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text comes from Matthew 2:1-12 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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Where all does this theme of “darkness” play out in the Bible? See if you can come up with more examples than the ones Pastor Anthony used and take some time later to page through the Bible (or www.biblegateway.com on a search for related words) to read them.
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What do the Biblical writers mean by “darkness”? Who does it impact? And why are the characters in this story used as representations of this darkness?
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What makes the difference between the Magi and the folks in Jerusalem such that the Magi see the star and go on a search and the others don’t?
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What does all this tell us about how to find the light of Christ in the midst of the darkness of our own lives and world?
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How do we live in light of the light of Christ amid a still-dark world and life? Are there particular ways you might seek to do that this week?
Our text is from Luke 6:35-36 Loving our Enemies
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:35-36).
When is the last time you loved an enemy? Or shall we go even deeper: Have you ever loved an enemy?
When you decided to follow Jesus, did anyone explain to you that this would mean loving people who hurt you? I wonder if, when people are preparing to join a church, they are encouraged to count the cost. Is there an expectation that being part of the body of Christ includes doing good to those opposed to Christians?
Let’s keep asking questions. That person at work who really annoys you, gets under your skin several times a week, what have you done to love that person? Have you even prayed for them? That social media friend of yours who has taken the opposite political view, how have you been treating this person?
Am I putting this too strongly? I don’t think so. Jesus has just said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them” (6:32). He calls his followers to a higher ethic. Love can be very easy. We fall into love and out of love in the blink of an eye. It is easy to love people who have loved us.
But Jesus did not define love like that. For him, love is not primarily a feeling, it is a deliberate choice we make. Love is an action that brings good into the world, especially into situations in which good is not deserved. Jesus is calling us to deliberately love people who have not earned it. God’s love calls us to respond to evil actions not with judgement but with mercy and goodness.
Jesus expects us to act with glorious and absurd generosity. What is the best thing you can do for the worst person? Do it. What people are you tempted to be nasty towards? Lavish generosity on them! God’s kingdom has a fresh, springlike quality. New life bursts out energetically, like flowers growing through concrete, drawing attention with their colour and vigour.
Imagine living in a society where people believed in this God. Would there be violence? Revenge would be replaced with forgiveness. Divisions of class or caste would disappear. We would be more concerned with our neighbour’s wellbeing than hanging onto our property and possessions. Imagine if we took Jesus seriously and lived like that. Life would be exuberant, different, astonishing. People would stare.
But you say, “I cannot love that way.” Of course, you can’t. It’s humanly impossible. But we are Christians. Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit to overcome our human deficiencies. By the power of Christ in us, through the Spirit, we become able to love like Jesus.
We can be sure of this because God has loved us like that. While we were still his enemies, Jesus died for us. God’s love towards us is extravagant, extraordinary, totally underserved. Love does not originate from us. We receive it first, then give it away. When we have trouble giving it, we need to go back to the beginning of our Christian life. We need to receive from God. We start by asking him to help us.
Jesus wants us to imitate him. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. The world may misunderstand us and shun us and laugh at us, but that does not allow us to be insensitive or to harbor misunderstanding towards them.
Let’s follow their Lord.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
The Christmas 2024 edition of Wilderness Wanderings!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
This, then, is the family line of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. (Ruth 4:18-22)
This little tagged on genealogy that ends the book of Ruth is interesting. It’s interesting because the final two lines of it are repeated from yesterday’s text—one wonders why it needed to be said twice. It’s also interesting because Matthew copies it nearly word-for-word in the genealogy that opens his gospel, save for his additions of the names of women, like Ruth. Matthew also tantalizingly tells us that Boaz’s own mother was Rahab, the prostitute who saved the spies in Jericoh! Somehow Matthew knows something the book of Ruth didn’t care to tell us. This genealogy is also interesting though, because it is factually incorrect. A quick read of 1 Chronicles 2 will tell you that a few generations have been omitted.
So: why is this list here in this particular form? A few reasons. We already heard of the story of Judah and Tamar when we talked about the blessing given by the people to Ruth & Boaz. “Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah,” they said. Here then is our first name in the genealogy: “Perez.” One gets the sense that the author means to say: the blessing given by the people has been fulfilled. Here is the family of Perez: Ruth and Boaz have found their way into it as those who have bequeathed a great family themselves.
The genealogy is shortened to highlight important people. In this genealogy’s construction, we find there are 10 generations in all. 5 come before the time of Moses, and 5 after. Boaz occupies the important 7th spot in the genealogy, which singles him out as a worthy and noble man—exactly as we’ve found him to be across this story. In the Gospel of Matthew, Ruth will join him there.
The 10th and final place in the list, signaling wholeness or completion, is David’s own spot in the genealogy. King David would be the first King of this family line: a fulfillment both of the blessings and prayers spoken throughout the book of Ruth, but also of Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:10 that “the scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” Despite the threats of barrenness and famine that dominated this story—the Lord again acted to bring this word of promise and prophecy to pass. Through Ruth and Boaz—a ruler would indeed emerge from Judah—a king after God’s own heart, just like his forebearers.
David of course would not be the last to follow God’s own heart, nor would he be the last fulfillment of these promises. As Matthew reminds us by picking this exact same genealogy up in the opening verses of his gospel: the one to whom the scepter finally belongs is not David, but Jesus, the Christ. In the fullness of time, God will use the overflowing generosity and redemptive work of ancestors like Boaz and Ruth to accomplish his own work of overflowing generosity and redemption in Jesus.
Tomorrow we celebrate this work of God in generous redemption and fulfillment of all his promises and blessings again. Merry Christmas, everyone.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 4:13-17
So, Boaz married Ruth. Then he slept with her. The Lord blessed her so that she became pregnant. And she had a son. The women said to Naomi, “We praise the Lord. Today he has provided a family protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel! He will make your life new again. He’ll take care of you when you are old. He’s the son of your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven sons.” Then Naomi took the child in her arms and took care of him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.
The Lord’s name is mentioned regularly in this little book, but mostly in prayers and blessings. Here, God finally emerges from behind the curtain. He acts by enabling Ruth to conceive a son, fulfilling the prayer Boaz prayed for her on the grain fields of Bethlehem.
Yet, it is Naomi’s lap that is full--so full the story nearly tumbles over itself with joy! “The Lord enabled Ruth to conceive” is the grand finale of this waltz of self-giving devotion! Naming just one generation isn’t enough--this family went on and on, generation after generation! “The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” They named him Obed (provider). “He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” And without skipping a beat the joy and amazement are spoken again, from a bigger perspective, but that’s for tomorrow.
What a phenomenal act of God! Wrinkled, old Naomi sitting with a newborn on her lap. The Israelites hadn’t seen anything quite this exciting since Abraham, “as good as dead,” and Sarah, having the dead womb, laughed together with Isaac on their knees. And now Naomi laughs with the women of Bethlehem. Death and emptiness have given way to life and fullness.
Here sits Naomi with a womb perhaps as dead as Sarah’s, and her husband isn’t “as good as dead,” he is dead! No earthly possibility of an heir. What amazing things should we expect when God places a child on this old widow’s lap? Look what the Lord is doing! The Lord is establishing something as important as the house of Israel. The Lord is establishing the throne of David.
This is not just any throne. The “throne of David” will not be a mundane kingdom. It exists because the covenant Lord has acted. It exists because people as diverse as Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz emptied themselves for the welfare of others. It is this covenant faithfulness, not tribal affiliation or economic standing, that identifies the subjects of this kingdom, now named the Kingdom of God. Self-sacrificing devotion to the Lord and to one another are the ways of this kingdom.
Naomi’s lap is filled because of this covenant devotion. Ruth, the Moabitess, forsaking claims of nation and religion, devoted herself to Naomi, come what may; Naomi’s devotion to Ruth prompted a risky scheme on the threshing floor; Boaz’ devotion caused him to ignore self-interest and exceed the requirements of the guardian-redeemer; and God’s devotion to his people graciously provided fruitfulness for field and womb. God himself wove these four devotions together to provide a home and husband for Ruth, the restoration of life and fullness for Noami, and immeasurable benefit for all Israel.
This story illustrates the behaviour of the true Israelite and the faithfulness of God, inviting us to join this waltz of self-giving devotion!
May you too receive the blessing of this God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” (Ruth 4:11-12)
Ruth’s commitment and Naomi’s wish for her have become true. Though a foreigner, Ruth is now fully a part of Israel. Though a widow, Ruth has now found rest in the home of a new husband. These are beautiful things, but one issue remains outstanding. Ruth’s first marriage was barren and Naomi still had no heir. While Boaz’s costly act of redemption could offer the foreign widow a place of home and belonging within Israel—only God himself could intervene to redeem the barrenness of Naomi & Ruth and bring new life.
This is what the people’s desire is for Ruth, and through her, for Naomi. They offer a blessing: that the Lord himself will accomplish this, making Ruth and Boaz fertile, famous, and prosperous. Then they go on to invoke some pretty profound foundational stories among the patriarchs of Israel.
Rachel & Leah were the wives of Jacob—the one who was called Israel. Like the whole of the book of Ruth—the focus is not on the men’s role in these stories, but the women’s. Jacob is not credited with building the house of Israel—his wives are. It was Rachel and Leah—their prayers, their fights, their tears—that built up the house of Israel. For a time, Rachel herself was barren—as Ruth had been. But God enabled her to conceive. From these two women came the 12 tribes of Israel—the foundations of the nation.
Bethlehem, of course, was a city of the tribe of Judah. Judah’s story includes the bold actions of a woman in a situation not so very different from Ruth. Tamar was also a foreigner, like Ruth: a Canaanite. Tamar was also a widow, like Ruth. Tamar also sought redemption, like Ruth. Judah’s first son was Tamar’s husband, who died. Judah gave her his second son to raise up an heir for his first son. But he also died. Judah then refused to give her his third son. He abandoned Tamar to her widowhood, leaving her outside the people of God. She, however, chose to outwit her father-in-law Judah through some harshly pragmatic means that brought forth her conception, by Judah, of two twin boys—the elder of whom was Perez. Perez’s family became the leading clan of Judah. Ruth’s bold actions to seek redemption among the people of God for Naomi paralleled those of Tamar—the matriarch of the tribe of Judah.
One gets the sense from all these blessings that it is those like these matriarchs of Israel and Judah who best extol the character of Israel. They are those who have wrestled most profoundly with God and sought his favour and redemption despite all the barrenness, widowhood, and exclusion stacked against them. They are the ones who would not let go of Israel’s God until he blessed them. Ruth and Boaz now stand among them, even as the people wish that this same hard-wrestled blessing of the Lord will be theirs.
The invitation here, is to continue to wrestle with God for the blessings of redemption, inclusion, and life that he has promised—and to not let him go until he gives that blessing. Just like Rachel, Leah, and Jacob, like Tamar and Judah, like Ruth and Boaz. This is the story of “Israel,” the people who wrestle with God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 4:7-10
(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) So, the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
In ancient Israel, land was God’s gift to his people, as promised to Abraham.
“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:14-15).
Also,
“The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:8).
However, the Israelites were not to consider themselves owners of the land, for it belonged to God. Thus, Psalm 24, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (1). So, when Israel entered the land, Joshua divided it among the tribes, clans and families. Each received its own parcel. It was to remain the gift to each family forever.
Of course, there might be occasions when land might need to be sold, financial disaster or leaving town as in our story. But that buy out would only be temporary. Regarding this, God instructed, “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land…It will be returned in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property” (Leviticus 25:23-24, 28).
The price of land was based on how many years were left before the next Jubilee. These laws stand behind the transaction in the Bethlehem town square. There also seems to be this part,
If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel (Deuteronomy 25:5-6).
God gave Israel these laws so that the people would take care of each other. He owned the land and didn’t want it exploited by rich people taking advantage of poor people and widows. As we have already mentioned, neither the kinsman-redeemer, nor Boaz is obligated to carry out this last part. They are too far removed.
Yet, Boaz happily announced that he would redeem the property and marry Ruth himself. He would go beyond the letter of the law and gladly carry out its intent. The key word in this chapter is redemption. The words “redeem,” “buy,” and “purchase” are used at least fifteen times. As God redeemed Israel from Egypt, Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi, and Jesus redeems us. In Boaz, we get a glimmer of the delight God takes in redeeming us. Like Boaz, the price tag doesn’t matter.
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Ruth 4:1-6)
Boaz acts precisely as Naomi assumes. He does not rest until the matter is settled. But as it turns out—the matter entails a bit of drama.
As Pastor Michael noted yesterday, Boaz will wait in trust on the Lord to work this matter through. For his part, Boaz will trust the proper procedure and the rights of others. He’ll not break the law in pursuit of his aims. We readers get concerned though, because Boaz appears to be giving up on Naomi and Ruth—indeed, his stubborn submission to the rules almost loses him the right to play a part in their lives at all!
Boaz starts off in a different way than we might expect. He doesn’t say a thing about Ruth, but rather presents the matter as Naomi’s sale of land. The man Boaz speaks to jumps on the idea of a new field. Without hesitation, he declares: “I will redeem it.”
The assumption would have been that Naomi would come with the property being sold. This was at least part of the work of the guardian-redeemer—to ensure land stayed in the tribe, but also to ensure family members were cared for. The care of Naomi in her old age would fall to the new owner of the field. This wouldn’t be too difficult though: Naomi was old. She would not live long. After she died, the field would remain in the man’s own family, bringing profit and an inheritance for his children.
But after declaring his intention to redeem, something suddenly changes in the calculus when Boaz adds the rest of the story: “on the day you buy… you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
At this, the man must refuse. If he is forced to marry Ruth for the purpose of raising up an heir for Elimelek—this means that the field will not remain in his own family after all! It will transfer back to Ruth’s son. Noami, Ruth, and any children Ruth has will need to be supported by the land, and then the land will be gone, meaning their support has to come from the man’s current estate. Should Ruth have any additional children after the firstborn dedicated to taking on the inheritance of Elimelek, it’s also possible that those future children would have a claim on the man’s current inheritance—thinning it out further.
So the man refuses to redeem the land. Not because he is stingy or heartless, but because he knows the math and is responsible with what the Lord has given him. This is the key in the text. As with Orpah turning from Naomi to go back to her own home, so it is with this unnamed man of chapter 4. Both of them are utterly sensible. They show a perfectly ordinary and responsible amount of hesed kindness, stewardship, and care. The text does not fault either of them.
But by setting Boaz and Ruth next to this pair of sensible people—it says “just look at the extraordinary hesed kindness and generosity of these two!” Boaz and Ruth go above the expectation, they risk everything, and are willing to give anything. In just this way, they tell us something of God’s own extraordinarily generous and risky ways of redemption that will bring rest to his people.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 3:16-18
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Whoever named this book, Ruth, has led us astray. Ruth may have most of the action, but it is Naomi who gets the last word in each chapter. That seems to make her the more significant character.
The first chapter ends with Naomi returning to Bethlehem with the lament, “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty” (20, 21). We sense how deep her grief is, since Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who has come home with her, is most likely standing with her. Where else would Ruth be? To be fair, from Naomi’s perspective, this is how her story might end. Empty.
Chapter two ends with Ruth still living with her mother-in-law. But there is some good news. They have found a supply of barley and wheat, if only for this season. This includes a safe place for Ruth to glean the grain. Not quit as empty. However, the longer future still feels quite tenuous. What will happen when their supply of food runs out? Emptiness loomed there.
As the third chapter ends, we detect that things have changed for this pair of widows. “Wait,” says Naomi. This is a word filled with hope and expectation. It hints at the words of the psalmist, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (27:14).
She had sent her daughter-in-law to Boaz’ harvest party in the hopes of securing a husband for Ruth. On her return, Ruth tells her mother-in-law everything that had happened in the night. She ends with, “[Boaz] gave me these six measures of barley (about 50lbs), saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Naomi understood Boaz’ implication. If he is allowed to act as the kinsman-redeemer, Naomi would be included in the redemption. Her reproach as a widow without children might be taken away. She would be empty no more. “Wait,” she says to Ruth. But she is waiting eagerly too.
Regarding this other kinsman-redeemer, Boaz could have said, “He has not come forward; he has had enough time; I’ve already made a significant investment in these two widows, I’m cashing in.” Many would have done this.
But not Boaz. He follows the wisdom of Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (3:5,6). Boaz is waiting on God to lead the way.
What we see acted out in these four chapters is reflected on in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (1-3).
This story illustrates what it looks like to wait on the Lord, inviting us to do the same.
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. (Ruth 3:11-15)
This passage has been and continues to be full of sexual overtones, and yet the words of and about Boaz and Ruth continue to declare that they are of “noble character.” Nothing untoward has happened here on the threshing floor.
Not that it couldn’t have. Every opportunity is given: “stay here,” “lie here until morning.” Boaz & Ruth are fully aware of the optics and opportunities: “no one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
It’s also worth noting that a guardian-redeemer had no duty to marry a widow. The Old Testament provisions are mostly about securing property. As we discover when the guardian-redeemer in line ahead of Boaz decides to do nothing, Boaz likewise is under no obligation to say yes to Ruth’s proposition of marriage.
This context highlights just how bold and risky was the plan of Naomi to secure a husband for Ruth. It relies on the fact that Boaz was a man of noble character who would not take advantage of Ruth despite every opportunity afforded to do so. But it also supposes Boaz to be more than this. Will he show God’s own sort of mercy and kindness—the kind that goes beyond the expectation of “do no harm” and works a generous, costly redemption beyond hope?
The answer is not long in coming. Yes. He will do it, and quickly. It’s not his to do—but he will pursue it this very morning.
He seals his intent with a gift—another abundant outpouring of grain. No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor—but where precisely would’ve Ruth gotten all that grain otherwise in the wee hours of the morning? Boaz’s generosity risks much, just like Ruth and Naomi’s boldness has—but it’s good. It’s all good. Gifts, blessings, and a sign of nobility that shatters any fear of reproach.
This is what God’s redemption is all about. Did God have a duty to redeem us? No, but he did it anyway. Does God have to pour generous provisions into our lap? No, but he does it anyway. God risks much, but with a nobility and purpose in mercy and hesed-kindness that no darkness can overcome. Boaz is a picture of this sort of work of God. It is a risky work of mercy and kindness all of us are called on to follow.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text Luke 2:25-38. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Are you waiting for anything from God? How often do you pray for Christ’s return?
- How does the Kingdom of God shape your life, you waiting, your praying?
- What should we be doing while we wait? How does the story of Anna and Simeon inspire you?
- What does Simeon say about this child? How does it effect you? Do you believe Jesus is God’s salvation?
Our text is from Ruth 3:7-10
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
The potential for scandal just increased greatly. This is the days of the judges after all, when ‘everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Scandal was normal.
As we have followed the story of Ruth and now Boaz, both have been portrayed as upstanding people. Each, in their own way, is righteous in all the best senses of that word. When you’re in the presence of such a human, you never know what kind of good things might come your way.
But now Ruth has been instructed to remove the symbols of her widowhood, indicating her intention to once again engage in the normal activities of life. She washes and perfumes herself and goes to Boaz’s harvest party. She stays hidden until he goes to sleep. Then she uncovers his feet and lays down. What will Boaz say when he wakes up to find a young, perfumed woman sleeping next to or on his uncovered legs?
What did it mean that Ruth uncovered Boaz’s feet? We are not sure. It’s a rare expression. We do know that Leviticus includes a long list of relatives a person is not allowed to have sexual relations with. The expression used there is similar, “you shall not uncover their nakedness…” (Leviticus 18 KJV). Further, Boaz has been partying all night and is in good spirits. Everything is ripe for scandal.
Boaz is startled in the middle of the night and wakes up to find a perfumed young woman lying at his uncovered feet. Earlier he had prayed that Ruth would be blessed by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings she has come to find refuge. In response to Boaz’ question, “Who are you?” Ruth says, “I am your servant Ruth, spread the corner of your wings over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.” Ruth invites Boaz to fulfill his own prayer by marrying her. Boaz is a redeemer--he is called on to deliver a family member from evil and trouble, particularly poverty, oppression, or injustice.
Boaz responds to Ruth’s request with a blessing. But also, with a most intriguing statement that this, her second act of ‘mercy’, is greater than her first (her commitment to Naomi). Was he completely overtaken with amazement that this young woman would seek him as a husband?
Ruth, a poor, younger, foreign, widow, seeks a marriage proposal from an older, rich, Israelite. She who came to find shelter under the Lord’s ‘wing’ will find her full reward from the Lord when the man, who himself voiced such a blessing, spreads his ‘wing’ over her in marriage.
This is not a story about scandal, but about redemption. The story is squeaky clean highlighting the high moral quality of both Ruth and Boaz. There on the threshing floor the sexual temptation was real, both knew it, both felt it; both resisted.
Allow this story to awaken a desire for righteousness in your own heart.
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. (Ruth 3:1-6)
Now comes some daft, pragmatic moves. In chapter 1, Naomi had wished for the Lord to bless Ruth and Orpah with kindness, and the home of a new husband in which to find rest. Now, sensing that God, in his kindness, has indeed provided the opportunities and gifts favourable to such an outcome, Naomi acts.
God is hardly mentioned in this new chapter. Instead, the action focuses on human activity that brings the opportunities given and the prayers prayed together, into reality. We recognize that Noami’s bitterness has indeed been cracked open, enabling her to take such steps forward in faith. Perhaps the God of Israel might just have more in store than she first imagined. Perhaps his kindness could also be shown to her.
In the opening chapter, it was Ruth who adopted Naomi. Now Naomi adopts Ruth by calling her “my daughter,” and by taking on parental responsibility for her. “I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for,” Noami says. This is a good step forward in the narrative. Naomi’s cold bitterness has finally thawed sufficiently to allow her to return Ruth’s embrace.
Naomi’s aim in providing for Ruth is noble. Naomi’s methods however—well, one wonders exactly what she is up to. The plan Naomi hatches is filled with sexual overtones. Just what exactly is she putting Ruth up to here with this midnight liaison with Boaz? If caught, or caught in the wrong light, surely Ruth would be called out for something scandalous. Nevertheless, Ruth responds in total submission to Naomi’s plans.
Righteous Ruth, the foreigner, is willing to take on the spectre of unrighteousness for the sake of her mother-in-law and the hope of redemption. Having been transformed by the kindness of Ruth, Boaz, and even God himself, Naomi is willing to take on the risk of social scandal too. In this way, the two women remind me of Joseph and Mary, willing to righteously bear the threat of scandal in pursuit of God’s redemption.
Two powerful forces come together in this chapter: hope in God’s work of redemption and the embrace of committed friendship. It is this companionship and hope that enable Naomi to step forward in faith. We can often become discouraged—all the more so when we’re lonely or feel that we’ve been abandoned: by others or by God. But the intervention of a committed friend can be a powerful thing, assuring us we are not alone and drawing our eyes back to God’s faithfulness so that we can step forward again in faith ourselves.
Is there a friend that could use your embrace, or from whom you need one? Go to them today.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 2:19-23
Naomi asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said. “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’” Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.” So, Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Often, lunch is just lunch. But sometimes, its much more. When Ruth hands Naomi her leftover lunch, Naomi clues in that something is afoot. This lunch is not just a lunch. Her questions, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work?” are not the routine, “How was your day?” sort of questions. No. Naomi recognizes that there is a mystery here, most likely, a divine mystery. She wants answers.
This leftover lunch is the turning point of the story. Naomi’s spirit rose as she saw the generous results of Ruth’s gleaning. But with the lunch, she recognizes her life might not be over, declaring, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” But who is he? The Hebrew text leaves this ambiguous. “He” could refer to either God or Boaz. Is it left ambiguous on purpose? Are we meant to think it refers to both? I wonder.
It would certainly fit the story. In 1:6, Naomi hears that God has come to the aid of his people, so she returns. Now, a God type kindness reaches these two widows through a human. God’s aid reaches Naomi only when someone acts with kindness. I think we are meant to hear the story this way.
She speaks her first words of hope since she’s left Moab. This barley and this lunch are creating hairline fractures in the shell of bitterness encrusting her soul. When she hears that Boaz is the one responsible for this abundance, the fractures become cracks. She knows this kind of kindness. This is the same kindness which brought Ruth to Bethlehem with her. It is the same kindness with which God blesses his people with blessings they do not deserve.
Naomi recognized that Boaz was acting out of a godly mercy. You see, Boaz had no legal obligation to do these things. He was a close relative, but not too close. He could have treated Ruth like any other woman gleaning in his fields. But he didn’t. He went far beyond the call of duty.
Naomi’s hope blossomed and she gave voice to something that could bring real hope to these two widows: the kinsman-redeemer. Land and children were the future for any Israelite family. Naomi and Ruth had neither. In such a situation, a brother or nearest relative could step in to provide these (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5-6). But nobody has stepped up to help them out. When they die, Elimelech’s family will die with them. Naomi knows this.
But now her hope is awakened because Boaz appears noble enough to fulfill the role of the kinsman redeemer. So, she advices Ruth to stick close to him. The least that will happen is that she will be safe. But there could be much more that happens as well.
For today, take time to ponder the kindness of God. Whom has he used to bring it to you? Did you receive it or reject it? Might God want to use you to bring his kindness to someone else? Who knows what an ordinary lunch might become?
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. (Ruth 2:14-18)
There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospel of Luke (12:16-21) about a wealthy man who was faced with the dilemma of an abundant harvest. His barns were not big enough to hold it all. So, he decides to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones. “And I’ll say to myself, “Self, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” It is a warning toward all those with plenty saved up for the future for themselves to perhaps reconsider where they invest their abundance. As Jesus says at the beginning: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed: life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
You see: according to the Old Testament law, the best place to store one’s surplus agricultural products was in the bellies of the poor. The harvest was a gift from the hand of God: the land was his, the rain was his, and so was the sunlight and the pollinators. The harvest was given in trust to those who stewarded the land for the sake of the whole community—not just for personal gain. Hence the command to leave the edges of one’s field unharvested.
So here in the book of Ruth, we discover what kind of “man of standing” Boaz is. It turns out that he is generous as God himself is generous. Boaz lives into all the ideals set forth in the law. Not only does he leave the edges of his fields for the poor, but he feeds them from his own table and orders his harvester to pull grain from his own sheaves to ensure they have enough! This was an unheard of, overflowing generosity.
Boaz also raises Ruth up to an unheard of status. She goes from foreigner, to welcome gleaner, to having a place of honour at a meal with the field’s owner, all in one day! Boaz lifts her up from obscurity to a place of honour in the community.
One can faintly sniff the aroma of the Lord’s Supper table here, or of the Messianic wedding banquet. Food and cups run over. Ruth eats to her satisfaction from Boaz’s generous abundance and still has plenty left over to share with Naomi later. For poor widows with nothing—this is the best meal they’ve had in a good long time.
What gifts! What generosity.
Two questions arise here for us. Firstly, do we see all that we have as gifts given in trust from God to be used for the sake of the whole community? Secondly, where do we rank on the scale of generosity between the barn builder of Jesus’ parable and Boaz? There are certainly enough bellies of the poor and homeless in which to store our surplus should we be looking for a good investment. As the book of Ruth will tell us—one never knows the surprising(ly good!) returns that might come from such a risky investment!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 2:10-13
At this, [Ruth] bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
In today’s text, Ruth askes Boaz, “Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” We already know the answer because Boaz was introduced as: ‘a man of standing’. As such, he was wealthy; respected by his peers and admired by younger men.
However, it also puts him in very elite company. Only two others biblical characters are described with these words. The first is Job, who was “blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Job’s story reveals this is to be accurate. Concerning the other, we read that he “grew up into a man of standing”. This is how Luke summarizes Jesus’ adolescence and early adulthood (Luke 2:52).
Let’s recall that these were the day of the Judges, when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Later the prophets challenged Israel: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor'” (Zechariah. 7:9,10).
Justice, mercy, and compassion were all uncommon in Naomi’s day. As Pastor Anthony mentioned yesterday, it was a dangerous time for a foreign young woman to go out on her own. But the Lord directed her to the fields of Boaz, a man of standing. After the stories in Judges, this narrative is a breath of fresh air. Not all is lost for Israel. There are still those who follow the Lord, who trust in him.
Proverbs 3 includes this parental advice, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (5,6). It is very possible that the story Boaz and Ruth lurks in the background.
Here is the thing, Boaz recognizes that Ruth, a foreigner, has indeed cast her lot in with the God of Israel, “under whose wings you have come to take refuge”. He has heard her story told in town. Now his foreman is impressed with both her humility and her industriousness.
She is a woman of ‘standing’; that is why Boaz notices her. She is a better follower of God than many of the Israelites; that is why he wants her blessed, not recognizing that in his very actions God is answering his prayer. God will use Boaz to bless Ruth for her kindness to Naomi.
There are many ways that we can respond to the Scriptures. This story invites us to notice how both Boaz and Ruth’s trust in God cause them to live lives of godly justice. And, how God moulds their faithful actions into his grand work of redemption. We cannot know what God will do with our faithful deeds, but this story is given to encourage us to be people of standing not for rewards sake, but because we “trust in the Lord”.
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 1:18-25 & Luke 1:26-38 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What does it look like to live in a sin-broken world? How did Pastor Anthony describe it? How would you? In particular: are there specific places where this sin-broken world has impacted your life?
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Who are the women (and men who are their partners!) of Matthew’s genealogy? What makes their stories scandalous? What’s the 5th story, and what makes this one scandalous?
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What does Joseph and Mary being “righteous,” “favoured” people wind up looking like in practice, given the (not sinful, but still perceived) reality of Mary’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy?
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What do we learn here about what it means to live righteously as God’s people in a still sin-broken world? Perhaps even more importantly: what do we learn about the way that God works in a still sin-broken world?
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How might you take this word into your life practically this week?
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?” The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled” (Ruth 2:1-9).
Let me start with an aside: here we find the inspiration for the words from our Lord’s Supper practice: “The Lord be with you!” Boaz says. “The Lord bless you!” replies his workers. Whenever we speak these words during the Lord’s Supper—your mind should come here, to the barley harvest. It is God’s full-ripened provision and redemption for his people. A moment of joy. God’s whole good news story of Ruth and her place in King David and King Jesus’ family lines is evoked every time we speak these words of greeting.
As we enter chapter 2, then, we’ve come from the death and desolations of Moab to the fully ripe house of bread where there is provision enough.
Yet not everything is sure. Ruth is bold and determined to support her and Naomi in this new home. But the fact that she is a Moabite rings out a few times—she’s not from around here. Will that become a problem? A number of times across this chapter, Boaz will ensure that “no one lays a hand” on Ruth. Did they otherwise want to?
Gleaning was a practice established in the law God gave his people. In Leviticus 23:22 for instance, it says this: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’” The trick of course, is that the law does not say how big the edges and gleanings you leave in your field ought to be. Each landowner had to decide for themselves how generous they would be with the harvest God had given them.
It’s also true that Israel didn’t always follow its own law. Gleanings were designated for the poor and the foreigner. Ruth was both. And yet her safety as a foreigner was not guaranteed until Boaz himself came to guarantee it. Upon his arrival, we find out that in his field, the law would be upheld—the foreigner, protected.
Provision for the poor, protection for the foreigner—these were gifts of God to Ruth, through the righteousness and generosity of Boaz. It is God who manages the happenstance of Ruth winding up in Boaz’s field. It is God’s gift of the law and the land that sets the context for Boaz’s protection and provision for Ruth.
What about us? All the things that you have are gifts of God. How generous will you be with them? As so many Immanuelites have shown over the years—we also have a lot of power that can be stewarded to protecting and providing for newcomers from foreign lands. How can you join this good work of ensuring the foreigners among us receive God’s protection?
We never know the part that we might play in God’s stories of redemption, but the invitation is always there—every time ordinary life and “happenstance” bring a new gift or opportunity. So be looking for them.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. So, the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” So, Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning (Ruth 1:18-22).
This chapter is filled with tragedy, encapsulated by Naomi’s lament, “Call me Mara.” Things went from bad to worse. Elimelech, “God is King”, left the king’s country, turning away from the “House of Bread” (Bethlehem) because there is nothing to eat. His attempt to stay alive in Moab ends in his death.
His wife, Naomi, meaning “pleasant”, suddenly finds herself in a very unpleasant situation. Unpleasant but not destitute -- she has two married sons who will support her. This unpleasant state descends into a worst-case-scenario when both of her sons die before any grandchildren are conceived.
Naomi’s lap is empty. The hunger that brought her family to Moab was nothing compared to the sick, black, void in the pit of her stomach. Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth--each widow stares blankly into the future across an empty lap--their family extinguished. Widows indeed -- all three of them.
At least Orpah and Ruth have options. They can find new husbands. Naomi offers them the blessing of the God of Israel, “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest (security) in the home of another husband” (1:9). She does not want them included in the curses of the covenant which God has set against her. She must return alone, desolate without hope.
But, as we saw yesterday, Ruth, the Moabitess, refuses. Moab’s origin story is one of deception and manipulation, drunkenness and incest (see Genesis 19:30-38). But Ruth does not selfishly manipulate circumstances to survive at any cost. She adopts her mother-in-law! This is one of the most striking examples of the loving and sacrificial loyalty contained in the word “mercy”. Ruth’s devotion to Naomi caused her to cast aside all concern for her future and security and to break the bonds even of community and religion. She has committed herself to the life of an old woman rather than the search for a husband in a world where life depends upon men.
And so, the two “bound-together-for-life” widows arrive in Bethlehem. In her extreme despair, Naomi returns to the country of the very God that she names as afflicting her. Full she went away, but empty has God brought her back. Her future has flickered out; her life is bitter. Naomi is home, empty barren, desolate, without husband or son. No longer Naomi, pleasant, but Mara, bitter.
In her bitterness, Naomi cannot see that she has a daughter-in-law, who, oddly enough, has committed herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people, and to their God. Also, it is barley harvest. God has removed the famine from Israel. These two, Ruth and barley, are the beginnings of the thick rich feast of God’s redemption for Naomi and for all of us.
But Naomi cannot see it yet. And that is encouraging for all of us. She has returned to her country, her people, her land, her God. But she has no hope for laughter, no hope for fullness; no hope that the bitterness will be taken away. But that does not stop God from assembling the ingredients that will fill Naomi’s emptiness and turn her bitterness to laughter. God does not need us to notice what he is up to, just to receive it when it comes.
Go now with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:14-17).
In the previous section, we heard the beginning signs of hope. It is the Lord’s doing. In verse 6, Naomi hears that “the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them,” and so “she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.”
Slowly, a salvation begins to emerge. Where there was famine, now there is food. Bethlehem, the house of bread, is no longer empty and bereft.
Yet after responding to this good news together, Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to turn back and go to their own homes, families, and gods. Naomi’s bitterness at all of her losses have not closed off her ability to respond to good news like that of bread in Bethlehem, but it’s not that she holds out much hope. The bitterness of her past continues to cloud Naomi’s future and she does not wish it to become the burden of others.
Orpah listens to Naomi and turns back. Her name comes from the same word in Hebrew as the word “stiff-necked.” God’s people are often accused of being a “stiff-necked” people who do not know how to respond to the good news of God’s presence and provision. This is not an indictment of Orpah. Instead, Orpah functions as a symbol of Naomi’s own hesitancy to believe that the promises of God can really come true. Will Naomi become “stiff-necked” in the end, resistant to the hope of redemption that her God is offering her?
Ruth speaks to a different path Naomi might take. One in which she may trust that she will never be left nor forsaken. Ruth’s vow to Naomi harkens back to the sort of clinging-together of the man and woman in the garden of Eden when they become one flesh. It is a firm commitment that transcends even our own marriage vows where death will “do us part.” “May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Says Ruth.
Ruth’s name means “friendship.” She is to Naomi the kind of friend who sticks closer than a sibling, even closer than a spouse.
There are times when we are caught by despair: hopeless, bitter, cynical, alone—like Naomi. If left to ourselves, we can be overcome by that kind of despair. It is a despair that can make us resistant to God’s promises, stiff-necked. We can begin to fall away from our faith, disenchanted.
Time and time again, the remedy offered in the Bible for such despair is friendship. Community. An embrace from others who can hold out hope and faith for us until our hearts are healed and we can believe again ourselves. It is difficult at times not to feel forsaken by the God we cannot see, but when his love and presence are communicated to us through the firm commitment of a friend we can see—our faith can be renewed.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Our text is from Ruth 1:6-13
While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So, Naomi and her two daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. She left the place where she had been living. Her daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Both of you go back. Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. May the Lord help each of you find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye. They broke down and wept loudly. They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.” But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands? Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I married a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could marry them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s power has turned against me!”
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on the chunky soup of God’s holistic salvation, rich with real meat and vegetables! Good soup is more enjoyable when accompanied with freshly baked bread, our appetites having been whetted by the aromas of the oven mingling with the savory scents of the stove top.
I have good memories of Saturday mornings with my hands deep in a sink full of dough, kneading and kneading. Ten people sat around our kitchen table, devouring that bread. Saturday morning bread baking was a necessity. Bread was and is a staple. It fed the people of Naomi’s day, of Jesus’ day, and much of the world today.
And here we begin to see the messes that sin brings into human living. Messes for which we need a saviour. The story begins in Bethlehem. The word literally means, “the house of bread”. But there is no bread. There is famine. The granaries are empty, the fields are bare, the harvesters have no work. That’s why Elimelek took his wife and sons to Moah.
It was the days of the judges, when “everyone did what they saw fit” (Judges 21:25), the last word of the book of Judges. This was a time of national disobedience. Israel did not follow God’s ways. As a result, God withheld the blessings of the covenant. The world was created good and full of life. Sin causes deprivation. There is not enough to go around. Elimelek goes to look for bread in places he should not go. Moab was not a place where an Israelite ought to look for help.
But this is not a story about Elimelek. Its not a story about Israel’s disobedience. Even though Ruth is mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy; our main character is Naomi. Already in verse 3, we find something odd, “Elimelek, Naomi’s husband”. In this story, he becomes subordinate to his wife, making her the main character.
He dies, his sons marry Moabite women, another “no, no”. They die. And then this in the Hebrew text, “the woman was left bereft…the woman started to return…” (5,6).
This is a story about a woman in a man’s world. With her husband and sons dead, this woman is in a foreign country with without income or support. She decides to return home, to cast her lot in with her own people and her own God. Will she find anyone to care for her there? Will Israel’s God save her? This is the question we are invited to ask as we journey with Naomi back to her home.
This is a story about a voiceless woman in a male world. God has come to the aid of his people, but will he come to the aid of a woman like Naomi? Will there be bread for her in Bethlehem, ‘the house of bread?’ How thick is the soup of God’s redemption? Is it savoury enough to redeem a woman like Naomi? She senses the hand of God is against her. Will it stay that way? This is our Advent story.
For today, go with God’s blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. (Ruth 1:1-5)
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. (Matthew 1:5-6)
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
This Advent season, we’ll be walking through the short, four-chapter Old Testament book of Ruth. Matthew includes Ruth in his genealogy of Jesus at the opening of his Gospel. She is fully part of the Christmas story along with three other women, but why is she there? Perhaps it is because each of the women included tells a unique story of God’s salvation, and not of the sort that we usually consider.
Matthew tells us through the angel’s words that the baby born to Joseph and Mary is to be named “Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When we hear this, we get the sense that Jesus has come to clear away our record of sin in the court of God’s law, so that when we stand at the pearly gates and God says “why ought I let you into my heaven,” we can point to Jesus and get through to eternal bliss.
Now: this is a true part of the story indeed, but it is also a horribly flat reduction of the story—unable to bear the weight of real human lives. If the lives we live equate to nothing more than a cold courtroom scene where with the right passcode (Jesus!) can get you through to an equally sterile eternity of who-knows-what—I’m not sure I want in. If we are to have a hope that we can hang onto and hold out to others, it has to be a little thicker soup than that.
Thanks be to God: the soup is indeed thicker. Chunky even with real meat and vegetables!
The women of Matthew’s genealogy put some flesh on these bones of “Jesus saving his people from sin” so that we can understand a bit better what it actually looks like. Not just at the end of life: but already now, here, in the real unresolved messes of our human lives as we live them. Jesus’ saving of his people from sin includes the legal case, yes, but also the effects of sin and the curse on all of Creation, including on our marriages, families, workplaces, moves, and more.
The opening verses of Ruth set the stage for this holistic redemption of God to unfold. It will take place in the life of a woman whose lost everything: her home country, her husband, her sons, and with these men, also her provision, security, and place in society. Her plight is not because of any sin that she has committed, we note, but simply because of her life in a yet sin-broken and cursed Creation. Her sons’ names mean “sickness” and “wasting away:” these are the impacts of sin on Naomi’s life. So in the life of this refugee who has lost everything, can salvation come? Join us as we find out how.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text Luke 1:5-25. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What do you want for Christmas?
- What does God want to give?
- Do you expect anything from him? On a scale of one to ten, where would you put your level of doubt.
- Do you believe that God can use you despite your doubt.
- As you travel through this advent, keep your eyes open to the joy that God gives. Expect God to use you to bring joy to other people.
Today our text comes from Revelation 11:15-19 with its vision of that day when Christ our King comes again. May God bless you as you hear his word today.
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Next week we begin our series of Advent Devotions from the book of Ruth, returning again to a format of written reflections from Pastors Michael & Anthony. Join us!
Today our text comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-22, another word of encouragement as we await the coming of our King. May God bless you as you hear his word today.
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from John 16:16-33, a word of encouragement as we await the coming of our King.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from Psalm 76, a psalm of praise to the God who is King.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
1 God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great. 2 His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. 3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[b]
4 You are radiant with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. 5 The valiant lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands. 6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? 8 From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet— 9 when you, God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. 10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[c]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared. 12 He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from John 18:33-37, a Gospel text for Christ the King Sunday. This Sunday is the last Sunday of the old church year, preparing us to wait in expectation of this coming King once again in Advent. This will therefore also be our last week of devotions in this format. Next week we return to written devotions on Bible texts. For Advent, these texts will come from the book of Ruth. But first: we reflect on Christ our King from John 18, a crucifixion account that Christian tradition has generally seen as the "corronation" of Christ the King.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
The dream of Daniel 7 helps us understand this week’s gospel reading.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Daniel said, “I had a vision at night. I looked up and saw the four winds of heaven. They were stirring up the Mediterranean Sea. Four large animals came up out of the sea. Each one was different from the others. “The first animal was like a lion. It had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground. It stood on two feet like a human being. And the mind of a human being was given to it. “I saw a second animal. It looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides. And it had three ribs between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Eat meat until you are full!’ “After that, I saw another animal. It looked like a leopard. On its back were four wings like the wings of a bird. The animal I saw had four heads. And it was given authority to rule.
“After that, in my vision I looked up and saw a fourth animal. It was terrifying and very powerful. It had large iron teeth. It crushed those it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left. It was different from the other animals. And it had ten horns. “I thought about the horns. Then I saw another horn. It was a little one. It grew up among the other horns. Three of the first horns were pulled up by their roots to make room for it. The little horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being. Its mouth was always bragging.
“As I watched, “thrones were set in place. The Eternal God took his seat. His clothes were as white as snow. The hair on his head was white like wool. His throne was blazing with fire. And flames were all around its wheels. A river of fire was flowing. It was coming out from in front of God. Thousands and thousands of angels served him. Millions of them stood in front of him. The court was seated. And the books were opened.
“Then I continued to watch because of the way the horn was bragging. I kept looking until the fourth animal was killed. I watched until its body was destroyed. It was thrown into the blazing fire. The authority of the other animals had been stripped away from them. But they were allowed to live for a period of time.
“In my vision I saw one who looked like a son of man. He was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Eternal God. He was led right up to him. And he was given authority, glory and a kingdom. People of all nations, no matter what language they spoke, worshiped him. His authority will last forever. It will not pass away. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
“My spirit was troubled. The visions that passed through my mind upset me. I approached an angel who was standing there. I asked him what all these things really meant. “So he explained to me what everything meant. He said, ‘The four large animals stand for four kings. The kings will appear on the earth. But the holy people of the Most High God will receive the kingdom. They will possess it forever. It will belong to them for ever and ever.’
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus says, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains” (Mark 13:8). When those things make us afraid, Psalm 93 gives us encouragement to stand firm.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
The Lord rules.
He puts on majesty as if it were clothes.
The Lord puts on majesty and strength.
Indeed, the world has been set in place. It is firm and secure.
Lord, you began to rule a long time ago. You have always existed.
Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice.
They have lifted up their pounding waves.
But Lord, you are more powerful than the roar of the ocean.
You are stronger than the waves of the sea.
Lord, you are powerful in heaven.
Your laws do not change, Lord.
Your temple will be holy
for all time to come.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Mark 13:1-11, Jesus tells his followers that when they are persecuted the Holy Spirit will enable them to stand confidently. Today’s reading is the next part of Mark 13.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
“Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. The good news must be preached to all nations before the end comes. You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
“Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will revolt against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
“You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. No one in the field should go back to get their coat. How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! Pray that this will not happen in winter. Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.
“If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenges his followers to stand confidently in the face of persecution. Psalm 3 is a prayer by a faithful Israelite facing enemies all around.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Lord, I have so many enemies!
So many people are rising up against me!
Many are saying about me, “God will not save him.”
Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe.
You bring me honour. You help me win the battle.
I call out to the Lord. He answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down and sleep. I wake up again, because the Lord takes care of me.
I won’t be afraid even though tens of thousands attack me on every side.
Lord, rise up! My God, save me! Strike all my enemies in the face.
Break the teeth of sinful people.
Lord, you are the one who saves. May your blessing be on your people.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
The gospel reading for this week is Mark 13:1-11
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.”
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text John 13:1-17. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Do you like to be served or to serve? How does this affect the way you live?
- When do you live out of an entitlement mentality rather than love of neighbour? What kind of dust will service stir up in your heart?
- How often do you ask the other what you can do for them?
- Commit yourself to a repeated act of service (either one mentioned today or another).
- Take ½ hour to meditate on the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
Today our text comes from Ruth 3:14-4:17. This week began reflecting on the extreme actions of a widow’s generosity under the rule of religious leaders who “devoured widow’s houses.” She gave more than all the rich: all she had to live on. Today, we hear of the scandalous actions of another widow who risked much to seek the redemption of her family. In doing so, Ruth joined the family line of Jesus alongside of other scandalous widows who nevertheless sought justice and redemption from God, like Tamar.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.
16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from Luke 4:16-30. This week began reflecting on the place of widows and the dynamics of mercy versus sacrifice. Today Jesus declares his mission statement for ministry, naming a ministry of mercy to the marginalized that the home folks didn’t take kindly to.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from Psalm 94, a cry from the heart of those in need and who live on the margins among us to the God who sees their plight and avenges.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
1 The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. 2 Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. 3 How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?
4 They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. 5 They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance. 6 They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. 7 They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.”
8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? 9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? 10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? 11 The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.
12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; 13 you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. 15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? 17 Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. 18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. 19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? 21 The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. 23 He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today our text comes from 1 Timothy 5:1-16, 6:17-21, a further reflection on what the freedom to give of our sacrifices and offerings really means, especially in light of those among us who have need.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
And from Chapter 6:17-21:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Today is Remembrance Day. Our text comes, fittingly, from Mark 12:38-44, where Jesus invites our reflection on what the freedom to give of our sacrifices and offerings really means.
May God bless you as you hear his word today.
As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,
That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Psalm 146 celebrates the compassionate reign of God. It leads us towards loving him and roots our love for neighbour in God’s reign.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Don’t put your trust in human leaders. Don’t trust in people who can’t save you.
When they die, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help.
Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean.
He made everything in them. He remains faithful forever.
He stands up for those who are treated badly. He gives food to hungry people.
The Lord sets prisoners free.
The Lord gives sight to those who are blind. The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.
The Lord loves those who do what is right.
The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land.
He takes good care of children whose fathers have died.
He also takes good care of widows.
But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do.
The Lord rules forever. The God of Zion will rule for all time to come.
Praise the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In today’s reading, Micah 6:1-8, an imaginary court case revolves around the two great commandments: to love God and neighbour.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. He says to me, “Stand up in court. Let the mountains serve as witnesses. Let the hills hear what you have to say.”
Hear the Lord’s case, you mountains. Listen, you age-old foundations of the earth. The Lord has a case against his people Israel. He is bringing charges against them.
The Lord says, “My people, what have I done to you? Have I made things too hard for you? Answer me.
I brought your people up out of Egypt. I set them free from the land where they were slaves. I sent Moses to lead them. Aaron and Miriam helped him.
Remember how Balak, the king of Moab, planned to put a curse on your people. But Balaam, the son of Beor, gave them a blessing instead. Remember their journey from Shittim to Gilgal. I want you to know that I always do what is right.”
The people of Israel say, “What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we’ve done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?”
The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
This week’s gospel reading gives the greatest commandments: to love God and neighbour. In Romans 12:14-21 and 13:8-10, Paul explores these commandments.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not curse them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with one another. Don’t be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Don’t think that you are better than others.
Don’t pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. My dear friends, don’t try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, “I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back” (Deuteronomy 32:35), says the Lord. Do just the opposite. Scripture says,
“If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads” (Proverbs 25:21,22).
Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.
Pay everything you owe. But you can never pay back all the love you owe one another. Whoever loves other people has done everything the law requires. Here are some commandments to think about. “Do not commit adultery.” “Do not commit murder.” “Do not steal.” “Do not want what belongs to others.” (Exodus 20:13–15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17–19,21) These and all other commands are included in one command. Here’s what it is. “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Love does not harm its neighbour. So, love does everything the law requires.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
This week’s gospel reading gives the greatest commandments: to love God and neighbour. In Psalm 51, David shows us what to do when we fail.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
God, have mercy on me according to your faithful love. Because your love is so tender and kind, wipe out my lawless acts.
Wash away all the evil things I’ve done. Make me pure from my sin. I know the lawless acts I’ve committed. I can’t forget my sin.
You are the one I’ve really sinned against. I’ve done what is evil in your sight. So, you are right when you sentence me. You are fair when you judge me.
I know I’ve been a sinner ever since I was born. I’ve been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me.
I know that you wanted faithfulness even when I was in my mother’s body. You taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Sprinkle me with hyssop, then I will be clean. Wash me, then I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.” That will bring me joy and gladness. Let the body you have broken be glad.
Take away all my sins. Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done. God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.
Don’t send me away from you. Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going.
Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts. And sinners will turn back to you.
You are the God who saves me. I have committed murder. God, take away my guilt. Then my tongue will sing about how right you are no matter what you do. Lord, open my lips so that I can speak. Then my mouth will praise you.
You don’t take delight in sacrifice. If you did, I would bring it. You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings. The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.
May you be pleased to give Zion success. May it please you to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of those who do what is right. Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you. And bulls will be offered on your altar.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
This week’s gospel reading is from Mark 12:28-34.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength' and 'to love one's neighbour as oneself' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text Genesis 32:22-32; Luke 11:1-4. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How would you describe prayer in one sentence? On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your prayers? Do you want to improve?
- Where have you learned to pray? Who has taught you?
- Name some of the reasons why you struggle to pray. How will you do to continue learning how to pray? What will you do differently in order to develop different practices of prayer?
- Have you ever wrestled with God? Who won? Are you limping?
Today our text in this week of reflections on how God works through our senses and perceptions comes from 1 Peter 2:1-10. Today also marks “All Saints Day” in the church calendar and lectionary: a day to remember that we belong to a church that spans the ages, standing on the shoulders of the faith of the saints who have gone before us. As the old hymn, “O for a Thousand Tongues” put it, “To God all glory, praise, and love be now and ever given by saints below and saints above, the Church in earth and heaven”
May God bless you as you hear his word to the saints—even us—today.
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text in this week of reflections on how God works through our senses and perceptions comes from Luke 10:25-37. May God bless you as you hear his word.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text in this week of reflections on how God works through our senses and perceptions comes from 2 Kings 6:8-23. May God bless you as you hear his word.
Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Exodus 4:1-17. May God bless you as you hear his word.
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.
“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Mark 10:46-52. May God bless you as you hear his word.
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”
Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 9:14-17, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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Where in Matthew and the rest of the scriptures do we hear about fasting and feasting? What are some of the lessons to be drawn?
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Does Jesus command fasting? Describe what Jesus says about it.
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Jesus speaks in his parables about old cloth and wineskins and new. Matthew 9 is also a pivot point where opposition to Jesus’ ministry begins, ultimately culminating in his crucifixion. In light of this context: what do you think the differences are between Jesus’ “new” way and the “old” represented in these parables?
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A few themes arise of the Freedom Jesus gives when it comes to fasting, his desire for mercy, not sacrifice, and the idea of communing with the bridegroom while he’s present. Do any of these themes resonate for you? Which, and why? Is there anything Jesus invites you into here?
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Will you take up fasting? Talk about it with each other or describe your plan here.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenged his disciples not to pursue power as the world pursues it. Rather, we are called to put our trust and hope in God as illustrated in this reading from Nehemiah 1.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
These are the words of Nehemiah. He was the son of Hakaliah.
I was in the fort of Susa. I was there in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king. It was in the month of Kislev. At that time Hanani came from Judah with some other men. He was one of my brothers. I asked him and the other men about the Jews who were left alive in Judah. They had returned from Babylon. I also asked him about Jerusalem.
He and the men with him said to me, “Some of the people who returned are still alive. They are back in the land of Judah. But they are having a hard time. They are ashamed. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. Its gates have been burned with fire.”
When I heard about these things, I sat down and wept. For several days I was very sad. I didn’t eat any food. And I prayed to the God of heaven. I said,
“Lord, you are the God of heaven. You are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with those who love you and obey your commandments. You show them your love. Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I’m praying to you day and night. I’m praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you. We’ve done some very evil things. We haven’t obeyed the commands, rules and laws you gave your servant Moses.
“Remember what you told him. You said, ‘If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.’
“Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt. Lord, please pay careful attention to my prayer. Listen to the prayers of all of us. We take delight in bringing honour to your name. Give me success today when I bring my request to King Artaxerxes.”
I was the king’s wine taster.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenged his disciples not to pursue power as the world pursues it. In today’s reading, Jesus models for us how he expects power and authority to be used in his kingdom. Here is John 13:1-17.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So, he now loved them to the very end.
They were having their evening meal. The devil had already tempted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. He had urged Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God. So, he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples’ feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter. “Lord,” Peter said to him, “are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You don’t realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter. “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you can’t share life with me.”
“Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!”
Jesus answered, “People who have had a bath need to wash only their feet. The rest of their body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are.” Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not everyone was clean.
When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You are right. That is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you. What I’m about to tell you is true. A slave is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. Now you know these things. So, you will be blessed if you do them.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenges his disciples not to pursue power. In today’s reading, Israel does not heed the warning that a king will misuse his power.
Here is 1 Samuel 8:4-18.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
So, all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So, appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”
Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So, he prayed to the Lord. The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too. Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.”
Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. Samuel told them, “Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plough his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants. He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to. He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”
In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenges his disciples not to pursue power. Psalm 37 is a mediation on trusting in the Lord rather than our own power. Today’s scripture is verses 23-40.
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
The Lord makes secure the footsteps of the person who delights in him,
Even if that person trips, he won’t fall. The Lord’s hand takes good care of him.
I once was young, and now I’m old. But I’ve never seen godly people deserted. I’ve never seen their children begging for bread.
The godly are always giving and lending freely. Their children will be a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good. Then you will live in the land forever.
The Lord loves those who are honest. He will not desert those who are faithful to him.
Those who do wrong will be completely destroyed. The children of sinners will die.
Those who do what is right will be given the land. They will live in it forever.
The mouths of those who do what is right speak words of wisdom. They say what is honest.
God’s law is in their hearts. Their feet do not slip.
Those who are evil hide and wait for godly people. They want to kill them.
But the Lord will not leave the godly in their power. He will not let them be found guilty when they are brought into court.
Put your hope in the Lord. Live as he wants you to. He will honour you by giving you the land. When sinners are destroyed, you will see it.
I saw a mean and sinful person. He was doing well, like a green tree in its own land.
But he soon passed away and was gone. Even though I looked for him, I couldn’t find him.
Consider honest people who are without blame. People who seek peace will have a tomorrow.
But all sinners will be destroyed. Those who are evil won’t have a tomorrow.
The Lord saves those who do what is right. He is their place of safety when trouble comes.
The Lord helps them and saves them. He saves them from sinful people because they go to him for safety.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our gospel reading for this week is from Mark 10:32-45
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again, he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 13:1-3. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- When have you been so deeply received that the welcome touched your soul?
- When have you been wounded because you were not welcomed and received? How has the welcome of Jesus touched your life and your wounds?
- How comfortable are you with being the host or hostess?
- How does today’s theology of hospitality invite you to change your perspective and practices?
- Who models hospitality and welcome for you?
- How do you feel about having guests come to visit? Where do you struggle with doing everything perfectly?
- How might Jesus want to use your heart and home as a shelter for others?
Today our text comes from Luke 16:19-31. May God bless you as you hear his word.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Genesis 14:17-24. May God bless you as you hear his word.
After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Psalm 91.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Mark 10:17-31.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Hebrews 4:1-11
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
God’s promise of enjoying his rest still stands. So be careful that none of you fails to receive it. The good news was announced to our people of long ago. It has also been preached to us. The message they heard didn’t have any value for them. That’s because they didn’t share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enjoy that rest. God said, “When I was angry, I made a promise. I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them’” (Psalm 95:11).
Ever since God created the world, his works have been finished. Somewhere he spoke about the seventh day. He said, “On the seventh day God rested from all his works” (Genesis 2:2). In the part of Scripture I talked about earlier God spoke. He said, “They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them” (Psalm 95:11).
It is still true that some people will enjoy this rest. But those who had the good news announced to them earlier didn’t go in. That’s because they didn’t obey. So God again chose a certain day. He named it Today. He did this when he spoke through David a long time later. Here is what was written in the Scripture already given.
“Listen to his voice today. If you hear it, don’t be stubborn” (Psalm 95:7,8).
Suppose Joshua had given them rest. If he had, God would not have spoken later about another day. So there is still a Sabbath rest for God’s people. God rested from his work. Those who enjoy God’s rest also rest from their works. So let us make every effort to enjoy that rest. Then no one will die by disobeying as they did.
Our second reading is from Matthew 15:1-9
Some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked, “Why don’t your disciples obey what the elders teach? Your disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
Jesus replied, “And why don’t you obey God’s command? You would rather follow your own teachings! God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). He also said, ‘Anyone who asks for bad things to happen to their father or mother must be put to death’ (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9). But suppose people have something that might be used to help their parents. You allow them to say it is instead ‘a gift set apart for God.’ So, they do not need to honour their father or mother with their gift. You make the word of God useless in order to follow your own teachings. You pretenders! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you. He said,
“‘These people honour me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn’t mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules’” (Isaiah 29:13).
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Hebrews 3:7-19
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
The Holy Spirit says, “Listen to his voice today. If you hear it, don’t be stubborn. You were stubborn when you opposed me. You did that when you were tested in the desert.
There, your people of long ago tested me. Yet for 40 years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with them. I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray. They have not known my ways.’
So, when I was angry, I made a promise. I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:7–11)
Brothers and sisters, make sure that none of you has a sinful heart. Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. But build one another up every day. Do it as long as there is still time. Then none of you will become stubborn. You won’t be fooled by sin’s tricks. We belong to Christ if we hold tightly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold it tightly until the end. It has just been said, “Listen to his voice today. If you hear it, don’t be stubborn. You were stubborn when you opposed me.” (Psalm 95:7,8)
Who were those who heard and refused to obey? Weren’t they all the people Moses led out of Egypt? Who was God angry with for 40 years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned? They died in the desert. God promised that those people would never enjoy the rest he planned for them. God gave his word when he made that promise. Didn’t he make that promise to those who didn’t obey? So, we see that they weren’t able to enter. That’s because they didn’t believe.
Our second reading is from Psalm 90:12-17
Teach us to realize how short our lives are. Then our hearts will become wise.
Lord, please stop punishing us! How long will you keep it up? Be kind to us.
Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have made us suffer.
Give us joy for as many years as we’ve had trouble.
Show us your mighty acts. Let our children see your glorious power.
May the Lord our God always be pleased with us. Lord, make what we do succeed. Please make what we do succeed.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Psalm 55
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help. Hear me and answer me. My thoughts upset me. I’m very troubled. I’m troubled by what my enemies say about me. I’m upset because they say they will harm me. They cause me all kinds of suffering. When they are angry, they attack me with their words. I feel great pain deep down inside me. The terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have taken hold of me. Panic has overpowered me.
I said, “I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away and be at rest. I would escape to a place far away. I would stay out in the desert. I would hurry to my place of safety. It would be far away from the winds and storms I’m facing.”
Lord, confuse the sinners and keep them from understanding one another. I see people destroying things and fighting in the city. Day and night they prowl around on top of its walls. The city is full of crime and trouble. Forces that destroy are at work inside it. Its streets are full of people who cheat others and take advantage of them.
If an enemy were making fun of me, I could stand it. If he were getting ready to oppose me, I could hide. But it’s you, someone like myself. It’s my companion, my close friend. We used to enjoy good friendship at the house of God. We used to walk together among those who came to worship.
Let death take my enemies by surprise. Let them be buried alive, because their hearts and homes are full of evil.
Our second reading is from 2 Corinthians 7:10-16
I give a command to those who are married. It is a direct command from the Lord, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does, she must not get married again. Or she can go back to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And suppose a woman has a husband who is not a believer. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. The unbelieving husband has been made holy through his wife. The unbelieving wife has been made holy through her believing husband. If that were not the case, your children would not be pure and “clean.” But as it is, they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let that person go. In that case, the believer does not have to stay married to the unbeliever. God wants us to live in peace. Wife, how do you know if you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you will save your wife?
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Psalm 112
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who have respect for the Lord.
They find great delight when they obey God’s commands.
Their children will be powerful in the land.
Because they are honest, their children will be blessed.
Their family will have wealth and riches.
They will always be blessed for doing what is right.
Even in the darkness light shines on honest people.
It shines on those who are kind and tender and godly.
Good things will come to those who are willing to lend freely.
Good things will come to those who are fair in everything they do.
Those who do what is right will always be secure.
They will be remembered forever.
They aren’t afraid when bad news comes.
They stand firm because they trust in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure. They aren’t afraid.
In the end they will see their enemies destroyed.
They have spread their gifts around to poor people.
Their good works continue forever.
They will be powerful and honoured.
Evil people will see it and be upset.
They will grind their teeth and become weaker and weaker.
What evil people long to do can’t succeed.
Our second reading is from 2 Corinthians 7:1-9
Now I want to deal with the things you wrote me about. Some of you say, “It is good for a man not to sleep with a woman.” But since sexual sin is happening, each man should sleep with his own wife. And each woman should sleep with her own husband. A husband should satisfy his wife’s needs. And a wife should satisfy her husband’s needs. The wife’s body does not belong only to her. It also belongs to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong only to him. It also belongs to his wife. You shouldn’t stop giving yourselves to each other. You might possibly do this when you both agree to it. And you should only agree to it to give yourselves time to pray. Then you should come together again. In that way, Satan will not tempt you when you can’t control yourselves. I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command. I wish all of you were single like me. But you each have your own gift from God. One has this gift, and another has that one.
I speak now to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me. But if you can’t control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with desire.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our gospel reading for this week is from Mark 10:1-16
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again, crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Psalm 119:97-104; Mark 4:26-29. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- How has God spoken to you through his word?
- What are you looking for in the Scriptures: information, comfort, understanding, guidance, a word from God, communion with God?
- How would you characterize the way you tend to read? How has that influenced how you read the Bible?
- Do you prepare for scripture reading so that you are ready to spend time with God? How have the scriptures brought you into the presence of God?
- How would you characterize your ability to pay attention? How might the tendency to do everything quickly affect your ability to meditate?
- Do you believe in the power of the Word? Then memorize one verse today.
Today our text comes from two places: Romans 8 and Galatians 3.
The theme of this week is an invitation to examine our lives and our assumptions to recognize how it is that someone comes to be "with" or "against" God.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
Romans 8:1-11 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Galatians 3:23-29 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from two places: Zechariah 8 and 1 John 2.
The theme of this week is an invitation to examine our lives and our assumptions to recognize that it is not always the outsiders, but sometimes we ourselves who might be the ones who are against God.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
Zechariah 8:18-23 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”
1 John 2:18-25 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Psalm 5.
The theme of this week from Mark 9 is an invitation to examine our lives and our assumptions to recognize that it is not always the outsiders, but sometimes we ourselves who might be the ones who are against God.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text, reflecting on Jesus’ words from Mark 9 about those who might not be as “against us” as we might presume, comes from Genesis 20:1-18.
May God bless you as you hear his word.
Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”
Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”
To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Mark 9:38-50. May God bless you as you hear his word.
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Everyone will be salted with fire.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Psalm 46. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How do you avoid or resist silence? How and when do you resist or avoid being alone? Do you like to fill silences with sound: music, TV, etc.? What does this mean?
- What do you resort to doing when alone? What troubles you or makes you antsy about being alone?
- When have you felt most comfortable being alone? Most uncomfortable?
- Where do you have silence with God in your life?
- Do you think God values time with you in silence? Explain.
- What sense of God do you have when you are alone?
- How have you learned to listen to the fears and desires of your heart? How have you learned to listen to the Holy Spirit? What can you do to practice listening?
Today our text comes from James 4:8-17. May God bless you as you hear his word.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from 2 Kings 5:1-14. May God bless you as you hear his word.
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Psalm 139. May God bless you as you hear his word.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text comes from Exodus 18:13-27. May God bless you as you hear his word.
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today our text is from Mark 9:30-37
May the Lord bless you as you hear his word.
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
You will find across this week that each of our scripture texts highlight this theme of humility. So take some time to reflect on Jesus’s words today even as you carry them through the rest of this week:
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 14:22-36, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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In what way is Matthew, the Gospel writer, like a great musical composer? What is Matthew’s “theme?”
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How do you see the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection echoing in the story of Matthew 14?
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Where does our/your attention most naturally go? Where does the spiritual discipline of Worship focus our attention? How often do you/we need your/our attention re-focused in this way?
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How does worship focus our attention on God and his story of salvation in Jesus? How do you see the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection echoing in our worship services?
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Does Sunday have to be the only day to worship/attend to God? When/where/how else might you practice the discipline of worship?
Our first reading is from Psalm 54
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.
Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me--people without regard for God.
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.
I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
Our Second Reading is from Romans 11:25-32
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Judges 6:1-12
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.
When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
Our Second Reading is from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
And so, it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Isaiah 10:12-20
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says:
“‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations; I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.
As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries;
not one flapped a wing or opened its mouth to chirp.’”
Does the axe raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it?
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors;
under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame.
The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.
The splendour of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy,
as when a sick person wastes away.
And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.
In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him who struck them down
but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
Our Second Reading is from John 7:14-17
Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Psalm 73:21-28
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Our Second Reading is from Colossians 3:1-11
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Finally, from Psalm 119:169-176
May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word.
May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.
May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight.
Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
The Gospel reading for this week is from Mark 8:27-38
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” they replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus then began to teach his disciples. He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught them that the elders would not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not accept him either. He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke clearly about this. Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him.
Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You are not thinking about the things God cares about. Instead, you are thinking only about the things humans care about.”
Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me and for the good news will save it. What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses their soul? Or what can anyone trade for their soul? Suppose anyone is ashamed of me and my words among these adulterous and sinful people. Then the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
Our Second Reading is from Isaiah 50:4-9a,
part of the suffering servant motive which foreshadows Jesus’ suffering
The Lord and King has taught me what to say. He has taught me how to help those who are tired. He wakes me up every morning. He makes me want to listen like a good student. The Lord and King has unplugged my ears. I’ve always obeyed him. I haven’t turned away from him. I let my enemies beat me on my bare back. I let them pull the hair out of my beard. I didn’t turn my face away when they made fun of me and spit on me. The Lord and King helps me. He won’t let me be dishonoured. So, I’ve made up my mind to keep on serving him. I know he won’t let me be put to shame. He is near. He will prove I haven’t done anything wrong. So, who will bring charges against me? Let’s face each other in court! Who can bring charges against me? Let him come and face me! The Lord and King helps me. So, who will judge me?
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Mark 2:23-3:6. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE DEEPER
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What difficulties or compulsions make it hard for you to stop?
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How does taking a sabbath enhance your enjoyment and worship of God?
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What makes a sabbath day nourishing and replenishing to you?
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What happens to you when you go without regular rhythms that allow you to rest in God?
Our first reading is from Joshua 2:15-24
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
So, [Rahab] let [the spies] down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So, she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua, son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
Our Second Reading is from James 2:17-26
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Joshua 2:1-14
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two spies from Shittim. He sent them in secret. He said to them, “Go and look over the land. Most of all, check out Jericho.” So, they went to Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab.
The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight. They’ve come to check out the land.” So, the king sent a message to Rahab. It said, “Bring out the men who came into your house. They’ve come to check out the whole land.”
But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, “It’s true that the men came here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. They left at sunset, when it was time to close the city gate. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them.” But in fact, she had taken them up on the roof. There she had hidden them under some flax she had piled up. The king’s men left to hunt down the spies. They took the road that leads to where the Jordan River can be crossed. As soon as they had gone out of the city, the gate was shut.
Rahab went up on the roof before the spies settled down for the night. She said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land. We are very much afraid of you. Everyone who lives in this country is weak with fear because of you. We’ve heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. We’ve heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings. They ruled east of the Jordan River. You completely destroyed them. When we heard about it, we were terrified. Because of you, we aren’t brave anymore. The Lord your God is the God who rules in heaven above and on the earth below.
“Now then, please give me your word. Promise me in the name of the Lord that you will be kind to my family. I’ve been kind to you. Promise me that you will spare the lives of my father and mother. Spare my brothers and sisters. Also spare everyone in their families. Promise that you won’t put any of us to death.” So the men made a promise to her. “If you save our lives, we’ll save yours,” they said. “Just don’t tell anyone what we’re doing. Then we’ll be kind and faithful to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
Our Second Reading is from Hebrews 12:7-11
Put up with hard times. God uses them to train you. He is treating you as his children. What children are not trained by their parents? God trains all his children. But what if he doesn’t train you? Then you are not really his children. You are not God’s true sons and daughters at all. Besides, we have all had human fathers who trained us. We respected them for it. How much more should we be trained by the Father of spirits and live! Our parents trained us for a little while. They did what they thought was best. But God trains us for our good. He does this so we may share in his holiness. No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact, it seems painful. But later, it produces a harvest of godliness and peace. It does this for those who have been trained by it.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our first reading is from Judges 15:9-20
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
The Philistines went up and camped in Judah. They spread out near Lehi. The people of Judah asked, “Why have you come to fight against us?” “We’ve come to take Samson as our prisoner,” they answered. “We want to do to him what he did to us.”
Then 3,000 men from Judah went to get Samson. They went down to the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, “Don’t you realize the Philistines are ruling over us? What have you done to us?” Samson answered, “I only did to them what they did to me.” The men of Judah said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up. We’re going to hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Promise me you won’t kill me yourselves.” “We agree,” they answered. “We’ll only tie you up and hand you over to them. We won’t kill you.” So, they tied him up with two new ropes. They led him up from the rock.
Samson approached Lehi. The Philistines came toward him shouting. Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. The ropes on his arms became like burned thread. They dropped off his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed it and struck down 1,000 men.
Then Samson said, “By using a donkey’s jawbone I’ve made them look like donkeys. By using a donkey’s jawbone I’ve struck down 1,000 men.” Samson finished speaking. Then he threw the jawbone away. That’s why the place was called Ramath Lehi.
Samson was very thirsty. So, he cried out to the Lord. He said, “You have helped me win this great battle. Do I have to die of thirst now? Must I fall into the power of people who haven’t even been circumcised? They aren’t your people.” Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi. Water came out of it. When Samson drank the water, his strength returned. He felt as good as new. So, the spring was called En Hakkore. It’s still there in Lehi. Samson led Israel for 20 years. In those days the Philistines were in the land.
Our Second Reading is from Matthew 17:9-20
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our text comes from Hebrews 11:29-12:2
May the Lord bless you as you listen and reflect on his word.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isaiah 38:15-20
But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things people live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live.
Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.
The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
May the Lord bless you as you listen and reflect on his word. I pray that it will not be another burden on your day, but by the grace of the Spirit, help you to rest in Jesus.
Mark 7:24-37.
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Isaiah 35:4-7
Say to those whose hearts are afraid, “Be strong and do not fear. Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you.”
Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened. The ears of those who can’t hear will be unplugged. Those who can’t walk will leap like a deer. And those who can’t speak will shout for joy. Water will pour out in dry places. Streams will flow in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool of water. The thirsty ground will become bubbling springs.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 11:28-30. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How do you perceive religion?
- How does Jesus call people?
- What are spiritual disciplines/practices? What are yours? Why do you do them? Does anything you heard today challenge you to change how you practice your religion?
- What is their purpose?
- Who does the bulk of the work? Who brings the results?
Our text comes from Romans 2:1-16.
May the Lord bless you as you listen and reflect on his word.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So, when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Our text comes from Deuteronomy 4:9-20, 23-24.
May the Lord bless you as you listen and reflect on his word.
[Moses said to Israel], "Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”
You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore, watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen
Psalm 106 1 Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? 3 Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, 5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. 7 When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. 10 He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. 11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. 12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. 14 In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. 15 So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord. 17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. 18 Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. 19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. 20 They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass. 21 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23 So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. 25 They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. 26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the wilderness, 27 make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; 29 they aroused the Lord’s anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. 30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. 31 This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. 32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; 33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them, 35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. 36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods. 38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. 39 They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. 41 He gave them into the hands of the nations, and their foes ruled over them. 42 Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. 43 Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 44 Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; 45 for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. 46 He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy.
47 Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Today marks the beginning of a new season in our Wilderness Wanderings. The focus of our church this Fall will be on Spiritual Disciplines. And so in our devotions this Fall, we’d like to take a simpler pace. A little known fact is that the Christian Reformed Church participated in forming something called the “Revised Common Lectionary,” which provides a set of scripture readings for each day, including for Sunday worship. The idea is that across the 3-year cycle of the lectionary, a full dose of the breadth of scripture can be engaged. We likely won’t continue this for 3 years, but at least for this Fall we’ll suspend our commentary, and invite you to simply hear the Word. We won’t follow the lectionary strictly (as we won’t be preaching from it on Sundays), but we’ll offer at least one, and perhaps more text each day drawn from the scriptures flowing through the Lectionary on any given week. If those who assembled the lectionary have done their work well, you’ll hear interconnections between the different texts over the course of the week. May God bless you as you hear his word.
1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16]
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. … For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. … Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:1-2,4,8-11)
Psalm 5 explicitly introduces us to a new form of prayer: lament. It’s already showed up in the Psalter starting at Psalm 3, but Psalm 5 explicitly uses the word, and so today is a good time to remind ourselves about what it means to lament to God.
Often in the face of evil: whether it’s come through events or people, we will opt to do something about it ourselves. Our fight or flight response is activated and so we’ll strive to overcome the evil or perhaps seek to run away from it or ignore it. But whichever response we use, it does not always occur to us to invoke God’s name as part of our response.
The mindset of the Psalms and Psalmists is different. In the face of evil and enemies, the first inclination of the Psalms is to come to God. And as people of faith, this is a good inclination to embody in our own lives. Lament helps us to do that by forming us in three core habits. You may remember them from our sermon series on lament that had begun just before our first COVID lockdown.
Firstly, the prayer of lament takes God seriously, as here. David declares God to be his God and also his King. David believes in his God and King, and reminds God of who he is: a God who is not pleased with wickedness nor welcoming of wicked people.
Secondly, the prayer of lament takes the evil of this world seriously. David has enemies and faces evil—people who lie and betray trust. But rather than taking matters into his own hands or fleeing away from the evil around him, David turns the situation over to God. Taking God and evil seriously means that the presence of evil in this world is firstly God’s problem and is a problem rightly submitted to God. God has said that wickedness has no place in his kingdom: so David appeals to God—“declare them guilty, O God!”
Finally, the prayer of lament is a prayer of submission to God. We don’t only turn the evil of our world over to God, but also ourselves. We don’t set ourselves up as a judge over God when we see evil in the world, instead we submit to him as the rightful ruler. This finally is where the Psalm ends: “let all who take refuge in you be glad.”
So, when you feel pressed by fear, pain, enemies, or the overwhelming crush of evil in this world: do something about it. Lament. Take God and the evil you face seriously enough to pray, shout, and cry about it before God. Then rest in submission to this God to whom you’ve come for refuge.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
"He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).
The gospel story sounds too good to be true. It is the story of sheep rescued from a dark and fearful wilderness by the strong arms of a fierce shepherd. It’s the story of children released from prison, of demons unmasked. It is the story of fearful disciples in a storm-tossed boat; the storm stilled by the command of their Master. It is the story of sick people healed, of blind people seeing. It is the story of dead people coming to life. It is the story of the God-man.
It is the story of God who is captured, sentenced, and crucified by His own people. His friends weep and his enemies laugh. And all because of a snake. The gospel is a story about a snake who experienced the thrill of evil victory. "I have won," he hissed. "God lays in the grave." But as the sun rose over the horizon chasing the darkness from the garden, the guards ran with it, and the unexpected happened. The story turned. There was one more chapter to be written. The Shepherd came out of the tomb; God was alive. Heaven and earth shouted for joy; the angels danced, and the Father smiled as His Son went off to find His friends. And the snake; he lay in the dust; his head crushed; his tail quivering as life left him.
It is a story that we are part of. That Sunday morning, many years ago is our story. The resurrection is part of our Christian faith, its cornerstone. As we read the resurrection story our hearts are stabbed with joy. We dance with the angels as good triumphs over evil. We are glad, our faith is not in vain, Christ arose.
But…
This life and this present world are subject to sin. We seldom think of sin as vanity, but it is. Life is vanity when it has no meaning. If we do not know the meaning of life, why live? why do anything at all? Most people don't like that question because it is too deep; it gets too close to the answer that life is not worth living; that there is no purpose to it. This is the haunting refrain of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Vanity means emptiness, fluff, a fistful of wind, a pocketful of nothing. It means to pay the mortgage for all your working days and then to die. It means working hard and running fast and getting nowhere. Vanity is a political speech that means exactly nothing. Vanity is the hope that tomorrow will be different, that there is gold at the end of the rainbow; vanity is wisdom and folly, hard work and laziness, laughter, seriousness, and everything, because everything leads nowhere.
In this life, we struggle against this sin. We fight against sin in our own lives. We struggle against sin in the world. We push against greed, and we bite our tongues to keep from lying. We stand up for the oppressed and give money to the poor. We seek to elect politicians who strive for justice. When our eyes fill with longing for another’s toys, we turn away.
But so often it feels like it’s all in vain. The world does not get any better. And we, well, we don’t seem too either. We cry out with Paul, “What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death, to vanity?” But because of the resurrection we can also answer with him, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
The resurrection gives us something to hope for in the future. While we struggle against sin today, we know that tomorrow sin will be gone. While our bodies are weak today, we know someday they will be strong. The gospel is our story. We too will be changed. Christ will transform our lowly bodies. They will no longer be subject to disease or age or sin or vanity. Christ will transform our characters to be like his. We will have no more inclination for lying. Our eyes won’t covet our neighbour’s stuff.
As surely as Christ opened the eyes of the blind and stilled the storms, he will transform us. There is hope for us. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. (Psalm 50:21)
Psalm 50 is the first of the psalms of Asaph, which tend to circle much more around the covenant and its requirements. So it is here in psalm 50, which begins by setting up a scene of judgement.
God arrives as judge and calls the heavens and the earth as witnesses. The heavens and the earth were, after all, the witnesses God called when the covenant was first made in the wilderness. This is perhaps also a reason that we find the sky blackened and an earthquake shaking the rocks at Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospel of Matthew: the heavens and the earth are testifying to a new covenant being made.
With the heavens and earth serving as witnesses, God then calls his people. He does not take fault in their sacrifices or offerings, but he does remind them he doesn’t actually need, eat, or drink the things they offer. God provides for them, not they for him. Everything already belongs to God, what could humankind possibly give him that isn’t already his? No, it is not out of our plenty that we give a bit to God: it is out of God’s plenty that we have received whatever it is that we have—and that has only been given to us to hold and distribute as a trust and for a time.
So we give our thanks offerings and fulfill our promises (like our baptismal and profession of faith promises) to God because it is right and proper that we do so, to remind us that nothing was ours to begin with, and to help us practice the posture of an open hand and a responsive life before the God to whom all things belong.
Worship is not just about dealing appropriately with the resources of God’s Creation though, it is also about salvation. We practice the habits of worship not only because we depend on God for our provision, but also for our salvation—for our help “in the day of trouble.” Nothing in Creation or Salvation is something we accomplished ourselves: it is all a work of God. We depend on him for everything.
Having set the record straight on what worship is for, God moves to the character and conduct of his people—naming disobedience, theft, adultery, slander, and false testimony. He says “when you did these things and I kept silent, you thought that I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.”
I have long found this one of the most arresting statements in all of the psalms. It addresses the main issue that the whole psalm deals with, namely that we have a tendency to imagine God in our image. So our issue is not just turning other objects and pursuits into gods of our own making—idolatry—but also making God himself into a god of our own making. So even when we’re faithfully doing the right motions of worship and avoiding idolatry, we can still be off base when we shrink God down to our size, pin his wings to the cork board like a biology project, and lose all sense of his cosmic, mysterious, holy otherness.
That goes for our ethical relationship before God when we think things like “God won’t mind a white lie” or “he’ll see and understand why I’m doing this and that I’m basically a good person.” But it also goes for our understanding of God: we easily get the sense that we are the ones that hold God up or let God down rather than understanding the extent to which we depend on his every grace and provision for the very breath we breathe and life we live.
This whole psalm is a call to remember the holiness and otherness of God—to remember that he is the judge—and that we are never able to fully know his mind or his ways. This is an invitation to stand in a humble awe and fear of the Lord and to live and worship accordingly. It is he that we depend on for our very creation and for our continuing provision and salvation—which in Jesus, unlike in the psalms, we have received in full. And so it is Jesus that our lives are to be conformed to, not he to us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts...That you may tell of them to the next generation (Psalm 48:3, 12, 13).
In the Bible, cities can be centres of pride and corruption. Babylon symbolizes this kind of civilization (Revelation 17:18). However, a city can also be a centre of strength where the Lord God is worshipped. Jerusalem, also named Mount Zion, is the symbol of this form of society (Revelation 21). She is often called, the city of God.
Throughout the Biblical story, Jerusalem, as the capital city of Israel, never fulfilled this destiny to be the city of God. Therefore, the Gentiles destroyed her in 586 BC and again in AD 70. Prophets such as Ezekiel and Isaiah looked for a new city with a new, restored temple.
In the New Testament, the story turns from Israel to the church. Even before the physical temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, the church is identified as the new temple of God. Paul tells the Ephesians that they have been made members "of the household of God" and they are a building, under construction, growing "into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22).
So, we do not come to "God's house" on Sundays for worship. We are God's house; we gather as God's temple. Honestly, church buildings do not mean much to God; he does not live in them.
When John has his final vision in the Book of Revelation, he sees the New Jerusalem, God's city, which is also the bride of Christ. This city is His church (Rev. 21:9-11).
Psalm 48 celebrates the greatness of Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Zion is great because God is great and he dwells in His city and in His temple, among His people.
The immediate context of the psalm is probably that of worshippers going up to Jerusalem for one of the major festivals. We notice that as the worshippers head towards Jerusalem they contemplate this city. They ponder what it means that God is within her.
The glory attributed to Jerusalem was never fulfilled in the Old Testament. The church, too, has fallen far short of the glory of God. We look much more like the Israel of the Old Testament than we generally care to admit. Yet, we eagerly await and look forward to the day when we will be glorious (Romans 8:18-23).
Thus, this Psalm invites us to contemplate the church of Jesus. When we think of the church, what do we think about? Do we think about all the unholy people who claim to be Christians? Do we see the faults of our fellow worshippers? Many of us do exactly that. I'm sure it is one of the reasons why we have so many different denominations.
We do need to be honest enough to admit the church’s unholy state. We should never try to minimize the hurt the church has caused.
But we are also invited to see something more. God is among his people sanctifying his church. Do we see the Spirit at work preparing the bride of Christ? Can we see people being made holy and pure and spotless? Imagine your fellow worshippers being presented as holy to the Father in heaven. Your fellow worshippers will someday be part of that holy city. God will see it done. He is faithful. What a vision to prepare us for worshipping together!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with [Moses] and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:5-8)
Sad to say, but summertime is drawing near its end already. Is summer in some ways like a wilderness? Not for the most part, but in a few respects it is, and not just because of the heat! We also tend to scatter, slow down and change our rhythms and habits over the summer. We withdraw from some of grind that marks the cooler months of the year. And so, in this late-August moment as the seasons come near to changing, it’s good to think of some wilderness questions for our faith.
It was in the wilderness where the Lord revealed Himself most fully to Israel and first proclaimed His name to them. This is where the people of God really got to know their God: being stuck in the wilderness with nothing but themselves and God for forty long years.
Now there were a few things God equipped His people with in these early chapters of their desert pilgrimage for that journey of getting to know and trust Him. He gave them the means to survive through provision (manna and water from the rock) and security (the defeat of the Amalekites through faith in God). Then God gave the law (ethical shape of life), the tabernacle (liturgical shape of life), and invited them into rhythms of meaningful work and Sabbath rest (creational shape of life).
Lastly, as the covenant is restored following the golden calf incident, God also affirms the gift of His presence with His people—the most necessary ingredient of all for their life and living. And as the book of Exodus closes, that presence is embodied in the cloud that fills the tabernacle with the glory of the Lord. God, their God, was indeed with them. Anytime of the day or night they could steal a glance toward the tabernacle and be assured: God was still home—right there in the middle of the camp, tenting it with His people out in the wilderness.
For forty years they walked this journey of wilderness pilgrimage, learning by those long years of repetition to trust all God’s gifts of grace. Along that journey, they would unlearn how to be slaves and they would learn for the first time how to truly be free: following and living in the provision and presence of the God who was compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
So the questions: what have you been learning about God through these summer months? What are the graces God is giving to you? What are the shapes for life—the habits & practices—he might be calling you into this Fall so that your attention and trust can be better trained on him? Where is he calling you to trust more fully in Him? Take some time to reflect on those questions today.
May God continue to tent it with you in the wilderness as he accomplishes his purposes in your life and in the lives of all His people.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51).
Birth and death both reveal that human life is fragile. To embrace both life and death, we need hope. Christians find their hope in the words of our text, “we will all be changed”.
The birth of a child is often a beautiful thing. Few things are as awesome as cradling your newborn in your arms. There is so much hope, so much potential. Love and joy overcome our fears.
But the fears are real. There is fragility. This living being is totally dependant. Most parents, when they hold their newborn child, encounter that sober reality that some day, this child too will die. Before that, there will be many trials and probably much suffering. To be a parent is not for the faint of heart.
As Christians, we do not avoid these realities of evil. Whether it is at the birth of a child or the death of a loved one, we acknowledge evil’s grip on this life. There is much wrong with this world, and we cannot escape it. Wars in Ukraine and the Gaza, destructive fires and rains, homelessness, pandemics, all tell the story. We humans are frail.
And as Christians, we acknowledge that evil’s hold on us is caused by humanities rebellion against God. When the apostle writes about our flesh, he is usually referring to that reality: that we are rebels, that we have walked away from the God who gives life, we have chosen death. Or as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, ‘we have a naturally tendency to hate God and our neighbour.”
Yet, as Christians we face this frailty, this fleshness, with courage. This frailty is doomed to die. In his great chapter on the resurrection, the apostle says that ‘our flesh and blood’ cannot enter God’s forever kingdom. Frail, mortal humanity cannot survive in God’s eternal and perfectly holy presence.
But because Christ took on our flesh and blood, subjected himself to death, and rose again, death has lost its sting and its victory. By faith in him, our bodies too will be raised to new life. We will be changed. In our text, Paul refers specifically to those who are still alive when Christ returns. However, elsewhere he tells us that the dead are raised to their new bodies, and the whole creation is liberated from decay to share in the freedom of the glory of God’s children. All who are in Christ will be changed. God will change our mortality to immortality and our perishableness to imperishableness, our frailty to power.
When that day comes, death will have no more control over us. Our frailty will be gone. That fleshness will have been rooted out and destroyed. Life eternal will flow in us, forever. Our bodies will be transformed, along with all of creation.
God has already done the new thing in the Messiah, Jesus, and he will do it for all Jesus’ people through the power of the Spirit. And in that new thing, death and decay will be gone, swallowed up for ever.
And so today, in whatever way we face the frailty of human life, we can so with courage and hope. The church gathers to worship God and to remember that “Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47:5-9)
There is a bit of a call and response rhythm to these first few psalms of Book II of the psalter. Do you notice it? Psalm 44 cries out in suffering and psalm 45 responds with a hope-filled vision of the messianic wedding feast. Psalm 46 speaks to the moment the earth gives way under our feet, reminding us of the promise that God will be glorified in all the earth. Psalm 47 responds with exactly that: the glorified God ascending to his throne of glory.
This is a psalm that has been sung in the Jewish faith at the turn to the new year. In Christianity, it has often been recited on Ascension Day. In the book of Revelation, this psalm surely informs the Apostle John’s imagination as he sees the kings of the earth entering the royal city of Jesus, the King, bringing their tribute.
Perhaps this psalm also informs Paul’s vision of Jesus Christ being the one in whom all things hold together, indeed the one through whom all things (including thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities) are reconciled to God.
This is the movement of the psalm. “The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham.” Did you catch that little word “as?” The nations have somehow become the people of God! You thought they were outsiders, but as it turns out: they belong to him! The promises that God made to Abraham are fulfilled. It is not just that Abraham will be the father of many nations, but also that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through” Abraham. Indeed: all peoples now come under the rule and blessing of the God of Abraham.
There is again something within this psalm that smacks of our future hope in Christ. The world we see at present is not the world we place our hope in. We certainly do not see every nation and ruler bowing the knee to Christ right now, but our faith suggests with this psalm that God’s reality looks different. The heavenly country we long for has a much different texture to it. No more power games or warring nations. No more economic woes. No more young men or women who die before their time or suffer from addiction or disease.
No: God is the God of the living, says Jesus. And when God ascends to take his throne: all of his promises will be fulfilled. All will be resolved to justice and peace under the one rule of Christ, the Lord King. All will be made well and right in resurrection, reunion, restoration, and reconciliation through the one who holds all these things that we’ve entrusted to him against that day, together.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus, come.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:1,7).
Songs shape our faith. We remember very few sermons, but there are songs we can sing from memory, shaping our thoughts and feelings about God. In 1529, Martin Luther wrote a poem based on Psalm 46. The story is that he composed it to be sung to a popular pub tune of the day. Some of you will recognize these words.
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever! “
To this day, this hymn is one of the best meditations on Psalm 46. I suspect it has shaped a few of you. I know that it formed me. But like much poetry, this psalm takes a moment to digest. Let me help a little.
Imagine the fear you would experience if you were sleeping with your family in a cheap canvass tent on the Canadian prairies only to be woken by a very loud clap of thunder. That horrifying noise is followed by a deluge of rain being driven by hurricane force winds.
This scene helps us get into the skin of the ancient Israelites. Such was their life, they lived subject to the natural elements. The turmoil caused by the nations at war against Israel aroused this same intense fear.
This is the key point of the psalm. Israel belonged to the Lord God. He had called her out of the nations to fulfill His redemptive purposes in this world. But there were forces of evil bent on destroying Israel. Often, it seemed like they would succeed.
So, the psalmist helps Israel sing her faith, “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Those are the key words of the Psalm. Later it says, "Be still and know that I am God."
This psalm does not tell us that all our problems will go away. Rather, this is a testimony given to the church that as she seeks to fulfil God's calling, God Himself will ensure that the church will not fall. Many times, the church has gotten things wrong and has caused harm. Yet Jesus keeps building his church.
Storms may come in the form of ridicule from our co-workers, outright persecution on university campuses, or through temptations of all sorts. During the worst that Satan can unleash against us, God is like a river in the middle of a besieged city. He gives life while death surrounds us.
So, let’s stop our fretting (that is, be still). God will be exalted in the earth.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:18a,19-21)
In the first half of verse 19 we hear Paul’s prayer that we may know in our heart the power of God for us who believe. It has been my increasing sense over these past number of years, probably ever since 2015 or so, that we as Christians in the West have little sense of this power of God. I’ve said it before, but its worth saying again (and again).
Whether in the legalism of progressive justice or the legalism of conservative ethics—both political and church discourse has been shaped by an implicit belief that if any Christian good is going to get done around here—we have to do it ourselves. That is: we have to do it in the strength of our own power. These “strong positions” of “strong stances” can betray a belief in a very small, impotent God. A God that’s functionally dead. The actions of many Christians seem to suggest a belief that “it’s all up to us now.” We believe we’re on our own.
From the spiritual angle, I think the smallness of our God and our functional belief in his powerlessness is, more than anything, what has driven the polarization in church and society. We don’t believe there’s anybody that can save us anymore. So, we think that we have to save the church. We have to fight the secularists. We have to save our society and country. We have to achieve holiness. We have to set things right and make justice happen in this world. We. We. We.
Through the power of law and policy, the power of our money, the power of our influence, the power of our votes—through any power that we can get our own hands on to use—we ourselves have sought to become the god that we no longer believe in.
Aside from lip service, very rarely in these divisive conversations have we bent the knee of our hearts to a power greater than our own. Very rarely have we laid down our powerful, coercive armaments and battle-ready defences and securities in trust that it is God’s power that will fight and win the battle, God’s power that will vindicate and save us—if not now than in the world to come. Very rarely have we held out hope that his power will see us through to a glorious inheritance despite what our eyes can see and heart believe.
When we lose sight of a big, sovereign God—a powerful God—we lose everything. If we no longer believe that God is powerful to act in our lives, world, and church anymore, then we functionally deny the very power that “he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand.” Said differently: a belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ demands belief in a God who powerfully works in our world still today. The power is the same, Paul says. The power of God for us who believe is the same as the power that vindicated Jesus in resurrection life. Do you believe this?
Against all the despair, uncertainty, fear, polarization, violence, desolations, and turmoil of our world and present moment—do you yet believe in a God who is powerful to save his people?
Believe it. God is on the move! Just like in those days of power when, through his mighty strength, he raised Christ from the dead. My prayer is the same as Paul’s: that God will once again open the eyes of our hearts to perceive and rest in his mighty power, hope, and calling for us who believe.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:4-5).
There is a story of a young Naval graduate, who after completing his first overseas cruise, was given an opportunity to display his talents at getting his ship underway and out of port. The young officer's efficiency established a new record for getting a naval ship underway. He was stunned, however, when a sailor approached him with a message from their captain. "My personal congratulations upon completing your underway preparations exercise according to the book and with amazing speed. In your haste however, you have overlooked one of the fundamental rules -- make sure the captain is on board before you leave.”
David begins this psalm with the bold statement, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” And a little later, in our text, he says, “my hope is in you all day long”. This trusting and hoping in God propels David to know and live according to God’s ways. Our text says, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long”.
English grammar was not my favourite subject, but when I started learning Greek and Hebrew, I came to appreciate how useful it is. In our text, the word ‘for’, which can also be translated as ‘because’, is the pivot of the sentence. David wants to know God’s will because his hope and trust are in God.
Why does David ask God to ‘show me your ways,’ and ‘teach me your paths’? David has the law given by Moses, after all. But there are many situations in life in which we need to discern the right course. The given or revealed law of God doesn’t cover every situation. David, as king of Israel, is called to lead God’s people in the ways of obedience.
Whatever context God has placed us, we are called to obedience as well. But it is not always easy to discern: What does God want us to do with our money? How must we raise our children? What should we do in a troubled marriage? How can we best help the poor, the marginalized, the socially ostracized? Christians have given many different answers to these questions. Often each situation has its own answer, depending on the circumstances.
Like Israel, God calls us to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5, 6). Echoing these things, Peter writes, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:9-12).
Like David, Peter calls us to righteous living because of what is to come, because of our hope in Christ’s return. So how do we discern God’s will in each situation? How can we live into the hope we have? It begins with prayer. David asks God for help in discerning his ways.
None of us will get anywhere is living God’s ways, if we don’t ask him for help. When we pray “show me your ways” than the captain is on board. Like the young naval officer, we often set sail without the captain. And like the captain on a ship, God needs to tell us where to go. And he is eager to give us the wisdom we need (James 1:5).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 8:14-22. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- The little story of Peter’s mother-in-law shows us important aspects of God’s mercy. What are they? How should we respond?
- This short story also highlights an important dynamic of discipleship. What is it? How are you living that out in your life? What changes do you need to make
- The evening healings reflect on both Jesus authority (power) and sufferings. The next verses challenge our willingness to follow Jesus in his suffering. Take time this week to reflect on your own willingness. As you do so, reflect on both your ‘pride’ and your ‘hesitation’.
- In both these stories, Jesus calls these two people into deeper discipleship. Likewise, Jesus is calling you. How will you respond?
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. (Psalm 45:6)
Today’s psalm picks up almost directly on the heels of yesterday’s. A question looms in psalm 44 about the suffering God’s people have faced. They’ve done nothing wrong, and yet have been crushed. Their God and King has decreed victory, and yet they have faced defeat. As Pastor Michael noted yesterday, no answers are given to the concerns stirred up in psalm 44, just a prayer for God to rise up and rescue his people.
Psalm 45 would seem in some ways to be that answer to psalm 44’s prayer of suffering, though.
It is a psalm to mark the wedding day of the King. The King’s presence, power, and purity of character is revealed in all its royal majesty. “Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds” (45:3-4).
It all builds up to our verse today, a verse quoted in the book of Hebrews as pertaining to Christ: “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.” The King enters and rises up in the fullness of his power and majesty, vested with all the finest garments and armaments to be every ounce the God and King we would ever hope for him to be.
As the psalm continues, the bride is also described in all of her glory and beauty. The song is joyful, anticipatory, taking a long look at all the descendants to follow from the union of these two pure and noble persons. Bride and bridegroom, king and princess soon-to-be-queen: the consummation of the very best ideals of all that is good and right in the world (if you need a visual: perhaps Aragorn’s Coronation and reunion with Arwen in the white city of Gondor from the final scene of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, would be appropriate).
This psalm rhymes with the Song of Songs, and certainly looks ahead to all the beautifully cryptic language of our Christian hope: that day when Christ, the coming King will be united with his bride, the Church in that great heavenly wedding feast at the end of the age. It is a hope and a moment that encapsulates all the very best that we can ever hope for or dream: every ideal of justice and righteousness come in perfection, every notion of healing and wholeness made complete, every longing for fullness, given in abundance in ways that leave our cups overflowing.
Psalm 45’s answer to psalm 44’s suffering then, is to remember and to believe in the hope that is ours in our King.
Of course, in Christ, we have a much fuller picture to remember and believe as we await our Christian hope in our present times of suffering. It is no longer a merely human king that we look to, but Christ: one who is both human and divine—a king who perfectly embodies the truth, humility, and justice that we seek and who is mighty to save his people. This is our king who has been enthroned and our bridegroom who will come again to draw us all into the splendor of his royal reign when we take our seats and celebrate together with him at the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Dear friends: in the present tumult of our times, may we never lose sight of the hope of joy, reunion, and peace to come in the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
We are brought down to the dust, our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 44:25-26).
Often in the Christian life, faithfulness does not equal success, at least, not the way the world measures success. The clearest example of this is the ministry of Jesus. He was faithful in preaching the Good News of the kingdom, in healing the sick, in delivering the possessed, in teaching the multitudes, and in training His disciples. He was faithful in doing everything His Father sent him to do (John 17:4).
Yet all rejected Him at the end and His enemies crucified Him. By sundown on that first Good Friday, as Jesus' followers limped away in despair, it seemed that Satan had won.
Frequently in the history of the church, those faithful to God have experienced similar defeat. Untold numbers of Christians died in Hitler's gas chambers and in Russia's gulags. Other nations have made Christians the objects of military and police massacres. Faithfulness does not mean survival.
Psalm 44 is written in the context of Israel's faithfulness and defeat. A military campaign has been lost. The enemy has taken the spoils, sold captives as slaves, and deported them. The king, who is also the commander of the army, has been dishonoured, and the battle has resulted in great slaughter.
While the memory of past triumphs remains, and the hope for fresh victories has not died, the difficult fact is that God's people are defeated, and Israel's state of weakness brings reproach.
Often, Israel’s defeat is a result of God’s judgement upon her faithlessness. But not here. This psalm justifies Israel before God: “All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten you. We had not broken the covenant you made with us. Our hearts had not turned away from you. Our feet had not wandered from your path” (17, 18).
She knows that victory is only in the strength of the Lord her God. And the claim is made that God's people have remained true to Him. The question is: if Israel is faithful, why is she not successful? How can a faithful people be overrun?
The question is not answered. It lingers through the ages getting picked up in Romans 8, where verse 22 of this psalm is quoted, “But because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed” (8:36). Paul uses this psalm to encourage the young Christians to remain steadfast in the face of many hardships. Here too the suffering is unexplained. We are encouraged to endure because of the glory that is to come. Suffering does not negate God’s redemption work.
Christ has accomplished salvation. This salvation is much more expansive than just the forgiveness of sins. It includes the restoration of the entire cosmos. But that salvation is like a seed that has been planted and is growing but is not yet ready for harvesting.
We live in that growth period. While we wait for the fullness of salvation, we will experience suffering. Yet, just as surely as Jesus was raised from the dead, in due time, we will experience the completion of God's redemption.
We endure suffering in the trust that God is with us and someday we will experience the glory his new creation.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:9-11)
Psalms 42 and 43 have long been two of my favourite psalms. They walk through a full progression of human experience, and also echo a little bit with the sermon from this past Sunday, I think.
Psalm 42 opens in a dry and barren place. God seems far away and the psalmist seems far away from God. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” People are taunting: “where is your God?” And the psalmist can only just remember the times when they used to go to church. But now the psalmist is lost, adrift. Far from God.
Then comes the refrain: “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
As the first scene passes to the second, the psalmist begins to remember. There’s a memory of what it was like when the relationship with God was strong and life-giving—filled with music, prayer, and love. There’s a memory of what it was like to stand in worship with the gathered congregation when things were good—when there was joy and praise and warm fellowship to be shared. The longing of the downcast soul causes one to think back, remember, and savour the goodness of what once was.
And that memory begins to spark some hard questions of lament, like why isn’t it that way now? God is still my rock, so God: “why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about oppressed...?” Why is it that I have to suffer these constant questions from my foes that make me doubt your presence and love? Why does there have to be some feeling of truth and pain in their lie about you being far off?
Then comes the refrain. “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
As Psalm 43 opens, the prayer turns from longing, remembering, and lament to petition. The fires of passion and the memory of a strong relationship the Psalmist still has with this God drives the Psalmist back to God to boldly ask for answers. “Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause... rescue me... send me your light and faithful care... let them bring me to... the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”
And then the refrain rings out once again. “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
This whole journey the psalmist takes from longing to remembering, to lament, to petition, to a vision of hope and restoration is exactly the Christian response to the often apparent silence of God. It is a curious, counter-cultural way to live—a way of faith and hope, not of sight. CS Lewis says it well in his book, the Screwtape letters as the senior demon writes to his junior counterpart, saying:
“Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
With longing, memory, hope, and the support of one another, may this be our response as well.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away. Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart (Isaiah 19:8-10).
Rarely is Isaiah 19 used as a preaching text, let alone for devotionals. The NIV editors gave the title, “A Prophecy Against Egypt” to this chapter. It can be summarized simply as, “The God of Israel is coming, Egypt is in trouble.” What does it say to us today?
Its important to pay attention to the opening words. The God of Israel is coming and the idols of Egypt tremble (1). In ancient culture, the gods were everything. The Pharaohs of Egypt considered themselves children of the gods. All power flowed through them and from them. Politics and religion were one and the same.
Also, everything in Egypt depended on the Nile and its yearly flood. Egyptians believed that their gods controlled the Nile. So, if the Nile dried up and commerce failed, it meant the gods were unhappy with their worshippers or had lost battle against other gods.
But this chapter offers a different perspective: Egypt’s gods and politicians are out of sink with the purposes of God almighty, the God of Israel. Therefore, God is coming to judge them.
Such chapters remind us that when people neglect God, there will be trouble, judgement. Nations have always done this and will continue to so until Jesus returns. No nation or political leader can fully embody the kingdom of Jesus. Certain policies may align partially with God’s shalom; but we are reminded that all human policies are flawed.
This should give us pause in our politics. As citizens of democratic nations, we are called upon to vote in elections. However, we should give limited and somewhat muted support to any political leaders, regardless of party affiliation. We must put our hope in God, not in the politics or politicians of this world. In the end, God will judge all nations, and all will be found wanting.
Despite the effort to separate politics and religion, for decades North American Christians have attempted to use political machinations to enshrine their preferred policies into law. We sometimes use power moves to ensure our candidates are elected, believing that these good intentioned folk can set things right. The ends do not justify the means. The Bible warns us against this. And only God can save by the way of Jesus.
There is also this, God’s judgement is never an end in itself. Our God doesn’t judge just because. Rather, he comes in judgement in the hope that people will return to him. Towards the end of the chapter, we read, “in that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt and a monument to the Lord at its border” (19). Egypt will become a major contributor to the things of God.
There is gospel in this chapter. After her exodus, Israel was banned from any dealing with Egypt. She was not to return there or look to her for aid. Yet, the final salvation of God is so thorough that it will be populated by people from all nations, including Egyptians. These prophecies give content to our prayers and spur us on to love the outsider.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. … Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal. (Psalm 9:9-10,19-20)
Most of this Psalm is a prayerful song of praise to God for who he is as Judge of the Nations and what he has done in showing himself to be a refuge for the oppressed against their oppressors. But near the end of the Psalm, the tune begins to turn from praise to plea: a plea for justice and judgement against the nations and the wicked.
Across the Psalm, the congregation who may have sung or recited it identify themselves with the oppressed and needy. “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed” and a God who never forsakes those who seek him. On the other side, the enemy is identified with the nations, the mortals, the wicked ones.
I have often found it hard to draw such hard lines as the Psalms do. I am rarely as confident in my own righteousness as David is when he shouts out: “Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness!” (Psalm 7:8). I likewise have a hard time slapping the label of wicked on anyone and asking for them to be destroyed.
But there’s more to the prayers of the Psalms than just these hard lines and categories. Surely the wicked and the enemies were present within Israel too. Surely there were also wealthy and arrogant people among the Israelites that were not “oppressed.”
And yet, when the Israelites came to worship before their God, they became “the needy.” To ask for salvation and justice from God, to recognize that there are powers with which one cannot reckon on one’s own is to admit of one’s need. To recognize that we are “only mortal” is to knock our arrogance and pretentions down to a size that makes such an admission of need possible.
As they enter worship, the Israelites are humbled by remembering it is only by God’s work—not their own—that they are saved and preserved, and this whether they find themselves in humble and oppressive circumstances, or not. From this worship perspective, a similar prayer emerges for the nations: may they be reminded that they are but mortal. May the nations also be humbled in the presence of God so to admit of their need.
This, I think, is a very good way to hear this Psalm spiritually for all those of us who might not find ourselves to be particularly “oppressed” at any given moment.
But of course, there is also a very real and hard thread that runs through this Psalm that we just can’t ignore: the Judge will judge with justice. Those who really are oppressed or needy, those who are addicted, abused, homeless, hungry, or afflicted in whatever other way—they have a refuge in God when they seek him. Not just because he comforts them, but also because he brings justice.
This Psalm also serves as a call to all of us who may not be oppressed to keep a keen eye out: both for those who are, but also for the ways that we might be contributing to their oppression. This is where the spiritual meets the practical: as we are humbled to our own mortality and need in worship before God the Judge, we are called to gain the eyes to see others who were already there.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“Blessed are those who care about weak people. When they are in trouble, the Lord saves them.” (Psalm 41:1).
Jesus aptly sums up Psalm 41 when he says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Some of us can learn mercy by reading about it in the Bible. Many more of us learn mercy by taking the plunge and practicing it.
Some years ago, the story of Sister Helen Prejean was portrayed in the movie Dead Man Walking. Joining a correspondence program for death row inmates, she begins exchanging letters with Gary. As his execution date approaches, he asks Helen to be his spiritual guide.
Helen recoils at the idea of visiting a convicted rapist and murderer, let alone ministering to him. But responding to the nudging within her soul, she overcomes her fear. Gary is cocky and arrogant, refusing to admit his guilt and insists that he is the innocent victim of a corrupt legal system.
She is despised and publicly vilified by the victims' parents for spending time with Gary. How could she, a deeply religious nun, befriend this cold-blooded murderer? They are horrified and let her know it frequently.
Despite these difficult barriers, Sister Helen risks her name, her reputation, her own safety, to reach across them and embrace Gary with the love of God. The more she perseveres in loving him, the more his defences begin to crumble. Finally on the night before his execution, Gary confesses to his crime and asks for God's forgiveness.
She decides to stay for the execution, explaining to Gary, "the last face I want you to see before you die is not one of hatred and vengeance, but one of love and mercy."
Some of us learn mercy by reading about it in our Bibles. But most of us, like Sister Helen Prejean, learn mercy by offering it to those who least deserve it, to those who are unclean, who are despised and rejected by society.
How have we learned to be merciful? Or should we back up a step and ask, have we learned to be merciful? Mercy is one of God's qualities and thus becomes a characteristic of his followers. Kindness, a similar virtue, makes it into the list of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Like Helen Prejean, David experiences deep loneliness in this psalm. Everyone appears to have turned against him, even his close friend. People visit him in his sick bed, acting as companions, but when they leave, they spread slander about him among the neighbours.
David can endure the trials because he firmly believes that God will lift those who have "regard for the weak", those who are full of mercy. God stands opposed to the proud but lifts the weak. Peter offers this application, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:5-7).
This is not a reward system, “do this and God will pay you back in kind”. This is a deep reality of the universe. It is not the proud and self sufficient who win. Mercy and love are stronger and last longer than self aggrandizement.
In an age and culture that is deeply divided, in which verbal virtual bombs are launched in all directions, Christians are being called to reach across institutional, cultural, and social walls to have regard for the weak. Ask God to open your eyes that you may see the weak. And ask for a spirit of mercy.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you.May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. (Psalm 11)
What do you do when you’re backed against a wall? Only hanging on by a thread? Threatened? Stuck?
That’s the context of this psalm. When everything is hopeless and you feel helpless what do you do? Some might say: flee away! Run as far as you can! Escape your troubles! Elijah did just that. He ran for his life all the way to the mountain of God in the desert to try to find some steady and solid place in which he could reclaim his trust in God in a time when he felt all alone and abandoned. When he arrived though, God asked him: “what are you doing here, Elijah?” An arresting question.
Of course, maybe the writer of this psalm felt the sarcasm of those who were telling him to flee. They were taunting, shaming. Taking advantage of the fact that the psalmist was all alone. We do attempt to assume the best of others, that they are tolerant, nice, and whatnot—but there are bullies out there. There are people that cheer for our downfall, or who would love nothing more than to see us throw in the towel and walk away a failure.
Then again, not all those who root against Christians or the Church are bullies. Some have been deeply wounded by the Church and seek for justice or retribution or simply speak out of their hurt. There are a lot of them. Over the last few years we have heard many of those stories—from survivors of Residential Schools and victims of abuse in particular. These stories have become the epicentre at which many Christians have deconstructed their faith or walked away from it and the Church altogether. Such stories of abuse and the overreach of power continue, even as the Church continues to decline.
So: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” When the church is shrinking, when its witness is broken, when our discipleship falters, and when even God seems distant: what can we who place our hope in Christ do? Should we give up and flee?
We can’t. Somehow beyond all doubt and arrows shot from the shadows, we hold faith that the temple is not empty after all and that the King still sits on his throne. Somehow, someway, even when everything is hopeless and we feel helpless, we remain because of this curious confession the psalm begins with: “in the Lord I take refuge.”
We do not stand as the church because of our own righteousness—indeed, left to ourselves the record doesn’t look so good. No, we stand because Jesus stands. We stand because the one in whom we’ve taken refuge forgives and redeems us still. We stand because we trust that he will do right and that he finally will see us through until the day we see him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope (1 Chronicles 29:14-15).
Sesame Street has the song, “One of these is not like the others”. Our verses for today remind me of that song as they appear out of place in this chapter. It’s a wonderful chapter in which David passes the baton of kingship to his son Solomon.
David’s dream has been to build a temple for God, but God has not allowed it. His son will build it. Recognizing that Solomon is young and inexperienced David makes a sizable donation of resources for the temple. In response, the leaders of Israel follow his example by making their own donations. The people are filled with joy and give praise to God.
During this celebration, David prays. It’s a prayer worth paying attention to. The conclusion we have given to the Lord’s prayer, “for yours in the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever” appears to be a condensed version of this prayer.
Much of it is a celebration of God and of his kingdom and glory. After all of that, we find our text, “But who am I? Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.” On its own, this seems rather odd and out of place. But in its context, it calls us to a similar spirituality.
The theme of the chapter is the temple as the place where God will dwell among his people. This temple theme is carried through the rest of the Old Testament into the New. As we know, the physical temple was not a permanent dwelling place for God, but David did not perceive that. God’s desire to dwell among his people is fulfilled in Jesus and pictured in Revelation as God coming down to earth to dwell among his people forever.
In this passage, David articulates the human need for God. If he does not dwell among us, we are nothing, we have no hope. Everything we have is a gift from God. As David hands over the baton of kingship to Solomon he is deeply aware of how precarious a position Israel holds in the world. Without God, they are nothing.
As he sees the people giving for the temple, he sees a people who are committed to God. His prayer, as he passes the baton, is that God will keep those hearts committed to him. He recognizes just how easily people can turn away from God. He prays particularly for Solomon, that God will keep his heart loyal.
It seems to me that this is always a prayer that we need to be making. We need to pray for the leaders of the church, that God will keep their hearts and minds loyal to him. And that God will keep all our hearts committed to him. It’s a prayer Christian parents pray for their children.
There is also this, its easy to look at all the things we have and say of them, “These are mine.” David reminds us in this passage, in this prayer, that the things we have, truly belong to God. Without him, we have nothing. We can only use our possessions with joy when we recognize this. Otherwise, we hold on to them too tightly, afraid they will get away from us.
When we view them as gifts of God, we can use them for the blessing of others because we know that God has plenty more. We can joyfully share them because we know that God is with us always.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13)
There is a torrent of pain and suffering constantly battering our senses and burdening our hearts. It’s in our lives, it’s in our world. We can’t engage meaningfully with every evil and ill we face though—it would flood over us, overwhelming us again and again. In fact, it often does.
When city planners of the past decades would come across the not unrelated problem of unruly waters that would flow their banks every spring, they solved it by burying it.
That was the case for the Chedoke Creek that flows underground near our church’s property. The landscape has been flattened and made useful, but no one sees or hears the waters of that creek anymore until they spill over the escarpment in the Chedoke waterfall. Then just as quickly as they appeared, much of them are swallowed up and buried again into another culvert.
Slowly we (and our city planners) come into awareness of the fact that we human folk are somehow healthier when graced by the sound, sight, and even touch of live, running water—no matter how unruly it may at times, be. Not only us, but the whole ecosystem is likewise healthier when creeks, streams, and swamps are left alone to clean the water and provide habitat for a myriad of creatures of God’s Creation. When a creek is banished to a culvert though, and its once carved creek-bed flattened to pavement—nothing lives or is brought life.
So it is with our emotional world and our experience of grief and suffering. Like so many practical man versus nature solutions of the decades past, we’ve often buried this river of emotional pain—painting on smiles if necessary.
But when we don’t face the suffering we experience, it doesn’t get the chance to drive us to the ultimate questions of life, death, and God that are important to ask.
Questions like, “Is God really in control?” “Is He really present, or has He forgotten us?” To allow our suffering to run on the surface where we can look at it in the light of day is to grapple with the foundations of our faith and to cry out like David, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
So it’s important to daylight the river of human suffering—our suffering—to look it in the face and turn it into prayer before God. That’s what lament is: prayers, questions, and cries that arise when deep suffering and deep faith meet, offered to the God whose love never fails.
That is what David does in Psalm 13. Only in this honest place of wrestling with both our sufferings and our faith do we discover the deep places where the salvation we have in Jesus really meets the deep pain, suffering, sin, and evil of our lives. And that is the only thing that can truly make our hearts sing.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 8:1-4. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the ‘outsiders’ in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
Show me, O Lord, my life’s end, and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure (Psalm 39:4,5).
Standing at a bassinet, delighting in new birth, we are often unnerved by how fragile life can be. Struck by the raw beauty of a small baby, we ponder the potential of life, wondering what joys and pains this child will both experience and give. At death, we also find ourselves faced with that frailness, but not with the promise of potential greatest or filled with the fullness of hope. At death, the frailness of life can leave us empty with despair.
We cannot be faulted for finding life rather brief, a vapour, a mist, a breath; over too soon; too easily ended. That is where death brings us. We ask deep questions. Who are we? What are we here for?
We may deceive ourselves with the busy-ness of life, thinking we are more important than we really are. Our great plans may cause us to think we are indestructible. We reach for the stars. Yet, in all our bustle and activity, we are still mere phantoms. Death makes us realize how little we are, how little control we have over the destiny of our hoarded wealth and ambition. It strips us of our illusions of self sufficiency and immortality.
That is David in Psalm 39. He has looked at life and found it wanting. What caused David to number his days? The answer: intense suffering. Extreme pain opened David to a deep work of God in his life. Dejected and depressed, David cried out to God, pouring out his soul about how brief and fragile life is.
David could not figure out rationally the circumstances of his life, except that he was not innocent. He admits that some of his pain was God's discipline. But that did not nearly account for all the trouble he saw and experienced.
With nothing left for him, he turned to God. In the Lord was a firm hope. Here was a rock. David’s lifespan was nothing before God. Yet life itself was empty without God.
Life may be frail, but with God there is salvation. God sent his Son to take away the sting of death. Jesus chose to walk the road of suffering and the grave so that we might experience more than the frailty of life. Jesus said he came so that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).
Jesus Christ came to break the bitterness of death. As he said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). God shattered the midnight darkness of death by the light of an empty tomb. If there is nothing beyond the sunset and the dark, if death is a sleep from which there is no awakening, if the grave is the end of existence than our pilgrimage here is rather purposeless, intolerably pathetic, with little incentive for goodness.
Gloriously, however, something has happened to give us hope. Something has happened. Christ has been raised from the death. Something tremendous has a foothold in this darkened scene that has changed the face of this world. Christ has turned all our sunsets into dawns.
When we face our own mortality, we do so with hope. We hope in the resurrection. Jesus was the first, all who believe in him will follow. And while we wait for our own resurrection, we look to Christ’s blood for forgiveness for our sins and to his Spirit for the empowerment to keep doing what is right and good, “for our labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). While we live on this earth our goal is treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. (Psalm 15)
Who may dwell in the presence of the Lord? The Psalmist gives a pretty high bar in response.
If we examine ourselves against this list, we might very well find that we’ve done a good job in some areas: we keep our promises perhaps, have never accepted a bribe. But even if we’ve not transgressed some of those narrow statements, who of us can really say that we’re blameless? The Scriptures would tell us that none of us are. And if we think we are, then we’ve deceived ourselves.
But if that’s the case, then who may dwell in the presence of the Lord at all? It seems a hopeless question.
And yet, the Psalms are not the law. The Psalms are prayers. They are worship. Liturgy. The Psalms are spoken at the sanctuary, in worship: in the presence of the Lord. And so this psalm cannot be a judicial decree that bars us all from entrance: somehow it must mean to tell us something different.
Perhaps flipping our understanding around a bit might help. What if instead of an entrance exam, this psalm is more like the guide for grateful living in a worship service, or the call to discipleship? As we gather in the presence of the Lord, we recognize that the only way we stand in his presence at all is because of what he has done in inviting us, saving us: calling us his own.
Far from the fear and death produced by the law we’ll never measure up to, God’s underserved gift of grace has the power to transform us. God’s gracious invitation produces gratitude within us—a thankfulness for what he’s done. The focus shifts from our own inadequacy, to his generosity. From ourselves as the centre of the story, to God at the centre.
Hearing these words today as Christians, we recognize in this invitation an invitation to respond to the gift of Jesus by being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. In the name of Jesus and because of his gift, we gather in the sanctuary of God. We may dwell with God now even as the Spirit dwells within us. All the actions this psalm speaks were carried out by Jesus perfectly: he was blameless. And his blamelessness is now our own.
We are those people who may dwell in the presence of God now. And we are now those people who will never be shaken. But we are also those people who are invited to work out the gift that Jesus has worked into us. We are invited to live like he did: to do what is righteous, speak the truth, love our neighbours, lend to the poor, and keep our promises even when it hurts.
We do these things as a grateful response to the gift of righteousness that we have received in Christ. And we can do them, because belonging to God, we know that we will never be shaken.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish” (Psalm 9:18).
This song comes from the harp of David the shepherd boy, not composed while he was tending sheep, but already a star in Israel. His success was growing. When he returned from battle, the women of Israel met him singing, "David has killed tens of thousands."
What does David do with his success? How does he respond when his enemies trip over their own feet hastily getting away from him? Does David gloat or get a big head?
No! David attributes his success to God. His victories are God's doing. When David fights enemies, he sees them as God's enemies, as those who stand opposed to God's purposes. God is accomplishing his purposes through David.
The establishment of David as king in Israel is a miniature foreshadowing of Jesus being established as King of Kings. In the gospels, Jesus is presented as the ultimate Son of David through whom God will fulfill all His promises. Like David, Jesus did not push himself towards kingship. He went about his ministry of humility, as Paul says in Philippians 2, until God raised him up.
One day, Jesus will be fully established as King of Kings; one day all will acknowledge him as such.
Until such a time, there will be conflict on this earth between those for and against Jesus. In this psalm, David focuses on those who are oppressed and those who do the oppressing. To put it differently, those who get ahead by walking over other people versus those who get walked on.
The hope for the oppressed is in God and his kingdom as Jesus will later express in the beatitudes. This hope calls us to prayer. When we see people oppressed, whether close by or far away, our first response is to pray for God’s kingdom to come.
It also calls us to remind our governments that they have a duty to establish laws that promote a just society for all. As members of God’s kingdom, we cannot simply sit on the side lines and watch. We are called to fight for the oppressed, using the tools and weapons of the kingdom, not with swords like Peter once attempted. Swords can come in many different forms. We believe that hope for this world is not in governments, nor in swords, nor in laws, but in Jesus Christ.
This hope for the afflicted also calls us to examine our own hearts. As Paul regularly reminds us, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against power and principalities. That battle is waged first in our own hearts. As Paul also wrote, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me” (Romans 7:21). We can’t fight for the kingdom if we don’t first engage in the battle within our own hearts.
Thus, this hope for the afflicted invites us to examine who we are. Are we the kind of people who will walk over others to get ahead? How many have been belittled because of us? Are we willing to get involved with the afflicted and oppressed? Are we willing to get our hands dirty in the work of God’s kingdom?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. … All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. … Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. … Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior. (Psalm 38:1-2, 9-11, 15, 22)
In the aftermath of a traumatic experience, a swirl of emotions, thoughts, and questions gush through us. Psalm 38 strikes me as kind of like that.
One thread seems to ask: is this my fault? Did I sin or do something wrong? Did I fail to do something that I should have? Am I being punished?
Another thread sees an enemy at work. The enemy is scheming, lying, seeking to do harm.
Yet another thread simply laments: my strength fails, the light is gone from my eyes. Even my friends and neighbours avoid me. The loneliness and emptiness we can feel in times of grief.
But it seems like the place that the psalm finally ends—which is also the place it begins—is with God. The psalmist recognizes that no matter what our circumstances, no matter what our sins are or aren’t, no matter our need: it all ultimately has to do with God. The buck stops at his door.
Our confession comes to God. Our provision, healing, and help come from God. Our salvation from trouble, enemies, sin, and evil come from God. Our very life is a gift of God. But perhaps the hard times we face are also in some way allowed by God too: because if he really is the King and ruler of this world—then the buck stops at his door.
And so the psalmist—faced with the pain, the evil, and the traumatic griefs of this world—turns to God as the one with whom we all have ultimately to do. “Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me.” And you know this Lord, you see it. “All my longings lie open before you… my sighing is not hidden from you.”
Slowly, as the psalmist’s words pour out before God, the confused threads weave together into a prayer of submission and trust that cries out for salvation. “Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. … do not forsake me… come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.”
Most of the awful or traumatic moments of our lives have to be wrestled out prayerfully with God in just this sort of Psalm 38 way. Not just once, but over and over again as the confused threads of our hearts and questions flow all over one another. But slowly, in bringing it out of our hearts and minds and offering it up before God, our unknowing is every so slowly transformed into a trustful waiting in God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
These words have been carved on many a plague to adorn our kitchen walls and encased in picture frames for our living rooms. Sometimes preachers will choose it for a sermon text, leaving their congregations with the impression that if they just love the Lord enough, all will be well with them. As they define wellness.
The trouble is that these words are often ripped out of the context in which they have been passed down to us. Psalm 37 is not a “Don’t worry, be happy” kind of prayer. It begins, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong...”
It’s not about God giving us what we want. It is about worry, or rather, moving towards a worry-free life. But even that is not quite accurate. This psalm invites us towards lives in which we exchange despair for hope. Notice that its not quite a prayer, not directed towards God. If anything, it is directed towards God’s community of faith.
Why is despair so prevalent in this song? Because of evil and people who commit evil. They are everywhere and appear to have the upper hand. They commit acts of injustice, and they get away with it. Such people seem to have all the power, and the powerless simply get walked on.
In inviting us away from worry, and, I think, uncontrollable rage at injustice, the psalmist views life from the perspective of God’s promises, his commitment to bring justice, in his own time.
This psalmist is getting impatient. We can relate to that: all the places in the world where human conflict is creating refugees and the constant killings in our communities are just a few examples. But also, the tragedy of cancer, roadway accidents, and the deaths of those still in the prime of life. We can relate to the psalmist’s desire for justice now.
As the piece is composed, this singer remembers that in the end, evil doers will get their due. And the righteous will inherit the land. Jesus’ beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5) is a succinct summary of this psalm.
Why doesn’t the psalmist just give us Jesus’ synopsis instead of going on and on? It’s formed around the 22 letters of the Hebrew language, so as we read it and pray it, our hearts slow down. As our brain waves follow suit, we ingest the truth that God will set all things right in His time. God did say, "I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5).
Along the way, we are offered advice that leads towards less worry: trust God (3), he is able and willing to bring justice; commit your lives to Him (5), entrusting our plans and futures into the loving arms of our heavenly Father. When Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age”, he was echoing one of the deepest melodies of the Old Testament.
We are encouraged to take delight in him (4), so that our desires change. We lose our own evil intentions and long only for the righteousness of His kingdom. God will fulfill those desires.
There is no mocking of grief here. There is a deep recognition that much is wrong in this world. The message is strong: evil will not have the final say. God’s justice will come. God’s justice means no more sickness and no more death, no more hunger and no more poverty. God himself will dry our tears.
Read this psalm again considering the visions of the new heaven and the new earth in the final chapters of Isaiah and Revelation. Let hope fill your heart!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 7:24-29. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca.
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the ‘outsiders’ in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. (Luke 6:20-26)
This is Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, usually referred to as the Sermon on the Plain because Luke sets the scene with Jesus standing on a level place. After withdrawing for prayer, Jesus has just named and called his twelve disciples and now he teaches them, along with a whole crowd of others from around the land.
In Matthew’s version of the beatitudes: that’s all they are, beatitudes. Blessings. But here in Luke we get both sides of the coin. Blessings and woes. And the woes get a little close to home.
This is an unavoidable theme in the gospel of Luke. “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” says Mary in her song, the Magnificat, at the beginning of the gospel (Luke 1:53). Jesus similarly declares in Luke 4 that his mission is to “proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). And unlike Matthew’s beatitudes where it is the “poor in spirit” who are blessed: Luke unavoidably refers to the materially, economically poor. The people who are physically hungry from malnutrition. There is no spiritualizing Jesus’ words. Which means that we can’t wriggle ourselves out of the woes on the rich either.
Who can deny that the majority of us have received our good material comforts from a disposable income most of the rest of the world would call wealth? Who can deny that three square meals a day equates to being well fed? Who can avoid the fact that having the disposable time to binge watch the Olympics or participate in whatever other entertainment or gatherings with friends and family has led to a relatively easy life of laughter and joy?
Do we also have our sorrows and hardships? Of course we do, but nothing more than is common to the rest of humanity. What we have that is not common to the rest of humanity however, is peace, security, health care, opportunity, and financial stability, even wealth.
So what are we to do with this teaching of Jesus that seems to single us out for woes and future disaster? Are we left to just feel guilty for living where we do and having what we have?
No, I don’t think so. Jesus’ mission statement from chapter 4 draws on Isaiah 58. It seems to me that Luke has Isaiah 58 in mind in chapter 5 and 6 of his gospel as well. In what precedes this text Jesus talks about fasting, Sabbath, poverty and wealth. What comes after is commentary on a generous life. That’s Isaiah 58 in a nutshell, where one of the central invitations is to “spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.”
It’s not wrong to have wealth. But Jesus always invites us to remember that we who have it are only trustees of something that does not actually belong to us. Like Joseph overseeing the grain distribution in Egypt—wealth is entrusted to us by God so that we might distribute it to its intended recipients according to his direction. This, I think is Jesus’ kingdom intent: that we spend ourselves and all that has been entrusted to us on behalf of those who are poor, hungry, and weeping from oppression.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“I look for your deliverance, Lord” (Genesis 49:18).
Many Biblical scholars don’t like this verse much. It doesn’t fit, you see. Most of Genesis 49 is the record of Jacob blessing his sons from his deathbed. In the middle of this monologue directed towards his sons, he has this line directed towards God, “Lord, I look to you to save me”. It could also be rendered, “I wait in hope for your salvation, Lord God.”
There is something very curious about this little prayer: it’s the only time the name, ‘The Lord God’, is used in this chapter. In fact, it hasn’t been used since chapter 39 and it won’t be used again until the book of Exodus. We’re talking here about the covenant name of God, through which he bound himself to Abraham and his descendants. We also know it as YHWH.
The verses surrounding our text make references to attacks. In both attacks, the targets are heels. Is that important? I think so. As you may know, Jacob was the younger twin. He was born, ‘grasping his brother’s heel’. Jacob means, “grasping the heel” (Genesis 25:26).
Jacob spent much of his life grasping for things, trying to get ahead. This resulted in the breakdown of relationships: first with his brother, then between his wives, then with his uncle and then between his sons. His sons were now following his example. He sees both Dan and Gad, the sons referenced in these verses, in tenuous positions, striking at the heel of those more powerful than they are.
Perhaps those thoughts led Jacob to express this hope for deliverance.
In this story of Joseph being sold as a slave to Egypt, the Lord God, has been relegated to the shadows. Is Jacob calling upon the Lord to come out into the open? Is Jacob saying that the only hope for his tribe when he dies is the Lord God?
“I’ve made a mess,” it seems Jacob is saying, “Lord, you will need to clean it up.” I think that this may indeed be what Jacob is saying.
And it’s a good word for today. God’s people are still much like Jacob, we make a mess of things. We grasp for things, especially power. Whether its on the school playground, in the sports complex, in the workplace, many of us get sucked in by the desire to be on the top, the most important, most accomplished. Getting to the top rarely happens without pushing others down.
Ask non-Christians what they think about us, and the response is rarely positive. The day I prepared this devotion, Bruxey Cavey made it into the local newspaper again. The church he once pastored cannot get abuse liability insurance because of the accusations against him. The ministries have been reduced to online only.
The church today is just like Jacob’s sons, messed up and making messes. We shouldn’t make excuses for any of it. Its bad and we need to acknowledge this. But there is hope, our Lord God, who has bound himself to us in Christ Jesus; he will finish his work of redemption. Like Jacob we cry out, ““I wait in hope for your salvation, Lord God.” And with the Spirit we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
This text is known as “The Shema.” It is so named for it’s first word in Hebrew which is, “shema,” the Hebrew word for listening and obeying. Jews of later years would recite these words twice every day—once in the morning and then again in the evening.
You will also recognize these words, of course, as that “first and greatest commandment” that Jesus gives in the New Testament. How can he name the Shema as greater than any of the Ten Commandment Words that come just before this in Deuteronomy 5, you may wonder? Well, it’s because in some way, this command to love the Lord firstly, only, and completely is the inverse, positive version of the “you shall nots” that began the Ten Words of the Covenant in chapter 5.
The Ten Words, aside from the command to “observe the Sabbath” and “honour parents” are all negative commands—prohibitions that tell us what not to do. Once our life and heart have been swept clean in this way however, it’s important that something positive and constructive comes in. The Shema is just that sort of command. In the ever-growing absence of covetousness and idols from your heart and life, a positive love for the Lord your God is to take up residence instead. Indeed, if Jesus is to be taken seriously, this positive love for the Lord may in fact be that thing that drives the lusts and the idols from our hearts. This positive force of love for the God who has first loved us is the power that enables us to keep faith with the Ten Words of the Relational Covenant.
It really is fascinating what Jesus does here by naming the Shema as the first and greatest of commands. There is a sense in which the Shema is simply a summation of the Ten Words. In that case, we might say that Jesus is simply naming the Covenant with its Ten Words as primary to everything else. But there is also a sense in which the Shema differs from the Ten Words. A sense in which a positive command is different from a negative one. A sense in which a proactive love is more significant to shaping the direction of a life than a limiting prohibition. It may be too much to say, but I do wonder if the difference is like unto the difference between the negative, limiting law which brings death, and the positive, constructive force of the Spirit that brings life.
Think of it: pruning and growing. Emptying and filling. Deconstructing and Reconstructing. Both are part of the rhythm of life, and both necessarily have their place. But life is no life at all if the “pruning” itself is the ultimate goal for the plant. No, the pruning, the cutting back, the emptying, the prohibitions always serve a goal other than themselves—namely the goals of life, growth, filling, and flourishing relationships. The emphasis does not finally fall on the limiting prohibitions of the law, but on the gracious growth enabled by the Spirit. Both the pruning prohibitions and the imperatives to growth have their place, but Jesus places the emphasis finally on that growth imperative of love: The Shema.
At times we pit these two impulses against each other, as if one must win out at the total exclusion of the other. Many of our present church conflicts and culture wars revolve around such false dichotomies. But the scriptures always hold these two in a dialectic tension. The two impulses have to remain in dialogue with each other, as they do in Deuteronomy 5 and 6. Neither can be flattened nor excluded. And yet, Jesus reminds us that one impulse is to be the leading partner in the dance—the impulse to whom the other defers.
“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“O Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God” (Psalm 35:22-24).
Once again David is in trouble. It seems like his life is nothing but trouble. Many of his Psalms are requests for liberation. And David thinks God tends to be slow in responding to his pleas. Sound familiar?
The bold opening of this prayer is worth some reflection. David asks God to fight against his enemies. Have we ever made such a prayer? Would we? Should we? What should such prayers sound like today? What would we want God to do with our enemies?
Further, should God consider our enemies His enemies? Maybe we ought to turn that around: do we consider God's enemies our enemies?
Certainly, these reflections ought to be tempered with the biblical instructions to love our enemies and to bless them (Romans 12:9-12). What would it look like for God to bless our enemies? How would we articulate a prayer for God to do good by them?
As we read this psalm, it is difficult to miss David's impatience. He is being harassed from all sides. He is wearied to the bone by the mocking taunts of his accusers. He wants some relief, some space, some quiet. And he tells God that he wants it now.
Yet, the psalm weaves together despair and hope. The despair comes because of those who stand against him. At least some of these have been close friends, people he has prayed for (13). David is distressed because of their schemes, slander, and scorn. They are scheming against him, they are making false accusations against him, and they are laughing at him, gloating over his anticipated downfall.
Yet, as he voices his complaint, David's perspective began to change. Hope is born. He begins to anticipate the day when God will respond. He remembers that God takes care of "the poor and needy" (10).
David’s perspective is enlarged as he waits on God. So often we live in the moment and the pains of life make everything revolve around "the now." But God has a better perspective. There may be more important things at hand than our immediate relief. Like David, we need to learn to wait on the Lord. While we wait, we remember who he is.
As David waits for the Lord's deliverance, he does not hide. Instead, he enters the company of the faithful. Like good food, sorrows and pains need to be shared. It is too difficult to carry them alone. We do well to develop the friendships that can be counted on in trouble. Yet, for David, at least some of these friends turned against him.
Maybe some of you can relate to David. Or maybe you have let your friends down. You left them alone in their time of sorrow. An admission of guilt is a good way to start afresh. Into his complaint, lament, David weaves hints of praise. Even as he wrestles with God's silence, he insists that he is a worshipper of the Lord God. Though he has no clue as to what God may be up to, though he can't fathom God's silence, he will continue to put his hope in the Lord.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:1-2,15)
These are the first and last verses of the Psalm. They recognize that though we might seek to live the best life we can in this world there are some things that are simply out of our control. The psalmist still had enemies. Even though the writer remained honest, it didn’t mean that others did.
There is evil, hurt, and hardship in this world that we cannot protect ourselves from, nor escape. The ever present reality of war and violence around the world reminds us of this all over again. The cry for justice and vindication for the innocent against evil enemies is a real thread that runs through our world and our prayers.
But it also hits home sometimes. Our trust can be so betrayed by someone we love or trusted that this prayer for vindication finds its way to our lips. Even doing everything right—still we find ourselves blindsided by some evil that wreaks of injustice, lovelessness, or betrayal.
Or, perhaps it happens to someone we know. A friend’s marriage is blown apart by addiction, or an affair perhaps. Whatever the case: we feel powerless, or feel the powerlessness and vulnerability of the one we love. They did nothing wrong, and yet still their life is blown apart.
The psalmist, in that place of powerlessness finds that there is yet a power to which they can lay claim. There is a God who sees what’s right. A God who judges. A God who will make things right, even when we cannot. That’s a profoundly good thing.
As Christians, we meet that God most fully in Jesus Christ—the innocent one who himself was betrayed unto death. He is the same one who has ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from which he will come to judge the living and the dead—including the stuff of our world and the stuff in our own lives.
But as we wait for his return, prayers like these from Psalm 17 continue to give us a faithful language for expressing and acting against the injustice we see and feel. Prayers like these give us a way, an action, that keeps us from falling into despair when we are powerless to act, and that keep us from the sins of retaliation when we aren’t.
As we entrust our case to God, we also receive a promise. At the beginning of the Psalm we find ourselves praying to the God who sees. But in the end, we take comfort and hope in the fact that this is the God that we ourselves will see—face to face—even as he vindicates us and welcomes us into his home of shalom where justice, peace, and belonging assure us that all will be well from now on.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 7:13-23, from the New International Version of the Bible. To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” (Ruth 1:12-13).
What a place for hope to show up! It’s the first time we find it in the Bible. And its not hopeful.
Here’s the story in a nutshell. Naomi and her husband fled famine in their hometown of Bethlehem (house of bread) in Judah. It was an act of disobedience to the God of Israel. Famine was understood as an act of judgement. God had said through both Moses and Joshua that obedience would lead to flourishing and disobedience to judgement, famine being close to the top of the list of God’s punishments.
However, judgement and punishments were also God’s call to his people to return to him. But Naomi and her husband, instead of returning to God in obedience, ran away from him. They landed in Moab where their two sons married Moabite women. Also acts of disobedience, because non-Jewish people were bound to lead their Jewish spouses away from God.
Naomi’s husband and her sons die. They are buried in Moab. According to her cultural norms, Naomi has nothing left. When she hears that there is food again in her homeland she decides to return, destitute. As she says, “Don’t call me Naomi, which means pleasant, but Mara, which means bitter” (1:20).
As she leaves Moab, her two daughters-in-law decide to trek along. But she discourages them with the words of our text. ‘There is no hope for me,’ she says, ‘don’t pin your future on me, because there is nothing for me.’
Hopeless.
Maybe we wouldn’t dare put it as strongly as Naomi. Yet, many of us have had such feelings: loss of all sorts causes hopelessness to well up in us. We have had a sense of what Naomi is expressing.
But Naomi had it wrong. Her life was not hopeless. Why not? Because God was still around. The beauty of Naomi’s story is that God is in the shadows. He doesn’t do anything on page. He is only referred to in the common greetings among the Israelites: “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” Its like he’s hiding in the corners, hidden by shadows.
But he is there. And he’s at work. At the end of the story Naomi bounces a grandson on her lap. And that grandson becomes an ancestor of Jesus Christ. God saved Naomi from bitterness, enabling her to laugh again. Sarai once laughed in disbelief; Naomi’s laughter is filled with newfound faith and hope.
I’m reminded of Psalm 126, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them (Psalm 126:2, 6).
Jesus is our Saviour: he takes our bitterness and fills our mouths with laughter. He is our hope. Noami’s story is given to encourage our faith, to fill us with hope. It reminds us that God has never failed his promise to be with his people. So, lets look in the corners and the shadows to find God at work. Let’s see how God is our hope.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:1-8)
As Christians reading this Psalm today, you can hear the themes of Creation, Fall, and Redemption flow through it. The Lord founds the world and everything in it. The people seek him, and yet the question remains whether they can stand in his presence. Do we have clean hands and a pure heart, free from idolatry? Probably not. But God is victorious, he wins the battle and the gates lift themselves up to accommodate his glory as he enters the sanctuary.
Even though the Israelites did not know Jesus, they may actually not have heard this psalm in such a different way, because since the Exodus God was a God of salvation and redemption to them. He was the one who had redeemed them from their slavery and saved them from their enemies countless times since.
But because this Psalm knows the King who redeems, it changes the whole understanding of who may ascend his mountain and stand in his presence. Psalms like this one were sung in worship, and so it wasn’t an entrance exam before being allowed into the sanctuary. It was a rehearsal of all that God had done for his people and an invitation to live worthy of this God they had come to worship: the Lord of Creation, and victorious King of Redemption.
The popular worship song that’s now fairly dated, but still sung, gets the sense just right: “Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts, let us not lift our souls to another.” God has saved his people: and as we seek to live worthily in light of his salvation, we recognize that God will need to continue saving us if we’re ever to meet the bar.
But that’s exactly what our God does. He comes to us to save us. This is the work of Christ, but it is also the work of the Spirit that continually sanctifies us: makes us holy and conforms us to Christ. In the presence of our God, we are made more and more to be the kind of people fit for his presence.
So let the King of Glory come! Let the doors and gates of our hearts and our sanctuaries lift themselves up to accommodate his great glory, power, and strength. And when the time is ripe—at the consummation of the ages—let our world do the same, that the King of glory may come in. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. For... (Psalm 33:1, 4a)
The opening part of the worship services in many Christian congregations includes “a call to worship”. Most often this is a passage of scripture like the beginning of Psalm 33. These verses are like invitations that cannot be declined. They call us to worship God and they give us reasons why we ought to do so.
This is an important component of Christian faith and spirituality. It is true that worship is multi-faceted and singing “joyfully to the Lord” is only one facet. Yet, this invitation comes to all God’s people, even to those who do not feel like it; maybe, especially to those who do not feel like “singing joyfully to the Lord.”
Jesus tells us that we need to approach God in “spirit and truth”. He says that true worshippers of God come this way (John 4:24). This means we need to acknowledge before him that we are currently finding joy difficult.
There are so many reasons why joy alludes us: wars and rumours of wars; politicians promising much while delivering lies and deceit; broken families; homelessness; addictions; a loved one dies; Christians dividing the church again.
But Psalm 33 is a balm for the distressed soul. It does not tell us to come and sing joyfully because we feel like it. It tells us to come because “the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (4).
A significant reason why the church gathers to worship the Lord our God is “to remember.” Life in this world is difficult. We come battered and bruised to our weekly Christian reunions. Often, we batter and bruise each other. Life causes our faith to weaken, our hope to get dented and our love to dim. By the time Sunday dawns, we are all mixed up, scratched, and confused.
Therefore, we gather to remember. We remember who our God is as we recount the things He has done and the promises he has kept. As we remember, our faith is renewed, our hope is varnished, and our love is strengthened.
No one is sure of the context in which Psalm 33 was first composed and sung. Verse 20 suggests that Israel may have been in some difficulty. The psalm was used to renew the hope of God’s people.
There is value for Christians to sing joyfully before the Lord when they are all alone. Yet, worship is naturally a communal activity. Partying alone is, well, lonely. God uses our communal worship to renew those who are dented and banged up. Worshipping God together ought also to renew fellowship.
Psalm 33 sings of three things about God: He is large and in charge, He is everywhere and always here; and He is passionate for those who look to Him in faith.
Through worship we renew our faith that God is able to weave all the circumstances of our lives together to create a wonderful tapestry that accomplishes His purposes. We see this most thoroughly in Jesus’ life. He was able to endure the cross because of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). In baptism our lives are wrapped up in His destiny. In worship, we remember.
So, people of God, gather and worship our great God together. Whose knows what he has in store for us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2)
I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:22-24)
Many of us hear and immediately recognize the opening words of this Psalm as the words of Jesus from the cross. But before they were Jesus’ words, they were Israel’s. Psalm 22 was a prayer regularly read or sung in worship that had been sincerely prayed by many who felt abandoned and afflicted by God.
In his death on the cross then, Jesus is not only shouting out his own experience of forsakenness, but is also identifying himself with the forsaken: with all those who have prayed this prayer to God—from the time of its writing right up to the present day. For, as the book of Hebrews tells us, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…”
Many of our lives will include moments when we feel forsaken by our God. When a loved one dies, for instance, or when a painful situation rips through our family. And of course there are many others in our world on the margins who may feel that forsakenness far more often.
The existence of this prayer of forsakenness and the identification of Jesus with it tells us that it is a perfectly faithful expression of faith to ask God why he’s absent and why he has abandoned us in those times when it feels like he has. We don’t have to keep a stiff upper lip or grin and bear it. We can be honest and raw with God. He’s big enough to handle our hurt.
We know that to be true because of watching Jesus’ own suffering. The Father did not ultimately abandon Jesus to the grave. But rather vindicated him, raised him from the grave to new life: a new life that we will share in also.
Psalm 22 takes a similar turn. Mid-way through, a declaration of praise rings through the despair. Why? Because God does not and has not ultimately scorned the suffering of the afflicted one. God has not ultimately hidden his face, but instead has turned, listened, and delivered.
Jesus himself is the promise that the prayer of forsakenness never goes unheard. He comes to us to minister to us still today, finding us wherever we may be and saying: “I hear you, I understand, and I am here.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and My Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Like me, many of you have likely heard this verse prayed during a worship service. Preachers will pray it just before they begin their sermon. It is a good practice; I’ve done it many times myself. We preachers will also pray such a prayer when we are in our studies preparing sermons or devotions.
But have you ever prayed this prayer? I assume most of you are not preachers, yet I ask you this question. Have you prayed this prayer for yourself? How often have you asked the Holy Spirit to sanctify ‘the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart so that they are pleasing to God’?
It is unlikely that this psalm was originally prayed by a preacher. The NIV editors ascribe it to David. The psalm headings are not considered part of the inspired Word of God; thus, we readily admit they might be wrong. Still, this psalm is included in Israel’s song book to be prayed by all, including all of us. That includes you.
How did the psalmist come to give voice to this prayer? Let’s take a quick look. This song can easily be divided into three stanzas. The first, verses 1-6, is a magnificent poem detailing how the natural world exudes with the glory of God.
The Belgic Confession, Article 2, teaches us that the creation is one of the two ways that we get to know God. It takes its cue from Psalm 19. We can learn much of God's grandeur, greatness, creativity, and providential care if we spend time in God's creation, observing it.
We can easily imagine, David the shepherd, alone at night with his father’s sheep mesmerized by the moon and stars and in the morning watching as the sun creeps over the horizon warming the air.
The second part of the prayer, verses 7-10, takes delight in the spoken and written words of God which give direction for living in covenant relationship with the Lord. This psalmist recognized that there are different ways in which we might live. Moral choices must constantly be made. The psalmist declares that God's ways are the absolute best.
Moreover, these words are life, they are refreshing like cool streams of water. They give guidance among the confusing choices of the day and reassurance for the fretting which interrupts our sleep. They offer forgiveness and the courage to forgive. God’s kindness is on display moving us towards mercy.
Having feasted on God’s glory displayed in God’s creation and in God’s word, the psalm concludes with a personal reflection on these two great sources of info on God. This composer wants her life to measure up to God's standard. Notice, it is only after she has spent time with both God's creation and Word that she moves to this conclusion. I highly recommend the psalmist's pattern.
We are invited to stand in awe of God. Not just of God's greatness and majesty, but also of God's mercy and grace. We can ask for forgiveness and the grace to lead a blameless life. Surely this is a prayer that we all ought to pray.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:8-12)
Jesus said of his disciples at the time of his triumphal entry: “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Praise is a necessary aspect of being human. It is so fundamental, in fact, that psalm 30 uses it as a reason for the Lord to intervene with mercy. For who praises God from the grave?
Harkening back to some earlier psalms, there is a realization that the silence of God toward us can feel like death. But psalm 30 suggests that our silence is also significant. Our participation in giving voice to the praises of God is essential to life.
And so the psalmist cries out for mercy not by making any claim to their own goodness or deserving, but rather to the silence that results when a faithful person no longer proclaims the saving work of the Lord in praise. Because that is a loss of the necessary vitality of life and a diminishment of the glory that is due to God. So will God not step in with mercy and help so that his very own mission in this world and through his people may go on?
Jesus expands this notion beyond where the psalm does: not only is human praise necessary to life, but the praise of God is a necessary work of all of creation—including the dust and the stones.
We, together with everything else in the world, are created to give thanks. We are created to tell good stories of God’s faithfulness, provision, and salvation. We are created to point back to God in all that we say and all that we do. We are created to witness to God through our words of praise and our grateful living that is ever more fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. This is the mission of God that continues and broadens in the work of Jesus.
Psalm 30, therefore, is deep at the heart and foundation of everything it means to be a person of faith. Not only because it places witness and praise of God at the heart of human life, but also because it tells the story of God’s faithfulness in that praise.
God does save. He does bring from death to life. He does turn our wailing into dancing, clothes us with joy, and transforms our silence into singing. Not merely so that we can sing his praises, but so that we might know, deeply and personally, the song of God that is ours to sing!
And as we do: all creation joins, and all the world listens in as the mission of God in Christ goes forward into the world in the power of the Spirit.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Give praise to the Lord. He showed me his wonderful love when my enemies attacked the city I was in. I was afraid and said, “I’ve been cut off from you!” But you heard my cry for your favor. You heard me when I called out to you for help (Psalm 31:22-23).
"All prayer is prayed in a story, by someone who is in the story...Spiritualized prayer is denatured prayer, prayer in which all the dirt and noise of ordinary life is boiled out" (Eugene Peterson, Answering God 47, 49).
I think we might pray too often. Now, before you call for me to be defrocked, let me explain. As I was growing up, our family gathered around the table three times a day for meals. No meal began without prayer and no meal ended without it. They were all about the same length and the content was similar.
The greatest variation was on Sunday mornings. Breakfast would end with a longer prayer than usual. As children, we knew to settle in for the long ride. These were good rhythms for us.
But there was also a routineness that led to a lack of engagement. The words were being said, but the mind and heart were elsewhere. This is the problem Peterson identified: our prayers are somehow separated from the life we live. Faith and prayer become an add on to life. Something perfunctory.
This same problem sometimes surfaces in our Sunday worship. I hear people talk about leaving the business of the week at the door to worship God without all that stuff cluttering our spirits.
I believe that God wants us to bring all that stuff into our prayers and worship. What else did Jesus mean when He said to the Samaritan woman that God's worshippers “must worship in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24)? How can we worship God in truth if we our hiding our lives from Him?
Seventy-three of the psalms are linked to David. We know a lot about him. The Bible records stories of David as a boy, a teen, an adult, and an old man. He is shepherd, soldier, outlaw, and king. He is son, brother, husband, and father. He is wondrously obedient and disastrously disobedient.
The stories tell us about him, but his prayers tell his inner story. They show his passions and fears, his longings, and his revulsions. Read Psalm 31 and identify all the inner workings of David's soul. Note all the things it tells us about him.
Jesus tells us that prayer is not meant for long recitations of empty expressions (Matthew 6:5-15). Rather, it begins, "Our Father who is in heaven..." When we pray in Spirit and in truth, the story of our lives is enfolded into the story of God our Father.
Prayer should expand our lives, laying their insignificance and their significance before God so He can shape and deepen them. It is about ex-changing false gods for the God of the Bible; admitting our idolatry and longing to pray to God alone.
It is not really that we pray too often but that our prayers are not about our lives. So, if your prayers have become routine, do something about it. Change the way you prepare to pray. Let your prayers be honest, speaking to God from your heart about your life.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)
We are always and everywhere tempted to believe that salvation comes by our own accomplishment. By the work of our hands we establish ourselves and provide for ourselves and our families. By our own firm stands we defend ourselves, our family, and our institutions.
And, there’s something to that notion. We do have things we need to do to get in on the action of God—we do have callings and things that we’re equipped for by him, things that we do out of a grateful response.
But there’s an important caveat. Quite a big one, in fact, upon which the whole goodness of the good news of the Gospel rests, and it’s this: that our trust finally rests not in our own work, but in God’s.
It is a super simple principle, but we get it wrong all the time. The Old Testament is littered with examples, especially through the history of the books of Samuel and Kings. Subtly, slowly, the people would again find themselves believing—first through their actions and then through their hearts—that if salvation from their enemies or struggles did not come by their own hands it would not come at all: which is the same as confessing no god at all. We first live, practically and pragmatically, like there is no god and then eventually our mind and hearts catch up with our lived confession.
It can happen in so many different ways. It happens in the usual ways we might think of, certainly. We stop going to church and participating in the life of the Christian community, or we become addicted to a particular sin. But it happens in far more subtle, everyday ways too that may pass our gaze and impact each of us in ways that might surprise us.
For instance, when Christians fight with one another. To keep a conflict healthy and fight fair and Christianly is no easy task, which means that fighting is a high-risk activity. When our passions stir, it is easy to allow less-than-Christian means into our actions for the sake of winning the day: things like self-righteousness, pride, malice, factions, lovelessness, slander, manipulation of people or process, gossip, anger, and more. Each of these are examples of trusting in ourselves rather than entrusting ourselves to God: just a different version of chariots and horses.
Our confession of faith is different though: that while some trust in chariots, some in horses, some in gossip, some in control: we are continually called to trust in the name of the Lord our God, who in Jesus has come and won the final victory—the only victory we will ever need. Our salvation along with the salvation of the church are found in him.
How might you live out—concretely—that trust in Christ today?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips” (Psalm 21:1, 2).
Psalm 21 is a victory song. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.
Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.
Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced God is stronger than all his enemies, and thus, the enemies of God’s people, our enemies. While they wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever (4).
Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says at Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. Like in Psalm 16, we understand that this phrase refers to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.
This means the psalm is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It holds notes that will become the resounding chorus of Easter and Ascension. This victory over Israel’s enemies is only a small foretaste, an appetizer, if you will, of Christ’s victory over his enemies on the cross. It hints at Paul’s conclusion in Colossians 2, “Having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (15). As such, the psalm gives content for our praises in the days of Easter and Ascension. The church worships each Sunday to celebrate Easter.
It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these very words as he was delivered into the hands of sinful people. Even as he bore the sins of the world on the tree, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.
After passing through death on our behalf, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.
Can we hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb? Can we hear, as Jesus sat down at the Father’s right hand, the angels praising God, “The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!"
There is more here for us. We can have confidence today that our enemies will not overwhelm us because Christ has prayed for us. His hearts desire is that all those whom the Father had given to him may be with him where he is, to see him in his glory (cf. John 17:24). God will give his Son his heart's desire and will not withhold the request of his lips. Our future is guaranteed.
Paul affirms this in his letter to the Ephesians writing, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (1:3). And later, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (2:6-7).
We cannot imagine the joy that awaits us when God’s redemption is complete. Psalm 21 whets our appetite, invites us to live in expectation of what awaits us, and in the meanwhile, to sing God’s praise.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. … The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:1,8-9)
One of the most difficult realities of the Christian life is the experience of the apparent silence of God. We don’t talk about it much, but it is a pervasive experience that most of us know. The fact that we don’t talk about it can leave us with the impression that we are somehow alone in this: feeling abandoned while everyone else sings their heart out in worship. It can also leave us feeling like we are somehow guilty of something or unfaithful: we can blame ourselves.
But the psalmist and all the Israelites who prayed this prayer through the ages knew all about the experience of God’s silence. And together in community, they claimed it as part of the life of faith. In praying prayers like psalm 28, they declared to God and with one another that it is not always because of our sin or unfaithfulness that we fail to hear from God. Sometimes it is, but not always. There are times when God is simply silent.
Now, to say that it is a common experience is not to say that it is a pleasant one. The psalm cries out to God: “if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.” In other words, the experience of silence and separation from God feels like death. Which is perhaps why Paul in Thessalonians imagines hell in these terms: an eternal separation from God. Because to be separated from God is hell. It feels like death. And the experience of God’s silence can feel eerily similar.
But the life of faith is not only valleys. There are also mountaintops. And this is where the psalm closes. The Lord is strength and salvation: a God who blesses, shepherds, and carries his people forever.
In that last line there are echoes of the famous “footprints” poem, which perhaps helps to tie these two threads together. At the end of life’s journey a person asks God why he was absent for long stretches—why she looks back and sees only one set of footprints in the sand—to which God replies: “it was then that I carried you.”
God’s apparent silence and absence is a common experience, but it is not an accurate barometer of reality. Our God is a God who carries his people forever. A God of salvation and strength. In those mountaintop moments we know this to be true. But in the valleys where we aren’t so sure, we need to continue praying prayers like psalm 28 together so that we can remember these truths again and believe, despite what our eyes do not see and our ears do not hear.
May God continue to save his people and bless his inheritance, being our shepherd who carries us forever and who breaks those moments of apparent silence so that we might have life.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name, worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness…The Lord on his throne rules over the flood. The Lord rules from his throne as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:1,10-11).
Do you know the story of the dad trying to get a kiss from his daughter?
"Honey," he said, "come give Daddy a hug." To his surprise, she calmly replied, "You know I'm nine years old now. I'm busy." To which the father replied, "Do you know who gave you those Barbie dolls?"
After gathering a Barbie in both hands, she clambered into his lap and delivered a hug and a quick peck on his cheek. That light peck on the cheek just didn't make a big enough deposit in the Daddy account. "No, no, no. Come on. Give me a big hug."
That was when she rolled those big brown eyes and said, "That's the problem with you daddies." "What?" he said. "You always want too much love."
Do you sometimes feel the same about your Father in Heaven? He demands too much. Do you sometimes feel like saying after Sunday morning worship, "There, that ought to do! See you next week!"?
Psalm 29 is an invitation to stay a while longer. Its intention is not to induce guilt. This is an encouragement to take a second look at God, to linger on his lap, to stay awhile. God is not begging for our worship. He is simply worthy of it.
The song begins in heaven calling the mighty heavenly creatures to worship the Lord. From there we take a roller coaster ride through the created realm, catching the briefest of glimpses of God’s wonder and power displayed in His creation.
There is no small hint of laughter in this Psalm. Many nations worshipped Baal as the god of the waters and the thunders. There's an "oh ya, really?" attitude here; a rhetorical question gleefully ringing through the skies, “Can Baal do what our God does?”
The psalm looks forward to Jesus sleeping in a boat being tossed about in a storm. His disciples are petrified, believing their doom approaches. But Jesus chuckles, telling the wind and waves to relax. He is the God of Psalm 29. With a wave of his hand, he demonstrates that He has full control.
As the psalm says, "He sits enthroned over the flood; He is enthroned as King forever" (10). This is the God who gives strength to his people; the Lord who blesses his people with peace (11).
Our circumstances change. But our peace does not depend on them. Our peace depends on the Lord, enthroned in holy majesty. As storms break upon us, He gives us strength and peace. Whatever problems we face, God is still on the throne. Its worth our time to linger on his lap.
When the voice of thunder threatens, read this psalm. Hear the voice of God. Then remember that His Voice became flesh and dwelt among us. Now, that Voice, the Son of God, beckons us to follow Him. He is still the same Lord.
This voice speaks to his disciples, “I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Shall we not stay a while longer and say, "No, it is not enough"? How can our worship ever be too much?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them—this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 149)
This psalm takes a surprising turn, doesn’t it? All is happy and well, the praise of God is on our lips and our feet our dancing—and then all of a sudden we find a sword in our hands!
There have indeed been times in the past when this psalm has served as a call to war for Christians—like the Thirty Years’ War in Europe following the Reformation. Somehow the fruit of that endeavour doesn’t square with Jesus’ command to Peter to “put away your sword!” No, there’s something else going on in this psalm that seems to echo more with sword of the Spirit, or the double edged sword of scripture: a sword that is the power of God’s spoken and written word that reveals and transforms more so than an earthly military power that kills and destroys.
The faithful people of God who are given this sword are the ones that have praise on their lips and who are humble in heart. Again, resonating with the words of Jesus: these humble ones, meek in spirit, become in this psalm the very ones who “inherit the earth.” How do they do it? By praising God and living faithfully according to the revelation they have been given in God’s words and promises to them, I think.
There is a sense in which this psalm speaks more to the way in which God’s people witness within a world that as yet remains hostile and temptuous. The militant church of Jesus Christ is a witnessing community armed with God’s revealing word and the Gospel of the Word, Jesus Christ. We are armed with love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. And indeed, nothing cuts through a person’s defenses quicker than an undeserved second chance or word of forgiveness.
Telling someone how they’ve failed relative to the law and demanding they do better or else only plays into the shame, isolation, and guilt that already plague the world with darkness. To tell someone that they are seen for who they are, and forgiven and welcomed in nevertheless in the name of Jesus: well that’s countercultural in a way that cuts people to the quick and utterly changes the conversation.
How can we keep our sword of this kind of healing, forgiving, loving grace and mercy clean and sharp, ready for battle? The sharpening stone offered by this psalm is praise. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and on his completed and coming work. We praise God because we have a better story, a better ruler, and we know that we are free. It’s only with this kind of praise consistently on our lips that we will have the wherewithal to participate in the coming of the kingdom. Otherwise, it’s too easy to turn dower, bitter, burdened down with sorrow and fatigue or to become frustrated to the point of reaching for real swords, real violence, and real methods of coercion and control. The antidote is praise. And praise, oddly enough, is also the weapon. A witness to the completely confronting counter-cultural ways of our God and his Kingdom, and “the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23).
Without question, Psalm 23 lingers in a post Christian culture. While most people in North America do not read the Bible, this psalm is remembered.
There is a story about two men at a banquet who both recited Psalm 23. The first was a famous actor who knew how to hold people spellbound with a single word. He recited the psalm first and received a thunderous standing ovation.
The second was an old preacher whose voice was cracked with age. As he recited, people began checking their text massages and changing their Facebook statuses.
However, when he was finished the actor returned to the microphone and said, "The difference between this old man and me is that he knows the shepherd."
How many of us have not read through the shepherd psalm without really paying attention to the shepherd? How many have read it countless times never asking what the psalm professes? I encourage you to take time today to meditate on this psalm.
When I read it at funerals, I indicate that I read it for the living, not for the one who has died. It is a psalm for life, for living.
At some point in his life, David began to understand just how much like a shepherd God is. God's shepherding does not mean that everything will always be green pastures and quiet waters. With God as shepherd, we still pass through valleys that reek of death. But even there, God goes with us. That truth enables us to live with and for him as articulated in this paraphrase of the psalm, with images from the workplace.
"The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want. He gives me peace when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job. He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honour Him in everything I do.
"Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I will not give up for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
"His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check. His retirement plan beats every RRSP there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His Name" (Jeff Benham).
When Jesus claimed to be the ‘Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11), he was evoking all the images of Psalm 23. Do you know this Shepherd?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all humanity! Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave? Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. (Psalm 89:46-52)
Despite the verses above, you should know that Psalm 89 is a lovely, soaring Psalm. Beautiful things are said of who God is: a God of righteousness, faithfulness, and loving kindness who has created the world, subdued all chaos, and made a covenant with his people.
The Psalm spends long verses explaining the faithfulness of the Lord. It spends long verses describing the covenant made with King David and his descendants: how even if those sons of David were unfaithful to the Old Testament law—that is, the covenant made at Saini with its Ten Commandments and other laws—how God would be faithful to his new covenant, made with David, even still. God’s faithfulness is everlasting. Eternal. Nothing can break it. And God—who does not lie, the psalmist points out—made this promise to David, unconditionally, to ensure that David’s line would continue forever.
But then God broke his promise.
Or at least, it sure did seem that way to the psalmist writing this song. A dramatic turn comes quite suddenly upon us as the psalmist presents us with the devastation and abandonment experienced by God’s people. The psalmist demands to know: how long will this continue, Lord? Your promise to David is everlasting—so will this devastation end before the end of time? If you’re faithful—it should, and soon—we human people don’t live forever! The Psalmist further demands to know: where is this going to happen? Where is your former great love to be displayed? Because it certainly was not evident to the psalmist in any space he could see.
We Christian people hold on to a Christian hope of a future of life with Christ. But when our present life and situation on earth does not look like we hope it to in heaven, these questions are pertinent. It’s great we have a future hope—but that doesn’t mean that we can’t ask God to show his love in our time and in our space. We can pray alongside the psalmist in asking: “will your kingdom not come on earth as it is in heaven so that we might see it and live in it in our times and spaces, O Lord?”
“How is it that we can say such bold things to God though?” you might wonder. Because God’s own faithfulness is on the line here, that’s how. And, perhaps this is exactly why Jesus came to bear out the final lines of this psalm as his own—to allow the mockery of the nations, the wrath of God, and the abandonment felt by God’s people to fall on him instead. Only in the ministry of Jesus, therefore, in his death and resurrection, do we finally find an answer—God’s answer—to the cries of this psalm.
But we don’t live that answer of Jesus’ resurrection life in fullness yet, do we? It remains only a future hope. And so in each new generation, including ours, we find that we too have to take up our cross, along with the words of this psalm, and journey together with Jesus toward our own death as we wait for God’s faithfulness to be proved once again in our own time and space.
Maybe that isn’t a happy end or neat resolution to this devotion. But it is where the psalm ends and indeed where Book III of the Psalter ends: by placing our petition before God—demanding that his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven—soon—and waiting for his response. “Amen and amen.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 7:1-6. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Consider all the reasons why we judge each other.
- What is the main reason Jesus tells us not to judge?
- Think of some examples in which you have seen Mr. Fix-it at work.
- This principle is repeated by Jesus many times. Take time this week to meditate on one or two of these stories.
“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Here’s a story I’ve told before on Wilderness Wanderings. One day while Stuart Sacks was serving as a Christian Missionary in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on his porch. Stuart went out to see what he wanted. Rafael responded, "Ham, henek met." Again, Stuart asked what he could do for him, but the answer was the same. Stuart understood what he was saying but not its significance: "I don't want anything; I have just come near."
Later Stuart shared the incident with a local veteran missionary. He explained that it was Rafael's way of honouring him. "He really didn't want anything; he just wanted to sit on your porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near you."
This is David's desire in Psalm 27. It is not that he wanted to give up being shepherd or king and become a monk. David knew that no one was allowed inside the holy of holies in the temple. That was the place God dwelt among his people and only the high priest was allowed in there, and him, only once a year after much of preparation.
But the tabernacle stood for God's presence. David wanted the pleasure and protection of unbroken communion with God in His house. What is our ambition in life today? Is it to get rich? Is it to make a name for ourselves? To live a stress-free life? To survive another day? Is it to do some wonderful thing for God? The highest desire that can possess any human heart is a longing to see God.
Jesus taught us that there would be a day when we could experience that reality. It came with Him. God no longer has an address on this earth. The universe is His and He is everywhere. We live in the presence of God all the time, even if we forget. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with us wherever we are.
I think that David desires more than just to be in the presence of God. He wants to gaze on his beauty and to seek him. Like many other psalms, this one comes from a place of trial and tribulation. Enemies are surrounding him; it is easy to be afraid. Our world is not a safe place either. Jesus tells us not to worry. The solution for worry is to look at our heavenly Father. Trust in God is built by paying attention to him.
The most challenging words in this psalm are the little three letter ones, "one," and "all." "One thing, only one, I have asked from the Lord," David says. "I am no double minded man. I don't want to love God and love the world too. If the Lord will grant this one request, then he may deny me everything else and I will still be happy. I am single minded in my longing."
Rich Mullins left us this prayer: "Save us from those things that might distract us. Please take them away and purify our hearts. We don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing. What will we have when the world is gone, if it isn't for the love that goes on and on with our one thing? You're our one thing. The pure in heart shall see God" (My One Thing).
It is good to be near God. May "Ham, henek met" be the desire of our hearts! But also, this, “Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith…” (Hebrews 12:2).
What one thing can you do to see God more clearly? Practice looking at him when all is well. That way, when troubles come, it will be natural to turn towards him, to sit in his presence, and receive his peace.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered. Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. (Psalm 26:1-3)
This Psalm—like any number of others—gives us pause. Who of us would dare say such a thing to God?
But while it might seem strange in ordinary times, there are situations that crop up in our lives where it’s not: like in the face of a tragic death, a betrayal in a close relationship, or the cancer word. In those situations, we might quite naturally find ourselves crying out to God, asking what it is that we have done to deserve such pain and suffering being thrust into our lives. These kind of prayers are ways of praying in the vein of Psalm 26.
Some events and realities in our lives are bigger than us—out of our control. Perhaps more of them than we might think—or like—to list. And when we realize our lack of control, we realize that we have need of God. A God who can save us. Or, in unfair or unjust situations: a God who can judge rightly and vindicate us—which is salvation all the same.
This psalm is a prayer prayed in the face of an evil world that dishes out things that we do not deserve and cannot solve on our own strength. And this is a psalm that does what it says: that relies on God fully and solely for vindication and salvation.
It strikes me more often that this is exactly the life Jesus lived. Even though he had all the power and ability to control on his side, he did not wield it against his oppressors—the Sanhedrin and Romans that condemned and crucified him. He could have saved himself, but he did not. He could have appealed to his popularity and the masses who supported him to stage a coup, but he did not. He could have vindicated himself, but he did not. Instead, he gave up his power and control, humbled himself, and submitted himself and his case to the just judgement of God the Father—the one who holds the power of final judgement and the right to overturn human verdicts. God the Father took up the appeal, vindicating Jesus by raising him from the dead on the third day, proving Jesus’ innocence and righteousness in the process.
This is the Jesus that we trust in: the Jesus whose life, righteousness, and vindication have become our own. As we continue to rely on his vindication and salvation, we remain connected with the reality of things. We need God, our life is a gift from God, and God’s invitation is that our life be lived in congruence with the righteousness of Christ that we have received from God.
We cannot control the events or realities that we face in this world, but when health scares or unjust events crash into our lives, we can entrust ourselves to the God who, in Christ, has saved us and who will continue to save us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust…Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths (Psalm 25:1,4).
The psalms of the Old Testament are the church's prayer book. This doesn’t mean that these are the only prayers or songs we offer, but that we allow them to be our prayer teachers. They will teach us how to pray the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father who is in heaven..."
Many psalms come out of the depths of broken, harassed, or desperate hearts. They seem to explode out of the psalmist; we can feel their pathos and desperation. Others, like Psalm 25, are more deliberate; they have been brooded over and carefully constructed.
This psalm has 22 verses. It is an acrostic, meaning that each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This prayer is not offered "off the cuff'. It comes to us only after careful meditated crafting. We often think that praying needs to be spontaneous. That is an illusion. The psalter teaches us that a prayer which is thought out and stylistic is as spiritual and effective as spontaneous expressions of the heart.
I have found that praying along with saints long deceased helps expand the content of my prayers. It is very easy for our prayers to shrink to the narrow confines of our own lives. Listening to and praying along with others (even those no longer on this earth) can help us discover the depth and breath of Jesus’ prayer “your kingdom come”.
Psalm 25 comes out of a time of trouble; thus, it is not prayed with a smile or exuberant joy and certainly not with a detached indifference. In this season of anguish, the psalmist explores what it means to lift up our souls to the Lord (1).
So, what can we learn about "lifting up our hearts to the Lord" from this prayer? We notice that significant parts of the psalm reflect on the "way of the Lord." This pray-er believes that the way of the Lord is the right way to live and therefore wants to learn how to live it. He recognizes that there are different ways to live. He doesn't necessarily know God's way, so he wants to learn. Trusting in God and lifting our souls up to Him means that we seek to walk in His ways.
I wonder how many of us respond to adversity this way. It might not have been the psalmist’s first response either. Yet, as she wrestled with the troubles she faced, she came to that space where this became the desire of the heart. Maybe you have had that experience too. Our first reaction to stress is “Get rid of it, God”. But as we wrestled in prayer, the Spirit brought us to a place in which obedience became our primary desire.
Such movement in prayer brings with it a recognition that we have not always followed God's ways. It may even be that some of the psalmist’s current problems have arisen because of disobedience. So, what does he do? Does he try to hide this reality? No. He confesses it and asks the Lord to forgive. Forgiveness is possible because in His love, the Lord forgives.
Trusting in the Lord does not mean instant success. The psalmist has staked his life on doing life God's way. If he goes down in defeat, he will experience public shame. He fears that shame even though he knows that in the end God will be proven to be right.
In the long run, God will set His people secure in the land (13). Jesus makes a similar statement: "Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). We recognize this may not happen until the new heavens and the new earth. Are we willing to live in obedience to God until that time?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
A different angle on growing and fruit today...
Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home. (1 Kings 12:12-16)
Three times in this longer passage, King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, is said to have listened to the advice of the “young men” he grew up with, rather than the advice of the elders or the cries of the people. Interestingly, neither King Rehoboam nor those men he grew up with would’ve been understood in that day to have been “young.” 1 Kings 14:21 says Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. Given the life expectancy of the day: he was certainly no spring chicken. Besides, the word for “young men” employed here in the Hebrew is a word which is translated in most other places in the Old Testament as “child” or “boy.” The reference, therefore, seems to be to the immaturity of these men, rather than their age.
Interestingly, the only use of this word for “child” or “young man” before this in the book of Kings is from the story of Solomon’s wise judgement when he said to two prostitutes fighting over a living baby “cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” After he said this, the true mother backed off of her claim to the child, saying: “Please, my lord, giver her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” while the other women exclaimed: “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
Somehow the story of the living child being cut in two is evoked in the telling of Rehoboam’s immaturity. I think the author means to suggest that the words of Solomon’s own ruling have come back as a judgement against his own house. Would Solomon and Rehoboam his son yield the living child of Israel to it’s true parent, God, or would they seek to make this people into a kingdom for themselves, claiming it all for their own? They do the latter. And so the child—the nation—is killed, cut in two. Not that the nation died immediately—but what begins here eventually leads to their destruction and exile.
The Rabbis said that Solomon was the worst of the Kings of Israel because he was the one who caused this division. He caused it because he did not “seek first God’s kingdom.” Instead, he built his own. Nor did he “Seek first God’s righteousness.” Solomon loved many foreign wives who brought their gods, which he worshiped. Israel as a nation is often depicted as an unfaithful spouse that prostitutes itself after all sorts of other gods besides the Lord. Solomon was the first such idolatrous prostitute among the Kings. Immature despite his wisdom, he was the pagan who “ran after” all the things of this world, and so his heart, like his kingdom, became divided.
The fruit then of Solomon’s house and Solomon’s idolatrous prostitution is embodied in Rehoboam: a violent, selfish immaturity that results in the cutting of God’s people in two. This is the same violent, selfish immaturity displayed in the prostitute who was not the true mother of the child. It is the same violent, selfish immaturity displayed by Pharoah as he ruthlessly worked the Israelites as slaves in Egypt.
Immaturity and selfishness leads to idolatry, violence, and division. It leads to the destruction of faith and life. The invitation to us, therefore, is to grow up into Christ: to become mature. The prophet Samuel, King David, and Jesus himself all offer examples of what this “growing up to maturity” looks like.
But perhaps the best word is the word from Jesus’ sermon on the mount covered this past week as he too draws on this history of Solomon. Rather than Solomon who sought his own kingdom, pleasures, and splendor—we are called to “seek first the Father’s kingdom and his righteousness,” trusting the Father’s promise that everything needful will come.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:1-5).
For many Christians, growing spiritual fruit is unnerving. Its uncomfortable partly because we do not see enough of it in our own lives, nor in the lives of others. We are people who want to get things done. In this matter, we want a spiritual harvest. When the fruit does not mature according to our schedule, we take over as farmer. We attempt to force love, peace, patience, etc. It does not work. We end up damaging the fruit that is growing. Then we just give up.
If you find yourself frustrated in the department of fruit growing, our text has deep encouragement. Jesus says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.” We often focus on the first part of this, even though it is the second half that grounds us and makes the first half possible. I think Jesus brings together several Old Testament themes here.
God to Joshua: “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you…Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7-9).
The priests blessed Israel with these words, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” God summed up what this meant, “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:24-27).
To the Israelite exiles, God promised this, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
When Jesus says, “as I remain in you”, he is bringing these themes together. In teaching about his kingdom, he uses this picture, “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (Mark 4:26-27). The writer of Hebrews offers us this, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2).
In summary, we are to run with perseverance, confident that Jesus will complete what he began, making us glorious fruit bearers. We are not farmers, we are farmed. We do not control the process. The fruit is God’s to produce. Because Jesus is now in us, it will happen.
Considering this, hear Jesus’ declaration, “I am making everything new! (Revelation 21:5). That includes us. This is why Paul can offer us these words of encouragement, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 6:1-4, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God?
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What did you learn about God our heavenly Father today? Is there anything you can grab onto that will help you to know him more deeply in your own relationship with him?
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What does the story of King Solomon teach?
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How might you practically “seek first” the kingdom of your heavenly Father this week?
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. (Psalm 118:22-24)
Anyone familiar with the New Testament will know that these verses from Psalm 118 about Jesus being the cornerstone show up all over. Verse 24 is where our song “This is the Day that the Lord has Made” comes from. The Palm Sunday shout of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” also comes from this Psalm. So, there’s a lot going on here.
The most significant theme of Psalm 118 that resonates throughout is how the Lord is the one who saves. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans,” the psalmist says. And later: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” The Lord is the one who saves from death, calamity, and sin. He is the only one, in fact. The psalmist couldn’t do it alone and is convinced that no one else can either. But because the Lord is good and because “his love endures forever,” we are able to trust that the Lord will not give us over to death either, even when we face death.
Of course, all of this good foundational theology was made flesh and dwelt among us in Jesus. He was the one who came in the name of the Lord. He was one who faced death unjustly and entrusted himself to the Father for salvation. He did not attempt to save himself. His hopes were well placed. On the third day he was vindicated by the Father and rose from the dead, able to say once and for all with Psalm 118: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” All of us who trust in Jesus are able now to say the same thing.
But of course, this all looked rather like weakness. Jesus didn’t put up a fight. He got himself bloodied and bruised. He got himself killed. Builders do not choose weak stones to be the foundational cornerstones. Builders do not choose broken stones to become the foundational cornerstones. Nor do they choose stones that they cannot put to their own uses. By that criteria too, Jesus was rejected.
But God vindicated Jesus. Not only by overturning Pilate and the Religious Leader’s unjust verdicts against him, not only by raising him to life and so nullifying the sentence of death carried out against him, but also by raising Jesus to the highest place in the throne room of heaven—making him the King, the foundation, the base upon which the Kingdom of God, the Church, and all God’s people would be built. This weak one becomes the strength of God. This broken one becomes the restored face of the entire edifice. This one who could not be put to use by the will of man becomes the one who empowers any worthy use any of us can set our lives to.
Jesus is our cornerstone. The only name in which life and salvation can be found. The only worthy foundation upon which to build our lives. So today, let us rejoice and be glad in him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:1-5).
What is your vision for your life? We can ask this differently. What is our goal or purpose? Or to use Jesus’ words in Matthew 6, where are the treasures we are storing up? Who is it that we are trying to impress? Whose attention are we seeking?
These are important questions for Christians to keep pondering. In John 15:2, Jesus offers God’s vision for our lives: that we produce fruit for Him. We are branches which He prunes so that we will become increasingly fruitful for Him. This is the long journey of being Jesus’ disciples which we embark on when embrace Jesus in faith. We need to keep coming back to these questions because we tend to wander off the narrow path onto wider and easier ones. We get sidetracked by the demands of life. Valuable goals take the place of the most valuable.
Here, Jesus does not tell us what this fruit is. Later in this chapter, he speaks about obedience, love and joy. Certainly, these comprise a strong triad of Christian fruit. A more extensive list is found in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (22-23). It’s my understanding that Paul is not offering us an exhaustive list, but rather a sampling so that we can “keep in step with the Spirit” (5:25). These are named the fruit of the Spirit because the Spirit grows them in us, as the Father prunes us, and Jesus purifies us through His Word.
It is important for us to understand what is happening here. God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is at work in each of our lives, producing His fruit. So why even ask the question, “What is your vision for your life?” The question is important because if our vision is different from God’s vision, then our lives our constantly lived in that battle zone between visions. In fact, Christians do live in that battle zone. But knowing this, we can begin shifting our vision to align with God’s.
Galatians 5 is all about this battle zone. Its worth a careful read. Because he knows the battle is real, Paul ends with “let us walk in step with the Spirit.” We can live in resistance to God’s vision, or we can seek to adjust our lives to it.
So, what are some of the competing visions? Happiness (a pain free life is probably the largest in our culture); financial security; successful children and grandchildren; work hard and play harder. You add to this list.
So, does this mean that we should make every effort to produce fruit? It does not. Fruit production is the work of God! Jesus tells us to “remain in me” or to use older English, “abide in me.” This is what we need to concern ourselves with. That is our concern: remain in Christ. How do we do that? Prayer, scripture, worship, giving of our resources, helping those who have a need. The fruit will grow, the Holy Spirit will see to it.
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. (Psalm 146:1-5)
As followers of the victorious Lord Jesus Christ, we use divine strategies for navigating our way in the world, not human ones. And that makes us a bit strange.
But it’s a theme that flows through the full breadth of the Bible—even here in these last five praise Psalms of the Psalter.
It’s a theme the Church tends to forget though, just like the rest of God’s people throughout the ages. Or at least, we have a hard time grasping it. And the crux of the problem is probably this: God asks that as we rely on Him—the God who we can’t see—we drop our reliance on many of the things that we can see: humans, government, insurance providers, political parties, the strength of our own actions and agency in the world, the number in our bank account, you name it.
God asks us to let go of the things that we feel we have some control over in order to trust in Him, the God who we cannot control.
What a difficult thing.
At many-a leadership training retreat, you’ll find an exercise called the “trust fall.” One of the folks at the retreat will be blindfolded, told to cross their arms in front of their chest so that they can’t use their arms, and then are told to lean back until they fall over. The idea being, that the rest of the members of the team behind you will catch you, not letting you hit the ground. Of course, you’re blindfolded, so you can’t be sure that they’re there. And, maybe you don’t know these people all that well—are they the sorts of folks that would let you fall just to laugh and point? You don’t know. But you can’t rely on your own legs or arms to catch you either—you’re vulnerable. Helpless. Nothing between you and the floor but the trust that these unseen strangers will indeed do what they said they’d do, and catch you.
Following this God we claim is a lot like that. He tells us that in fact, we’re already vulnerable and unable to do much to save ourselves. Despite the illusions of control we seemingly have over this world and our place in it, we cannot save ourselves. Not from sins, but also not from the generational hurts of our families, the restructuring of our workplace, the chronic pains of our bodies. We actually have very little control over our world and lives. We’re quite vulnerable, and our position in this world is always somewhat precarious.
So God asks us to let go of the things we can see and to fall into His hands—the hands of the God we cannot see—instead. An act of trust: a trust fall.
It is easier to trust the people we can see though, like our leaders. Or the things we can hold, like our insurance and OHIP cards. Or the things we can do, like work or think our way to a place of self-sufficiency and security.
But all these things, including our own strength is guaranteed to fail at some point or another. We don’t live forever.
There is only One who can guarantee our trust will not be broken—and that’s God. The only One who remains unchanging amid our changing lives and circumstances, the only One who endures beyond the fleeting strength of our bodies and institutions.
So, will you let yourself fall into the arms of God? Even though you can’t see Him?
Blessed is the one whose hope and trust is in The Lord their God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:1-3).
One of the counter intuitive elements of fruit growing is pruning. It appears logical that the more branches on a tree or vine, the more fruit that will be produced. However, fruit growers have learned that most of the branches need to be pruned off, so that the energy will go into producing fruit and not more branches.
Jesus picks up this truth and applies it to our spiritual lives. The Father cuts off none fruit bearers. Jesus is not teaching that true Christians can be lost. He is making the point that Christians will bear fruit. That is the point of the Christian life. It’s not primarily about getting into heaven, its about growing spiritual fruit in this life.
To further His point, Jesus then says that the Father “prunes back” the branches so that they will bear even more fruit. God is at work in your life so that you can bear fruit for Him. The image is of taking away the things that limit production. There is an element of pain involved in pruning. We tend to avoid pain. God tends to use it for fruit production. What’s happening in your life that is keeping you from being fruitful? Chances are that God will work to get rid of it. The more we hang on, the more painful the pruning will be.
In Colossians 3, Paul mentions some things that God prunes away. He writes, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry…you must also rid yourselves of…anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other…” (Colossians 3:5,8,9).
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul relates how he experienced this pruning. He had, what he calls, a thorn in the flesh. Paul wanted it gone, but God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
How does God prune? His primary tool is His Word. The word cleans (3). It is powerful. Often, when God starts pruning, we begin neglecting the Word because pruning hurts. When we feel the pain of God’s pruning, we should remember Paul’s take of pain and suffering. They reveal God’s grace and strength.
Through the power of the Spirit, the Word is God’s primary purifying agent. It come to us through various means, from a book we are reading, a sermon we listen too, the wise scripture laden advice of a friend. Sometimes the Spirit will remind us of scripture we have read or memorized, zinging it home unexpectedly.
In this passage, Jesus does not specify what the fruit is that He expects His branches to bear. The rest of scripture provides the answer. The best place to start is with the fruit of the Spirit “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:16-21)
In response to some religious leaders that had accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Jesus replied that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
There is an insidious scheme of the devil by which he seeks to do precisely that: divide the household of faith so that it might not stand. He does this by causing us to avoid, fear, and imagine the worst of our siblings in Christ so that our love for one another might grow cold. This is the very thing Jesus warns against in his words on the end times in Matthew 24. Paul warns against it in 1 Corinthians 2:5-11 as well. Even 1 Samuel 18 tells this story, especially verses 12-16 where King Saul’s fear grows and consumes him with mistrust, while David increasingly lives in a different world marked by love.
The antidote to this sort of demonic division, is to receive the love of God who is love and to live this love of God very practically in our love for one another. Said differently: the antidote is to receive Jesus—the word of love in action—and become like him in that loving action. This is harder than it looks.
We will toss around little slogans like “just love” or “love instead of hate.” But very often when we do this, we are speaking of loving those that we find it easy to love—those we think that others should start loving just as much. Jesus’ form of love is something harder than that.
Jesus loved the sinners and the marginalized, yes, but Jesus also loved his enemies. Jesus loved a sinful humanity that conspired to kill him in the form of a Sanhedrin, Pilate, and soldiers, and he loved this sinful humanity embodied in these people that were killing him, even as they were killing him. The words on his lips were “Father, forgive.” Who of us have loved a friend to that point, let alone an enemy?
This work of love is beyond any of us, unless we are actively seeking to receive God’s own love for us to empower us to do it. Only in God’s love can we offer costly words of forgiveness even before an offender has repented. Only in God’s love can the impossible divides of fear and mistrust be overcome. And they must be overcome. “For whoever does not love their brother or sister” in the church “whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” “He has given us this command: anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” I am convinced this is the hardest command in the Bible, but also the most important—as the New Testament everywhere attests.
On our own, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. And we know it’s possible, because this is what Jesus has done for us. We love, because he first loved us.
If you’d like some additional wisdom on what love through forgiveness is and isn’t, check out this booklet “Forgiveness Fundamentals” from CRC media ministry, Family Fire.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 6:19-24. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Money is not the primary theme of Matthew 6. What is? How much does this occupy your thoughts?
- Why are possessions so enticing? What do you do to get noticed?
- Giving to the poor gets noticed by God, it is a way of storing treasures in heaven. Why do you give or not give money to folks with financially less than yourself?
- If stuff is our goal, it will direct everything in our lives. How has a desire for stuff led you away from God? How has it brought darkness to your life?
- In what new ways can your stuff serve God? How will that liberate you from serving your stuff?
Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son [the gift of God], he must die.” But not one of them said a word. … Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and [the gift of God] my son.” And [the gift of God] was taken. Then Saul said to [the gift of God], “Tell me what you have done.” So [the gift of God] told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!” Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, [gift of God].” But the men said to Saul, “Should [the gift of God] die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued [the gift of God], and he was not put to death. (1 Samuel 14:38-39, 42-45).
Our Father in heaven is the good gardener, but fruit can be hard to seen. 1 Samuel offers some lovely case studies to train our eyes for it.
The fruit born by Saul’s kingship is shown to be the fruit of death. The fruit of God’s kingship, however, is the gift of life and salvation. Jonathan embodies these “gifts of God” throughout the narrative. It’s what his name literally means, which is why I’ve read this meaning into every instance of his name in the text above.
This text brings the showdown between Saul’s ways and God’s. In the verses leading up to this moment, we have seen that Saul uses religious rituals and words devoid of faith, we have seen how he is willing to dehumanize his men and drag them nearer to sin, we have seen his rash oath-taking cut the men off from the promised land’s flow of honey, and now here another bad-faith oath places even his son and the very gift of God that brought salvation under the threat of death.
Jonathan’s story leading up to this moment is different though. Even without the rituals of Israel’s religion, Jonathan is able to hear from God. Jonathan is able to see and taste the honey of the land of God’s promise. Through nothing more than Jonathan’s faith, God begins defeating the enemy in battle—causing the Philistines to begin striking each other. God’s salvation, promises, and gifts are things that Jonathan can not only see and receive, but also participate in in ways that bring life and salvation to himself and the people.
Yet Saul has not understood that this great victory was a salvation-gift from God. As far as Saul can tell—it is he who has “avenged myself on my enemies” (1 Sam 14:24). Saul wants more. He wants to continue doing his work in his own strength, constraining his men in whatever dehumanizing ways he needs to in order to see it done. But a priest steps in and says: maybe we should inquire of the LORD. So Saul does. But he receives only silence. Saul assumes there must be some sin afoot, and is angered by the thought that some misdeed in the camp could be keeping him from his prize. So he declares that even if the fault lies with God’s most precious gift to him—his own son—Saul will kill that gift to get what he wants. It’s a devil’s bargain if ever there was one.
But God will not be manipulated, despite Saul’s oaths and religious rituals. Nor will the men. They have seen and judged for themselves what is good. They have seen God’s gifts: the ones they were kept from tasting—like the promised land flowing with milk and honey—but also the gift of God’s salvation come through God’s gift in Jonathan.
The men decide that they can no longer abide with the death-dealing fruit of Saul. They choose for God’s gift of life. Jonathan is saved. The men have judged these trees by their fruit and have chosen well. Our Gardener God’s kingship brings life and his gifts are good. May you have the eyes to see these gifts and make the same choice today.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
On Tuesday, we reflected on Jesus as our spiritual food. As much as our bodies need care and nourishment, so do our souls. However, soul care is more complicated than physical care. We know how to care for our bodies, even, if do not do it very well. There are professionals we can turn to for advice.
But how do we care for our souls? What should we do to give our spirits the best chance to flourish? We know how a healthy body functions, but how does a healthy soul function? Are there professionals we can turn to? Yes. The church has always understood that one of the pastor’s primary tasks is that of soul care. Physicians and physical trainers tend to be directive; they tell us what we should do. However, pastors rarely do; they usually ask questions, probing questions. We cannot have the same expectations of pastors as we do of doctors and trainers.
If soul care seems daunting, then our text for today is encouraging. When it comes to soul care, God is the primary actor. He is the gardener. Our task is to abide in Jesus. We can ignore this or do things contrary to it. We do have a role to play in caring and nourishing our souls. BUT (all caps) God is the gardener. The Father shapes us, prunes. He does this for fruit production.
He will trim away attitudes and lifestyle choices that hinder spiritual fruit, such as, love, joy, patience, etc. God’s tools are his Word, His Spirit, his community. He will use things we experience, random people we encounter. He will till the soil of our lives, spread fertilizer. There will be times with lots of moisture and seasons of drought. Yes. It seems that God’s best gardening happens when we do not see or experience much on the surface. Underground, God is at work.
It's true that pruning sounds painful. Often it is. Yet, that God is gardener is good news and its encouraging. Learning to love, to live with joy and patience is tricky. There is no manual for it. Often, we have the experience that we are not making progress. And we get such varied advice. One person does this, another does that. Churches have different programs, different kinds of Bible Studies. What do we do? Should we change our patterns, modify our spiritual discipline regimes?
Since the spiritual disciplines are so varied, it is good to know that God is constantly at work in our lives producing spiritual fruit. He is the gardener. He is tilling the soil of our lives. As we pray, read the scriptures and observe our lives, we should be asking God to show us how He is gardening. What is he up to? What kind of fruit does he want to grow in us? This is why in pastoral practice we pastors should be asking questions, more than giving direction. Its our task to help God’s people perceive what God is up to.
If you haven’t experienced growth or fruit lately, don’t get discouraged. God is the gardener. He will cause fruit to grow. Fruit is essential for his mission in this world. He needs people who are Christ-like. Bearing fruit brings him glory. It draws others to him, so that they too can share in the life of Christ. If we abide in Jesus, the fruit will come. Trust him. The Father is the gardener.
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he [was afraid because] Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. (1 Samuel 23:14-18)
This is the story that introduces the cat and mouse game of David evading Saul in the wilderness. It happens at “Horesh,” which is a word that can take two different meanings. It can refer to a sort of silence or to the work of human hands. In this set of verses, both meanings are in play.
David is faced here with God’s “silence” (horesh) and his own fear of Saul. The question is will he trust his fear and so rely on the “work of his own hands” (horesh) to solve it, as Saul does? Or will he trust in this God who is horesh, silent?
It is here in this wilderness that David must begin to learn a more mature fear of the Lord. This is not the battle of David and Goliath where the battle lines are clear, the army and King stand behind him and the Lord before him. No, now David is a fugitive from the State, driven from his home, searching in deserts and foreign countries for refuge, clinging to the promise of God while facing down God’s “horesh” silence.
It is not unlike so many wilderness moments in our own life. Something happens that unsettles us, leaves us feeling threatened. A medical scare, a financial jolt, a shifting landscape underfoot in the society or institutions we thought were secure—even the church. Faced with God’s relative silence and a threat looming overhead do we choose to fear the Lord or the threat?
It is at this moment that Saul’s son Jonathan suddenly appears. No one knew where David was. Yet somehow Jonathan finds him. His name means “gift of God.” “Nathan” being the Hebrew word for “gift,” and “Jo” being a prefix that refers to God.
The text says that God did not “nathan” (give) David into Saul’s hands. But God’s hand does offer a “Jo-nathan” (gift of God) to David in the form of a friend who appears in a silent, wilderness moment to help David re-find his strength in God. “Do not be afraid” Jonathan says. They then reaffirm their love and commitment to one another and Jonathan leaves. David remains in Horesh, this wilderness place of silence. But now, somehow, David is no longer quite so alone or afraid. God may be silent, but by his gifts of friendship, love, and encouragement, David can once again recognize God’s hand on the move.
As the story continues, Saul really does find out where David is and comes down in pursuit of him. However, we discover that David is no longer in the “horesh” place of silence and testing. Now he is in the Desert of “Maon,” a word which means “help” or “refuge.” Though “Saul and his forces were closing in on David to capture them,” God suddenly intervenes to force Saul to turn away. David and his men are saved, not by what their hands have done (horesh), but by the one in whom they have taken refuge (maon).
God remains our refuge and strength today, though at times he is also silent. The invitation is not to take matters into your own hands in those moments, but to trust him even if you can’t hear him. His gifts are usually not far away.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
In John 15, Jesus offers us some keen insights into being His disciples. The Bible uses a variety of phrases to fill out our understanding of faith in God. In 2 Peter we had the phrase, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Yesterday, we heard two Old Testament phrases, “the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6) and the challenge to Israel, “now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Here, Jesus uses agricultural imagery to help us understand the Christian life. Today, I want to consider only this: we humans are both physical and spiritual beings. Its easy for us to understand our physicality: eating, sleeping, working, playing – all physical activities. Healthy eating and sleeping patterns lead to better health. Becoming hungry and tired and sore remind us that we are physical. Moreover, many of us have discovered the limitations of virtual relationships. Physical presence offers us something that virtual realities miss.
But we are also spiritual beings. This is more difficult. For many decades, western culture has promoted the idea that we are only bodies. When we die, there is nothing left – finito. We are born, then we die, living a brief time in between; what we do with our time between birth and death doesn’t matter much. But Christians believe it does.
Spirituality is subtle. It has to do with our morality, discerning between right and wrong; it deals with attitudes and priorities. It also speaks to what happens when we die. As Christians, we believe that after death our bodies decompose while our souls go to be with God. But in the end, when Christ returns, our bodies will be resurrected to be reunited with our souls. They belong together.
As our bodies need food, drink and sleep, so our souls need nourishment. This is what Jesus addresses in John 15:1, “I am the true vine…” Here is one of those places where the Bible keeps Christianity very simple. To be a Christian is to be connected to the Christian vine: Jesus.
Jesus is the only soul food for Christians. He echoed Moses, “We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And then he added, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48). If we want spiritual life, food for our souls, we must feed on Jesus. Feeding on Jesus leads us in the way of the righteous, it is choosing life, it enables us to discern between good and evil, it causes us to grow in grace and knowledge.
As you prepare for summer, here are some questions to ponder: How does being spiritual affect me? Do I care for both my body and my soul? We cannot truly separate these two. If we neglect our bodies, our souls tend to shrink. If we neglect our souls, we will either neglect our bodies or make them into idols.
How do I stay connected to the true vine? Bible reading, prayer, worship, etc. Reflect on how you best engage with these practices. Do I connect more with Jesus ‘in the prayer closet’ or ‘when I pray with others’? Do I enjoy reading the Bible by myself or does it come alive when I get to discuss it with others?
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1)
Today we enter into summer rhythms of our Wilderness Wanderings. A good place to start is right where we ended in Peter’s letter last week: with the theme of vaccines against lawless ways and growth in God’s good ways.
Psalm 1 also draws a contrast between two ways of life, as Peter did. There is the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. It is reminiscent of Moses and Joshua setting two ways before the people in days of old—the way of life and the way of death—with the injunction: “now choose life!”
This question is set before us all throughout the Psalter as the wicked are contemplated and the righteous too. What separates them? Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? What does God mean by the “way of life” and “fruitfulness,” even and especially in times of hardship, sorrow, evil and enemies? In the Psalter we are confronted even with dark and painful expressions of faith in lament, like Psalm 88, that makes no turn back to God at all and yet somehow remains on the faithful path of the righteous.
The psalm paints fruitful trees by waters on the one hand, and chaff without substance or life on the other. Mind you—this is not always or even often the way that things look. As noted above, the Psalms often speak of the prosperity of the wicked and the hardship of the righteous. So this Psalm does not describe our experience in the way it appears, but does describe reality as it really is—a reality that can only be seen and experienced through the eyes of faith by the one who meditates on the scriptures.
The wicked gain much as they transgress boundaries of Sabbath, speed, and relationship. But don’t be fooled: they aren’t putting down roots, nor is their life bearing the kind fruit that generates stability or life in the kingdom of God. They are only as good as the next economic cycle or the fortunes of a particular political regime. Chaff in the wind. Substance, rootedness, generativity, and life are found only in God: a meditation on his way, an exclusive use of his means, a keeping of his boundaries.
The picture is that of a fruit tree planted by an irrigation ditch—this is the literal meaning of the phrase “streams of water” in Hebrew. Even though most of the holy land is pretty dry and arid most of the time and its streams intermittent with the rains—a tree with access to an irrigation canal receives refreshing waters consistently, in all seasons, regardless of the storms and droughts of life.
So: Blessed is that one who is nourished upon and lives the law of the Lord: there is a rhythm to their lives like the seasonal rhythm of a cultivated, well cared-for tree. Rooted in God, we find the nutrients that enable us to live fruitfully, rhythmically, and fully this life we’ve been given. Drinking from His waters of life build the muscles of our mind, heart, body, and soul to react in the attentive ways of righteousness and love, rather than in the greedy, lustful, cruel, prideful, self-righteous, or escapist ways that can otherwise become easily our default.
To that end, our devotional life is better thought of as a life devoted. It’s not only Bible reading and prayer—it is a life devoted to the love of the Lord and His ways. Blessed is that one who devotes all their life and living to him.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 6:16-18, from the New International Version of the Bible. To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:17-18)
It would be fair to say that the book of 2 Peter is a vaccine. Vaccines are there to inform our immune system, catalogue new threats for it to respond to, and simply reinforce good, healthy immune responses.
As Peter describes his purposes for writing across the letter—it is for things like reminding, recalling, and now here he adds reasons like forewarning and raising a defensive guard against more harmful strains of teaching that float about in the church environment—whether they be spread maliciously or develop within us naturally when we’re worn down and drowsy.
Peter declares that the believers already are “looking forward,” already are standing firm in a “secure position.” But given enough time of inactivity—our immune system, like our muscles will atrophy. Given enough boredom and monotony from the day-in, day-out dailyness of life’s routines, our eyes will begin to wander and we will get distracted from the path.
So Peter gives us a jab in the arm. Wake up! Remember what you already know! Be on your guard against these “errors of the lawless,” even as you fix your eyes forward to the very thing they say isn’t coming: Jesus’ return to judge—to repair all wrongs and heal all hurts.
But it would be wrong to think this letter is just a vaccine against threats and a reminder to stand firm where we are. Peter also invites a movement forward. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” he says. We’re right back to the virtues of chapter 1. Remember them? Peter writes so that you will. There’s no better way to end our consideration of this letter, than by going back and hearing that beginning again for ourselves. Starting in chapter 1, verse 2:
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:2-8)
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:14-16)
Our faculties of perception need to be trained. I’ve been reminded of this over the past few years as I’ve attempted to teach our boys how to ride their bikes. Sure enough, my own driving instructor back when I was 15 said the same thing I find myself saying now. “Your hands will go where your head goes.” In driving, of course, you need to learn to cut this connection so that you can check your blind spots without running someone off the road. But for teaching kids to bike it is enough simply to say: “keep looking forward! Keep your eyes on the path!”
Peter used the word for this phrase “looking forward” twice in yesterday’s passage and again in the beginning of today’s. From what Peter has earlier said about false teachers—it seems that not everyone was “looking forward” to Jesus coming again. Instead, they were looking around with greed and lust at all the material satisfactions they could enjoy in this life. Jesus didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon, so they contented themselves with living in the moment, rather than keeping eyes fixed on the Christ who stood ever before them.
This remains an easy distraction for us all. Jesus didn’t come during our parent’s lifetime, after all. Nor in that of our grandparents nor any of the hundreds of years before them. It is easy therefore to lose sight of the path—the direction that history flows. It is easy to believe that the world we see is all there is. And if that’s the case—then we need to secure our own lives and resources, our own pleasures and purposes. If there is nothing beyond this world then the meaning of this life has to be something we forge in the fires of our own authentic refinements. Many people—Christian and otherwise—do exactly this. But are they looking forward? Are we?
Peter has spent his letter addressing, accusing, and correcting this at times malicious diversion. He has thumped the same theme over and over. The scriptures are reliable. Jesus is coming again. And judgement comes with him: setting things right, making things whole, and ensuring justice and righteousness flow. Remember, remember, remember and do not forget. Keep looking forward! Keep your eyes on the path!
Finally here at the end now, Peter begins to assume that we’ve heard him. “Since you are looking forward” he says, “peddle toward the prize.” At the beginning of the letter, we heard about the “everything” gifts God had given to equip us for the journey of living out his calling. We were told then to add virtues to our faith. Now Peter wraps it up with the encouragement to reconcile the living of our lives with the one who stands before us. That “author and perfector of our faith” that the writer of Hebrews tells us to “fix our eyes on.” “Since you are looking forward,” Peter writes, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him,” that is—with the one we’re looking to.
So where are your eyes? Where your eyes go, your hands and energies in this life will go too. Keep looking forward, and let the vision of Jesus shape your living.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:11-13)
A few things about “the end” bear mention here: the surprise, the sanctification, and the steadfastness it calls us to.
First, the surprise. God may indeed be patiently waiting for his grace to have its impact before the day of Christ’s appearing and the time of judgement arrives. Yet when that day finally does arrive—it will come suddenly! Throughout the Bible this theme is repeated—by Jesus particularly. “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” he says in Matthew 25 (v.13).
Secondly though, as I alluded to yesterday, we have this tendency to view judgement in a negative way. As a cruel, angry god with poor emotional self-regulation coming to wreak vengeance over petty grievances. That is never the Biblical picture though. Firstly—God is a Spirit. The Bible condescends to our comprehension when it makes emotional references to God, so we must understand that what we have in God is both a being beyond our comprehension, and also one who holds all things in perfection. Aristotle once said: “Anybody can become angry—that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.” Exactly. But God can do those things. In God—a perfect love, a perfect knowledge, a perfect justice, and a perfect intervention are all held together.
So what we ought rather expect in judgement is what marginalized and oppressed folks the world over have long longed for—like the widow of Jesus’ parable facing down the unjust judge, day-in and day-out demanding justice—they want justice. They want to be saved from those who have unjustly stolen, lied, cheated, and used violence, manipulation, and power against them, but also to see that those wrongs get righted. Judgement may be distasteful for us who have grown up in peace and plenty. But for those who have suffered under dictators and fled in fear of their lives—the notion that a God of justice might see their plight, save them from it, and see it redressed is a comfort and a grace.
This second word then is “sanctification.” God comes with fires of judgement not like a toddler toward an ant hill—to indiscriminately destroy—but to refine, to cleanse, to purify and burn off all impurities and burn away all chaff such that what remains is just, true, right, and beautiful. The fires of judgement burn, not only so that justice might be done in human lives and communities, but also so that every trace of sin and evil might be done away with. The “creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” is the way Paul says it in Romans 8 (v.21).
So, the third word: be steadfast. Continue to live congruently with this promise God has given. The false teachers understood God’s delay in coming as God being late. And if God didn’t care to honour his commitments, why should we honour ours? One could also imagine a less rebellious scenario. God has forgotten about us and so slowly we drift off to sleep too, forgetting about him. Either way—by rebellion or sleepy forgetfulness—the delay can lull us to a false sense of security that nothing’s coming down the tracks.
Not so, says Peter. He echoes again what the scriptures everywhere declare: God is coming suddenly to sanctify—so be steadfast! Remember and do not forget! More on what that means tomorrow.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-9)
Many great tales in our world are woven of the stuff that 2 Peter references. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is one of them. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Galadriel speaks of the ring of power, and says: “some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.”
Tolkien speaks through Galadriel here of something quite commonplace. Us human folk can live no where else but in the present moment we inhabit. So events of the distant past and promises given for the future can equally pass from history, to legend, to myth, to becoming lost entirely.
This is what Peter confronts. The line between remembering and forgetting is very thin indeed. All it takes is a few people to question the narrative, to buck the norms, to “reinterpret” things according to their liking for the foundation underneath our feet to unravel. In nothing more than the serpent’s words from Eden, whole worlds of meaning and cohesion can be undone. A wee seed of doubt: “did God really say…?” That’s all it takes.
The serpent’s voice echoes in the words of the scoffers (and in the words of Morgoth and Sauron in Tolkien’s world). The lie enters when Peter’s scoffers ask “where is this ‘coming’ [Jesus] promised?” It is an argument from silence, or an ad hominem attack against God’s faithfulness—logical fallacies we are warned not to entertain.
Peter responds that these scoffers have made a deliberate choice to forget the scriptures and the Word of God that created the world, spoke in judgement and in redemption in the days of Noah, and that has decreed an end to history when all will be set right and made well in the cleansing and justice-bringing of God.
Peter invites us to make a different choice: to deliberately choose to remember what we have received in the scriptures instead of forgetting it. God is still faithful to his promises. Jesus will come again.
One other doubt is addressed here too though. We tend to find God’s judgement too indecent and, well, “judgemental” for modern consumption. Yet don’t all our most satisfying stories and movies still end with a “putting things right” that resolves the narrative tension? And when they don’t—like in the movie Marriage Story that matches our modern sensibilities of “no resolution please”—we’re left with nothing more than a discordant, restless malaise. Yuck.
Peter writes to remind us both that the scriptures are a reliable witnesses to His-story (God’s), but also that this God in whom we have believed is a Good God. His desire in judgement is not to punish, but in his patient, merciful forbearance to restore all people to himself. The narrative tension will be resolved to justice, but God is willing to wait long years and ages for a positive resolution. Will we wait as patiently as God, in hope and trust that the one who began this work will see it through? Peter invites us to, even as he sends us out with a blessing.
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. (2 Peter 3:1-2)
Remember what Peter said in chapter 1 about the importance of remembering? Peter isn’t so sure you do—so here come those memory words again! Over the course of this chapter, more encouragements are given to shore up our memory and stave off our forgetfulness.
In case you forgot you were reading 2 Peter—Peter is here to tell you. And he doesn’t only wish to tell you that he has written, but why. These letters are “reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.” He wants us to “recall” the scriptures—both Old and New Testaments such as they were in his day—and so be grounded again in a firm foundation from which a wholesome life in Christ can be imagined and lived.
The Christian life is a life of apprenticeship to Jesus as we come to know him more deeply through the Bible and conversations with him directly in prayer. There is nothing new or fancy or complicated about it. So Peter hammers home the same thing again and again. “Recall the words” of the scriptures, he says.
Of course, this reminder needs to be given, because it is so easy to take all that God has done for granted as we (again) talked about yesterday. Precisely because we are “free in Christ,” there is no whip on our back driving our obedience or coercing our response. Instead comes an invitation: “remember and believe.” “Recall.” “Let your mind be stimulated to the wholesome virtues that are the gifts of Christ” as you remember all God has given you through these letters.
Remember, remember, remember. Peter drums away at the theme. A broken record that repeats the things we already know over and over is no sin, because knowing something in the deep ways of habit and muscle memory takes exactly this: time, attention, and repetition. So today, if you’ve already forgotten the list of virtues to add to your faith—go back and read it again. Start right at chapter 1, verse 1 and recall again what you already know: the “everything” that God has given us to make his calling in our lives sure.
Against the false teaching we heard about in the previous chapter, ultimately what Peter offers here in these reminders is the ability to come back to ourselves—to remember what we have known, to return to our first love, and think again on what we have first believed. The world is full of distractions that put us to sleepy forgetfulness. This letter comes to us as the whisper that awakens prodigal daughters and sons from their sleepwalking to recall the home of the Father with its lavish gifts and place of belonging. It is the invitation to come home.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 6:5-15. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS:
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How does “At Home” describe our praying?
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There are two things Jesus tells us not to do when we pray. What are they? Can you name examples in which the Christian community disregards these instructions?
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What three words did Martin Luther use to summarize how we should pray? (HINT: they each begin with C)
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What three words were used to summarize the intent of the Lord’s prayer? (HINT: they each begin with S).
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How does “At Home” describe the Lord’s Prayer?
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What two specific things can you to help you practice the pattern Jesus lays out for us?
These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud” (2 Peter 2:17-22).
The apostle Paul wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). And in Romans, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (6:6-7).
This chapter is Peter’s take on this subject. The false teachers are leading recent converts back into slavery to sin. These new Christians, having begun to change their lives, leaving behind pagan ways, were now being told that in Christ they have the freedom to return to those ways without condemnation. Since Christ has set us free from judgement we can go and do what ever we want. Peter’s converts would have fewer problems if they could join in the pagan feasts, make offerings to the gods, and so forth. Our lives are easier too if we make the same choices as our unbelieving neighbours.
Peter and Paul are in full agreement with each other. Jesus did not set us free from condemnation so that we might become trapped in sin again. Sinful lifestyles do not set us free, ask anyone who has a family member or friend addicted to alcohol or drugs, to gambling or video games. Ask someone who is obsessed with making money or a person who has little control over their sexual appetite. They are not free. They are enslaved by their sinful behaviour and the internal desires of the flesh.
They are like a ‘dog that returns to its vomit’ or a ‘sow that is washed returns to wallowing in the mud.” There may be an allusion to the cleansing symbolized in baptism here. These people, washed in baptism, returned to the same mudhole of sin. They are like animals with animal instincts. No self-control.
Why does this matter? As Paul says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). This has been Peter’s point as well. The grace of God works into our lives all sorts of wonderful qualities (see 1:5-7) which lead us towards love, agape. This is the work of God’s grace and of the Spirit of Jesus in our lives.
But these folks are still being controlled by the desires of the sinful nature. There is no room for love. They are enslaved to other things. They are being ineffective and unproductive, they are being nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins (2 Peter 1:8-9).
Don’t be like them, warns Peter, for when you walk away from the grace of God, you will discover it is more difficult to find your way back.
As you journey on: Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. (2 Peter 2:12-16)
Yesterday, Pastor Michael covered Peter’s defence of God’s judgement. Now Peters turns to speak of the deeds done by the false teachers for which that judgement comes.
I skipped a few verses (10b-11) here which speak of how these false teachers slander celestial beings—like demons or the devil, perhaps. Then Peter condemns them for speaking boastfully and blasphemously about things they don’t understand. He condemns them for adultery, greed, and seductions—all while joining in the regular Christian feasts and fellowship.
There is a deceitfulness underneath all of this which Peter is attempting to reveal. Something which places spot and blemish on the church which, through the Spirit, is supposed to be cleansed from its spots and blemishes. So Peter makes a distinction between this group of false teachers and the rest of the community who their behaviour tempts. A distinction as clear as that between animals and humans.
The main principle used is that of “harm for harm.” Even as yesterday’s theme was that God’s justice demands a judgement that separates the righteous from sinners, today’s theme suggests that God’s justice is just—that it is fitting, reciprocal in such a way that the punishment fits the crime.
These false teachers have done harm, and so will be paid back for the harm they have done. They act as unreasoning creatures of instinct, no better than animals—worse even, because even the unreasoning creature that was Balaam’s donkey knew better than to do what these people do! Balaam too was one who loved “the wages of wickedness,” which in Greek is exactly the same phrase as used earlier in the phrase “paid back for the harm they have done.”
The picture is of those who follow their most base desires and influence others to do the same, rather than receive the far better “wages” of God’s everything-we-need gifts that conform us to the likeness of Christ. Instead of following animal instincts that make us less than human, the invitation is to become ever more fully human in Christ.
What base behaviours do we condone by going along with them in our own community? Greed and alcohol abuse, for instance, have long been overlooked or tolerated as relatively harmless sins. From Christian high school onward—a silent agreement of “we’re all good Christians here” has allowed us to collude with one another in parties and shrewd, anything-to-get-ahead practices of greed. Do we count the cost of the harms this behaviour does across a lifetime to those swallowed up by substance abuse (and their loved ones)? Or the impact to our witness to Christ when Christians are more ruthless and rude in their workplace practices than non-Christians?
Peter invites us to rise up to the fullness of the stature of Christ, rather than collude with others under the influence of costly base animal desires like these. If even a donkey knows better—we should too. To put Peter’s point bluntly: don’t be an ass (donkey!). Grow up and live like a human, fully alive in Christ!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority (2 Peter 1:4-10a).
What a curious opening line to a text. Many will want more information. Unfortunately, there is not any. It’s helpful to know that the word translated ‘hell’ is the Greek word, Tartarus, a place of confinement, the underworld. It was not used to describe permanent punishment.
Peter is still writing about the false teachers Pastor Anthony reflected on yesterday. In our text, he wants his readers to understand that these teachers would receive their punishment. To underscore his point, he references several events of long ago in which creatures received judgement for their rebellion against God.
Peter also tells his readers that in these events of judgement God redeemed the righteous. He mingles punishment and redemption. Its our tendency to separate these two, even to relegate punishment to the Old Testament and love and redemption to the New. Such views can only come from a hasty read of the Bible. Punishment and love, redemption and judgement are themes deeply woven throughout both testaments.
Punishment and judgement are part of God’s response to human rebellion, revealing his deep love for us and the world. We were created to flourish; but to do that we need to live within the guard rails God designed. We are less than human when we do not live in obedience to God. Our communities do not work, our relationships are warped. Judgment’s purpose is for us to altar our course, so we can flourish.
If we do not change our minds about how we should live, if we continue to go our own way, we are condemned to live in a less than human world. Judgment is part of the process of sanctification. If we do not understand what it is we have done wrong, we will not change. Judgement is not separate from God’s love.
Lot is here highlighted as a model for the righteous to follow. He was a man tormented, distressed by the evil he witnessed. These words suggest two things: on the one hand he was grieved by the destruction evil deeds caused. Think today of the results of chemical addictions, abusive relationships, murder, etc. On the other hand, these words suggest a constant temptation to give in and join the evil ones. Its difficult to stand when everyday people attempt to lure you in (see Psalm 73 for a reflection on this theme).
Peter’s point is this: God will protect and save his people. Therefore, stand firm. Take time to reflect on your reaction to evil. Is the Spirit calling you to a godlier response?
As you witness the evil around you and face the temptations to join in: Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
As we turn to chapter 2, we find Peter switching from defence to offence. Previously he was defending the Apostolic witness to Jesus and the inspired prophecies of scripture as reliable. Now he is speaking of false teachers who are unreliable, and seeking to show why they ought not be trusted.
In the days in which the Old Testament was written—there were not just Spirit-inspired prophets around, but also false prophets. Jeremiah often had skirmishes with the false prophets of his day who prophesied peace and restoration as he prophesied exile (e.g. Jeremiah 28). Elsewhere, false prophets prophesied victory where the Lord’s prophets spoke of defeat (e.g. 1 Kings 22:1-40).
Interestingly though, Peter does not dignify the people he is speaking about with the term “prophet.” Instead he calls them “false teachers.” Perhaps they were not claiming to speak in the name of the Lord or hold inspiration from God. Perhaps they were merely deviating in what they believed and taught about the Lord. This may not have seemed so bad, but Peter would like to show how destructive this really is.
It seems that these false teachers denied any need to live a moral life that was distinct from the pagan world around. But if there was no difference between the Christians and the pagan world around them—what positive witness to Christ could they bring? They may as well deny their master even as they “bring the way of truth into disrepute.”
In this regard, the letter of Peter still brings a pretty stiff challenge into our lives today. The first chapter speaks of virtues we must add to our faith. Chapter two flips the coin over. For those whose lives don’t change at all in light of the faith and love given by God in Christ—and especially for any who teach that that’s OK—“swift destruction” is in store, says Peter.
Much of the hottest internal church fights we have as Christians are drawn up on this battle line. Where must we become a “contrast community,” rejecting cultural norms for the sake of Christian virtue and where does the grace and transformation of Christ redeem cultural forms and norms such that they can be used?
There are no easy answers. But in the very least, we must know that the problem cannot be solved to one absolute extreme or the other. We cannot live in such radical contrast that we become cut off from our culture entirely, for then we cannot witness within that culture to Christ (e.g. John 17:15), nor can we totally and unquestioningly embrace everything that our culture provides—an extreme that Peter defends against—because then we no longer witness to anything distinctive about Christ.
Tending to this balance takes wisdom cultivated within the community of Christ through much Bible reading and prayer. In fact, already in that action of prayer and scripture we begin to faithfully hold the tension as we do something Christianly distinct from the world around us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:16-21).
Today’s text elaborates and adds onto yesterday’s theme of ‘remembering’, shaping our understanding of Holy Scripture. Peter is remembering what he saw and heard. His teaching is rooted in history, history that he lived. His writings are not hearsay or ‘cleverly devised stories.’ All the apostles are giving testimony to what they witnessed, ‘the majesty of Jesus Christ’. Each of the New Testament books is attributed to one of these apostles. Paul was the last apostle, “as one abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:8). Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Our trust in the New Testament lies in this fact, the authors had personal interaction with Jesus.
Peter then takes us further back in time. We should heed the word of the prophets, who spoke about this Jesus. Of course, not remembering, but by looking ahead. We should listen to their prophecies and believe them because they were directed to write by the Holy Spirit, who also empowered Jesus himself. Then Peter teaches us something important: as God inspired and motivated the prophets, we need him to reveal truth to us.
He uses the analogy of a light which shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises. God’s Word comes to shine in our hearts when we are in darkness. We do not understand it until it breaks through into our hearts like the dawning of the day when the morning star arises. The Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets, empowered Jesus, guided the apostles, now breaks through the darkness of our hearts with the light of Scripture.
What a marvelous experience to have the light of God’s Word shine in our hearts as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us! Paul writes about this too, “For God…made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). We enjoy the marvelous experience of allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us through God’s Word. The Bible becomes alive to us when that happens.
If we are bored with Bible study, or if we are unable to understand what God is saying through a passage, practice what Peter is encouraging us to do. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us. Allow the light to shine into the darkness and expect the truth to emerge as the day dawns and the morning star arises. And hang out with God’s people, for the Bible belongs to the church and is for the church. Where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, he is with them (Matthew 18:20).
As you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. (2 Peter 1:9-15)
Pastor Michael noted the dissonance between our assumptions and reality. We assume the Christian life is built on what we do. But in fact, it is built instead on the “everything” from God we have received.
Verses like the one from today’s text about “making your calling and election sure,” says exactly what we often think. We’ve got to put in the effort or else we won’t get into the eternal kingdom of our Lord! But that’s not quite what Peter says, nor how our Reformed tradition has understood it.
In Q&A 86 of the Heidelberg Catechism, the question is asked why we still have to do good works if Jesus has already done everything necessary for salvation for us. One of the four answers to that question refers to this passage and says “so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits,” which is part of Christ “restoring us by his Spirit into his image.” In other words, as the Canons later make clear: we can indeed lose our assurance of salvation when there’s no good fruit in our lives to show for it, but we cannot lose the thing itself. God’s sovereign choosing in his calling and his election are sure.
That said—the Catechism and the Canons say right along with Peter that we must still do good works. Or said better—that we get to do good works because of all the good Jesus has done for us. This is the whole thrust of the Gospel, that the power of God is at work transforming us to become like Jesus in all the virtues we’ve discussed. God has acted, and we get to respond! God has given, and we get to receive! But precisely because none of it is “required” in order to finish up our salvation—we have to be continually reminded of what we’ve received, lest we take the inheritance for granted and forget to act on it.
Remember, remember, remember. Peter drums away at the theme. Do not be one who becomes blind, “forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins” (v.9). “So I will always remind you of these things even though you know them…” “I think it right to refresh your memory….” “And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things” (vv. 12, 13, 15).
I am often struck by how much of our journey of following Jesus and becoming like him boils down to remembering. Rarely in the Old Testament are people defiantly idolatrous or disobedient. More often, they’ve just forgotten their God and wandered off someplace else. Forgetfulness is the biggest problem. Like in Judges when generations keep rising up who “knew not” the things of old. Likewise remembering is the biggest gift—like when the book of the law was found under the reign of Josiah, or when the law was read again after the exiles returned under Ezra.
Peter knows his scriptures. So he not only preaches his message in the opening verses of this letter—but he tells it again, and promises to keep on doing it. A broken record that repeats the things we already know over and over is no sin, because knowing something in the deep ways of habit and muscle memory takes exactly this: time, attention, and repetition. So today, if you’ve already forgotten the list of virtues to add to your faith—go back and read it again. Start right at verse 1 and recall again what you already know: the “everything” that God has given us to make his calling in our lives sure.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins (2 Peter 1:8-9).
My forefathers came from Europe, in part, to escape the devastation of WW2 and build a better life for themselves and their children. Both sets of my grandparents came with eight children in tow. They did not come alone; many were immigrating from the Netherlands because Canada promised a future.
Some came with capital; others came with nothing but the shirts of their backs. They all set to work investing in this new country. They farmed and built businesses, often from scratch. Working for others, many moved up the corporate ladders, being creative, intelligent, industrious, and reliable. Many of these immigrants became successful at accumulating material goods.
Living here in the city of Hamilton, I see new immigrants coming. This country is still perceived to have opportunity for newcomers to build a future. And I truly hope it is--a haven full of opportunities for many people. But whether one came in the 1950s or are just arriving, there are no guarantees of success.
Building for financial success is not wrong. Many well-known biblical folks were wealthy: Abraham, David, Solomon, Job. They were not judged for their wealth. So, the questions I ask today, are not judgements: What are you building? What blueprints are you following? What materials are you using?
The Dutch immigrants of the 1950s generally improved their economic wellbeing. They also built church buildings and Christian schools. They developed political organizations and a labour union. All good work. But I wonder if Peter might have scratched his head a little questioning the emphases and motivations.
When we think of Christianity, we generally think of church buildings, well structured worship services, and committee meetings, hopefully short. Basically, things we have built, organized. When Peter thought of Christianity, he thought of participating in the divine nature, of adding to our faith, goodness, knowledge all the way down the list to love.
For many of us, Christianity is about what we do, what we do for God. For Peter, it was about what was received. God has given us everything we need for a godly life. We have been cleansed from our past sins and given an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). Peter reminds us that we have been given all the tools with instruction manuals; the Christian life is learning how to use them well.
Peter asks what blueprints we are using and what kinds of material. What are we building with our lives? Are we laying up treasures in heaven through faith, goodness, knowledge…agape? We cannot lose our inheritance, but why play in a sandbox when we have been given the entire beach. I wonder if our fractured churches and families are the result of poor priorities. What good is the accumulation of worldly wealth if it crowds out the much greater wealth of treasures in God’s kingdom? Peter asks us probing questions. Let us take the time to ponder them well, lest we be near-sighted and blind.
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Here we come to the end of the list of virtues that Peter puts out to us. Yesterday’s word was “Philadelphia,” the word for “brotherly/sisterly love” or “mutual affection” in our translation. Today’s word steps that up a notch by using the word for the highest form of love—that particularly Christian form of “unconditional love” that we call “agape” (ah-gah-pay).
This is the word that describes the whole of the good-news Gospel of Christianity in a nutshell. God so loved (agape) the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Agape love is God’s love. It is unconditional love—a love that sets no pre-requisite conditions. But is more than that. As Mark Buchanan suggests in his book on Peter, it’s more like “unprovoked love.” We are loved this way by God (and sometimes our parents too) out of the blue at times, and for no good reason based in our activity at all.
Agape then is not just a love that sets no prior conditions—it is a love that actively commits to pursuing those who never could have deserved it and who might even actively resist it. Even when our actions anger God—his commitment to love us in Jesus Christ stands firm. Even when our actions disappoint, disregard, or demean God—God’s commitment to love us in Jesus Christ stands firm. It is Agape love—a commitment to love that overcomes and continues to love despite absolutely everything that comes against it.
It is only because of this Agape love of God for us that any of us can come even close to displaying this kind of counter-cultural love-commitment toward anyone else. But it is this form of love, more so than any other virtue, that displays what it means to “be like Jesus.”
This is why Paul says the greatest of the virtues is love in 1 Corinthians 13, and why this virtue gains such a central place in that letter as the linchpin of all Christian community and action. It is, says Paul, one of only three things that remain into eternity of all our earthly works and virtues, and of those three, it is the greatest.
Of course—there’s a good reason that this virtue comes at the end of the list. It is the hardest of them all to live out. Yet it is also the clearest and most oft-repeated command given to us—by Jesus in the Gospels, and by most every New Testament author throughout the letters. “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
There are two sides to the coin of learning to live this kind of Agape love, I think. First—each day we must remember and believe that this is the way that God loves us—we must be grounded in the Agape love of God. Then, second, we must seek to “go and do likewise.” Step by step, interaction by interaction, conversation by conversation we must practice this Agape love day by day in the power of the Pentecost Spirit.
Can we take one step further toward loving someone else in an unconditional, unprovoked way today—especially those that frustrate or disgust us? This is the call if we are to love as God has first loved us, remembering always that when we fail, God’s own Agape love continues to hold us fast: forgiving us, setting us back on our feet, and sending us out to try it again.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection (2 Peter 1:5-7).
Since the fall into sin, we have been faced with the question, “Where is your brother?” Intuitively, we know the answer. And yet with Cain, we often reply, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). This dark thread of sibling conflict weaves its way through the Old Testament.
Consider the decades long feud between Esau and Jacob that had Jacob running for his life. Joseph’s brothers were so jealous of the special treatment he received from dad, they planned to kill him. In the end, they didn’t, but they did sell him as a slave. When they reconnected with him in the throne room of Egypt, they were petrified he would seek revenge.
There were also David’s brothers who thought he acted all high and mighty. There was deadly conflict among David’s children. God might have asked all these folks, “Where is your brother?” They would all have answered, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Into the New Testament, the rivalries continue. Now its Jesus’ disciples squabbling over which of them was the greatest. I wonder if some of Jesus’ comments aren’t in response to this long history of family feuding. His famous foot washing scene is introduced with ‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). It ends with Jesus’ command, “Now that I have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (13:14).
It seems clear enough that when Jesus’ followers are asked, “Where is your sister? Where is your brother?” we should be answering, “Right here with me, because I have been taking care of them.”
Our virtue for today is ‘mutual affection’. You may know it by another rendering, “philadelphia”, literally, ‘brotherly love.’ In the ancient world, it was used to describe blood brothers, sons of the same father. Maybe the phrase, ‘blood is thicker than water’, harkens back to this word. Family sticks together, always.
Philadelphia is now used to describe the relationship between fellow believers. We all have one heavenly father, drawn into His family through the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood is powerful, breaking down the dividing walls of hostility to create one new family in his body. As Jesus washed our feet, we are to wash each other’s feet. There is just no way around this, we are the keepers of our siblings. John puts it bluntly, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar” (1 John 4:20).
We have already said several times that these virtues are bracketed by faith and love. They are rooted in faith and demonstrated in love. Tomorrow we will say more about this love. For today, recall Paul’s summary, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). Not just the nice siblings, those easy to love. Philadelphia requires us to get up close and personal where we can see the warts and wrinkles and smell the foul odours and love them still.
What will that look like for you today?
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 6:1-4, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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Jesus sometimes tells us to let our light shine before others and sometimes to do our acts of righteousness secretly. How can we know the difference?
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We’ve moved from the “what” to do of righteous living now to the question of “why” we do it. What are the different motivations that people might have for “performing” their righteousness vs. doing it “secretly?”
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Does Jesus tell us to stop seeking other rewards for giving and generosity? What might he be saying about our desire for rewards? What rewards ought we to desire?
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How might you live this out this week in the ways that you give of whatever you have (time, help, money, etc.)?
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness… (2 Peter 1:5-6)
Today’s word is “godliness,” and it takes us right back to yesterday’s word of “perseverance.” In particular, it takes us back to the later section of this letter that Pastor Michael quoted yesterday, where Peter writes: “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11b-12a).
We have a hope in Christ that keeps our eyes fixed on him, looking forward to his coming again when he will set all things right and make all things new. In anticipation of that day, we are called to persevere—to hang on to our hope and faith through all the trials, sufferings, and everyday burdens of life. That was what we talked about yesterday.
But now Peter says we must do more than just hang on and endure until Jesus returns—we must also live. Not just surviving by living out a life that sources the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and work mind you, but living a life that seeks to embody the faith and hope we claim in Christ. We “ought to live holy and godly lives as [we] look forward,” ever straining to become who God has made us to be.
For this, Peter uses the word “godliness.” It’s a word that refers to good deeds that arise from the root of faith and the motivation of love. It’s a word that also refers to spiritual disciplines like prayer and worship. It also refers to a respect for the Creational boundaries and proportions that God has set for our creaturely lives in relationship to self, to others, and to him. Most simply—it is a word that suggest we ought to become like Christ, our God.
To become godly is to really live out that whole “What Would Jesus Do” line. It is to respect the boundaries and fittingness of life and interactions, as Jesus did. It is to tend our relationship with God through practices of prayer, as Jesus did. It is to do good in this world, as Jesus did. To do all this, not only “as” Jesus did, but “because” Jesus did. We seek to become godly as an all-of-life act of devotion to him. Or, as Paul puts it in Romans 12, it is offering our “bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is,” he says, “your true and proper worship.”
Seeking to live a godly life is not something that we do from guilt nor something that we attempt to conjure up out of nothing by sheer force of will. No, as Peter already told us in verse 3: God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life,” and he has done so “through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
It is God’s desire and design that we should become like Christ. He is the one who called us to be godly. He is the one who provides, through the Spirit, all that we need to do it. He is the one who brings this Christlike godliness to life within us when we join with him. Finally, he is the one who gives us the hope to lead us on and to assure us that all of this will finally be accomplished: on that day when Christ comes again.
Until then, let us “live holy and godly lives as [we] look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance (2 Peter 1:5,6).
Following Jesus is not a good carrier move. Refusing to be involved in shady practices can cost us promotions. When we refuse to gossip around the proverbial water cooler, colleagues do not warm up to us. Refraining from excessive drinking can lead to defriending. Sometimes we are ostracised for mentioning our faith in Jesus.
Following Jesus is costly. We make financial donations to the church and to other charities. Rather than sleeping in on Sunday’s we gather with our Christian family to worship God. The leadership is always looking for more volunteers; we begrudgingly offer our time and talent. Then there are the neighbours we’d really like to ignore, but they know we are Christians. Sometimes we hear the tune of “They will know we are Christians by our love” being hummed from the other side of the fence. Our decidedly unchristian neighbour is reminding us of our commitment.
Following Jesus is profoundly frustrating. So often, we fail to live up to the calling we have received. We’ve lost count of the times we have renewed our faith and commitment to Jesus. We see ourselves as repeat offenders. We bought unnecessary clothes again. We got angry at our children again. We looked the other way again when someone else was being bullied. Again, we snoozed the alarm and had no time for devotions. Again, we choose not to reach out to a hurting friend.
Jesus did not promise an easy road when calling his disciples. He warns us to count the cost before signing up (Luke 14:25ff). He claimed to have no place to lay his head (Luke 9:53), so we shouldn’t expect one either. Several times the apostles list the suffering they are enduring for the sake of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:23ff). What is it that kept them going? How did they persevere? They knew where they were going.
We persevere because we know where we are going. “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God…in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11, 13). We persevere in anticipation of hearing the blessed words from Jesus own lips, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).
In the meantime, we remember the value of suffering: it refines our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7); it perfects our hope (1 Peter 1:8-9, 21); it weans us from sin (1 Peter 4:1-3); it deepens our intimacy with Jesus (1 Peter 4:12-13) and it trains us in holiness (1 Peter 4:16-19).
Of course, suffering might do the exact opposite. It might corrode our faith, shatter our hope, estrange us from Jesus, provoke us to rebellion, plunge us into sin. The question is: do we believe we are on the right path? It’s a matter of faith. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Suffering can teach us hope. To hope for something that this world cannot offer. To look forward to a future that is too glorious for our imaginations to imagine. And hope inspires us to persevere.
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control… (2 Peter 1:5-6a)
Self-Control is one of the few virtues in Peter’s list that lines up with Paul’s Fruit of the Spirit. It is undoubtably a good gift of God, but it can be a double-edged sword. Much like our discussion of “knowledge” yesterday, the danger is that self-control can “puff up” our pride and self-righteousness rather than “build up” others in love. If this is the case, then we’ve gone wrong somewhere. This list of virtues demands a grounding in faith that moves toward love, not self-righteousness.
There is a self-control which is the achievement of our own control and there is a self-control that arises from surrender to God’s control. When self-control is our own achievement, we might find ourselves looking down on lesser Christians or people in society who can’t seem to get it together. Having learned to master our own desires and impulses, we can grow impatient and grace-less with those who continue to stumble. We view ourselves as “strong Christians” who have figured out the discipline of a moral and productive life—a vantage point from which others look weak and in need of improvement. This prideful sense of control can spread from control of self to a desire to either control others, or to remove them from the well-controlled space of our church or community.
As Paul reminds us, self-control is not an achievement. It is a gift of the Spirit. A fruit born in the Christian life that is produced in us by the Spirit. The list that Peter gives brings even more definition. The self-control he speaks of arises from the ground of faith in Jesus who has given us every good gift, calling, and promise. This kind of self-control that submits to the gifts and Lordship of Christ culminates in a life of love. Self-control as a gift of God that rests on faith and arrives at love cannot be the sort that produces pride or a controlling or diminishing attitude toward others.
Now, the word for “self-control” that Peter uses does speak of a sort of lordship or dominion over something. In the Greek philosophers of the day—including Aristotle—this virtue of self-mastery was one of the most important. Yet, it only shows up rarely in the New Testament. The reasons? There is only one “Lord” who holds “dominion” over our lives, and it isn’t us. Self-control as a Christian virtue is not an exercise of our own lordship over our lives, it is a submission of our lives to the Lordship and mastery of Christ.
Furthermore, whereas in the Greek philosophers self-control often entailed a rejection of the material creation and all desire for it—the Christian exercise of self-control is different. The Lord of our lives asks not that we reject his Creation or the desires he created us with, but instead that we submit these desires and our use of the Creation to him.
Self-control then, is submission to the Lordship of Christ. It is a steadfast keeping of the Creational boundaries he, the King, has given such that we can fully enjoy, work, and play as creatures within his Creation and enable others to do the same. This kind of self-control is self-surrendering, self-giving, and as an act of love for God, his Creation, and our fellow image-bearers—it is also an act that continually points back—not to our own control or achievements—but to the gracious rule and gifts of the true King: Jesus Christ, Master of our lives.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness… For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge… For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:2,3,5,8).
Returning to the list of virtues, we come to knowledge, which looms large in the opening words of the letter. These opening 8 verses reveal that knowledge has little value in and of itself but is tied to other things. When we consider Job’s three friends, and even Job himself—all thinking they had knowledge of the ways of God—we recognize that knowledge can be dangerous. When God finally speaks, he askes the four friends, “What do you know?” The answer: ‘Not much’. Paul warns us that knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1). So, let’s be careful.
What should be say about knowledge? First, it is a conduit. The grace and peace of God enter our lives through knowledge. They are gifts God gives, but they require knowledge to be opened. Secondly, knowledge produces godly lives helping us to be ‘effective and productive’ followers of Jesus Christ. It assists in bringing fullness of life—a deep, abiding commitment to the ways of God. While useless if unattached, knowledge brings incredible spiritual beauty to the world when well connected.
Thirdly, Peter is writing about ‘knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord’, ‘knowledge of him who called us’ and ‘knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’. He is concerned with knowledge of a person, gained through long personal intimate relationship. Of course, such knowledge includes facts. In our relationship with a close family member, we know their birthday, significant events that impacted their lives, their favourite colour, and important people they have lost. Yet, it is much more.
The more we get to know someone the more there is yet to know. Even spouses still surprise each other after 50 years of marriage. One of the joys of being in a good intimate relationship is that the closer we are to someone the more we want to know them and bring delight into their lives.
In verses 2,3, and 8, Peter uses a Greek work that suggests ‘full of knowledge’. But in verse 5, he uses a different word which suggests the gathering of information. We are to put ourselves to the task of getting to know God so that we can be full of knowledge, thereby receiving his grace and peace and living effective Christian lives. This is a slow piece-meal, lifelong process.
How do we gain this knowledge? The Belgic Confession says that God reveals himself “by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe” and more “clearly in Scripture”. Jesus said that true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth and that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is with them. Worship and Christian fellowship are spaces where intimate knowledge, governed by Scripture, is often experienced.
Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our being, including our minds. Knowledge is not the goal. Love is. Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. “Whoever loves God is known by God” (2 Corinthians 8:3).
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)
At this start of this new week, an overview to get us back into 2 Peter. We started into the list of virtues that Peter gives last Friday with goodness, but before we go further, perhaps it’s helpful to see the whole and the reasons given for “adding” these things “to your faith.”
This list Peter makes can seem rather random. Could there be more items in this list? Probably. Do each flow directly from the others? Not quite as tightly perhaps as in Romans 5:3-5.
The point is not to have a complete, logical check-list to mark off so that we know if we’re winning the game or not though. The point is to illustrate that being “cleansed from [one’s] past sins” in Baptism and belief ought to mean something in our lives! Knowing Jesus yields a transformed life. And if it doesn’t—what do you really know? If your faith isn’t starting to add up to a life of virtue, you must have forgotten all the “everything you need” that God gave you back in those first few verses of the letter!
There is, in fact, not much special about this list. Similar virtues can be found all over the ancient world in such virtue lists—both in pagan and Christian writings. What sets this list off is the context and the reasons. Pastor Michael alluded to some of it last week already. In essence, Peter says: cultivate common virtue just like the rest of the society around you. But do it for a different reason! Do it because of “your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!” He doesn’t specifically say it that way—but his list does. In Peter’s list, there are two elements that are not common to the virtue lists of the ancient world: Faith and love.
Faith is where the list begins. Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which this new life of virtue is built. And not just faith in Jesus—but faith in the Jesus who has given us “everything we need” and who has “called us” and “given us… promises” (v. 3-4). Christians enter into the practice of virtue with faith reasons and faith resources that no one else in society has.
Love is where the list ends—unconditional, agape love. God’s own love in Jesus. Every one of these otherwise generic virtues is built on a foundation of faith and culminates in Christlike love.
If these are the two slices of bread between which Peter’s virtue sandwich is made—faith and love—then everything in the middle likewise changes its flavour. That brings us back to goodness. It’s not just generic goodness anymore—it’s goodness as seen through the eyes of faith that strains toward love. So we look at God’s own goodness and glory (v. 3), just as Pastor Michael did Friday, to understand our own pursuit of it.
With our pumps primed for the transformation springing from the Baptized life of faith in Jesus, we’re ready to return to the list. Tomorrow.
As you journey on today, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 5:33-48. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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How does the Ascension of Jesus impact our appreciation of this text?
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How do you easily white-wash Jesus’ command, “do not swear an oath at all?” What can you do to move closer to keeping it? Does it bother you when the state insists you swear an oath? Should it?
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What is the first surprise in Jesus comments about ‘no revenge’? What is the second surprise? What should we do if our response to evil does not produce good results? Why does Jesus tell us not to seek vengeance?
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Who are your enemies? Why does Jesus tell us that in loving our enemies we will be children of the Father? Reflect on this regarding your own Christian experience.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness… (2 Peter 1:5a).
We are saved by grace through faith. Full stop. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 for the most pointed Biblical word on that. But grace does more than save, it also sanctifies. And sanctification requires our partnership. That is the way of God’s economy. We have been given everything we need for it. Not that we will become perfect in this life, but we will make progress, that is, if we put effort into it.
As Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit, so Peter writes about these virtues. It is worth noting that the goal of these virtues is love, which is the most eminent Christian virtue binding the others together. Love is not primarily a feeling, even though it surely includes that. It always includes action, as in “this is love…God loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Paul wrote, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). This is Peter’s version.
This is our goal: love. Of course, we shouldn’t say that we can wait until the end to love. These virtues work to strengthen our ability to love. Here, Peter begins with ‘goodness’. What does this word mean and why is it first?
Our English word ‘good’ or ‘goodness’ is used to translate two different Greek words. The one word describes good actions like feeding the hungry and helping an elderly neighbour mow their grass. The other Greek word describes who a person is. Jesus had this to say, “No one is good—except God alone” (Mark 10:18). This is the word Peter uses here.
God’s goodness has context. In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to reveal his glory. After some back and forth, God says, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you” (19). So, God’s goodness is connected to his glory. In his reflections on this story, Paul writes that we “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This, I think, is why Peter begins here. That we participate in the divine nature, that we become like God, that our character becomes good like his.
Let me offer some suggestions to add goodness to faith. First, worship God. Greg Beale wrote “What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or for restoration”. We might also say, we worship what we love; so, love God and become like him. The challenge is that for many of us, worship is passive. We sit and receive what the leaders have to offer. How will you actively worship God?
Second, examine. The dictionary defines this: “to look at or consider a person carefully and in detail in order to discover something about them”. Christians have long practiced self-examine for the discovery of sinful habits and tendencies. The practice has been used to kill off the ‘earthly nature’ (Colossians 3:5). Of course, this is done under the guidance of God (Psalm 139:23-24). This is time consuming.
And speaking of God’s guidance, a third bit of advice in our effort towards goodness: follow the Holy Spirit. Jesus named the Spirit, our counsellor, our guide. Paul said we are to walk in step with him. The Spirit will guide us away from our earthly nature, towards the goodness of God. That is the Spirit’s job: “to transform us into God’s image with ever-increasing glory”. Will we follow? All the gifts are here. Let’s use them.
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
This set of verses picks up right where we left off yesterday. Gifts, gifts, and more gifts. We are totally overrun by God’s gifts in these opening verses.
We are given “everything we need for a godly life.” We are given a calling sheerly based upon Jesus’ own “glory and goodness.” We are given his “very great and precious promises” which springs us free from the corruption of our evil desires and permits us to participate with God himself instead in this journey of being conformed to Christ.
Pastor Michael alluded to it yesterday, but it’s worth underscoring a couple times here again. Nothing in our world works this way that God works. In the world we live in—nothing is for free. Everything comes at a cost, and so every interaction implies a transaction. We give of our work only so that our employer or customers will give of their money in return. When we give of our money, we always expect a return—a product, a service, or something similar. Even our generosity goes this way—we give in order to help someone. If those we help do not respond to our help with gratitude and/or a changed life that gives us a sense of “impact,” we tend to re-evaluate the nature of our giving.
So when it comes to faith—we expect God to operate the same way. This can manifest in a couple different ways. Firstly—it can show up in our guilt. If we find that our own response to God is lacking, we feel sheepish or even ashamed to come back to his presence asking again for forgiveness. We assume God will treat us like everyone else does, or like we tend to treat others. When we don’t shape up, we assume God will ship us out. We cannot be worthy or deserving of such continual gifts of grace and forgiveness as he intends to offer.
It’s true: we aren’t worthy nor deserving. God gives us these gifts not because of who we are, but because of who he is. He has called us “by his own glory and goodness,” not our own.
It can happen the other way too, though. If we find that we aren’t being terribly “impacted” by church, by worship, or by the community of church people—we can quickly assume that we must not be “getting much out of it.” In other words, we’re paying more time, attention, and obedience than we’re being paid back in rewards.
In this case, we’ve lost sight of the larger movements of God’s economy. Our own narrow sense of microeconomics has missed the macroeconomic reality of God’s “everything.” This is indeed the danger of our modern world. It’s flat. No “divine power,” “nature,” or “givens” remain visible to our perception, and therefore also not to our ledgers. That, and the lifetime of growing into a “godly life” takes place over such a long time frame such that it seems immaterial to our day to day lives.
Only with time and the wisdom that comes from the hardships and sorrows of broken promises, failed callings, and corrupt desires do we begin to discover that the gifts of God that lead us onward toward a life that smells like Jesus is the most material asset we might ever hold. Wouldn’t you know it—whether it takes us a long time or a little to clue in to the value of this asset—the cost is just the same. Free. Its’ free. A gift of God that was always ours for the receiving. No time like the present. Are you in?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (2 Peter 1:1-2).
Today, we begin a journey through 2 Peter, in part, because someone recently asked a question about 1:5. Wilderness Wanderings seems like a good venue to explore the answer. However, after the opening paragraph this letter gets into some wild and confusing content. That is another good reason to spend some time here. So, let’s buckle in.
Peter takes his cues from Jesus. In our sermon on the Mount preaching series, we have been emphasizing that before Jesus lays down any kingdom commands, he offers his kingdom blessings. He equips before he calls. Peter does the same here. Beginning in verse 5, he calls on Christians to be actively involved in developing their faith. But before that, he rolls out the gifts of God which enable Christian maturation.
The first gift is faith. Pay attention to how faith is acquired: it is received. We emphasize ‘accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour’; ‘committing ourselves to God’; ‘ensuring that Christians have the true teachings.’ All these things have a place within the Christian community. They are not wrong. But in the end, faith is a gift of God. Often, despite our objections we discover that we do actually believe.
This is good news for all of us who struggle with doubt and with a lack of sanctification. In Hebrews 12, we are instructed to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (2). Peter will challenge us to set our shoulders to the task of Christian growth, but only after reminding us that Jesus shoulders the bulk of the work. So have confidence.
Secondly, Jesus said that our Heavenly Father is eager to give his Spirit to his children (Luke 11:13). Behind that declaration are these words, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams” (Isaiah 44:3-4).
Peter is drawing on this imagery when he writes, ‘Grace and peace be your in abundance’. Our God is not stingy with his gifts. He does not have limited resources. He does not balance his budget. He has unlimited resources and is eager to give them away. Jesus is busy building a community that swims in his grace, his underserving favour and mercy. “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is love: that God forgives before we ask for it. As imitators of God, we must learn the eagerness to forgive.
The Bible opens with a garden of abundance sparkling with harmony between God, the humans, and the rest of God’s creation. There was no abuse, no desire for power. Everything could flourish as God intended. God gives the gifts for his new community in Christ to move towards such wonderful shalom.
But we must know God. How he has revealed himself in scripture, coupled with the personal experience his grace, of his presence in the darkness, of his provision in our need. This is knowledge that shapes our love for him, leads us to worship, to stand silent before the mystery of his love. Such knowledge is not hidden. It is here. As we grow in this knowledge grace and peace abounds in his community.
So, as you journey on:
Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).
Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:25-28)
Kissing people who are not my family is not something I do. Or at least, it wasn’t until I met my wife. Now I regularly kiss friends and acquaintances as well. Why the change? Some of you may already know.
Americans have no cultural practice of kissing people with whom you are not already in some way, intimate. But the Dutch do—as do any number of cultures around the world—and my wife is Dutch. The Dutch have a standard tradition of “three Dutch kisses” that one performs as a greeting when encountering anyone you know reasonably well. Not on the lips mind you, but kisses applied to the cheek, or just to the air next to the cheek—first to the right, then flipping around to do the same thing on the left, then flipping back round to the right. Three Dutch “kisses.”
This cultural convention at first seemed terribly intimate and intrusive to me. When I said so—my wife noted how she found the American greeting—which tends much more often to be a hug with those same friends and acquaintances—to be far more intimate and invasive. The Dutch, after all, do not press their bodies together like the Americans do.
It’s all in what your used to, I suppose. The “holy kiss” of Paul’s writing is one of those Biblical commands that we assume to be culturally constructed--just like the American hug or the three Dutch kisses. Even though the Holy Kiss shows up four different times in Paul’s letters as a command to the Christian community—you will notice that we do not obey this command (and to my knowledge, the Dutch churches don’t either). Herein then lies one of the interpretive principles of Bible reading.
When we read Paul’s letters, we are reading someone else’s mail. We are not the Thessalonians Paul was writing to. Nor do we live in the times with its cultural customs that the Thessalonians lived in. So when we interpret things like this, what we’re looking for is the intent or purpose of the command—a principle that can be applied in our own time, place, and culture.
So what was this “holy kiss”? Later in the early church, it became known as the “kiss of peace.” In some church traditions still today there is a section of the worship service called “passing the peace” which carries some residue from this practice. Even our own periodic “greet one another as God has greeted you” moments at the beginning of our service carries something of it.
The “holy kiss” was a moment in worship, often connected with the Lord’s Supper, where fellowship and unity was affirmed, but also where reconciliation was worked out. To offer this sign of intimate fellowship and unity required seeing the other as one whom Christ had forgiven and who I ought also to forgive (or confess before, as the case may be). A sense grew up in the churches of “con-spiring” together through this kiss—quite literally a “breathing together” or a sharing the “Spirit together.” For, as Paul says in Ephesians 4: “there is one body and one Spirit,” right after he implores the church to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3-4).
Whatever the cultural form—this remains an important command and a good reminder at the end of this letter. We ought always to continue to seek to manifest the one Spirit of Christ that makes the church Holy through working out—as tangibly as a kiss—our reconciliation with one another through confession and forgiveness. As we do so, may “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Out of baseball’s history comes this story: the game was tied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter stepped into the batting box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Yogi Berra was behind the plate; he wiped it off with his glove and said to the pious batter, "Why don't we let God just watch this game?"
Many Christians live according to this theology: God just watches us. And usually, we envision God watching us with a frown because we do not measure up. But Paul ends this letter, as he does most of his letters, with a blessing. These closes words are not a wish Paul has. He writes them out of a deep believe in God’s faithfulness, rooted in the Old Testament. Thus, he concludes, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”
This theme of God’s faithfulness runs through the Old Testament. We can see it clearly in Joshua 1. Moses is dead, the desert lies behind the people and the strong walls of Jericho stand before them. Naturally, Israel is in crisis. Joshua is to lead. But he is so young. So inexperienced. If only Moses was still alive.
But God says, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you…Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7-9).
Moses is dead; but God’s promises are not. There's no loss of momentum because it was never about the faithfulness of Moses, nor the faithfulness of the nation. It was always about the faithfulness of God and his promises to his people. Israel’s story is primarily about God’s purposes and his promises.
First Thessalonians is primarily about the gospel and the church. The church proclaims the gospel, and the gospel forms the church. But as we know, the world, the devil and our own flesh are arrayed against the gospel and the church. Often, we flounder more than we flourish. Our enemies are strong. But our God is stronger. And he is faithful. He is the God of peace, shalom. He will build his church, after all, he died for us and has infused us with his Holy Spirit and grafted us into himself. He will sanctify us through and through. He will keep us in good working order: set apart for his service.
Thank God that our sanctification is not dependent on our feeble efforts but on the strong faithful work of our God. When God calls, he always provides. God keeps his promises. We can rely on his steadfast love, which never fails but endures for ever.
God does not sit in heaven watching and wandering if we will make it. He is actively at work in our lives, making us holy for his own glory.
So, as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 5:27-32, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What is the Garden of Eden picture that a husband and wife using the good God-given gifts of physical and emotional intimacy leads to? What is the Garden of Eden picture of this not going well?
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What kind of looks and lusts does Jesus command against? What does keeping this command mean for married people? Single people? What might (or does) make it difficult to keep this command? What is at the heart of this command?
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What help does Jesus give to empower us to live within his command? How might we get there?
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Lift up whatever challenges you might face in relationship to this command to Jesus and consider other supports and people in your life that might help you do this work of dying and rising in Christ.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)
Like the “pray continually” command of yesterday, the “do not quench the Spirit” command of today has had a habit of rattling around in church conversations in a way that usually sounds accusatory and produces a great deal of guilt. In particular, we tend to whip out this command as an accusation against other churches or believers when we feel like they’re not quite keeping step with the times, or when we feel like our church or program is dying. Someone must be “quenching the Spirit.”
Of course, this generally takes the verse out of context. What Paul specifically has in mind here is not individual behaviour, but rather: the church at worship. Within the context of the church at worship, Paul is thinking specifically of prophecy.
Now we might think that doesn’t really apply to us anymore today. We don’t have prophets or entertain prophecy or prophetic words in our churches anymore. Pentecostals might, but by and large, we don’t. Right?
Wrong. Actually, the preaching of the Word in Sunday worship is one way the prophetic gift still manifests itself in our midst. In fact, each follower of Christ lives out this prophetic office in some way. Anytime we speak a Word of Scripture or a word that agrees with it to encourage or remind someone of the gifts and promises of God, we are speaking prophetically. In these ways, we speak as prophets that declare the good news of God on earth through the power of the Spirit who gives us these words to speak. Prophecy then, is not primarily about predicting the future accurately. Much more often, the prophets of the Old Testament simply remind the people of God’s word and promises already spoken—but doing so in the new context of the present reality the people find themselves in.
With such an expansive view of prophecy—as a spiritual gift that all believers in some way use—the question is how do we live well as part of the community of the prophets, which, knowingly or not, is what we are?
Firstly, we may not minimize or quench this prophetic reality. You cannot pooh-pooh it off by saying: “oh, that’s not really something I do,” or “oh, the words we speak to one another are not really that serious.” Because yes they are, and yes you do. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit—an ambassador of Christ—and God uses you to speak words of encouragement, hospitality, grace, and challenge to one another all the time. He uses others in the Christian community in just that same way. We may not dismiss one another’s words.
But if everything is to be taken seriously, how can you tell if something is a true word of prophecy from the Spirit or not? For this, Paul calls us to test everything, holding on to what is good and rejecting every kind of evil. How? He doesn’t give any rules, but perhaps he had something in mind like what happens in Jeremiah 26 (go read it!). For us today though, maybe a few simple ways to do this “testing” are worth noting.
Firstly, does what was said agree with the revelation God has already given us in the Bible and through Jesus? Establishing that it is a word that rings with the truth of Scripture, you can ask a second question: is this truth spoken in love? In other words—is it said in the way of Jesus? Are the motives and methods of the speaker appropriate to the love and grace of Christ that has declared us to be forgiven children of God and that builds up his church? Then a third thing—does this word come from one whose life is increasingly congruent with the word spoken? Now we could be quite harsh with this one, but we ought not be. It’s not that the speaker has to be perfect—none of us are—but if this word has not also touched and begun to transform the speaker’s life in the area they’re speaking about in ways that begin to reveal the Spirit at work, then perhaps a grain of salt can be taken.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Discerning—together with other Christians—whether these marks of Jesus are present in the words we Christians speak to one another as encouragement and support is one way to sift the Spirit-breathed good from the evil we are to flee.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony began his devotion by saying that Paul concludes this letter “by gathering up the letter’s contents—repeating them in a flurry of staccato commands that speak very directly and practically to the life of the church”. The material he covered is easily applied to the church as a Christian community, living out the Christian life in full view of the world.
Its strange then, that today’s text is suddenly shrunk down and applied to the individual Christian. This has caused considerable consternation even for mature Christians who believe that they are falling short of the mark. Its one of those repeat questions a pastor fields, “How can I do this?” Not one of us can live up to this understanding of our text.
But these instructions are given to the church as a community that worships Jesus. Within that context, we live into these qualities. When the church gathers, whether for corporate worship or in smaller groups, these things need to govern the gathering. This does not mean that we ignore all the trials and tribulations that life brings us. Rather, they enable us to endure hardship as Christians.
One of the tasks of a Christian gathering is to remember. We remember that we are “chosen and dearly loved by God” (1:4). We remember that we are imitators of our Lord (1:6) and it is his will that we are sanctified (4:3). We remember that Jesus is coming back, and we will be with him (4:17). With this remembering, our gatherings our formed by joy, prayer and thanksgiving.
To ‘rejoice’, does not mean that we are ‘happy’. Joy is rooted in our identity as God’s redeemed people anticipating a new creation without sin and all its consequences. We must gently remind each other that our suffering here is temporary. Worship is both a celebration of what Christ has done for us and a dress rehearsal for the great wedding banquet, so joy is woven into its fabric.
Praying is not primarily prayer requests. We should not ask, ‘what shall we pray for?’ but, ‘what shall we pray about?’ We pray about the kingdom of God, that we will be flourishing citizens of that kingdom within the kingdoms of the world. Prayer keeps us connected to the Holy Spirit, who is the source of all God’s good spiritual gifts. Further, it is an act of submission, submitting our will to the will of God.
These two are pared with thanksgiving. Again, this is rooted not in the circumstances of life, but in our Christian identify. We do not give thanks for things, but in them. The Heidelberg Catechism opens with, “My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong-body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ”. This is the heart of our thanksgiving.
The barrage of advertisement that comes our way has one purpose: to breed discontent in our hearts, to create desire for the things we do not have. In this text, Paul encourages us to invest time and effort in our relationship with God, for which we need the Christian community. We will develop a connection with Him like the umbilical cord of an unborn child to its mother. It is God’s will that we are drawn together into the life of God through Jesus and the Spirit.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15)
Paul now turns to conclude the letter. He does so by gathering up the letter’s contents—repeating them in a flurry of staccato commands that speak very directly and practically to the life of the church.
The Thessalonians have been commended for living in order to please God and for loving one another well. In both cases they were encouraged to do so more and more. These encouragements came with warnings that the rejection of the apostle’s teaching amounted to rejection of God, but they also came with the reminder and hope that “your daily life may win the respect of outsiders.” The world was watching, and by their way of life together, the Thessalonians were preaching.
Now Paul reminds them of these things. He calls them to acknowledge and hold a high regard for their leaders—those who work, care, and admonish as the apostles have done through their teaching. Like the work of the apostles, the work of every Christian leader—when carried out faithfully—is an expression of God’s own work, care, and admonishment among the community. And as God’s own work—even though the admonishment bits might be hard to swallow—it ought always to be understood as a word and work meant to grow us up to maturity in Christ.
Just like leaders are an expression of God’s work within the congregation, so the congregation itself is an expression of God’s work in the world. As such, it is important how the Thessalonians or any Christians still today conduct themselves. So come the next line of commands to “live in peace with one another.”
This involves engaging those who are idly disengaged (and therefore disruptive) by encouraging them to get involved in productive pursuits—participating in God’s own work in the world until the day that Jesus comes again. Our work is participation in God’s work—harkening back to the Genesis commands to steward, work, and care for this world.
There are other threats to our participation in God’s work though—division and conflict, disease and discouragement. So the call to be patient with one another, to help the weak, to encourage the disheartened, to defuse conflict before it gets out of hand, and to always strive for each other’s good, and indeed for the good of the society around them.
In these ways, the Thessalonian’s work joins up with God’s own work and preaches God’s kingdom gospel ever louder and ever further to a world longing to hear such good news of healthy leadership, divisions bridged, the weak upheld, and the good of all generously and unselfishly striven for.
By God’s grace and work among us, may our own lives and church preach just that word.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:6-11).
Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot for the USA during the Gulf War in the 1990s. After his 300th mission, he was given permission to fly his plane home. After landing in Massachusetts his friends drove him to western Pennsylvania, arriving at his house just after sunrise. There was a big banner across the garage—"Welcome Home Dad!" Walking through the front door, he found his family dressed and ready for him. After the screams of excitement, he managed to ask, “How did you know?” “We didn't,” they chorused. “Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.”
After some 2000 years, Jesus’ followers have become weary of waiting, of living in expectation of Christ’s return. Yet, that is how the Bible invites Christians to live. Like Robby’s family, we are to live expecting him any day. Living quiet, godly lives, contributing to the Christian community and to our society, we keep the banner welcoming Christ into his kingdom in good repair.
How do we do that? By encouraging and building one another up in the basics of the Christian faith. This is not a task reserved for the pastors and elders only. It is the responsibility of the community, the church. Of course, it also means that we are willing to be encouraged by others. Paul mentions several of these basic components here.
One, that our salvation is not rooted in anything within us. Nor is it dependent on our ability to keep the faith or to be salty or to keep our light uncovered. Rather, it is dependent on God’s appointment. God has saved us in Christ, and he will complete the work he has begun in us. Death is the punishment for sin. But Christ has died for us; we live. Physical death is not punishment for sin, nor can it keep us from experiencing Christ’s return. When he comes, we will live with him and experience the fullness of his words, “I have come to bring life in abundance”.
Two, put on the great triad of grace: faith, love, and hope. Since we are already in the light, having been saved, let us therefore live by the light. Paul uses the word sober to contrast drunkenness. His point is that we are self-controlled, disciplined. He is under no illusion that it is complicated to be a Christian. Faith in God’s saving work in Christ keeps us grounded, hope in Christ’s return keeps us moving forward, and love gives clarity to how we live our lives.
We cannot and will not miss his return. Do not be afraid of his coming. Live in expectation. Keep flying the banner that welcomes him home. Prepare for the party. Encourage one another.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5)
It is not uncommon these days to hear people predict the end of time. Things just feel so bad—it must be near, right? From pastor to pew sitter to non-Christian, people are sure that some sort of end must be imminent.
Not so fast though. Jesus also speaks—like Paul does here—of the day of the Lord coming in a totally unexpected moment, like a thief. Jesus says it even more explicitly: “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mt. 24:36).
On the one hand Jesus, like Paul, uses the “unknown” of the day of the Lord as an invitation to be ever watchful and ready, ever obedient and faithful. On the other hand, it is also used to give comfort, and this is more in keeping with what Paul is dong here: lowering the anxiety level.
Paul gives a picture of judgement here though too, and that might trouble us a bit. It’s important to keep the context in mind. The Roman society that was persecuting the Thessalonian church was a society in which everything looked good. The economy was humming along and under the law and protection of the Romans, peace and safety was enjoyed by all. That is, unless you were Christians who did not participate in the pagan practices of that society—then you experienced fearsome insecurity.
Paul’s point is that despite all this—it is actually the Christians who ultimately have the claim to peace and safety, because they rest secure under the Lordship of Christ as children of the light and of the day. The promise of the Roman empire is false—against the judgement of God, Rome cannot offer shelter. It is they of the pagan Roman society who have no hope, or at least who have placed their hopes in gods and emperors who are not gods—they who will be surprised and caught unaware by this thief-like day of the Lord’s judgement. On that day, the faith of the Thessalonian Christians will be vindicated, even as the injustices and suffering they have endured are set right.
The point for them and for us is this: in Jesus Christ we rest in peace and safety. For no matter when he comes and no matter what we suffer until then—we may trust that body and soul, in life and in death, we belong to him.
Yes, things are bad in our present moment even as they were bad for the Thessalonians back then—but hang in there. Stand firm. Don’t be deceived or alarmed. Jesus knows who are his, and you are his. There’s no way you’ll miss him or he you—you are children of the light and the day. So do not be afraid. No matter how bad things get or how fearsome the moment feels, stay calm. You belong to Jesus.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Isaiah 40:21-31. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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What does Isaiah 40:31 invite us to focus our efforts on – soaring, running, walking?
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God is King (Psalm 47:2). List the descriptive words for God in the word KING. Read through the book of Esther and notice that these things do not describe Xerxes.
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God is our Deliverer (Psalm 18:2). What is the promise this attribute of God is rooted in?
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God is Trustworthy (Psalm 145:13). How has it been difficult for you to believe this?
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God is Always at Work (Psalm 145:18). How does the story of Esther help us believe this?
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God is with Us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9; Matthew 28:20). In what contexts are these promises made?
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So, how do you eat an elephant? How does this question relate to our faith in God?
This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. So, encourage one another with these words of comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).
As we learned yesterday, Paul does not chastise the Christians for their grief. Rather, he offers a way to live with grief. His goal is that we help one another through the struggle of bringing our emotions and our faith together, living with hope even as we grieve. His core message is that Christ will return.
Make no mistake about it, this is a political statement. The Roman Emperor reigned supreme. Rome laughed at that the notion that Jesus Christ, whom it had killed on a cross in Judea, was Lord. But Christians believe that Jesus was granted Lordship specifically because he had offered himself up to death on that cross. And then he rose from the dead. At his ascension he was crowned Lord of lords and King of kings.
And he “must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Then, at the sign of the Father, Jesus Christ will rise from his sapphire throne, pass through the arches of glory-past the altar of sacrifice stained by his own blood, past the altar of incense, fragrant with the prayers of the saints, past the awesome living creatures who worship him night and day-and summon one great archangel to accompany him.
He will cross the great gulf fixed between heaven and earth and step through the curtain of the sky. No need for a star to point him out this time. No need for shepherds or wise men to spread the word. No disguises of baby flesh or swaddling clothes. As C. S. Lewis said, "When the author walks on the stage, the play is over." This time there will be no mistaking his coming.
The image is of a Roman dignitary on tour; the leading officials of the community would go out to meet him and accompany him into the city. At the sound of the arch angel’s trumpet, Christians who have died will experience resurrection. Then Jesus’ disciples still on earth will join them to meet our Saviour and Lord in the sky. It will be a grand family reunion, the best, without family squabbles, without end.
His brothers and sisters will usher Jesus into his kingdom, which is the earth. This passage gave birth to the notion of the rapture. But that has the imagery wrong. Jesus is not coming to take us away from this world. Rather, he is returning to this world to ‘make all things new’ and to reign here forever. And all people will see it, every knee will bow before him, and every tongue confess him, Lord.
We should encourage each other to live in the hope of His return to finish redemption. There is no need to live in fear his coming but recognize that this is God’s plan. For us, a second Christmas is on the horizon, then “we shall always be with the Lord” (17).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
These are perhaps some of the more well known words from the book of 1 Thessalonians. I know I became aware of them in grade 7 after the death of my uncle. These are go-to words for funerals.
Some have twisted these words to suggest that Christians ought not to grieve. Instead, that we should just wave death away as if it were nothing to be sad about at all—“they’re in a better place,” we say. Or, “God has a plan.” But in fact, when we use those statements or this text to skip over the pain and sorrow of losing some dear person, we have actually missed the point of all of it and perhaps even wounded ourselves or someone else in the process.
Paul never suggests that Christians ought not to grieve. Indeed, the Bible is full of examples of heart-sick and painful seasons of grief and weeping over the death and loss of so many things, including the people we love. Lament over the things that are not right but that we cannot change is a major thread through the Psalms. We even see Jesus weeping at the death of his friend, Lazarus—even though Jesus is himself the resurrection and the life!
So we ought not hear Paul wrongly here. Grief is not a sign of weak faith: it is a sign of deep love—the very thing that Christians are commanded most highly to have. What Paul does say is that when we grieve—because we will grieve—we do so with hope.
Our culture increasingly avoids death. A few years ago, an aunt of mine died in Las Vegas where she had lived for decades. A visitation was held before the funeral in a little chapel on site at the cemetery. A number of the people who came steered clear of the front of the sanctuary where her body lay. Some didn’t even enter the room—admitting that the reason was their fear of facing the reality of death. They signed the guest book and got out. That was an odd experience for my family members who were present. Visitation lines around the casket are still a routine expectation in the rural small-town community I grew up in. But this is increasingly foreign to the secular world in which we live.
More and more often, the deceased does not attend their own funeral. Visitations happen less frequently, and sometimes the body or remains of the deceased do not show up there either. At least in part, that’s because the secular world offers us no hope or story that can ground us in a world of meaning that transcends death’s finality. So we avoid it altogether.
For Christians, this is different though. We do have a story. And we do have hope. It is a peculiar tradition that Christians hold of caring for the bodies of their dead, and accompanying those bodies every last step of the earthly journey—all the way to the graveside—and doing so with singing, confessions of faith, and proclamations of the hope of resurrection. Not only is facing death’s cold reality an important psychological step in the journey of grieving—it is also an act of faith that our world without faith increasingly cannot take. They grieve without hope.
As Christians though, we are able to face the death of our loved ones. It is not easy. But we do it, because we stand together in the faith and hope that “Jesus died and rose again:” the sure promise that “God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” It is important that we do this together, because those closest to the loss cannot always hold on to this hope or sing the songs of resurrection themselves. So we do it for them as the Christian community. We carry them with our songs, prayers, and confessions of faith, trusting that this hope we’ve placed in Jesus’ final word of life will carry us all until he comes again.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to. Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won’t have to depend on anyone (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
Yesterday’s text encouraged the church to grow in the discipline of love. Christian charity always includes practical stuff like providing meals and offering transportation. Paul recognizes that this practice could be taken advantage of—some deciding to live off of the largess of others. Folks among the lower social classes might take up residence on the estate of a wealthy Christian, expecting the well healed to provide for their wellbeing. That is one issue Paul addresses here.
There is also another. Since Christians expected Jesus to return real soon, some had decided to abandon the normal pursuits of life, such as paid employment, and were camped on a hillside. With their noses turned up to the sky they spent the day singing Kumbaya and Swing Low Sweet Chariot.
They were creating a bit of a disturbance in the neighbourhood, expecting to be supplied with provisions and suggesting other Christians didn’t have enough faith. As we might imagine, those who followed other gods, thought these Jesus followers had lost touch with reality. As a result, Christ’s name was being discredited.
Whether one was camped on the hillside or illegally on some estate, without the normal pursuits of life these folks had too much time on their hands. As a result, they had begun to gossip and contribute their opinions into situations to which they had not been invited.
Paul recognizes that if the rule of love is to be effective, the rule of work must also be practiced. Christians must learn to live peaceably, not creating social disturbances. They must mind their own business not always prying into what other people are doing under the guise of ‘family’ interest. And they must do their best to find paid employment or something else that will benefit society.
Outsiders, looking at a movement that claims Jesus is Lord of the world, will be interested to see what effect this claim has on behaviour. Healthy financial behaviour, like sexual behaviour, is one telling indicator of the fitness and integrity of a community. Of course, within the fellowship, those in need should be provided for. This was why the place of widows, women left without a breadwinner, so quickly became important in the early church (Acts 6.1; 1 Timothy 5.3-16). However, these recipients should make themselves useful in other ways.
These are not side issues, away from the real theological heart of the Christian gospel. If God has created a family in Christ, and if that family is based on and characterized by nothing less than self-giving love, these things are vital. Happy the church that discovers what love in practice looks and feels like. Equally blessed in the Christian community that contributes to the wellbeing of the society in which they live. So that our daily living may win the respect of outsiders and that we will not be unnecessarily dependent on anybody (4:12).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more… (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)
There is a similar pattern here to what Paul said about sexuality in yesterday’s devotion. It goes something like this: “you already do this in response to the teaching you have received—now do so more and more.” What’s different here is that the Thessalonians have not been taught by the apostles to love one another, but by God himself. This promise of God himself teaching his people echoes with a few Old Testament texts, and in the Thessalonians it is fulfilled. The Holy Spirit is at work among them. Praise God!
Indeed, Paul has already given thanks to God for just these things in chapter 1. This is quite likely their “Labor prompted by Love” and the way they have become “a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” Paul thanks God for it.
God’s work of love through Jesus for and within these believers has very naturally led to their love for one another. This love is so overflowing that it has been a mark of their presence and ministry—not just within the city of Thessalonica—but throughout the province of Macedonia. We sing “they’ll know we are Christians by our love” and it really is true. An overflowing, abundant, ready love for neighbours, strangers, enemies, and friends is a mark of God’s own love having so filled someone that it flows over and splashes out everywhere in a ready smile, dedicated care, and a conciliatory, peace-making posture.
One of the signs of the health of our own congregation is exactly this. Members and visitors alike will often mention how this church’s people care for one another. There are deep relationships here, without members being cliquey. There’s always room enough to invite another to the table. And when someone is in need: prayers, cards, visits, and meals arrive! This is a gift of God’s own love spilling over in our congregation! Praise God!
Paul’s encouragement points to the fact that this is a gift that must be tended, though. Stewarded. Love can grow cold. People can get busy and distracted, weary and grieved. In order for our love muscles not to atrophy, they must continually be used. So the invitation for the Thessalonians to love like they already are loving—and to do so “more and more.”
The same invitation comes to us—firstly to recognize and give thanks for the good work of multiplying his love among us that God is already doing, and then to lean into this good work of love more and more.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8).
Having prayed that their love and holiness would increase, Paul moves on to a hot topic of his day and of ours. We could travel down various rabbit trails to avoid his main concern. Let’s not do that.
His primary concern is that we all learn to live “to please God”, even in our sexuality. One of Canada’s late Prime Ministers is famous for declaring, “There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation”. God, however, reserves the right to inspect our conduct there. But this too, misses the purpose. Paul’s concern for our sexuality is the same as his concern with alcohol. It should not control us; we should be controlled by the Spirit of Jesus.
In Paul’s day, it was assumed that men could not be monogamous. What ever sexual pleasures they could afford was available to them: mistresses, slaves as concubines, prostitutes, etc. They were expected to fulfill whatever sexual desires they had. Its not much different in our day, except this goes for all of us.
But that is the way unbelievers, who do not know God, behave. They are controlled by these passions. No so the Christian. The Christian is under the sway of the Holy Spirit. The Christian’s chief desire is to be holy, sanctified, to be of service to our Lord and Saviour. For the Christian, sexual fulfillment is not primary. It is not our identity.
Our identity is in Christ and our sexuality is subject to this reality. To borrow from the Heidelberg Catechism, “My only comfort is that, in life and in death, in body and soul, I belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.” Many try to find comfort in sexual experience. The trouble is that this comfort is momentary. Its fades as mist in the morning sun. The pursuit of holiness motives our living. Well, it should. Does it?
Elsewhere, Paul’s advocacy for the single life is rooted in this truth. Recognizing it is not for everyone, it is a possibility for the Christian. We can life fulfilled lives without sexual intercourse.
Paul recognizes that when our sexual passions are not under the sway of the Spirit, we will harm others. Within marriage, our sexuality can be a beautiful thing. But even there it can cause great harm. Lust pushes us towards dishonourable practices rooted in selfishness, unleashing desires to possess others. True love making honours the partner, it loves, cherishes, and respects. Sexuality can be the deepest joy of the married couple, but it can also be the place of deepest destruction.
The Lord calls us to be holy – to reflect his glory and holiness – for the sake of his name.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 5:17-26, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What does Jesus mean by “fulfilling” the Law & Prophets? What kind of authority does he claim by saying “You have heard that it was said… but I tell you…”?
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What is the context of our world and lives that makes this command exceptionally relevant and difficult? Anything that you would add for your own personal situation?
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What happens when we fail at keeping this command?
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What small, ordinary, everyday steps does Jesus give us to begin to move toward obedience?
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Who might you need to be reconciled with today?
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)
Paul more often does this: pauses to pray in the middle of a letter marking a pivot between what came before and what comes after—like he does with that famous prayer in the middle of Ephesians. He does so here too—after this prayer, Paul will turn to questions of living out the faith that has been found and kept by the Thessalonians, and now prayed for too.
Yesterday, Pastor Michael wrote: “Despite Satan’s efforts to derail the work of the gospel, the church continues to grow. Persecution cannot ruin the movement of the Spirit.” This is indeed Paul’s conviction. Timothy’s report provided evidence of God at work, and now Paul prays for even more.
While Satan’s blocking, tempting schemes loomed large at the beginning of this section, it seems the rising dawn of God’s presence and providence has chased these shadows away. Not that there aren’t still shadows when the sun is shining—there are. Satan remains at work in the dark and shadowy places, but God’s work is stronger. Far stronger. Paul is confident of this and his prayer says so.
Paul prays in a strong sort of wish. The grammar says: I pray for this and expect it to happen. Throughout the rest of the letter, you certainly get that idea. Paul will, in just a few short verses start encouraging and filling up in the Thessalonian’s faith the exact things he prays for here. For their love, their holiness, and their hope in Christ’s second coming.
But God’s work is first. So Paul prays. He prays, though Satan has blocked the way, that God himself and Lord the Lord Jesus will clear the way. He prays that the love that he has for the Thessalonians and they for one another will not just increase, but will overflow—and not just within the community, but out to everyone else around them including their enemies and persecutors. Finally, he prays that God will strengthen their hearts so that they will continue to be able to stand firm against the temptations and the persecutions, so that they will be blameless and holy—totally set apart for God—with a hope anchored firmly in the knowledge of Jesus coming again.
May that be our prayer as well, and May God accomplish this in each of us today. May your love increase. May your way be cleared. May you stand firm and steady in faith, being blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when the Lord Jesus comes with all his Saints.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Our text is 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10
But Timothy has come to us from you just now. He has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have happy memories of us. He has also said that you desire to see us, just as we desire to see you. Brothers and sisters, in all our trouble and suffering your faith encouraged us. Now we really live because you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you? We thank God because of all the joy we have in his presence. We have this joy because of you. Night and day we pray very hard that we will see you again. We want to give you what is missing in your faith.
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony referred to paragraph 34 of the Contemporary Testimony, Our World Belongs to God. It reads in part, “Satan and his evil forces seek whom they may scatter and isolate; but God, by his gracious choosing in Christ, gathers a new community”. A few verses further along we read, “Our new life in Christ is celebrated and nourished in the fellowship of congregations” (36).
It then carries on listing various ways our faith is nourished, “we praise God's name, hear the Word proclaimed, learn God's ways, confess our sins, offer our prayers and gifts, and celebrate the sacraments”. These are all important and many of us are familiar with them. Let us pick up on the first of these, “we praise God’s name” because it relates to our text for today.
But first, the opening lines of Psalm 111, “Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” It sometimes appears that we praise God in a vacuum, as if we “just should.” But that does not follow the pattern of the Scriptures. On the one hand, we praise God for who he is, for his character. On the other, we praise God for what he does. That is what is happening in our text. Our worship services begin with a call to worship drawing attention to God’s character and/or to his works.
As yesterday’s text revealed, Paul was very concerned about the spiritual well being of his friends in Thessalonica. And he had good reason to be. But now Timothy has returned from his visit to them telling how God has been building up and gathering his church. Paul and his companions are full of joy.
God has nurtured their “faith and love”, raising up godly people. They have not turned against the apostle but have fond memories of his time with them and long to see him as much as he wants to see them.
Paul has committed his life as an offering to other people: to proclaim the gospel and nurture the fledgeling faith of new believers. Their spiritual flourishing brings him tremendous joy. He is overflowing with thanksgiving to God. Despite Satan’s efforts to derail the work of the gospel, the church continues to grow. Persecution cannot ruin the movement of the Spirit.
The stories of God’s work need to be told. It is one of the ways that we nurture each other’s faith. It gives us reason to praise God. How can we ponder and delight in the works of God if no one tells them to us? What stories can you tell?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain. (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5)
This little section narrates quite an ordeal. We have some sense of what happened because of the account given in Acts 17. A riotous persecution that drove Paul from Thessalonica on to Berea and eventually down to Athens. But Paul’s point here is not to convey the facts so much as the relationship.
There are intense pictures of emotion here as Paul describes the experience of separation as that of “being orphaned” and names his intense desire to come and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. So what’s at stake here that connects to our lives still today?
It seems that Paul’s concern is mainly with how the Thessalonians will weather the storms of persecution and temptation—both spiritual and embodied. Satan, the tempter is at work spiritually through the embodied realities of travel plans and local pressures seeking to keep the Thessalonians isolated and doubting. Was their decision to follow Jesus all in vain?
We do not face persecution like the Thessalonians or Apostles did. But the temptations to turn away from the hard, disciplined path of following Jesus are nevertheless active in our lives. The deceitfulness of wealth, the self-improvement paths to flourishing, and any number of other things we seek to keep up with our peers in all provide pressures and wind storms that seek to unsettle our faith. These things alongside of the sorrows and hardships we face together add up to some pretty stiff resistance to faithfulness. In the face of these trials we are all destined for as Christians, it is easy (and easily justifiable) to fall away from the church and any regular habits of relationship with God or his people.
Yet, this is not the whole story. Already here against this dark and strained backdrop, Paul gives inklings of a firm hope. He pictures standing before Christ, pointing to the Thessalonians faithfulness as evidence of his own, which betrays a confidence Paul holds onto that God will complete the good work he’s started in this fledgling Thessalonian church. “Indeed, you are our glory and joy.”
The contemporary testimony, Our World Belongs to God names this dynamic that we still face as God’s people and puts it this way: “Satan and his evil forces seek whom they may scatter and isolate; but God, by his gracious choosing in Christ, gathers a new community” (st. 34). Indeed, we rest secure in the fact that God’s work of gathering will, in the end, outstrip every effort of the enemy to scatter. More on that tomorrow.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
Paul has much to be thankful for. He has already given thanks for the faith, hope and love of this young church. Now he offers thanks for how they responded to the Word of God. This thanksgiving invites us to reflect on how we ourselves respond to the scriptures. An opposite reaction would be to harden our hearts. So, as we reflect on these verses, let us all pay attention to how we receive the Bible.
The scriptures can be just words, received by our ears as merely human words. However, as some point, they cease to be only words. We begin to recognize these words are holy, coming from God himself. They have power and we begin to receive them as such. The writer of Hebrews says, “The Word of God is alive and active” (4:12). We pay a different kind of attention to them.
Recognizing that God’s Speech is living and moving within us, we notice that it is “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training” us (2 Timonthy 3:16). As we become sensitive to this living Word and familiar with the movements of the Holy Spirit, we increasingly long for lives shaped by God. All Christians have times of resistance in which we harden our hearts to this business. Yet, God has a way of moving us back towards sensitivity.
God rarely works with us in isolation. Scripture puts significant emphasis on the church as the community of Christ. We grow up into Christ within this community. The Christians in Thessalonica had the disciples in Judea as examples to follow.
This Christian imitation goes two ways. Who do we tend to imitate? With a world full of celebrities, the choices are manifold. It is best to know folks closer to home that set an example for us. Not that we should follow anyone blindly. But most of us learn best by watching others. This is the way the faith is often passed down. Who is imitating us? When Moses told the Israelites to impress the commandments on their children, to talk about them in their homes, when they walked along the road (Deuteronomy 6:7), surely, he envisioned the adults following these commands. The younger ones would see and hear.
Paul pays attention to suffering endured for the gospel both in Judea and in Thessalonica. He is not espousing antisemitism. He is thinking of those people who conspired with the Romans to have Jesus crucified and who were still harassing all who followed him. To stand against such oppression we need each other.
Their hearts were soft to the Scriptures. They had other Christians leading the way. Thanks be to God!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:6-12)
We can get the sense from some evangelical sources that what really matters in the grand scheme of things is authority and obedience: the authority of a leader or group of leaders to lay down a law or statement, and the necessity of followers to get in line with said teaching. This can become a rather cold, unfeeling machine of rules and expectations that steamroll a complex web of human idiosyncrasies into a flat plain of submissive uniformity. This kind of system does offer the benefit of clarity and feeling like you’re part of a group that’s going somewhere with purpose, but it also, as Pastor Michael noted yesterday, can leave room for unhealthy, impersonal dynamics to grow.
Paul, you will notice here, takes a different tack. “We could have asserted our authority,” he says. But he and his companions didn’t do that. Instead, they offered their lives and vitality in deeply personal ways for the sake of loving the Thessalonians well. In a string of three homey family metaphors, Paul describes the apostles’ ministry among the Thessalonians in relational terms. They were innocent as young children, loving and self-giving as nursing mothers, and caringly invested in the Thessalonians growth to maturity just as fathers. Instead of asserting their authority with a “because I said so,” “I’m the apostle here" kind of aura, the apostles instead stooped down to get their hands dirty in the daily rough and tumble of family life with the Thessalonians, building a relationship of trust and respect with them through which the Gospel could be caught and imitated.
There is an important tension here. One that flows throughout the scriptures and its interpretation. It’s this: is this faith primarily about submission to authority, or is it primarily about restoration of relationship? These two roads diverge already in Genesis 1-2, before sin and the Fall. In God’s good Creation, something is “not good:” the fact that the man is alone. But why is this alone-ness a problem? Is it because Adam’s alone-ness renders him unable to procreate and therefore unable to submit to the command of “fill the earth”? Or is this alone-ness of Adam a problem because we are created to be in relationship (“Let us make mankind in our image… in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”)? The story does not say. But the tension between these two possibilities plays out throughout the rest of the scriptures and even still in the church today.
My sense? It’s probably both, such that whenever we exclude either of these options, we contort the faith. However, it’s also true that the emphasis finally falls not on the “authority/submission” dynamic, but the “relationship” one. The scriptures end not with the judgement hall, but with the wedding feast. Both are there, but one eventually outshines the other—the relationship. The bride and bridegroom, Christ and his church, finally joined forever in relationship.
This, I think, is what Paul is getting at and what these pictures of authority flowing through the personal, self-giving love and care of family roles points to. And this is right. Fear of authority only works to a point, when we are still immature. At some point, we need to have grown to maturity such that we live what is right simply because it is right—out of a the formation of our character. Only people whose character has been formed can enter fully into a healthy relationship. The love and care of our family is the space where this learning and growing to maturity happens.
Of course, families are often more complicated than that and we as people are often far less mature than we might hope. Nevertheless, this is the picture Paul draws on—not “asserting authority,” but rather, calling the Thessalonians to remember the personal bonds of relationship through which they have witnessed for themselves the mature character of the apostles, have imitated it, and have grown to up into this Christian character themselves.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 5:13-16. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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What statement of fact does Jesus make in our text? Does he qualify it?
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Fill in the blanks: As salt exists for _______, so disciples exist for the __________.
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How do the metaphors of salt and light differ? What is the essential message?
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What warning is added to these metaphors? How do we stay salty?
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How does this week’s solar event help us remember the goal Jesus expresses?
Our text is 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
Paul frequently faced stiff opposition when proclaiming the gospel. He came to Thessalonica from Philippi where he and Silas had been stripped and severely flogged and thrown in prison without trial. At midnight God used an earthquake to set them free. Things only went marginally better in Thessalonica. After they made a quick exit, questions arose concerning the validity of their ministry. Was it really from God?
Here, Paul defends them against their detractors. As we listen in to his defense, today’s preachers are challenged to evaluate their own ministries according to this high standard. Further, we are all invited to assess the validity of preachers that we listen to or watch. Let’s consider what Paul writes.
First, he invites his readers to consider what they know about him. Don’t test me according to what others are saying but consider what you know and experienced firsthand when we were with you. There is a challenge here for all of us whose favourite preachers come to us via YouTube. How much do we really know about them? Are there ways to test the legitimacy of their ministry? Many have fallen precisely because they ministered from a safe distance. We should not give up on pastors living among their people.
Second, Paul askes that his preaching be evaluated. In the face of stiff opposition in Philippi, did he change his message? No, he did not. When he and his friends arrived in Thessalonica, they proclaimed the same gospel of Jesus. This message and their willingness to suffer for it speak volumes regarding their authenticity. They did not rebrand their message to make it more appealing. Risking further torture, they ‘dared’ to continue proclaiming what God had given them.
Third, examine the motives of Paul and friends. They were being accused of insincerity, wanting to make a quick buck, because they had come and gone so quickly. The Greek words translated as “impure motives” include the sexual impurity which was common among Greek and Roman religions.
Since Paul tended to receive room and board from new converts, it would be easy to verify his activities while in town. Look at the evidence, he says, are we guilty of such thing? There was no trickery or flattery. They did not use their ministry to line their own pockets. He did except gifts from friends (see Philippians 4:18), but he did not take up collections to support himself. Paul was confident the new believers would recognize that the accusations were nothing but slander.
Consider these things as you engage with ministries around the globe.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10)
From the Spirit-fired work of God among the Thessalonians, a beautiful thing began to happen. Like yeast through the dough, their Christian witness began to spread everywhere!
Believing the Gospel is one thing, but in order to live it in our daily lives, we all need some model to follow. We have to see a Christian life in action so that we can practice the rhythms and habits of grace ourselves. Jesus coming in the flesh initiated this means of transmitting the good news as he invited his disciples to watch, listen, and learn from his life, teaching, and eventual death and resurrection. They in turn preached and lived this gospel message out among others. And so it was, in pastor Michael’s phrase from yesterday that “the church begat the church.”
Now perhaps the Thessalonians were sufficiently unassuming in their living of the faith under severe suffering that they had not noticed the impact their Spirit-fired faith was having on the world around them. So Paul tells them—they are putting Paul and his fellow missionaries out of a job! Paul and the gang don’t need to tell anyone about Jesus, because people everywhere have already heard the story of the faith of the Thessalonian Christians!
A good story of a Christian life lived preaches louder than any lecture or Sunday sermon. The story of the Thessalonian Christians, like any good story, had a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning was their past: they—residents of a Greek city in view of Mt. Olympus—had turned away from the mountain of the gods to the living and true God. This no doubt has something to do with the “suffering” the Thessalonians now faced, but probably also something to do with the power of the message springing from their lives. If they, people in the direct line of sight of Zeus and Herra, could thwart the claims of Mt. Olympus in favour of a higher power, even at great personal cost inflicted by neighbours—there must be something to this new God!
The middle of the story shows the Thessalonians not just turning away from idols—not merely deconstructing an old faith, but also reconstructing a new one. They have turned to serve the living and true God. They have begun to mold their lives around new works of faith, labours of love, all grounded in a new hope. And that is finally where the story ends: a people waiting steadfastly and actively for Jesus, their Lord, to come again.
Whose stories of faith do you model your faith on? What idols in your life (and faith) need deconstructing and what new practices of faith, love, and hope is God reconstructing in their place? It may seem like a tough slog in the present moment, but you never know how far afield your own life and story of faith might be preaching! So hang in there! Stay steadfast, and keep your hope fixed in Christ.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Our text is 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message amid severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Recall how the old English translations of Matthew’s gospel began, “Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren”. Well, Paul plays a riff on that genealogy in this letter. But its not a long line of names, rather, it’s a spiral with only two characters: the gospel and the church. The song goes something like this: the apostles preached the gospel begetting the church, the church preached the gospel begetting the church, the church preaches the gospel begetting the church, on and on and on all the way down to you and me.
When we think of church, we imagine buildings, people, policies, worship services, committee meetings, Bible studies, and so on. But Paul will have none of that. All those things are good and useful and probably even necessary, but they do not make church. We have already discovered two things that define the church: a community that lives in God and a community distinguished by faith, love, and hope. See our past two devotions for reflections on these two.
Now Paul adds a third element that determines if a community is a church: “a community loved by God and chosen by him.” In our conversations about church, we usually focus on what we do. Paul would have us put the spotlight on what God does. What God does is primary. This is encouraging. Even when the church does a poor job at being the church, she is still the church. He is confident that he is writing to a church because the gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, and the people responded with faith and changed lives.
Gospel proclamation has two components: words and power. We are not thinking here of the persuasive and logical arguments of apologetics, but rather the story of Jesus told, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Blind eyes and hard hearts do not appreciate the gospel. The Holy Spirit’s internal work penetrates heart, mind, conscience, will. The Word is the Spirit’s Sword (Ephesians 6:17). As someone has quipped, “the Spirit without the Word is weaponless; the Word without the Spirit is powerless”.
So, here we ought to pause to reflect on the state of our hearts. The spiritual heart is an odd thing. It may be soft one day but the next considerably harder. The events of life impact us and the state of our hearts. Thus, heart work is essential for the Christian. The Psalmist warns, “They close up their callous hearts” (Psalm 17:10), and encourages us to pray, “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (26:2) and “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (51:10).
Paul reminds us that the Christian life is caught. These new Christians imitated the apostles. The proclaimers of the gospel had a spiritual joy that enabled them to suffer for the gospel without complaint. In the Christian life, suffering & joy are often close companions. Again, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Those loved and chosen by God, show and tell the gospel. Focus on the first part of that sentence, the second part will come. The Holy Spirit is powerful enough to make that happen in each of us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)
John Calvin somewhat famously (at least among geeky theological circles) suggested that 1 Thessalonians 1:3 is “a brief definition of true Christianity.” This is because it contains that triad of faith, love, and hope—albeit in a different order than we find in 1 Corinthians 13.
Hope probably takes the final place because—as we’ll discover in the context of this letter—the greatest of these three virtues among the Thessalonians was not their love, but their hope in Christ. It was the thing they most needed to cling to if they were to remain grounded amidst heavy pushback and persecution from their neighbours. Interestingly, this triad also matches the order we talked about in Sunday’s sermon on the beatitudes, where the need for hope against persecution takes up the final place.
So the question: if this is the shape of a healthy Christian life, how does your life match up with these first few verses? We’ll find out in the next set of verses that all these good things of faith, love, hope, and even Paul, Silas, and Timothy’s constant thanks, are driven not primarily by the good deeds of the Thessalonians, but by the work of God among them. So how supple and responsive is your life to the work of God?
In general, does gratitude pass your lips more than complaint? What about in prayer? To the extent that we cultivate an awareness of God’s gifts and actions in our lives, it’s not hard to find things to thank him for. But it takes time and attentiveness to do!
Work produced by faith. Faith and works are beautifully joined together here, recognizing that our work of response arises from our belief that God is indeed the one who gives the gifts to do it. So, does your faith in Christ put a spring in your step for going out to work in freedom and joy with a mindset of “I get to!” rather than “I have to…”?
Labor prompted by love—it seems that much of this labor is not our work, but our striving to love one another. So: are you actively seeking to love—in the same way that Christ has loved you—the people you live and work with? What about those who dislike or disagree with?
Finally: does your hope in the future where Jesus returns and sets all things right and makes all things new keep you grounded and faithful in plodding out the mundane, everyday realities of life and living? Of the works of faith, love, and thanks?
Wherever any of these happen—it is a gift of God! Wherever any of these don’t happen, it is an opportunity to recognize that Jesus is there knocking at the door offering the grace to try again. May he form these gifts of thanks, faith, love, and hope within you ever more deeply, today.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
Our text is 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
We trust you have been blessed by scripture during this season of Lent and Easter. Today, we return to our traditional Wilderness Wanderings format, with short reflections on scripture, this time working our way through the first letter to the Thessalonian church.
Paul modelled his letter writing after the common formats of his day. However, he often tweaked them to indicate something of his intention in writing to a particular church. Here, he writes that this church is “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The use of this preposition picks up a theme which Jesus introduced to his disciples. It conjures the image of a fish in water, of humans in the earth’s atmosphere, of a worm in the earth. These creatures die if them spend too much time outside their environment.
Jesus spoke about his disciples being in him like branches in a vine. To other churches Paul wrote about the Christian life “being hidden with Christ in God”. As Christians, we draw our life from God himself. Not just as individuals, He is the source of the church’s communal life. The early Christians did not envision the solitary devotion of the modern Christian. Not having Bible’s in their homes, reading and studying it was a communal activity.
Notice that the Father and the Son are equal in giving life to the church. This pairing, which in other places also includes the Holy Spirit, eventually gave rise to the doctrine of the Trinity. The Christian churches live in the environment of the Triune God.
We are not told why Paul addresses this church in this way, but we can make an educated guess. It was still a young church, all the members recently switching allegiance from pagan gods to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Already, there was strong opposition to those adhering to this new religion. The church, as yet, had no structures as we know them today. No history in which to root herself. They were like freshly planting saplings, easily uprooted, knocked over, crushed. How could this young church survive in hostile conditions?
Paul’s answer is that they are the ones gathered in the Father and the Son. They may live in Thessalonica, and they may be subjects of the Roman Emperor, but their strength and security is not found in the city or in Rome. Their source of life is God himself. Paul does not put any conditions to receiving life from God. All who believe in Jesus live in him. That was true when this letter was written, and it is true today.
And being in God, they receive his peace and grace. God’s peace is not the absence of conflict, but the fullness of health and harmony through reconciliation with God and with each other. God’s grace is his free, undeserved favour through Christ which confers this peace and sustains it. These are the gifts of God for his church. What ever troubles and tribulations we encounter, Paul wants us to know, that God has us. He will not let go.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 5:1-12, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What is the context of this passage as we move from Matthew 4 to Matthew 5?
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What are the beatitudes (these blessings) not? What cultural hangs up can keep us from hearing the Blessings that Jesus offers? Do any of these hang ups resonate with you and the way you read the Beatitudes?
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Who do the first four blessings address? What do they say to people in these situations? Are you one of them? If so, how do these words meet you today?
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What is the shape of the blessings, and how do they represent the Christian life of discipleship?
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How will you live in light of Jesus’ blessing today?
Psalm 115:1,15-18
Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. … May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord.
Exodus 14:10-14
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-36, 42-44, 54-58
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. … So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. … When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Luke 8:49-56
While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Prayer
Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory. Each of these texts today speak of death being overturned in life. Different pictures of salvation. Different pictures of resurrection. But in all of them, we see Jesus. Against all the fears and dangers that we face—enable us to stand firm in the resurrection hope of Jesus, trusting that you will fight our battles and that our future is firmly anchored in your history and promise of life and salvation having the final word. In the name of Jesus, our risen Lord we pray. Amen.
Scriptures for this Tuesday after Easter 2024.
Psalm 114
When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.
Exodus 13:11-16
“After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.
“In days to come, when your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
1 Corinthians 15:29-34
Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them? And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour? I face death every day. That’s the truth. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work. Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die.” Don’t let anyone fool you. “Bad companions make a good person bad.” You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed.
Luke 7:11-17
Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother. The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole country.
Prayer
Lord of all life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus, you overcame the old order of sin and death. Through him, you make all things new. Through your Spirit, kill in us the old self and raise us to new life in Christ. To you be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.
Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.
Exodus 12:31-36, 41-42
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.” The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. … At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.
1 Corinthians 15:20-26
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Matthew 28:16-20
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Prayer
Lord our God, we praise your name that you are a God of salvation. You delivered your people from their slavery under the ruthlessness of Pharaoh and his idols, even as you promise to deliver us now from the dominion, authority, and powers of evil and death that continue to consume our world. May you complete this good work in Christ soon. But until the end of the age when that work is complete, empower us—despite our doubts—to carry out the disciple-making mission of your kingdom. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
Psalm 112:1-5
Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Exodus 12:21-24
Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Luke 24:1-8
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
Prayer
Lord of all life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus, you overcame the old order of sin and death. Through him, you make all things new. Grant, through your Spirit, that this old order may die in us and raise us to new life in Christ. To you be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.
For this first week of Easter we are continuing with the format of listening to scripture that we used through the season of Lent in order to give a good sweep of some of the resonate meaning of Jesus’ Resurrection and Redemption. So, listen in again today for what the Spirit might be saying to you today through this Good Word of Easter hope!
Psalm 111:1-2, 9-10
Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. … He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Exodus 12:7-8, 11-14
“Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. … This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Prayer
Dear God, we praise your name for your great works of redemption. Through the blood of Jesus, the lamb you have delivered us and all your people from our slavery to sin such that we can now live in the freedom and promise of his resurrection life. Enable us to stand firm, living our lives in this good, covenantal confession of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Isaiah 53:10-12 & Luke 24:1-12 & 45-49.
Scriptures for this Thursday of Holy Week 2024.
Psalm 39:6-12
Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this. Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth—surely everyone is but a breath. “Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping.
Exodus 11:4-7
Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Ephesians 2:11-18
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Luke 22:13-21
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered you punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. You were pierced for our transgressions, you were crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on you, and by your wounds we are healed. Praise be your name. Amen.
Psalm 88:15-18
From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend.
Isaiah 63:2-6
Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. It was for me the day of vengeance; the year for me to redeem had come. I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm achieved salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.”
Revelation 14:18-20
Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Luke 22:60-68
Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And they said many other insulting things to him. At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
Prayer
We say, Lord, that the night is always darkest before the dawn. In Psalm 88 we find the sheer hopelessness of that darkness that can, in some seasons of our lives, consume us. Yet outside the city walls on Good Friday, you placed not us betrayal-prone disciples, nor the peoples of a sin-broken world in the winepress of your wrath, but Jesus. And by his wounds we are not only healed, but brought back to light and life as far as the infinite mercy of his healing blood flows. Thank you Lord, for this surprising reversal. Amen.
These are the scriptures selected for Tuesday of Holy Week 2024
Psalm 55:16-19
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change—he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
Lamentations 3:40-51
Let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and our hands to God in heaven and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. You have made us scum and waste among the nations. All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin, and destruction.” Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.
Galatians 6:12-18 (The Message)
These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!
For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!
Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!
Luke 22:24-27
A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered you punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. You were pierced for our transgressions, you were crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on you, and by your wounds we are healed. Praise be your name. Amen.
Psalm 25:1-3
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
Lamentations 2:13-15
What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading. All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”
Colossians 1:19-23a
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
Luke 22:14-23
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we have felt at times the alienation the scriptures speak of—the chasm that lies between our sin-broken lives and your holy perfection. We too have asked “who can heal us?” Remind us again that you yourself heal us, that you have crossed the chasm to forgive and reconcile us in Christ. Grant us the gift of faith to trust in you and to receive the body and blood of Jesus as your unfailing new covenant promise of this gospel hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A text edition of our Sunday Sermon: unfortunately we weren't able to capture the audio just yet, but you can still see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from on YouTube at this link. The texts come from Luke 19:28-44, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are still below for further reflection! Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What is the paradox that the pastors have talked about today and last week? How does Luke talk about this paradox that’s different from John & Isaiah?
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What is the promise of Peace that Jesus brings? What does his peace look like and how is it different from what people might have expected? Do you find Jesus’ work of peace easy to see and believe, or hard? Why?
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What are three elements of “having the eyes to see”? What are some of the stories that teach these different elements from the Bible?
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How might you practice “seeing” Jesus and his work of peace and healing today and throughout the week to come?
Psalm 22:1-5
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Exodus 10:21-25, 27
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God.” … But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.
Hebrews 13:5-6, 15-16
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” … Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
John 12:23-33, 35-36
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. … Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Prayer
Amidst the darkness of this world, we feel at times Lord, like you have hidden yourself from us—forsaking us to a darkness that can be felt. Yet you have promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Our ancestors put their trust in you and you delivered them. So teach us not to fear mere mortals nor the societal darkness of our times, but rather to grab hold of your light in Jesus Christ and to live generously as children of the day who glorify your name. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Psalm 125:1-2
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Exodus 9:13-16
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
Hebrews 12:18, 21-25a; 28-29
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm… The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks… Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
John 12:12-19
The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Prayer
Surround us, Lord, with your presence and protection. Place our feet firmly on the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ, our King. Reveal your power and bring glory to your name. May the whole world go after you, coming to believe in Jesus. Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Psalm 55:9, 12-14
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city. …If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
Exodus 9:1-7
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’” The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
Hebrews 12:1-7
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Prayer
Lord God, we have felt the sting of betrayal and the exhaustion of powerlessness. Teach us to bear what hardship we must, forming us into the likeness of Christ who suffered before us and gave us the pattern for bearing a cross. May you also form our character and purify us from sin. But O Lord, may you also make a distinction between us and those under whom we suffer when we suffer as Jesus did from a friend’s betrayal, or as the Israelites did under masters with hardened hearts. Not our will though, but yours be done. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Psalm 25:4-7 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
Exodus 8:16-19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.
Hebrews 11:32-40 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
John 11:41-46, 49-53 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
…Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
Prayer Show us your ways, O Lord: your ways of mercy and love, forgiveness, goodness, and resurrection life. But show us our ways too: our tendency to respond to your goodness by hardening our hearts like Pharoah or the religious leaders. Remember not the sins of our hard hearts, instead, transform our hearts to be responsive to you in faith, like that great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
Reflect on these scriptures, allowing the Spirit to speak to your heart.
Psalm 73:1-3, 13-14, 16-17
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Exodus 8:1-8
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
Hebrews 11:23-29
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
John 11:21-27
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Prayer
Merciful Lord, forgive your people from our offences, that through your abundant goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our weakness we have committed; make it so, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of John 12:37-50. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca:
- What is the paradox that John is wrestling with? Which people does this paradox concern itself with?
- What seems to be the usual response to God’s actions? What does sin do to our ears and eyes?
- Reflect on the mystery of mercy.
- This passage suggests that faith might have stages. How would you rate yours?
- In what ways do you still live the foolish life? How is God calling you to walk in the light of his Word?
Reflect on these scriptures, allowing the Spirit to speak to your heart.
Psalm 102:1-3, 12-13
Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
Exodus 6:2-12
God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord, I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.” But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
Hebrews 10:36-39
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
John 11:1-4
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Prayer
Merciful Lord, forgive your people from our offences, that through your abundant goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our weakness we have committed; make it so, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Reflect on these scriptures, allowing the Spirit to speak to your heart.
Psalm 86:1-5
Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Exodus 4:27-5:5
The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform. Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
Hebrews 10:19-25
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
John 10:27-30
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”.
Prayer
Merciful Lord, forgive your people from our offences, that through your abundant goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our weakness we have committed; make it so, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
You are invited to reflect on these scriptures, allowing the Spirit to speak to your heart.
Psalm 63:1-5
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Exodus 4:1-12
Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow. “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Hebrews 10:11-14
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
John 10:14-16
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
Prayer
Merciful Lord, forgive your people from our offences, that through your abundant goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our weakness we have committed; make it so, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
You are invited to reflect on these scriptures, allowing the Spirit to speak to your heart.
Psalm 54
Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me—people without regard for God. Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them. I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good. You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
Exodus 2:23-3:10
…the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So, God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey... And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
from Hebrews 9
Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant… he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence…he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
John 9:35-38
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Prayer
Merciful Lord, forgive your people from our offences, that through your abundant goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our weakness we have committed; make it so, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 70 Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me. May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Exodus 2:11-15 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
Hebrews 9:11-14 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
John 9:24-34 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Prayer Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me. As with Moses and the Egyptian, there are ways that we pursue good things like justice that turn out terribly unjust. Our attempts at good works still bear the marks of our sin. Open our eyes again both to our situation and your gracious redemption through the blood of Christ so that in all our ways, we might truly serve you, the living God. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Why does God speak before and after this poem on the suffering servant?
- How does the servant serve God?
- Take time this week to mediate on Jesus’ suffering and why he chose this road.
- Jesus’ suffering and death was unique and accomplished redemption. But that is not the end of the story. What is?
- In what ways does the message of the suffering servant challenge our culture? How does it challenge the way that you live life?
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 22:1-5
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Exodus 1:4-14
Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
So, they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so, the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
Hebrews 7:23-28
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
John 8:54-56
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
Prayer
Search me out, O God, and know my heart. Creator God, may every breath we take be for your glory, may every footstep we take be a following of Jesus, trusting in your presence in this world. Visit us, O Lord, we pray, and drive far from us the snares of the enemy; dwell with us and guard us in peace, and may your blessing be always upon us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 56:1-4 Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Jeremiah 14:19-22 Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors; we have indeed sinned against you. For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it. Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Hebrews 6:20b-7:3 [Jesus] has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
John 8:31-36 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Prayer “We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors; we have indeed sinned against you. For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.” For the sake of Jesus, our high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, set us free to serve you. In his name we pray, amen.
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 38:1-4, 21-22
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.
Jeremiah 13:1-11
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” So, I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist. Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” So, I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.
Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’
Hebrews 6:13-20
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised…God did this so that…we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
John 8:12, 28-30
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life…When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
Prayer
Search me out, O God, and know my heart. Creator God, may every breath we take be for your glory, may every footstep we take be a following of Jesus, trusting in your presence in this world. Visit us, O Lord, we pray, and drive far from us the snares of the enemy; dwell with us and guard us in peace, and may your blessing be always upon us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 6:1-6a Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from my groaning.
Jeremiah 12:1-6 (Jeremiah’s complaint:) “You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter! How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”
(God’s response:) “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:10-12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. … God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
John 8:3-11 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Prayer Heavenly Father, we are worn out from our groaning under the weight of sin and evil in this world. Some of it is our own doing, but much of it is the injustice and wickedness around us that makes us cry out “how long?” Stoop down to us again today to remind us of your presence. Forgive us our sins and refresh our heart, soul, and strength to run with the horses: diligently and patiently loving you, our neighbours, and this world as the mature people of faith you call us to be.
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 5:1-7
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.
Jeremiah 11:1-5
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.”
I answered, “Amen, Lord.”
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-10
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need…During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Prayer
Almighty God, whose most dear Son suffered pain before joy, and was crucified before entering glory, mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it the way of life and peace. And by faith, following his purity of life, may we with him receive the crown of everlasting life. This we ask in the name Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
This would be an extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings, but our audio feed didn't work this Sunday. So: if you'd like to listen to this sermon from Isaiah 50:4-11, you'll need to go directly to the YouTube video of the service at this link (which is cued up to the begin at the scripture reading). Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! You can also head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What things become harder as we grow older into adulthood? How might we practice reclaiming the attentiveness of faith?
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What aspects of the servant’s own journey of discipleship and listening (shema) can we learn from for our own journey of discipleship?
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What obstacles stand in the way of our servanthood to God? How would you describe the problem of shoulds and coulds? Are there any examples from your own life? Who do you serve?
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How might we best follow the servant? What are Spiritual Disciplines and which ones might you choose for your own training in servanthood?
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What might you need to give up in your own life to make space for serving God first (instead of your self) through a habit of spiritual disciplines?
Psalm 40:1-3, 6-8 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened—burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”
Jeremiah 10:2-7 This is what the Lord says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.
Hebrews 3:12-14 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
John 7:14-18 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
Prayer Dear God, there are so many empty ways on offer in the world around us. Ways of promised transformation that have no real power in them to transform. Even our own religious practices can come up empty when we use them to seek our own will rather than yours. Forgive us our idolatries and selfish motivations and turn us today back to you, the living God. In the name of Jesus, through whom we have come to know you, Amen.
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 34:1-8
I will always extol the Lord; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Jeremiah 9:12-14, 23-24
Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.”
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
John 7:1-8
After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore, Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”
Prayer
Almighty God, you show the light of your truth when we are in error, that we may return to the way of righteousness. Grant that all who belong to Christ may reject those things that are contrary to our profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to you; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 35:4, 22-24 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. … LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
Jeremiah 9:3-6 “They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,” declares the LORD. “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the LORD.
Hebrews 2:14-15, 17-18 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. … For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
John 6:60, 66-69 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Prayer Dear Lord, the depths of your incarnation is in some ways offensive, because in becoming one of us to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, you have confronted us with our sin and our inability to save ourselves. You, the Almighty God stooped down to take on our dingy, fallen flesh. You bore our sin and you fought our battles because you knew that we were failures—powerless to do it in our own strength. Through Jesus, you have contended for us and vindicated us. Through Jesus, you continue to help us in our times of weakness and temptation. Grant us today the grace to accept our situation and your ever-present care and salvation.
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 50:1-6
The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.
Jeremiah 8:8-12
This is what the Lord says: “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have? Therefore, I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So, they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.
Hebrews 2:1-4
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
John 6:52-59
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Prayer
King of glory, king of peace, who calls us from the pursuit of worldly honours to be a priests and kings in your kingdom, grant us the grace to hear your word and offer ourselves in humble obedience to your service; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
What is the Spirit saying to you through the word today?
Psalm 26:1-3 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
Jeremiah 7:2b-3, 9-11 “‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. … Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.
Galatians 6:1-5, 9-10 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. … Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
John 6:28-35 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that our desires and appetites lead us to consume many empty calories and processed-food experiences that cannot give us the life we seek. Our idols and sins are many: porn and white lies, aggressive thoughts and greedy behaviors. Forgive us again, enable us to reform our ways and actions and to turn our desires and appetites to Jesus—your gift of living bread and water—so that we might not merely be satisfied, but truly live.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Isaiah 49:1-13. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on-+ YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What figure unifies the Second Part of Isaiah? What theme begins in this chapter?
- What are some of the things that make it difficult to understand prophecy?
- What is the servant called to do? Christians are called to be witnesses to Jesus. Take time this week to prepare your witness.
- How can the church live into the theme that God’s servant is despised?
- Like the Servant, the church is sent to the nations. In what ways does the church often limit the scope of salvation? How can we keep the vision large enough?
On this day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Jeremiah 6
This is what the Lord says: “Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion” …
“I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore, that you may observe and test their ways. They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly. The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. They are called rejected silver because the Lord has rejected them.”
Galatians 5
So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
John 6
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
The next day the crowd … found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Prayer
Almighty God, may we, by the power of your Holy Spirit, repent of our sin, receive your grace, and so enter into the mystery of Christ's sufferings; that by following in the Way, we may come to share in the glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On this 8th day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 43 Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Jeremiah 6:9-21 This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’ Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them. Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.
Galatians 5:13-15 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
John 6:5-15 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Prayer Dear God, sometimes we are guilty of rejecting you, and at other times we feel rejected by you. From our guilt, save us. And from the doubt of our downcast souls, save us. Remind us of the faithful care of Jesus who feeds, nourishes, and gives rest to his flock. Grant us again today a supple sense of our freedom in Christ so that we might walk in the good paths, loving you and our neighbours as you have loved and cared for us.
On this second Wednesday of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 6
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?
Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
Jeremiah 5
“Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God…'
“Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like people who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the Lord.
Romans 10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
John 5
[Jesus said,] By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved…
…the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. … You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Prayer
Almighty Father, open our eyes that we may see our own sin; open our ears that we may hear your word of redemption and your call to obedience. Give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit, giving up our sinful ways. As you know our weakness, may we know your power to save. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Psalm 51:14-19 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Galatians 3:23-29 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
John 5:24-29 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”
Prayer Dear God, we confess that like our first parents, we have often reached beyond the good boundaries for successes, provisions, and relationships that were not given us to have. Our gut response is to hide from you behind the fig leaf distractions that we can sow up well enough for ourselves. Call us out from our hiding places and into your presence once again, enable us to offer the sacrifice of a contrite heart, and cloth us with the sacrifice and forgiveness of Christ. Hearing your voice of forgiveness in our ears today, may all fear of judgement disappear, so that we might enter fully into the life of Christ.
Take time to pause and reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 51:7-13
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
Isaiah 58:5-7
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Galatians 3:10-14
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
John 4:27-42
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him…
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So, when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, I confess that I have neglected your commands. In pursuit of my selfish ways, I have ignored the chains that bind many, unwilling to soil my hands to remove the yoke that burdens. In pride, I have followed my own path, believing you would be impressed with my acts of piety. Redeem me from all wickedness, purify me and make me your very own, eager to do what is good for your glory, not for mine. Amen!
Today, as yesterday, take time to pause and reflect on these scriptures after you read each. The audio version (above) includes a musical interlude for this time. What is the Spirit saying to you today?
Psalm 51:1-6 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Joel 2:1-2, 12-13 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. … “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Galatians 2:15-16, 19-21 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. … “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
John 4:22-26 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Prayer Have mercy on us, O God. We know that we can never be justified before you by our own works, righteousness, or worship which are always, despite our best efforts, tainted by impure motives and imperfect action. Remind us today that we have been crucified with Christ, our Messiah, such that we no longer live by our own doing, but by faith in him which gives us life.
In this season of Lent, we invite you to listen attentively to the scriptures. Between readings there will be some music. Take that time to bring something of the scripture to the Lord in prayer. Carry one or two pieces of scripture with you into your day (or tomorrow) wondering why the Spirit nudged you to pay attention to it.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us. Let us come to him and give him thanks. Let us praise him with music and song. The Lord is the great God. He is the greatest King. He rules over all the gods. He owns the deepest parts of the earth. The mountain peaks belong to him. The ocean is his because he made it. He formed the dry land with his hands.
Come, let us bow down and worship him. Let us fall on our knees in front of the Lord our Maker. He is our God. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. We are the people he takes good care of.
If only you would listen to his voice today.
Daniel 9:3-6, 17-19
I, Daniel, prayed to the Lord God. I begged him. I made many appeals to him. I didn’t eat anything. I put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. And I sat down in ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God. I admitted that we had sinned. I said, “Lord, you are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with all those who love you and obey your commandments. You show them your love. We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws. We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets…Our God, hear my prayers. Pay attention to the appeals I make to you…Do it for your own honor. Our God, please listen to us…We aren’t asking you to answer our prayers because we are godly. Instead, we’re asking you to do it because you love us so much. Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive us! Lord, hear our prayers!
Luke 1:68-75
“Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to his people and purchased their freedom. He has acted with great power and has saved us. He did it for those who are from the family line of his servant David. Long ago holy prophets said he would do it. He has saved us from our enemies. We are rescued from all who hate us. He has been kind to our people of long ago. He has remembered his holy covenant. He made a promise to our father Abraham. He promised to save us from our enemies. Then we could serve him without fear. He wants us to be holy and godly as long as we live.
1 Timothy 6:6-10
Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you…flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing that you have made and forgives the sins of all who are penitent, create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our unworthiness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord, by the power of your Spirit. Amen!
Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. … I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:7-9,13-14)
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent. This year, Pastor Michael and I will be doing something different for Lent in these devotionals. Rather than writing out our own devotional reflections, we will be letting the scriptures speak for themselves in a more meditative way. As Pastor Michael’s devotion spoke of yesterday, we will invite you to meditate on, to savour Scripture. More on that tomorrow. For now, another devotion in preparation that invites us into this new Lenten practice of “seeking God’s face.”
This is the phrase we are given in Psalm 27. “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.” I wonder how often this statement of the Psalmist is true for us. How often do the longings of our heart attach themselves to seeking the face—that is, the presence—of God?
I think we find that our longings attach themselves far more often to lesser things. Things like we talked about on Sunday: keeping up our metrics and streaks on our devices; attending to health and fitness regimes; climbing ladders and accruing resources; allowing our eyes to caress the physical and digital bodies we encounter; becoming information junkies on politics, sports, or the weather.
Some of these things I just listed off are things you might recognize to be wrong, but others you might see as quite ordinary and benign. The Christian tradition has long recognized that even very good things—like our families—can become idols. Each of them, when pursued beyond certain healthy boundaries, carry the possibility of reorienting our desires and the longings of our hearts away from the Creator to the created. These lesser things, when pursued as ends in themselves, only leave us longing for more.
Sports are great. Beauty and relationships are great. Games are fun. Work is fruitful and can be quite meaningful too. Social media is a wonderful tool of connection. But they are, all of them, meant to be received as gifts of God that draw our eyes and attention to Him. None of them are ends in themselves. If we treat them as such, we’ll only find our senses dulled and our hearts broken.
Our senses and our seeking were created to find their fulfillment and joy in the face and presence of God. The longing, the aching emptiness, the restless striving we feel in this life, are the cries of our heart to “seek his face!” Against these same restless longings, Psalm 27 chooses not to fill the God-shaped hole in our souls with some lesser, created thing. Instead, in a step of faith, the Psalmist turns the heart’s cry of longing into a movement of the soul, mind, and body: a daring act of attention to God—seeking his face in prayer. And then the Psalmist turns around and invites us to join too. To turn away from whatever lesser things we may have been occupying ourselves with to give our attention instead to the Lord. The invitation is to wait on him in confidence that we will see his face and his goodness yet, here in the land of the living. This promise of hope is all the more true in Jesus Christ.
So today and into our Lenten journey to come, turn your attention to God. Seek his face. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).
Once, while helping a college roommate make a pot of chili, we learned a valuable lesson. Having tasted the chili my roommate decided it needed more heat. So, he added another teaspoon of chili spice, stirred the pot, and took another sample. He didn’t think it had improved much, so he added more spice. Once again, he stirred the pot and tasted. I could tell by his reaction he still found the chili rather mild, so I encouraged him to add more spice. This went on for a bit until he thought there was heat in the pot.
Those of you who know something about chili spice, can guess what happened when our dormmates gathered around the table for dinner. (If I remember correctly, more chili ended up on the walls than in our stomachs). You see, it takes several minutes for chili spice to savour the sauce its in. By the time that pot got on the table all that chili spice had released its heat. It was beyond hot!
Mediation on scripture is similar. A simple definition of meditation is to “think deeply or carefully about something”. This takes time. Its taking a bit of scripture and letting it slosh around inside our hearts and minds. We savour it. We let it simmer. As we do so, its flavours begin to savour our lives.
Our emphasis is often on reading scripture, including reading the whole Bible in a year. There is nothing wrong with that. But reading is not enough. Reading can be like filling a glass measuring cup with water. We get our fill, but the water does not change the cup. The reading of God’s Word is meant to change us. For that, we need to meditate on it. And for that, we need time. Not idle time, necessarily. While doing tasks that don’t require our full attention, we can learn to savour God’s Word.
For most of Christian history people could not read the scriptures because it was not available through mass publication, and few people could read. But they could mediate. Its purpose is to clear our mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let his truth make its full and proper impact on our mind and heart. The printing press has added many benefits to our society and digital material even more. But more is not always more. Less can be more, if the less has opportunity to change our hearts.
In our text, God is giving the leadership of Israel to Joshua. Moses has died. God says to him, “Be strong and courageous.” We like that commission. But when divorced from its context we miss its import. “Be strong and courageous, careful to obey all the law…meditate on it day and night…” (7,8). Joshua’s task is not simply to defeat God’s enemies in Canaan, but to lead Israel to be God’s holy people. For that, Joshua needs to know God’s Word. Meditation is the road to knowledge. That is God’s commission of Joshua.
We don’t want to be like pharisees, who are only holy on the outside. We want to be holy on the inside so that we naturally do what is right; so that we don’t even think about it, we just do it. Meditation on scripture leads to fuller obedience, to a deeper attachment to God, to a deeper friendship with Jesus, to a more holy life.
In the New Testament, Paul puts it like this, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things…Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:1,2,5,12). Meditation on the Word (written and living) changes the heart and thus, the life.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 2:1-12, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What three foggy dark realities hang over Galilee as Jesus leaves the wilderness?
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What does repentance mean under John, and how does that change once Jesus arrives? What do you learn about repentance here in Matthew 4?
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How does the “good news of the kingdom” (4:23) enable people to turn from even more than just their sin?
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What are the preoccupations and sufferings that take your time, heart, and head space and keep you paralyzed in the fog?
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How will you turn from (and let Jesus turn you from) these things toward a deeper life of following Jesus this week? How will this impact the way you use time and connect with Jesus and others?
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:38-39)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
These verses present some of the key “dialectics” of our faith. Now I’m not talking about the difference in accents across regions, like the Nova Scotian dialect that makes them sound funny when they say the word “car.” No, that devotion will have to wait for Pentecost. I’m not talking about “dialects,” I’m talking about “dialectics.” It’s a word drawn from philosophy, and a particular corner of it. In this instance, I’m using “dialectic” to describe the holding together in tension of two opposed realities.
The New Testament is full of examples. The dialectic tension can be felt in the verses above, where Jesus says it’s only the one who loses their life who will find it, or the one who—by believing—will live even though they die. But dialectics show up all over. God’s strength made perfect in our weakness. Jesus as both fully God and fully human. God’s eternity entering into our time-bound lives.
The Christian life is defined by holding together the opposites. You cannot live in the middle, in a Laodicean “lukewarmness,” but nor can you flatten the whole world into either hot or cold. You have to hold together both hot and cold, without losing or mixing either of them into a lukewarm puddle. So, you have to hold together death and life, suffering and joy, light in darkness, being lost and found, both sinful and holy, both pure and stained, and worship a Jesus who is both one of us and totally other than us.
You cannot get rid of Jesus’ humanity or his divinity, or you no longer have Jesus. It’s both/and, not either/or. You have to hold the dialectic tension. You also can’t pretend that you aren’t at the same time both lost AND found, sinner AND saint. We are not one or the other—we’re both at the same time our whole lives through.
We Christians are a people called to hold and bear the tension of both/and. We are called to hold the “dialectic,” bringing both sides of totally opposed realities in their strength, weakening neither of them.
That said—we Christians are pretty bad at being “tension holders.” Instead, we’re more often just “tense.” But not in the healthy, hopeful, or holy sense. When we feel these tensions, it seems to us that something must be wrong and that somehow one side ought to win out over the other to resolve it, because who can live in such tension? So, we fight and force resolutions, or split off on our own to avoid the tension. But rarely does the tension resolve for long. Life continues to thrust us back into dialectics that complicate everything and string us up in yet another complicated tension of opposite forces.
The Bible confirms that this dialectic tension, rather than its absence, is actually the way things are supposed to be for now. Everything is defined by unpredictable dialects which serve their purpose when we surrender to them and allow them to do their work in keeping us awake, alert, and attentive to Jesus’ own mysterious work of bringing life through death. Dialectics provide the tension and resistance that exercise our faith and trust, causing them to grow. Without that tension: our faith muscles atrophy and go limp in Laodicean lukewarmness.
So, keep both the hot and the cold. Take up your cross today and every day to lose your life so that you can find it each day anew in Jesus. And, trust the weakness of his humanity and the strength of his divinity to mysterious shepherd you through whatever joys and sorrows life throws your way as you walk in his way today.
BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL GLORIFY YOU (PSALM 63:3).
We have finished our series on Ephesians. Next week Lent begins, and Wilderness Wanderings will have something special this year. Between now and then Pastor Anthony and I will Wander to various places in the scriptures. Today, we meander over to Psalm 63.
Jack Benny was a beloved entertainer. Though in real life he was an excellent violinist and a generous man, he often played comedic roles in which he was a terrible musician and an extreme penny-pincher.
One of Benny's famous sketches involved an attempted robbery. A thief sticks a gun in Benny's back, saying, "This is a stickup! Now come on. Your money or your life."
Benny fails to respond, saying or doing nothing for several seconds. The thief repeats his demand, "Look, bud, I said, 'Your money or your life.' " Benny responds, "I'm thinking it over!" For Jack Benny's miserly character, there was something better than life, namely money.
The author of Psalm 63 would agree with Benny that there is something better than life, but it wouldn't be money. In verse 3, David prays, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." What is better than life? God's love.
This word love is multifaceted. It includes kindness, mercy, and steadfast affection. It is closely associated with God's covenant relationship with Israel. It reflects the perseverance of God's graciousness towards her over multiply generations. This, despite the fact Israel often rejected him.
Do we really believe God's love is better than life? In principle, of course. But we must confess that sometimes we live as if life, especially the temporary pleasures of life, are better than God's love. Don't we, when faced with the choice, echo Jack Benny, "I'm thinking it over."
If God's love were better than life itself, then we would be well served to build into our lives regular opportunities to experience and grow in God's love. Regular times with the Lord. Times of retreat (silence, including digital silence), so we can clear our heads and pay attention to God.
To experience God’s love, we need deep relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so that we can learn what it means to love and be loved. We need to be faithful in joining with others for worship, so we can remember the Gospel as it is sung, preached, and celebrated in communion. And we need rest from work, so we can be restored and remember God's amazing faithfulness.
Lent has become known for many things, mostly, giving up many things. But that was never the point. Whatever we do, the goal has always been to learn anew that God's love is better than life; that God's love is the source of our life.
So, as you prepare for Lent, consider what you can do that will enable God to draw you deeper into his love?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Ephesians 6:23-24)
Paul often ends his letters with these two words: grace and peace. They come in a different order and a different way every time—but these are the two words that reliably offer the benediction at the close of Paul’s letters. Here those blessings of grace and peace resonate as reminders of what came before in this letter.
Like from the first chapter’s run-on sentence of lavish, overflowing gifts of grace or second chapter’s famous words “by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (2:8-9). Now as we close, Paul reminds us once again that God’s grace surrounds his people from beginning to end. Grace: a gift given to us which spills over from us.
And the word peace. We discovered in chapter two that Jesus Christ himself “is our peace” (2:14). His purpose being to “create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (2:15b-18). This peace of Christ which has made us to be a “unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace” is ours—a gift we are called to both receive and “keep” (4:3). Peace then also, is a gift given to us which is to be actively tended by us.
Then, new words join the usual pair of grace and peace here. Faith is one of them. We already heard that word come up: “by grace you have been saved, through faith” (2:8). It is “through faith in [Jesus] we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (3:12). We learn that there is but “one faith,” just as there is one Lord and baptism (4:5). Again, this unity of “one faith” is a gift and a goal, just like peace. We are called therefore to use our gifts to support and build one another up “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son…” (4:13). Faith in Christ is also our shield against the powers of evil (6:16). But as the letter begins and ends, we hear not of faith in the abstract noun, but faith as a lived reality—a verb. Paul writes at the beginning of the letter to “the faithful in Christ Jesus” and at the end he writes of “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord” (1:1, 6:21). Faith is also a gift and goal.
Love is another word Paul adds. When love shows up in the first half of the book (which is a lot!), it always refers to God’s own love, aside from just one instance. Love too then, is firstly a gift of God before it is ever an act of humanity. So profound is this gift of God that Paul prays his famous prayer for his hearers, that “being rooted and established in love, [you] may have power, together with all the [saints], to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (3:17-19). Then in the second half of the book, love dominates Paul’s instructions for how to live as a saint. The emphasis can be summed up in the words of 5:2, where Paul invites us to “walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Love as a gift, love as a goal.
Faith and love come together in the beginning, where Paul writes “ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (1:15-16). Now at the end he picks this unceasing prayer back up in his benediction: “love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (6:23).
The most significant words added to this ending, though, are the names of God himself. The letter began with a four-fold repeat of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. They are both mentioned in each of the opening four verses. Now at the end, they appear again. The Father and the Son, giving gifts to the saints. And, here we are as God’s people, the saints, responding to God’s good gifts. This is the gospel according to Ephesians, it is the way that the saints practice a life of resurrection in Christ. Receiving the gift and walking it out as our life’s goal.
For, to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you (Ephesians 6:21-22).
Many of Paul’s letters end with mention of people by name. There is only one here: Tychicus. He is first mentioned in Acts in connection with Ephesus (Acts 20:4). The sermons Paul was preaching in that city set off a riot. Paul and seven of his companions, one of whom was Tychicus, cleared out. Now he is set to return home carrying Paul’s letter to the Christians there.
Its worth our time to pause at this name and others mentioned in the New Testament letters. They remind us that church is a community of Christians. As the old song says, “the church is the people.” Naming Tychius reminds us that real people write, deliver, and receive this letter. The church is God’s gift of people to one another so that we can learn the practice of resurrection life together.
The Christian life is never an abstraction, never anonymous, never a problem to be fixed, never a romantic ideal to be fantasized. Christian resurrection life takes place in various ways but never apart from conversations between God and people with names, such as Tychicus. It can not be done in abstraction, only practised among real people.
“Tychicus will tell you everything.” This letter will not come via email. It will be delivered personally. And the deliverer will give the context in which the letter was written, everything that is going on with Paul, everything that is going on with the congregation in Rome, the ways in which political events in Rome are impinging on the congregation of believers, perhaps greetings from acquaintances and friends, stories of the journey.
It is likely that Tychicus left Rome with two letters tucked in his robes. He also carried the letter to the Colossians (4:7). He would then have carried news from one church to the other. Paul sends Tychicus to encourage the hearts of the Christians. Having been encouraged, all these conversations will undoubtedly be turned into prayers.
We should not reduce church to sermons and sacraments, theology and liturgy, Bible studies and prayer meetings, committee minutes and mission statements. There are names, meals, small talk, births, deaths. There is us. Conversation is essential. The “everything” that Tychicus will say to the Ephesians is not insignificant to being the church. And you and I are Tychicus.
This is all underscored when Paul names both Tychicus and the readers “brothers”, the plural is used to include both men and women. It’s a common designation Paul uses for his fellow workers and Christian friends, underscoring the bond and sense of family early Christians felt.
Further, at the beginning of the letter Paul described his readers as “the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Here at the end, Tychicus is described as a “faithful servant in the Lord.” Paul is underlining the importance of both faithfulness and that we are all in Christ.
The phrase “in Christ” is not just a piece of theology, it also describes how Paul sees his Christian friends. It is our bond, our unity. We are all in Christ and thus belong to each other. These words shape how we view God and ourselves. Paul’s view of his friends and his concern for them deserve to be copied. By viewing other Christians as in the Lord and by desiring God’s gifts for them, we change the way we relate to them.
So next time you read names in these letters, pause and wonder. Who are they? How are they connected to the church? What gifts are they bringing to the fellowship? Who have they encouraged and who might have encouraged them? What names connect you to the community of faith? How will you express the “in Christness” of the church? When we do this, we fulfill the doxology that has undergirded our wanderings through this letter.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
Paul has prayed for the Ephesians and invited them to be praying for all the saints. Now he also invites them to pray for him. For the first time since verse one of this letter, Paul places himself into the letter personally.
Throughout this letter, Paul has been “making known the mystery of the gospel for which he is an ambassador.” Now he asks for help to keep doing it. Paul needs God’s help and theirs if he is to remain free of fear. He mentions fear twice. He also needs God’s help and theirs to be armed with the sword of the Spirit himself. That is: to be able to receive and declare God’s words, words that can make known the mystery of the gospel.
At the beginning of the letter, in Paul’s opening run-on sentence filled with the lavish gifts of God for his people, he said it was God who “made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure” (Eph. 1:9). Paul now ends how he began. Recognizing that the “making known” of the gospel is a work that God has done and continues to do, Paul asks the Ephesians keep asking God to do it again, and for God to use Paul himself in that work of “making known the mystery of the gospel.”
Here we find that beautiful, interdependent circle of faith redrawn for us. We work out what God works into us. Not even the great apostle Paul was able to go forward in his own strength. It was only through the reception of God’s gifts, God’s peace, and God’s words that Paul could declare these mysteries of the gospel fearlessly as he should.
Importantly though, Paul’s declaring of the gospel also depended on the prayers of the church. Only “together with all the saints” can the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ be grasped and known. No one can step forward in faith without the prayers of the saints and the gifts of God. Jesus has reconciled us together into his church for a reason. Faith is a team sport, as is mission.
Asking for prayer is hard though. We don’t want to bother or burden others, draw attention to ourselves, or seem needy. We’d like to believe we can do it all well enough on our own. Self-sufficiency is our ideal—all the structures, incentives, and expectations are pointed in this direction in our culture. Asking for prayer does not come naturally.
Paul’s example should give us pause, however. In order to do any of the things that he has—throughout this letter—been doing, he depends on God and on the prayers of others. Paul’s starting place is his own inability, fear, and need. He openly admits these things as well as his need for help—he is in chains, after all. So in humility and vulnerability, he admits to all who can hear: “I can’t do this. Pray for me.” In so doing, Paul not only gets the strength he needs, but he also helps the body to be built up in maturity in faith and relationship as each saint puts their own prayers to the plough for his sake.
Our mutual need, God’s ever-present gifts, and our mutual ability enabled by those gifts are what keep the body supple, moving, and growing up in love and maturity into the head, which is Christ.
My needs give an occasion for your prayers, and your needs for mine. These are the things that keep us active in our relationship with one another and with God. So, at the start of this new week: what do you need prayer for? Who can you ask to pray those prayers? Go do it, because in this way, you offer the gift of your need to someone else so that we all grow up into Christ.
For, to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 4:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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Who do we learn about in this story? What two titles are at issue? What phrase from the previous story is called into question? How do we find ourselves in this story?
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What is the first temptation about? How does it get used in the life of the church today? In what ways do you face it? How should we respond?
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What is the second temptation about? How does it get used in the life of the church today? In what ways do you face it? How should we respond?
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What is the third temptation about? How does it get used in the life of the church today? In what ways do you face it? How should we respond?
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What encouragement ought we to find in this story?
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and pray with all perseverance for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18).
Two words stand out in our text: pray and all – “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests; being alert pray with all perseverance for all the Lord’s people.” We should not miss the intent that receiving the armour of God is done with prayer. In its most basic sense, prayer is the expression of our dependence on God. We can only stand against the devil’s schemes as we depend on the one who has already won the victory.
We pray in the Spirit. There is a close connection between prayer and the Holy Spirit. Do not get caught in the trap that says ‘praying in the Spirit’ is some form of super spiritual prayer only a few Christians achieve. Paul has already given us his teaching on the Spirit, emphasizing he is for and in all. “For through [Christ] we both (Jews and Gentiles – thus all) have access to the Father by one Spirit” (2:18). “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (2:22). “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (5:18-19).
Praying in the Spirit is the only way to pray to God. This gives confidence to our praying because the Spirit keeps us connected to God. Our prayers do not bounce off the ceiling but make their way to the throne of grace, which is not far away. And from the one who sits on the throne we will receive the aid we need to stand against the devil. We pray with conviction not because we feel close to God, but because we know that we are. It is not our responsibility to get close to him, he has come close to us in Christ, that connection now mediated by the Spirit.
The trouble is that the Spirit is our sin meter (John 16:8), alerting us to our tendency towards waywardness. Recall that most temptations regard these things Paul has been warning us about: deceitful desires, falsehood, unrighteous anger, stealing, unwholesome talk, grieving the Holy Spirit, bitterness, rage, brawling, slander, every form of malice, sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, dishonouring people we are in relationship with, spouse, children/parents, bosses, employees. The armour protects us from giving in to the temptations to engage in such things.
Praying in the Spirit, we are moved away from such actions and deeper into the righteous life of Christ. Prayer is not getting our will done in heaven, but heaven’s will done on earth. Its not about twisting God’s arm; but about twisting our wills to match God’s. That is why we are to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, praying alertly with all perseverance for all the Lord’s people.”
Our adversary is a ‘tricky little devil’ whose greatest delight is to trip us up. And so, we should not neglect to notice Paul’s encouragement to be ‘alert’; alert to the things that tempt us, alert to the proddings of the Holy Spirit to lead us away from sin and into righteousness. John Stott once commented, “without prayer, we are too feeble and too flabby to stand against the forces of evil.”
We need to train our minds, hearts, souls to pray; to be busy with it all the time. For many of us, our image of prayer is heads bowed, eyes closed, hands folded. How can we be doing that all the time? It might be helpful to imagine prayers as ‘tweets’ (now called posts): little phrases of adoration, thanksgiving, confession, and supplication offered to God, with eyes wide open and hands busy with life.
Finaly, we pray for each other, for all of the ‘each others’ of Christ’s new community. We hold each other before the throne. And in response, our Heavenly Father continues to pour forth his spiritual gifts upon his people, filling us with the goodness of the Holy Spirit. And so, Paul’s doxology is fulfilled:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)
Interestingly, the word at the beginning of this sentence has less the meaning of “take” and more the meaning of “welcome” or “receive,” which is its usual translation. We take the helmet and sword, therefore, as an act of obediently receiving—welcoming—what God is giving to us. Namely, his own armor and gifts.
The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is our focus today. If any of these armaments in Ephesians is an offensive weapon rather than a defensive one, surely this is it—right? Not so fast. Our commander has not changed his command. It remains “stand.”
Jesus tells his disciples to buy real, literal swords as they leave the Upper Room for the Mount of Olives on the night Jesus was betrayed. As it turns out, the eager disciples already have two at hand. Jesus very quickly tamps down their enthusiasm with a terse reply of “That’s enough!” Why? The swords were not needed for attack or violence, they were only needed to fulfill the word of Isaiah, which says “he was numbered with the transgressors.” For further proof, the story continues. When Jesus is about to be arrested, one of his sword-wielding disciples swings into action, lopping off the ear the servant of the high priest. Jesus’ response is an immediate rebuke: “No more of this!” he says, as he turns to heal the wounded enemy before surrendering himself to arrest. The disciple had asked Jesus “should we strike with our swords?” but did not wait for the answer from Jesus before swinging. That’s often how it goes, but one gets the impression from this scene that Jesus’ answer would have been “no” (see Luke 22:35-51).
The best example of this “sword of the Spirit” in action then, is when “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil” (Luke 4:1-2a). Three times over, the Spirit-filled Jesus uses the Word of God to defend himself against the temptations of the devil. He does not attack the devil, he does not run from the devil, nor does he scoff and ignore. Jesus stands his ground in the Spirit, and uses the Word to defend against the devil’s temptations. This, more than anything, is our picture of the “sword of the Spirit” in action as a weapon that allows us to “stand” our ground.
Pastor Michael will preach on this story from Matthew’s gospel on Sunday, but hopefully this gives a taster of what it means to “receive” God’s own armor. The armor which God himself has used and has shown us how to use. Neither the Spirit nor the Scriptures have been given to us to use as weapons of attack. They are sharp weapons though and they need to be respected—used only for the purposes for which they have been given: as weapons which enable us to firmly stand our ground in the salvation Christ has won for us.
As the book of Hebrews says: “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). In the larger context of this chapter, the writer of Hebrews uses this phrase to pivot between the two-edged reality of the scriptures: how they tell both of the failed obedience of God’s people, and the perfect obedience of “our great high priest” who “has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet did not sin.” The writer of Hebrews uses Jesus’ obedience to invite our own. “Hold firmly to the faith we profess,” the writer urges, “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” In this way, we enter into the promised Sabbath-rest of God’s people, weak and temptation-prone though we be.
As with Jesus in the desert, so the devil still tempts us to flee from our post and chase after his sweet-sounding offers of salvation by a different means. It is the sword of the Spirit though—the word of God—that reminds us of Jesus’ mercy and grace and which enables us to stand firm in his salvation.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Take the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17).
The helmet protects us against false knowledge peddled by the devil. In particular, the helmet keeps three things about salvation firmly in our heads.
First, the devil lures us into thinking that sin and its wages have not been taken care of. He constantly undermines the central message of salvation by making us feel inadequate; that some how we need to earn God’s approval. Nothing is free in the economy of this world, so certainly nothing can be free in God’s economy either.
The truth of our salvation is told in in various ways. Paul writes, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1); and “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:4-5); and “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Salvation is a gift from God, free and clear. We can do nothing to earn it. The helmet of salvation keeps this truth firmly planted between our ears.
Second, the devil entices us to believe that even though faith in Jesus’ is our ticket to heaven, until then we remain mired in our sin, that we will never do anything good. God saved us and then left us on our own till we die. We can’t win against Satan, its no use trying. Salvation does not make any difference in the here and now.
In contrast, when the Psalmist declares, "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation" (Ps. 118:14) he is affirming that God delivers people from all sorts of disasters: slavery in Egypt, wars with the Canaanites, bondage in Babylon. Salvation includes protection from enemies, a restoration of order in the here and now.
Jesus came "to preach good news to the poor...proclaim release to the captives...[restore] sight to the blind..." (Luke 4:18-19). To the woman healed of a hemorrhage, to the blind man who could now see, to the leper who had been cleansed, he said, "Your faith has saved you." Sometimes he added, “Go, sin no more.” Would he have said that if it were not possible? Paul writes, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).
The Heidelberg Catechism affirms this when it says, “Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him” (A 1). And practicing sabbath means “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways” (A 103). In this life we will not reach perfection, but by the Spirit’s power, we make a beginning.
The helmet of salvation keeps us from giving up on the fight against sin, we can genuinely pursue spiritual excellence. We can be about our business of proclaiming God's love and care for the world...in word and deed...relishing the freedom and life we have in Christ.
Third, the devil makes us doubt the hope of final deliverance. Christ has tarried so long, why should we still expect him? At the end of the Bible, we see clearly that salvation...restoring order...goes beyond this life. In its beautiful poetic way, Revelation affirms that God will deliver, will save, will make creation good again: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more tears, no more death. Salvation. The helmet of salvation keeps this hope alive.
Satan does his most effective work in our minds! Using lies, twisting and manipulating the truth, he works to create fear, confusion, and doubt. The helmet of salvation shuts him up, silences his evil chatter with the undeniable truth of God. So, let's put it on, keep our heads filled with the good news of the Word of God. Let us stand joyfully, in the good news of our salvation. Let us stand in freedom.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
We are constantly being shot at, it seems. In this case: by “flaming arrows of the evil one.” They seemingly come in many forms. And this is a big part of what makes it difficult to “stand firm.”
Just this morning, I had a passing conversation with another pastoral colleague who was noting how many directions churches and Christians are running off in to attempt to save ourselves and our churches from whatever danger we imagine. Whether that be the dangerous press of the secular world (conservatives more so), the dangerous injustice and harms of our exclusions (liberals more so), or the danger of membership decline in our churches (which everybody feels), the constant attacks we face have been causing our battle lines to break as Christians and churches scatter to grasp for a salvation that isn’t Jesus.
We run off to the armories of Relevance (the right songs, programs, resources), Authenticity (the right influencer/Pinterest/Instagram-informed-style), Better Production Values (the right sound, lights, etc.), Moralism (the right behaviour), Legalism (the right rules for their own sake), Justice (the right upholding of the rules for peoples’ sake), Politics (the right ones, of course) or whatever else it might be. Of course, all of these means of salvation are things we can grab hold of and accomplish ourselves by our own right doing of Authenticity, Morals, Politics, or what have you. All of them are within our reach. Things we can see. Things we can do. And, importantly, things that we don’t need God for.
Unfortunately against flaming arrows, these DIY salvation kits turn out to be no more useful than the fig leaves Adam and Eve hid behind in the garden. They burn away in an instant. And when they do, we discover that the battle line we were commanded to hold, to stand firm on and hold, has been utterly broken as we’ve scattered ourselves to the four winds. The flaming arrows did not do this. It is a self-inflicted wound.
What do I mean? As the church fights itself over the best means of salvation to grab for (The Law will save us! Authenticity will save us! Trump will save us! etc.), mass casualties begin to pile up. We’ve ceased to stand in formation against the enemy and have drawn up battle lines against “flesh and blood” neighbours and fellow church members instead. Not only that, but others—disillusioned—begin to turn from the field altogether: leaving the church and perhaps their faith too. If this is what the church is all about, they want nothing to do with it. As it turns out, searching for a salvation through the practical weapons of this world (influence, legalism, programs, etc.) leaves us scattered across the hillside “like sheep without a shepherd.” Why? Because we’ve forgotten and forsaken our shepherd, who asked nothing more of us than to “stand firm” and trust him to win the battle.
Against the flaming arrows, our Lord has commanded that we stand firm behind nothing more than faith in him, trusting that this faith in nothing other than his saving power will, in fact, shield us from every threat: extinguishing every bright-flying arrow and shiny object lobbed our way.
Psalm 7 says “my shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart… he has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.” God is, in other words, more than up to the challenge. As the psalm continues we hear that the enemy—“he who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble”—falls as God’s people do nothing more than stand behind their shield of faith in God Most High. For the evil one, “the trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.” (See more about standing firm in the faith of
Our apologies for the delay in posting this past Sunday's sermon: here it is!
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 3:13-17, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What might have been some of John’s problems with baptizing Jesus (why didn’t he want to do it)?
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In what ways did Jesus humble himself to identify with us? How deep did it go? What were the limits to Jesus’ identification with us?
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What were the three gifts that Jesus received as he went up out of the waters?
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What hangs ups might we have with hearing and receiving these words and gifts of Jesus’ baptism as our own?
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How will you live in light of your baptismal identity in Jesus this week, knowing that you are a child of God who has a place of home and belonging with him? How might it change your interactions with yourself, your day, and with others?
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:14-15).
Imagine a soldier with the best weapons, the warmest clothing, and the safest helmet. Now you look down…barefoot! How effective will she be in battle? How many miles can he march? In the rough conditions of the battle, feet will be bleeding and sore too soon.
In ancient days a variety of footwear was used by soldiers. Most common were something called greaves. These protected the legs and feet against cold and injury. Soldiers used half-boots or sandals that were hobnailed, spiked, giving traction.
Our text is not concerned with the type of footwear, but on the preparation of the feet. We are encouraged to lay aside every hindrance and to be prepared both for journey and war. By nature, many of us dislike exertion, especially of the spiritual kind. Rough roads and other obstacles slow our progress, and we are discouraged by the smallest annoyance. Thus, Paul holds out the ‘gospel of peace’ as essential for the Christian life.
How do feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from gospel of peace” help us to stand against the attacks of the devil? Paul takes his cue from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who brings good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Paul suggests that there is more to this than just proclamation.
“Readiness” suggests all of life. Knowledge of the gospel should make us alert (6:18) and ready for life. Since we have been taught in the school of Christ, we are careful about our speech and actions. We do not live in the dark. We live wisely, redeeming the time and understanding the will of the Lord, not only sharing the good news, but also being agents of peace and love, ready to do the whole will of God.
What is the gospel of peace? It is the message that we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Nothing else gives peace to the conscience. Christ is our peace (2:14). Without Christ we are separated from God because of our sin. But now, through Christ, we are united with God and with each other, a new humanity. God has made peace with us through the blood of Christ. This is the peace of the gospel, God’s gift.
Cosmic peace, global harmony is God’s pledge to the world (1:10; 3:10). When it is realized in the Church, the death knell sounds for the cosmic powers opposing God. Yet, when we demonstrate the peace of God these forces intensify their opposition. Our preparation for standing firm against the fragmenting powers of evil is the harmony produced by the gospel. We become the world’s peacemakers.
Peace with God results in peace on earth. That’s what the angels said, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Only the lowly shepherds knew that Jesus had come and already the angels declared peace on earth. Especially in the Church we need to live that peace. One of the devil's most effective means of neutralizing a church or a Christian is to get a fight going! Think about it! How well do you pray when you're fighting with your spouse? How many people are attracted to a church at war? Do we take every concern prayerfully to God when our minds are not at peace?
When we are ready to fight, ready to turn viciously on each other...let's turn instead to Jesus with a plea for His peace (James 4:1-7). Elsewhere, Paul tells us how people whose feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace act: Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful (Colossians 3:13-15).
Is that asking too much? Not at all, since we live under this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14)
In Isaiah 59, an important background to Ephesians 6 emerges. The whole chapter is worth a read (and is, I think, an excellent description of the “powers and principalities” of evil Paul has in mind in this section). Here’s an excerpt—this is Isaiah describing the state of affairs among God’s people:
“…justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head…” (Is. 59:14-17).
When Paul talks about the armor of God, he is quite literally speaking of God’s own armor. Think back to our series of 1 Samuel and David’s journey of growing up to be king. In both the chapter 17 Goliath episode and the running-from-Saul episode of chapter 21, David is confronted with a question: will he fight the Lord’s battles in Saul’s armor, or in God’s (i.e. nothing but trust in God’s own deliverance)? In the first case, David chooses God’s armor with childlike faith. But in the second instance, David is quite open to whatever armor will get the job done—any means necessary. He is in the wilderness of the “the devil’s schemes” where “truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” But in this wilderness it proves to be true that the one who asks, receives. When David asks for armor in the house of God—God’s armor is what he receives there. It is a gift.
You will notice that in both the context of Isaiah and the life of David, the sort of truth we’re talking about is the sort of honesty and integrity of character that Pastor Michael spoke of yesterday. The same is true of righteousness. In Isaiah, righteousness is said to “stand at a distance,” because “whoever shuns evil becomes a prey,” a target. The Lord is appalled at this—that no righteous person can be found to intervene against injustice and dishonesty. All the righteous have shrunk back from the fight. They have not stood their ground.
Notice again that doctrinal truth and personal, ethical righteousness is not the issue here. If these were the issues at stake, then “any means necessary” to hold up the doctrine or our own reputation would be perfectly justified, even if it means running roughshod over others causing pain, mistrust, and material hardship. But in fact, the “means” do matter, because honesty and the failure to stand for what is right when neighbours are being unjustly treated is the problem.
Thankfully, God himself comes to do what his people will not. He comes as the righteous one who stands for the right and who achieves salvation. And so come the familiar words of Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” We are the ones now standing in the light of Christ, the very Lord of Isaiah who strapped on the breastplate of righteousness. He has won the salvation. Both forgiveness for the perpetual dishonesty and failures to stand up for what’s right of his people, but also the setting right of injustices so that honesty and righteousness might flourish among people.
When we “put on Christ” in our baptism, his armor becomes our own. He has won for us this ground on which we stand. He arms us with his own armor. He commands us not to advance, nor to retreat, nor to give up the fight and throw his armor on the floor. All we must do is stand firm where we are, in his armor.
In practice, this means quite a simple thing, I think. It means a willingness to be the odd one out when someone is being picked on, when a “coarse joke” is being told, or when some injustice, cruel action, or power grab is being perpetrated whether in a committee, in a group of friends or colleagues, or on the street. Very often, doing nothing more than standing firm and saying: “I can’t go along with this,” is this righteousness of God’s armor that stands firm in justice and truth.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… (Ephesians 6:14).
Having planted our feet firmly on the ground, aware that we are in Christ, the Lord—surrounded and guarded not by our own might, but by His mighty power, let us get dressed up in the armour that our Father so gracious provides for us. And let us stand against the attacks of our enemy.
The first piece armour is the belt of truth which we buckle around our waists.
“Having girded your middles with truth” is a more accurate rendering of the Greek. It shows a deliberate action we must take. We must put the armour on; it does not appear on us by magic. As Pastor Anthony said yesterday, standing in not loitering. Paul says we must equip ourselves so that we can stand. If we don’t get our minds involved, we will fail. Spiritual battle is not done simply by attending worship or by claiming we are Christians. Unless we personally put on the armour, we will not stand firm.
Before the armour can be put on, the garments underneath must be bound together. The metaphor of girding describes fastening loose fitting clothing securely around the waist. This made rapid movement easier and was vital preparation for any vigorous activity, such as running a race or fighting a battle. The most famous Biblical example is the Israelites leaving Egypt; God told them to tuck their cloaks into their belts (Exodus 12:11).
Mostly likely, Paul had Isaiah 11:5 in mind when he wrote our text. Isaiah says this about our Messiah-King, the shoot of Jesse, “Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist”. Thus, it is not doctrinal truths that Paul is referring to, but truth in the sense of integrity, truth in the inward being. The belt of truth suggests that our character and activities are shaped by the gospel. If we claim to be a Christian, we will desire to live as Jesus lives.
He has already instructed us “to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:25) and told us that “the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (5:9). If this sounds too difficult, fear not, Jesus prays for us, "protect them from the evil one...Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:15, 17). While we are fastening our spiritual belt, the Spirit is simultaneously teaching and training us.
Committing to living in the truth will probably mean facing some unpleasant, even ugly moments. It might mean opening to the light of Christ some dark secrets we've carefully hidden away and making them right. Satan loves the secret sins that we ignore. In those dark corners of our minds, he causes awful rot and infections that can affect our spiritual health, weakening us. For over a year, King David lied about his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. Psalms 32 tells of the price he paid, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (3,4).
With the belt of truth buckled firmly in place, we seek to live by the light and in the light. We desire to grow up into Christ, putting away the deeds of darkness – anger, fighting, envy, lusts. It means following God’s example, walking in the way of love, seeking out the will of God. Our goal is to allow all our words and actions to flow from the goodness, righteous and truth of Jesus.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
As Pastor Michael mentioned yesterday, the command we’re given in the Armor of God passage of Ephesians 6 is not to go marching or retreating, but rather, to stand. That word “stand” is repeated again here—twice. And it will not be the last time you hear it.
In this, Paul is echoing Jesus himself, who in the great end-times passage of Matthew 24 speaks of all sorts of terrible things: “wars and rumors of wars,” “famines and earthquakes,” persecution, and death. At that times, he says “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” Indeed, “the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (See Mt. 24:4-13)
The question naturally arises: if all we’re to do is stand—why does Paul resort to battle imagery like armor to describe our stand? I think the battle imagery keeps us alert to the fact that we had better have our wicks trimmed and lamps lit. That there is an urgency to our standing. A preparedness that comes with it. We’re not loitering. There’s an enemy prowling around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. There is evil crouching at our door. The battle is real, even if our only orders are to stand. Who is this enemy? In a word: evil. Not sin, but evil. And we can very quickly stumble down an endless trail of speculation should we attempt to surmise much more than that. But that’s not the point. Notice that what Paul displays most of all here, is restraint. He does not indulge our curiosities on evil. He mostly seems interested in making one, single distinction by telling us what the enemy is not: the enemy is not the flesh and blood people with names and faces around us. Those people we are called to love. They may sin, they may even by vectors of some of the evil we experience—but they are not themselves the enemy. And in standing against the day of evil, our love for them is not to grow cold.
We hold two things in tension then: firstly, that our enemy is disembodied and mostly beyond our perception, but secondly, that the battle is nevertheless still real. That’s all the more we get from Paul on the subject in this letter. Paul does not give us the tools for deciphering the cryptic work of evil. Instead, he gives us the armor of God. And what are we to do with this armor in the battle against the enemy? We could go on the offensive, crusading against evil and defining ourselves by what we’re against. We could go on the defensive, cowering in fear and paranoia of not knowing where evil will come from or how it will show itself. We could also plug our ears, stick our heads in the sand and ignore it altogether, living with Laodicean lukewarmness. But all of these miss the call of Ephesians 6. Which is not a call to retreat, nor a call to advance onward, nor a call to loiter—it is instead, simply a call to stand firm where we are. And where we are, is not in the clutches of evil. Where we are is in Christ, the Lord—surrounded and guarded not by our own might, but by His mighty power.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11-12).
We come now to the ending of Paul’s little letter to the Ephesians. There is one more major topic he wants to address. It’s a passage that often comes up in conversations and sermons on ‘spiritual warfare’. Since the term remains largely undefined, I do not find it very useful. Further, this passage does not deal with ‘warfare’. It does deal with armour and thus it is easy to slip into military language.
Yet, we will notice repeatedly as we ponder these closing verses that Paul does not tell us to engage the enemy. His repeated instruction is “to stand.” The devil is still trying to take us down, but rather than go on the offensive against him, we are to stand, deflecting his attacks with the armour of the gospel and the strength of our God.
It would be very odd for Paul to end his letter with instructions on how to fight against the devil, since throughout he has argued that the battle is already accomplished, the victory is secure. Let us review a few things so that we land firmly on our feet.
First, Jesus is introduced as Lord (1:3). In fact, Paul uses “Lord” twenty-six times in this letter to refer to Jesus. Our God and Father has appointed Jesus as the supreme Lord of the universe, the head of all of creation, and he has authority over all things in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:16-20). Further, all of history is moving towards the goal of bringing “unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (1:10). Satan and his armies are simply incapable of hindering the purposes of God.
Second, in his exaltation to the heavenly realms, Jesus overcame the most powerful enemies in creation: death and the spiritual powers. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come" (1:21). All things have been placed under his feet (1:22), including Satan and his schemes. There is no need to fret.
Third, God has manifested his extraordinary power in the church, giving life to those he has resurrected from death (2:1, 4-5), and delivering them from the extraordinary powers that had dominion over creation: the world, the Devil, and our fallen sinful nature (2:1-3). The church already participates in Christ's victory, although not fully, and has received the Spirit as first fruits and guarantee (1:13-14) of our final and complete redemption.
Fourth, the head and Lord of all creation, Jesus Christ, is now the head of the church and fills his bride with his incomparable great power, through his Spirit (1:18-19, 23; 2:21-22).
Fifth, the church is God's poem (2:10) and the first fruits of his new creation; we are God's new humanity (2:15) that has been elected, called, and sanctified to live for his glory (1:6, 12, 14).
Shalom (2:14, 15, 16, 17), unity (1:10; 2:14-17) and holiness (1:1,4; 2:21; 3:18; 5:3) are the main manifestations of this new society. By God's grace and power (2:4-7), the church is now composed of peoples from all the nations. We are called to live a life worthy of our calling, in unity, with behaviour characterized by truth, justice, and love. These are the virtues that make it possible in everyday communal life to "keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:1-3). We are to walk in the way of love (5:1-2) which expresses itself in mutual submission and service in the church (4:1-16) and family life (5:18-6:9).
We are called to live in this world as a testimony and manifestation of God's gracious love, redemption and shalom to all peoples (2:11-22), including the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (3:10). The devil does all in his power to undermine the unity of the church and lure us into unholiness. It is against such schemes that we are called to stand. And to stand, we are equipped with the armour God himself gives us, while he infuses us with his own power.
Paul laid the groundwork for all of this when he wrote,
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. (Ephesians 6:5-9)
In this section on marriage, parenting, and now workplace relations—Paul has kept the “household code” of the Roman culture in tact. The Roman “Household Code,” which is essentially what we find here in Ephesians 5:22-6:9, was a pretty commonly agreed upon organizational chart for how a household was to be run. You can find the same set of relationships and regulations in Xenophon, who had written one of the more prominent codes, but Aristotle and other notable ancients had also contributed.
The ancients believed that the household was an essential building block and a microcosm of the wider society. They believed that however it went with the household determined how it would go with the city and the state. They were keen, therefore, to organize it well. Households in this system were not just family homes as they are for us: they were also the place of business. Commerce and family were tied up into one. The head of the household was not just head of the family, but also of the business, trades, and agriculture carried out under the roof, within the courts, and on the land that constituted the household’s property. In this day, everyone “worked from home.”
So here’s the problem. These slaves, masters, spouses, and children all start attending a house church in their household together (or in someone else’s). Paul begins to preach that “Christ has broken down the dividing walls” and that there is “freedom in Christ” where “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female.” After such rousing sermons, how should these household members now relate? Is it a free-for-all where everyone goes their own way and does what they want?
No, says Paul. Don’t start a revolution in Rome by overthrowing the household. Keep the household code. Keep the roles and station that you were in when Christ found you. But do it now for a different reason: out of reverence for Christ. Of course, in the long haul, this minor tweak proved no small thing at all. It took a long time, but it was out of reverence for Christ that slavery would eventually be abolished in the Christian West. Out of reverence for Christ, women received the ability to vote. Out of reverence for Christ, laws to protect children from exasperation were put in place. Out of reverence for Christ, the curse of Genesis 3 has even begun to experience its reversal in Christ as husband no longer rules over wife in this increasingly egalitarian society.
All the same, we will never be free of culturally defined social roles in society. To get to the point of today’s passage, we no longer relate as slaves and masters, but now as employers and employees. But the principle remains.
Do you work as an employee as if Christ himself were your boss. Do your best work—not for the sake of an inept, corrupt, or broken institution, nor for a paycheck, nor for the benefits. Do your best work for Christ, out of reverence for him. He’ll reward the good that you do and the gifts that you use, regardless of what your company does.
Same thing for bosses. Doesn’t matter how lazy, inept, or selfish your team or employees are: do not resort to the lesser threats and cut-throat tactics that mark the rest of the workplace. Give them your best work—care for them and manage well as if Christ himself had entrusted them to you. Don’t use your power to your own advantage, because you have none over Christ. He doesn’t pick favorites or defer to seniority—so be humble and give them your best.
In all these things: in our homes and our work, may our lives in this world and culture be marked by our reverence for Christ. And, may the world see it, rejoice because of it, and be perhaps even been attracted enough to wonder about this Jesus we revere.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 3:1-12. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What images do you have of ‘rolling out the red carpet’? How well does that compare with John’s ministry?
- What does it mean to repent? How does the Law help? What is our preferred response to our own sin?
- What does John’s baptism symbolize?
- What does John say about his message and ministry?
- We cannot avoid the kingdom’s coming. It comes with fire. Is it a promise or a threat to you?
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ… Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 5:21, 6:1-4).
Did you know children play "catch" with their parents all day long? Children spend their lives catching how parents live, catching how they talk, catching their ways of responding, and catching their walk with God - or lack thereof. Faith is contagious. So is apathy. Since parents set the patterns, I will reflect mostly on parenting here.
According to historical sources, a Roman father had absolute power over his family. He could sell them as slaves, make them work his fields in chains, punish as he liked, he could even inflict the death penalty on his child. Children were a nuisance; unwanted babies were abandoned, the deformed and sick were killed; children were ignored or used for parental purposes.
In contrast, Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me’ and ‘to such belongs the kingdom of God.’ We notice that Paul follows Jesus rather than the culture of the Roman Empire. The Christian family, like the church, is lived under this rubric, ‘submit to each other out of reverence for Christ’. In the marriage relationship, Paul calls us to a better way. Here too.
But we are far removed from Roman culture. The world has many cultures, and each has its own patterns of family life. Paul is not giving us a manual on the parent child relationship that is transcultural, nor a textbook for successful Christian parenting. Parenting will look different in each culture. We are not instructed to abandon our cultural patterns. Rather, we are to engage with them out of “reverence for Christ” while learning “mutual submission.”
If I may say it, we are not used to this. Ours is an aggressively competitive culture, in which we measure ourselves against one another: educational credentials, athletic competition, salary, popularity, fashion, appearance, or performance. Competition is bred into us. We evaluate the people around us as winners and losers. We want to win, in family life too.
The family is the setting in which competition does the most damage. Whether it is between family members or against another family, competition undermines intimacy and hinders Christian maturity. Our goal is not to win, but to grow up in Christ by being “subject to one another,” even in the family. But it doesn’t come easy. It is an art form, best learned in the family setting.
Submission means that we set aside our own agendas for the sake of the other. Parents need to wrestle away the goals and dreams they have for their children. “Do not exasperate them.” Even in parenting, we follow the way of Christ. The measuring stick for maturity for the Christian is the “measure of the full stature of Christ.” We pay attention to the ways that Jesus forgave, loved, touched lepers, received outsiders, prayed for his friends.
Partnered with mutual submission is reverence for Christ. This is an attitude or disposition that acknowledges God’s presence, recognizing that he is more and better than we are. It begins at the burning bush, as we remove our sandals. It permeates our relations as we recognize and reverence Christ in every person we meet, even our parents and children. Fear of the Lord opens our spirits, our souls, to become what we are not yet, growing up into Christ.
We play catch with our children all day long. What balls do we throw their way? If our children do not see us practicing submission, why should they obey us? If they do not see the ‘fear of the Lord’ in us, where will they see it? There is no manual for success here. Yet, the fear of the Lord includes a deep trust in God’s baptismal promises. No matter what happens in life, he remains our faithful God. We entrust our parents and our children to him.
Let this blessing encourage both parent and child:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)
In Russian novelist Dostoevsky’s book, The Brothers Karamazov, there is a line that goes like this: “The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.”
Many of us are full of great ideals of who and what a spouse should be and do—or the church, or humanity. We aspire for our society to be one of love for all instead of hate for any. We hold up ideals like a happy marriage where our spouse always has time and capacity for us and with whom we never fight. We seek a church where everyone gets along, holds the same beliefs, and serves shoulder to shoulder in common purpose. But, the more we love our ideals of what the church, society, marriage, or people ought to be, the less likely we are to love any particular person we meet in the church, society, or even our marriage. Frankly, none of them can possibly measure up.
A good example is the current claims flowing across the pages of the Banner and elsewhere in our denominational discourse that suggest that for the sake of our strong ideals on marriage, there is no possible way that we can remain together in the church with other Christians who accept same-sex marriage. This always strikes me as ironic in light of Ephesians 5. The mysterious one-flesh union Paul is ultimately alluding to is the union of Christ and his body, the church. “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” But for the sake of our ideals on marriage, we are ready to tear apart the greater mystery-of-union that is the body of Christ, of which marriage at its best is only an image and foretaste. It seems to me that we have missed the point of this passage entirely.
Jesus came in the flesh so that all of these ethereal ideals about “God’s love” and “holiness” might be made concrete and particular among real sin-broken persons with names and faces. Paul alludes to this loving way of Jesus as he invites us too, to make our love concrete and particular in what for many is the most basic, personal, and daily relationship of our lives: marriage.
Loving our neighbour—even our spouse—as our own self requires surrendering our selfishness and our ideals for who the other ought already to be. We have to get past these so that we can meet the person in front of us as they are: stained, wrinkled and blemished. I promise you: they are not ideal. But they are the concrete, personal, and particular one—wrinkles and all—to whom we have become united and through whom we will learn what it means to give ourselves up in love as Christ loved the church.
We err when we assume divorce or church division is the only way forward to the radiant ideals or holiness we seek. This would be as if Christ came to earth, saw our blemishes, and decided to turn right around and abandon us, keeping his holiness to himself because we just didn’t meet the ideal. It doesn’t work. The cart is on the wrong side of the horse.
Jesus’s love reveals a better way—he kept his commitment to us in love, despite the blemishes inherent in his church: "while we were still sinners, he [gave himself up] for us” in love (Romans 5:8). It is the commitment—the mystery of union—practiced daily in love among the particular people we live and worship with that gives context to the feeding, care, and cleansing that slowly (and with much difficulty) brings forth the ideal within the body. Not the other way round.
I think then, rather than loving our ideals of a spouse or of the church, the call is to love instead what we have been given: a real spouse and a real church. Wrinkles and all. Trusting that in time, through the mystery of union in our church and in our marriage, “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. [For] from him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… (Ephesians 5:21-26).
Whenever I read this text, I recall the parishioner who came with a question, “When a husband and wife disagree, who gets to make the decision? Who gets the final word?” She needed to have an answer.
As many of you know, this has been a thorny text and much misused. The notion of ‘headship in marriage’ remains a significant complication. I also recall having a conversation with a dear saint who was a strong advocate for this idea. When I asked her what ‘headship’ meant she had no answer. This is the problem. The church has not come to clarity on this term.
Despite all this, there is a way forward. To begin with, the question, “Who gets the final word?” leads us astray. It is approaching the marriage relationship from the perspective of power or authority, which is a worldly way of dealing with it. It is not the Christ way. It does not help us to practice resurrection.
Paul is here offering advice on how to relate with those closest to us: in the family and in the workplace. Historical evidence suggests that Paul offers similar advice to that which non-Christians gave. But he includes one large caveat, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”. And this makes all the difference. I maintain that this is one of the most under preached text in the New Testament.
The concept of headship is largely seen through the lens of power or authority. The question, “Who has the last word?” comes out of that prism. But Jesus said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). He also said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26).
This, I think, is what Paul is echoing when he wrote, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” I understand and believe that even within the Christian community there are abusive spouses who must be separated from their families for the wellbeing of all. The Christian community needs to have the courage to say and name this and do it when necessary.
Apart from these situations, many marriages can be saved and become beautiful if we learn to practice everything that Paul has been writing about. What I mean is, ‘Practice it at home first.’ Often, Christian husbands and wives fail to practice the virtues of the Christian faith at home.
This is where we practice resurrection. This is where the Holy Spirit penetrates our being with the very life and presence of God. If we do not notice “a bruised reed … and a dimly burning wick” (Isaiah 42:3; cf. Mathew 12:20) at home, where else will we notice them? We love the spectacular. But not God. He is concerned about the little things. It is in the daily tasks, in the daily acts of love and worship that resurrection living is learned. We never graduate to higher ground. Its practice immerses us in named people, specific tasks, the stuff of everyday.
Do you believe this?
Here is how Paul sets us up, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-21).
The glory of the Christian life is not in the splashy, news grabbing, spectacular events, but in the daily acts of humility to serve those closest to us, husband, wife, child. Its not an easy task. So we go with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-20)
We will often lift up the practical and ethical dos and don’ts of this section of Ephesians as “the truth.” But that’s actually the wrong descriptor. What we’re talking about here is not “the truth” so much as “the way” (recall Paul’s words at the beginning of the chapter in verse 2: “…walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us…”). The “truth” is what Paul has laid out in the first three and a half chapters of the letter—it is the witness he offers to everything that God is doing in Jesus Christ through the power of the Spirit. The ”way” now, is how we human people get in on that “truth” of God in our day to day living. Literally, how we “walk” it out—that’s the word behind the word “live” in verse 15.
I mention this distinction between “Truth” and “Way” now, because in this set of verses Paul uses the language of “wisdom” and “foolishness.” There is a particular set of scriptures known as “wisdom literature” which includes the Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. These books are not about the black and white “truths” about God, but rather, they are about how to live in the gray areas of the field of play that the “truth” defines. Wisdom is all about the “way.”
The mention of wisdom here is fitting, because this run of verses closes off a section. Everything that Paul has been talking about since 4:17 is about how to “walk” in the “way” of Jesus. How, ultimately do we walk that way of Jesus carefully, not as unwise but as wise? In a word: The Holy Spirit.
To walk out the “Truth” of Jesus in the “Way” of Jesus requires us to be filled with the Spirit and the Life of Jesus that he gives. Paul makes a bit of a pun here. The phrase “do not get drunk on wine” misses it. What Paul’s really saying is: “Don’t get drunk on spirits, fill yourself up with the Holy Spirit instead!” And don’t go off singing and dancing in drunken debauchery at the local pub, but start singing and dancing with the people of God instead, with Spirit-filled words that slosh over into the crowd from Spirit-filled people.
This whole time Paul has been trying to draw a sharp contrast between the way of the world and the way of Jesus. It’s no different here. Except that he’s kind of saying that all the fun and merry-making that you look for in your drinking and entertainment can actually be found in the joy of the Spirit and the Life of Jesus if you’re receiving everything from him, in thanks, as a gift. Nothing lightens the soul like knowing that Jesus lifts you up and gives every good gift of life that there is in this life.
Many of us don’t know how to have a guest over, throw a party, or even have a good night in without alcohol greasing our wheels and perhaps the crude jokes and unwise behaviour Paul’s talked about with it. What if the kind of life you (think you) find there—in the bottle, or in the easy-route behaviours of saying and doing dumb things—what if you could find all of that and more in the Spirit of God while sober and smart? Paul seems to think that kind of uninhibited joy is out there, waiting to be had for those ready to walk in the fullness of the Spirit.
Maybe it takes faith to believe such a thing—but that’s what our best forerunners in the faith have always claimed, including Jesus himself—namely, that the life of Jesus in the Kingdom of God looks like the best party you’ve ever been to. And, perhaps if it doesn’t feel that way—maybe the problem is that we haven’t quite walked out the Jesus truth in the Jesus way wisely enough.
So, be wise and let the party begin! Walk in the way—fill yourself up in the Spirit and make some thankful music to the Lord! And, drag some others with you into the dance as you spin round ever deeper into the depths of God’s grace!
At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. The light produces what is completely good, right, and true. Find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like. It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret. But everything the light shines on can be seen. And everything that the light shines on becomes a light. That is why it is said, “Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead. Then Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:8-14).
I do not claim to be an expert on the Northern Lights. But here are the basic facts as I understand them: particles (electrons and neutrons) from the sun are carried by solar winds towards the earth; they are drawn into the earth’s atmosphere by the magnetic pull of the north pole. Once inside these particles interact with ions in our atmosphere. These interactions are visible to us as the northern lights.
This process is not unlike what happens in the Christian life. All good things begin in God, as the psalmist says, “God is my light and my salvation” (27:1). James also reflects on this when he wrote, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (1:17) and John says simply, “God is light” (1 John 1:5). All this good light is brought to the earth through Jesus. He said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) and “And I will do whatever you ask in my name” (14:13). As the solar winds carry the sun’s particles to earth, so Jesus brings all the light of the Heavenly Father.
The Holy Spirit acts as the magnetic north pole, pulling all the heavenly light into our lives. Jesus taught that the Spirit would remind us of everything he taught (John 14:26) and that the Spirit witnesses about Jesus (15:26). And of course, later, the apostles wrote about the ‘gifts of the Spirit’ and the ‘fruit of the Spirit’. All these good things that the Spirit brings to us then interact with the affairs of our lives. And we sparkle with the light of God for all the world to see. We are God’s northern lights.
And we react with a groan. We don’t feel like a light, and we know that we are not very brilliant. Paul knows this. Yet, it is to us doubters that Paul is writing, “Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead.” “At one time you were in the dark, but now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done”. No text is as strong in its explanation of conversion. Because we believe in Jesus, we are in the light. Period. End of story.
Our eyes must always be focused on Christ (Hebrews 12:2; Colossians 3:1). We are in the light not because we glow, but because he shines on us. We must always remember that. Everything begins and ends with him; he is the “Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 21:6). Therefore, he defines reality. Because we are united with him in his death and resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6). He declares that we are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14); therefore, we are.
A life of faith takes God at his word. Our starting point is that we are in the light. The call to the Christian life comes out of this truth.
Thus, after his declaration, Paul issues the call, “Live like children of the light”. Find out what pleases the Lord. When he writes this, Paul assumes two things. One, it is possible to know the will of God and two, it is possible to do the will of God. Of course, not perfectly, he knows that too. But we can get started.
So, there is a question for us: do we pursue the will of God? Is it our goal to know, and do it? How much time and effort do we not spend flirting with darkness? God has created us with a brain. Its time to put it to some good use. God has revealed much about the good life in the Bible. Read it! When you pray, ask God to teach you his will as you go through your day: how should you react to other drivers on the road, to fellow workers on the jobsite, to unexpected hurdles? Remember, if we ask, we shall receive.
Does this sound like too much to expect? Remember, that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Thus go, be light, with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 2:13-23, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.
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What names and titles are given to Jesus in the opening two chapters of Matthew, and what do they mean? Which one is most prominent (and what does that mean)?
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What does it mean that Jesus, the child, is “with us” in our helplessness? List all the examples Pastor Anthony mentioned, and come up with your own!
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How does Jesus surrender to our helplessness and to the Father’s deliverance? What fruit does that bear? What hope can we find in it?
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What prophecies does Jesus fulfill? What hope does that give us?
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What surrendering and submitting do you need to do this week so that your trust in God can be rekindled?
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. (Ephesians 5:3-7)
Something needs to be cleared up in this section before we can hear the whole. In our present moment, it has been claimed—usually based more on 1 Corinthians 6:8-11 than this text of similar language—that indeed, those guilty of sins of a certain sort (especially of the deviant sexual kinds) will not inherit the kingdom of God.
So we must be careful here to unite the text before us with the wider interpretive framework of the scriptures that we hold to from our Reformed tradition. In the first portion of this text, Paul is speaking of particular sinful acts, like sexual immorality, greed, and coarse joking. But in the middle of the text, he pivots to talking about people who are defined by nothing more than these acts.
So, here’s the important corrective note to keep in mind when you read the “will not inherit the kingdom” texts like this one: for those who are in Christ—no sinful act can ever again define them. What defines us now is Christ: his salvation, his cross, his love, his grace, his life. Though our acts still be as filthy rags, stained daily by sin until the day we die, even so, as Christians, we are declared righteous in the eyes of God. Saints. Not because of what we have done—but purely because of what Christ has done for us.
Remember yesterday’s text that sets up the text before us today where Paul says we are “dearly loved children.” Or again from the opening verse of this text where it reads “God’s holy people”—this word that Paul has used throughout Ephesians shows up here once again: Saints. The name for “holy people” is “Saints.” This, in Christ, is who you are. It is the only thing that can now define you. Sin cannot. And while God’s wrath does indeed come on those who are disobedient, thanks be to God: we are covered by the obedience of Christ who bore God’s wrath for us—as if we “had never sinned nor been a sinner” (HC A 60). We are safe from God’s wrath now—we are saved—because we are God’s holy people, his children, his saints.
OK then, so why does Paul set up this contrast in a letter to the “Saints in Ephesus” if “idolator” and “immoral” are no longer descriptors that fit their case? Well, because Paul is inviting the Ephesians, who themselves used to be defined by these things and who still living amidst a sin-broken culture that is defined by these things, to live like the new creations—the saints—that they have become!
It is not a command that says: “stop being who you are.” It is a command that says: “do not partner with the world around you.” It is a command that invites the Ephesian saints to become more fully who they already have become in Christ. And in Christ's own life: was there any hint of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking? Of course not! Neither should there be any hint of these among those who are called to be imitators of Christ—because he didn’t do that sort of thing.
If we are to inherit the kingdom of God—and as God’s dearly loved children, you had better believe that we are—then we ought to aspire to act like it. The models for our imitation are no longer to be the immoral, impure, greedy, or idolatrous people around us who aren’t inheriting the Kingdom. No, we are now princes and princesses of the King, we are set apart—of royal blood—and so we are to imitate Christ who is the King, and live like our family name of “Christian” calls us to. Let the way of the Kingdom begin to shape us into the people of the Kingdom that in Christ we already are.
Is this a simple task? Not at all. Will we do it perfectly? Of course not. But we press on, because Christ goes before us—defines us—and it is to him that we belong. And so our prayer:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Paul has been writing about removing clothes stained by sin and its habits and dressing in the garments of resurrection life. But as most of us know, having unlimited choices in a clothing store can be either exhilarating or overwhelming. Thus, he now focuses our attention, “follow God’s example.” As children imitate their parents, Christians should emulate our heavenly Father.
To imitate God, we need to know him. Read about God building a relationship with Abraham and Sarah. Watch as God prepares Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Observe how God raises David, slowly but surely, to be king of Israel. Walk with Peter and James and John and the others as they tag along with Jesus being trained, somewhat unwittingly, to be witnesses of his resurrection. Marvel at how easily Jesus interacts with the sick, the sinner and the self-righteous.
But of course, the habits of non-resurrection life -- theft, hard feelings, anger, rage, lying, hatred -- are deeply ingrained in us. Replacing them with the habits of resurrection takes work. We must persevere; we must be vigilant; those old habits do not die easily. Just when we think they have drowned, they pop back up to the surface in unexpected places. Try as we might, to imitate God is not possible for us.
Thus, the call to ‘do what God does’ is immediately followed with ‘as dearly loved children’. It is easy to fall into thinking that we need to do this thing in our own strength, but that will not do, ‘we are dearly loved children.’ This is our identity. Sin no longer defines who we are. No matter how many times we follow the devil’s lead, our actions do not label us.
As dearly loved children, we are never abandoned. Jesus declared he would not leave his disciples orphaned but send them the Holy Spirit to lead them in the resurrection life. It is only by the power of God, given through the Holy Spirit, that we make progress in the Christian life. And that gift is always at hand.
These two verses serve as a beacon amid this long list of clothing spanning chapters 4 & 5. Here, we are grounded in two actions: love and worship – behaviours that we see Christ engaging in. Two acts that are deeply connected, while at the same time, very costly. Jesus love for the Father and for us was so deep that he willingly walked the road of suffering all the way to the cross. It was and is a fragrant offering that, through the Spirit’s work, permeates our living.
Paul articulates how this is demonstrated in our lives: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
To walk this road of love will require sacrifices on our part; there is no other way. But recognize that each act of love towards a fellow human is at the same time an act of worship offered to the Father. So let us carefully observe the ways of God in love, “as Christ loved us,” and the ways of God in worship, as Christ “gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (5:1-2). The way of love and worship poses many challenges, and often we cannot see the way clearly; thus, we go forward with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin” [Psalm 4:4]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:25-32)
Now comes a long run of dos and don’ts. In many ways, they are practical illustrations of the texts we covered in the two previous devotions. The “do nots” of this list are examples of “putting off” the old self, and the “dos” are examples of “putting on” the new.
It is important to read this list in light of the first three chapters of this Ephesians letter, remembering that our work on the dos and don’ts comes second to God’s primary work in Christ that saves us. For three chapters, we have heard how God, in Christ, through the Spirit saves us. Now we hear about how we are to receive, respond, and get in on this good work of God.
There’s a balance here. Ultimately, our salvation rests in Christ—so even if we completely fail at these commands before us, God is still able to save us. He may indeed be grieved, as any parent is grieved when their child leaves the good path. But our failure does not mean God ceases to be our Father—in the Spirit we “were sealed for the day of redemption.” Our adoption papers have been signed and sealed, it’s done.
Yet at the same time, we must respond, as Paul repeatedly states in this section. The “new self” in Christ is who we are now. Everything in our lives now leans and longs in this direction.
To the extent that we live out this new identity in Christ, we bear witness to his resurrection message of reconciliation, life, love, and peace. Because to the extent we live these commands out, we bear witness to the fact that we have all been “forgivingly reconciled” (v. 32) by Christ into “one body” (v. 25). In this way, the first and last verse of this section connect together.
In fact, all the eight verses of this section are paired in just this way. Verses 25 and 32 are both about our way with one another in light of Christ’s already completed work by which “God [already] forgave you” and by which “we are all [already] members of one body.
Verses 26 and 31 are both about getting rid of anger and its attendant sins (brawling, slander, etc.). Verses 27 and 30 pit the devil against the Holy Spirit of God—how can the devil get a foothold if we have already been “sealed for the day of redemption” by the Spirit of God?
Lastly, verses 28 and 29 pair together warning us away from taking away (stealing) or tearing down (through unwholesome talk) by our hands or mouths, inviting us instead to use those hands and mouths—our words and actions—to share and build up according to the needs of others. So you see, the work of God in Christ brackets on both sides everything of our obedience that comes in between. Not only that—God’s work flows through this list as the Holy Spirit’s sealant guards the surface of our lives against unwanted footholds for foreign objects, like the devil. Our internal life is addressed (anger), as is our external life (hands, mouths). All of it, a witness to the work of the Triune God in, through, and among us.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24).
It is easy to miss the urgency of these verses. One reason may be that we spend too much time isolated from unbelievers. Another reason is that some Christian fellowships focus largely on teaching doctrine, as if the Christian life is only about what we believe and know. In other fellowships, Christian ethics is limited to a narrow set of dos and don’ts. For example, in the Christian Reformed denomination the three historical cardinal sins were movie going, dancing and card playing.
So, what is the urgency of these verses? Paul is pressing home the point that Jesus followers are different than those who are not Christians. Having converted to Christ, we have been made new, we are recreated to be like God. This is not a matter of dressing differently or of attending worship services but of the core of our beings. Our desires are different, our hopes, our dreams, our attitudes. Our minds think differently.
Jesus put this succinctly, “You must be born again” (John 3:3). As is clear, no one orchestrates their own birth, and no one arranges their rebirth as Christians. This is a work of God, as Jesus clarifies, “born of water and the Spirit” (5). However, this work of the Spirit needs our cooperation, as Paul urges, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Christian life cannot happen unless we join in with the Spirit. This is Paul’s urgent call here too, get on with it. Think the new thoughts. Live the new life. This must take priority in the life of a Christian. What will it look like for me to be a Christ follower at home, at work, at church, on social media, in our vehicles, in our entertainment?
If we want to know about this new life, we need to go no further than Jesus himself. Notice how Paul puts it: it’s a way of life we learned when we heard about Christ; we are taught in him and in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. Again, Jesus put it simply, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). In the kingdom of God, Jesus is Lord. Citizens of this kingdom submit themselves to him. We submit our minds, our desires, our actions, our hopes, our dreams, everything.
There are of course dangers in dancing, movie-going and playing cards. But to focus on these externals neglects the more important matters of the heart and mind and soul, of the new self that Paul and Jesus both insisted on. As we grow up into Christ, as the patterns of the new attitude of the mind are established in us, the old way of life loses its attraction.
Many non-Christians perceive church goers as haughty and self-righteous. We often stand at a distance from others, separating ourselves so that we will not be contaminated. Yet, if Jesus is our Lord and guide in the way of holiness and righteousness, such a posture towards others will not do. He was accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19). The ‘holiness and righteousness’ of Jesus do not cause us to withdraw from the world or stand in judgement over it. Rather, it enables us to go into the world as ‘salt and light,’ bringing the flavouring of the Kingdom of God to others. We will have believers in other gods as our friends while following Christ in our thoughts and behaviours.
As you submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, go as Kingdom citizens with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn. They have lost all feeling for what is right. So, they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed. (Ephesians 4:17-19).
Having spent the Advent and Christmas season exploring Luke’s account of Jesus birth, we return to Ephesians. Recall that the opening chapters expounded the grand redemptive work of God in Christ. Though often hidden behind the curtain of history, God’s grace is the colour that ties the whole story together. And we, believers in Jesus, are supporting actors in this drama.
Having laid out the broad contours of the story, Paul now turns his attention to helping us play our part. At first glance, I was tempted to offer a diatribe on the lifestyle of unbelievers. But I think that misses the point. Paul is addressing Christians here and is concerned about how they, that is we, live. People in the church often like to make a sharp distinction between those inside the Christian family and those on the outside.
However, Paul recognizes that many of the impulses, habits, attitudes and even behaviours of unbelievers follow disciples into the fellowship. Just because we have put our faith into Jesus, does not mean that we have expunged ourselves of the desires and reactions that don’t belong in the Christian life. This is what Paul addresses now. He wants to see this prayer answered, “God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Test me. Know what I’m thinking. See if there’s anything in my life you don’t like. Help me live in the way that is always right” (Psalm 139:23-24).
So, what is he concerned about here? He ends with one word: greed. The dictionary defines this as an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Chapter 3 helps us understand this. There Paul prays that we know the love of Christ, that we “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (3:19). We humans need to be filled with something. If we are not filled with the fullness of God, we will seek out something else to be filled with.
This desire for fulfillment will exercise itself in some form of greed, often hiding under the surface. For example, think of a parent who frequently tells their child to consider studying medicine, along with the explanation, “I want the best for you.’ The truth is that the parent was not able to fulfill her dream of being a doctor.
Greed comes disguised in many forms, seeking to help us find fulfillment because we have separated ourselves from God, who is life. Truth here is not hard cold facts such as 1 + 1 = 2 or rocks do not float on water. Rather, it is Jesus’ statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). We either follow him or our own hidden impulses. He is either our vine or we seek nourishment somewhere else.
Paul’s challenge in much of what follows is that we Christians examine our hearts. How stubborn are we? This is akin to the idea of the hard hearts, which have closed themselves off to God – a process that takes time, happening bit by bit, in one small decision at a time. Often these decisions happen in response to negative situations we encounter. Rather than turning to God in hope and faith, we turn away from him in anger and disappointment, no longer expecting anything from him.
But if we are to be helpful supporting actors in the work of God, our hearts need to be open to him, soft and receptive to the Spirit, no longer filled with selfish greed, but with the life of Christ. As you allow the Spirit to examine your heart, go with this blessing:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 2:1-8, 16-19. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What story is Matthew telling in this chapter?
- Who does Herod represent? How do you react to the statement: “Herod is what I am deep down inside”? What does it mean?
- Have you seen evidence of the claim made by the Confession 1967, "In sin people claim mastery of their own lives, turn against God and their fellow humans, and become exploiters and despoilers of the world. They lose their humanity in futile striving and are left in rebellion, despair, and isolation."
- How does Matthew picture the hope of the gospel?
- How will you practice ‘deep knee bends’ this week?
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2: 36-38)
There was a law in Israel, it shows up a couple times in Deuteronomy and it goes like this: “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15).
In Luke’s gospel and in the book of Acts, as well as in other places scattered throughout the New Testament, you’ll find this wisdom in play. As these writers seek to establish the truth and validity of their witness to Jesus they often give not one, but two testimonies. Luke has a special twist on this theme. He will often ensure gender parity in his slate of witnesses so that we will hear from both a man and a woman. This is one of the first instances of this theme at play in Luke’s gospel that doesn’t come from the family of Jesus or John themselves. Remember too, that this pair of witness show up in the section of chapter 2 that’s all about righteous law-keeping at the centre of Israel’s life in the Temple.
So we meet Simeon and hear him praise God, bless, and testify to Mary and Joseph about their son who is the salvation of Israel. Then we meet Anna too, who also came “up to them at that very moment.”
While Simeon’s words are directed to God and to Mary and Joseph, Anna’s words are directed to the people. Simeon is noted to be a righteous and devout man, but Anna is acclaimed to be a prophet. Simon does all the speaking, or at least all the speech that’s quoted, but Anna appears to be the one even more significantly at the heart of Israel’s faith.
“She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” And she was a prophet: one called by God to minister the word—both God’s word to his people and the people’s words to God. More than that though, Anna had long been recognized by the people and by the Temple authorities themselves as someone called to this work. As we will discover later in the gospels, one does not just mill around in the Temple claiming to be a prophet without the permission of the religious authorities. The Temple guards knew she was there and the priests did too. Her presence there for so many long years speaks to their affirmation and authorization of her role as a prophet among the people.
So it is Anna—and not Simeon—who speaks to the people about this child. We may often think of Anna as just this cute, busy-body of an old lady who flits about, babbling excited niceties with all the passers by. “Oh look at the cute baby! He’s gunna save us all, eh!” But no. That is the wrong picture.
Anna is introduced with gravity in the same way other prophets are introduced, that is, with a pedigree. Isaiah, son of Amoz. Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah. Anna, daughter of Penuel of Asher. She is a prophet in the line of prophets. She has been acclaimed as such by the people and their leaders, and as a pillar of 84 years in the Temple, she speaks as one with authority. Not only that, but from long years of ministry, she knows which Temple goers are looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. It is to these faithful in Israel that the word of the Lord from Anna comes. “Behold the child of the promise: your redemption draws nigh.”
Israel’s ancient faith, full of memory and faithfulness is witnessed to by Anna of the prophets and Simeon of the faithful people of God. Both of them have remembered well and reflected long on God’s word and promises throughout their lifetimes. And now, by their dual testimony they witness to God’s doing of a new thing through this child that is firmly anchored in Israel’s past and that fully matches Israel’s future hope.
It takes long years marinating in the word, rituals, and gatherings of God and his people to come to a faith like that. But through the stories of Anna and Simeon, that is precisely what we are invited to do: to remain in the church, to remain in the scriptures, to remain in conversation with God in prayer long enough for him to do his long work in us of conforming both our memory and our hope to Christ.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…” (Luke 2:25-30).
The story of Jesus’ birth is bracketed by elderly saints. Zechariah and Elizabeth begin the story while Simeon and Anna come along at the end. Simeon stands in contrast to Zechariah. He has no doubts. Having been told that he will see the salvation of God, he recognizes this little child in his parent’s arms and is overwhelmed with joy. His life is complete, to use a common expression.
Its dangerous to use Biblical characters as our inspiration because many are flawed. However, Simeon is an exception. Of course, we know very little about him. When we meet him, he is already an old man. Well, we don’t have direct evidence of this, but we assume this because he appears to be waiting to die.
Since it is the first week of the year, its possible some of us are still thinking about New Year’s resolutions. In our culture the top self-promises run something like this: improve personal finances, stop smoking, lose weight, get more exercise. None of these are bad things, in fact, they are quite good. However, what does it say about our society that personal improvement is our top concern? What value, beyond to ourselves, do these goals have, except maybe to keep us out of the medical system?
Where are the goals that relate to pursuing God or knowing him better? Why do resolutions for the most part deal with external matters? Is the soul so unimportant? If exercise is valuable for physical well-being, should we not develop our inner being as well? If we base contentment on externals that slowly wither away, will focus on such goals not lead to disappointment?
Simeon invites us to consider making faithfulness to God a higher priority, so that we serve him with joy and surrender. When his duty is done, he is ready to be with the Lord. The inclusion of this aged saint in the gospel story shows us that it is never too late to be ministered to by God, nor is it too late to minister for him. I suspect Simeon may have been a role model for the apostle Paul who once wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!” (Phil 1:21-22). Paul was willing to live or die, whatever God chose.
It is in the context of the Old Testament sacrifices that Simeon appears in Jesus’ story. Because we do not have to make these offerings, we tend to skim over them. Yet, their inclusion reminds us that drawing close to God doesn’t just happen. To approach God properly, we must be prepared in spirit and body to draw near to him (John 4:24). One of the provisions Jesus makes for us through his death is the permanent cleansing that allows us boldly to approach God’s throne (Heb. 10:19-25).
The sacredness of approaching God should not be lost. I think it is the key to a life that ends like Simeon’s. To truly emulate Simeon’s faithfulness and contentment, we need to begin when we are young. We need to take God seriously today. Make it a resolution to let go of any casualness about your Christian faith. Entrance into the salvation of God is a gift of his grace but living into it takes effort on our part.
This story offers perspective on life and on contentment. Simeon, near the end of his life, is still serving God full steam ahead. No retirement! Contentment is not a matter of age or energy level. It is defined by an openness to serve God and to share him with others. Such a perspective calls for serious reflection.
As you journey on, go with this blessing:
Though you walk in darkness, may you see the great light. Though you live in a land of deep shadows—may you see light! sunbursts of light! May God increase your life, expand your joy. May you be glad in his presence! May God give you the joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings (cf. Isaiah 9:2-3 MSG).
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” … When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. (Luke 2:21-24, 39-40)
Luke goes from the stories of Jesus’ birth into an extended set of stories about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at the temple. A lot of legalese frames these stories, which is Luke’s way of saying that Mary and Joseph were among the righteous of Israel. They did everything right, quite literally by the book: by the “law of the Lord.”
In Jesus’ later scuffles with the religious authorities, no one could turn back and blame it on a heretical upbringing. Jesus was thoroughly an insider to the Jewish faith and people, trained up in obedience to the ways and rituals of the Temple, Law, and Synagogue. As Paul would later say to the Philippians, so could Jesus: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of [Judah], a Hebrew of Hebrews… as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Philippians 3:5-6).
This was a revelation that not everyone had the eyes to see and the ears to hear at that time, however. Joseph and Mary were portrayed not overtly, but still quite certainly as outcasts of Israel in the opening verses of this chapter. There was no room for such a sinful, living-together, pregnancy-out-of-wedlock couple as them in the little town of Bethlehem.
But then the story shifts. The unclean, cast-out shepherds are singled out and brought to the centre of Israel’s life as messengers of the Gospel who would proclaim the Messiah’s birth. And then the curtain comes up on Mary and Joseph too as they are also revealed to be, not outcasts, but Hebrews of Hebrews—the very epicentre of righteousness, obedience, and attentiveness to God in the life of Israel. They had the eyes to see the angels, the ears to hear God’s message, and the righteous obedience to follow through and enact the Word of the Lord from both the law and the angel’s message.
On the 8th day, in faithfulness to the law, these supposed outcasts had their child circumcised, naming him Jesus in faithfulness to the word of the Angel. What a supple faith and obedience that was both open to and able to integrate these various Words from the Lord, both old and new, in a living, active obedience.
And they would continue to do so. When the time came for purification after birth, they approached the house of God where there was room enough for them, purified themselves, and consecrated their child to the Lord. There’s a provision in the law that allows families to “redeem” their child from this consecration to the Lord, but Mary and Joseph didn’t do that. Jesus would belong to the Lord. Again, a supple faith that integrated the reality of God’s new revelation within the contours of Israel’s ancient faith. The wisdom and grace of God was with Jesus as he grew and became strong.
Today we often think that to find our ways into more true or authentic forms of faithfulness to God, we need to abandon the old ways of the church with its boring, stodgy, firm-set rituals. But that is not the Biblical picture. In the telling of the Gospels, these new works and words of God come from the heart of faithful obedience and participation at the centre of the life of faith represented in the Temple worship. Jesus is an insider from first to last. He does not reject the temple, its leaders, or its rituals, but speaks authoritatively from them, to them. Eventually it is the leaders who will reject Jesus, but not the other way round.
God continues to invite our faithfulness within the church, not outside of it. No matter how disingenuous, disheartening, or dishevelled the place may be: it is still the context within which God chooses to work and invite our work, where he chooses to speak and invites our response.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Luke 2:16-21)
The heavenly messenger angels come to the shepherds, but then the shepherds become the messengers. Would Mary and Joseph have known there were angels blazing forth in glorious praise of their son out in the dark hill country of Judea? No. But the shepherds told them. Would the people of Bethlehem and the surrounding country have known about the angel visit or the baby born as heir of David, the Lord Messiah and Sviour of them all? No. But the shepherds told them.
God sent angels to the lowliest of the low. The unclean ones who, up until that point, were unable to be part of the people of God. Unable to visit the temple. Unable to receive forgiveness. Unable to celebrate and sing with the festive throng.
But all of a sudden, the shepherds were at the very heart of things. They had a place, a purpose in the story and salvation of God: they were, in fact, the only ones who got to be part of the festive song! And as the angels told them, so they saw and believed: this saviour, this sacrificial lamb without blemish, wrapped in cloths in their manger was for them. Born to them. The Messiah was given to them! Forgiveness, salvation, and the kingdom of God had come to them! What a blessing!
Unlike the world that excluded them, they excluded no one as they burst out to spread the good news of great joy for all the people. And all those people were amazed. Amazed at the news and probably a little amazed at the messengers too.
In Luke’s gospel there’s no Magi from the East carrying gifts fit for a King. The only treasure is the gift the shepherds brought: a message of angels, a response of joy. These were the things Mary treasured up in her heart and pondered.
As the shepherds return, they glorify and praise God for what they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told. Thinking back to 1 Samuel where seeing and hearing play such a prominent role, I find it striking that the word of the Lord came through angels to those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
No one in the little town of Bethlehem had room in their busy and reputable lives to offer costly hospitality to social outcasts, but the shepherds did. Perhaps no one in the little town of Bethlehem were looking or listening for God either, but the shepherds were. Their eyes were open and they saw angels and the saviour of the world right there in their own little manger! Their ears were open and they heard the good news proclaimed to them!
It’s just these sorts of folks with open eyes and open ears who God speaks to and sends out into the rest of the world with the treasures of his good news. So: may your eyes and ears also be open and attentive to the glorious treasures of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour!
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2:13-15).
As Luke tells us the story of Christ’s birth, many of the details may be lost on us. The story Pastor Anthony told us yesterday fits within the ancient near eastern context. We have westernized the story so much that we miss such possibilities. Let’s talk about mangers today. In our imaginations, they are made of wood and filled with straw. It’s very unlikely that this is what Luke had in mind.
They're feeding troughs, of course. But in ancient Israel, they were made of stone. Not super-comfortable, but a safe place.
It’s said that there were special herds of sheep being raised on the hills around Bethlehem. From these herds, the priests would select the lambs used for the sacrifices in Jerusalem. They would find the lambs that were perfect, without blemish, that were suitable for the blood sacrifice which was offered twice a day to cover Israel’s sin.
But once the lambs were selected, they needed to be kept from getting bruised or bumped. It is said that the priests would wrap them up tightly. They'd swaddle them, wrapping them in cloths, like precious and fragile bottles of wine. And they'd lay them in a manger.
Is this why the angel said that a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in manage would be a sign to the shepherds? Was Jesus’ first resting place already an indication of his destiny? Was his manger a sign that he would be the final sacrifice? As the Bible says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).
This fits with the angel’s announcement that he is bringing news of great joy, “a Saviour has been born, the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:12). And there is more. The life of a shepherd was such that it was impossible for them to observe the Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals. They were considered religiously unclean and unacceptable. They raised the lambs for sacrifice but were unable to benefit from these offerings. They never heard the priest declare, “Your sins are forgiven.”
It is to them that the angel says, “To you a Saviour has been born.”
Like Matthew, Luke weaves the cross into the story of Jesus’ birth. There is nothing sentimental about Christmas. Heaven is invading earth. It’s a clash of kingdoms. Its war, as Revelation details. But its not war as we humans make it. Jesus is born to die. He will offer himself as the final sacrifice. He himself says to us, “Your sins are forgiven.”
In response to this declaration, the heavenly messenger is joined by an angelic army praising God. How else can we respond to the declaration that our Saviour is here? Any true Christmas celebration results in the worship of God. With the invading heavenly army we sing, “Glory to God in the highest.”
Someone once wrote, "Most middle class tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship. As a result, their meanings and values are distorted.” Christmas, as Luke tells the story, sets things in the right order. Christmas is about salvation, about making all things new. In response to what God is doing, worship becomes primary. Since Christmas is about redemption, we sing with the heavenly army, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
As you worship, go with this blessing:
Though you walk in darkness, may you see the great light. Though you live in a land of deep shadows—may you see light! sunbursts of light! May God increase your life, expand your joy. May you be glad in his presence! May God give you the joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings (cf. Isaiah 9:2-3 MSG).
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
There is another take on the housing crisis in Bethlehem than just the standard “no room in the inn” line. Actually there are a few, but one of them involves the hospitality of shepherds and is drawn from these verses. So I’ll tell you that one. It goes like this…
The reason there was no room for Joseph and Mary had nothing to do with how many rooms were actually available: it was solely about the social scandal that was Mary’s pregnancy. What self-respecting Jewish family would take in this man with the knocked-up girlfriend? As Mary began to show it became unavoidably clear: Joseph and Mary were actively living in sin. And sexual sin at that: the worst kind. They were obviously unrighteous—unfit for inclusion in the people of God. So they were excommunicated, shunned. There would be no guest room available for the likes of them in Bethlehem.
But there are always others shunned from society. Like the poor. The homeless and the nomads. The addicts and the mentally ill. The immigrants. The ones who can’t keep it all together. The ones who are dirty and unclean, like shepherds.
This is where Joseph and Mary would find refuge: in the hospitality of their fellow outcasts.
Verse eight gives the reason. You see, shepherds don’t put their flocks out by night. That’s when the wolfs and the lions are out. Predators can pick off weak and defenceless sheep in the dark like berries off a bush. How are you going to aim your sling if you can’t see the danger? You might as well give your flock away.
But what if the shepherds had given up the cave where their sheep were penned this night because they still had the dignity to offer a costly hospitality to a young couple in need? The towns folk of Bethlehem weren’t willing to risk their reputation on these outcasts, but the reputation-less shepherds risked much more: their very livelihood. These humble outsiders were willing to humble themselves for the sake of a neighbour in need, and for that reason God exalted them to the highest place on the visit list to see his new baby boy. Sounds a bit like the reversals of Mary’s song, doesn’t it?
Out came the angels trumpeting the good news! And the glory of the Lord lit up the dark fields to reveal flocks still bedded down peacefully that night. The shepherds knew just where to find this baby wrapped in cloths: he’d be lying in their very own manger. They who had saved Joseph and Mary from their outcast predicament would be the first to hear the good news of a Saviour come to redeem all the unrighteous outcasts like them. Great joy indeed.
Now is that actually how it happened? Truth is, we don’t really know: Luke doesn’t really flesh it out that clearly. But it’s worth pondering, I think. And it brings to mind this verse from the book of Hebrews: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (13:2). Some perhaps, in showing hospitality to sinners and outcasts, have even shown hospitality to God.
He [Joseph] went there [to Bethlehem] to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:5-7).
Theologian Stanley Hauerwas was once asked what the greatest threat to American Christianity was. His answer was surprising. It wasn’t atheism, radical Islam, civil religion, or consumerism. No, Hauerwas stated that what threatens to undo American Christianity is sentimentality.
Rather than actively engaging with the grit and grime of the world, sentimentality longs for a life in a world illuminated by a soft, flattering light, where no one cusses and where every conflict is neatly resolved. It’s safe for the whole family. It never disrupts, never demands, never makes us question. Sentimentality thrives on comfort and making us feel good.
Luke will have none of that. As Pastor Anthony said yesterday, because the emperor in Rome wanted a census taken for taxation purposes, Joseph and Mary headed off to Bethlehem. When they finally arrived, there was no room for them, so Mary’s baby was born without an address. Jesus began his fleshly life among the animals because humans had no place for him. Nothing sentimental about that.
The Christmas story raises a central question of the gospel. John the Baptist put it this way, “Are you the one?” (cf. Matthew 11:3). How can this be the saviour of the world? How can someone born in such conditions be Israel’s Lord? The supreme ruler of the universe lays in a feed trough. What kind of beginning is this? Philippians 2 tells us that this humble birth was only the beginning of his humiliation (5-8).
Jesus embraced the grit and grime of human life. Nothing sentimental. But can we believe that this is the Christ? Jesus never assumed that we would easily come by such faith. When he talked about his second coming, he asked, “Will I find faith on earth?”
If we do believe that he is the Christ, does it matter? Yes, says James, “faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). What deeds accompany faith? ‘Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked’ (cf. 2:15-17). Paul concurs, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). Loving amidst the grit and grime of life on earth, Christianity refuses sentimentality.
The gospels tell us that with Jesus, the kingdom of God arrived on earth. For us, kingdoms are associated with power people and fancy palaces. But not the kingdom of Jesus. It still advances on this earth through the small acts of love and kindness. His kingdom is still difficult to find, to see. This fits with the famous definition of faith, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
This understanding of faith presses us on towards the end of history. Jesus summarized it this way, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13). The universe with its billions of galaxies glittering with stars, he brought into existence. Our Lord created all things visible and invisible; in him and through him and for him all things were made (Colossians 1:16). He is the consummation and end of all things. When the curtain falls on cosmic history, Jesus will be there full of glory as the Omega, the end of all things.
Until that time, Jesus’ disciples reject sentimentality. We get into the trenches of the grit and grime of the world with our Lord. The Christmas story is told to underscore that following Jesus is the way of humility, of grit and grime, not sentimentality.
As you live in the grit and grime, go with this blessing:
Though you walk in darkness, may you see the great light. Though you live in a land of deep shadows—may you see light! sunbursts of light! May God increase your life, expand your joy. May you be glad in his presence! May God give you the joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings (cf. Isaiah 9:2-3 MSG).
When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers gathered in one place. Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw something that looked like fire in the shape of tongues. The flames separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this. Godly Jews from every country in the world were staying in Jerusalem. A crowd came together when they heard the sound. They were bewildered because each of them heard their own language being spoken. They asked one another, “What does this mean?”.… (Acts 1:1-6,12).
It might be that you were skeptical about what pastor Anthony suggested yesterday about the choosing of Matthais. Was the church really running ahead of Christ? As I was rifling through the notes I have collected on the book of Acts, I came across some comments by Criag Barnes who wonders the same. Dr. Barnes has written a marvellous commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.
Concerning Acts 1 he wrote, “The disciples began their time in that room devoted to prayer but grew weary of all that praying and finally succumbed to the church temptation of starting a committee. Peter mentioned that they couldn't really be called the twelve disciples anymore because of that unfortunate incident with Judas. ‘But we have always been the twelve, so we have to find another disciple to fill this unexpired term.’ They had a little election. It took two ballots, but finally the lot fell to Matthias. About the time the clerk was enrolling his name with the other eleven, the Spirit came.
Well, it wasn’t hell, it was ‘all heaven that broke lose.’ Luke insists that what ever happened on Pentecost day came from heaven. It was as if the wind had started to blow violently inside the room, eventually pushing the disciples outside. Flames started to appear. The disciples themselves seemed to be on fire and began to speak languages they didn't know they knew. All of them were talking at the same time. People from different nations heard the disciples speaking their own language. "And all were perplexed, and said to one another, 'What does this mean?'" What in the world does this mean?
With that question we inherit a Biblical mark for a Spirit-filled church that is rarely mentioned: confusion. Is it possible that when God decides to use a church and give it a future, he starts with confusion? I’m not sure that’s a valid conclusion, but I do know that one take away from Pentecost day is that things got confusing. It was so confusing that some of the people said the disciples were "filled with new wine." It is interesting that they did not respond by saying that Spirit-filled disciples don't drink. What they said was, "It's a little early."
While the disciples, who all knew each other and spoke the same language stayed in the upper room and carefully avoided changes, there was no Christian Church. That day Christ came back through the Holy Spirit and confronted the church with the world around it. He did not give them an organizational chart, even though these can be helpful, he did not give them a new mission and vision statement, even though these can be useful. Nope. He gave them power though the Holy Spirit. And it was confusing.
Amid all this confusion, Peter began to preach to everyone, and 3,000 converts were added. Wow. How does a band of 120 incorporate 3 000 newcomers? Talk about confusing! The only thing that could account for that is the Holy Spirit, who would not allow the church to hide out any longer.
I suspect that confusion is always part of the package when Christ’s church is renewed in her calling to go to every nation. If a congregation is willing to open its doors and welcome new people, change and confusion are part of the drama, good drama of course. The Holy Spirit led the church into the confusion on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit continues to lead the church today. We can trust the Spirit to empower us and to walk us into new things, even when they get confusion. Trust him. He is very good at leading the church.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).
“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:20-26)
We often assume that the “early church” we are to strive to be is the Acts 2 church from Acts 2:42-47 where the believers shared “everything in common,” devoted themselves to prayer and the apostle’s teaching, broke bread together, and had people added to their number daily through the work of the Spirit. In part that’s right. But it’s also partly wrong.
You see the church was not constituted in chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. It was empowered on that day by the Spirit, yes. But the church was constituted on the command of Jesus from Acts, chapter 1.
Jesus had commissioned the church to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” But the Acts 2 church preferred to huddle rather than go out to the ends of the earth. It takes the stoning of Stephen before they would scatter out as missionaries like yeast through the dough as Jesus had told them to do.
Jesus had also commanded the church to “wait”—to wait for God to give what only God can. This is the command Pastor Michael mentioned yesterday, and it is in fact the very first command the church is given. But just as the empowered Acts 2 church preferred to huddle rather than go out as witnesses, so the huddling Acts 1 church preferred to get busy rather than wait. That’s the story from the text today.
While they were supposed to be just waiting and praying—Peter decided to call the first church administration meeting. Now, often when we read this story of the selection of Matthias as the 12th apostle, we assume that this is a good news story. We assume we are told this story as a picture of God at work in his people. But, you may recall from the gospels that the pre-Spirit-filled Peter often put the cart in front of the horse. He often got out ahead of Jesus. And its worth wondering if the very same thing isn’t happening here.
You’ll notice that Peter quotes scripture and declares what is necessary—he takes up the role of leadership in this vacuum that has come from Jesus’ absence. He just can’t sit still any longer. There apparently need to be 12 apostles, Peter thinks, if they are to appropriately “witness” to the resurrection as Jesus told them to. Jesus told them to wait for his gift of power. But surely it couldn’t hurt to help Jesus out a little in the meantime, right? The disciples don’t disagree. So they nominate two men, pray about it, throw the dice and assume Matthias has been chosen by God.
But oddly, God himself never shows up as an actor in this run of verses. Nor does Peter yet have the Spirit-inspired interpretation of Old Testament texts that he will in Acts 2. Perhaps most interestingly of all, we never hear of Matthias again in the whole of the New Testament.
It’s not that God slaps the disciples on the wrist. But this action of administration that came when they were supposed to be waiting also doesn’t seem to bear any fruit.
Not until Acts 9 will this mystery of Matthias get solved for us when Jesus himself chooses the 12th Apostle on the Damascus road, named Paul. He was not among the disciples, was not witness to the things Peter thought he should be—but by the power and choosing of God he was made an apostle none-the-less. And through Paul—half our New Testament was written and witness to Jesus Christ was brought to the ends of the earth.
Perhaps we really can wait on the Lord to accomplish his work after all. Perhaps waiting and praying is more powerful than we thought.*
We’ve got to credit Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand from their 2023 book When Church Stops Working* for some of the insights they offered on Acts 1 and waiting!
One day Jesus was eating with them. He gave them a command. “Do not leave Jerusalem,” he said. “Wait for the gift my Father promised. You have heard me talk about it (Acts 1:4).
Today, we begin a new series. Wilderness Wanderings was launched in the early days of the first COVID lockdown to help shepherd our congregation (Immanuel Church in Hamilton Ontario) through the pandemic. During this past summer, our congregation participated in a conversation called ‘Vibrant Congregations’. Our leadership asked us to explore some of the learnings from that conversation in Wilderness Wanderings. We recognize that many people use this as part of their personal and family devotions. It is our intent to continue leaning in that direction. So even if you are not part of the Immanuel family, we hope that you will find these next four weeks edifying for your faith.
We are calling this series, Together in Faith. Since around 2008 this has been the tagline of our congregation. As the leadership sorted through the feedback from the Vibrant conversation, we realized that even though the church has changed in many ways, this tagline still resonates with many folks. Yet, living it out today looks different than it did 15 years ago. God has been at work among us. He is calling us deeper and higher.
So let us begin at a rather strange place: Acts 1:4. Here Jesus instructs his disciples to sit down and “wait”. After several years of COVID restrictions, after a whole summer of gathering material, we start with more waiting. And you respond, “But what are we going to do?” And we reply, “Wait.” Not as in, “Wait for it.” But simply, “Wait”.
Let me remind you that we are listening to the God of the Bible, not the gods of North America, which are constantly goading us to hurry up and get there. We, of course, never arrive where there is. The God who reveals himself in the Bible is rarely, if ever, in a hurry.
Abraham and Sarah waited decades for their son. Isaac and Rebekah were barren for a while as well. Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. After David was anointed king, he went back to shepherding, became a soldier in the king’s army, became his son-in-law as well and then an outlaw, all before he assumed the kingship. Throughout the Bible God’s folks do a lot of waiting. Isaiah offers this summary, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it” (30:15).
For many years, mission and vision statements, strategies and goals have been buzz words in church life. All of these can be good things and very helpful for a congregation. We do not intend to demean any of that work; however, we want us all to recognize that those things tend to create more busyness and can cause the church to become dependent on strenuous human effort. Peter, a de facto leader among the disciples, was a go-getter. He wanted to get things done. The kingdom of God moves forward by divine effort, not by human go-getters. Certainly, we Christians participate, frequently getting in the way, just like Peter (cf. Matthew 16:23).
Waiting implies that the Kingdom is beyond our ability to accomplish by our own effort, programs, and plans. Some other empowerment is needed. Jesus told his disciples to wait for the promised gift from the Father which he had told them about. It appears that they also remembered his teaching that the Father would give his Holy Spirit to those who asked (Luke 11:13). Luke tells us that the disciples (120 of them) got together ‘regularly’ to pray (Acts 1:14,15).
Members of GOHOP (Greater Ontario House of Prayer) are coming to Immanuel this fall, to lead us in a course on prayer. This was already in the works before we finished the Vibrant conversations. Maybe God was ahead of us so that as we work out our Vibrant learnings, we are also spending more time in prayer.
Jesus’ invitation to wait is not just a matter of time, but a posture of the heart. It is an attitude for the whole Christian life. Prayerful waiting shows our trust that in God’s loving hands “all things will work together for our good” (Romans 8:28).
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 16 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What stands out to you from hearing these verses from 1 Samuel 16? 2. What do you think it takes to grow up to maturity in Christ? How do you know if you or someone else is mature? 3. How does fear work? How does it thrive in the things we can’t see and don’t know? 4. How does God answer our fears? 5. How does God invite us to trust and hope in the things we cannot see or know? How is that good news in your life? 6. How might you live with Kingdom purpose—with faith, hope, and love grounded in King Jesus this week?
Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness (Psalm 26:1-3)
At first glance Psalm 26 feels unreachable. How on earth can we pray, "I have led a blameless life"? But as we study the poem, we see that David is not writing this on his death bed but regarding a specific situation. Likely, people are making false accusations against him.
Even so we may still believe the psalm is beyond us. Yet, it can be instructive and helpful for our journey with God. David puts forth the underlying theme of his life. He is blameless, or as he defines it, "I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered."
David invites us to join him in a life lived fully in trusting God. What does that look like? In this psalm we discover these things.
First, it is a life open to God's examination: "Test me...examine my heart and mind" (2). David opens his decisions, his reason, his intellect, and his emotions to the Lord's examination.
This open attitude towards God is essential to the Christian life. Jesus said that true worshippers "worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). When I was growing up the preacher often encouraged us to worship this way and he prayed for it as well. It became like a cliché.
Its meaning is quite simple: that we come into God's presence fully conscience of the condition in which we enter. I have often heard people pray that we would leave the past week and all its distractions behind as we enter Sunday's communal worship. I think it is better that we take all that stuff along and dump it before God and admit it has distracted us from him. We cannot worship God when we try to hide our lives from him.
Further, David indicates that there are two things that he keeps in his mind and heart all the time: God's love (3) and truth (4-7). These two truly belong together. When we live with the awareness of God's love, it leads us to live God's way. When we divert from God's truth, we will lose the comfort of his love. And his love keeps drawing us back to his truth.
Seeking that truth keeps David away from those who have no interest in it. This does not mean that David never meets or talks with such people. But he does not join them in the way they live, nor does he get into situations where he compromises his integrity.
Finally, his desire is to be near God. His joy is to be with God. In the Old Testament times that meant being in the temple. We can be thankful that through Jesus we can come near to God. The writer of Hebrews says, “Brothers and sisters, we are not afraid to enter the Most Holy Room. We enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus. His way is new because he lives. It has been opened for us through the curtain. I’m talking about his body. We also have a great priest over the house of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart. Let us come near boldly because of our faith. Our hearts have been sprinkled. Our minds have been cleansed from a sense of guilt. Our bodies have been washed with pure water (10:20-21).
David also says that he loves to join in the praise of the great assembly. Part of a blameless life is a desire to be with God's other people. Together we lift the name of the Lord and encourage one another to trust in the Lord and not to falter.
As you journey, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. (Psalm 118:22-24)
Anyone familiar with the New Testament will know that these verses from Psalm 118 about Jesus being the cornerstone show up all over. Verse 24 is also where our song “This is the Day that the Lord has Made” comes from. The Palm Sunday shout of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” also comes from this Psalm. So, there’s a lot going on here.
The most significant theme that resonates throughout is how the Lord is the one who saves. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans,” the psalmist says. And later: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” The Lord is the one who saves from death, calamity, and sin. He is the only one, in fact. The psalmist couldn’t do it alone and is convinced that no one else can either. But because the Lord is good and because “his love endures forever,” we are able to trust that the Lord will not give us over to death either, even when we face death.
Of course, all of this good foundational theology was made flesh and dwelt among us in Jesus. He was the one who came in the name of the Lord. He was one who faced death unjustly and entrusted himself to the Father for salvation. He did not attempt to save himself. His hopes were well placed. On the third day he was vindicated by the Father and rose from the dead, able to say once and for all with Psalm 118: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” All of us who trust in Jesus are able now to say the same thing.
But of course, this all looked rather like weakness. Jesus didn’t put up a fight. He got himself bloodied and bruised. He got himself killed. Builders do not choose weak stones to be the foundational cornerstones. Builders do not choose broken stones to become the foundational cornerstones. Nor do they choose stones that they cannot put to their own uses. By that criteria too, Jesus was rejected.
But God vindicated Jesus. Not only by overturning Pilate and the Religious Leader’s unjust verdicts against him, not only by raising him to life and so nullifying the sentence of death carried out against him, but also by raising Jesus to the highest place in the throne room of heaven—making him the King, the foundation, the base upon which the Kingdom of God, the Church, and all God’s people would be built. This weak one becomes the strength of God. This broken one becomes the restored face of the entire edifice. This one who could not be put to use by the will of man becomes the one who empowers any worthy use any of us can set our lives to.
Jesus is our cornerstone. The only name in which life and salvation can be found. The only worthy foundation upon which to build our lives. So today, let us rejoice and be glad in him.
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15).
Let’s return once more to this word to Jacob -- a part of God’s promise to him as he fled his brother’s wrath.
I’ve often wondered how African slaves sold on the American auction block kept hope alive. Likewise, how did those who resisted the Nazi’s maintain their resolve to hide Jewish folks, even as their own loved ones were carted off to concentration camps? Or how do folks who have suffered abuse for years and years find the resolve to live after finding freedom?
I’m sure the answers are varied and complex. We may catch a glimpse in some of the songs left us from African American Christians. The lyrics of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” harken back to this promise of God to Jacob while in the same beat stretching forward to the new heaven and new earth. Such hope is rooted in God’s promise, “I have better things in store for you.”
Thus, there is good reason for all of us to ponder these great promises tucked into the pages of the Bible. And looking at the context of this promise offers us enormous hope. Remember that Jacob is running for his life. His brother is angry with him. And the anger is justified. Jacob has connived and tricked his brother out of the family birthright, blessing and inheritance that belonged to the oldest son.
But at the heart of this deception is a lack of faith in God. Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, had learned, even before her twins were born, that the older would serve the younger. Faith would have waited and watched as God fulfilled his promise. She knew the story of her husband, Isaac, born to the aged Sarah. But she did not watch and wait. Instead, she deceived her husband and older son.
Despite this lack of faith in God’s ability to bring about what he has promised, God makes a new promise to Jacob: “you are running away, but I will bring you home”. And our Lord does it. This theme of God fulfilling his promise to his doubting people continues throughout the Bible. When the people of Israel reach the promised land, they don’t believe that God could bring them in. They are banished to the wilderness, even as God promises to bring their children in.
Later, when Israel refuses to worship God, he threatens to remove them from the land. They don’t take him seriously; they keep sinning. Even as God sends his people into exile, he promises to bring them back. He will resettle them in the promised land. He had promised Abraham that this land would belong to his children forever. He will keep his promise.
What does all this have to do with Christians today? Well, at least two things. First, it points towards Jesus on the cross. Paul is emphatic, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, enemies, even, of God. When we read about Israel, we read our own stories. We are saved by grace, nothing else. Further, Matthew tells us that even while some of his disciples still doubted, Jesus sent them out to be his witnesses (Matthew 28:16-20). God does not need people who have it altogether. Its flawed and doubting folks that are saved and sent. That’s good news for all of us.
Secondly, the promise of the land still stands: a renewed earth. We have something to look forward to. We believe that there is life after death. While the details might be sketchy, one thing is clear, the renewed earth will be vastly superior to this one. And God will be with us all the way from here to there.
So, whether its our own lack of holiness or faith, or the bleak circumstance of our lives, these promises of God penetrate our despair and offer us hope. These promises deserve celebration. Live with joy today as you consider the hope we have in God. That hope fueled the songs of African slaves in the Americas. It’s a hope that belongs to all Christians. It’s a hope that we need today.
As you journey, go with the blessing of God:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)
Today marks a new season for many of us: the official end of summer and start of fall, the beginning of school, the beginning of a new season of activity. And so as we start off a number of other things, it’s a good idea to consider how we start anew in our commitment to follow Jesus into all those places too!
Jesus starts out for Jerusalem already way back here in chapter 9, early in the Gospel of Luke. It’s a simple little throwaway sentence that starts it off. “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” A simple statement on the face of it, but it marks a hard pivot in the Gospel of Luke that shapes the character of everything and everyone that follows.
In the chapters before this, we discover in ever increasing dimensions how Jesus is the Son of God. Just before this in chapter 9, we see Jesus reveal the heights of His glory in the feeding of the 5,000 and being transfigured in bright splendor on the mountaintop. But Jesus had also begun to reveal the depths of His suffering just before this too: predicting His impending death, twice.
When Luke says that Jesus has “resolutely set out for Jerusalem,” those of us who know how the story goes know that “Jerusalem” really means the cross and Jesus’ death.
And so it’s here in Luke, just a third of the way through, that Jesus resolutely turns His face toward his purposes in death, resurrection, and ascension. The depths of suffering, the heights of glory. And everything that follows is done, said, and written in light of this journey to the cross.
Immediately after these verses, in fact, Jesus will have some hard words for all those who would seek to follow Him in this journey. The same words we heard preached a few weeks back. Words like, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Jesus says this now as one who has firmly put His hand to the plow. Jesus is resolute. He is headed for Jerusalem.
The question, is are we resolute in our desire to follow him? He’s headed to Jerusalem. There is no way to follow him there that does not involve taking up our cross and facing our own death. So today as you resolutely set out to face any number of other things before you in this Fall season, are you also resolute in commitment to Jesus? Ready to follow, daily?
For those who do resolutely take up their cross and follow, the promise of Jesus’ gift of life waits just on the other side.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is James 5:7-11 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What big event is the motivation for practicing patience? Have you thought about this connection before? What are the two aspects of patience? How do we practice it? Keep all this in mind as you reflect on this message.
- James uses a farming analogy to illustrate the value and work of patience. Can you think of your own analogy. Why is patience so important? What happens while we practise it?
- What kind of impact does patience have on life in the Christian fellowship (congregation)? Consider how this practice will benefit the life of your congregation.
- Job is used as an example of the fruit of patience. What is Job’s conclusion to his story? How can you enter suffering differently with this knowledge? What does it mean that Job and the prophets are considered blessed?
“The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips” (Psalm 21:1-2).
Psalm 21 is obviously a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.
Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God alone. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.
Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced that they are goners. None who oppose God can survive. While the enemies wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever.
Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says on the first Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. This phrase in verse 4 is likely a reference to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.
From this perspective, Psalm 21 is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It is filled with notes that resound with Easter. It's a psalm for Christians to pray on that festival, and even every Sunday. We worship corporately on the first day of the week because Jesus’ resurrection is central to our faith, hope, and love.
It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. Even as he carried the weight of the sin of the world, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.
It is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, "He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever."
After passing through death on behalf of his siblings, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.
What does it mean for us? We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him "may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24). We know that God will give the Messiah his heart's desires and will not withhold the request of his lips. Therefore, we live in the hope that we will share in the glories of Christ’s victory. God’s children do experience suffering in this life. But we suffer patiently and with hope, confident that God’s victory has been secured by Jesus’ resurrection.
Furthermore, God has made us "most blessed forever," giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3,4). Or as a paraphrase reads, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love” (MSG). Even as we struggle in this life, God is at work in us accomplishing his purposes. This psalm shores up our faith when it wavers.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:12-18)
There are significant enemies that we face in this Christian life, namely the world, the flesh, and the devil. We’ve mentioned them before.
Each of these three enemies was a good creation of God at the start though—especially our flesh with its desires and our world. The world and the flesh have not always been our enemies, nor will they be forever. God has set about in Jesus Christ to redeem all of creation, including our own fleshly humanity, our desires, and the culture that arises from humanity’s living and working together in this, our world.
So, our desires are not inherently evil—our ability to desire and the proper objects of our desire are good gifts of God. But within a sin-broken world, these desires fall out of proper proportions and we begin to desire good things too much or too little. Or, our desires find objects other than the ones they were intended to aim at, becoming idolatrous.
Some examples might be… A desire to succeed that keeps us from accepting God’s grace in failure. A desire to control our happiness or security that keeps us from surrendering to God. A desire for intimacy that finds its end not in desiring the consummation of the kingdom or even in a committed marriage relationship, but in pornography or adultery instead.
Now, we’ve begun this journey of redemption in Christ. God has given us new birth into this Christian life and God will crown us with life at its end. But between those two moments lies a lifetime of discipleship—that work of following Jesus and becoming more like him each day.
On the way, God reveals the motives of our heart which need to die in order for the new life of Christ to more fully take root. It’s a work of re-forming of our fleshly desires: re-aligning and re-aiming them to their proper ends and in proper degrees.
This is not just a journey of discipleship that we walk, but is the work of Sanctification that the Spirit works in us as we walk. The journey of sanctification is a lifelong cure slowly administered by the Holy Spirit for all that is sin-broken in our fleshly desires. The Spirit reveals the evil in our hearts, and together with Him, we participate in putting it to death through the power of Christ’s death: finding new life again and again on the other side.
With the Bible to guide, the Spirit to empower, and the Lord’s Prayer of “lead us not into temptation…” on our lips, we find this to be the daily prescription for the rest of our lives—dying and rising. Taking up our cross and following.
After giving us new birth into this Christian life, our loving Father hasn’t left us on our own to fight the world without and the temptations within. No, through the power of the Sanctifying Spirit He accomplishes it within us.
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15).
These words are part of the promise God made to Jacob as Jacob flees from his brother’s wrath. The Bible is full of promises like these: from God’s promise to Adam and Eve to bring redemption all the way to Jesus promise that he is coming back. The Bible’s narrative, one might say, is propelled forward by these promises.
The Bible does not portray Jacob as morally or even spiritually upstanding in any way. Throughout his story, his faults are front and centre. It is important to see this because the Bible is not about upstanding people we should emulate. Rather, it is the story of God’s faithfulness to unfaithful humans. These are the kinds of promises percolating throughout the Bible. Promises that God will prosper people who are particularly unworthy of God’s attention.
Let’s look at the promises God made to Jacob and hear them as promises made to us, who are very much like Jacob. We need to hear them in the messiness of life, some of it, of our own making. These promises are not reserved for those on the spiritual mountain top but for those sloshing through the valleys.
The first part of the promise is that God will be with Jacob as he flees. In Jacob’s day, most people believed that the deities only had power in local areas, not able to influence events beyond their territory. Thus, it is remarkable that God can go with Jacob wherever he ends up. David explores this truth in Psalm 139, finding comfort in the reality that he cannot escape God’s presence.
Jesus leaves his disciples with the same promise before he returns to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20). He gives this promise even though some of them still doubted (17). He makes good on his promise by sending his Holy Spirit. This Spirit reminds us that we are the children of the heavenly father.
The second part of the promise to Jacob is that God will watch over him. Again, it is a promise that Israel as a whole, comes to claim. Psalm 121 is probably the most well known and it places this promise into the liturgy of Israel and the church. It became part of our worship because it is so difficult to believe. We sing it to each other to shore up our faltering faith.
Jesus reworked this promise when he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We know it is part of this promise because Jesus is quick to add, “And the realm of the dead will not overcome it”. The church is up against the worst kind of enemy, but Jesus will keep his church. He makes this promise to his disciples who probably would not be permitted to members in our churches. They just didn’t get who Jesus was, yet the promise is made. And to this day, he has kept it.
Again, it is important for us to consider to whom God makes these promises. Jacob is a schemer and deceiver. He does not act out of faith, but doubts that God is able. Yet, God goes with him. This is God’s mercy. Consider this in the context of your own doubts and waywardness. If the promises of God are dependent on our worthiness, none would ever be fulfilled. They are dependent on God’s faithfulness to his own Word. That is good news indeed.
Consider this promise also in the context of Christ’s church which seems to fail more often in holiness and grace then she succeeds. In the messiness of Christian community, we rely not on ourselves but in the promises of Jesus. This is the good news of the gospel.
Journey on with God’s blessing,
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!
Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
(Psalm 146:1-5)
As followers of the victorious Lord Jesus Christ, we use divine strategies for navigating our way in the world, not human ones. And that makes us a bit strange.
But it’s a theme that flows through the full breadth of the Bible—even here in these last five praise Psalms of the Psalter.
It’s a theme the Church tends to forget though, just like the rest of God’s people throughout the ages. Or at least, we have a hard time grasping it. And the crux of the problem is probably this: God asks that as we rely on Him—the God who we can’t see—we drop our reliance on many of the things that we can see: humans, government, insurance providers, political parties, the strength of our own actions and agency in the world, the number in our bank account, you name it.
God asks us to let go of the things that we feel we have some control over in order to trust in Him, the God who we cannot control.
What a difficult thing.
At many-a leadership training retreat, you’ll find an exercise called the “trust fall.” One of the folks at the retreat will be blindfolded, told to cross their arms in front of their chest so that they can’t use their arms, and then are told to lean back until they fall over. The idea being, that the rest of the members of the team behind you will catch you, not letting you hit the ground. Of course, you’re blindfolded, so you can’t be sure that they’re there. And, maybe you don’t know these people all that well—are they the sorts of folks that would let you fall just to laugh and point? You don’t know. But you can’t rely on your own legs or arms to catch you either—you’re vulnerable. Helpless. Nothing between you and the floor but the trust that these unseen strangers will indeed do what they said they’d do, and catch you.
Following this God we claim is a lot like that. He tells us that in fact, we’re already vulnerable and unable to do much to save ourselves. Despite the illusions of control we seemingly have over this world and our place in it, we cannot save ourselves. Not from sins, but also not from the generational hurts of our families, the restructuring of our workplace, the chronic pains of our bodies. We actually have very little control over our world and lives. We’re quite vulnerable, and our position in this world is always somewhat precarious.
So God asks us to let go of the things we can see and to fall into His hands—the hands of the God we cannot see—instead. An act of trust: a trust fall.
It is easier to trust the people we can see though, like our political leaders. Or the things we can hold, like our insurance and OHIP cards. Or the things we can do, like work or think our way to a place of self-sufficiency.
But all these things, including our own strength is guaranteed to fail at some point or another. We don’t live forever. Pandemics happen. So do other crises.
There is only One who can guarantee our trust will not be broken—and that’s God. The only One who remains unchanging amid our changing lives and circumstances, the only One who endures beyond the fleeting strength of our bodies and institutions.
So, will you let yourself fall into the arms of God? Even though you can’t see Him?
Blessed is the one whose hope and trust is in The Lord their God.
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God” (Psalm 20:1-5).
Christians believe that all of Scripture is useful for teaching and training in righteousness. We believe all of it helps correct and rebuke us when we go astray. But when we read certain parts of it we may wonder how. Sometimes we are simply too lazy to do the study and reflection required to understand; at other times we need some help.
Psalm 20 might be one of those passages; not because it is too difficult to understand but we are not sure of its application. So, let’s consider how first Israel and then the church used this passage. The folks of the past can help us use scripture well.
For the people of Israel in the Old Testament this became a prayer for their king. When read from this perspective, much of the psalm prays well. However, verse 4 may cause us to pause and wonder.
What we need to understand is that for the righteous Israelite, the king's task was to guide Israel to be the true people of God as described in Exodus 19:5,6. God's king would desire what God desired for Israel. Thus, they could in good faith offer this prayer for their king.
Following Israel's lead this psalm became part of the church's prayer. Of course, the church did not pray it for a human king, but as part of their prayers for the Kingdom of Jesus to be established.
In this setting the psalm takes on a whole new dimension. Verse 3 is a prayer that God will put into effect the sacrifice of Jesus cancelling our sin and adopting us as his precious children. Thus, it becomes a prayer for the gospel to be heard and believed throughout the world.
When we think about the desires of Jesus heart, many things come to mind: His prayer from the cross, "Father, forgive them"; his prayer that all who believe in him may be brought to complete unity so the world will know that the Father sent Him (John 17); or his desire that we would abide in him so that our love, joy and obedience would be complete (John 15).
In this setting, when "we shout for joy over your salvation" we are joining the crowds during Jesus' triumphant entry. We are rejoicing in the coming of Jesus' Kingdom and the salvation it brings through His death and resurrection. We are singing with the angels and saints in heaven as described in Revelation.
With the people of Israel, we recognize that there are many things in which we can trust. But we reject them all and put our trust "in the name of the Lord our God." We long for the day when all will bow down and worship Him. We long for the day when God's shalom will make all things new.
Among liturgical churches, Psalm 20 is a morning prayer. It's a good prayer for all God's people to pray each morning.
As you journey on into the week ahead, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 9:57-62 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- What stands out to you from hearing these verses from Luke 9?
- What is it about trees and human lives that are similar? What are some of the examples that Pastor Anthony gives and that you might know from your own life?
- What costs do the three men who interact with Jesus in this passage see (or not)? What holds them back from following?
- What are the costs that hold us (you) back from following Jesus wholeheartedly?
- What does it really mean to entrust these things to Jesus and prioritize following him above all?
- How will you act on following Jesus more fully this week?
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. …when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. (Acts 9:36-41)
You’ll maybe notice the difference between this story as compared to the story of Aeneas from yesterday. In the story of Aeneas, it is Jesus’ action driving the narrative throughout. It is the name of the Lord that’s mentioned everywhere. It’s the Lord’s people, it’s Jesus who is healing, and it is Jesus who draws people to Himself through the living breathing testimony of this man healed.
But in the story of Tabitha, Jesus is not named. What is named is the good that Tabitha did. The grief of the widows. And the prayer of Peter that led to Peter’s word and action in faith to say to the dead woman: “Tabitha, get up.”
Our lives often look more like the story of Tabitha than Aeneas. No mention of God. No glimpses of Jesus at work. No outpourings of the Spirit. Just people living, dying, doing good, trying to help one another and grieve with one another—all in the midst of the ordinary rooms of ordinary houses on ordinary days.
But again, the book of Acts would suggest that there is more stirring under the surface. Under the ordinary story of Tabitha, lies the active God of the story of Aeneas. Even when we don’t see Jesus on the move or the Spirit at work, doesn’t mean that he isn’t. The story of Tabitha invites us to read between the lines and examine the invisible—helping us cultivate the eyes to see the main character of all our stories, even when He isn’t mentioned by name.
Because when you get down to looking, you’ll notice—it’s the living and active God that Peter consults with in prayer. It’s in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus that Peter speaks a word of life that raises a woman from the dead. It is because Tabitha followed this same Lord as a disciple that she was led to do so much good for so many.
So, are you following the story in your own life? The main character is always active, but rarely named or visible. Do you look for Him? Do you talk with Him? Do you follow Him?
As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35)
After the scattering of the church at the stoning of Stephen in Acts, chapter 8, we discover together with Philip, Saul, and Peter that it's not safe out there in the world. Not just because the disciples face death threats, mind you, but more because the Sovereign Lord is moving about through His Spirit in the Name of Jesus.
Just listen: Who does Peter visit? The Lord's people. Who healed Aeneas? "Jesus Christ heals." Who preached the Word that transformed the lives of all those in Lydda and Sharon? Jesus' healing action manifested in the life and body of Aeneas. Everyone saw him and turned to the Lord. Peter didn't do a thing but show up and witness to what Jesus was doing.
So Peter isn't actually the main character in this story. Neither were Saul, Philip, or Ananias before him. The main character remains the same throughout all these accounts: it’s Jesus. Peter simply joins the list of those discovering and witnessing the Lord's work out there "about the country.”
If Jesus is the main character in the story of Acts, it begs the question: whose the main character in your life's story? We tend to think it is ourselves. We are the ones engaged in the doing, conversing, and deciding. So we're the main character of our own stories, aren't we?
I think the book of Acts would like to tell us: "No. We are side characters in God's story, not the other way round."
The Father is the main character. The one who gives us life and breath—a world to live in, and the gifts and skill to meaningfully work and play in it.
Jesus is the main character. The one who redeems our lives, heals us, reconciles us together into his community of the Church, and sends us forward in mission.
The Spirit is the main character. The one who continues to empower our prayers, our mission, and our loves, molding us into the likeness of Christ all the while.
So, as you live the story of your own life, is your attention focused on the main character?
“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with [Moses] and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:5-8)
Sad to say, but summertime is drawing near its end already. Is summer in some ways like a wilderness? Not for the most part, but in a few respects it is, and not just because of the heat! We also tend to scatter, slow down and change our rhythms and habits over the summer. We withdraw from some of grind that marks the cooler months of the year. And so, in this late-August moment as the seasons come near to changing, it’s good to think of some wilderness questions for our faith.
It was in the wilderness where the Lord revealed Himself most fully to Israel and first proclaimed His name to them. This is where the people of God really got to know their God: being stuck in the wilderness with nothing but themselves and God for forty long years.
Now there were a few things God equipped His people with in these early chapters of their desert pilgrimage for that journey of getting to know and trust Him. He gave them the means to survive through provision (manna and water from the rock) and security (the defeat of the Amalekites through faith in God). Then God gave the law (ethical shape of life), the tabernacle (liturgical shape of life), and invited them into rhythms of meaningful work and Sabbath rest (creational shape of life).
Lastly, as the covenant is restored following the golden calf incident, God also affirms the gift of His presence with His people—the most necessary ingredient of all for their life and living. And as the book of Exodus closes, that presence is embodied in the cloud that fills the tabernacle with the glory of the Lord. God, their God, was indeed with them. Anytime of the day or night they could steal a glance toward the tabernacle and be assured: God was still home—right there in the middle of the camp, tenting it with His people out in the wilderness.
For forty years they walked this journey of wilderness pilgrimage, learning by those long years of repetition to trust all God’s gifts of grace. Along that journey, they would unlearn how to be slaves and they would learn for the first time how to truly be free: following and living in the provision and presence of the God who was compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
So the questions: what have you been learning about God through these summer months? What are the graces God is giving to you? What are the shapes for life—the habits & practices—he might be calling you into this Fall so that your attention and trust can be better trained on him? Where is he calling you to trust more fully in Him? Take some time to reflect on those questions today.
May God continue to tent it with you in the wilderness as he accomplishes his purposes in your life and in the lives of all His people.
“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’ And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:14, 15, 17)
There is a saying I’ve mentioned before. It goes like this:
All life includes change.
All change includes loss.
Every loss needs to be grieved.
COVID is quickly disappearing from our memory. Strange that it should—such a major, life-changing moment as it was. A similar thing happened after the Flu pandemic of the early 1900’s though. People just moved on and quit talking about it as quickly as they could.
And yet, a conversation I had yesterday reminded me of the fact that over these past years of COVID, so many of us experienced a huge acceleration of change and loss in our lives. It struck me then that a real burden of grief continues to linger in the background for many of us, whether we always realize it or not. It comes out as anger, as loneliness, as busyness, as anxiety—all sorts of different ways—but it’s there.
We might forget, but many of the most significant stories of our scriptures live in that same place with us. It is Good Friday with Jesus on the cross… with the disciples mourning through a long Saturday… with Job on the ash heap… with David in the valley of the shadow of death… with the Israelites in the wilderness. It’s well-trodden territory.
Two things permeate each of those bleak valleys of grief, doubt, and loss: our questions and the God we ask them to. Like Jesus’ “why?” of forsakenness in the garden or Moses’ “how?” in the desert. God heard each question, as He does all our doubts and laments. For Moses and the Israelites, he even answered directly: “I know you by name. My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
That was far from an immediate solution. It would still be 38 years more in the desert before the Israelites arrived in the promised land. That’s a long time of doubt, wandering, and grieving—longer by far than COVID lasted. But the Israelites survived and even flourished under the some of the harshest conditions of change, loss, and scarcity on earth in that time—not because they had any control, or because they grinned and bore it, or avoided it altogether—but simply because God’s presence was with them, and His promise of rest stood before them. It turns out: that was enough.
In Hebrew, the word for God’s “presence” is the same as the word for God’s “face.” The blessing of “the Lord make His face to shine upon you” is all about God’s presence. That blessing isn’t about things changing back to the way they were before or new things coming to fill up what’s been lost—it is about God’s presence with us through whatever changes we experience. The strange conviction of our faith is that a God who is Immanuel—with us—in the valleys of our pain and grief is enough.
So, take heart: God is with you. What griefs from the changes and losses of these past years do you still carry that you might share with him today?
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15).
The Christian faith is deeply rooted in the promises of God. As Hebrews 11 so famously puts it, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for” (1-2).
Being a Christian means that we believe there is more to life than this reality, there is more than what we can see with our eyes. There is something better in front of us. The writer of Hebrews tells us that many Old Testament saints were commended for living in this hope.
Would we be commended in the same way?
When I think about the spirituality of African slaves sold in the American marketplace, I think about a people who, while enduring unspeakable horrors, often saw the hope of the Christian gospel. That a strong gospel tradition remains among those so mistreated by folks claiming to be following Christ is beyond all human reason.
But I digress, that is not what this devotional is about. Or maybe it is. You see, our text is a promise which God makes to Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. And God makes it in the context of Jacob’s unbelief.
Here is the story in a nutshell. When Rebekah was pregnant with twins, “they jostled” within her. She asked God why this was happening and was told that the older would serve the younger. This was contrary to the normal cultural practice. As they were growing up, Isaac loved the older, Esau, and Rebekah the younger, Jacob. She wanted Jacob to receive the promise God had made to her but doubted that God could pull it off.
As a result of her doubt, she convinced Jacob to deceive both his father and his twin brother. The ruse worked. But when it was discovered, Jacob’s twin vowed to kill his bother. So, Jacob flees for his life.
It is as Jacob flees that God interrupts his flight, not to send him back but to speed him on his way with the promise that God will bring him back. Jacob was living in the land of promise, now he was fleeing because of his and his mother’s unbelief, but God would bring him back.
Wow.
This is the gospel. Despite our disobedience and unbelief God will complete his work of redemption. This is good news for all of us who find ourselves living in the land of sin. We are often tempted to think that our sin has derailed God’s work.
Nope.
Despite our sinfulness and lack of faith, God continues to call us back to faith and hope. The fulfillment of his promises is not dependent on us. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (5:24).
Have you given up on God’s promises? What would it mean for you to pick them up again? How would it change the way that you live?
Journey on with God’s blessing,
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 3:23-5:12 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you most from hearing these verses from Luke 18?
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What kind of man was the ruler? What did he want or expect from Jesus?
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What is Jesus’ response? What does Jesus demand of the man? And as Pastor Anthony fleshed that demand out further—what all is included?
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Does Jesus demand any less of us?
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What does Jesus do to make the impossible, possible?
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What is the calling for our lives?
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5b-7)
A strange thing can happen when we know we should talk to someone, but don’t. Maybe we need to talk to them because we see or know that they’re struggling. Maybe there’s a tension or disagreement unresolved between us. Maybe we owe them something. Maybe it’s simply the fact that it’s an important relationship that we want to keep up with.
Whatever the case, the longer we go without talking to that person, the harder it becomes to reach out and do it. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe we get used to telling ourselves that we’ll do it later. Maybe the conversation feels too big or too important to try to squeeze into any of the moments we have and so we wait for an opportune moment that just never seems to come. Or, maybe we build up a story in our head that they’re frustrated or angry with us for not talking to them, and that makes it all the harder to reach out.
I think I’ve been guilty of all of these at some point. And, most of the time when I do finally talk to that person I’ve been avoiding, it brings relief. We take steps to resolve our issues, we’re encouraged by each other, I discover that they weren’t nearly as upset at me as I had imagined. Sometimes I find that they didn’t realize anything was wrong, making clear in an instant that I’d been agonizing over nothing. Sometimes there’s nothing to it, but to do it: to just reach out and talk. Sometimes that’s the quickest way to peace.
I think that same dynamic plays itself out in our relationship with God, too. We know we should talk to him. It’s an important relationship. We owe him our thanks. Perhaps we feel a tension between us of some guilt or sin that needs confessing on our side, or something we’re frustrated at God about that he seemingly hasn’t held up on his.
The longer we go without talking, the harder it is. And yet, when we do, more often than not what we walk away with after is his peace that transcends all understanding.
So Paul reminds us, the Lord has already drawn near to us. He has already redeemed us and adopted us as his very own in Christ Jesus, making all the peace there ever needs to be between he and us already. So, no need to be anxious about coming to God in prayer. He’s already taken the first step. He’s already confirmed his love and forgiveness to us in Christ. So, come to him. Talk to him. Today. And let his peace in Jesus that transcends understanding meet you and guard your hearts and minds as you journey on.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands…The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul…May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and My Redeemer” (Psalm 19:1,7,14).
I have a memory of preachers praying the end of our text prior launching their sermons. The memory is probably 40 years old by now. It is a good practice. I use it myself on occasion during a worship service, but more often in my study as I prepare during the week.
Have you ever prayed this prayer? I assume that most of you are not preachers. Still, I ask you this question. Do you pray this prayer?
You see, it is very unlikely that this psalm was originally prayed by a preacher. In the heading before the psalm, it is ascribed to David. Those headings are not considered part of the inspired Word of God; thus, we readily admit they might be wrong. Nevertheless, the psalm is meant to be prayed by all of God's people. That includes you.
It is thus valuable to look back and find out how the final verse of the psalm came to be included. The psalm can easily be divided into three parts. The first is a magnificent song detailing how the natural world exudes with the glory of God. After my meditation on Psalm 18 last week, one wonderful reader wrote that she was struck by the contrast of these two psalms. Both contain creation imagery, but in vastly different ways. We prefer the images of this psalm, but we need both.
If you check out the Belgic Confession, you will discover that Article 2 teaches that the creation is one of the two ways that we get to know God. It takes its cue from Psalm 19 but alludes to Psalm 18 as well. We can learn much of God's grandeur, greatness, creativity, and providential care if we spend time in God's creation and observe it. One gets the impression that this prayer may have come for the experiences of a shepherd leading his sheep and protecting them as he slept under the stars.
Some of us live in the ‘concrete jungle’ rarely getting out of the city boundaries. Still, if we pay attention, we can God’s creatures, both animal and plants, creeping into this jungle. Is God quietly reminding us that we cannot cement him out of our lives?
The second part of the prayer takes delight in the spoken and written words of God which give direction for life. This psalmist recognized that there are different ways in which we might live. We are always faced with moral choices. This psalmist declares that God's ways are the absolute best. Here we are invited to ponder our own relationship with the Scriptures. Many of us learn to read the Bible as a textbook, as a place to get information. Here, the Word of God is portrayed as a treasure to be enjoyed, savoured, even played with. Always, with an eye to enjoying God himself, to borrow Presbyterian language.
The psalm concludes with a personal reflection on these two great sources for deepening our relationship with God. I believe the conclusion begins with verse 11. Essentially, the psalmist says that he wants his life to measure up to God's standard. Notice that it is only after he has spent time with both God's creation and His Word that he moves to this conclusion. I highly recommend the psalmist's pattern.
The psalmist stands in awe of God. Not just of God's greatness and majesty, but also of God's mercy and grace. He asks for forgiveness and the grace to lead a blameless life. Surely this is a prayer that we all ought to pray.
As you journey on, let Jude’s doxology encourage you:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
God’s saving work in Christ gives us a new identity, a way to walk, and the equipping of the Spirit to walk in that way. And as we learn to walk in this way of Christ, we discover that one of the fundamental cadences that begins to mark our steps is confession and forgiveness. The way of reconciliation.
That’s not strange, it was God who first reconciled us to Himself through Christ. While we were still sinners, Christ forgave us through his taking of our place on the cross. The initiative was God’s, and still to this day, that forgiving initiative of God is what invites us out of our hiding places to honestly confess and receive that which is ours in Christ: forgiveness and restoration to full relationship with God. His forgiveness leads and disarms us, our confession follows, and we are reconciled.
This is the power of the Kingdom of God, and it is the power that God authorizes all of us as the ambassadors of his kingdom to utilize fully as we walk in his ways among our family, neighbours, and friends. Whoever we’re with, each of us walk with this diplomatic communique of the Kingdom in our hand. It is God’s invitation to the world to receive his forgiveness so that they can be reconciled to God.
It’s more than that though: in a very real way, we ourselves are that communique of the Kingdom. We are called to live it too: to forgive as we have been forgiven. To confess openly and honestly when we’re in the wrong or have wronged someone else, because we’ve been forgiven. Not only is that a diplomatically attractive way to display the walk of our citizenship in the Kingdom, it also carries power with it to draw poison from wounds, to heal, and to restore.
You don’t have to go far to discover anger, estrangement, bitterness, grudges, and hopelessness. It is in the news, in our politics, on our social media feeds, and in our families too. Even in our church denomination, a constant drumbeat of the inevitability of our splitting off from one another can be heard.
But this is not the power of the Kingdom. Forgiveness is. Reconciliation is. And this forgiveness and reconciliation has the power not only to heal our hurts, but perhaps also our relationships, our political divides, our church, and our world.
How might you respond to God’s radical diplomacy of forgiveness today?
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).
In recent weeks, I offered devotions on finishing well and starting well. I ended the second one by alluding to the possibility of mid-life course corrections. That is what I want to pick up on today.
Like many of you, our family has taken several long road trips. Today, with GPSs in our cars and on our phones, it takes some effort to get lost. Before such technology, when we used Triptiks from CAA it was much easier. For years, we had a big map atlas that had a page for each province and state. Of course, these quickly became outdated, thus inaccurate. On occasion, we would lose the road we intended to take and would have to find our way back.
Such diversions happen in Christian discipleship as well. At times, they are caused by sinful choices we make. Other times, the events of life blow us off course. It might also be that we drift simply through inattention or minor distractions. And so, it can happen that we need a course correction. The words of our text are helpful in this regard. They contain two pointers for us.
First, they remind us that God’s calling to us is not primarily about our ‘occupation’ in life. Rather, our calling is mainly about character, “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”. Jesus is more concerned about how we live than what we do. How we behave while engaged in our occupation is more important to God than what we are doing (with some exceptions, of course).
And second, Jesus is concerned that we have a healthy connection with the fellowship of believers. He calls each of us to contribute in a healthy way to the life of the church. We all need to participate in a way that leads to both unity and maturity in the fellowship. Here, we need to think beyond the structures of the church. Even if we do not have an official title, we are still called to contribute to the building up of healthy Chrisitan community.
“Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ” is the title the NIV editors gave this section. I think they are spot on.
Starting well, finishing well, course corrections are all good things for us to reflect on. We should ponder them from a Christian perspective. Often, we think about those things from the perspective of ‘worldly success.’ An old bumper sticker read, “the one with the most toys wins.” Toys are not necessarily material possessions; they can be accomplishments of any kind, things we have built for ourselves. Something we can point to at the end of life and say, “I built that.”
If its time for a mid-life course correction, it is possible that you need to consider what you are doing. But it is more important to consider ‘how you are living.’ Are you living a life worthy of the calling you have received from Jesus? Are you being ‘completely humble and gentle; patient, bearing with others in love’? Are you ‘making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’?
As you journey on into the week ahead, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
I mentioned this before, but I’ve been struck by the absence of congregational worship from the life of the Old Testament. I mean, daily, weekly, and annual rhythms of sacrifice and prayer were always going on at the National gathering place of tabernacle and later the temple. And the weekly rhythms of Sabbath were ongoing in homes across the land. But there’s no steady intermediate place. No church or synagogue where a community that was larger than one’s household, but smaller than the whole tribe or nation would gather for a weekly service.
Much more emphasis was placed on the two anchor points at the extreme: on the one end—the central worship at tabernacle and temple where the rituals of confession, sacrifice, forgiveness, and praise were rehearsed, and on the other end—the decentralized worship that happened week to week in homes when the Sabbath was observed. But what about those spaces between?
Here in Deuteronomy 6, the Israelites are finally at the doorstep of the promised land. Their wilderness wanderings have come to an end. For 40 years, they have been shaped by centralized worship. The tabernacle was pitched right in the center of the camp. Anyone could look down the row of tents to see it. Always—daily—the rituals were being rehearsed and repeated there again and again in the sight of the people. Always—daily—the conversation with God was being kept as He and Moses spoke face to face in the tent of meeting. Always—daily—the people were on pilgrimage with their God and their God with them. The ordinary stuff of everyday life was entirely and visibly intertwined with the sacred realities of God among them.
But they were about to be scattered. Changing from nomads to homeowners, they would no longer be one big camp together in one place surrounding their central place of worship at the tabernacle—they would be scattered to their own homes and towns, days away from each other. They might not see a priest or the tabernacle for months. So here on the plains of Moab, overlooking this promised land, Moses begins to remind the people of what they will need most to remain faithful in this new reality of life in the land.
His speech here is about staying faithful in the everyday ordinary stuff of life. To love God. To keep God and His ways regularly on your lips and in your heart. You do this by telling of His stories and commands when you’re sitting around, when you’re on the go, when you’re parenting, when you’re going out, when you’re coming in, when you turn in for the night, and when you get up the next morning. Make a note on your hand to remember if you have to!
The life of faith has to be lived where you are every day of your life—especially when we’re scattered, as we often are through these summer months: but also just in the regular six days that fall between Sundays.
Pastor Michael and I pray that these devotions continue to help make your faith walk an everyday part of your life in just that way. What are other faith habits, conversations with or about God, or spiritual disciplines that keep you walking and talking out your faith through the week?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is James 4:13-17 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
v James challenges our presumptive living. In what did do we live this way? Consider some moments in your life where you made choices based on “moral therapeutic deism” or religion is “a very nice thing”?
v What is the counterpoint to presumptive living? What do we believe about God? What do we believe about ourselves?
v The sermon included four practices that help develop submission. What insights did you have as we reflected on these? Choose one or more of them (you may choose your own) and develop a plan to practice it (them).
“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1).
The opening phrase of Psalm 18 may suggest that this will be a nice, gentle psalm. It is anything but. It is filled with bold colours, powerful metaphors, haunting images, and violent movements.
John Calvin wrote that the creation is the "theatre of God's glory." I wonder if this psalm inspired that phrase. David, having spent his life shepherding sheep, hiding in caves, and defeating lions, bears and enemy soldiers knows a thing or two about this creation. That intimate knowledge fashions his prayer.
Let's take a brief look.
In the first movement God is a rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, stronghold. But wait a moment. These images of mountain strongholds are all preceded with a pronoun. David says, "The Lord is my..." I suggest that we ought to follow David's example. Find the strongest elements of God's creation to describe what God is to us. This may be a new form of prayer for some of us, but such practices tend to nourish the soul.
In the second movement, David uses creation metaphors to describe how he almost dies: cords of death, torrents of destruction, snares of death. Have you ever dared to use such images to describe a situation in your life? In his distress, David cried out to God. God heard and came to the rescue.
Thus, the third movement imagines the creation coming apart before God's approach: trembles, quakes, shakes, smokes, parts. Here God does not come in light, but in the darkness of judgement. It's an edge of your seat horror show.
Then, suddenly, the imagery shifts. This horrifying, mountain shattering God reaches down, shepherd like, and picks up his trembling lamb from the cliff of disaster. As enemies surround him, cutting off his life, God pauses, picks him out of the fray and sets him in a safe place.
Why? This is who God is. He has an eye for those who seek Him. When the psalmist declares his own righteousness, he is not suggesting that he has never sinned. No. It's another way of saying, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God" (Psalm 42:1). God comes to those who seek Him; he is found by those who look for him.
Now God becomes the teacher: God is the master and the psalmist, the apprentice. Notice all that God does for and teaches to David. All this training is so that David can go out and deal with his enemies. David is not rescued to be spared the struggle. Rather, God uses David to deal with those who oppose Him. Remember, God's enemies are David's enemies.
David is amazed at how thoroughly God has carried him through the storm and how thoroughly God has raised him over his enemies. Thus, he praises God.
We too can pray this prayer with David. The New Testament tells the story of how Jesus Christ rescues us from Satan’s dominion. And “having provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the king who won the ultimate victory. The book of Acts tells stories of how his earliest followers learned to face opposition by first turning to God in prayer. When, as Christians, we face opposition, this psalm becomes our prayer.
Like David we begin, “I love you, O Lord, my strength”; and we finish, “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted by God my Saviour (46).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him… While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60)
Stephen seems to be in an entirely different world than his attackers. He is full of the Spirit, eyes wide open seeing a vision of God. He is praying, forgiving. This is in stark contrast with his attackers who had made themselves deaf: ears covered, rushing, yelling, dragging, stoning. At the crux of this clash between kingdoms, the contrast between the way of Christ and the way of the world is fully revealed.
The way of this world is revealed to be a way of sin and death. A way that shuts up our ears and our eyes so that we cannot see or hear God. A way of rush and noise and hot anger. A way of control that forces, drags away, and makes captives. A way that ultimately kills.
But the way of Christ is a different way—His is a way of life. He opens our eyes and ears and invites us to keep them open. He restores, heals, and sets captives free. He is the one who says come away with me and get rest for your souls. The one who says: “be still and know that I am God.” He is the one who promises life in abundance and to whom we entrust ourselves for life everlasting.
Stephen had the eyes to see Jesus in the throne room of heaven, even as he faced the moment of his death. He had peace, humility, and love as he sought not vengeance—but forgiveness from God for his enemies. The picture Luke paints of Stephen is that of a person molded by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ through the humble, life-giving ways of Christ. That is: Stephen looked and sounded a lot like the Jesus who humbly submitted to death, giving up His spirit to the Father while praying: “forgive them” over his enemies.
There is a rushing, weary, worry that sits like a cloud of fog over so many of us. So many have aged, gotten sick, or died these past few years. So many relationships have been strained or have simply been marked by a falling out of touch. So many have left us, our church, or other communities where we knew them to belong. The fear and threat of division and diminishment hang heavy in the air. There’s a great shifting and shuffling under foot, even while life has resumed its reckless pace of busyness.
In these clouded times where we bump the limits of what we can do, or feel, or worry about: the way, the voice, and the vision of Jesus reminds us that it’s not time to cover our ears and start yelling. It’s time instead to hear His call to open our eyes and to look and see Him still there on the throne. To open our ears and hear Him call out: come away with me and find rest and freedom for your heart and soul.
Only then, refreshed by Jesus’ life in us can we begin to join Him in facing the death, fear, sadness, divisions, and hunger in our world with eyes and ears wide open once again.
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9-11).
Christians spend an incredible number of resources on the Bible. More copies have been printed then any other book. It has been translated into more languages than any other piece of literature. Currently, we are evaluating the possibility of us AI to provide translations into rare languages. Its possible that more scholars study the Bible than any other academic discipline. After all, seminaries all over the globe are largely dedicated to helping students understand this ancient text and how to apply it to daily living.
Why do we spend so much effort on the Scriptures? The Belgic Confession tells us that Christians receive it “for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith” (4). More recently, the Contemporary Testimony, put it this way, “The Bible is the Word of God, the record and tool of his redeeming work. It is the Word of truth, breath of God, fully reliable in leading us to know God and to walk with Jesus Christ in new life” (32).
These beliefs concerning the Bible lead Christians to support the publishing and translating and studying of it. But arguably, much of this is done by only a few of us. Our text for today, presses in not towards the scholars, but the everyday Christian. Recently, I wrote a devotional on “how to finish well”. Certainly, a worthwhile question. But a better one is, “how do we start well?” or “how do we make a mid-course adjustment?” After all, it is difficult to finish well, if we do not start heading towards such an exit somewhere along the way.
The first Christians began with devotion to the teachings of the apostles. Clearly, these teachings were about Jesus and how to follow him. This is where we begin (and end) the Christian journey: the Word. It is the Holy Spirit’s main tool to connect and keep us connected to our Lord.
So somehow, as the Psalmist says, we need to get this Word into our hearts. Our eyes and ears are the vehicle to our hearts in this. I used to advocate that we ought to get lots and lots of the Bible into us, the more the merrier, as they say. But I have reconsidered. I might be better to use manageable bits. For each of us that will be different. Its like food, we can only handle so much food before our stomachs start to get sore.
The psalmists often refer to meditating on the Word. That means taking time to mull it over, digest it, to get back to stomach imagery. That is how it gets hidden in our hearts. It enters through our brains but needs to travel to our hearts. Like a highway or express way, we need to ensure that the traffic can flow.
Let me suggest that we do two things with the Word. First, we pray it back to God. This does not always include words on our part. It’s like holding it in our hands and showing it back to God. We might ask questions of God about his word. What does this mean? Why did you use that image or word? Why did you have people do this or not do that? We might compare it to looking at a painting or photograph and really looking at the details. As we do this, we ought to expect God to respond. Usually, he doesn’t respond audibly, but the Spirit does nudge our hearts and brains.
The second thing we ought to do with the Word is ‘do something with it’. What does God want me/us to do with this Word? Do we need to think about him or ourselves differently? Do we need to alter our attitudes towards certain people? Do we need to change the way that we spend our money?
If we want to finish well, the best thing to do is to start well. As the first church was devoted to the Apostle’s teaching, we need to be devoted to the Scriptures. If you’re in the middle of your journey its not too late to change course.
Journey on with God’s blessing,
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
The kind of witnesses Jesus is sending out are sent out with power.
Now we all have power of one sort or another. The power to choose our reactions and responses. The power to speak or remain silent; to act or refrain. The power to force and abuse, but also the power to respect boundaries and seek justice, to apologize and offer forgiveness, hospitality, and grace.
The power Jesus used and gives is not the sort that forces or abuses. Jesus’ kingdom is not a kingdom of armies and boundary-transgressors, it is a kingdom ruled by the one who humbled Himself to death on a cross, letting someone else (namely: the Father) vindicate, raise, and enthrone Him. It is a kingdom that looks like a bit of yeast or some mustard seeds. Nothing formidable. Yet if you’re not careful, yeast can permeate a whole batch of dough and mustard trees can grow through a garden. So moves the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth: through the use of seemingly benign witnesses.
People put up defenses when an army threatens, but most just shrug and say thanks when told, “I’ll pray for you.” Yet if witnesses are empowered by Jesus and the Spirit, the second is in fact, the larger threat to the status quo—the prayers, not the impressive show of force.
The one who empowers us to speak His word, work in His name, and come before Him in prayer is not subject to political turnover or polarized divisions. No: the kingdom of God is everywhere present at all times, as is our King. We’re on home turf anywhere on this Earth: for it all belongs to the God who made it. We’re always connected to the one who empowers us. He is with us, He is within us, and all the paths we tread belong to Him. We witnesses may not look like much, but the One we look to and the One we hopefully look more and more like is more than up to the job.
The power we have been given to witness and participate in the life of Jesus is not diminished when we walk out the door of the church building and scatter back into our daily lives. If anything, in the wilderness of God’s wide world we find ourselves discovering anew that He is with us still—His unimpressively scattered flock. He empowers and encourages us to be witnesses where we are: offering the power we have received of prayer, forgiveness, hospitality, and grace in humility, even to the end of the age and even to the ends of the earth. Thanks be to the God who accomplishes this power of witness through His power at work in us.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is James 3:1-12 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In:
- What two things does James say in Chapter 1 that influence our understanding of this passage?
- Take some time this week to consider whether your tongue leans towards sweet or sour. Use the various things James says about the tongue for your reflection. Write them down as you listen to the sermon.
- James warns us about the dangers of a sour tongue. It seems hardly necessary. And at first glance, he leaves little hope for sweetening. However, a closer reading of the text offers us some hope. What did you hear that gives you hope?
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28)
Covenant and Law have much to do with the journey of the people through the desert and beyond. God’s covenant and law gave both a relational and ethical shape to their life. But it took all 40 of those years to learn to live into these new life shapes.
The law was given and sealed by covenant promises in Exodus 19-31 where both God and the people made promises to each other. The people break their end of the covenant almost immediately with a golden calf. So, after some hard conversations, punishment, and mediation, God forgives His people and makes new promises to them. In chapter 34, the covenant is renewed and Moses hikes up the mountain again to get a new set of law tablets. But there’s one significant difference. This time, the covenant is based solely on God’s promises, not the people’s obedience. Already here in Exodus, God knew the people needed the gift of a relationship that didn’t rest on their own flaky obedience. And so instead, God rests the relationship solely on the secure foundation of His everlasting love and faithfulness.
Covenant is about relationship and through Exodus and beyond, so is the law. The law is given not as a codified set of statutes, but as part of the living narrative and history of the people with God. The law is given as a means of living together well with a holy God and as a community of His people: a way of keeping right relationship with one another and restoring that relationship when it breaks down.
The Covenant gave a safe container for learning to live ethically in relationship with God and one another. Because of the covenant promises of God—the people could trust that despite their failures, God’s presence would remain. That was important because they would fail a lot. Yet God continued to journey with them, lead them, love them, and teach them. In the desert through 40 years of repetition, the people learned to live into the relational and ethical shape of the life God called them too. They had lots of practice. What else could they do in the desert but keep the rhythms of God’s law?
Today, we call this repetitive practice of obedience discipleship. It is Learning to live into the relational and ethical shape of the life Jesus calls us to: the relationship He has established; the great commandment/great commission calling He has given.
How might you join this journey of discipleship more deeply? How might the Spirit already be shaping a relationally and ethically Jesus-shaped life within you? How and with whom might you enter more fully into the repetitive practices of confession and forgiveness, love and mercy?
“Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled” (Psalm 17:1-5).
This is the prayer of a saint in anguish, a cry for help. If you find yourself in such a space, consider with me several aspects of this prayer to sustain you. If your life is filled with sunny skies, allow this psalm to help you pray for those in distress and to prepare for anguish that will surely come your way.
It is worth paying attention to the psalmist’s enemies. They have settled in for a sustained attack. It is their intention to stay around long enough to see the psalmist humiliated. Moreover, they do not care what methods they use to achieve their goal. They have no intention on a fair fight. It seems that they have been accusing the psalmist of many wrongdoings. But he is innocent of them all. These are wicked people (13).
Many of us complain too quickly that life is unfair. Yet, in the Christian life, there is often unfair opposition. Jesus challenged his disciples to count the cost of following him. To stand for what is right and just can cost us our reputation and more. Evil does not like being exposed; it will attempt to extinguish the light.
Second, notice that the psalmist is convinced of his innocence. We should not imagine that he believes he has never sinned against God. Rather, that the accusations being hurled against him are untrue. Further, the psalmist allows that in his response to his enemies, he has done what is right. He has not treated his enemies like they have treated him.
Like Job, he is willing to have God Himself, adjudicate his case. He gives himself over to God for cross examination. He is sure that God will find his claims to be true. He has set his heart on righteousness and has done his utmost to remain righteous.
Here is an invitation to test our own hearts. What is it that we want? Success? Adulation from our peers? The psalmist proposes that the godly desire simply to do what is right. This is tough stuff. Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve two masters. Let us set our hearts on righteousness, so that when trouble comes, we are prepared to stay the course.
We should also reflect on how the psalmist perseveres in looking to God for justice. Obviously, the wait has already been extensive. When waiting it is always tempting to take matters into one’s on hands. But our psalmist persists in waiting for God. Each day he hopes that God will answer, but so far nothing. Surely the question has arisen, why is God not doing anything?
This is a difficult psalm to deal with. We don’t like waiting. We expect answers immediately, even from God. During our anxiety and impatience, we forget that Paul wrote, “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:3-5),
Here is reason to wait until God answers our prayers. Here are things that should be happening in us while we wait. These--perseverance, character, hope--are things to set our hearts on. The Holy Spirit will see that they mature in us.
As you journey on, let Jude’s doxology encourage you:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:32-35)
As noted Sunday in our sermon—one of the key elements of Christian obedience required of us is the act of forgiveness. That is: to forgive others as we ourselves have been forgiven by God. That is the thrust of the parable Jesus tells.
The Great King, who we assume to be God, forgives an infinitely massive debt owed by one of his servants. In turn, the servant goes out and demands—through personal violence and imprisonment—repayment of a much smaller debt from one of his fellow servants. We discover through his actions therefore, that the servant who the King forgave his debt was not in the least bit changed, transformed, or grateful for the gift he had just received.
We learn from this parable not just that we are required to forgive, but also that learning to forgive requires transformation. It is not our default state. There is nothing normal or intuitive about forgiveness. So unless we are transformed by the forgiveness we ourselves have received from God—we will fail in this test of obedience.
A question then. How mindful are you of God’s forgiveness in your everyday life and interactions?
So many of us have harshly critical inner dialogues with ourselves, judging our every action—accurately or not. Others of us are constantly worried what people think of us for the things we say, do, or choose. Others simply feel burdened by the responsibilities and expectations that bear down on us from everywhere. Others still might bear the weight of something that we’ve done wrong—true sin in our lives. Whatever the case for you, how mindful are you in those moments of the Holy Spirit’s constant, merciful nudging that whispers the words “forgiven in Christ” into your life? This is what it means to have one’s identity in Christ. To be forgiven.
Becoming aware of God’s constant, infinite work of forgiveness through Christ in our lives can free and unburden us from so much guilt, judgement, expectation, bitterness, anxiety, and stinginess of heart. It is impossible for that awareness and reception of God’s forgiveness and mercy not to transform us into merciful and forgiving people. At least, that’s what our church’s theology says.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus drives home the point with a warning. You must forgive as you have been forgiven. You must be transformed. This is central to what it means to be a Christian.
The good news, is that Jesus made the first move already by forgiving you. Will you receive it? Will you come to know what his forgiving mercy means in your daily life so that it can transform you? And will you likewise become an agent of God’s forgiveness in this world? If so, you may just find that you’re not the only one being transformed…
"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18).
I read about a Christian leader whose office walls are covered with pictures of those who, as he put it, "have finished strong". If I had such a wall, I might include pictures of Mother Teresa, C.S. Lewis, Eugene Peterson, and Rachel Held Evans
When I took a course on leadership some years ago, one of the units was on "finishing well." At times I ponder the question, "What does it mean to finish well?" With so many fallen Christian leaders, it appears more pressing to do what we can to indeed ‘finish well’.
It is known that Billy Graham once said to his daughter, "All my life, I've been taught how to die, but no one ever taught me how to grow old." One thing I have observed. Growing old is not easy. Psalm 71 gives us a sage testimony that can sustain us along the way.
Interestingly, my first intensive experience with Psalm 71 was as a preaching text for a Cadet Sunday (Cadet’s is a club for boys ages 9-13). I doubt it was the Cadets themselves which choose the text. The psalm was composed by a person well advanced in years, possibly dealing with a life ending disease. The poem leaves us with the impression that the psalmist was feeling shunted to the side, no longer useful.
How does this poem help us finish well? There is a deep and abiding confidence in God woven into this song. "But as for me, I will always have hope...Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter; you will restore my life again" (14, 20).
It is not uncommon for Christians to wonder if "their faith will stick". We worry about backsliding, and death will come upon us in a season of doubt or unbelief or ungodliness.
The psalmist has no such fear, and we don't need to have it either. We put too much stock in our own abilities or too much doubt in our lack of them. Here, the scripture reminds us that our hope is not in ourselves, but in our God. The God who calls us is the God who will keep us. Whatever life might hold, He will always be there with us.
Finishing well is not dependent only on us, but on God fulfilling His promise to be with us to the end. Our salvation is not dependent on our holiness but on the holiness of Jesus Christ. As He, in obedience to His Father, suffered and died for us, our redemption was secured.
But sometimes we doubt all of this. True. Then we need to pray Psalm 71. We join the psalmist in voicing our doubts and our disappointments. As we lay all of them out before the Lord, we discover that our hope increases, and our doubts begin to fade. The psalmist has seen many bitter troubles, but is confident that God will restore, “from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honour and comfort me once more” (20-21).
As we pray through this psalm, we find within us a growing desire to witness to the goodness of God. It is in such praying that we remember the greatness of God and we are filled with a need to declare it to the next generation. As we meditate on the Lord and his promises, we often find ourselves, like the psalmist declaring, “My life will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered” (23).
Here, I think, is solid advice for growing old and finishing well: sing the praises of God in your heart, remembering what Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11)
Days pass one into another without much pomp or fanfare. It’s just ordinary life: food, activity, sleep, some chit-chatting. Nothing special to see here. Certainly nothing that God would be interested in getting involved with. He deals with the big stuff, right? That’s certainly what Peter thought.
He was just an ordinary guy—a fisherman—and he and his companions had just come up empty after a whole night of working the nets.
But then Jesus shows up. Jesus needs Peter’s very ordinary boat and rowing skills so He can preach to a crowd. Then Jesus suggests another fishing trip: to the wrong place at the wrong time of day. But this time so many fish are caught that the boats began to sink—Peter had never seen anything like it! And in that moment, right there in the ordinary and perhaps even frustrating celebrity fishing trip Jesus had suckered them into, the Kingdom of God happened upon them.
The thin veneer of the ordinary was ripped back to reveal the Holy Son of God who had been sitting and working in their midst the whole time. Peter fell to Jesus’ knees in confession. Somehow all that preaching Jesus did from the shore didn’t do it for Peter: but this? Jesus stepped into the real, ordinary concerns of Peter’s life—into the personal sphere of Peter’s expertise and inadequacy—in order to reveal a work that Peter’s practiced, master angler eyes could see and know immediately was nothing less than divine. So Peter fell to Jesus’ knees.
Then Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid, I still need your ordinary fishing skills.” Ordinary Peter had been participating in some big holy mysteries all day without even knowing it—but now with the eyes to see it, his life would never be the same. He left everything to follow Jesus.
It’s one thing to hear the word. It’s another to see and experience the word made flesh in one’s own life. That’s why it’s important to look for the places in your ordinary life where Jesus’ salvation meets you.
Because under the thin veneer of all that ordinary everyday life, a Holy God is stirring about. It’s never just fish, or work, or ordinary life. We might be ordinary sinful people, but God in Jesus has redeemed the sinful and put the ordinary to His use. God’s holiness surges through the ordinary as our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, bread is given for the forgiveness of sins, and water marks us as God’s own.
So keep your eyes peeled and your ears attentive. You never know where the thin veneer of your ordinary everyday life might give way to a vision of Jesus at work. But beware, because to realize that the sacred mysteries of Jesus’ work are right there, stirring about within the ordinary of your life, might also mean that you, like Peter, can no longer be the same.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 17:7-10 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you most from hearing these verses from Luke 17?
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What is the ditch on the right side of the narrow road, and what are some of its pitfalls? Where do you see this in your life?
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What is the ditch on the left side of the narrow road, and what are some of its pitfalls? Where do you see this in your life?
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What are some examples of each of these ditches in culture?
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How does the parable speak to each “ditch”? What is Jesus’ word of grace for each?
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What is Jesus’ call of obedience to us, his servants?
David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. (1 Samuel 25:21-26)
In between yesterday’s text and this one comes one of David’s chances to kill Saul. God gives Saul into David’s hands, but David chooses not to lift his hand against Saul, who was the Lord’s anointed king. David shows a wise, mature restraint in that moment. He chooses to trust the God who has promised him the kingship to make good on his plans rather than David securing the throne for himself through murder. David will wait on the Lord as Jonathan helped him to do.
But now a new challenge arises in the desert. A new temptation. While hiding in the desert, David has voluntarily done good to this man named Nabal—protecting his flocks and herdsman from raiders and wild animals. Having done so, David believes that this man now owes him something, even though the man never asked for David’s help.
Nabal refuses to give David anything. David’s response? He orders his men to strap on their swords. David will not resort to murder to get the kingship. But to salve his wounded pride and bring home some bacon for his men and their families? David will kill for that.
Nabal’s name means fool—a godless sort of fool who has no fear of the Lord. But one wonders if David isn’t actually acting out as the foolish, godless one here. Indeed: God does not listen to, nor honour David’s curse of “may God deal with me if I don’t kill these people.” Instead, God intervenes to bring life through Abigail, a woman who personifies wisdom, intelligence, beauty, and understanding.
David was halfway down the path of Saul—the godless fool—as he resorted to his own sword and skill at dealing death to get what he thought ought be coming to him. But God gives yet another gift. Last time it was Jonathan that kept David from fear. Now it is Abigail that keeps David from godless folly. Both times, David listens and is saved.
It is not for David to secure God’s promises for himself, nor to secure his daily provision for himself, nor vengeance, nor whatever else he thinks he may be owed. Indeed, David is owed nothing for doing what is right. This is simply what is expected of the Lord’s servant.
David must learn the wisdom of trust in the Lord, that all things needful will come as God’s gift in God’s time. David need only concern himself with continuing to do what is right and good.
We can act in similarly foolish, two-faced ways. We might act with the highest Christian ideals and principles when we are aware of God’s presence—as David acted with Saul—but then turn around in our financial, work, or family dealings and be arrogant, greedy, and deceitful.
The invitation of lady wisdom is to trust in the Lord in all of our lives, not just in the “important stuff” when we think God might be watching. Let us not be fools therefore, but rather grow up to maturity as those who do what is good and right even to our own disadvantage—as Jesus did—trusting that God will provide what’s needful.
David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he [was afraid because] Saul had come out to take his life.And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. (1 Samuel 23:14-18)
This is the story that introduces the cat and mouse game of David evading Saul in the wilderness. It happens at “Horesh,” which is a word that can take two different meanings. It can refer to a sort of silence, or to the work of human hands. The same word shows up earlier in the chapter in Saul’s “plotting” against David. Here in this wilderness place of Horesh where he is faced with God’s silence and his own fear at the threat of Saul, will David trust his fear and so rely on the work of his own hands to solve it, as Saul has? Or will he trust in this God he cannot see nor hear?
It is here in this wilderness that David must begin to learn a more mature fear of the Lord. This is not the battle of David and Goliath where the battle lines are clear, the army and King stand behind him and the Lord before him. No, now David is a fugitive from the State, driven from his home, searching in deserts and foreign countries for refuge, clinging to the promise of God while facing down God’s silence. Will David continue to fear the Lord—trust this God who he cannot see nor hear in this wilderness of fear?
It is not unlike so many wilderness moments in our own life. Something happens that unsettles us, leaves us feeling threatened. A medical scare, a financial jolt, a shifting landscape underfoot in the society or institutions we thought were secure—even the church. Faced with God’s relative silence and a threat looming overhead do we choose to fear the Lord or the threat?
It is at this moment that Saul’s son Jonathan suddenly appears. No one knew where David was. Yet somehow Jonathan appears. His name means “gift of God.” Nathan being the Hebrew word for “gift,” and “Jo” being a prefix that refers to God.
The text says that God did not “Nathan”/give David into Saul’s hands. But God’s hand does offer a Jo-”Nathan”/gift to David. What is this gift of God? A friend who appears in a silent, wilderness moment to help David re-find his strength in God. “Do not be afraid” Jonathan says. They then reaffirm their love and commitment to one another and Jonathan leaves. David remains in Horesh, this wilderness place of silence. But now, somehow, David is no longer quite so alone or afraid. God may be silent, but by his gifts of friendship and encouragement, David can once again recognize God’s hand on the move.
As the story continues, Saul really does find out where David is and comes down in pursuit of him. However, we discover that David is no longer in “Horesh.” Now he is in the Desert of “Maon,” a word which means “help” or “refuge.” Here David goes down to “the rock,” and at that rock, though “Saul and his forces were closing in on David to capture them,” God suddenly intervenes to force Saul to turn away. David and his men are saved, not by what their hands have done, but by the one in whom they have taken refuge.
One can hear Psalms begin to percolate as David grows a little more to maturity. The Lord who is my rock, my salvation, my refuge and strength in times of trouble. Through loving friends, David learns to entrust his life to the hand of God even when God seems silent.
How might you entrust yourself to God today against the silence and the threats that face you? Are there “gifts of God” that show God’s hand to you in this moment? How might you be a gift-of-God friend to someone in such a place?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10a)
When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. (1 Samuel 18:28-29)
Our theme is growing to maturity in Christ, and I have begun to believe that the book of 1 Samuel is one of the best illustrations of what this growth to maturity means. Today we’re looking at the role of fear.
Saul was a man given to many fears, but the fear of the Lord was not one of them. Saul did not cultivate a living relationship with the living God. He was not willing to grow up to a mature trust and fear of the Lord. Instead, Saul lived in the fear of men and so eventually grew mis-trustful of everyone. Saul feared his own men (1 Samuel 13:26), the Philistines (chapters 13-15), and eventually David also, as the verse I read today mentions.
Three times in chapter 18, Saul is said to fear David. It is a fear that grows and eventually consumes Saul by the end of the chapter in our verse from today. So much so that Saul becomes an enemy of David for the rest of his days. From this point onward, Saul’s fear drives his mistrust. He mistrusts his son Jonathan and hurls a spear at him (20:30-33). He mistrusts his officials and advisors and accuses them of conspiring against him (22:6-8). He mistrusts the priests of the Lord and has 85 of them ruthlessly killed, along with their families and village (22:9-19). Family, state, and religion: Saul mistrusted them all. All he trusted, was his fear.
In this same chapter of 1 Samuel 18, David offers a strong contrast to Saul. David, this man after God’s own heart, is said to have been loved by Saul’s son Jonathan, by the Israelite people, and then eventually by chapter’s end also by Saul’s daughter, Michal. While Saul is afraid three times, David is loved three times and his circle of trusting relationships grows.
Trusting our fears more than our God is a mark of immaturity.
Cultivating a mature, fear of the Lord on the other hand, means entrusting our life to the Lord beyond what our eyes can see or our mind can comprehend. It is to trust that whatever comes of this mystery of life or the uncertainty of our future, that we are loved and held by God—that we belong to him—and that we therefore may step forward in faith to live another day trustfully, open-handedly, lovingly. Whether in times full of joy or sorrow, sickness or health, life or death, in plenty or in want, anxious or peaceful, we trust the ability of our God to hold on to us and make our paths straight—whatever the paths may be.
I think this run of chapters about Saul and David is what the Apostle John is reflecting on when he writes about love and fear in 1 John 4:7-21. In that section he says: “We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. … There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:16, 18a).
As we’ll see in tomorrow’s devotion, this all takes some growing and living into. David didn’t catch it all at once either. But the invitation is clear enough. Receive God’s love. Remember who you are in Christ as God’s own child who, in life and in death belongs to him. Do not live in the fear of other people, or of not having or being enough, or of not having control of the future, but rather, live in the fear-of-the-Lord, trusting all your ways to him and his love for you. In doing so, you may just find your own trust and capacity for loving relationships with others growing as well.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people. (1 Samuel 2:26)
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)
To [his people] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1:27-29)
The last devotion I (Pastor Anthony) offered attempted to tie together a bunch of loose ends into one. Perhaps it was a bit long and confusing. But to re-orient us, the theme I’m chasing is this idea of “growing up to maturity in Christ.” The rest of our devotions this week will focus in on this theme.
Most of the Christmas narrative that we have comes from Luke. Why? Well, Luke models the opening of his Gospel on the book of 1 Samuel which spends its first three chapters on the story of Samuel’s birth and growth to maturity. So, Luke does the same thing.
You can see the parallel between the story of Samuel and the story of Jesus in the verses I chose. Both of them were very similarly said to “grow in stature and favor with God and man.”
In Samuel’s case, his growth to maturity is set against the backdrop of the wicked, immature sons of Eli the priest. Two paths are therefore set out at the beginning of the book: the path of immaturity and the path of maturity. This theme runs throughout the rest of the books of Samuel, and even shows up in the books of Kings.
Saul, for instance, remained immature: he never grew up into God and therefore also not his into his role as King among the people. But David did. He grew up in favor with God and man. In the book of Kings the pattern repeats. Even though everything in the Kingdom looked great, Solomon in all his wisdom and splendor never grew up into maturity with God, whereas even very young kings like Josiah did.
Jesus is one of the Kings of Israel that grew up to maturity. Perfectly in fact. But even Jesus still had to do the growing. We aren’t born into maturity. We grow into it. It is the work of our lives.
The apostle Paul therefore centres his ministry around this theme which you can find in pretty well all his major letters to the churches. He “strenuously contends with all the energy that Christ so powerfully” has worked into him to “present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
This runs against the grain of our culture. Much of our culture idolizes youthfulness. We idealize childhood—its innocence, freedom, and its unabashed transgressions. Adults chase after that which will keep them looking and feeling younger than their years—hair treatments, gym memberships, toys, etc. Churches do the same, believing in some ways that their young people will save them from decline and death. So in order to attract and retain those youth, the church must similarly strive to be “authentic,” “relevant,” and “youthful” through its programs, presentation, and worship.
Of course, only Jesus saves the church. To demand the salvation of the church from our youth will break and disillusion them. Similarly, to seek to remain youthfully relevant robs older churches and church members from the gift of growing up to maturity in Christ. And if no one grows up in Christ: who will show our younger members how to do it? Who will help them seek and find God even when he seems silent or life seems to fall apart?
Growing up to maturity in Christ is our goal, then. Surprisingly, it’s one of the most counter-cultural things we can do as Christians and as a church.
“I said to the Lord, You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing” (Psalm 16:2).
Some thirty-one years ago, Helena and I choose Psalm 16 as our wedding text. Rev. De Bolster, then president of Redeemer College, preached on this psalm during our marriage ceremony. I admit that I don't remember what he said. I do remember that it was a very hot July afternoon.
Regardless, it was a good choice. We are invited to live life from the perspective of verse 2, "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’"
Consider this question: "What makes life good?" Before you read or listen on, answer the question for yourself. Don't give the right answer. Be honest and give the answer that is true for you. What makes your life good?
In Psalm 16, David invites us to give this answer, "As long as God is with me, life is good. And since God is always with me, life is good."
David was not avoiding the troubles of life. He knew enough of them: facing Goliath, running for his life from Saul, dealing with his internal temptations, his son rebelling against him. I also suspect that David would have agreed with the Heidelberg Catechism that we have three basic enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil (A 127).
These three continually attempt to draw us away from God. And so, David begins the Psalm with, "Keep me safe, O God." The good life begins with trusting in God to keep us close to Him. Yes, we can read the Bible daily and pray continually, we can worship with God’s people and contribute to kingdom causes, including the local church. We can and should do these things along with other spiritual disciplines. They are tools that God uses to nurture our faith. However, we engage in all these knowing that it is God himself, through his Spirit that keeps us spiritually safe. God is good; we can trust him in this.
Further, David takes delight in those who belong to God and is abhorred by those who oppose Him. We can't delight in God while turning our noses at His people. Enjoying the presence of God means we will stick with His people and delight in them.
At the same time, there will be within us an abhorrence of all things evil. We will flee from them. Not that we will avoid people who don't believe in Jesus, but we will not participate in those activities that draw us away from God.
From here, David describes how his life is good and secure because all things come from God himself. At the end he gives us one of the few Old Testament glimpses of the future resurrection. Peter quotes this psalm in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
David recognized that God would not abandon him when he dies. He would also, I think, agree with the opening words of the Heidelberg Catechism, "My only comfort is that I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ."
I'm not sure I grasped the full meaning of Psalm 16 when we choose it all those years ago. But what better way to go through life than with these words of security.
So again, we end with Jude’s doxology:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 3:23-5:12 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What stands out to you most from hearing these verses from Luke 13?
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Are the people telling this story (in verse 1) about the Galileans seeking to report to Jesus how sinful these Galileans were? What is Jesus’ response and how does it relate (or not) to the story these people told?
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How is Jesus’ response different than the politics of his day (or ours) would’ve expected it to be? What could’ve been the result of Jesus choosing not to play along?
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Why is it uncomfortable for the focus to be on us and our sin? What might we fear Jesus’ response to be?
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Through the parable, what do we learn about how Jesus deals with our sin?
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How might you fertilize the relationships of your life and world with the manure of forgiveness this week?
But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple (1 Samuel 5:4).
These were some of the darkest days for this new fledging nation called Israel. Their original duo of leaders, Moses and then Joshua, were both dead and buried; memory of both fading fast. A succession of leaders had followed, propelling Israel from one calamity to another. Meanwhile, the Philistines and their god Dagon gained influence and power.
These Philistines made their weapons and armour from new and stronger metals. Controlling the mining and manufacturing of these metals, their army was nearly invincible. It was time to make a statement, the memory of Israel would be wiped from the map. With their metal instruments of war gleaming in the morning sun, they made quick work of the Israelites with their wooden farm tools. They took the ark of Israel’s God, hauling it back to Philistine territory where they put it in Dagon’s temple as a trophy of war. Israel and her God were finished. The Israelites knew it. The Philistines knew it. It was party time.
Except, the next morning, when the Philistines went to pay their respects to Dagon, there he was, fallen from his throne, laying prostrate before the ark of Israel’s God. That was humiliating. Assuming their god needed a little help (maybe he had drunk too much the night before), the priests hoisted Dagon back onto his throne.
But the following morning, it was even worse. There was Dagon flat on the ground in front of Israel’s God again, his head and hands knocked right off his body rolling all the way to door. The priests were mortified. Israel’s God had left Dagon powerless in his own temple. It was unthinkable. And then the complaints started coming in: rats running wild in the town and people afflicted with tumors. The meaning of the original word is illusive, but one of the more persistent theories is that it refers to hemorrhoids resulting from dysentery.
Can you imagine all those iron clad soldiers not able to remove their armour fast enough? Yes. Use your imagination to consider what that would be like. Does that seem irreverent to you? Well, as I said, this is one of the darker periods in Israel’s history. Israel thought she was finished; her covenant God had finally been defeated. They were done for.
But in that darkness and apparent defeat, God asserts himself as undefeated and powerful, not just powerful in Israel, but in the very temple of the Philistine god Dagon. And God has a little fun doing it. Dagon lies broken, powerless in his own temple. Rats invest his city. And his people are being wasted by these tumors.
These people decide Israel’s God cannot stay. And so, he is passed around from Philistine city to Philistine city like a hot potato. And each gets burned. They finally decide to send the ark back. What do they put on the cart beside the Ark: golden rats and golden tumors! Without lifting a sword, God lays low these mighty Philistines, demonstrating to both them and to Israel that they very much underestimated him. And he has some fun doing it.
No one can manipulate or control this God simply by obtaining possession of his ark. He is sovereign and free. He is not chained to his throne.
Is it only darkness that you see? Read 1 Samuel 5, and chuckle along with God as he reveals himself. And know that this is the same power Jesus revealed when he faced the forces of chaos, centuries later. Trust him, the darkness cannot last, He has defeated it.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home. (1 Kings 12:12-16)
I am still hung up on the theme of growing up to maturity in Christ. Paul uses this image a few times in the New Testament, fretting over his congregations that were still too immature to eat the “solid food” of the faith, but could only receive “milk.” How he longed for them to grow up into the fullness of Christ! You can see this thread in passages like 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Galatians 4:19-20, Ephesians 4:11-16, Hebrews 5:11-14.
Jesus once declared that “every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Paul was such a teacher, and some of the old treasures he brings out of his storeroom through his letters are images that come from deep reflection on the Old Testament scriptures. This theme of maturity is one of them, I think. I’ve noticed it most recently in places like 1 Samuel 2 (click here for a devotion or sermon on that text) and right here in 1 Kings 12.
Three times in this longer passage, King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, is said to have listened to the advice of the “young men” he grew up with, rather than the advice of the elders. Interestingly, neither King Rehoboam nor those men he grew up with would’ve been understood in that day to have been “young.” 1 Kings 14:21 says Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. Given the life expectancy of the day: he was certainly no spring chicken. Besides, the word for “young men” employed here in the Hebrew is a word which is translated in most other places in the Old Testament as “child” or “boy.”
The reference, therefore, seems to be to the immaturity of these men, rather than their age. Interestingly, the only use of this word for “child” or “young man” before this in the book of Kings is from the story of Solomon’s wise judgement when he said to two prostitutes fighting over a living baby “cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” After he said this, the true mother backed off of her claim to the child, saying: “Please, my lord, giver her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” while the other women exclaimed: “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
Somehow the story of the living child being cut in two is evoked in the telling of Rehoboam’s immaturity. I think the author means to suggest that the words of Solomon’s own ruling have come back as a judgement against his own house.
The Rabbis said that Solomon was the worst of the King of Israel because he was the one who caused the division of the nation depicted here in this text today through his sins of promiscuous marriage and idolatry. Israel as a nation is depicted often as an unfaithful spouse that prostitutes itself after all sorts of other gods besides the Lord. Solomon was the first such idolatrous prostitute among the Kings. Immature, despite his wisdom, his heart was divided among many dead scraps of religion rather than wholeheartedly devoted to the living God.
The fruit then of Solomon’s house and Solomon’s idolatrous prostitution, as embodied in Rehoboam, is a violent immaturity that results in the cutting of God’s people in two. This is the same violent immaturity displayed in the prostitute who was not the true mother of the child. It is the same violent immaturity displayed by Pharoah as he ruthlessly worked the Israelites as slaves in Egypt. The result of this violent immaturity? A fatal wound that would eventually culminate in the death of both Israelite Kingdoms through exile.
Immaturity leads to idolatry, violence, and division. It leads to the destruction of faith and life. The invitation, therefore, is to grow up into Christ, to become mature. The prophet Samuel, King David, and Jesus himself all offer examples of what this “growing up to maturity” looks like, as do the fruit of the Spirit. More on that to come.
“Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart” (Psalm 15:1).
This psalm begins with difficult questions. Does it make you squirm? If it doesn't, look at the rest of this psalm. If you are not squirming yet, you better read it again, a little slower. How can any of us live up to what is required in this Psalm? How can we live with God when the standards are so high?
Moses could not see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20). Priests got burned if they did not respect God's instruction (Leviticus 10:1-2). A man died because David did not have the ark carried properly (2 Samuel 6:7). Even angels cover their faces not daring to look at God (Isaiah 6:2).
The questions leading this psalm are rhetorical. Their answer is meant to be obvious: no one can. God is dangerous. Not one of us can dwell in His sanctuary. Nobody may live on His holy hill.
This Psalm causes many Christians to do a spiritual audit. We may even get so far as to do some extra repenting and resolve to live better lives. So, I could encourage you to do this so that maybe you could spend a moment in God's presence without getting burned.
But that would be useless. As Paul reminds us, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). Yet, later, he adds, “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (3:22-24).
The practice of conducting a spiritual audit has a long history in the Christian church. But its goal is not that we try harder to be righteous. Its goal is that we turn our eyes on Jesus, God's suffering servant. He is the one who lived up to all the expectations of Psalm 15. He is the true Israelite, the truly righteous one, the ideal godly human.
He came from God's sanctuary and has returned there (John 16:28). And all who trust Him He will take with Him (John 14:1,14). Amazingly, Hebrews tells us that we may enter God's sanctuary boldly (10:19-22). If we are in Christ, God is no longer dangerous.
We should not pass over this too quickly. This is the amazing story of the gospel. This needs to permeate our souls, the amazing grace and beauty of our Saviour's suffering. What was impossible is now possible. Hallelujah!
Is that all we should say about this Psalm? I think there is more. Those who walk with Jesus develop a passion for holiness, a hunger for righteousness. They long to be people living up to Psalm 15. They walk in step with the Spirit who is 'transforming us into Jesus' likeness with ever increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Finally, the promise at the end of the Psalm still stands. Those who live with the integrity described in this psalm will not be shaken. Life may be difficult; but we know the path, we know the way, we know how to live, and we know where we are going.
We know that God is with us. All is well.
And we join Jude who ends his letter with this doxology:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
If we are to be the sorts of people that can engage our changing world with the wisdom and grace of God, we need to be the sorts of people formed into the likeness of God, namely that of Christ Jesus. This is the “growth to maturity” as Christians that Paul talks about elsewhere. It is the formation of Christian character.
In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul shows us how this works with the character trait of love. “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up,” he says.
Now, among the clear stances of scripture is the well-deliberated and discerned opinion of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 that Gentile believers were to, “abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
Paul, upon receiving a question from the Corinthians about food sacrificed to idols then, could have simply reiterated this position of the council, stated “it’s clear,” and told the Corinthians to obey or else. But he doesn’t. It is not the principles of knowledge and obedience that are to be the primary drivers of action in the Corinthian community, but love.
Paul offers a case study. He begins by stating, in effect, that the decision of the Jerusalem Council was wrong when it comes to the capital “T” “Truth” about God. “We know,” he says, that an idol is nothing and that there is no God but one. So: “we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.”
But, he continues, “if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple… this brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.” This, he says, is a sin against Christ. Now Paul is back in alignment with the Council, and the reason is that Love demands something different than Truth here. And the demand of love is what wins.
Knowledge on its own—even the knowledge of the deepest and truest articles of orthodox Christian belief—leads to pride and the tearing down and “destruction” of many things, including the faith of “weaker brothers and sisters” (vv. 9-11). Knowledge on its own is an “immature” knowledge. A knowledge that does not yet know as it ought.
Love, however, takes a different path and starts in a different place. Love begins with relationship—a love of God. One can know all sorts of things about God without really loving God or having a relationship with him, which is why knowledge is not sufficient.
When someone loves God, it is evidence to them that they are known by God. Their love for God only comes because they have received his prior love for them in Christ. There is a natural humility that arises from this awareness. I only love because God first loved me, a sinner. I am only saved because God has saved me. All Christians stand on this same foundation: not that we know God or have somehow learned enough about him, grabbed hold of him, or acted well enough in response to him, but rather that God has known, loved, and grabbed hold of us—sinners though we (still) are.
The primary driver of action in the maturing community of Christ then, is a love modeled on God’s own. We are to lovingly honour the sister and brother for whom Christ died not just as a fellow image-bearer worthy of dignity, but as a family member intimately known and loved by the same God who loves us. To do this is to know God (1 John 4:7-21) in the intimate relationship sort of knowing the Hebrew scriptures speak of. This is a mature knowing—a knowing as we ought.
Truth can only be spoken in a love like this, and indeed as this case in Corinthians shows—sometimes Love determines that some greater Truths of God’s Sovereignty are left unsaid and unshown for the sake of building another up in faith and not tearing them down. This quite clearly takes much maturity to apply well.
So, try it out. Practice Christ’s love today. How might you lovingly build one another up in Christian faith, rather than tear down?
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you’. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).
Last Friday, Pastor Anthony reflected on Jesus’ authority to forgive sin. At the end of 2 Corinthians 5, Paul implores us to be reconciled with God, in other words, to accept the forgiveness of sins which God so freely offers in Christ. Having received, we are then sent out to be ambassadors of this reconciliation.
In our text, Paul puts a bit of fire under the boots of his listeners. Get going, he says, don’t receive God’s grace in vain. What does he mean by that?
Well, to validate this urgency, he quotes from Isaiah 49:8, which is part of a larger theme in the Bible rooted in the story of Israel coming out of Egypt. As the narrative of the Exodus is referenced throughout the rest of the scriptures a refrain begins to repeat itself. The people didn’t trust God. They didn’t believe that he could fulfill his promise to give them the land flowing with milk and honey. In the end, they refused to go in.
As a result, God would not bring them in. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and died. They forfeited his salvation. This is the warning that becomes tied to the story of the Exodus. Don’t be like the Israelites who didn’t trust God.
Through the rest of the Bible, this becomes a parable for what happens when God’s people refuse to trust him. Psalm 95 is probably the strongest passage in this narrative, saying rather bluntly: “Don’t be like that.”
The letter of Hebrews picks it up, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13). In the New Testament, the ‘day of salvation’ or ‘Today’, is now. Jesus’ death and resurrection were God’s great acts of salvation to reconcile us to himself. We must respond now, today.
The response is always two-fold. On the one hand, we must receive reconciliation from God. We receive his grace. On the other hand, we must reach out with grace and reconciliation to those who have wronged us. These two cannot be separated. That is why Jesus followed the Lord’s prayer with, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).
We cannot receive grace without passing it on. If you are not sure where to begin as an ambassador of reconciliation, then begin at home. Begin with those that you need to forgive. Stop holding grudges. Stop making people pay for their wrongs. Break down the walls.
Is this easy? Not at all. But remember, the God who calls us to this has also reconciled us to himself and gives us the grace to reconcile with others. His Spirit leads us on. Paul’s urges his listeners, in Corinth and in Hamilton, to get to it.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13).
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Luke 5:21-26).
Boy, which is easier to say? With the medical technology we have to replace knees and reattach ligaments these days, it seems increasingly easy to say “get up and walk.” And, with the stubborn determination we increasingly have to exact vengeance rather than restoration these days, it seems decidedly harder than it once was (if it ever was easy) to say “I forgive you.”
It really depends on how you take Jesus’ rhetorical question, I suppose. To think too hard about it is to miss the point all together, though. The point is not about which is harder: the point is that Jesus can do both. Why? He’s God.
A lot of questions swirled about Jesus’ authority to teach what he taught. In those earlier occurrences of folks making reference to Jesus’ authority in chapter 4—Jesus never steps into the fray to defend himself. He just keeps doing what he does. But with the religious leaders in the room, now Jesus begins to address the question of authority directly. Not his authority to teach, mind you, but something much more central: his authority to forgive sins.
This act of healing was a sign to the man, the leaders, the friends, the crowd, everyone that Jesus had the authority of God to set humanity free and make them well and whole again—addressing not only the physical ailments that constitute the effects of sin on the created world and its creatures, but sin itself.
Sin is that deeper, relational ailment at the heart of all our ailments: whether the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. When the right relationships of the Created world to itself and its Creator was broken by an act of two human creatures that stepped beyond the boundaries set for them, it knocked the whole thing off kilter in a way that imbalanced the relational world of the cosmos for generations to come: like a loose bearing that permits a wobbled spin that eventually serves to misshape the whole apparatus and all its connected components.
Jesus’ forgiveness of sin is equally far-reaching though. He does not only replace the initial loose bearings in the act of forgiveness, but he begins to restore the whole works. Everything knocked out of whack by the counter-formation of sin is brought under Jesus’ authoritative power to heal and make well.
And so Jesus forgives: he deals with the initial problem, not just the symptoms. But having done so, Jesus addresses the symptoms too. He sets us free in every conceivable way that we might be bound—in heart, mind, soul, or strength. There is nothing in all our creational, creaturely experience that does not fall under Jesus’ powerful word of healing. So: what thing—hard or easy—might Jesus be healing within you today?
Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to his neighbour; their flattering lips speak with deception (Psalm 12:1,2).
Does it seem to you that Psalm 12 describes our society? People do not expect the truth to be spoken. Trust in leaders and strangers is at an all time low. Many do not even trust their family and friends to speak honestly anymore.
When our politicians make campaign promises we don't really believe them, yet we vote for those who make the biggest promises (which means, the biggest lies).
When CEOs tell us that they care about the factory worker which is being laid off while they deposit their bonuses for streamlining the company, we shrug our shoulders and purchase their merchandise (which we don't really need).
But before we feel superior to leaders in our society consider how Eugene Peterson once described the state of our culture:
"The puzzle is why so many people live so badly. Not so wickedly but so inanely. Not so cruel but so stupidly. There's little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture. We have celebrities but not saints. Famous entertainers amuse a nation of bored insomniacs. Infamous criminals act out the aggression of timid conformists. Petulant and spoiled athletes play games vicariously for lazy and apathetic spectators. Aimless and bored, people amuse themselves with trivia and trash. Neither the adventure of goodness nor the pursuit of righteousness gets headlines" (Run with the Horses).
How should Christians live in such a treacherous society? First, we need to recognize the state of things, acknowledging that truth telling is not loved around us. This is not a matter in which Christians ought to feel superior, but one in which we ought to test our own hearts, examining how easily we get caught up in lies. We do well to read the story of Balaam in which Israel was easily enticed into sin. Later Moses warns them, “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them” (Deuteronomy 11:16).
Secondly, we ought to join David in his prayer, "Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore…May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue" (1 & 3). We will not defeat evil. The enemy is too strong. Rather, we pray that our warrior King will defeat evildoers. We wait for His justice and peace. While we wait, we join in the prayer of the saints, “Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus” (cf. Revelation 22:20).
Thirdly, David says, "The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver..." (6). The antidote to the lying in our society is a delight in the truth which is found in God's Word. Another way of to say this is: we take the same joy in God’s word as that expressed in Psalm 119. Not the most riveting scripture, but deeply needed. God reveals the way to true life. Do we love it?
Let’s join with Jude who ends his letter with this doxology:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,
“Whoever would love life and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12)
In my last sermon before leaving for vacation, I said I’d be picking up a new, more intentional habit of personal devotions through the summer. So, I’ve begun praying again through the book, Seeking God’s Face—a book set with daily scripture readings, prayer prompts, and written prayers drawn from the Reformed Confessions compiled by a pastor just down the road from us at Clearview CRC in Oakville.
This passage from 1 Peter was part of yesterday’s scripture reading in that book, and I thought it worth bringing to us here. It echoed with what seems most important to me at this moment of church and Christian life, but also with a picture drawn for me at the wedding of Peter & Stacey Kranenburg this past Sunday.
At the wedding, our former pastor, Henry, spoke on Genesis 12 and the blessing given to Abraham. “What does blessing mean?” he asked. Then he told of us the word’s literal meaning in the Hebrew, which is “to bend the knee.” Illustrating what this means in practice, he invited one of his grandsons to the front to stand next to him and asked: “who of us is bigger?” The grandchild only stood about a meter high, so obviously, Pastor Henry was the bigger. And then Pastor Henry, in his full suit and tie, bent down to his knee before his grandson. “Now who’s bigger?” he asked. The answer had changed.
What it means for God to bless us is that he bends the knee to us—serves us—makes us bigger. So far does God go that he empties himself and makes himself nothing, takes on humanity and the very nature of a servant, submitting himself to death, even death on a cross. This is Jesus bending the knee to wash his disciple’s feet. He, the greater—their teacher—bends the knee to them. He blesses them.
But this is also Jesus on the cross. In the face of evil—our evil and that of the world—Jesus bends the knee. In the words of 1 Peter here, he does “not repay evil with evil or insult with insult,” but rather repays “evil with blessing.”
And this, Peter says, is the life of blessing to which we are called that we may inherit a blessing. The “Blessed-to-be-a-blessing” blessing of Abraham, but also the “now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them” sort of blessing offered by Jesus to his freshly foot-washed disciples.
The cross the picture of the sort of blessing God means for us to offer the world: responding to sin and evil by bending our knee to serve, making ourselves less, and so lifting others up. So it is that peace is made and love is lived.
Let me close off with the closing prayer from Seeking God’s Face: “Prince of Peace, it is so tempting to repay evil for evil, to lash out instead of do good. I can only give that up to follow your way of love and blessing when I know that you will not allow evil to go unpunished. Thank you for freeing me to seek peace, leaving your justice to settle the score on all the evil ones who tyrannize, oppress, and torment in this world. Amen. [drawn from Belgic Confession, Article 37]”
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old had gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
It used to be, and might still be, that the first skill a soldier learns in the Army is how to walk! That's right! Before ever learning to fire a weapon, dig a fox hole, or survive in combat, a soldier must first learn to march. Strange, isn’t it. After all, marching is nothing more than walking in a certain way. But that is the point. A soldier learns to walk to the rhythm being set by the leader. Thereby, learning to walk in the same direction in which the leader is heading and to walk according to the leader’s cadence.
Our Christian life is much the same. When we become soldiers for the Lord, the first thing we do is learn to walk according to His cadence. Disciples listen intently to the voice of the master and walk in the dignity and uprightness of the Lord we serve. This was the first lesson we offered at this year’s VBSC.: Heroes are called to follow Jesus.
But notice something important here. It is the first thing after; after we come to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus. We must never forget that process of coming to know Him. And as we learn to walk in his rhythms we must always return there. Our text says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God… God works first. He reconciles us to Himself and gives us a new identity. We are His sons and daughters.
As his daughters and sons, we are gifted with the Holy Spirit who is our comforter, encourager and teacher and the source of our spiritual energy. Only because we have been made new in Christ and only because we are empowered by the Spirit can we learn how to walk.
We often make two mistakes here. On the one hand, we think we must learn how-to walk-in step with Jesus before God will claim us as his own. God always claims us first, then we learn how to walk. This is of supreme importance and comfort to the one seeking to follow Jesus.
And the second mistake is that we do not start walking in a new direction nor to a new cadence. Whether it is because we did not count the cost of following Jesus or out of sheer laziness, some church goers put no effort into this. Because we are now in Christ, reconciled to God, we need to start walking differently. The Spirit leads us on.
Our new identity in Christ and our new rhythm for life go together. We cannot have one without the other.
Many of us come to the Christian life with a lot of negative baggage, and some of us pick-up bad habits along the way. When we hear this teaching of being a new creation, we think that Jesus should just get rid of it all, giving us a clean slate. But that rarely happens. As Ann LaMott once wrote, “Give up hope of having a better past.” We cannot fix the past. But in Jesus we can have a better future which is free from the hurts of the past. In Jesus we have a new identity. The old is gone, the new has come. Let’s walk!
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!
“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3).
Have you ever felt as if life's foundations were disintegrating underneath you? It's when the things we had counted on to remain crumble. We discover how little control we have over our own lives. Sometimes we are haunted by the tragedies of people who live around us. We do not know how to help them and even fear we might be the next victims of fate.
There are so many possible examples: job loses, illness, death, family squabbles. These are close to home. Sometimes events farther away such as wars and natural disasters can have equally negative effects on our lives.
In Psalm 11, David is reflecting on his experience of such events. He is afraid. Someone is telling him to flee "like a bird to the mountains" (1).
He is being tempted to go into hiding; to flee the trouble that surrounds him. Many of us can sympathize with this temptation. It's much easier than facing the trouble. We close our vehicle windows to avoid panhandlers. We cancel news feeds. We keep ourselves so busy with career and family we have no time for volunteering to provide food for the hungry or assistance to the refugee.
David recognizes that such flight would show that he does not trust God. His refuge is not in the mountains, not in hiding, his refuge is in the Lord. He can face the troubles of his life and of those around him because the Lord provides.
Enemies are all around him and not necessarily out in the open. He writes of those in the shadows ready to shoot their arrows at him (2). Despite these threats, David chooses not to flee. Why? He says, "In the Lord I take refuge...the Lord is in his holy temple...he observes the sons of men" (1, 4). His life is not dictated by blind fate. God reigns.
David does not flee. Neither does he attack his enemies. He puts his trust in God.
He knows three things about God that give him the courage to stand. First, he knows that God is on His throne. God is in control. David knows that everything around him may be crumbling, but the foundations of life are solid because God reigns. As Christians we declare, "Jesus is Lord." And because he is risen from the dead, we know that our good works done in his name are not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Secondly, David knows that God is observing what is happening on earth. God knows that David is in trouble. He knows that the wicked act violently and the innocent and righteous get hurt. God is not blind to these things.
Thirdly, David knows that God is just. In the end, the wicked must give an accounting of their wickedness and the righteous will be vindicated. As Jesus said, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (cf. Matthew 5:6).
Knowing who his God is, David can stand and wait. He trusts that God will do what is right. So, he does not flee; nor does he ignore the trouble. He waits on God. Waiting on God is not passive. Rather, as Paul says, it means blessing the troublemakers, overcoming evil with good (cf. Romans 12:21).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Ezekiel 37:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
What guide should we use to interpret this vision?
- What do the dry bones say about Israel’s condition? What new thing is God promising his people through this vision?
- How is the language of this vision picked up in the New Testaments? Do you recognize yourself in this story? How should you?
- How does baptism point back to this vision?
- How does Christ’s resurrection give us hope?
- How now shall we live?
“Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever (Psalm 52:1,5,8).
Once, when David was hiding from King Saul and his murderous paranoia, he was given refuge by the priest Ahimelech. Unfortunately, Saul’s chief shepherd, Doeg, was also with the priest that day. After telling Saul what he had seen, Doeg volunteered to get vengeance for the king. Successfully murdering Ahimelech and 83 of his clan, Doeg felt quite macho: a warrior to be reckoned with. This prompts David's sarcastic line, "Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?" (Psalm 52:1).
Doeg epitomizes the "Big Lie" which the Bible traces from the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the Lake of Fire in Revelation.
The "Big Lie" can be understood in various ways. It is the lie that we create ourselves (at least, our own success); that we are gods; that we command our own destiny; that we are self sufficient and autonomous; that the meaning of life is pleasure, self fulfilment, or independence.
When we live out the "Big Lie" we deceive and manipulate people for our own ends. We make ourselves the centre of our universe. The underlying question of our lives is: "What's in it for me?" Few of us do this blatantly. Many of us live this way subconsciously. As much as we live by ‘the big lie’, we are cut off from God's goodness, we become evil in our intentions, feeding on our own selfishness.
God comes to shatter the "Big Lie" that started in the Garden. When Adam and Eve fell, they did not become like gods, as Satan promised. Instead, they found themselves naked and ashamed, jumping into the bushes to hide from each other and God. There, God confronted them, showed them their sin, rendered His judgment, banishing them from the Garden to wander across the earth. However, while doing this, he also offered them hope, a way home.
This hope weaves itself through the Old Testament, often hiding in plain site. It is fully revealed in Christ Jesus who came to dwell among us with truth and grace, ‘the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…providing purification for our sins’ (cf. Hebrews 1:3).
We are still tempted, however, to live without God, but He doesn't leave us alone. He comes with warning, then judgment to show us our choices. We have only two: live with Him in the truth or live without Him in the "Big Lie." This Psalm addresses these choices.
The psalm exposes the stupidity of the "mighty person" who trusts in herself or in his money, choosing evil rather than God's goodness. Such a person loves lying and has a "deceitful tongue" to cover up their evil.
God will bring such people to ruin. The righteous will be in awe and laugh at such stupidity. The psalmist will be among them in God's house, worshipping and waiting on the Lord. Rather than finding life's meaning in himself, he finds it in the mercy of God and the goodness of His name.
Doesn’t a little of Doeg live in all of us? Jesus has the cure for doegishness: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror (Psalm 10:1, 16-18)
At first glance the opening stanza of Psalm 10 strikes us as less than pious, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?” But at a second glance it strikes us as right on the mark.
It may not be the way we normally talk to God: with nice, polite words. But is it not the way we often experience life?
When life is tough, we often ask, where is God? When life is difficult, we often think something is amiss with our religion. We think it's not working. But this psalmist makes God's absence normal.
What is going on here? Well, let me make this suggestion. We have taken the doctrine of the incarnation to an illogical conclusion!
In his final words to his disciples Jesus made this promise, "I am with you to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). I believe Jesus keeps this promise.
We have interpreted this to mean that we will always be able to feel His presence. Further, we believe it means our lives will by and large be the way we want them to be. I believe both these things are wrong.
Jesus promised to be with us as we fulfill the mission he gave us. He did not promise to make our lives smooth.
It must also be said that God's purposes are rarely understood by us. The disciples certainly didn't get Jesus very well. Jesus said that His kingdom is hidden.
This is the matter that the psalmist is lamenting. He firmly believes that the Lord is King forever and forever (16). He also believes that God hears and defends the helpless and the oppressed (17, 18). His problem is that he does not see it.
He is frustrated that the arrogant are having their way in this world. They tend to get on top and call the shots. Their wrecking ball is destroying society. It's become a blood bath.
It's the same today, isn't it? Murdering dictators in other countries and ruthless business leaders and dishonest politicians in ours. How do we live in such a society?
First, we allow Psalm 10 to shape our prayers. Second, we do not join the arrogant in their lifestyles. Rather, we 'act justly; we love mercy; and we walk humbly with our God' waiting for Him to establish His Kingdom.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2).
Jesus once asked the question, “What do you want?” (Luke 18:45 TLB)
Some of you may be looking in the refrigeration to get some breakfast. I’m not interested in what you want for breakfast. When we ask this question, we generally are not interested in trivial things. We desire a deep, profound answer. Sometimes we ask it differently, “What you want written on your tombstone?” or “What you want people to say about you at your funeral?” or “What legacy do you want to leave behind?”
I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. Most people cannot answer it quickly. Our answer will differ depending on the day and the things happening around us. I'm not always sure if there is one thing that I really want.
But knowing what we want is important. Years ago, when it was still okay to say such things, G. K. Chesterton wrote, "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God." The only difference between that person and the one who kneels to receive the Lord's Supper is that the former is looking for satisfaction in the wrong place. This person does not know that it is God who is being sought for.
It's the same with all our appetites and longings: a bigger house; a faster car; better make-up; successful children; political positions.
We want many things. But getting these things doesn't satisfy. In fact, they tend to kill us. We humans have an infernal habit of mistaking the things God gives for the God who gives them. We tend to worship the things God gives, rather than God himself. As Paul once wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised! Amen" (Romans 1:25).
God made everything for His glory, to show off His greatness. The things He created all point back to Him. They remind us that He is our true home, our destination. Sin makes creatures our home rather than God to whom they point. Worshipping God's creation will be our death.
The psalmist knew this. He was away from Jerusalem and longed to be home. Not because he worshipped that city but because in Jerusalem was God's temple, God's presence on earth. That is where he encountered God. That was joy.
This is even truer for us, followers of Jesus. We are his temple. God is right here, where we are. But do we want him? Is he our joy?
In the long road through the wilderness of our lives, we can take either of two roads. On the one road, we focus on all the things that we can’t enjoy right now. We can feed our longing for them.
The other road is the one the psalmist took. Rather, than feeding his longings for stuff, he fed his longing for God. We can take that road too. We can ask the Spirit to sift our desires so that increasingly we long for God. Then, when someone asks us that irritating question, “What do you want out of life?” we know our answer.
Let us pray that He will always be our joy and that we will always sing His praises and not the praises of the things He made.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7).
In our day, it is difficult to gaze into the future. Destructive weather patterns, inflation, political polarization, and corrupt church leaders and politicians give us little hope for a brighter tomorrow. It is easy to give in to despair. Yet, Christians remain people of hope. As the “Contemporary Testimony, Our World belongs to God”, says, “God is present in our world by his Word and Spirit. The faithfulness of our great Provider gives sense to our days and hope to our years. The future is secure, for our world belongs to God” (#13, 1978).
Even though, through Christ, we are children of God, none of us can imagine how wonderful our future will be. It will be more magnificent than any of us can imagine since our minds are fixed in this reality. Certainly, it will not be a boring place. There will be an incredible variety of things for us to do and discover. One thing is certain, we will do everything for the glory of God. Everything we do will give him praise.
We should spend time dreaming about this future to fill our hearts with hope. To dream about it, and be filled with hope for it, we must first believe it. The Bible speaks repeatedly about the certainty of this future. Here is something that is more certain than the tax bill.
We must believe that we are headed towards this future. It is guaranteed. Why must this be firmly fixed as part of our faith? Because this hope is frequently given in the context of our suffering for the gospel. Recently, we reflected on Romans 8:17; today 1 Peter 1:6,7. In both passages the apostles tell us about the certainty of our future. They also warn us that the way to that future is not an easy one.
This does not make for good preaching or a morning inspirational. Christianity is not easy. The New Testament has frequent warnings that following Jesus Christ is costly. Did you count the cost before you threw in your lot with Him? In our panic to keep church pews filled with warm bodies, we often neglect to consider the cost of following Jesus.
So how have you suffered for the gospel? For most of us, this is probably a difficult question to answer. We may have given some money and some of our time. This is good. But have we suffered? What did it cost us? Did it mean that we were not able to afford the larger house or car? Did it mean we couldn’t go on the vacation we were dreaming of? Have we walked with some of the poorest? Have we persevered in prayer for an unbelieving friend until God answered us? Can we really say that we have suffered for the gospel? Has following Jesus cost us?
Is suffering so important? Well, Peter says that suffering refines our faith. It strengthens our faith; gets rid of its shallowness. Our faith is of greater worth than gold...now wait a minute. There is something to ponder: our faith is worth more than gold. Do you consider your faith that valuable? God does! He is not content when our faith is small and weak. He wants our faith robust and strong. Suffering often brings that about. Yet, we run away from it. We panic and declare that life is unfair.
God, on the other hand, says, “Come here. Walk with me. Let me show you that I can lead you through the suffering. Let me show you that I am sufficient for your needs.” Only when we allow God to lead us through the suffering, will our faith get strengthened. In the suffering, our eyes are turned towards the future and we live “confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come” (CT #57 2008).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Ezekiel 36:16-38 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- What is the context of this passage? How should you/we see ourselves in this chapter?
- Why is God promising to restore Israel? How can we be sure that it will happen?
- God promises to cleanse, give his people new hearts, and give his Spirit. Take time this week to reflect on how you have experienced these promises. Ask God to fulfill them in your life.
- How do these promises impact how we face the realities of sin in our lives and in this world?
Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord (Ezra 8:35).
Ezra 8 records a second group of exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem. On arrival, they have what appears to be an impromptu worship service, Old Testament Israelite style, that is. But, upon closer inspection a story is being told.
The group is led by Ezra who has spent his life studying the law of God. Ezra knows Moses well, very well. This journey from Babylon echoes Israel’s journey from Egypt under Moses. Ezra follows the pattern he had laid down.
The most significant is the gathering of the Levities. This tribe had stood for the Lord while Israel prostrated themselves to the golden calf (Exodus 32). In response, they were set apart for special work for the Lord. In his final prayer, Moses says about Levi: “he watched over your word and guarded your covenant. He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar” (Deuteronomy 33:9-10). Knowing this, Ezra will not leave Babylon without an escort of Levites.
Ezra doesn’t have the ark or tabernacle for the Levites to care for and carry. But he assigns the temple money and articles to the care of the priests and Levites, appointing twelve of each to this duty, echoing the original 12 tribes. He ensures proper stewardship of God’s holy belongings by scrupulously measuring and counting the items at both beginning and end of the journey.
The gathering for sacrifices is also a result of this careful attention to the law of Moses and echoes Israel’s original entrance to the land. This careful attention to the number and types of sacrifices indicates Israelites identify as God’s covenant people and desire to be faithful to God.
There is another layer in this story. One showing God’s provision. He brings them capable Levites (18). He gives them a safe journey (23, 31). All the donated items are accounted for in Jerusalem (34). The king’s orders result in assistance from the government officials.
As God redeemed Israel from Egypt, he is now redeeming them from Babylon. As God, through Moses, called Israel to be faithful, he now, through Ezra, calls for faithfulness. These sacrifices indicated Israel’s intention to leave behind the ways of Egypt and Babylon and embrace the ways of God.
Both these redemption stories point forward to the greater redemption story in Jesus Christ. Jesus is greater than both Moses and Ezra. He is the greatest and the final Levite. Not only does he teach us God’s way, He is God’s way. And he gives us His Spirit to lead us in the way of faithfulness.
He does not lead us in sacrifice, He is our sacrifice. He gave his own life that we may live. “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5,6).
Under Moses and Ezra, Israel needed to make the journey to the promised land, with lethal hazards along the way. Jesus makes it for us. By faith in him, we are already citizens of God’s kingdom. By faith in him, when we die, we will enter the glory of God’s presence. Until that day, we “who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). As Israel left behind Egypt and then Babylon to become God’s holy people, the Spirit leads us to leave behind the ways of world, to become God’s holy community.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
“May God our Father himself infuse you with strength and purity, filling you with confidence when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it” (5:23).
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:17).
Most of us spend the occasional moment dreaming about the future. When we are young, we tend to dream about our futures in this world. Older Christians might dream about the life to come. God would have us dream about this future.
There are various ways in which the Bible speaks about this life to come, the life in the new heavens and earth. Many of these references are astonishing. They often go beyond what we dare to dream. Take for example, Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children [of God], then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...”
Here, the Bible uses very human language to express an astonishing truth. We all understand that an heir receives the material possessions of a person who has died. We are named an heir by someone who loves us and wants to bless us. Some of us have received an inheritance when someone we knew, probably a family member, died. This we understand.
But this verse says that we are heirs of God. It’s not that God is going to die, but at some point, everything God has will be given to his children. But what does this mean? Paul elaborates when he writes, “we will be co-heirs with Christ.” We know that Christ will receive the glory he had from the beginning of time, the glory of God himself.
Now Jesus, being the Son of God by his nature, has a right to this glory. But we will somehow share this glory with him. Not because we have a right to it, but because of God’s grace. He wants us to share it with him. But what is this glory?
Again, it is difficult for us to use human language to adequately describe God’s glory. In one sense, we can say that it is his presence. His presence radiates his glory. We could describe it as pure, unblemished, holy. We could imagine a world without anything wrong in it: no death; no physical or mental illness; no earthquakes; no war; no poverty. We also need to imagine it as an existence without selfishness, lust, pride, arrogance, greed, or any other human vice. It is a place of pure goodness.
But it is also a place where all our endeavours turn out. We are successful in everything we do. All new technologies and tools are useful and will do no harm to people or their environment. And all these things will give glory to God. All of us will be artists in our own fields. Our art will be beautiful.
Is all of this going too far? Not at all, Jesus says that “the meek will inherit the earth” and the “poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:5,3). In the end these two places will be one and the same. It is our inheritance.
But Paul does include this: before we inherit, we must join Christ in his sufferings. Not in his salvific suffering on the cross, but his suffering of humility as recently described in Philippians 2. This is the suffering we endure for the sake of the kingdom. This is the cost of discipleship. What might this involve: a smaller vacation so that more can be given to the poor or kingdom causes; giving up a promotion because it demands too much time; offering oneself as a volunteer during retirement; putting aside part of our income as a gift to God; befriending that unliked person.
When you dream about the future, what do you dream about? Do you dream about what probably won’t come about, or about what is certainly going to happen? Do you ponder the cost of following Jesus?
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel (Ezra 7:10).
The book of Ezra began with God moving the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to made provision for Israel to return to Jerusalem. Once there, they began rebuilding the temple of God with finances from the royal treasury. Its curious that this book was given the name Ezra, since he doesn’t show up till this chapter.
The Bible’s main task is to tell us about God. Here, he comes across a bit mischievous, in the best sense of the word. Ezra is introduced this way: “Ezra came up from Babylon” (7:6).
What was Babylon? It was the city of the emperors who tried to eradicate Israel. The story of Esther and the stories in Daniel tell us just how strong the enmity towards the Jews was. It wasn’t just Israel, but Israel’s God, that was the issue. This God needed to be dethroned.
But now, out of this Babylon comes Ezra, who “had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel”. So, while Daniel and his friends were being persecuted by the establishment and while Haman was scheming genocide against the Jews, God had a secret agent studying his law in Babylon. And when the time was right, he emerges and travels to Jerusalem fully prepared to teach this law to the returned exiles.
And the story gets even better. He has a letter from King Artaxerxes in his back pocket which includes, “And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment” (Ezra 7:25-26).
From out of the city that tried to annihilate God’s people, thus, dethroning the Lord, the human king sends forth someone who has the capacity to teach the ways of God to this new community. Rather than being defeated, Israel’s god is re-establishing a people who will worship him.
What happens when Ezra arrives in Jerusalem? The people have been here for some years already. Will they accept this newcomer? The book of Nehemiah takes up the story.
“All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. So, on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:1-3).
From daybreak to noon, they stood and listened attentively. Well, that puts perspective to the words of Psalm 119: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path” (105). The scriptures don’t become a lamp and light just because we want them to; we must make the commitment to know them.
Historians have noted that revival in the church includes a renewed commitment to studying the scriptures. Paul tells us that “these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did (1 Corinthians 10:6). He was referring to Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness with Moses, but I think the Babylonian exile counts as well. Summer is as good a time as any to renew our commitment to knowing the Word of God.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16).
Let’s focus on the last phrase of this text, ‘with joy’. The Israelites celebrated the completion of the new temple of God with joy. To fully appreciate this phrase, we need to recall how the nation got here and how they almost missed out on this joy.
In Ezra 1, we are told that God moved the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to bring an end to Israel’s Babylonian captivity. He allowed them to go home. More than that, he made provision for them to rebuild the temple of God. Not only could Israel return to the land God had given them, but they were enabled to begin worshipping him again properly. God was clearly on the move.
However, once they started rebuilding, their neighbours recognized that if this temple rebuilding project succeeded, it would not be good for said neighbours: Israel would increase and the neighbours would decrease. These neighbours recognized that Israel’s success was in the hands of her God. The temple’s rebuilding and the re-establishment of proper worship would mean that God was present among these Israelites. That would be a problem.
So, the neighbours set out to ensure that God stayed away. Several attempts failed. They were finally successful when they sent a letter to the new Persian king, highlighting that Jerusalem had been a difficult and rebellious city. If the temple and city were rebuilt, it was bound to rebel again. An order was issued to halt the project.
The rebuilding Israelites all went to their homes, focussed on their own well being and God stayed away. Well, sort of. You see, God was at work, moving the hearts of kings. And now he needed to move the hearts of his people. So, he sent them two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Both of them have books included in the Bible, which give details about how God moved his people back to the rebuilding project.
Two things are worth highlighting from those books. First, from Haggai. The people have gone about the business of rebuilding their economy. Despite their best efforts and their hard work, it isn’t going so well. When Haggai comes along and says its time to start rebuilding the temple again, the people say, “Look, we are working really hard, barely making it, so we really don’t have time or money for the temple.”
To which Haggai responds, “Don’t you think that if you put God first, he will take care of your needs?” Zechariah adds this, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you” (Zechariah 4:9).
Essentially, God puts a fleece before Israel: “Put me first and I will take care of you.” Sounds like something Jesus echoed, “seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
The Israelites send a letter to the new Persian king, letting him know that the previous one had sent them home to rebuild the temple. And they start rebuilding. Soon a reply comes from Persia giving permission for the rebuilding. But there is more in the royal letter. In it, the neighbours who interfered are instructed to give daily provisions for the rebuilding and for the workers.
Now we understand the joy of the people celebrating the completion of the temple. They had seen what God does. God had kept his word.
I wonder how much joy we miss out on because we don’t heed Jesus’ words, “seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Ezekiel 34:11-24 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the ‘outsiders’ in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up’” (Daniel 3:17-18).
Nine-year-old Danny came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. After a quick search, he grabbed his dad by the pant leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked his son to tell him about it.
"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So, the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin' closer and closer. So, Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!
By now dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?" "Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you'd never believe it, Dad." The Bible is full of such stories: stories difficult to believe. There is the story of David facing down Goliath with a few stones (1 Samuel 17); of Daniel's three friends surviving a roaring furnace (Daniel 3); of Jonah living in a big fish for 3 days (Jonah 1); of the Israelites escaping from Egypt (Exodus 13-14); and various people getting raised from the dead.
From a human perspective each is as impossible as the next. However, each story has a very non-human element in them. God is at work. When God is involved in the story things rarely turn out as expected. Romans 8 reminds us that when God is at work in the story, things turn out for good (Romans 8:28). That is, for those who love God!
The good that God brings about might not be what we want. In the story of Daniel's three friends, they tell the king of Babylon that even if God doesn't rescue them, they will not worship any other god. Their love for God was so deep that He was worth worshipping even if He let them die in the fire. How do we develop a love like that?
Let me suggest two things to get started with. First, worship. Not just the public worship of a local congregation. For Christians, worship is always more than that. Worship is putting God first in our lives. This is why communal worship with others who desire to put God first has such value for us. Often, as we live our lives putting God first, we discover that he is worthy of our adoration. As we worship, we learn of God’s character: his holiness and his love; his grandeur and his kindness. He does bring good for those who love Him.
Second, we need to pray for it. Jesus says that God gives his Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13). I suspect that many of us give up too easily. Jesus insists that we pray with urgency while Paul insists that we pray continually. Our culture knows little of this perseverance. Many Christians have discovered that while we wait for an answer our longing for the kingdom increases. As we pray, our eyes move away from the concerns of this world; we begin to look up, to see God on his throne and Christ right beside him. The world will be alright because God is on the throne.
As you fix your eyes on him, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
To give your podcasters time for vacation, the following 10 weeks will include some Wilderness Wanderings Reruns. Certainly not every day, but often enough to give us space for spiritual rest. If you have tagged an episode as particularly meaningful for you, let us know so we can consider sending it out again. To follow up on Pastor Anthony’s reflection yesterday, here is a rerun rooted in Romans 12.
Love must be sincere (Romans 12:9a).
One might argue that this little phrase, “Love must be sincere”, is the heart of Romans 12. Everything that has come before--the stuff about personal transformation: “…in view of God’s mercy…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…discerning God’s good, pleasing and perfect will…” and the stuff about the relationships within the church, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…”--all of this leads into the command, “Love must be sincere.”
Yes, it is written as a command. Actually, the phrase has no verb. Its as if the apostle is saying, “Love that is sincere will…” and then he spends the rest of the chapter telling us what sincere love is all about.
In our culture, the word love has become rather vague. It’s lost its crispness. We love sweaters and the weather and we love each other. It’s a feeling that comes and goes like a wave in the bay. We also claim to make love. So, what is love and what makes it sincere?
The word used for love here is agape. So far in Romans all references to agape have been to the ‘love of God’—as demonstrated on the cross (5:8), as poured into our hearts (5:5) and as doggedly refusing to let us go (8:35, 39). This is a pursuing, wooing, winning back kind of love. The lover is willing to sacrifice himself unto death to express his love. So that is our reference point, our example. But it is also our source. This love has been poured into us. Now it must flow out. Here the focus shifts to agape, that is, love, as the essence of Christian discipleship. Romans 12-15 are a sustained encouragement to let love govern and shape all our relationships. At the end of the chapter, Paul will write about love for our enemies (17-21), but first he portrays it as pervading the Christian community (9-16).
The word ‘sincere’ means ‘without hypocrisy’. In the ancient world, hypocrite was the word for actor. Thus, Paul starts by saying that acts and words of love must not be pretend. We should not tell someone we love them, when we really don’t. Neither should we act in love, when in reality, we despise or even hate someone. For early Christians, the primary example of non-sincere love was Judas, betraying Jesus with a kiss. This was hypocritical love in its vilest form.
It is in this matter of sincere love that Christian discipleship is counter-cultural. Feelings are paramount among us. “If I don’t feel like it, I don’t have to do it.” But for Christians love is the law (13:8-10). When Paul says that love must be sincere, what he means is that if we don’t feel loving, we need to change our attitude; our hearts need to change. We need to love like God loves us. How does that happen? The cure for a non-loving heart is not to try harder. It is to look to God, to see his love for me. For Christians, confession is not primarily about feeling bad, it’s the road to experiencing God’s mercy again. Love begins with a view to God’s mercy. Only with our eyes fixed on Jesus, can our love become sincere. So, let us fix our eyes on him.
As you fix your eyes on him, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:16-21)
In response to some religious leaders that had accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Jesus replied that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
There is an insidious scheme of the devil by which he seeks to do precisely that: divide the household of faith so that it might not stand. He does this by causing us to avoid, fear, and imagine the worst of our siblings in Christ so that our love for one another might grow cold. This is the very thing Jesus warns against in his words on the end times in Matthew 24. Paul warns against it in 1 Corinthians 2:5-11 as well. Even 1 Samuel 18 tells this story, especially verses 12-16 where King Saul’s fear grows and consumes him with mistrust, while David increasingly lives in a different world marked by love.
The antidote to this sort of demonic division, is to receive the love of God who is love and to live this love of God very practically in our love for one another. Said differently: the antidote is to receive Jesus—the word of love in action—and become like him in that loving action. This is harder than it looks.
We will toss around little slogans like “just love” or “love instead of hate.” But very often when we do this, we are speaking of loving those that we find it easy to love—those we think that others should start loving just as much. Jesus’ form of love is something harder than that.
Jesus loved the sinners and the marginalized, yes, but Jesus also loved his enemies. Jesus loved a sinful humanity that conspired to kill him in the form of a Sanhedrin, Pilate, and soldiers, and he loved this sinful humanity embodied in these people that were killing him, even as they were killing him. The words on his lips were “Father, forgive.” Who of us have loved a friend to that point, let alone an enemy?
This work of love is beyond any of us, unless we are actively seeking to receive God’s own love for us to empower us to do it. Only in God’s love can we offer costly words of forgiveness even before an offender has repented. Only in God’s love can the impossible divides of fear and mistrust be overcome. And they must be overcome. “For whoever does not love their brother or sister” in the church “whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” “He has given us this command: anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” I am convinced this is the hardest command in the Bible, but also the most important—as the New Testament everywhere attests.
On our own, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. And we know it’s possible, because this is what Jesus has done for us. We love, because he first loved us.
If you’d like some additional wisdom on what love through forgiveness is and isn’t, check out this booklet “Forgiveness Fundamentals” from CRC media ministry, Family Fire.
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Philippians 4:20-23).
This letter of Philippians ends where it began. All the saints are commended to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the grace that transformed Paul from a persecutor of the church into an apostle of the gospel. In all the challenges the young church is experiencing, the grace of our Lord Jesus is enough! It is the remedy for their every need. This grace reveals all of Jesus’ glories—his power, his helpfulness, his riches—and makes them available to his people. His grace has no limits. Not then, not now
As we close our reflections on this letter, let’s consider this grace. Do we understand its depth and its breadth? The Roman world was as broken along racial, national, social, and religious divisions as ours is. Yet, Paul describes a new humanity which has come to birth, a new people transcending our human fragmentations. This new community, the church, includes members of Caesar’s household along with the Christians in Philippi. He encourages them to reach across the old barriers and greet each other as saints in Christ Jesus.
And that is the key: we are all saints in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Everything hinges on him and his work on our behalf. This Jesus is Lord, echoing the Old Testament self revelation of God as the “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). Being in very nature God, he is the God of Israel, the one and only God. This is ‘the name which is above every name’ conferred on him because of his obedience to the point of death (2:9).
As saints in Jesus, he is both our Lord and our Saviour. In this letter, Paul sums up the gracious saving work of Christ with one word: ‘righteousness’. The grace of Jesus brings us into a right relationship with God and it declares that we are righteous in his sight; no longer stained by our sin. This is the gift which God gives (3:9). The gift is inseparable from Christ, given by his grace. We possess it only by faith in him.
This saving faith, a personal leaning upon Christ, is part of grace. It ‘has been granted’ (1:29) to us by him ‘who began a good work’ (1:6) in us. Salvation is all of God and all in Christ. Both our status before God and our ongoing relationship with him are, therefore, solely due to Christ. The grace of our Lord brought us to conversion and this same grace will usher us fully sanctified into the new creation. Then, every tongue will confess him, Lord.
In the meantime, the Spirit of Jesus Christ leads us to produce ‘fruits of righteousness’. This is the biblical doctrine of sanctification: we are to become what we are. In Christ, through his Spirit, we are given a new nature, now we must learn to live it. Again, grace leads the way.
Living the new life is demanding. Paul describes it as standing firm under attack (1:27) and pressing on in a race (3:14). It is not a feat of stoical endurance but a response of love and devotion. Paul’s phrases, ‘to me to live is Christ’ (1:21); ‘rejoice in the Lord’ (3:1); boasting in Christ Jesus (3:3); knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (3:8); gaining Christ and being found in him (8-9); are all variations on this one theme. We love and adore him.
Paul’s delight was to know Jesus now, daily to know him better and in the end to know him fully. One of the greatest incentives to holiness in the New Testament is that we might be ready for him when he returns. For us, as for himself, Paul wanted nothing but a daily and deepening experience of Jesus. To dig ever deeper into this grace, that, as it transformed him from persecutor to apostle, it may transform us. And so, he ends where he began: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:17-19)
It's interesting: Paul flips in this section into the language of accounts receivable and payable. It's a different format than he has been using. Commentators have therefore struggled with this text: “why does Paul use such cold language?” they wonder.
Well maybe there is a reason for it. I am reminded of CS Lewis in his essay “The Weight of Glory.” In it, he talks about the proper rewards for the life of Christian faith and our desires for those rewards. We are often a bit ashamed to admit it, but there are promises in the New Testament that we will receive things like “treasures in heaven,” or “a crown of glory,” things that are above and beyond just our salvation in Christ.
I have to think of those texts and CS Lewis’s words when I think of this text in Philippians 4. Paul's desire was not for gifts from the Philippians, even though he is blessed by them and receives them gratefully. But his desire is not stuff for stuff 's own sake. His desire, is to look through the stuff to what it means. And, what it means is a gift of love from the Philippians as a response of faith to God. These gifts mean that God's word is bearing good fruit through the Philippians.
If that’s what these gifts mean to Paul, what do they mean for the Philippians? Well, Paul says it means that there’s more credited to their account. For Paul's part, he's received full payment. He has more than enough. There's abundance in the Kingdom of God even when he goes without, because he is strengthened not by the stuff of this world but by Christ.
There is a recognition of a gift economy at work here. The things that the Philippians give are “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice” given in response to all that God has given. You think back to those words of Romans 12 about being “living sacrifices,” giving all in the service of God—all that you have and all that you are. When we do that, we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven, a crown of reward.
We do it, of course, not to get that reward per say, but as a response of faith—in order to be pleasing to God, recognizing as Paul had said already, that our contentment—our rest—is in Christ. So we can say with Paul that “our God will meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Whether he does so in this world or the next, it does not change the calculus: God has given much. We are amply supplied in Christ and therefore we give as a response of faith. It’s a joyful storing up not in this life and according to the rules of this world, but rather according to the Kingdom principles of the world to come.
These are the accounts payable and receivable that Paul is speaking of, I think. So as this week stretches on, may you respond in faith to all the riches that you have received in Christ Jesus, trusting that God will meet all your needs according to those riches.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 13:1-23 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What do you usually do with or think about the familiar Parable of the Sower?
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What kind of soil sample best describes your heart?
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What kind of soil sample best describes our church? What do you make of what Pastor Anthony suggested?
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What kind of soil sample best describes the culture? What do you make of what Pastor Anthony suggested?
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What are some practical ways that you might fertilize and water the soil this summer?
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Where, ultimately, does our hope lie? What is the good news of how God is at work that shines through in this passage?
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. (Philippians 4:14-16)
Yesterday we talked about the necessity of learning to receive in order to live the Christian life. If we feel we can do everything ourselves, we’re unlikely to feel the need of receiving a saviour—because, what would we need to be saved from? And if, on the other side, we feel guilty when we receive or when we have to admit our need, we’re less likely to receive the gift of God’s grace that’s on offer. So: to receive the life and salvation that Jesus gives, we need to know how to receive!
We love, because we have first received the love of God. Receiving the good gifts that God has initiated is where it all starts. But here’s the trick: a true and healthy relationship does not only flow in one direction.
You might disagree. Parental relationships are largely one way. God’s relationship with us too. Yes and no though. Parents DO get something out of raising kids. Is it imbalanced? Of course! But parents do also receive the cuteness, the smiles, the gifts made, and the joy of watching a little one grow and learn and respond. Parents do all sorts of odd things to get their newborn to respond to them so that they have something they can receive.
Relationships are two ways. And when they aren’t, we label those relationships as cold, distant, overbearing, or even abusive. When we are treated like a number instead of like a person, we baulk at that. It happens when we are only able to receive instructions, but not able to give feedback—a totally one-way relationship in which we are not heard.
So, God may be infinitely more powerful than we are, but in Jesus Christ, he has stooped down to our humanity to become a person with whom we can share a mutuality: a relationship of giving and receiving. When Jesus came in the flesh among us, he was not firstly the giver of life, but was the receiver of care as an infant. He received the hospitality of dinner hosts. He received a drink from the woman at the well when he was thirsty. For Jesus: relationships were not one-way, top-down things—relationships shared a healthy mutuality: a back and forth, a giving and a receiving.
Though, there was one time when Jesus did have a one-way relationship. It was with the religious leaders—they came to the point where they stopped listening or responding to him at all. The disagreement was so sharp that they silenced him altogether by crucifixion. They would receive from him nothing, and give him everything—their sin and death. He received it.
The new life we now have in Christ ensures that our relationship with him will never again be killed by a one-way flattening. A mutuality now flows. We receive from him gifts, wealth, life, health, forgiveness, and salvation. We respond with prayers, gifts, confession, service, obedience, worship, and a sharing of our hearts.
This mutuality spills over into our Christian relationships with one another. We learn what it is to be content, but also the importance of continuing to humbly receive and to gratefully give. Not everyone catches the implications of this gospel logic right away. Some churches were content only to receive, but not respond. And others wanted only perhaps to give, as a form of running up their account so to speak—a form of gaining leverage, influence, and control.
The Philippians were different. They immediately caught this implication of the gospel—that it demanded healthy, loving, mutual relationships from the start—the very thing that Christ had established with them. And so they immediately begin sharing with Paul in the matter of giving and receiving.
How about you? Do your relationships flow both ways? With God? With others? Examine them and lay them before God to determine how you might best share in the practice of giving and receiving.
*For those who listen: a note of apology for poor sound quality! We'll aim for better tomorrow!
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. (Philippians 4:13-14)
Paul has learned contentment in all things through his reliance on Christ, but that doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to receive support.
There can be a rather stoic attitude that we carry when it comes to receiving support from someone else. We say no when someone offers to pay for or give us something. And, we can feel a certain level of guilt or shame after receiving something from someone—as if our relationship is now out of balance because we owe them or have seemed “in need” to them.
This comes, because we feel like the only appropriate way to live is to strive to “make it on our own” and be “self-sufficient.” Our entire culture is organized this way. The majority of us rent or own our own property where we live detached from other households. We work jobs to support ourselves and our households. We own vehicles by which we can drive ourselves to where we need to go. We build up savings and portfolios to ensure that we will remain independent after retirement. All of these things are constructed so that we will never need to rely on the hospitality of another. We implicitly believe that all people should be able to do life in just this way: on their own, without burdening anyone else.
Of course, we also recognize that some people just can’t do it that way, so we make sure the government provides services for them through our taxes. Even so, somewhere deep in our heart of hearts, we may very well suspect this group of people to somehow be weak, lazy, lesser, or at fault for it. “They did it to themselves,” we think: “they deserve what they get.”
All of this flows in the same direction. The cultural assumption is that one should be able to do life on one’s own, without the support or intervention of others. To do less than this is to fail at life somehow.
We hold on, therefore, to the words of Jesus that: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This is the way things are supposed to be: stand on your own two feet and give to the needy who can’t.
And yet: if we can do it all ourselves—what need do we have of a saviour? Indeed, many in our society have come to the very logical conclusion that we don’t. “We’ve managed this life just fine on our own, thank you. We don’t need help from anyone else—including God.”
And if guilt and shame is what we feel when we have to admit need or when we receive something from someone: doesn’t that actually work against our receiving the one and only thing we actually do need but can’t get on our own: i.e. God’s grace in Jesus?
The culture of our relatively wealthy, peaceful, and independent society actively works against the logic of the faith. The contentment in Christ we spoke of yesterday includes the willingness and the ability to receive with gratitude and thanksgiving—recognizing, once again, that our lives are not our own creation and that we are not the ones who hold on. It is Christ who holds on to us. Christ who provides for us.
This work of receiving is a necessary spiritual discipline to counteract the spiritual assumptions of our culture. More on that tomorrow. :-)
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)
Our circumstances vary wildly across life. Yesterday we recognized that as we talked about the ever-changing seasons of life. Knowing bits of Paul’s story as we do from the book of Acts and some of his writings in letters like these, we know that this was true in his life as well. We know some of the situations of “plenty” and “want” that he faced. Lest we forget: Paul sent this letter to Philippians from a place of imprisonment.
In our own lives: there are times we have things to celebrate: births and baptisms, weddings and graduations, professions of faith, anniversaries, retirements, and any number of other changes and gifts that arrive along our way. But there are also things to grieve: deaths, losses, accidents, partings, diseases, and any number of other hardships. With those highs and lows of life, come ebbs and flows in resources available to us as well. Some seasons are richer, some leaner.
Amidst these changing circumstances and seasons of life, contentment can seem like a moving target. How can I be content when it is painfully obvious that I don’t have what my peers have? How can I be content when I (or my loved one/friend) is facing a medical crisis? How can I be content when I bear the weight of so much weariness, anxiety, or uncertainty about the future? Or my children? Or the church? Or society? Or the world?
Paul offers an answer. It is simple, perhaps deceivingly simple. How can one be content in all these different circumstances and seasons of life? Only through Christ. The one who gives us the strength.
To continue to beat the drum of the refrain we used throughout the series on Galatians in worship: it is Christ alone. Christ alone. Christ alone.
To hold on to Jesus through all the changes of our lives is a very simple thing… and yet also a profoundly difficult thing. In order to do it, one has to see the world upside-down, I think. Because it is actually the other way round: we do not firstly hold on to Jesus—he is actually the one who is holding on to us. He is the one who loved us. Died for us. Called us. Chose us. Forgave us. Adopted us. Nothing can separate us from his love, because it does not depend on the strength of our grip on Jesus, but his grip on us. And he is able to hold on.
Looking at the world upside-down in this way also reveals to us that it’s not about what lies in our hands at any given moment. What counts, is what is in Jesus’ hand. And as the children’s song reminds us: Jesus has, not just us, but the whole world in his hands. Every natural resource belongs to him. Every breath we breathe is yet another gift of life he has given—this God who first breathed into us. Every skill that can be possessed is part of his creation. Jesus has and is enough for all we need.
It is not about seeing what is in our hands, but about seeing that we are held in his.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. (Philippians 4:10)
Hot off the heals of Paul’s invitation to practice what they have learned and seen, Paul immediately begins to talk of how the Philippians have indeed practiced what they have seen Paul live and teach! Unsurprisingly, their practice of generosity has brought Paul to rejoicing.
It is not as if, therefore, Paul was scolding the Philippians before. It was not as if the only news in Philippi was bad news about fights between these two women Euodia and Syntyche and others that demanded correction. No: the same life lived in the mindset of Christ Jesus that Paul has traced and invited, he now brings the Philippians to recognize already within themselves, too.
The imagery behind the phrase “at last you renewed your concern for me” is an image drawn from nature. It is a picture of Spring—of life bursting forth from the dirt and branches after a long season of death and stillness. There was a season when the Philippians had “no opportunity to show” their concern, but now the seasons have changed and their concern for Paul has visibly sprung back to life once again.
Whatever else may be drawn from this passage, there at least can be a recognition that our practice of the Christian life ebbs and flows. There is a seasonality to the things we practice. We are not perpetual motion machines that mechanically repeat the exact same patterns of life and faith from birth to death. We are not assembly line robots. No: we are living things. And so there are seasons when we are able to give and seasons when we are unable. Seasons when we are able to serve and others in which we are not. The familiar words of Ecclesiastes 3 come to mind: there is time for every activity under heaven, like “a time to plant and a time to uproot.”
This notion perhaps runs against the grain of our sensibilities. On the one hand—we know this to be true. Even when, like the Philippians we remain concerned for everything—that doesn’t mean that we can actually do everything all the time—we have limited time and resources. On the other hand though, we can feel guilty about this. Aren’t we supposed to be unfailingly faithful in every good spiritual discipline like Bible reading, prayer, giving, serving, etc? The trick, perhaps, is to recognize that faithfulness does not lock us to a static, unchanging routine.
Just as a good workout routine will employ variation to alternate the working and resting of different muscle groups at different times, so a good routine of spiritual discipline will shift around the burden to different areas of our spiritual capacity over time to ensure a mature, well-rounded relationship with God and our neighbours.
In her Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun says it this way: “Like every other living thing, humans have seasons. Winter, summer, autumn and spring are real places on the spiritual journey. These seasons cycle through our lives bringing times of fruit-bearing, root-deepening, drought and deep waiting. No matter how old or young we are, seasons come and go and return to come and go again. Some disciplines can be more suited to one season than another. When choosing a spiritual discipline, pay attention to your spiritual season” (p. 326).
God calls us into different practices in different seasons: different forms of attentiveness to our relationship with him and our neighbours. The point in all this, no matter the changes, is that we remain faithfully attentive to these relationships with God and neighbour.
So: where are you at in the seasons of life? What grace does God speak to you today in terms of inviting you to pick up or lay down different activities of faithful spiritual discipline?
If you’d like to read further, let me know and I can forward you a copy of Calhoun’s 8-page guide to discerning the season you’re in and the spiritual disciplines that might be appropriate to it. This is a good part of the work of faith formation across the seasons of our lives.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings (a day late due to a technical mishap)! The text is Galatians 6 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What seems to be the trouble in your life that the grace of this passage from Galatians 6 meets today?
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Why is sin not the main issue Paul is addressing here? What’s the case for weariness being a greater issue?
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Why are we weary? How have we learned to cope with it or avoid naming it as an issue? What does that weariness look like (from what Pastor Anthony said, or from your own experience)? What opportunities for temptation and salvation lie within our weariness?
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What is the good news for weary people? And how is it good news?
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What does it look like, in community, to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way… fulfill the law of Christ?”
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How might you seek rest in Jesus and his Cross/Yoke for yourself and for others this week?
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
We’re doing the same text again today as we did on Friday, as there’s more to it than just the list of virtues that I talked about Friday. Paul offers two other tidbits as well. We are to think about that which is excellent or praiseworthy to feed our mind with better things. But Paul also offers us things to practice and an assurance that the God of peace will indeed be with us. Today we’ll dwell on these practices.
We need to practice this Christian life, because there are otherwise ways that we can flatten the whole thing into merely believing the right stuff about God in our heads. For instance, in one of the overtures to our CRC Synod this year, a statement is made about the hymn to Christ in Philippians 2:6-11. I have no commentary here on the overture itself, but this single statement seemed worth lifting up to think about.
This is what it says: “The hymn of Philippians 2 is not intended to show us how Christ, in use of his power, was ‘humbling himself toward a life-sacrificing kind of obedience’ so that we, in turn, will accept our calling and use our power for ‘others to thrive.’ Rather, the hymn of Philippians 2 is a beautiful statement of the eternal plan of God for his Son to pay the debt for our sins by his death on the cross.”
According to this then, Philippians 2 is mere information, a statement of truth about God’s plan to save the world via Penal Substitutionary Atonement. It has no other application to our lives or anyone else’s. In fact, not even Christ’s own submissive humbling of himself to death has anything to do with the text—it is only about the plan of God, mechanically followed.
But to accept such a disembodied reading of the text, divorced from the wider context in which Paul offers the model of Christ, then of Timothy and Epaphroditus, and then of himself, all for the reason of pleading with Euodia and Syntyche (and the rest of the church) to “be of the same mind in the Lord”—well, it misses something important. Namely: it misses the doctrine of the Incarnation. If the Scriptures are only present to teach us right truths, right systematic theological beliefs, but not at the same time bear on the way we live our lives in imitation and response to that truth—then we deny that the Word can or has become flesh and made its dwelling among us.
In 1 John 4:2-3, he offers us a simple way of “testing the spirits.” The smell test he gives is the incarnation. “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,” he says. The ones that don’t are the spirit of anti-Christ. That is: they deny that Christ, the eternal word—came in the flesh, in our real world. I am not suggesting that the writers of the cited overture above are guilty of this—but there is an unhealthy tendency represented here that’s worth noting.
Because “the Truth” as we have come to know it as Christians is no longer a propositional statement about something as abstract as a theory of the atonement. The truth is a person: Jesus Christ, come in the flesh to die and rise for us. A truth who we are to imitate and model our own lives and behaviors upon.
This is what Paul is talking about here at the end of our passage. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Elsewhere, Paul says it even more plainly: “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
We human people learn just as much—if not more—by imitation and apprenticeship than we do by classroom lecture. We are invited therefore, to model our lives on Jesus’ life, on Paul’s life, and on the lives of other faithful Christian who have grown and are continually growing up to maturity in Jesus Christ. We need mentors and role models in the faith—people we can ask questions of, learn from, and imitate—trusting that in all of this—the God of peace remains with us by the power of his Son and Spirit.
So: how are you practicing the Christian witness found in the lives of those like Paul or other Christian role models in your life or in the scriptures? And, how are you being a Christian role model to others? Whatever you do: continue to put the life of Christ into practice—trusting always in God’s presence, accomplishing it within you as you go.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)
The whole of this letter to the Philippians has two concerns in its background—forms of persecution that Paul and the Philippians are suffering from the outside, and, under that stress, forms of conflict that threaten to tear this church apart from the inside (like the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche).
Similar dynamics have played out in every era of the church. Even today. In our day, the church is shrinking—by roughly 14% in the last decade by the latest census numbers. We feel this and are tempted to believe that our decline is the result of facing persecution from a secularizing society on the outside that is peeling away our members. Under this stress, we much more easily fall into forms of conflict that threaten to tear the church apart from the inside.
As the writer of Ecclesiastes says: “there is nothing new under the sun.”
In the face of these pressures from outside and inside, Paul has invited us to seek joy and conversation in the Lord’s presence that we might find the peace of Christ. And now, finally, he invites us to simply contemplate better things. Rather than letting our minds mull endlessly over the problems, pressures, and sins that threaten us from without and within, Paul invites us to feed our minds with virtuous things that are excellent and praiseworthy instead.
“You are what you eat” the saying goes. If you feed your mind a constant stream of junk—ruminations on sin, fear of wildfires and climate disasters, loathing of the government, contemplation of persecution and secularization, mistrust of fellow church members, despair about the future, and whatever else is wrong with this world—well, if that’s all your mind chews over in a day, you’re going to get indigestion. And you may very well descend into becoming more and more these things that occupy your mind the most: thinking too much about sin may inadvertently tempt you into it; mistrusting others, you may become less trustworthy; loathing the government, you may increasingly become loathsome; despairing about the future, the clouds of despair may begin to haunt your present, too.
And so Paul invites us to feed our mind with better things. “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” That is, chew them over, ponder them carefully, let your mind run wild for a while on the best of what virtue has to offer. The vegetables of virtue are far better fare with which to feed your mind than the empty, sugar-rush calories of bad news. And indeed, as you ponder these things you may just find that you become more and more what you ingest: thinking of what is true, you align your life to it. Pondering what is lovely or beautiful, you may seek to become more lovely in character. Pondering the right, you become more righteous.
Interestingly enough, this list of virtues that Paul offers are not explicitly Christian virtues. Some of them don’t show up anywhere else in the Bible. It is actually a virtue list that Paul has drawn from the work of the pagan philosophers of the day. The subtle point appears to be this: all that is good and true in this world belongs to God and is a gift of God—no matter who came up with it. And so, as you chew over these virtues, your capacity to see God and His Spirit abundantly at work as the Sovereign King over all Creation and Creatures is expanded.
Slowly it may just dawn: the God whose Spirit is everywhere present and at work, even in a secular world and in the atheist philosopher, is also here with me—and how much more so through Jesus! May that notion give you peace.
Rejoice in the Lord always…The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4a, 5b-7).
"I have everything I need for joy!" Robert Reed proclaimed. Amazing! His hands are twisted, and his feet are useless. He can't bathe himself. He can't feed himself. He can't brush his teeth or comb his hair. His speech drags like a worn-out audio cassette (sorry, some of you are too young to know of these). Robert has cerebral palsy. His shirts are held together by Velcro, but his life is held together by joy.
How can this be? you ask. Robert would tell you that he trusted in God. Seeing that he was not able to handle life an his own, he turned to God for help. He lived into the words of our text. But how did he get to that place? How can you and I get to that place?
Paul’s offer of prayer is not an easy solution; no magic formula here, no bedtime or morning rote repetition of words that we have labelled prayer. We tend to treat prayer as a trip to the grocery store. Walking through the aisles, we pick and choose what we want, go to the cashier, tap our credit card and voila, the store gets its money and we, our groceries.
We expect similar things to happen when we pray. Yet, the first image of prayer in the Bible is an all-night wrestling match. As morning dawns, Jacob’s hip is dislocated but he refuses to let his opponent go until God blesses him.
Ours is a world where kingdoms are in conflict everywhere. We set up our own kingdoms and expect God to bless them. But in prayer, we are invited to address the man crucified as King of the Jews, who is now reconciling the world to himself, and is already making all things new by dismantling all human kingdoms. In prayer, we take the cares which distract our hearts from this truth and cast them before God. We name them before God, getting them off our chests, out of the secret places where they drive us to distraction and depression.
This is wrestling in prayer, passionate, specific, honest, thanking while begging for answers, getting to the place of peace. We begin our prayers with, “God, help me, I’m in trouble” and end our prayers with, “Your kingdom come.” In between, as we grapple with God, our requests shift from a ‘me focus’ to a ‘God focus’. This shift in focus indicates a change in desire. Our yearnings let go of our own kingdoms as we learn to pray, “your will be done”.
Earlier, Paul had written, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (1:20). In a few verses he will say, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (4:12). This is where the journey of prayer takes us; being content in what God gives.
Paul is talking about the serious business of bringing our lives before God, examining our dependence upon him, placing our lives in his hands to be used by him; remembering, and celebrating what God has already done; confessing our needs; and dedicating our gifts; committing ourselves and all that we are to make our cause God's will. “Prayer is yielding life to and leaving it in the safe hands of God.”
As we wrestle with God in prayer, we discover his blessing. His peace enters unseen from backstage. Through we have wrestled with God through the night, we discover it as a gift given, not a thing earned or won. In prayer, we see Christ upon his throne; we see that he has history in his hands; we see that his kingdom is breaking into this world. And by his Spirit he sets our hearts at rest. His peace becomes our shield. He is our shepherd. Though the storms may blow, we believe that he will bring us to refreshing waters and green pastures.
As you journey on (consider these things, know that you), go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:5b-7).
Today, we return to these verses to reflect on the discipline of Christian prayer. This text joins a host of others than encourage us to be constantly engaged in it. Revelation 5:8 gives an image of our prayers rising as incense before the Lord on his throne. Jesus tells us to, ‘Ask, seek, knock and we will receive, find and have doors opened’ (cf. Luke 11:9-10).
Elsewhere, Paul adds to the chorus: “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17); “be faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12); “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18); “devote yourselves to prayer” (Colossians 4:2).
These instructions feel rather overwhelming and when Paul adds things like ‘pray in the Spirit’ many Christians wonder if there is some form of super spiritual prayer reserved for the elite; to which the answer is ‘no’. It’s helpful to step back and see the larger picture being drawn here. A good starting point are two verses from John’s gospel. Early on, we learn that Jesus came so we could become children of God (1:12-13). When children encounter stress, they instinctively run to their parents. This is the image the scripture invokes in all its passages about constant prayer.
The other helpful passage is from John 15 with its image of the vine. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. The image is simple: branches can only live if they are connected to the vine. The problem with ‘Christian branches’ is that we are capable to disconnecting from our vine. When we do that, we usually go looking for a different vine. Thus, Jesus tells us in this passage to ‘remain’ in him (5). Prayer is one the chief means of staying connected.
Once, I compared prayer to a telephone and I said God always picks up when we call. Today, I might use the image of texting, emails, and other forms of social media through which we stay connected. The point is still true: God will always receive and respond to our communications. But I also think these images are inadequate. These communication tools keep us at a distance from the people we are connecting with. They are helpful, but we deeply desire a more intimate connection. So does God.
A more robust Biblical understanding of prayer includes that when we pray, we enter the very presence of God. Again, the image of a child crawling onto the lap of a parent comes to mind. Many adults don’t necessarily like that image because it makes us look weak. Well, sorry to break it to you, we are weak. Prayer is an act of humility in which we draw strength and comfort from God because our resources our quite limited.
When prayer becomes the act of entering the presence of God, our anxieties do diminish. We see God. We see that his resources and power are without limit. On the throne is the Lamb, the wounded one, the demonstration of God’s great love for us. That is also why we can bring our petitions with thanksgiving. In his presence, we know that we do not carry the burdens of the world on our shoulders; we don’t even have to carry our own little burdens. God has us.
How does prayer become this place and space? Truly, there is only one way. Practice. Individually and communally, we need to keep coming back to the place of prayer. Some people use prayer prompts: a picture, a place, a candle. Others find that praying with spiritual friends helps bring them into the presence of God. Starting the day with prayer is not an end in itself. It should set the stage for regularly returning to God in the course of the day. Practice until its our natural response.
Remember, God wants this for us, even more than we want it for ourselves. In the end, we discover that the results of prayer are gifts that God has given. More on that tomorrow. Jesus tells us that the Father is eager to give, but we need to ask (Luke 11).
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:5b-7).
Many Christians have lived this text. You may know some of them. However, you may struggle with the guilt induced by too much anxiety. You feel that you do not measure up because of those anxious thoughts. Please believe me when I say you are not alone. Many Christians find the things of this passage beyond our reach. So, it’s a good place to spend a day or two.
Let’s begin with a story of a couple who did live within ‘the peace of God.’ You may know the hymn that arose from one of their experiences. It’s called, “When Peace like a River”.
Horatio Spafford was a businessman and lawyer who invested in the growing town of Chicago in the mid 1800s. However, the great fire of 1871 destroyed much of what he owned. About the same time, his son died. After these tragedies, his wife needed a vacation, so the family decided to spend some time in Europe. At the last minute, Horatio was detained by business concerns and stayed behind.
His wife, Anna, and their four daughters left on a luxury cruise ship. However, mid-Atlantic it was rammed, and the daughters died. Anna was picked up unconscious from the water and transported to England. She sent a telegraph to Horatio, “Survived alone. What do I do...” While he was crossing the ocean to be with Anna, Horatio composed his famous hymn.
A decade later, Anna and Horatio led a small American contingent to Jerusalem to form the Christian society known as the "American Colony." This society engaged in philanthropic work amongst the people of Jerusalem regardless of religious affiliation, gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. During and immediately after World War I, the American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through the great suffering and deprivations of the eastern front by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages, and other charitable ventures.
It’s a remarkable story. Again, I don’t tell this story to make any of us feel guilty or to suggest that we ought to aspire to be like the Spaffords. God led them to do what they did, and he leads each of us along our own paths. I tell the story to encourage your faith in God, that he is near, and that he does quiet our anxious hearts. We can trust him in this.
As Pastor Anthony said yesterday, we need to receive this good news repeatedly in our hearts. He spoke of joy, while today’s text offers prayer as an antidote to anxiety. But before we reflect on that, we need to hear again the little sentence Paul inserts between joy and anxiety. “The Lord is near.”
There are two ways in which we can read this text. On the one hand, we can read it in light of Jesus’ final promise to his disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Before that, he also said, “I will ask the Father. And he will give you another friend to help you and to be with you forever” (John 14:16). The Heidelberg Catechism says, “In his human nature Christ is not now on earth; but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is not absent from us for a moment” (A 47).
On the other hand, we can hear Jesus’ promise in Revelation, “Look, I am coming soon! ...I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (22:12-13). In this sense, we hear Paul telling us that Jesus will be returning any day. His return will bring all the suffering of this world to an end. This promise has long encouraged Christians to persevere in their suffering. It will not have the final word.
As we reflect on prayer and engage in it, we ought to meditate on both these readings of the text. Remembering is one of the central disciplines of the Christian. To move forward, we must remember what we have already learned and experienced.
In the next two days we will take a deeper dive into this text, until then, go with God’s blessing.
[Now] may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21).
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:23-25 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In!
- Salvation by grace through faith” is easy to believe by difficult to practice. Do you agree? How have you experienced this in your life?
- When you hear the phrase, “walking with God”, what images come to mind?
- What joy & freedom do we experience when we remember that we belong to Jesus?
- What is the sinful nature? How have you experienced it? What are your deepest motivations? (Remember, it is usually quite difficult to answer this question – but don’t worry, the Spirit will guide you).
- How do we participate in crucifying the sinful nature?
- Can we be certain that the fruit of the Spirit is growing in us? What will be the result of that fruit?
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4-5)
We are back to finish off the letter to the Philippians now that our Vibrant Weekend and Prayer Guide have finished up!
We find ourselves flipping a new page in the Philippian letter. Paul has taken the first few chapters to tell us of the mindset of Jesus (i.e. humbling himself to the cross and submitting himself to the Father alone and not to his own recourse), how he himself has sought to live out of this same mindset of Jesus, and how the Philippian church and those within it experiencing fights and division (like Euodia and Syntyche) should live out that Jesus-mindset too.
Having said all that, Paul returns to the theme of joy. This is also where he began back in chapter one as he told of his praying in joy for the Philippian Christians, thankful for their partnership in the Gospel and for God’s work in them that God himself would see to completion.
Even as Paul rejoiced in his prayers, now he invites the Philippians into the same. Joy and prayers. We’ll come to the praying part tomorrow. Today it’s enough to talk about joy.
One of the most significant antidotes to the mistrust of our fellow Christians that breeds division like that between Euodia and Syntyche, is a healthy sense of the joy of the Lord. If we remember the angel’s announcement to the shepherds that we heard last week: the Gospel is good news of great joy for all people. If we somehow recognize that our joy is gone or has been replaced by fear, doubts, or suspicions, it is an indicator that our own heart needs tending in the presence of God before we can engage fruitfully again with our fellow Christians. We somehow need to receive again the good news of great joy in our own hearts so that what spills out of us in encounter with others might also be seen and heard as a joyful, Gospel word.
How do we do that? Many ways. One is simply by practicing. If you don’t feel joyful: try rejoicing and giving thanks to God anyway. It very often is the case that working a habit like rejoicing for an extended period of time, even when we aren’t emotionally in the mood for it, can serve to usher our emotions gently along until we do begin to feel it. Another way to find joy in the Lord once again is to remember and to seek to trust that indeed “the Lord is near.” Even when everything else might feel like its coming undone or when it feels like there are enemies all around—a recognition of the presence of God in that place can change things. Even valleys of death’s shadow can be transformed into an experience of God’s care and provision when we remember that he is there, too.
Of course, a third way to renew our joy is simply by talking to God. We’ll touch on that more tomorrow.
This kind of joy in Christ makes it possible to make known the mind of Christ to those around us. The word Paul uses to describe it here is “gentleness.” Another word for that gentleness Paul tells us to make evident to all, is forbearance. A willingness to let things go or to delay our reaction or desire for retribution. Doing so offers a gracious, merciful forbearance as God has done for us. Again, we can do this because the Lord who has displayed his gentle forbearance with us, is near. It’s a cause of joy. A cause for taking on the same mindset.
So: rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
The folks leading the Vibrant Conversations in our congregation this weekend did not prepare a devotion for us to share with you today. Instead, I want to pray Psalm 72 with you. It is likely that David prayed this prayer as he handed over the kingdom of Israel to his son Solomon. When we Christians use this psalm, we are praying for Solomon’s descendent, Jesus Christ. The prayer, ‘your kingdom come,’ is a succinct summary of this psalm. The devotions Pastor Anthony shared with us this week were about shalom. Here is a prayer for that sholom which Jesus came to bring. As we pray it, let it stir our imaginations and hearts as we consider where God is leading our congregation next.
Let us pray:
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.
May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.
May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.
May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
Day 4
Reflect
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What were a couple of things that caught your attention since you prayed yesterday?
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How has God or how might God deepen your desire for our congregation to be a scout in the world of God’s shalom?
Imagine… Being an Ambassador
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-20)
Paul presents us with this amazing calling, namely being ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is “an official envoy, especially a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special diplomatic assignment.”
We are ambassadors for his story in word and in deed becoming a public demonstration of the gospel:
• We are messengers of the gospel in our daily lives
• We model godly character everywhere we go
• We mold the culture of our workplace and neighborhood
• We minister grace and love
• We are a spokesperson for truth and justice
• We do good work*
We recognize that all of our life is to be a testimony to God’s grace and his desire to reclaim the lost as his people and the world as his kingdom.
*adapted from Imagine Church by Neil Hudson
Prayer Ideas. Dear God…
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open our ears to hear the Spirit…
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let us hear your pleasure in what we do…
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let us hear your imagination for being ambassadors in every area of life…
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give us a holy imagination…
Daily Reflections (to take with you as you keep your eyes, heart, and spirit open during the day)
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How did you reflect on being an ambassador?
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When have you experienced our church acting as an ambassador?
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Were there moments when God gave you insight into how our congregation could be ambassadors?
Day 3
Reflect 1. What were a couple of things that caught your attention since you prayed yesterday? 2. How has God or how might God deepen your desire for our congregation to be a foretaste to the world of God’s shalom?
Imagine… Being a Scout
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ’Let“s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15)
God is at work bringing the great turning point of the ages. A savior is born who is the Messiah, the Lord—but no one notices. No one notices until the heavenly hosts fill the sky, telling the good news to the shepherds. The shepherds seeing and hearing about God at work can't sit still; they must go and see what God is doing. They must see how God brings peace (shalom) into the world. When they know what God is doing, their response is to give God praise and glory and to tell others.
The reality is that God is always going before us. God is at work. He sets the table, prepares the land, works in people's hearts, and more. Part of our faith life is discovering where God is at work. We then discern the gifts, skills, and passions of our congregation to know when to join him in that work. Sometimes that work will stretch us. Sometimes that work will call forth a new love. Sometimes that work will be so hard that we find no choice but to rest entirely on God.
But whatever that work is, when we see God at work and join him there, we return from that work, giving God praise and glory and telling others what God has done.
Prayer Ideas. Dear God…- open our ears to hear the Spirit… - let us hear your pleasure in what we do… - let us hear your imagination for being scouts in the world… - give us a holy imagination…
Daily Reflections (to take with you as you keep your eyes, heart, and spirit open during the day) 1. How did you reflect on being a scout seeing where God is at work? 2. When have you experienced our church acting as scouts? 3. Were there moments when God gave you insight into how our congregation could be scouts in the world?
Day 2
Reflect 1. What were a couple of things that caught your attention since you prayed yesterday? 2. How has God or how might God deepen your desire for our congregation to be a picture to the world of God’s shalom?
Imagine… Being a Foretaste
"[Jesus] went to Nazareth… and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue… He stood up to read…: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:16–19)
Jesus comes to his hometown and speaks the word of Isaiah but not before others have spoken in the book of Luke.
There have already been three strong voices in Luke's gospel that have sounded a particular chord. Mary declares in her Magnificat that God will bring down the mighty from their thrones and lift up the humble, that he would send the rich away empty but fill the hungry with good things. John the Baptist's dad, Zechariah, declares that God will redeem his people and save them from the hands of their enemies and all who hate them. At the birth of Jesus, the angelic army's words declare, "Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace among men on whom his favor rests." This heavenly host looking at the world, its brokenness, and its desperate state, declare God is coming into the world to war against all that has gone wrong.
Then Jesus comes to his hometown. He speaks a very popular, hopeful passage. Speaks the passage--sort of. Jesus cuts Isaiah 61 short, ignoring a part about God's vengeance. Then he adds words from Isaiah 58 about releasing the oppressed. Isaiah 58 is the great passage that speaks of the kind of fast God wants, where the hungry are fed, the captives are released, and the chains of injustice are broken.
Jesus declares what the kingdom will be like. In the declaration, he calls his followers to join him in giving the world a taste of God's shalom wherever they are.
Prayer Ideas. Dear God…- open our ears to hear the Spirit - let us hear your pleasure in what we do - let us hear your imagination for giving a foretaste of shalom to the world - give us a holy imagination
Daily Reflections (to take with you as you keep your eyes, heart, and spirit open during the day) 1. How did you reflect on being a foretaste during the day? 2. Where did you experience a foretaste of God’s shalom today? 3. Were there moments when God gave you insight into how our congregation could be a foretaste?
Vibrant Prayer Guide - Day 1
Leading up to the Weekend of Discernment:Friday June 2, 7-9:30pm & Saturday June 3, 8:30-Noon
Intro # 1The Basics: Pray|Reflect|Connect
This prayer guide from Vibrant Congregations follows a threefold pattern:
Pray: On day one, there is a short meditation with prayer ideas. Along with this are thoughts to carry with you through the day keeping you aware of ways God may be speaking to you.
Reflect: Each following day there is an opportunity to write down insights from the prior day followed with the meditation and ways to stay aware of God’s presence during the day.
Connect: The last discernment is done by the entire group at our gathering. The desire is to hear as a community what the Spirit is saying to our congregation.
Intro # 2A Very Important First Step
We often have in mind what we think is best for the congregation. Our perspective on our congregation can keep us from seeing:
• other perspectives • other possibilities • a bigger vision • different ways of doing things
The goal in this season of prayer is to be as open as possible to Word and Spirit so we practice something called "holy indifference." We seek to be indifferent to anything but God's heart and will as we hear it in Word and prayer. One way to do this is to write down those things about which you are already sure. Things like:
• what's important for our congregation • the direction we need to go • the best way to our future • what needs to happen in a particular program• who needs to do the work
Come back to these words you've written each day you pray. Promise God each time anew that you will listen to his voice and put aside your own perspective during this time of prayerful discernment.
Day 1 Text & Meditation: Being a Picture
"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3:10–11)
Paul's words in Ephesians continue to catch us off guard. He says something so unexpected and stunning that we cannot imagine it to be true. Paul tells the church that when God wants to show the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms what he is doing in the world, they should look at the church. The church is the picture of his work, vision, and direction for the world.
In Ephesians, God's picture shows all things united in Christ (Ephesians 1.9-10). Paul illustrates this picture by the life of God's new people, where two people come together to form a new community. (See Ephesians 2).
God's call to his church is always to display his work to the world in the way they do life together. This work is displayed in unity of purpose, living the "one another" passages of the New Testament, working through differences, creating just systems and structures (see Acts 6), and more.
Imagine being God's sacred family that brings him glory by being a picture to the world of how a community lives the ways of God's shalom.
What is shalom? Shalom is a rich biblical word woven into the scriptures. In our Bibles, it is often translated as "peace." However, it is so much more than how western people think of peace. Shalom is the Father's restoration of all things through Christ to the glory of God and for the good of the world. Shalom is the way things are supposed to be. And God’s Shalom therefore is the picture of what the church is called more and more to live.
Prayer Ideas. Dear God…- open our ears to hear the Spirit… - let us hear your pleasure in what we do… - let us hear your imagination for our being a picture before the world… - give us a holy imagination…
Holy Indifference What is your normal response to the idea of shalom? How can you suspend that response to build a holy imagination?
Daily Reflections (to take with you as you keep your eyes, heart, and spirit open during the day) 1. How did you reflect on being a picture of God’s sacred family during the day? 2. Where did you experience being supported by the congregation in your day? 3. Were there moments when God gave you insight into how your congregation could pursue being a picture of living God’s way before the world?
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life (Philippians 4:1-3).
Once again, the division between chapters is not a solid wall. Paul is finishing his point that our lives must be guided by the truth that our ‘citizenship is in heaven.’ Likewise, it ought to guide Euodia and Syntyche in whatever disagreement they are having.
But before we get to them, Paul is again expressing himself as someone deeply emersed in the life of the church, not as an ivory tower theologian. These Christians are his joy and his crown even now. They are the treasures he is laying up in heaven. He is confident that Christ will complete the good work he began in them (1:6); thus, they will adorn Paul’s brow at the final day, just as the crown of leaves adorned the brow of a victorious athlete in his day.
Paul is not gloating. He does not want people looking at him, admiring him, hero-worshipping him. Rather, they will be proof that his labour was not in vain; their presence before the throne will authenticate his calling as an apostle, which some still doubted. Elsewhere, Paul has made the case that he is an apostle, but here he will not press his point; judgement day will make all this clear.
But only if they stand firm by avoiding the excesses of the enemies of the cross of Christ. Again, we pause to consider the motives behind our own desires. Do we live merely for ourselves? Or are we guided by the cross? We all live with mixed motives. It is the constant task of the Christian to allow the Holy Spirit to test and probe us. The cross is the way of humility. Will we walk it?
Now, about these two women. The argument between them may be penetrating the entire church. For the sake of the communion, they need to end their strife. The phrase “be of the same mind’ echoes the one Paul used in his exhortation to the whole church to be “like-minded” (2:2). The clear verbal echo indicates that Euodia and Syntyche need to put the interests of each other first.
In his rebuke, Paul is deliberately even-handed, He does not take sides but exhorts each one with equal firmness and commends them both for being co-labourers with him for the gospel. They should be in Spirit-produced fellowship with one another, and this relationship should be characterized by “tenderness and compassion,” a mutual love, and a unity of purpose. It should, in addition, lead them to put the interests of the other ahead of their own interests.
Paul is under no illusions, however, that they will end their dispute with one another on some purely human grounds. Thus, he adds to his admonition the qualification that their agreement should be “in the Lord.” Further, sometimes, we need help to see the truth of things. And so, he asks his ‘true companion’ to help these people resolve their issues.
Paul’s admonition is not abstract, a general command for the Christians to work out on their own. Here he shows that the deep concept of Christian unity must be worked out on the ground, one quarrel at a time. So, Paul singles out Euodia and Syntyche, identifies them as two people who have contributed to the disunity within the church, and urges them to “agree in the Lord.” In 4:2, Paul pours all the theological richness of 2:6-11 into a single dispute between two people. For him there can be no dichotomy between reflection on the incarnation and the behavior that the incarnation requires of us.
Similarly, what we believe determines what we practice. If we believe that God is the “Creator of heaven and earth,” we cannot exploit his creation in ways that dishonor him. If we believe in “the forgiveness of sins” through the death of Jesus Christ, then we cannot refuse to forgive the sins of others. If we believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting,” then we cannot grieve over death as if we had no hope. But especially considering this passage, if we believe in “the holy catholic church” and in the “communion of saints,” then when relationships within the church are broken, we must work for their reconciliation. It should be unthinkable to confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed but to refuse to associate with our brothers and sisters across the church aisle.
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:18-21).
Sometimes, theologians are portrayed as people living in ivory towers, far removed from the realities and struggles of ordinary life. At times, our dear apostle Paul is depicted in this way as well. But that is not an adequate portrayal rooted in his writings. In his letters, he often writes with the heart of a parent, taking delight in the young believers while also being deeply concerned for their wellbeing.
Here, he writes with tears. Was some of the ink blotched because those tears had fallen while he wrote? His heart is grieved for all those who insist on opposing the cross of Christ; for those who, in the end, will be separated from God forever.
From our historical distance, we cannot be sure who he had in mind, but several things are worth our attention. First, he does not name them ‘my enemies’. Paul consistently refuses to see people as enemies. We do well, in our current cultural setting, both in the church and beyond, to diligently follow his example. People are not the enemy. No matter how deep our disagreements, our struggle is against powers and principalities, not people.
We also do well to pay attention to his description of these ‘enemies of the cross’. ‘Their god is their stomach’. Stomach stands in for all the desires of the body, the lusts of the flesh. The only thing these people care about is personal satisfaction. Their appetites dictate their lives. Such minds are focussed solely on this earth and this life. They have no vision for life except to please the self in the moment. His warning is not against specific sins, but against the underlying sin of pandering to self.
The thing is, I’ve never met a Christian who does not, at least on occasion, fall to a temptation of the ‘stomach’, pandering to self. Paul is reminding the young Christians that they themselves must remain vigilant. And we do well to heed his warning; to recognize that his tears fall for us as well. We must test our desires. In themselves, they are not necessarily bad. Desires for food, for friendship, for a healthy marriage or for rest are normally good. However, we can overindulge in food. Sometimes we can use friends to climb the ladder. Sometimes our desire for rest is just laziness.
Thus, Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. Our treasures, our desires, our goals for life are determined not by the desires of our lowly bodies, but by the values of God himself. Philippi was a Roman colony. This meant that it was ruled by Roman law rather than native custom and that its citizens were Roman citizens. Likewise, Christians live in this world, in various human cultures, each with their own value system, but our citizenship is in heaven. We derive our values from the cross.
When the truths about the cross and the return of Christ are grasped, a certain way of life naturally follows. What we believe changes our behaviour. We imitate Christ while longing for full redemption. When he returns, our Saviour will transform us so that our lowly bodies, often difficult to control, will then be subject to Christ giving glory to God.
Ours are lowly bodies because they are subject to sin. The body itself, as God’s creation, is good; not inherently evil. Because of sin, we are frail and weak, easily seduced to engage in selfish activity. While our bodies remain ‘lowly’, we have not arrived at our goal. But one day, our lowly bodies will give way to the new spiritual body. Eagerly we await Christ’s appearance and full conformity to his resurrection body, forever in union with our God. We live in this world pressing on towards that day.
At that final day he will, from his exalted position where all things are subject to him, draw our lowly bodies up into his glorious existence. He identified with our humility so that we might in turn be identified with his resurrected body. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. (Philippians 3:15-17)
Do these verses sound a bit arrogant to you? It’s almost as if Paul is saying some more Christian-y version of: “my way or the highway,” or maybe “grow up or get out.”
It might sound that way: but there’s more going on here than meets the eye. In the original language behind these verses, it’s clear that Paul is making a reference back the beginning of chapter 2 where he says: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” The same Greek word behind “mindset” is behind the phrase “such a view of things” and the word “think.”
In other words, Paul is saying: “All of us who are mature should take on the same mindset as that of Christ Jesus, even as you have witnessed me doing while I was with you and in the story I just told about how I consider everything a loss for the gain of knowing Christ and living out his mindset.” In other words: the mindset of Christ IS what it means to be mature in Christ.
To that end, Paul has attempted to give his own life and experience as a visible witness and pattern of this mindset of Christ that humbly submits to God and gives up everything as loss. As Christ does so for the sake of the Father, so Paul does it for the sake of Christ. And now he tells the Philippians: imitate me as I imitate Christ. Or, imitate someone else whose life imitates mine or that of Christ.
The point in any case is that knowing the truth of Christ must necessarily mature into living the life of Christ—that life of humble submission. If believing the right truths about Christ is as far as you ever get, then you have not yet grown up. This is an immature Christian life. Regardless, Paul does remain “confident… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Indeed, as he says: wherever your mindset differs from that of Christ Jesus, Paul trusts that God will make it clear to you.
Paul also encourages the church not to go backwards. “Let us live up to what we have already attained,” he says. The goal is always to be straining forwards, looking ahead, keeping one’s eyes fixed on Christ—or at least on those ahead of you who are following Christ—so that all of us might more and more run the race of growing up into Christ until we become mature.
So, a question that came up before comes up again here: who are you following into this mindset and way of Christ—this way of the cross: of humility, submission, and loss? Who is following you? And, what is God clarifying to you in terms of the way you walk in light of these words of Philippians about the mindset of Christ? May these questions help you attend to the ways you are running the race of growing up to maturity in Christ.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14).
Goals! We love talking about and setting goals. We have personal goals; family goals; church goals; corporate goals. No politician gets elected without setting forth their goals. A plethora of books have been written on how to reach individual and communal goals.
And so, we find ourselves in familiar territory with our text. Paul is telling us about his goal. Of course, this may be off putting for some of us who have heard too much about goals. Gaol talk causes us to roll our eyes and find something else to do. If that’s you, I think you would do well to ponder Paul’s goal.
As you may recall, Paul’s goal is simply this: to know Christ. He expands this a little by adding, “to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (10,11). It’s worth noting that in our text Paul adds that God has called him heavenward.
The term “call” in Paul’s letters is rich with significance. God calls people from many ethnic and social background into fellowship with Jesus Christ and into his kingdom. It is his grace that gathers us. This will not be fully realized in the present life. Thus, the heavenly call toward which Paul stretches with all his might is God’s call to be part of the diverse people who will stand purified before him on the final day.
How many of us have joined Paul in setting this goal for ourselves? He does not mention all ‘his converts’; nor the churches he has planted. We get distracted by such things. Joining Christ in his suffering will probably include giving up some of the goals we have set for ourselves because they do not align with the big goal.
Paul is not there yet. He has not yet arrived. But he is pressing on. He uses sports metaphors to illustrate the effort he puts into the goal. In watching professional basketball games, it occurred to me that often the winning team is the best conditioned team. Endurance is as important as skill in the game.
He refuses to allow the past to hinder his progress. He is not specific about what things he means: it could be is strident persecution of the church, or the mistakes (sins) he made as a less mature Christian or a lack of knowledge of Jesus. Whichever he might mean, it does not hold him back. Forward, always forward, straining, yearning for the goal; like a child eager for birthday presents.
But what keeps Paul reaching? How does he keep focussed on the goal? Why is he not distracted by mistakes and setbacks? Why does he not consider all his successes important?
One reason: Jesus took hold of him for this one singular purpose. Yes, he was called to be an apostle. Yes, he was called to preach to the gentiles. Yes, he was called to nurture the young church. All these things are true. But all are secondary to the call to know Christ Jesus, to being like him in his life, death, and resurrection. This is the main thing. And it stays the main thing because Jesus is ‘seeing it to completion’. This is what keeps Paul going. Christ will see it accomplished.
There are many things that discourage us in the Christian life. Our own sinfulness and backsliding, chief among them. When you get discouraged, when you think no progress is being made, when you fail one more time, don’t spend days moaning and groaning and beating yourself up. Look to Christ. He has called you. He is at work in you. He will see you perfected. Count on Him. In the end, we will discover that he has done all the work. Strangely, that does not make us passive but rather energizes us to walk in step with His Spirit.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 2:11-3:14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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If Jesus saves us, what do we have to do?
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How are we saved? What’s the fine print? Is there anything else to how this whole thing works?
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Why does Paul oppose Peter to his face? Why does Paul say the truth of the Gospel is at issue?
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Are there places in your life where you’ve not practiced what you’ve preached? What are some examples?
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We don’t have to do better—we get to! How might you gratefully respond to the invitation of Christ and the Spirit within you to walk this journey of sanctification—that is, of having Christ formed in you?
But whatever were gains to me… I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7a, 9-11)
There are many little tangents one could take out of these beautifully dense verses. We’ll stick with just one. The same one I’ve been harping on the whole way through: our union as Christians with the death and resurrection of Jesus.
But here Paul throws an odd twist into it. It does not show up in the usual order of death, then resurrection. Instead, Paul begins with resurrection—then talks about suffering and death before returning to resurrection again.
I see a circle here. Every day we begin in the resurrection life of Jesus. A new day: a gift of life to be thankful for. Not simply because we woke up on the right side of the ground—but because we have life in Jesus! We wake up into a sure hope that gives purpose and direction to our giving and our grieving, our working and our washing, our studying and our suffering. What we wake up into is a life in Christ, a Christian life—a new life filled with new mercies every morning.
As we move through each new day—we find that this Christian life also calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus in his humble, self-giving, submissive way. On this side of eternity, resurrection life is not yet ours in fullness. We still must die to ourselves and to our sins and all these other things that fall away in the all-surpassing glory of knowing Jesus. We have to reckon with and die to our rage at the bad driver in front of us, we have to loosen our grip on our status, accomplishments, and wealth that we have or desire to have, we have to confront and suffer our way through a still sin-broken world where nothing is as it ought to be. But, as we do: suffering with Jesus and letting our ambitions and sins die in his death, the Spirit forms the new, resurrection life of Christ ever more fully within us too.
Sometimes this happens slowly over years and decades. And sometimes we can see the full course of this rhythm of life-suffering-death-life all in one day or moment.
However that is: this is the picture of life lived like a slinky. Round and round it goes down through the years—an endless spiral of rising and dying and rising again until Christ is formed in us. This is how we come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection at work in us and come to believe more fully that yes: this Christ who is bringing us to life in the little, daily things, can also be trusted to keep his promise to raise us to life at the end of all things.
So while there is much suffering still to be endured and many things in our lives that we still must die to, it is worth remembering as Paul does here that the first and final word of the journey with Jesus is life.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ… (Philippians 3:7-8).
The first half of Philippians 3 is difficult to break up. There is a single thread that runs through it. Righteousness is one of the words Paul chooses to tie things together, even though joy and confidence are part of the glue. Since righteous surrounds our verses, let’s stay with it.
As Pastor Anthony reflected on yesterday, here, righteousness is a tally of all the things that gave Paul confidence in the flesh before God. Often, when we Christians use the word flesh, it has a negative connotation. We think about sinful, particularly addictive bodily behaviours. Sometimes Paul does use it that way, but here, it is used to refer to religious activity as practiced by Old Testament Israel in fulfilling the dictates of the law. Flesh describes a person who has reached the very pinnacle of moral and religious development.
These acts of rightness gave access to God. This is the essence of the book of Leviticus: the things that Israel was to do so that God could dwell with her. How could a holy God live among his unholy people? The rituals at the tabernacle and the dictates of the law were the means. In a ledger, Paul has added up everything that gave him access to God. According to the Jews, his list was impressive. When he met Christ on the road to Damascus, he discovered that all these things added up to less than a big fat ZERO.
All these things gave him no access to God, no confidence to come into God’s presence, no joy of divine salvation. “But it does not matter,” writes Paul, “because now I know Christ!” Everything that was on his ledger as an Israelite, he now considers garbage. He considers them a loss. The only thing on his ledger as a Christian is Christ Jesus. That is all he needs. Paul came to the end of all his costly striving after acceptance before God through simply believing in Christ.
He no longer has a need to measure up, to make something of himself. Christ has given him all he needs. He has given everything up to gain Christ. This is the deeply personal nature of the Christian faith. We often reduce it to our conversion experience. “Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour?” we ask each other. A fine question.
Yet, Paul calls us to go deeper. The personal dynamic of the Christian faith is not just in the conversion experience, but in the daily letting go of our own righteousness so that we can know Christ. On the way to Damascus, he met Christ. But now he speaks of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Glorying in Christ Jesus is not a static thing. Joy in the Lord keeps company with progress in the Lord.
In the years since Damascus, he has progressed in knowledge, not simply facts, but the more intimate knowledge of ‘sharing life together’, on leaning ever more fully on Christ. He glories even more in Christ Jesus because he knows him more. And because he knows him more, Paul has become more consecrated to him.
This is what Paul has discovered. This is why this section is as much about confidence and joy as it is about righteousness. Our own righteousness is always weak and feeble; it can never give us confidence to boldly come into God’s presence. Christ takes the place of everything demanded of Israel in the book of Leviticus. The tabernacle has vanished, and Christ stands among his people and beckons us into the presence of God. With joy and confidence we may come, now and forever.
How does a Christian follow Paul in consecration? Progressively, through deeper and deeper knowledge of Christ, for the more we know him the more we see his glory and the more we gladly give all to and for him.
What gives you confidence before God? What are you counting on to give you good standing with him? What is the source of your joy? These are not easy questions to answer. They should be questions we continually ask ourselves.
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:3-7)
No confidence in the flesh, Paul says. As Pastor Michael talked about yesterday, Paul speaks here pretty firmly against any sort of “Jesus-and” sort of faith. Like a faith that says salvation comes by Jesus, and circumcision. Or Jesus, and following the law. Or Jesus, and good worship. Or Jesus, and good kid’s programs. Or Jesus, and good ethics. Certainly some of these things have their place in the life of the church and the life of the Christian—but they have no place in securing our salvation.
In frightening moments of culture and technological shift, we tend to reach for something more than Jesus—something tangible we can hold on to to know we’re safe and secure. We build up walls of policy and doctrine, or of research and knowledge, or of wealth and possessions, or of whatever else. Something tangible that we can control so that we can keep the sky from falling down on us. This has been going on since the beginning of the church—like it does here in Philippians. There’s nothing new under the sun.
But, the Christian faith is not a “Jesus-and” sort of faith. It’s just Jesus that saves us. Him alone. We put no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in any of the things that we can see, achieve, hold on to, or control.
Paul gives an example. As far as Judaism goes: Paul was at the top of the class. Not only was he born into the privilege of a strong, practicing Jewish pedigree—but he also had the smarts and the drive to pursue that Jewish faith to the Nth degree—not content even just with the achievements of joining the legally righteous Pharisaical sect, but also pursuing an absolutely faultless life and a zealous persecution of all those who stepped outside it—like Christians. But now: all these things he once considered gain, he now counts as loss.
Mark this well: Paul does not see his previous privilege and achievements as garbage—they were gains! But in light of the surpassing greatness and sufficiency of Jesus and him alone—he considers all else loss. Even what he had previously considered as gains.
So it is for our wealth and our institutions, our success and our knowledge—they may very well be gains in any other sense. But they don’t save us. There’s nothing there to put confidence in. In fact, compared to the all surpassing sufficiency of Christ, they are a loss. Or perhaps betters said, they are to be lost. Our need for them has to die, such that we hold on to nothing else but Jesus. This is what Paul’s getting at.
What gains in the world of the flesh do you rest your understanding of your security, worth, and belonging upon? That is, your salvation? Does it rest on nothing but Jesus? Or are there some Jesus-and sorts of things you hold on to that need to be lost for the sake of Christ?
Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh… (Philippians 3:1-3).
As Pastor Anthony mentioned yesterday, the opening words of this chapter echo the beginning of the letter. But they also appear to introduce the second half. When Paul mentions repeating himself, it is not clear whether he is referring to what came before or what comes after. I think it is helpful to remember that this is a letter, not a theological treatise. Paul is not a professor delivering a lecture from a distance, but a pastor writing to a congregation dear to his heart.
As Paul begins to address the issue of false teaching, his tone changes. Clearly, he is upset with these people and the things they are teaching. But I think there is more. He is warning the Philippian Christians not to believe these things; it will rob them of their Christian joy.
We must recognize that we do not know who these people were. They are not named, nor does Paul give their teaching a specific title. By referring to them as dogs, evildoers, mutilators of the flesh, it is abundantly clear he passionately opposes them. In his day, dogs were not pets, but scavengers, roaming the streets rummaging through garbage in search of food scraps. Often roaming in packs, they could be dangerous.
What these people believed will become clearer later in the chapter. For today, it is sufficient to say that they believed in Jesus Christ’s saving work, but also that believers needed to adhere to certain elements of the Mosaic laws to be real Christians. The big issue in Philippi was circumcision. For Gentile Christians to be genuine, they needed to get circumcised in the flesh. These teachers denied the sufficiency of the work of Christ; to be righteous before God, one also needed to be circumcised. Paul refuses to give them the dignity of being true followers of Moses.
At times, the Israelites had placed such confidence in this physical mark they felt their election was secure even if they worshipped other gods. In response, their prophets reminded them that the physical rite should be symbolic of a deeper commitment. They called this commitment “circumcision of the heart,” and they looked forward to a time when God would circumcise the hearts of his people so that they might be committed to him (Jer. 4:4; cf. 9:25; Deut. 30:6). Paul believes that this time has arrived, and that circumcision of the heart is the critical qualification for entrance into God’s new people. Physical circumcision is now irrelevant (Colossians. 2:11-12).
Those led by the Spirit are the true circumcision. Paul mentions three things that characterize such people. One, they serve God by his Spirit. The word serve is often translated worship, in that through the Spirit, we ‘offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God’ (cf. Romans 12:1). Two, that we boast in Christ Jesus, meaning that we rely totally on the work of Jesus for our salvation. Here is the root of our Christian joy. Our place with God and among his people is settled by our faith in Christ. We don’t have to do a thing but believe.
This leads to Paul’s third point, we put no confidence in the flesh. The reference here is primarily to getting circumcised to be counted among the faithful. But there is probably more. Any stock we place in our pedigree, intellect, spiritual practices, or heritages is ruled out of order.
There remains a tendency to put stock in things in addition to Christ. In the past, Christian Reformed folks often questioned the salvation of other Christians because they didn’t believe what we believed, nor did they practice the faith the way we did.
In challenging these false teachings, Paul desires to bolster both the confidence and the joy of the young believers in Philippi. I encourage you to take some time to consider where you find your joy and comfort. Further, identify some things that you might inadvertently be adding to your faith in Christ.
Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! (Philippians 3:1a)
This sentence seems to conclude the first section of the letter, before we head on to other things. Paul ends this long, opening discussion where he began: with joy. The Philippians are invited to submit themselves and humble themselves as Jesus did, to trust God in life and in death, and to face the sufferings and fickleness of others. They are invited to do all of this not with a grumble or an eye to outdoing or getting even, but with joy.
Joy, in fact, may be a key to this kind of cruciform Christian life. Joy is the first word and the final word. Paul prays with joy at the beginning of the letter, and he commands the Philippians to rejoice at the end. Why, I wonder?
Some Christians carry the terrible weight of the cross in a dour, serious, even grumpy manner. Others are full of bad news: quick to point out fault, keyed in on every possible danger or pitfall, and full of cautionary tales. Others still slave away to the duties of faithful Christian living and make sure never to commit a pleasure. It is not hard to find oneself sinking down beneath their righteous frown.
This, dear friends, is not the gospel—a word which quite literally means Good News. Remember how the angel spoke at Jesus’ birth: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Lk. 2:10). Great joy is what Jesus brings! Freedom, forgiveness, and life everlasting he brings! The power of death and sin have been defeated! We have hope, a future, a reason to live with deep, full-bodied joy! In Christ, nothing can now separate us from the love of God—not even sin—and we may take heart that “the one who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the world” (Ro 8:33-39; 1 Jn 4:4). We have nothing to fear.
A thread of psychology has recognized six basic human emotions through a study of facial expressions that one can reliably find across different cultures throughout the world. What I have noticed is that when I am disgusted, angry, fearful, surprised, or even sad—I have a tendency to tense up, become anxious, hold on to what I have and move into defensive mode. These are the first five of those six common emotions. Only one of the six sets me free to live with open handed anticipation that sets my heart at ease and lowers my defenses: joy.
So how does one live the Christian life as if it’s good news and not bad—in such a way that others might actually be attracted to our expression of the gospel? By practicing joy. Paul knew this long before the psychologists of today.
We reflected a few weeks ago on C.S. Lewis’ idea that emotions tend to catch up with actions. Act like you love someone long enough, and you may just find that you do. So it is with joy: give yourself to the practice of rejoicing long enough, and you may just find yourself becoming joyful. It is one good, gospel-informed first step toward living in the joy of the Lord and humbly moving through this world like Jesus in a way that attracts others rather than repelling them.
Besides: we Christians have a real good reason to rejoice: Jesus! He is the heart of our good news, gospel confession. So, my brothers and sisters: take on this practice that Paul commands the Philippians each and every day: rejoice in the Lord!
Today at Immanuel, we worshipped with our Friendship Ministries. We encourage you to watch the entire service on our Youtube channel. Friendship Ministry Service
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed, he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I am even more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad, and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. (Philippians 2:25-30).
After commending Timothy to the Philippians, Paul turns his attention to Epaphroditus who gets even more space than Timothy and a commendation even grander than Timothy’s because of the things he endured for the sake of the gospel. He was probably a convert since he was named for the goddess Aphrodite.
Roman prisons made little, if any, provision for the prisoner’s food, clothing, bedding, or hygiene. Such things would need to be brought into the prison by family and friends. The church at Philippi, having heard that Paul was imprisoned in Rome, sent Epaphroditus with money and other gifts and charged him to remain and tend to all of Paul’s needs on their behalf.
As he was fulfilling this service, Epaphroditus became deathly ill. But through God's grace he recovered. Paul now wants to return him to Philippi, an act which will relieve the anxiety of the church (which has heard of Epaphroditus' illness), and of Epaphroditus himself (who has been distressed that the church was distressed).
No doubt much of the church’s anxiety was not only concern for the health of the messenger but also frustration over what seemed a failed mission. Epaphroditus was sent to serve Paul, but as it turned out, Paul ended up caring for a deathly ill co-worker. Paul wants to relieve all such anxieties and to pave the way for a joyful return.
The mission had not failed. Epaphroditus became a servant to Paul in his need, and just as Christ Jesus “became obedient to death—even death on a cross”, so Epaphroditus came near death in faithful service for Christ. Just as God, in response to Christ’s obedience, exalted him to the highest place, so Epaphroditus should be welcomed back to Philippi with joy and honor because of his obedience and sacrifice.
In relation to Paul, he is a brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier; in relation to the church, he is their messenger and servant. As to his performance while with Paul, Epaphroditus almost died for the work of Christ. In a hostile environment he did not retreat but risked his life to minister to Paul. The church should not doubt him but follow his example of willing sacrifice.
Therefore, says Paul, let no cloud of doubt or disappointment spoil his home coming. Welcome him with the joy and honor appropriate to his selfless and sacrificial ministry. Epaphroditus risked his life for the sake of Christ. He is to be respected for this.
Who do you know who risked or risks much for the sake of the gospel and the coming kingdom? We should all know such a person, whether they have already passed into glory or still here on this earth. They inspire our faith. They inspire our sacrifice. In the early church, there was a society known as ‘the gamblers’, who risked their lives to care for the sick and imprisoned and to give martyrs and even enemies an honourable burial.
The work of the indwelling God changed both Timothy and Epaphroditus into the likeness of the great Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were varied characters, with varying gifts and diverse temperaments; their backgrounds could not have been more dissimilar; but they were each coming to resemble the Saviour; they loved him and followed his example. What was true of them can be true of us; God has not changed.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. (Philippians 2:19-24)
In some ways these next bits of the letter are just personal letter sorts of things. A bit about Timothy, a bit about Epaphroditus, a bit about travel plans and reasons and things. In that sense, these verses give us a more intimate portrait of the more mundane details of how the relationships flowed. It’s easy here to recognize that we’re reading someone else’s mail.
But I don’t think these little details are entirely pedestrian. Paul has not left the faith talk aside. I think Paul means to use this talk of Timothy to reveal a portrait of someone living exactly what Paul has been talking about. Paul has talked about those who preach Christ out of “selfish ambition” and he has told of the way that Jesus reveals a different way: a humble way that does not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Throughout there has been an invitation to the Philippians to walk in this same way of Christ: with humility, valuing others above themselves, looking out for the interests of others.
Paul has attempted to show how he is partnering with the Philippians in this way of Christ. But Paul is… well, he’s Paul. And who of us is like Paul? It’s a pretty dauntingly high standard to live up to—it’s a pretty long shadow that Paul casts. So it’s helpful to hear some examples of normal people living out the Christian life. People that we can relate to a bit—people more like us. Certainly that was as true for the Philippians as it would be for us.
And so Paul tells the story of Timothy. Here’s someone they know who grew up outside of Israel in the Roman world, as they had. Who had a Greek father, as many of them probably did. Someone who wasn’t an apostle, or some wise elder, but a young guy that normal people could much more easily relate to. And look: this guy Timothy is serving together with Paul and the Philippians in the way of the gospel under the same pressures of suffering, he’s living the humble, self-less way of Christ, and he’s genuinely concerned for the welfare of others, including the Philippians. Normal people can do this too!
Paul has attempted to persuade the Philippians in all sorts of ways to walk in the way of Christ. But teaching about it and talking about it only get so far. To live it ourselves, we also need to see it. We need models, role-models of a faithful Christian life. And they can’t just be the important or famous people who live impossibly far beyond us. Even the lives of the pastors we have known aren’t that helpful—because, try as they might, they just aren’t normal people like the rest of us. No, the truth of these words have to put on flesh and walk around in the real world we live in. When we see other normal people like us live like Christians, we can imagine how it looks in our own lives too. We can follow. We can apprentice. We can learn. We can do it too.
It is my conviction that faith is caught in this way of apprenticeship far more than it is taught.
We don’t need perfect examples. But we do need examples. Who have been the Timothys in your life? Who have been those Christian examples that you have sought to follow? And, just as importantly, who is watching you? Who are you an example of the Christian faith to? You may not always feel like a good example, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t watching, learning, and following you as you work out what God has worked in.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So, you too should be glad and rejoice with me (Philippians 2:17-18).
We are still following Paul’s reflections on ‘working out your salvation with fear and trembling’. Or, as Pastor Anthony said yesterday, ‘working out what Christ has worked in’. As we have noted before, ‘in fear and trembling,’ does not mean nervous apprehension with which we face a judge when we are guilty of a crime. Rather, this phrase expresses the awe that we experience in the presence of God. Now we discover that this fear and trembling includes joy; the deep, foundational joy of the Christian life.
The salvation process in which the Spirit and the Christian both participate is worked out in all circumstances, even in pain, suffering, loss, death, prison, uncertainty, perplexity. It is not that we are glad for the pain, but we know the suffering is temporary and God is at work within it. So, even during unpleasant circumstances we know the ‘joy of our salvation’ (Psalm 51:12).
In yesterday’s devotion, we were brought back to Israel’s wilderness wanderings. In today’s verses, Paul picks up a different image introduced during those years, namely, sacrifices made to God, especially freewill and thank offerings. We will get to that in a moment. First, these words from the book of Hebrews, “For the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:2). Our salvation was wrought through the shame and suffering of this cross.
However, for the writer of Hebrews and for Paul, the cross is more than just the instrument of salvation. Christ’s suffering also stands as an example for us to follow. He endured the torture, at least in part, because he knew the joy salvation would bring to us. Likewise, we are called to suffer for the sake of the gospel because of the joy it will bring to others.
Here is an element of the Christian faith that we may have lost touch with. My parent’s generation speak of the sacrifices they made to establish churches and Christian schools and to send out missionaries. They often went without because they believed God called them to make sacrifices for his kingdom. Are we willing to make those kinds of sacrifices today? Take some time to reflect on how much you have sacrificed for the sake of the gospel. Let the Holy Spirit speak truth to you.
Now, back to the sacrifices of Israel. If you don’t know much about them, read the book of Leviticus. After a few chapters, you’ll get the picture. The Philippians have done much and sacrificed much to aid Paul in his proclamation of the gospel; he names this “the sacrifice and service coming from your faith”. In Leviticus, there are several passing references to a ‘drink offering’. It is not well explained, but the common understanding is that these were poured on the altar as a small gift to wrap up the offerings that had been made to God. It was also a common practice in pagan rituals in Paul’s day, so the Philippian Christians would have understood his reference.
Paul knows that he may soon be executed for the gospel. He alludes to his potential death as but ‘a drink offering’ added to all the sacrifices the Philippian Christians have made for the gospel in the process of “working out their salvation with fear and trembling”. He will be glad to give his life for the sake of the gospel in addition to all that the Philippians have given. Paul views the Philippians’ continued obedience and steadfastness amid persecution as an offering to God of greater worth than the offering of his own apostolic labors—labors that may end in his death.
We have no animals to bring but we do have a sacrifice acceptable to God. The gift of a life of obedience, character-building, holiness and witness—the life to which our faith prompts us. This is our priestly service to God. May we all joyfully offer it to him.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)
Paul continues on with the “so what” after the hymn to Christ’s humble exaltation. Yesterday, Pastor Michael noted Paul’s invitation that we work out what God has worked into us through Christ. Paul continues that thought today by harkening back to Genesis and Deuteronomy.
Our first clue that we’re back in the wilderness is that pesky word “grumbling.” The Israelites did a lot of that in the wilderness after being set free from slavery. The wilderness was hard. It was hot. Food and water were hard to come by. Death seemed an ever-present threat. There was no destination in sight, just more rocks. So they grumbled. Paul sets the Philippians and their situation under threat of persecution next to the Israelites in the wilderness, and invites them to take a different attitude than Israel had. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing,” he says.
But Paul goes further. He takes Moses’ own farewell speech from the end of Deuteronomy and makes it his own. But he changes a few things. Moses in Deuteronomy 32:5 had said of the Israelites: “they are blemished and not [God’s] children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.”
Paul flips that around. Paul implores the Philippians not to grumble under the suffering they endure “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’” In other words: you already are God’s children, you are no longer warped and crooked like the generation around you because Jesus has redeemed you from all that. So then, continue to work out what God has worked into you, becoming blameless and pure so that you might shine the light of God among your neighbours!
At the beginning of the letter, Paul conveys every confidence that he would see the Philippians again. Then a few verses latter he qualifies that notion a bit. There’s a chance they might not see him. Then here in our passage, he begins to speak of that possibility more bluntly, alluding to his death. The comparison with the final speech of Moses to the Israelites is complete. Neither the faith of the Israelites or of the Philippians could finally rest on the shoulders of their leaders. They would have to discover a way to “work out their faith with fear and trembling” with nothing but the trust that Christ would continue to journey with them through the wilderness until they too arrived at the promised land.
That’s where Paul lands in his analogies too. The promise to Abraham is that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Paul uses that same picture of stars to describe the Philippians: they, as children of God were already a picture of God fulfilling his promise. So again: wouldn’t they continue to work out what God was working into them? Wouldn’t they shine their light? Won’t you?
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).
As a pastor this is one of my most cherished texts in Scripture. There are three reasons for this.
One, it does not place responsibility for the spiritual growth of the congregation on the pastor. Certainly, pastors have a responsibility, but it is not primary, it is not even secondary. At best our responsibility is tertiary. This helps me sleep.
Two, and more to the point, it gives us pastors permission to nudge and encourage the people under our spiritual care to get busy. Salvation is not just something received. It is received, of course, but it is also worked out. It is a matter of obedience to work out the implications of salvation in our individual and communal lives. Christians must exert themselves, put effort into this. Paul has in mind a continuous, sustained, strenuous effort. The kind of workout where the muscles get tired and want to quit, but one does not because the muscles will only get stronger when they are pushed.
As Christians, as people redeemed in Christ, we are called to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Or to use the words of this chapter, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (2:3,4). The grace of God does more than get us into heaven. It also teaches us to say no to ungodly activity and to live righteous lives (Titus 2:11-12). But this is not easily done.
Sometimes it appears that Christians reduce the godly life to the gathering of correct information. The most exertion required is that which gets us out of bed and to church on Sunday morning. If we have a preacher that preaches the truth, all will be well. Truth is important, but it is insufficient. If we do not apply that truth in our lives, we remain disobedient. We must allow the Spirit to identity patterns of sinfulness in our lives and to use various means to root them out.
In classis Christian literature, we face three strong and wily enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. In our text, Paul is calling us to make full use of every God-appointed means to defeat the evil and bring out the good from within. Having quiet times, devotions, or whatever name we give to the discipline, is not simply about gaining knowledge, or ‘doing time’. Such discipline should always be about this: working out our salvation.
We pastors are sometimes invited to walk alongside people as they work this out. It is a tremendous privilege and often full of joy. However, at times it can be discouraging. Progress is slow. First gear is a frustratingly sluggish pace. Sometimes, we witness people stuck in reverse. Then it is easy to get discouraged and frustrated. It is even tempting to quit and say, ‘you’re on your own.’
At those times, it is important to remember that these verses place no responsibility on pastors or others who walk alongside. Rather, it says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”. That, my friends, is good news indeed and the third reason I love this text.
We are not on our own against our formidable enemies. God himself is at work. The God who exalted Jesus from death to the highest place is himself at work in you and me labouring out our salvation. We work with fear and trembling, not in despair, but in hope, in expectation, in certainty that progress is being made. The Holy Spirit is the chief teacher and worker after all.
Let this be a cherished text for you as you work out your salvation with fear and trembling believing that God himself will see you to completion.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Micah 6:1-8 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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The GEMS theme this year is Act. Love. Walk. What does Micah verses 6:8 mean to you when you first hear these commands to act, love, and walk?
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Micah 6 opens with a courtroom scene. How does God change that scene?
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How does God’s surprising action of mercy here (and through Jesus) mess with our expectations?
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What’s a proper response to God’s mercy?
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Take the rest of the page to sketch out your notes of what it means to (A) Walk Humbly with God, (B) Love Mercy, and (C) Act Justly…
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
The Gospel message is full of great, paradoxical reversals. Kings are thrown down and the humble are exulted. The rich go hungry and the poor are lifted up. Those who lose their lives find it. The last become first. And, perhaps most glaring of all: the dead are raised to life.
Jesus himself is the paradigm of all of these great reversals. He is the one who humbled himself to nothing, became poor, and gave up his life unto death. But as Pastor Michael began to suggest yesterday: this was not a transaction or a quid-pro-quo. It was not as if Jesus, simply by virtue of bowing low would automatically get lifted up.
This gets tricky because of our hang ups with high theological ideas like “predestination” and “God’s plan.” But these concepts iron out the wrinkles of the Biblical story a bit too neatly sometimes. I do not think that the Bible verses pointing to God’s perfections intend to cancel out God’s responsiveness within the relationships that he has with his people.
Jesus, in humbling himself to nothing and submitting his life, in trust, to the Father to whom he commends his spirit—is acting out in real life the faith of the Psalms. The psalms speak often of entrusting their cause to God. Under threat of death and vast evil, the psalmists give themselves over to the judgement of God. Take psalm 26, for example, where the Psalmist says “vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life.” This language of faith is all over the psalms: 7, 17, 24, 54, 69, 135, and any number of others. Job comes to mind as well.
As Jesus humbles himself to death: he entrusts himself to the Father. And then all Creation holds its breath. Will God respond, or will he remain silent? How will the Father judge Jesus’ case? Will the ruling of the Romans and the Religious Leaders win the day in court, or will their verdict be reversed by God’s higher court?
Indeed the higher court takes the case and God’s justice determines Jesus’ innocence. He is vindicated from all charges of wrongdoing. His punishment is reversed and he is raised to life. But the ruling of God’s Supreme Court goes still further: the Kings of earth that had made this unjust ruling against the Son—representative of all unjust rulings—are themselves displaced as rulers, and Jesus the righteous one is given their thrones. He is the righteous one: the true King. Not only that, the religious leaders who abused their positions are deposed from office, and Jesus himself replaces them as the true and perfect High Priest who ministers forever.
The invitation to submit our cause and our lives in humility before God in the way of Jesus’ cross joins our lives to this journey to the courtroom of God we where submit all our desires for vengeance and control to God, the judge, as Jesus did. Somehow in this act of humbling ourselves, God raises us to the new life of Jesus whereby we learn new ways of trust, forgiveness, mercy, and love. And so it is that the one who loses their life, does indeed find it. So it is that our relationships with one another are transformed by the mindset of Christ Jesus.
“Therefore, God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…” (Philippians 2:9).
There are clearly undertones of our redemption in this hymn. However, as we have been suggesting, that is the counter melody. The major or dominate melody is the interaction between God and Christ Jesus. So, we continue to tread carefully, listening into the divine drama that is being played in this music.
Today’s text is the turning point. We have seen Jesus letting go of his divine rights and status, humbling himself into human form and submitting to the cruelest form of human execution, the cross. Now we read, “Therefore”. That is, because he willingly, freely, of his own accord did this, God acts, moves, intervenes. God lifts him up.
If we know God, we should have expected this. God has revealed himself as such a God. We saw it in the story of Abraham and Sarah waiting for a son. They tried rather unsuccessfully to get a son by way of Hagar. Reflecting on their journey towards trusting God, Paul offers this, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18). Only when all human hope was exhausted did God intervene.
A story with a similar melody is told of Israel in Egypt. When the Hebrews are reduced to pyramid building machines, God intervenes. We see it also in the life of Hannah (1 Samuel 1) and later with Zachariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1). David’s rise to kingship tells this saga with more colour. Anointed the future king of Israel, he is given several opportunities to grasp the kingship while an outlaw, but he refuses. He reminds his men that it is God’s responsibility to dethrone and to enthrone (1 Samuel 26:9-10). Later, in a psalm that likely came from this context, David sings, “You [God] save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty” (Psalm 18:27).
This story, lived out so often in the Old Testament, is the central story of the New. Here, Paul tells it as the story between God and Jesus. And we find ourselves caught up in this profound, mysterious divine story. It is we who are the beneficiaries of this wondrous drama. Because Jesus humbled himself God exalted him, and we find ourselves redeemed.
Yet, if we jump too quickly to our redemption, we miss the point that Paul is making here. This is not primarily a story about our redemption. It is first a story about God, about his nature. Yes, it is about how God acted to redeem us, but we are meant to recognize he acted according to his own nature. And the application is: now that we are redeemed in Christ, we should live like he did. “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (5) is Paul’s point. Jesus humbled himself and trusted in God to lift him up. This is what we see so often in the biblical stories. This is how we are now invited to live.
We must listen to the melody. Jesus acts by humbling himself, God acts by exalting him. Jesus does not force God’s hand, nor is the exaltation and granting of the name a payment for deeds performed. Instead, God initiated the exaltation of Jesus and “freely gave” to him the most superior of names.
This is where the application becomes so difficult. If we act humbly so that God will lift us up, that is not humility, that is not the mind of Christ. We tend to get impatient; we are only willing to be humble for a time; we expect God to help us. We believe that one act of humility deserves a reward. But this does not resonate with this story.
Even as Christians, we want our names to be exalted. But we are called to live for the sake of Christ. Only as we humble ourselves for his name’s sake, only as we desire the exaltation of his name are we living into the calling of this hymn. We are called to live in humility towards others, especially fellow Christians, without expectation of reward. This is the way of the gospel.
…rather, [Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)
It strikes me that this hymn that Paul quotes doesn’t really say that Jesus humbled himself for us. It just says that Jesus humbled himself. If his humbling was before or for anyone: it was for God the Father, the only other actor mentioned in this set of verses. Jesus responded to the Father by giving up everything and making himself nothing.
There are a few downward steps that Jesus takes here in these first verses of the hymn. In yesterday’s verse, Jesus lets go of his divine right to use his divine status and power. This is, as Pastor Michael noted yesterday, the very opposite move to that of Adam and Eve who grasped to achieve that status and power (“you’ll be like God!” the serpent said).
Having let go of his rights to exercise the role, status, and power of God, Jesus instead turns in humility and makes himself nothing—a servant—a human—and eventually a crucified, humiliated, dead human.
He is born into this world a human. All of a sudden the face of God that no one can see and live becomes visible to all in the form of new, fragile, helpless human life. Jesus lives and teaches, every day suffering among a suffering people as he bears their burdens and has compassion on their needs. And then Jesus submits himself to death on a cross: he could have called a legion of angels to spare him from this fate, he could have crushed the Romans, he could have come down from the cross. But he didn’t do that. He did not use the divine power and status that was his to use. He gave it up. He became nothing and humbled himself to death—became obedient even to this death on a cross.
It strikes me that this action resonates in harmony with some other strings we’ve been plucking over these past months. Like in Deuteronomy where the first and second commandment, together with the Shema say the same thing: submit yourself firstly, lovingly, and exclusively to God. Or in the Psalms where repeatedly, the action of the Psalmist is to submit themselves and their situation fully to God—seeking no recourse of their own. It is God who will have to vindicate their cause. God whose justice, power, and praise will be shown and known. Jesus does the same.
What might it mean for you to follow Jesus in this way of the cross in your relationships with one another? What might it mean to make yourself nothing, to humble yourself, to make yourself a servant? That is, to let go of all of your ability to control a situation, all of your roles and titles, all of your resources and assets, all of your relational capital in friends, family, and networks of acquaintances?
This is not the sort of humility that sheepishly denies having abilities, skills, relationships, or power that one does, in fact, have. This is the sort of humility that looks with a very clear and calculating eye at exactly what rights, skills, relationships, and privileges one has and resolutely chooses not to use them for one’s own self—perhaps even chooses to give them up altogether.
It is someone who chooses not to seek another term. Who chooses not to step in and unduly influence an important decision being made. Who chooses not to purchase the expected property or possessions that one’s social or economic peers might have. Who chooses not to exact retribution from one who it is their right to get it from. It is a person who chooses to forgive.
We face variations on any of these examples starting in grade school on, and given that, perhaps they sound much less radical than one might have expected from the lead up. Yes, there are times that the call is to give up everything one has. More often though I think, the invitation is to give these things up slowly across a lifetime in the seemingly smaller, daily decisions of life. So: how might you take one step in this humble direction of Christ, today?
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage…” (Philippians 2:5,6).
Today, we begin our reflections on what is believed to be one of the first songs composed by the early church. After Pentecost, the Christians in Jerusalem continued to worship with the Jews at the temple, singing the psalms of the Old Testament and possibly other Jewish worship songs. But soon, these Christians began to add songs about Jesus. Historians believe that verses 6-11 is one of those songs. Paul quotes this song in his exhortation on relationships within the church.
With this hymn we are invited into the mystery of our God. It poses questions such as: Who is God? What is his nature? What is the relationship between the Father and the Son? Long ago, the church began giving answers to these questions. You can find them in the ancient Nicene and Athanasius creeds. It must be noted that the church has always added a caution to these creeds: this is our best effort to say something truthful about God. Our human minds and our human languages and our human philosophical concepts cannot give full expression to who God is. These things are only approximations, shadowy reflections of the reality that is our personal God.
And so, we tread carefully, cautiously, remembering that now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; later, we shall see face to face. Now we know in part; later we shall know fully… (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12).
We are invited to overhear the thought process that preceded the divine incarnation. Further, there are hints that the opening words of the hymn draw a contrast between Jesus and the first humans in the Garden of Eden. It says there that the serpent tempted them with the words, ‘you will be like God’ (Genesis 3:5). And then it says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (6).
In contrast, Jesus, who was and is in very nature, God, choose not to hang onto this for his own advantage. Notice how the fruit in the Garden was seen as something that could be of benefit. It would give Adam and Eve something more. It would elevate. It didn’t, of course, but that was the vision the tempter planted in their minds. In the hymn, we sing of Jesus, the second Adam, choosing not to hang on to his elevated status for his own sake or for his own promotion.
Commenting on this hymn, N.T. Wright, wrote, “Over against the standard picture of Oriental despots, who understand their position as something to be used for their own advantage, Jesus understands his position to mean self-negation." Does this mean that to be divine, as our God reveals it, does not mean getting but giving? Is divinity properly expressed in self-giving love? Was the hymn writer picturing Jesus with a towel around his waist, washing his disciple’s feet? Does Jesus wash feet because this is who he is?
I think something like this is going on here. The Roman centurion might have seen this as Jesus died, causing him to cry out, “Surely this man was the son of God!”? (Mark 15:39). The Son of God, who from all eternity is equal with God the Father, understands that the best way to express being God is through a cradle, a towel, and a cross.
Again, N.T. Wright: "Against the age-old attempts of human beings to make God in their own arrogant, self-glorying image, Calvary reveals the truth about what it means to be God."
We will have more to say about this hymn. For today, if all this is true, if this is divinity and if we are made in the image of God, how does this impact how we should live? Is this how we should define what it means to be truly human? Are we closest to what we were created to be when we empty ourselves and take the form of a servant? Is this why the accumulation of stuff and status is so deeply unfulfilling? Do not those who lose themselves in creative self-giving appear so much happier and fulfilled?
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus… (Philippians 2:5)
Jesus lays down for us the two greatest commandments: Love the Lord Your God with all you’ve got and love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus himself then goes on to define the love he’s talking about through his own life, by dying for us on the cross. As he offers his life, he gives all his heart, soul, mind, and strength in an act of love for the Father and for us.
This is the crux of the Christian faith. Jesus and him crucified is the entire story. It tells us what Jesus has done for us. It tells us what to preach. It tells us how to live. Keep Jesus and his cross at the centre—as that thing that defines all else—and everything else will find its way. In fact, if you do this: others will see the life of Christ in you as you live it, bringing glory and praise to God!
So, when it comes to doing church together, Paul puts Jesus and his cross once again at the centre. He invites the Philippians to have this very same mindset as Jesus in their relationships with one another. That is, to have the mindset of Christ and him crucified. As Paul will go on to tell, and as we will cover in the days to come, to have the mindset of Christ means having an attitude and practice of humble, loving submission before God that allows one to give everything else up and so be a loving servant to others.
This command is at the very heart of the gospel. It resonates with Jesus’ own commands to love one another and to take up our cross and follow him. By these things, the world will know we are his disciples.
It’s not easy though. There are times when I’m right and the other person is wrong. Times when I want what someone else has. Times when I’m paralyzed by what someone else thinks of me. Times when I’ve been hurt by someone or when I want to hurt someone for what they have said or done to me. These are the very sort of small, sometimes even petty things that undercut loving relationships in the church and that can breed mistrust, fear, discord, malice, slander, and the sort of fights that lead to division.
What are we to do when we come to these moments and find that our motivations are less than wholesome or holy? Well, the invitation is to take on the mindset of Jesus and his cross. We are called, to humbly die to ourselves. In my own life, that has often looked like a prayer. “Dear God, forgive me for my anger towards so-and-so—I don’t want to, but help me to love them instead.” Asking forgiveness is a humbling action. It’s a dying to ourselves. But in that action, we take on the mindset of Christ that frees us to love.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Corinthians 12:31-14:1 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
Well, here it is. Both Pastor Anthony and I have more than hinted that this is the central message of the book. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
But that is probably wrong. Paul is writing letters, not thesis statements. So, to make two verses stand in for the whole is likely the wrong way to read these books. However, I an earlier devotion, I suggested that Paul’s opening words often hint at what is to come. In 1:3 he writes, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
The idea of their ‘partnership in the gospel’, I think, is much closer to the heart of this letter. And here is the point we have been making: as God works out this partnership in their personal and communal lives, humility is the main application. The longer I live in the Christian community, the more I am convicted that this is true, and that we have neglected this key ingredient of the gospel living.
In many, at least Protestant Christian traditions, we have emphasized knowledge. To enter the community, we need to know the right stuff (usually, as opposed to those Christians over there). We build intellectual fences others need to climb over before they may belong. Yet, I keep hearing Jesus calling his disciples, “Come, follow me.” When those same disciples tried to strong arm each other to the top, Jesus rebuked them with “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44; cf. 9:35; Matt. 20:27; 23:11; Luke 22:26-27). Its as if Jesus is saying, ‘how come you’re not getting this?’
When I am convinced that I are right and that others are wrong, what happens? Church land becomes a battleground in which I give licence to ambition and conceit because I must win for God. An ancient dictionary defines selfish ambition as ‘a greedy attempt to gain the upper hand through underhanded tactics.’ Yes, this happens in Christian communities.
There is something spiritually insidious happening here as well. In this need to win the issue of the day, we are attempting to take the Spirit’s role. I come to believe that “I must finish the good work” in this other person or persons. I must convince you I am right. But this is not the way the Bible speaks. Jesus loved the rich young ruler and watched him walk away. The wealthy father let his son go, then ra to embrace him when he wandered home. God is the one who sanctifies. I must partner with him in humility.
Years ago, Dallas Willard said, “State your case and sit down.” He was talking about congregational meetings. When he said, ‘sit down,’ he was referencing this kind of stuff. If we keep talking, we elbow God out of the way. We believe our words must convict others, when in truth, God needs to do the convicting. The outcome of the meeting is not ours to control.
Why is this so important? Because it models Jesus’ attitude towards us. It is the thing the disciples were to learn from him. It is the way of the Spirit. Paul does not imagine the church as a group of clones, walking in lockstep with one another. Instead, he sees it as a group of individuals who, despite their differences, are willing to show love for one another through putting the well-being of others first. This is what partnership with the gospel does in us.
Recently, a former professor of mine, after giving a lecture, said to his audience, “This is the way I read scripture now, but you need to know, I may be wrong.” That is the attitude of humility that comes from the gospel. Its an illustration of what Paul means when he speaks of “being like-minded…being one in spirit and of one mind.”
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2)
Today is the completion of yesterday’s phrase. As Pastor Michael noted yesterday, the Philippians have received many gifts from Christ: union with him, comfort from his love, a sharing in the one, single Holy Spirit that he gives, and the tenderness and compassion that he offers. What should they do with it?
“Make my joy complete” says Paul. That’s what they should do with these gifts given by Christ. Now that may come off as rather selfish in our ears, but I do not think this is intended as emotional manipulation. Paul’s joy (as he has alluded to a few times already in chapter 1) is to see Christ and to see Christ preached, even if that means his death. Paul’s desire then, is to see Christ in the church at Philippi and for others to see the same. I would imagine Paul also believes the church’s own joy will be found in this way.
When an outside world looks in at a church fighting against itself: they do not see a Christ who reconciles all the world to the Father through the putting to death of sin, flesh, and the devil. In fact, they don’t see any good news at all: they see a train wreck that one does well to steer clear of. A quarreling church witnesses to a Christ who is just as ineffective as any other over-promised, under-delivered product on the market. It doesn’t matter how good or correct the theology is if it cannot put on flesh and walk around in the neighbourhood of our real world lives.
So, says Paul—if you have received the gift of union with the One Lord Jesus Christ and the One Spirit he gives—and you have—then respond by being what Christ has made you! Be of that One Spirit, standing together in that union in Christ—of one mind, soul, and heart! If you have received the gift of Christ’s comforting love—and you have—then respond by offering to one another what Christ has offered to you: his agape love.
Paul begins and ends this second phrase with a similar word: like-minded, of one mind. I have found in reflection on the letters of Paul that when he uses words that refer to “mind” (and there are a few different ones that he uses), often he is making reference to the cross of Christ. The mind/attitude of Christ, ultimately, was the cross. It was a mindset of humility: dying to self, emptying oneself, submitting oneself to God, and offering oneself for the sake of another.
In some ways I feel like a broken record player, repeating the same thing over and over and over and over again in most every devotion I write. But I think there’s a lot of that in this letter. The cross of Christ is the way of Christ. It is the mindset of Christ. It is what Paul is attempting to live, and it is what Paul attempts to invite the Philippians to live, especially as an antidote to division.
So if any of us have any sharing in Christ or any receiving of his gifts—and we do—then this cross is ours as well. Paul’s invitation everywhere and always is to make his joy and our own joy complete by taking up this cross and following Jesus. In doing so, we learn what it is to love and what it means to be united in Christ, even in our diversity. Is it a hard road? Sure. But Jesus walked it first. And: I believe that Jesus walks it still with every disciple who desires to respond in kind to him.
Our text is from Philippians 2:
“Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…” (Philippians 2:1).
We now move into one of the great chapters of the New Testament. The poem about Jesus in verses 6-11, most likely a song already being sung in the church, is still well known among Christians today. It offers us a succinct summary of Christ’s work while at the same time offering us the character of the Christian life: humility.
But to engage with this chapter, we need to draw out its connection to what Paul has already written. Our text begins with, ‘Therefore’, a word which always draws our attention to what has gone before. Earlier, Paul wrote, “I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). This ‘standing firm in the one Spirit’ and ‘striving together as one’ is applied to two areas of the Christian life.
At the end of chapter one, he commends the Philippians for standing with him in his imprisonment. They are standing firm against opposition to the gospel; they are not buckling under persecution against the church. In this aspect of the Christian life, standing strong against opposition from the outside, Paul commends their vigor for the gospel.
But now, in chapter 2, Paul turns their attention to matters within the church. Here, in this area of the Christian life, in the matter of Christian unity, they are not doing so well. There are lots of good spiritual things happening in the church in Philippi; she is a source of joy to the apostle. Still, their domestic affairs were not ideal.
One wonders, were they seeing too much of each other and getting on each others’ nerves? Were they exaggerating weaknesses of certain brothers or minimizing the virtues of certain sisters? This chapter suggests that those inside the family were attacking or even belittling each other. This makes a sorry spectacle before the world. When we Christians fight with each other, our inner spiritual growth is hindered and our witness to the world is weakened.
Paul calls them to stand firm in the “One Spirit.” This Spirit lavishes the Christians with gifts for the sake of the church. The Philippi Christians have received. As have we. Sometimes Christians even like to boast about the gifts they have received. The Christians in Corinth certainly did. Yet, these gifts do us and the church no good if we are not loving our brothers and sisters at home. Love is the greatest of the gifts.
Paul uses a rapid series of ‘if’ clauses to make a heart-felt appeal to the Philippians, as their friend and as their apostle. If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.” Paul does not doubt that these things are present among the believers. The gifts are there. Now it is time to put them into practice, to learn how to use them.
That is the nature of spiritual gifts. After receiving them, we must learn how to use them. We must practice. A choir can sing in harmony only after considerable practice, even if it has gifted singers. This is what the whole chapter is about, how to sing in harmony under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere, Paul tells the Galatian Christians “To walk in step with the Spirit” (5:25). Same point, different words.
To be Spirit led does not mean being passive. It means getting our hands dirty doing the things that bring unity to the fellowship, things like forgiving and sacrifice. Difficult things. Unity in the church is a gift God gives. But we only experience it, if we do the things it demands, putting the needs of others above ourselves. This is what Christ does. How is Christ drawing you towards this self-denial?
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30)
Paul had just concluded in the previous verses that “he knew that he would remain and continue with them.” Now he says something quite different. Now it’s qualified, uncertain. “Whether or not I come,” he says.
Paul is driving at something deeper here than travel plans. He does not desire that the faith of the Philippian church should be dependent upon him, but rather upon Christ. He desires that in the way they suffer and in the way that they contend for the faith of the gospel—as athletes working together side-by-side on one team—that in this, the society and even the persecutors around them might see Christ. When neighbours look at the Philippian Christians, their witness should not be to Paul or Paul’s support, or Paul’s strength of faith, but rather to Christ.
This will be the witness, the sign to these others that they might be destroyed. It's not that the church is to preach this destruction and it's not that the church is to seek to enact it by being cruel or retaliatory toward those that persecute them. Rather, in the way that these Christians bear their suffering in the same humble way of Christ, they are to witness to the fact that there is something they have in God through Christ that is greater than any threat of life or death that the state or the world around them could hang over them.
Older baptismal traditions have a beautiful way of symbolizing this. There's a old stone baptistry in Philippi where those being baptized would walk down steps into the waters of a running river. They would take off their old clothes as they descended into the water—a sign of dying to themselves and their old way of life in the death of Christ. Then, having been baptized, they would walk up the other side out of the water. On their ascent, they would be given a new white robe signifying the new life of Christ to which they had just been united.
It was a mystery to Caesar and his subjects as to why the Christians could stand and face martyrdom willingly, even with joy. But the thing is, you just can't scare dead people. These Christians were already dead in the death of Christ. They had nothing to fear. All that was on display within them was the life of Christ then: the joy, peace, patience, and persevering love—all the fruit of the Spirit.
We too are baptized saints: baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To those around us—whether we are suffering or living in relative peace and joy—do they see this clear witness to Christ within us? That we are a people who live without fear? That contend together as one for the faith of the gospel? That live in the fruit of the Spirit and the life of Christ no matter what we face? Paul's prayer and invitation is that we do.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (Philippians 1:21-22).
Those of you keen on details will recognize that I reflected on this text last Friday. There is a pastoral matter that this text addresses which did not make it into my meditation. Rather than letting it go, I want to pick up that thread today. It may be helpful to some. But it needs introduction.
On our denomination’s website, there is this statement, “the church condemn[s] “the wanton or arbitrary destruction of any human being at any stage of its development from the point of conception to the point of death.”
Let me add to that a few thoughts found on the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s website, “All human life is precious. Life is a gift from God for us to respect and protect through all its stages, from conception to natural death (Psalm 139). Each person is created by God, in his image, and loved by him. Each person’s life has inherent worth and dignity (Gen. 1:26-27). This human dignity does not depend on our ability or circumstances; it flows from our creation in the image of God.
We must treat people as bearers of God’s image, not as objects for our gratification. Our lives are not our own; they belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20). God calls us to care for those who are vulnerable. To love our neighbour is the second greatest commandment, after loving God. The people of Israel and followers of Jesus were commanded to care for the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, and the poor.”
I agree with all these statements. I also believe that the Christian church needs to step up its game in loving its neighbour. I am not thinking of position statements or Synodical pronouncements. I mean that Christians need to get into their communities to love their neighbours actually and physically. This will be inconvenient and messy and costly. But it is the best way to restore some of our lost reputation in society. And it is a matter of obedience.
Our advocacy for human life needs to be holistic, including strong assistance to neighbours immersed in all sorts of poverty. There are already reports of Canadians seeking MAID (medical assistance in dying) because they cannot find medical care, food, or housing. Christians should stand opposed to MAID. But we should be just as concerned for those suffering from lack of essential resources.
But that is not the point I want to make. Our strong Christian pronouncements on the value and protection of human life sometimes leads to the misapplication that we must do everything possible to stay alive. Further, that we must do everything possible to ensure our loved ones stay alive. But this is not what is intended by this doctrine of the sanctity of human life.
In our text, Paul does not hang onto his life. He is quite willing to die. If he gets executed, he is good with that. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” It is okay for us to let go of living, to halt medical interventions and allow life to proceed to its natural conclusion, death.
This is a complex issue which this meditation cannot fully address. My desire is to point out that Paul gives us permission to do this. Like him, we do not need to hang on to life at all costs. Our value for human life does not mean that we must use every medical intervention available to us. This is a recognition of our human limitations. We must use the resources God has made available to us, including medical resources, but always in the recognition that these are not omnipotent. There are times when we literally give ourselves over into the hands of God.
Let me offer one piece of pastoral advice. Decisions regarding end-of-life matters should not be made in isolation. These should be made by family as a unit along with advice from wise Christians. It takes time to make such decisions. If you are faced with these matters, take your time. Let me leave you with paragraph 44 of the Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God:
“Life is a gift from God's hand, who created all things. Receiving this gift thankfully, with reverence for the Creator, we protest and resist all that harms, abuses, or diminishes the gift of life, whether by abortion, pollution, gluttony, addiction, or foolish risks. Because it is a sacred trust, we treat all life with awe and respect, especially when it is most vulnerable-whether growing in the womb, touched by disability or disease, or drawing a last breath. When forced to make decisions at life's raw edges, we seek wisdom in community, guided by God's Word and Spirit” (CT #44).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 15 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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When we hear the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law “muttering,” what connection to earlier stories might Luke mean for us to make? How does that earlier story inform this one?
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How is “muttering” like Self-Righteousness? Where do you ‘catch’ this sin, and what is it (self-righteousness)? Are you every guilty of this?
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How does Jesus change the story across these three parables? Like around the idea of repentance, or the numbers and sorts of “lost” things/people that show up in the stories? What impact does that have?
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In what ways can you see Jesus acting out this final parable of the Father with his sons through his interactions with the Tax Collectors and “sinners,” Pharisees and Teachers of the Law in Luke 15?
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The Father continues to invite us to join in the joyful celebration at the Lord’s Table—will you take your seat there and join the meal?
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body (Philippians 1:21-24).
Pastor Anthony included the opening words of our text in his meditation yesterday. These verses in Philippians are worth extended reflection for the Christian living in North American today. They help to do deal with our own impending death, a topic many people go to great lengths to avoid.
I think that it is fair to say that many people among whom we work and live do not know what to do with death. Historically, most people died at home, with family present. In many places this is still the case. But in our context, people die in hospitals or nursing homes, more frequently than in homes. Many die alone and their bodies are quickly moved to the morgue where the embalmer’s art rapidly restores the body to a lifelike appearance.
Death is the worst possible event for those who believe that they have an inalienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Our way of coping with it is to deny its existence. Thirty years ago, when someone died, it was expected that a funeral service would be held within three or four days. People had some notion of what they should do when their loved one died. Today, families will come to me and frequently say, “What are we supposed to do?” There are no cultural norms for responding to death. This is all part of the avoidance of it. Consider the effort people put into staying young and fit and the industries that promote the notion that getting old should be avoided at all costs.
Into this vacuum, Christians enter with a different story. Paul is writing from his prison in Rome. It is possible that he will be executed shortly. So, both Paul and the Philippians are confronted with the specter of his imminent death. Paul is conflicted in this passage. He sees advantages in dying and in staying alive to continue his ministry.
It’s important to remember what Paul has been saying, “Living well means seeking the glory of Christ.” That is what he has given his life to ever since he met Christ on the road to Damascus. When he dies, he will finally be with Christ, his sinfulness will no longer detract from Christ’s glory. To borrow from another letter, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Christians believe that there is life after death, even resurrection of our physical bodies. And that life is better than this one. Many people living around us, do not have this hope. To be with Christ is far better than to be here, says Paul. Do you believe that?
Paul’s conflict is that he also believes the Philippian church still needs his service. “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” He is willing to stay. He is willing to sacrifice his own gain for the sake of the church. Again, he is demonstrating what he will later write, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (2:4). Paul genuinely considers his choice to live rather than to die to be the more difficult and sacrificial choice.
Let me put it plainly, physical life or death are not of ultimate importance to Paul. Living means carrying out his calling to preach Christ and dying means both the gain of conformity with Christ’s death and fellowship with Christ. He hopes for the outcome that will most clearly advance the gospel of Christ. This can only strike us as strange if we have allowed the comforts of our present physical existence to have higher priority than Christ. Paul is astonishingly indifferent toward his own death. He invites us to take the same attitude.
This is not, of course, to say that mourning is out of place for the Christian when loved ones go to be with the Lord. The fact that they are with the Lord does not take away from our experience of loss. Tears are proper for believers. Jesus himself wept. We can face our own death with assurance, but not with indifference to those who will miss us.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:19-21)
A reflection on the past now turns to a reflection on the future, and the hinge around which it moves in this present moment of Paul’s writing, is the death and resurrection of Christ.
An older Christian tradition that we may have lost some sight of these days says that the role of the church is to prepare us for a good death. This happens through the regular practice of dying and rising with Christ. As Luke puts it in the mouth of Jesus in Luke 9:23, “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Daily denying oneself. Daily facing one’s death in the death of Christ. Daily experiencing the new life of Jesus.
Paul had followed Jesus in this daily practice with his own cross and in his own way now for many years—with a thorn in the flesh, much suffering and hardship endured, much grief to bear, many relationships to tend, and much sin to repent. But in this work of dying: of relinquishing control, of admitting weakness, of grieving well, of turning from sin, of offering forgiveness and blessing to enemies—Paul has learned what it means to face death well. To face it, indeed, with hope and trust that the Spirit works to bring the new life and fruitfulness of Christ on the other side of that death.
As Paul writes elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” So it was.
Now near the end of Paul’s life as he faces the very real prospect of his actual death, he speaks from this life lived by daily carrying around the death and resurrection of Jesus in his body. He says: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
This is an expression of the cyclical Christian habit of dying and rising with Christ. Across his life, Paul has discovered that dying always leads to new life in Jesus. And life in Jesus always leads to the cross. And the cross always leads again to the empty tomb of new life. Round and round it goes. In death, Christ is exalted and his life is received. In life, Christ is exalted as it is his life that is lived.
So, when it comes to Paul’s actual death—he sees it now as part of this same movement at the literal crux of our faith. Living is Christ, dying is gain. One’s mortal death met in this way is what the church has called a good death. A Christian death. A death saturated in the hopeful, practiced expectation of life.
Do you live in this way? Do you already now practice for a good, Christian death? As an Easter people of the Resurrection, we can. In Jesus, death no longer needs to be feared. It can be faced, even while we live.
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18)
Paul says an odd thing here. How is it that someone can preach Christ out of false motives and a sinful heart, and yet for it to be a cause for rejoicing? This runs against the grain of our cultural sensibilities.
In a world that’s become significantly polarized over the last decade, we are accustomed to operating on a one-strike-your-out policy. Any celebrity, social media personality, or leader that gets one thing wrong is cancelled and banished from polite society. Increasingly, this has happened in our own world of relationships too. There has been much estrangement within families over politics, pandemic, and church life these past few years. We’ve operated on basis that says: “if you believe x, y, or z, I cannot associate with you lest I become tainted.” It is eerily similar to the Old Testament world of Kosher laws where clean and unclean things were clearly separated. It was believed that contact with an unclean thing would make you unclean too. So it goes with our polarized world and cancel culture reflexes.
Of course, the world is not so black and white in the offline world of embodied relationships. You can try to cancel someone: but you’ll see them again at church, at school, in the store, at community events. They still exist. And you do too. The difference is that you’re both estranged now, carrying hurts and hates that gnaw at your soul.
In Christ, this world of Old Testament estrangement was transformed. Ken Baily put it this way: the law stated that the clean becomes unclean upon contact. Jesus taught and lived a different principle: that the clean can restore the unclean—and again, all it takes is contact. Jesus’ world is one where redemption, healing, forgiveness, grace, and mercy are possible. Where dividing walls of hostility are knocked down. Where people are reconciled together. It is a world where our lives and actions, our sin and impure motives no longer have the final say about who we are. Jesus does.
So whether from pure motives or false, out of goodwill or selfishness—if Jesus is there, so is the good news. Because, as John puts it in 1 John 4:4,“the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
In my young life as a pastor, I have already quite personally encountered those who preach Christ out of selfish ambition supposing that they can stir up trouble for me. Christ calls me to (die to myself and) love them anyway—trusting not in their motives, but in the work of Christ in their hearts, in their life, and in their churches—even through their preaching. As God declares of his word in Isaiah 55:11: “It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” No Christian then—preacher or otherwise—can so quickly be dismissed if we recognize Christ within them—even if we otherwise might wish to dismiss them. Even if all the world tells us we should.
Jesus works more surprisingly and abundantly and in more places than our own categories and tolerances allow. Jesus works in your heart too. Will you let him call you beloved? Will you let him call your estranged friend or relative the same? Will you let him teach you how to forgive and love again? I pray you do so that together with Paul, you too might rejoice.
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14)
It is easy to become discouraged. There is a constant flood of bad news that we confront each day: Another shooting. Another country that bursts into internal conflict and war. Another disaster. Another political or cultural fight that sours our hope. Another health scare in our own family. How quickly our horizon can become clouded with nothing but bad news. We begin to despair.
There is nothing new under the sun, of course. Even though we get more information faster and from further away, the Philippians certainly had their own flow of bad news. This new little Christian community was under threat and ostracized from their pagan neighbours already, and now news comes that their founding pastor, Paul, is in prison. If Paul was jailed—when would their time come? Was it really worth it to follow this Jesus?
Suffering, or a prolonged exposure to the suffering of others (personally or through the news) can very quickly lead to despair and some pretty hard questions. Fear begins to creep in. Trust begins to erode.
Paul has already attempted to cut this hopelessness off at the roots by beginning his letter with prayers of thanks and joy for the Philippians. Here he goes a step further by addressing the situation directly. Yes, he’s in prison. But “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel,” he writes. Paul’s chains are not what they seem. They have become an opportunity for witness—an opportunity to live in the humble, self-giving way of Christ—and others have taken notice. Not only that, but the other Christians in the city—seeing that some of the worst of their fears have already happened in Paul’s imprisonment—are now emboldened to risk losing more for Jesus’ sake, the one who gave everything up for them.
Hopelessness, despair, and fear are always creeping up on us. It is easy to become discouraged. But the chains of Paul flip the narrative. Paul lives in the power of Jesus, has everything he needs in Jesus, and remains in communion with the church through Jesus. What might have become a context of lost hope now becomes the launching pad for it. Because Jesus is alive, Paul does not need to fear death. Because Jesus is alive, Paul has a good word of hope and life to speak, even to his captors.
Paul had already lost all things in Jesus, what more could Caesar do to him? In that place, Paul was free to live for Jesus with joy and thanks, despite his chains—bearing an uncommon word of hope to all. And that utterly unexpected, counter-cultural witness to Jesus in the way of Jesus, is what turned heads and empowered the church.
These verses come to us to encourage us. As Paul writes elsewhere: nothing can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. And as Jesus himself says: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” So as with Paul in his chains, take heart today and do not be afraid—Jesus is with you, no matter the suffering you face.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
Just as Paul gave two words of thanks, so he gives two petitions at the end of his opening words of thanksgiving. That fact makes me wonder how balanced my prayers are—am I just as full of thanks to God as I am of requests to him? Being thankful can be spontaneous, sure, but it is also a disciplined habit of faith: to learn to give thanks and to search for the good that can be given thanks for in all situations. In fact, in the long run, I think this is the only way to remain a person of gratitude and generosity, by intentionally searching out just how much of our lives are given us and not earned—how much of our lives are gifts from God for which we can give thanks.
But here Paul moves on to requests. The first of them is that “your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you might be able to discern what is best.” Paul joins two seemingly contradictory things here in this petition. Love and knowledge. Heart and mind. There are a few culture war battle lines in the church that are (seemingly) drawn directly between these two worlds of the heart and the mind. A side of “you don’t love correctly” shouts out at a side of “you don’t know correctly,” which gladly shouts back.
Perhaps this is why it’s a prayer and not a given: Paul prays, knowing that we tend to split these two things apart and fight each other over the space between. But Paul also prays, knowing that both are required to “be able to discern what is best.” When either heart or mind are flattened or squeezed out of the conversation, the church is impoverished. We need both. We need each other. All the gifts of the body of Christ have their place.
The second petition is that you “may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” This one is interesting. Paul prays for things that seemingly come simply by God’s doing anyway. That the Philippians be pure and blameless: are they doing it, or is God? That they are filled with fruit—does Jesus fill them with this fruit, or do they have to cultivate it? Is fruitfulness a natural implication of life in Christ without any extra effort on our part, or do we have some role to play?
This petition echoes with something Paul already said. There is a trust that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God will do it, but it is not yet done—the day of Christ has not yet arrived. So in this interim time between the beginning of God’s work and its completion in the day of Christ, Paul joins his prayer to the work and will of God. It’s a way of praying “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In the very same way, we are still invited to work and live into these fruitful gifts of God—recognizing that it is always God working in us and not our own doing, but also that we have a calling to join and participate in this good work until that day of Christ Jesus.
Because the emphasis does finally fall on God’s accomplishment though, there’s no reason to fall into despair or cynicism when it seems like sin, evil, and the grief of this world have the upper hand—whether in us, our families, or in our church—because God is nevertheless, still at work. And God will see it done. The day of Christ Jesus is coming. So until that day, let these verses also be our work and prayer.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 28:16-20 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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Matthew does not spend a lot of time explaining details and events after Jesus rose from the dead. What do you wish Matthew had recorded about this time? Are there things you would have liked to hear from Jesus?
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Matthew was very clear that the people worshipping Jesus also doubted. Do you bring any doubts to worship today?
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How do doubts or perceived ‘failures’ impact your worship or your ability to carry out the great commission? Are you still willing to be present and available to the work Jesus wants to do in and through you?
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Are there times you have experienced Jesus walking with you in places you could not have gone alone?
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What does it mean to show the world how to be disciples of Jesus? Is it ok that this looks ‘messy’ at times?
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How can you invite and allow Jesus to work alongside you this week?
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:7-8)
Does Paul feel that he needs to defend his joyful, thankful attitude in prayer for the Philippians? This next verse starts off as if he feels he does. “It is right for me to feel this way” he begins.
Always giving thanks when he remembers this church, always praying with joy—it does sound a little too good to be true. I mean, come on: have you ever met The Church? Have you met each other? Could you say of all your fellow church members: “I thank God every time I remember you.” “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” “I have you in my heart.” “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Even if you think you could truthfully say those things in absolute terms about everyone within our church—could you say them about everyone in our denomination? Or, in the wider Church of Jesus Christ?
If you said yes—either you’re a Christian on par with Paul, or you’ve forgotten something. Like, for instance: the way that that one person cut you off in the parking lot or told you to move out of their pew; or the time when someone made light of your pain or avoided you all together when you were going through it; or the way that someone acted toward you or people you care about online or in public forums. The church is full of sinful, broken people (just like you and me) and it’s nigh near impossible to walk through a place like this and not find yourself frustrated, angry, or hurt by someone.
And why would you want to partner in the gospel with people like that? With judgmental hypocrites and insensitive administrators, bleeding hearts and short-sighted enthusiasts, culture warriors and political partisans? It’s often easier to strike out on your own: to another church, to another denomination—to be spiritual, but not religious somewhere off on your own.
I’m sure it was the same with the Philippian church. It was full of sinful, broken people too. Paul will allude to some of those realities later on in this letter. And yet, despite who they were, Pastor Paul still writes these words of thanks and joy in response. Knowing these statements might be hard to believe though, Paul also gives rationale.
“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you.” Why? “Because all of you share in God’s grace with me.”
In other words, Paul says: “when I look at you—when I remember you—I don’t think of all the wrinkles and stains. I know they’re there. But that’s not the most important thing about you. When I look at you—I see the good work of God. I see the saints—the holy people of God in Christ Jesus who have believed in Him and so have received His grace to cover all their failures and faults. And, we share in that grace together. We share in that Koinonia, that fellowship and partnership in the Gospel, together. We share in the bonds of Christian love, together. And because of that—because you and I are in the heart of God and he in ours—you are in my heart as well.”
It is only with this fundamental recognition of Christ and his grace in the other that we can come to love this unlovely person before us as we ourselves have been loved. Only then, in recognition of and sharing in the grace of God can we always given thanks in joy for all our fellow church members. Only then can we truly and Christianly hold them in our hearts. So: may your eyes be open to see the grace and face of Christ in your fellow Christians and in the church this week.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4-6)
Three interesting tidbits of church life spill out in this second item Paul gives thanks to God for in his prayers for the Philippians.
Firstly, he’s giving thanks to God because of the Philippians’ partnership in the Gospel. The word used for partnership is the word often used for community, communion, fellowship, or sharing. With the Philippians however, it was quite tangible. They were together in this ministry of spreading the good news of Jesus. As we hear at the end of the letter: this little church had often supported Paul—right from the very beginning—through gifts and encouragement in times of need as he went about his missionary work. The Philippians were invested in this spreading of the gospel—partnering as full communion partners in the work of sharing the good news of Jesus.
Secondly, what the Philippians were working out in partnership with Paul, were the very same things that God was working into them. The Gospel was being knit into the lives of the Philippian church through a sharing in the sufferings of the cross and the joys of the new resurrection life of Jesus: a dying and rising, a taking up the cross and following. God had once and for all saved these people through Jesus, and through the Spirit, God would continue to sanctify these people into the likeness of Jesus until the day of Christ’s return. Paul was confident of this, and the gospel he preached everywhere confirms it. As does Jesus in John 5:17, where he says: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
Thirdly, when these threads were taken together as the gospel’s fruitfulness in the life of the Philippians—for Paul, it was a cause for joy. Even if church life still had conflicts, even if Paul was in prison and being poured out like a drink offering, even if hardship faced the daily life of the Philippian Christians—even still—God was at work, and what God was working into them was working itself out in a good word about Jesus that they, by their very life, were living.
It’s true: church life is not always beautiful. At times we fight. At times we feel in the cultural minority and rather ineffective. At times our heroes and leaders in the faith fall or are lost. But that does not mean that God is not at work or that his church is no longer fruitful.
No matter how dark the situation, there is always a reason for joy and thanks before God. Because God always carries on his work. And if God is any God at all: the gospel news of Jesus that he works into us cannot but be fruitful as our life is lived out. Ultimately, Paul can give joyful thanks and we can too, because the emphasis does not rest finally on our work, but on God’s.
I thank my God every time I remember you. (Philippians 1:3)
This first little sentence of the letter is worth lifting up all on its own.
On the one hand, we know that Paul did not begin all of his letters this way (for example, see: Galatians 1:6). But Paul did begin many of them this way—with thanks to God for the church he was writing to.
Gratitude is not always—perhaps not even very often—our first reaction when someone pops into our minds. Often we think of someone because that person is connected to something we have to do, or something we have felt that we still need to process. For example: a person could pop to mind because of some challenging interaction we’ve had with them that we’re mulling over, or something challenging going on in their life that we’re thinking of supporting them in, or some task that we still have to complete with or for them. People may certainly come to mind for other reasons, but I think that covers the bulk of them.
So people become to-do lists in our minds or they become situations rife with emotional complexity. But how often is it that our very first act is giving thanks to God when a new name or face comes to mind?
Perhaps these are not immediately people that we are thankful for. Nor even that we want to be thankful for. But what if we did it anyway, as Paul does here? In Christ and in the humility of Christ, there is always a reason to give thanks for another person created in his image—another subject of his love. Indeed, as Paul said in his words of greeting: the grace of Christ was already with and among this church and its people.
In the Greek language Paul wrote in, “grace” (charis) and “thanks” (eucharisto) are nearly identical words. Grace is the “charis” that God gives to us, and “eucharist” is the grace that we give back to God in response. You may, in fact, recognize an older, but common word for the Lord’s Supper in this second word “eucharist.” In Greek, this is simply the word thanks, which is how the meal came to be known early on in the life of the church. But to come back to the main point: in response to the grace of God given to and through the Philippian church, Paul responds by thanking God.
CS Lewis once noted how the best way of learning to love someone was to start to do the actions of love toward them. Start acting like you love someone, and eventually you may just find that you do. Not all at once, of course. But slowly you may find that you are annoyed less, that you begin to notice positive or clarifying, nuancing qualities in them more. New possibilities open up that weren’t there before. Eventually forgiveness and love begin to flow as well.
It all starts with a word of thanks. If not at first a true thanks for the person that’s come to your mind, then at least a responsive word of thanks to God for the self-same gift of grace that he gives both to this person and to you.
Try it out in the next day or two. Every time you remember someone, respond in thanks to God for them before you do anything else. In this small, repetitive act of faithful response, just see what God might do within you to increasingly transform your mind to that of Christ—and transform your relationships too.
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2).
Today, we begin a new series on Wilderness Wanderings. Pastor Anthony and I have decided to work through the book of Philippians with you. We will likely hit ever verse in this tightly packed letter to this New Testament church scattered throughout the city of Philippi.
Like most of Paul’s letters, it begins by identifying the authors, the recipients of the letter, and a greeting. These opening elements were standard in ancient letter writing. However, Paul modifies them slightly. In the alterations to the norm, he gives us hints of the pressing issues which the letter will address.
Along with the names of the authors, we are given a descriptive phrase, ‘servants of Christ Jesus’. Such a descriptive phrase, though common in the apostle’s letters, was not the norm in ancient days. The word servant is better translated as slave. His readers would notice the unmistakable overtones of humility and submission in this self-descriptive word. Paul is nearing the end of his life. He has served many years as an apostle, planted numerous churches, and in other letters heaped up his credentials, but here, in this letter, he willingly names himself a slave of Jesus Christ; nothing more.
Paul provides a model of the humility and concern for the interests of others that he will urge on the Philippians. Although Paul is God’s apostle, set apart and called by him to his task (Rom. 1:2; Gal. 1:1, 15), and although Timothy is an approved co-worker with Paul in this important service (Phil. 2:22; cf. 1 Cor. 4:17), Paul refuses to mention these high qualifications in the letter’s opening. He prefers instead to emphasize his and Timothy’s common role as slaves of Christ Jesus. He is careful, on the other hand, to give the leaders of the Philippian church their appropriate titles of dignity. By constructing his greeting in this manner, he has, in a small way, showed concern not for his own interests but for the interests of others (cf. 2:4).
It sets the stage for the letter and stands as an example for the Christians and particularly for the ‘overseers and deacons’. Life in the church is not about advancement, it is not about the accruement of titles and honours. It was not then, and it should not be now. In the Christian Reformed Church, we used to talk about deacons as elders in training. That should not have been. Deacons and elders are the same in status, different only in role and gifting. And pastors have no greater status.
While singling out the leaders of the church, the overseers and deacons, Paul writes to all members of the church in the city. Most likely a loose network of house churches. His letter is to be received by all Christians. The encouragement and correction he will offer is for the whole church, not just the leaders.
He names the Christians “saints”, a term referring to their status as the people whom God has called out from among others and set apart. This title is rooted in Israel’s identity as God’s people in the Old Testament. It has nothing to do with our modern notion about being holier than others. Rather, it’s a calling to live our lives according to the pattern laid out by Jesus and to live our lives empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The term saint reminds the Philippians that they are united with one another not by their own decision but by God’s having chosen them out of all the peoples of the earth to be his treasured possession (cf. Ex. 19:5–6). We tend to miss this in our democratic society in which the individual has the ultimate choice. We get to choose which congregation to belong to. I suspect that such ideas were not known in the early church. They saw themselves as church because they had been brought together in Christ’s blood. God now calls them to follow Christ together.
In his opening words, Paul stressed through his own example of humility and through his naming of the letter’s recipients as “saints” both the importance of Christian unity and one critical means of achieving that unity—placing the interests of others ahead of one’s own.
The most effective way to achieve unity is not to demand that everyone agree but to look out for the interests of others, refusing to claim for ourselves the privileges that rightfully belong to us.
As you journey on, go with the blessing of God, keeping your eyes on the humility of Christ Jesus:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 24:13-35 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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The angels asked the women on that Easter morning in Luke: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” What about you? Are you looking for a living Jesus to meet you today in this worship service?
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What is your Emmaus? That is, what’s the place you go or thing you do when you’re angry, grieving, or simply want to escape your life?
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What did you learn or see anew in the story of Cleopas and his fellow traveler on their journey to (and back again from) Emmaus today?
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What did Jesus do to listen and renew the hope and faith of these downcast disciples? What might have he said about the feasts do you think…?
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Where do you see the living Jesus today? Where might you see him in the days to come? And how might you share that good news of the living Jesus with other disciples in need of hope?
The Good Friday 2023 edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:26-32 from the New International Version of the Bible.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
There is an old story of a talented and gifted bloodhound in England that started a hunt by chasing a full-grown male deer. During the chase a fox crossed his path, so he began to chase the fox. A rabbit crossed his hunting path, so he began to chase the rabbit. After a while, a tiny field mouse crossed his path, and he chased the mouse to the corner of a farmer's barn.
There is a moral to this story: we are like the bloodhound. We start the day by loving God but by day’s end we find ourselves in the corner of the barn loving something much smaller, much less impressive, something that has not loved us.
Ah, but there is nothing about love in our text for today, you say. This is true. Often, we separate our text from the words of the Shema which Pastor Anthony reflected on yesterday. We do so to our demise. All the commandments are summed up in the command to love God. And we can only love him because he has first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Recall, how God begins the ten covenant words, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (5:6). Paul borrows this language when he explores what God has done for us in Christ, “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child” (Galatians 4:7). God does not ask for obedience to be rooted in duty or being afraid of God; rather, it derives from gratitude. We have been set free to serve him.
There is no break in the Hebrew text between today’s words and yesterdays. Love is not absent from our text. For the Israelites, the heart was the seat of thought, memory, and love. In the heart, they were to ponder their history, remember all God had done for them, and respond to him in obedient love.
God instructed the Israelites to always keep his commands before their eyes: as symbols on their hands and foreheads, written on doorframes and gates. Later, Israel will make the mistake of believing that if they keep this literally, all would be well. But that was not the point. The point was that were to put the law into practice all the time. And the adults were to discuss with the children how they were applying the law of God; the children were to see and hear how the adults were loving God.
We find the word, “impress” in our text. What might that mean? How do we do this? I suggest that we cannot impress with words alone. Words are certainly helpful and needed. Somehow children recognize when our words and actions do not function together. And it is not just that adults, especially parents, need to obey God. What is most important for impressing children, is that they witness adults loving God and keeping his commands. Children need to see that obedience follows love.
When Paul writes that parents ought not to exasperate their children, this is one of the things he is addressing. How can we expect our children to love God if they do not see us loving him? Why should our children obey God if our obedience is only out of duty? When parents, and other adults, have God’s commands on their hearts, obedience becomes a matter of love. This leaves an impression.
Love in the daily matters of life, in the little things. Mother Teresa once said, "There are no big deals anymore, just small things to be done with great love." I think she was paraphrasing Paul, who wrote, “The only thing that matters is faith working itself out in love” (Galatians 5:6).
There are many things to chase after in this world. But there is only one that saves. There is only one that is worthy of our love. And that is the cross, where God demonstrated his love for us. Only the cross will continue to draw us into the love of God. That is the only love worth passing on.
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
Shema yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai echad. Ve'ahavta et Adonai eloheykha bekhol-levavkha u'vekhol nafshekha u'vekhol me'odekha.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
This text is known as “The Shema.” It is so named for it’s first word in Hebrew which is, “shema,” the Hebrew word for listening and obeying. Jews of later years would recite these words twice every day—once in the morning and then again in the evening.
You will also recognize these words, of course, as that “first and greatest commandment” that Jesus gives in the New Testament. How can he name the Shema as greater than any of the Ten Commandment Words we just looked at, you may wonder. Well, it’s because in some way, this command to love the Lord firstly, only, and completely is the inverse, positive version of the “you shall nots” that began the Ten Words of the Covenant in chapter 5.
The Ten Words, aside from the command to “observe the Sabbath” and “honour parents” are all negative commands—prohibitions that tell us what not to do. Once our life and heart have been swept clean in this way however, it’s important that something positive and constructive comes in. The Shema is just that sort of command. In the ever-growing absence of covetousness and idols from your heart and life, a positive love for the Lord your God is to take up residence instead. Indeed, if Jesus is to be taken seriously, this positive love for the Lord may in fact be that thing that drives the lusts and the idols from our hearts. This positive force of love for the God who has first loved us is the power that enables us to keep faith with the Ten Words of the Relational Covenant.
It really is fascinating what Jesus does here by naming the Shema as the first and greatest of commands. There is a sense in which the Shema is simply a summation of the Ten Words. In that case, we might say that Jesus is simply naming the Covenant with its Ten Words as primary to everything else. But there is also a sense in which the Shema differs from the Ten Words. A sense in which a positive command is different from a negative one. A sense in which a proactive love is more significant to shaping the direction of a life than a limiting prohibition. It may be too much to say, but I do wonder if the difference is like unto the difference between the negative, limiting law which brings death, and the positive, constructive force of the Spirit that brings life.
Think of it: pruning and growing. Emptying and filling. Deconstructing and Reconstructing. Both are part of the rhythm of life, and both necessarily have their place. But life is no life at all if the “pruning” itself is the ultimate goal for the plant. No, the pruning, the cutting back, the emptying, the prohibitions always serve a goal other than themselves—namely the goals of life, growth, filling, and flourishing relationships. The emphasis does not finally fall on the limiting prohibitions of the law, but on the gracious growth enabled by the Spirit. Both the pruning prohibitions and the imperatives to growth have their place, but Jesus places the emphasis finally on that growth imperative of love: The Shema.
At times we pit these two impulses against each other, as if one must win out at the total exclusion of the other. Many of our present church conflicts and culture wars revolve around such false dichotomies. But the scriptures always hold these two in a dialectic tension. The two impulses have to remain in dialogue with each other, as they do in Deuteronomy 5 and 6. Neither can be flattened nor excluded. And yet, Jesus reminds us that one impulse is to be the leading partner in the dance—the impulse to whom the other defers.
“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Then Moses said, “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess” (Deuteronomy 5:28-33).
There are two things about the character of our covenant God that are worth paying attention to in today’s Scripture.
First, he is a responsive deity. This is not something we spend enough time pondering. Israel wanted Moses to be the meditator between God and his people. And God answered, “Ya, that is a good idea.” His response is warm and positive. Something similar happened when Israel wanted a king. That was not such a good idea; God’s response was not warm, but he still told Samuel to go along with it.
Christians tend to think that God has history all figured out. But that does not seem to square with the testimony of Scripture. There is interaction between God and his people, there is dialogue, there seems to be room for give and take. This, I think, gives us courage in our praying. It gives us freedom to ask God for things. Jesus taught us that we receive when we ask. Israel asked, and they received.
It is wise to pair this teaching with the reminder that we, the covenant people, need to ‘fear the Lord.’ This fear of God is not the same as being afraid of a monster or a bully. Israel had learned the fear of God because of two things. She had seen the tremendous power of God as he delivered her from the oppression of the Egyptians. Then she had stood before the Lord at Mount Sinai. The people had heard God speak to them and lived to tell the story. Seeing God’s power at work and standing in his awesome presence are the experiences which produced the fear of God.
This fear is mingled with thanksgiving for God’s saving work in our lives. It is the proper response towards our glorious and gracious God. Fear belongs to those who know God’s saving work on their behalf. This sort of fear should be ours after we celebrate Good Friday and Easter this weekend.
And now, a second quality about God that we find in this passage. He displays a divine wistfulness, “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always.” God knows his people. He knows our propensity to give up on fearing him. When fear falls away, obedience becomes mere duty. And that sort of obedience rarely lasts long. God knows that; he longs for it not to be so.
This is not the only place we find this quality of God. It surfaces regularly in the Old Testament, and it moved Jesus after he entered Jerusalem on that donkey. We find him weeping over Jerusalem’s unwillingness to experience God’s redemption (Luke 19: 41-44).
A deep sense of awe in his presence is the only thing that will produce the worship of daily obedience. God wants his people to prosper. He wants to bless them so that they prosper. But he knows that they will disobey him; they will not keep covenant. As a result, he will need to withhold his blessings and his people will suffer. He is grieved by this knowledge.
Moses calls on Israel to remain faithful. We need to hear that challenge too. Obedience follows godly fear. For us, the only way to godly fear is to keep our eyes on Christ. As the writer of Hebrews says, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Let us make it a habit to begin each day at the mountain. Israel had Mount Sinai. We have the cross and the mountain of the Ascension, Jesus’ suffering and glory is our salvation. Let us go there and fear the Lord.
These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me. And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them. But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer. For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.” (Deuteronomy 5:22-27)
Two stone tablets: one copy for the King, one for the people. A relationship had been made. These Ten Words of the Covenant are attested twice in the Old Testament—once in Exodus and once here in Deuteronomy. In Old Testament law, everything must be attested by two witnesses. This covenant has those two witnesses. Their testimony is nearly, but not quite identical. A mark of authenticity. Many of the other laws and teachings of Moses vary quite substantially in their formulation across these wilderness books, but not the Ten Words. They are a true witness, a reliable attestation of the covenantal relationship established between God and his people.
The significance of these Ten Words is further heightened by the fact that they are given in person. It is the Lord who proclaimed these Ten Words directly in fire and voice to the assembly of the people. No other laws or teachings were given this way. Only the Words of the Covenant.
After this moment at Saini, the covenant relationship ceases to be face-to-face. The covenant becomes mediated. Moses becomes the go-between—shuttling between God and the people, the people and God—bringing the words of their dialogue back and forth to one another. We read that the people requested this arrangement and we also hear a verse or so later that God approves of it. But, in the pages of these scriptures we also hear echoes of the fact that this is not quite the way it’s supposed to be.
Back in the Garden, God spoke with Adam & Eve face-to-face after all. In Exodus 19:6, the Lord says of the Israelites, “you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” At one point Moses declares in Numbers 11:29: “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Priests, prophets, kingly image bearers of God—this is what the people were ideally called to be. But somehow the fear of death had crept between the people and their God, and not even this experience of standing in God’s presence and hearing his voice and living could deter it. “Why should we di?” they ask. And so they ask for a mediator: someone to stand between.
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus has become the mediator of a new covenant—one in which we do now have direct access to God. Not only that, but the Spirit dwells within us and any fears of death have been swallowed up in the resurrection life of Easter. So there are no barriers to access on God’s end. The only question, is are we willing? To stand in God’s presence? To hear his voice? Today is a new day in which this question comes to you. God is always speaking—will you open your ears and heart to join the dialogue?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:33-44 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- Why did God want Israel to celebrate the feast of booths? Do we have such a festival? Think of some ways in which we could follow Israel’s example.
- Why did Jesus interrupt the water ceremony? How important is the Holy Spirit?
- How did Jesus re-interpret the lighting ceremony?
- How did Jesus reframe the Palm Sunday celebrations?
- What does it look like for you to follow the king on the donkey?
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Deuteronomy 5:21).
This tenth covenant word is different from the rest. The others concern things that we do which can be witnessed. The tenth is about our thoughts, our desires. It helpful to simplify this verse to: Do not desire your neighbours’ stuff. Using the word ‘stuff’ helps us overcome the cultural differences between Israel and ourselves Further, to say ‘stuff’ helps us understand that when we covet someone’s spouse, we dehumanize that person.
No person should be reduced to stuff, each of us bears the image of God. We desire a person's body without regard for the person. We desire the goods and resources of other people without any regard for the people themselves. We often desire God's world and even God's heaven without any regard for God himself. This desire is selfish and endlessly hungry, constantly craving to be filled again and again.
Desire is not wrong. God made us with desire. What is addressed here is the longing that says, “I want that thing that belongs to you”. And we begin to scheme within ourselves to get it; or we imagine what our life would be like with that stuff. We desire the success that our competition has. We desire the nicer car our friends have or their nicer family members.
Remember the first sin: Eve went from observation (she saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye), to desire (and also desirable for gaining wisdom) to the inevitable deed: "She took some and ate it" (Gen 3:4-7). The desire to have something which they did not have, led Eve and Adam to commit the first sin. Coveting is an extremely dangerous sin. Is it possible that coveting lies at the heart of most sin? Something to ponder.
What we need to hear again is what Martha heard from Jesus after she had complained to him that her sister was just sitting around listening, not helping her in the kitchen. Jesus’ answer to her was, "Martha, Martha...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41-42). There is only one thing that we really need, that is, Jesus. When we focus our desire on him, life becomes quite simple, and much happier.
“Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [things we 'need'] will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33). If our lives are lived with this one desire, we will no need to desire the things others have.
This desire grows by the gardening of the Spirit of God. It includes a conscious refusal to be conformed "to the pattern of this world" and a deliberate effort to be "transformed by the renewing" of our minds (Romans 12:2). Even in our culture which constantly tickles our old nature back to life, it is possible "to work out our salvation with fear and trembling" precisely because "it is God who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:12-13). Not only actions but also desires and thoughts are now under the Redeemer's control: "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right...pure... lovely...admirable...excellent or praiseworthy"--we learn to "think about such things" (Phil 4:8). We take pleasure in whatever is right.
The law shows us our sin. It shows how imperfect we are. This knowledge keeps us humble before God, and dependent on Jesus. It constantly reminds us of how much we need Jesus and His redemption. But the law also wets our appetite for spiritual transformation. It gets us hungering and thirsting for righteous (Mt 5:6) and craving pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2). The law awakens in us a desire for doing what is right. It constantly reminds us to fight against the flesh and its evil desires that still clings to us.
Our goal is to become like Jesus. To be like Jesus is to have "true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24), a spirit of obedience to God to the service of humanity (Phil. 2:5-11), and mature knowledge of Christ (Eph. 4:4-15). It also means that we "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18). It is a process of getting more of God in us and less of us in us. For when Jesus appears we shall be like him (1 John 3:2).
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Deuteronomy 5:20)
This word honours and guards the integrity of all words by keeping honesty and integrity at the forefront of our dealings with one another, particularly in a court of law. We are not to falsely use the name of God: the same applies to the name of our neighbour—it ought not be falsely dragged through the mud. By extension, this word upholds truth and bars us from deceit, slander, and falsehood.
This ninth word is one of the clearest invitations for us to defend the truth. But there are perhaps two different notions of truth to distinguish here, which we tend to use interchangeably without noticing what we’ve done.
One form of the truth is that which I myself have witnessed: that I have seen, heard, and experienced firsthand, in person, myself. When we are called upon as a witness in a legal court, this is the form of truth we swear to tell—an accurate portrayal of reality as we have witnessed it. This form of truth is inherently subjective and not infrequently the testimony of truthful witnesses will disagree with one another—just as the four Gospels in the New Testament do—because we each witness events from our own vantage point, interpreting what we see and hear through our own assumptions, biases, and experiences. Historians see these slight variations in witness accounts as a mark of authenticity. When a narrative is too flat or when different accounts are too identical, as if a set of witnessed “practiced” together what they were going to say—judges and historians get suspicious. And rightly so. Human life and reality has a natural and necessary variation to it. We do not all perceive the world the same way. But that does not make our account of reality as we’ve experienced it any less truthful.
The second form of truth is a much more modern notion not known to the times of the Bible, but more often than not, this is the sort of truth we are talking about in Christian circles these days. This is a truth that is—as much as possible—flattened and codified into an objective, identically repeatable formulation. It is a systematic truth—or a systematic theology sort of truth. It is removed from the inconsistent world of subjective experience. And yet, this second form of truth depends on the first for its existence. The second form is logically deduced from the first, making it a secondary, or derivative form of truth—disembodied from the messy embodied reality of human life and perception. In this process, subjectivities are supposedly eliminated to create a smooth, coherent, linear formulation of “the truth” in a universal, abstract sense that applies everywhere to everyone in exactly the same way.
If the first form of truth—the subjective, eye-witness sort—is a living stone admitting of hundreds of variations, the second form of truth is a brick: flat, monotonous, and infinitely repeatable. However, God’s people were told not to make bricks anymore. Rather, we’ve been made to become living stones built together into a holy temple that rises to witness as eye-witnesses to the works and wonders of the living God that we ourselves have subjectively experienced in our own day-to-day lives as the Spirit works the salvation of Jesus into us and sanctified fruit out of us for the sake of the world. When we are called to be witnesses of Jesus and his truth: this is what is meant. And when we are called not to bear false witness, this is what is meant.
So when this command is extended to demand that we defend the truth of words and the Word—the sort of truth we are called to defend is not the “objective,” systematic theology sort that demands logical apologetic arguments of us (which C.S. Lewis likens to a pinning of God’s wings to the cork board like a dead biology project). But rather, what we are called to defend is the truth of our eye-witness confession of faith: “look what the Lord has done for me! I cannot do otherwise than believe and love this Jesus because I know him, I talk with him, and having seen him for myself, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he lives!”
These days, the places we are most tempted to slander another are those places where things get heated: places of political rancour or culture war—whether internally against fellow Christians or externally against the world of neighbours around us. Our desire to force others into the mold of what we believe to be objectively true seems to give us the green light to use any means necessary to accomplish this end: including slander, defamation, false witness, embellishing, and plain ol’ lying. The “conservatives” are guilty of this. The “progressives” are guilty of this. And, many of us who live in between and get angry with the polarizing voices that are rocking our boat are guilty of this too!
Speaking God’s name without false use requires that we speak our neighbour’s name without false use too. When our words no longer ring true in this personal, subjective sense, when we no longer hold a relational fidelity to speaking truthfully with and of one another, the basis for any form of trust between people erodes and relationships become difficult to tend—as we’ve experienced these past years. God knows this, and so his 9th word of covenant fidelity is a gift to us, that when lived, can restore trust and relationship between people in God’s world.
“You shall not steal” (Deuteronomy 5:18).
It was a Tuesday evening; my dad had brought several of his children to the church building for the weekly Catechism Classes. Because we had classes at different times, we needed to wait for each other. The intend was that we would complete our homework while not in class. On this night, my friend enticed me to join him on a trip to the local variety store. On the way, he instructed me on the finer arts of shoplifting. He left successfully; I left with a stern warning that next time I would leave by police escort.
Desire! That is the issue this covenant word addresses. Desire for stuff; the love of things. Who is not faced with this temptation on occasion? The Bible repeatedly warns us about it. Paul tells us how foolish it is to fall for the devil’s wiles, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7). Many of Jesus’ stories warn against the danger of this desire for wealth.
Consider also the stories of Achan in Joshua 7 and Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Achan’s story is during Israel’s entrance into the land of promise. The Acts 5 story comes at the beginning of God’s new people, the church. The two stories parallel each other. At these crucial moments of covenant history, God’s people face the same danger: the desire for wealth.
And then there is Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve. How could he have fallen? He had preached the gospel, healed the sick, feed the poor, but his heart was in his wallet. As John would later comment, “he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). Like Cain, he refused to change course. In the end, the devil could take him; and take him he did.
If we are not careful, we too will be taken. Paul also wrote, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:7-10).
How can we guard ourselves? It begins with putting God first. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). This is especially important while we are busy earning money. Ask yourself often, “Am I here to make money or to serve God in this place at this time?” It is a question of what’s in first place in our lives: God or money? Serving both doesn’t work.
Putting God first leads to contentment. Paul also wrote, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (6:8). Desire for money and contentment are opposites here. I think we can go deeper. A lack of contentment with what we have suggests that God has done something wrong. He has not given me enough.
Let us return to the covenant word, “You shall not steal”. We could rephase it to say, “I may not claim for my own something that belongs to another.” For the God follower this has implications for commerce and banking, for buying and selling, for saving and investing, for owning possessions and giving them away. It means employees should share in the profits they make. We are prohibited from manipulating someone else for the sake of personal gain.
It prohibits the accumulation of goods by unjust means, or at the expense of other people. I suggest it says something about gambling which exploits people’s greed. Moses undergirded this word with instructions on interest, pledges, bribes, correct weights and measures, moving a neighbour's property lines, as well as laws that protected the weak and poor from oppression, provided release for slaves and ensured the poor had access to the needs of life.
The Bible offers another antidote to stealing. We seek God. Then we know God. C.S. Lewis wrote: "God loves us; not because we are loveable but because He is love; not because He needs to receive but because He delights to give." Again, from Paul, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Knowing God, we receive his grace and we become like him. We imitate him. If God is a giver, so are his children. Thus, not only is contentment the opposite of stealing, so is generosity. We lean into contentment as we share the gifts God has given us.
“You shall not commit adultery.” (Deuteronomy 5:18)
These five words are ground zero of the culture war over human sexuality in the CRC. Synod’s decision to make a list of sins confessional was attached to it via the Heidelberg Catechism’s use of the word “unchastity” to describe what this word prohibits. We’re not going to dwell much on that today because the questions that really animate the culture war conversation are mostly to do with same-sex marriage, which is neither the main point of this seventh covenant word nor relevant to most of the intimate relationships in which you—the readers/listeners—are involved. Statistics continue to suggest that the community of those who are same-sex attracted remains a very small minority of the population. That is not to say that this conversation has no place—if it impacts you, I/we are happy to talk further—but it is a specialist place of pastoral concern for a very few, not the main topic of concern for the whole church nor for this seventh word of the covenant.
Anyway, this to say: I must admit that this seventh of the covenant words evokes a certain sorrow and weariness in my soul. It has consumed more time and attention, created more division and heartache, and become the context for the disillusionment and loss of more faith, hope, love, and even membership than I care to name.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Keeping the main thing the main thing in each thing is an important corrective. And the main thing the seventh word is concerned with, similarly to the whole of these ten words, is relational fidelity. In this case, within a marriage.
Being married has not gotten easier. The impact of COVID isolation and intensification (spending more time with certain family members at home) has placed a lot of stress on marriages, as it has on all relationships. The ramping up of digital immersion has taken its toll as well: we are more restless and distracted and find less capacity to meaningfully engage with the person in front of us. Not only that, but the ease-of-access to pornography and other social contagions (like the sort that breed polarization and culture war) along with the corresponding ease of bypassing accountability that’s been enabled by our personal screens has placed depersonalizing and alienating enemies within our gates.
Marriage continues to require of us good communication and good commitment that gives space for the journey of sanctification that marriage demands of us: turning us continually away from vices and ugly character traits and towards the deeper virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It’s not easy, but the good news is that this is still a work the Spirit desires to accomplish within us—and marriage remains one of the key tools in our lives by which he does it. A faithful marriage starts to smell like Jesus after a lifetime of partnering with God and one another through healthy fights, life-changing experiences walked together, and much confession and forgiveness offered.
We cannot do this work without God, but we also can’t do it without a community of support. As God’s people, it is important to continue to offer ourselves to support one another in our marriages: asking one another how we’re doing in our marriages and encouraging one another in this difficult, but good commitment.
And as God’s people, we would also do well to speak a good and encouraging word about marriage to those growing up behind us, too. Divorce rates are down significantly from where they were a few decades ago, but so are marriage rates. So many burdens weigh so much more heavily on the upcoming generation than it did on the previous ones—economic, educational, technological, relational, etc. It’s easy to be cynical about the future, marriage, and even singleness (which stretches on much longer on average than it used to). The church can be a place of supportive relationship where the upcoming generation can find good conversation partners and encouraging words about the possibilities for healthy relationships and commitment.
So: how might you support the relational flourishing of the people in your life and in our church today—whether they are married or single?
“You shall not murder” (Deuteronomy 5:17).
Offering this reflection, the Heidelberg Catechism helps us mine the depth of this covenant word,
“I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor--not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds--and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either…By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God's sight all such are murder. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies” (Lord’s Day 40).
The Catechism reminds us to apply this covenant words to ourselves. It is much easier to reflect on how others are violating this word. Yet, if we are to take this seriously, self-reflection must be the way we go. We must not deflect the commands of God’s word on others but allow them to penetrate our hearts.
We are also reminded of Jesus’ words that evil comes from the human heart. It is not just outright murder that is at stake here, but the roots of murder such as anger and envy and vindictiveness. Such vices are often given permission to hang out in our hearts. When someone offends us, we often experience a momentary flash of anger. If we do not extinguish this fire, it will flair into contempt: we look down our nose at the offender; we are willing to tell the truth about them without love. This contempt can settle into hatred. We see the effects of this in people killing colleagues and even family members.
This command is rooted in the unique sanctity of human life that derives from our status as the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Because we are made in his image, we are sacred stuff. To take the life of another person is to rob God of a representative and deputy, which is the highest form of treason. Even this word is primarily about our covenant with God.
Being God’s image bearers means that we are stewards of the earth and each other. Jesus shows us that we rule by serving. The shepherd does not to use the sheep but lays down His life for them (John 10:11). We are not to take the life of another human in any form, but rather to serve them. We die to ourselves by giving up our rights to vengeance and serving those who have injured us.
In Babylonian laws, commands against murder drew distinctions regarding the value of life based on status, race, or gender. Such distinctions are not made in God’s covenant. The life of all human beings is equally sacred because we are made in his image. Our value is derived from God, not from our status in human society.
Thus, the Catechism is correct in teaching us that this Covenant word concerns more than just the prevention of murder. To obey it means that we will be promoters of life. Christians in North America have long advocated for the unborn. Currently, we are engaged with the Canadian society calling for protection for the elderly and those suffering from mental illness.
This is right and proper for the Christian community. However, we must confess that we have neglected this command in other ways. Our advocacy for the local poor is intermittent; certainly not as strong as our fight against abortion once was. Neither have we listened well to the effects that a changing climate is having on the world’s poorest people. As ocean level’s rise, many under resourced people live in danger. Do we care?
One of the earliest questions in the Bible is, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). The answer has always been, “Yes. I am my sister’s and brother’s keeper!”
Years ago, I came across this story recorded by a shoe store worker in Nova Scotia. A barefoot boy was standing by hot air register of a bakery when a middle aged lady came by and began to talk with him. After a few moments, they entered the store. She bought him new shoes and a pair of heavy woollen socks. While she was paying, the young lad asked, "Are you God's wife?" "No son, I'm just one of His children." To this he replied "Well, I knew you must be some relation to him." He quickly thanked her and ran out the door.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:15-22 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What is Sacred Time? Any ideas? Has the use of Liturgical Colours in the front of the sanctuary helped you at all to understand the flow of a sacred time? How might it?
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What significance do you notice to the way the feasts are laid out in the Leviticus 23 calendar? You can come back to this question throughout the sermon!
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What does the festival of Weeks/Pentecost have to do with Creation?
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What are the values that God reveals through his provision in Creation? How do feasts remind and re-form us into these values?
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What’s the difference between Secular (Sæculum) and Sacred time? How does our eternal God of eternity intersect with our own time? What does that do? When does that happen still today in our Christian life and worship?
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Coming to the feast of the Lord’s Supper joins us to all these stories of Christ’s redemption and sends us out in the Spirit not as secular people, but as people who have communed with the Sacred. How will that change the way you live this week?
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16)
Both the Word on Sabbath and this Word on the honouring of father and mother are transitional words. They stand in the middle of the Ten moving us outward from loving, relational commitment to God toward a matching love of fellow human beings.
These commands stand out as different from all the others, not only because they are in the middle, but also because they come with additional clauses attached. Sabbath is the only word given with a rationale, and the honouring of parents is the only word that comes with a promise.
Sabbath gives a boundary in time for loving not only God, but also our neighbours as we set them free in the same freedom that we ourselves enjoy. Honouring fathers and mothers places our first full human act of love in our most intimate and primary of human relationships: that between us and our parents. And it commands that honouring of parents in words not dissimilar from the honour due to God from the first commands. So again, both of these are transitional commands, showing us how love of God is the foundation and impetus for that love to flow outward to our neighbours.
Of course, speaking specifically of this 5th command, we recognize that this parent-child relationship is sometimes also our most fraught. One of the commentators on this passage, Miller, notes that this command was not intended for small children still growing up under their parent’s care—it was intended for adult children navigating that odd relationship as equals-but-not-quite with their aging parents. Do you estrange yourself, exert control, grin-and-bear it when things do not go well in this relationship? The 5th word would suggest that keeping relationship with God demands a different path: one that honours these elders in our lives. No doubt for some of us that will require confession, forgiveness, prayers for a softened, healed heart, and a harder act of love than we may know ourselves capable of.
The word for honour means a dignifying, treating as weighty, valuable, and worthy these elders in one’s life—and doing so as an act of relational fidelity not only to them, but also to God. In a land without pensions where families live on ancestral inheritance together across generations, this is indeed a way to “live long” and have it “go well with you” in the land. To model to your own children what it means to love, honour, and eventually also care for those who are older and aging is a good way to treat as you yourself might hope to be treated when you yourself are the aging elder.
Even though we deal with each other primarily through systems now (like that of pensions, old age security, retirement and nursing homes) rather than through in-law suites that put us on the same plot of land together does not mean this command has lost any of its relevance. Perhaps it even holds more. The way that we—you and I—deal with our aging and dying parents says a lot about who we are as people, perhaps also as a society. People that no longer honour their elders in loving, intimate, relational fidelity begin to lose touch with their past and perhaps reveal that they have grown cynical or even fearful of their future. What life is there then to “live long” and “go well” into?
The catechism broadens the force of this command, using parents as a prototype that envelopes any authority that is set over us. That’s well and good. The family is indeed the most basic building block of society. But in this societal, systems-level thinking, it is also important not to lose the intimate, incarnate relationships of family.
We all have (had) parents. This word of relational honouring must first be personal before it can become universal. As John will later write in a slightly different, but relevant context from 1 John 4:20—"whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” The same can be said of parents. The practical nitty gritty reality of love always starts at home.
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
The Sabbath word has a complex history. For many, it has negative resonance. While I was growing up, the major question for Sabbath keeping was, “What is work?” The answer created a long list of forbidden activities resulting in empty Sunday afternoons. Because we focus on defining ‘work’, it is difficult to apply to our cultural context. However, there is a renaissance of Sabbath keeping literature.
The biblical word concerning Sabbath is positive, meant to give life, not dull it. It is a discipline which helps develop a healthy Christian spirituality. Recall what we have been saying about these ten words. They are words of covenant, of the relationship between God and his people. The word about Sabbath was not intended to be primarily legalistic. Its purpose was to create space in the weekly rhythm for God and his people to be together. It is a Sabbath to the Lord. It was and is a gift.
Early in the era of the church, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection, became the Christian Sabbath. The New Testament does not command the Gentile Christian converts to cease work on that day. As much as it would be wonderful if Sabbath keeping was part of our country’s culture, it is not, and not likely to be such. As Christians, we do well not to reserve ‘Sabbath keeping’ for Sunday, but rather fashion it as a way of life.
There are a couple of Scriptures that help us to do this. One of them is right here, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there…” The first dynamic of Christian Sabbath is ‘remembering’. The exodus from Egypt gave shape to Israelite life and identity. Likewise, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead gives shape to the Christian life and identity. The early church choose to worship on the first day of the week, not the seventh or the sixth. It is not Good Friday, but Easter, resurrection, victory, that gives us our identity.
For Israel, Egypt was death. They were literally worked to death. Now, they must remember that God set them free from this ‘death by work’. In Exodus 20, God invites her to remember that he is the creator of all things. In both these Sabbath words, we are called to remember “who is who”! Who creates and gives life? God does. Both passages challenge us to step out of the driver’s seat and pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Sabbath keeping is the discipline of entering the freedom of putting our lives into God’s care. We stop striving to create our own lives so that we can receive life from God.
The religious leaders challenged Jesus for his unacceptable Sabbath activities. The rather famous words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28) are followed by Sabbath stories. Jesus gives rest to weary people. Our Lord was clearly more concerned about lifting our burdens and less about having us follow the rules. In Mark, Jesus concludes, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (2:27).
God knows we need rest and renewal—physically, mentally, and spiritually. His commandment is a gift, should we choose to accept it. And yet we resist. We crave control, we must work, lest our world fall apart. Sabbath is given for us to remember that we cannot make life, God gives it. The life we are meant to live is not that of the workaholic, but of people in Christ. We are limited. We find life by delighting in God. In Christ, we are set free from our evil ways that we might live in his righteousness. Sabbath keeping gives us this gift.
The psalmist wrote, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs…” (84:5-6). When we Sabbath to God, we receive his life and have plenty of life to give away. When we seek to make life for ourselves, we will never have enough; we will always fear running out.
Take time for Sabbath so God can bless you!
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Deuteronomy 5:11)
The third Word of the Covenant is grounded once again, in a relationship with God. As such, it’s helpful to think of it in relational terms. The question being: how do you talk about someone that you know and love?
Take a marriage, for instance. When a marriage relationship is healthy and strong, it is highly unlikely that you will hear one of the partners in that marriage use the other’s name as a swear word, or as the butt of a cruel joke. Now, behind closed doors, they may indeed exchange some heated words with one another, but in public: they are not likely to dishonour the other’s name. In fact, if and when we do hear a partner to a marriage start to speak more critically of their spouse in more public spaces—we recognize it as a red flag—presuming that they might be struggling and in need of our support and care.
This is the idea here as well. We use God’s name with honour and respect, because we know God and love God, even as we are known and loved by him. We care for God’s good name because there is a mutual caring between us. The New Testament’s imagery of Bride and Bridgegroom invites this comparison of mutuality, even though we certainly also understand a difference and deference between God and ourselves.
Further: God’s name is not misused when we angrily shout or cry out at, to, and with him in the context of prayer and lament. The Psalms do this all the time, sometimes in rather harsh and bluntly honest language that makes us blush. But the critical point in the psalms is that these fights remain within the context of the relationship. The name of God continues to be used in the context of personal address to God, which honours God and our relationship with him.
Another concerns of this command is oaths. The Catechism suggests we may use God’s name when required to for an oath, though it cautions us against it if it isn’t needed (as does Jesus: “let your yes be yes, and your no, no”). The idea here again is relational: God knows us and can vouch for our truthfulness. The reverse is also true: should we be found to be lying, it is with God that we will have to do for he “will not hold anyone guiltless who missuses his name.” Of course, lying under such an oath also reflects a heavily distorted image of God to the world. This too has an analogue in other relationships: we tend to mention loved ones offhandedly as people who can vouch for our character and story, but at the same time, they do not take well to being dragged into our lies.
When God’s name is misused—as in the example of bad oaths above—what’s at stake is a sin against the relationship that God has established with us. God reveals his name to Moses and to Israel so that they might know him more intimately and understand his character more deeply. His name is meant for personal address, as in the conversation of prayer or worship—always within the context of the relationship. But whenever we speak about someone rather than to or with them, we are always in danger of depersonalizing or objectifying them and so betraying our relationship in small, but significant ways. This danger is all the more profound when it comes to the God whom we have not seen.
Hopefully this all gives a sense of the force of this Third Word of the Covenant. So today: how will you honour your relationship with God in the ways that you speak to him, and of him to others?
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Deuteronomy 5:8-10).
God’s first word of covenant, which Pastor Anthony reflected on yesterday, addressed who we worship. This second word considers how we worship. It draws us deeper into the covenant relationship between the saving God of Israel and his saved people. Only this context of the covenant relationship of salvation enables us to draw appropriate applications for ourselves from this word.
The prohibition against creating an image of God addresses two concerns. First, any idol eventually limits our belief in God’s power and ability. That is why the prophets constantly harassed Israel about worshipping idols that couldn’t speak or hear or see or move. She was attributing such limitations upon God (cf. Isaiah 40). Second, idols were used to control the gods. Recall the story in 1 Samuel 4 in which Israel took the ark of the covenant into battle. Even the Philistines believed they were in trouble because Israel had brought her God into battle with them. God says, “Oh no, you cannot use me for your own purposes.”
When I used to teach Catechism classes to the youth, I would take along a variety of pictures representing Jesus. I asked the class to describe how the artist was depicting Christ. What was being communicated about him? After some time, I would ask, ‘So, what is missing?’ None of the images could portray the fullness of our Lord. All of us have mental images of God. If we are to take this second covenant word seriously, we need to do a mental inventory of our images of God. How do they limit him? What aspects of God are we ignoring? Is he great enough to save? Is he truly worthy of our worship?
The wonder of this commandment is often missed with two mistakes. One, we think about jealousy with negative connotations. Yet, if we consider what is here, jealousy is quite appropriate. God has demonstrated his profound love for Israel by freeing her from Egypt and bringing her into the promised land. If Israel in return, goes chasing after other gods, does God not have a right to be jealous?
In Israelite society, three to four generations lived together. If the oldest generation has abandoned God, the others follow in their footsteps. God will punish that household. This was culturally appropriate. The only recorded example of this is the Babylonian captivity. Here is the second mistake we sometimes make. We miss the contrast that God will show love to a 1000 generations of those who love and obey him. God’s love and commitment to Israel is littered throughout the Bible. This contrast highlights his love.
The ancients worshipped idols to stay in their god's favour. Their sacrifices were given in hopes that the gods would do nice things for them. They worshipped their gods out of fear. Fear that their gods would turn against them or just forget them. Think about Baal’s priests up on mount Carmel. In contrast, God had committed Himself to Israel and there was no way in heaven or on earth that God would forget them. God did not want to be worshipped out of fear; theirs was a love relationship.
How do you worship God? Out of fear? Probably not. But maybe out of tradition. Maybe in the hope that he will reward you in some way. Maybe in the expectation that he will ensure the good life for you. We often make worship about style of music, type of instruments, liturgies, time, etc. These are trivialities. When worship is reduced to such things, we break this second covenant word. Its about passion. Its about God’s passionate love for us which he has demonstrated in Christ’s suffering and death. He has paid the ultimate price so that we might be his children. The only way to respond is with our own passionate love and commitment to God.
On Sunday many of us joined a worshipping community, whether in person or through technology. How much passion did you see? How much passion did you bring? The thrust of this covenant word is the preservation of the relationship between God and his people which is characterized by love. Did you see that love? Did you bring it? Consider the line, “Love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unyielding as the grave” (Song of Songs 8:6). I think it adequately describes this covenant word.
Last week, in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Americas, we worshipped with three different Christian churches. There was passion there. It made me wonder: has our affluence robbed us of our passion for God?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:23-25 from the New International Version of the Bible.
And [God] said: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 6-7)
Today we start in on the Ten Commandments. What are the Ten Commandments? Well, for starters, they are not exactly commandments. In the Hebrew language, they are quite literally called the “Ten Words.” And these Ten Words are also not exactly “the law,” even though that tends to be the way that we refer to them. No: they are firstly and primarily the Ten Words of God’s Covenant with his people. That is to say: these words God speaks are the terms of a relationship. These Words are not firstly ethics, laws, commandments, or a list of “don’ts.” They are firstly the definition of a new relationship—a covenant.
It is easy to reduce these Words into a criminal code to be policed with the coercive force of discipline in its worst forms. But that is not how the Bible, nor our own church tradition in the CRC through the Catechism understands them. These are life-giving words of relationship: a guide for gratefully living with God in the new relationship that he has graciously established.
The two members of this covenantal relationship are named in this first Word. God is the Lord who saves, and we are the people who are saved. This is the basis and foundation of the relationship. Why and how does Israel have anything to do with this God? Because he is the God who has chosen of his own volition to have something to do with them, namely by saving them. It had nothing to do with Israel or anything good or special about them, just as it had nothing to do with Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob before them. The patriarchs were cowardly, devious, and strong-willed. They were not particularly righteous. The people of Israel weren’t any better. There was nothing that made them better or different than anyone else. The only basis of their relationship with God therefore, was God himself through God’s own, voluntary choosing.
Given this new relationship of God’s choosing though, from now on, God and Israel are to be a monogamous couple. No other gods can enter the picture. But to hear only this negative prohibition about no other gods is to miss fully half of what this command is about. It is not merely a negative prohibition. The equally important Shema of chapter 6 enters on the heals of these Ten Words to balance them out in a positive form. The Shema ties directly into this first Word of the Covenant and declares that Israel is also to “love the Lord their God.” To love God firstly, only, and completely. Just as God has loved them.
If this one, first, most important Word Command is kept, all the others tend to find their place. That is to say, if our relationship with God remains strong, primary, and exclusive: all of our other relationships and activities have a foundation for flourishing too.
I talked to someone just the other day who experienced this. Any number of questions had hung over this person for years about relationships and the future. Any number of paths to a solution had been sought, but to no avail. Finally, after spending years skirting real time and attention for God, they took a retreat to do nothing but spend time with him. Oddly enough, simply taking that time to reorient firstly on God, this person discovered—not a resolution—but a peace about some of the other questions too. Enough to step forward into commitment on the other side.
God has established a relationship with us. It is the first, most important relationship of our lives. So: take time to check in with God today. How is your relationship doing?
Welcome to Wilderness Wanderings. My name is Renita Reed-Thomson, and I have the privilege to serve as a partner missionary with you at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.
I want to talk with you today about what it means to do our work as worship. It’s a catchy phrase but what does it really mean? Does its simply mean dedicating all we do to the glory of God, or is there more to it? We want to look at a Hebrew word in our exploration, ‘Avodah’ and which means “work, serve, and worship.”
Our text comes from three different verses which use this same Hebrew word “Avodah.”
Key Verses
• The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (ESV) Tend in this verse is often translated ‘till’ or ‘work.’ It is interesting to note that the two words translated here as tend (avad) and care (keep or guard), are often used together in reference to keeping the law.
• He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:12 (ESV) In this verse, the word Avodah/serve refers to worship.
• And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (ESV) Again, note that tend/work, worship, and serve are all the same word in Hebrew.
John Piper said that mission exists because worship does not. How much greater would be our worship of God if we turned what we do most of the week from “work” to “worship?” Too often, we separate our worship from our work. It is something we do on Sundays. But God is the author of work and it the greatest of all workers. We are made in his image to work in such a way that it brings honor and glory to Him.
One of God’s great gifts to us is fulfillment and dignity that come in and through work. As is His way, He gives us this gift and delights in us as we give it back to Him, then He gives more back to us! We can never outgive Him or worship Him too much in and through our lives. As we do this with and in our work, God is glorified. Don’t be surprised if avenues of creativity and new opportunities aren’t opened up to you along the way of discovering work as worship!
Let’s pray together.
Prayer
Father, we thank you that you have given us the privilege to work; to be occupied with worthwhile endeavors that reflect your love and care for us, our families, and our community. We pray that you will open our eyes to see your glory in the work you have given us to do. We pray that we will glorify you by giving back to you our ‘whole soul’ as we worship you in our work. Amen.
Welcome to Wilderness Wanderings. My name is Renita Reed-Thomson, and I have the privilege to serve as a partner missionary with you at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.
I want to talk to you today about a time in scripture when we observe a move from a garden to a graveyard, and then from a graveyard to a garden. We will be looking at a few different texts during our time together.
I don’t know about you but the joy of serving a risen Savior can often be overshadowed by seeing suffering and death all around. From a shooting at a traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to kidnappings in Kaduna, Nigeria, to the war in Ukraine, the words "O death, where is your victory?" can sometimes ring hollow (1 Cor. 15:55).
From Garden to Graveyard
But recently I saw anew the shift in Scripture from garden to graveyard, and then graveyard to garden. Eden moved from being a garden to a graveyard in the recounting of the fall in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve, who were created to work and care for the garden, suddenly knew death. The garden that was created for flourishing and life had the shadow of death cast over it.
And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken (Gen. 3:22-23).
From that time on, the world knew daily the reality of the graveyard.
From Graveyard to Garden
But then Jesus came to earth, lived and died, and was buried in a tomb located in a garden. He defeated death in that garden. And the first person he appears to, Mary Magdalene, confuses him for a gardener.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him” (Jn. 20:15).
And as it turns out, she was not mistaken. Our God and Father, and Jesus the Son, are indeed gardeners.
God as Gardener
Was God a gardener? Did he actually work with his hands? In Genesis 2:7-9a we read:
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
We hear the words: “The Lord God formed…the Lord God planted…The Lord God made…”
God didn’t simply use his voice in creation. God got his hands dirty while making humanity and the garden.
During Jesus' time on earth, his hands got dirty again. Very dirty. Calloused, splintered, and injured as a carpenter for 18 years, and then scarred as the nails pierced them, the result of an unjust trial, sentence, and execution.
You can't garden from a distance. You must get your hands dirty in the soil. And thankfully, God does not garden from a distance. We are told in John 5:17 that, "My Father is always working, and so am I."
Let’s Get Our Hands Dirty
And each of us, in our own gardens, cannot garden from a distance. And so, our hands get dirty with the invasive species of sin that has filled our own gardens: in our homes, churches, communities, nations, and world.
Death has lost its victory and has lost its sting. The graveyard has become a garden again.
And we join the God who saved us by getting our own hands dirty. We get in the dirt, we pull the weeds, we plant the seeds, we labor as gardeners using our time, treasure, and talent.
And in so doing, we strive to join with our Father in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, a little bit at a time.
Welcome to Wilderness Wanderings. My name is Renita Reed-Thomson, and I have the privilege to serve as a partner missionary with you at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church. Today I want to talk about living life as a peach, and not an orange.
Our text today comes from Colossians 1:15-16:
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—Such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
Recently as I flew on a very long flight from Chicago to Addis Ababa, I was unable to sleep and therefore got a lot of reading and writing done. One quote that I read jumped out at me: Christians tend to live their lives as oranges, not peaches.
The quote makes sense. Oranges are segmented. They are self-contained. They have a rather strong “flesh” that protects the juice from inside each segment. Like oranges, we too compartmentalize our lives into segments. We create layers between them, often unintentionally, that keeps things neatly separate. From the outside, it looks like one cohesive unit. It’s only upon peeling the orange, that you see the divisions.
Eating an orange is easy. The peel and rind come off relatively neatly with just your fingers. The segments keep your hands from getting sticky orange juice on them.
Peaches, on the other hand, are different. You need a knife to take off the peel. The inside pulp of a peach has no divisions. In fact, the pulp and pit are so connected that it is difficult to separate them. It’s difficult to eat a peach neatly. Peach juice often drips all over faces, hands and clothes.
Christians (and all humanity in normal everyday life) segment our lives. These segments keep things neat and clean in their isolated boxes. Some of the segments that we have created in our lives are those that we believe are important to God. Some segments we do not believe are important to God.
The segments we believe are important include church services and activities, social action activities, evangelistic activities. The segments we do not believe are important are work, rest, leisure, sports and the arts.
We believe that the segments are real and even Biblical. But they are not.
We call this the sacred/secular divide and it has permeated the global church. This has caused us to be ineffective as ambassadors for Christ from Monday-Saturday, and it has reduced the impact that the church, as the people of God, can have on every sector and industry.
Colossians 1:16 reminds us that “all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:20 reminds us that God expects us to bring restoration or reconciliation or shalom of all things to Him. This includes both material and immaterial things. And everything in life is connected – it’s how it was made to be! You cannot do just one thing. There are ripples and impacts everywhere. And yes, that can get messy – but in good ways!
As you go into your day, consider the parts of your life that you have segmented like an orange, and see if there is a way to reduce the compartmentalization, becoming more like a peach, for the glory of God.
Welcome to Wilderness Wanderings. My name is Renita Reed-Thomson, and I have the privilege to serve as a partner missionary with you at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.
I work with many pastors across West, Central and East Africa, who are seeking to reclaim a redeemed marketplace for Christ. One pastor in particular has inspired me as well as many of the members of his church. His name is Rev. Dr. Johnson Asare from Northern Ghana, and you will often hear him say that it is "risky not to take risks." He is a man who has taken many risks in his life, as a businessman, a pastor, a Muslim-turned-Christian, and a community leader. He knows what he is talking about. While others have said something similar to this, hearing him say it has stuck with me because of his testimony, and I find myself repeating that phrase from time to time.
I was reminded of that line as I considered this parable from Matthew 25, where our text comes from. This is the very familiar parable of the talents. As it is familiar, I will not read the whole passage but will remind us that is a story Jesus tells about a man who goes a journey and entrusts three servants with different amounts of his wealth, according to his ability. One receives five bags of gold, another two, and another one. The first two double what they have been given, while the last servant simply buries it. The master is pleased with the first two and welcomes them to more responsibility, while the last one gives this explanation for his lack of effort from verse 24 and 25:
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
This parable reminds us that it is a sin to squander what God has given us. He has given us three main resources: time, treasure, and talent, and all three work together for the flourishing of the world, for the flourishing of ourselves, and for the glory of God. This parable reminds us that we are not to wrap or bind up those opportunities and bury them for fear of losing them through risky ventures or doing things "incorrectly."
I see this over and again in my work with small and medium business leaders across Africa. Doing business is risky and I have watched many people take those risks. Unfortunately, many businesses do fail, but that is not the end of the story. There is much to be learned in those failures. In the same way, we take risks in relationships, in church, in accepting a new job, or investing yourself in your community. Living involves risk. It is an investment of ourselves to people, places, and things.
We are accountable for the investment of our lives. We are responsible to God, to ourselves, and to each other.
We may sympathize with the person who received only one talent, but we must always remember that the source of the conservatism on the part of that person was his inadequate view of God.
The servant with one bag only saw his master as someone who was "a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not sown seed."
But we must view God in His entirety. He has given each person unique combinations of time, treasure, and talent. And He has crafted us in a way that when we use these resources with integrity and love, it is a win-win-win. When we don't use them with integrity and we confess, He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
As I head into this day, I wonder what risks I will take with my time, treasure, and talent. I wonder which risks I will cower at, which ones I will embrace, and which ones I will bury.
My heart's desire is to prayerfully consider the risks before me, and to remember that I am accountable not just for the risks I take but also for the risks I don't take.
Be encouraged this day in taking risks for the glory of God!
Welcome to Wilderness Wanderings. My name is Renita Reed-Thomson, and I have the privilege to serve as a partner missionary with you at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.
Most Christians are aware of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19, 20). In it, Jesus calls us to a commitment to make disciples. Most Christians are also aware of the Great Commandment (Matt: 22:37-40). We are to commit our lives to loving God and others. But few Christians understand or remember the Great Commitment. It is the first directive given to humanity by God during creation. It describes why we exist and for what purpose we were created. Sometimes referred to as the Cultural Mandate, it is often forgotten as part of the basis for which we are to live our lives.
In Genesis 1 we discover not only that God creates the world in which we live but creates all of life including you and me. In creating us, He provides us with a simple but clear job description. It is not only for certain people but for all people made in the image of God for all time. In only 34 verses, Genesis introduces us to a God who created earth on purpose and for a purpose. Let’s read Genesis 1: 26 and 28.
Key Verses: Genesis 1:26 and 28
• 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 (ESV)
• 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (ESV)
God created humanity to rule and steward His creation. This was not a static realm, but one ever expanding as the population fulfilled its destiny to spread around the earth. Genesis 1:28 begins with God’s blessing. God’s blessing is the grace to accomplish what He had given humanity to do. Humanity, created in the image of God, shared with God the capacity to create through repurposing what God made into new products and services from what God had created from nothing. This creativity was fueled by the need to develop both social systems and economic systems as the population increased and spread around the globe. In these few verses God, the creator of the Universe, invites His special creation, made in His image, to join Him as co-creators whose task is to repurpose out of creation products and systems that make human flourishing possible. This is done as humanity “works” in the global village (Genesis 2:15) fulfilling God’s call to fill the earth.
Within the first man and woman are the seeds of hundreds of generations, capable of creating, exploring, building, discovering, and developing a society that both increases and honors God. It is in the work God has given us that we discover the capacity for all to be co-creators with God. He created the universe out of nothing that we can create everything necessary to see cultures, societies, and communities multiply and expand to fill the earth.
While filling and caring are universal, as Christians, we are also given the command to love God and others (The Great Commandment) and to make disciples obedient to the commands of Jesus (The Great Commission). These directives are also written on the pages of creation and work. If we fail to grasp the significance of the creation/work paradigm, we are left trying to share the Good News without the context. The creation/work paradigm gives us the pages on which to write our own story of following Jesus and being ambassadors of the Good News, a royal priesthood, sharing how God has redeemed all things. We deliver the Good News while being salt, light, and leaven through the Great Commitment to work and care for God’s created world!
I pray that you find joy as you live into your calling, to fulfill the Great Commitment, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission, for the glory of God.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:9-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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Have you ever heard of “firstfruits” before? What does it mean? What are firstfruits? What are your firstfruits? What are you supposed to do with firstfruits?
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What is Ordinary, Chronos Time? Do you have any experiences or examples of it? Where does this idea hit home or makes sense for you?
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What is Sacred, Kairos time, and how is it different from Chronos time? Do you have any experiences or examples of Kairos time you can think of? Where does this idea hit home or makes sense for you?
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What does the Sabbath have to do with this festival?
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How does the Feast of Firstfruits connect to Jesus’ life?
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How might your Ordinary Time living this week flow out a true resting in God’s Sacred Time and not the other way round?
A special note: next week, during the March Break week, we will have special guest Renita Reed-Thompson lead us in devotions Monday through Friday. Pastor Michael and I will be back into the Ten Commandments the week after.
Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. (Deuteronomy 5:1-3)
These verses are Moses’ introduction to the Ten Commandments (or Ten Words) of the Covenant. As one of you pointed out to me in an email, the Ten Commandments themselves are perhaps best understood not as a set of commandments, but as the terms of the Covenant that God the King has made with this people. This is why two tablets are made and placed in the Ark: one copy of the covenantal contract for God, and one for the people.
What interests me most today though is how emphatic Moses is about who God made this covenant with. It was the previous generation of 38 years ago who stood at Mt. Horeb to receive these words of covenant from God. Everyone knew this. That was the generation who had died in the desert. But Moses re-writes history. After recounting the sins of that generation and their death in the previous chapters, Moses now declares that no: it wasn’t them—it was with us, with you, the living that God made his covenant.
Commentator Patrick Miller points out that, “the emphasis on the covenant as a present claim rather than a past event is laid out especially in the second half of verse 3, the force of which is best conveyed by reproducing the Hebrew rather literally [like this]: The covenant was made not with our ancestors but ‘with us, we, these ones, here, today, all of us, living.’ The text uses seven words heaped one upon another to stress the contemporary claim of the covenant.”
This echoes back to yesterday’s devotion. The covenant, like the law, is always lived out in a particular time and place among a particular people. And that time, place, and people is not those of the past, but of the present. Always of the present. If this covenantal word of God is to have life: it cannot have it in the past, which is gone, or in the future, which isn’t yet here. Life is lived today. And so, the day of God’s covenant is always today. No matter how many days have passed since Horeb. Today is the only day in which the covenant can be lived.
This rhymes with the New Testament. Jesus answers the objection of the Sadducees to the idea of Resurrection in Matthew 22, saying: “have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Likewise in 2 Corinthians 6, Paul declares that “now is the day of salvation.”
There’s a beauty in this. It means that God’s mercies really are new every morning. It means that our past sins, shames, and heartaches do not have to determine our present or future. Forgiveness, love, and grace in Christ are offered afresh for our response in each new moment—in every new today. Because God is not the God of our ancestors or of the good ol’ days—he is fiercely and firmly the God of today: of the present moment, in the present culture of our present world, among us, the living people who bear his name and covenant.
This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah. (Deuteronomy 4:44-49)
It's a strange thing that such specific and lengthy details are given, again, about where the Israelites are when this great, long Deuteronomy speech of Moses is given. The commentaries just skip over these verses, as if to say: we’ve already talked about all this, there’s nothing new to see here. And yet, it is here. So, why?
In reflecting on much of our present church conversations about ethics and law and righteous living, I wonder if maybe there’s something more to this grounding in geographical space and time than meets the eye.
Jesus is the Word of God, made flesh in a real place and time amongst a particular people—as we’ve reflected on already in these opening chapters of Deuteronomy. My sense is that the law, which is also the word of God, is always to be worked out and lived in just that same way. That is: embodied—made flesh, lived—in a place and time, just as it is here in Deuteronomy. The law does not necessarily come to us as an abstract, unalterable, eternal truth from time in memoriam. It comes to us “when [the Israelites] came out of Egypt and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan.” It comes to us in a real time and in a real place among a real people.
What do I mean to say by this? Well, we have a tendency to work out the implications of legal and ethical questions of righteousness in theory—in the abstract—apart from any real human situation where the names, actions, and circumstances of real people are known to us. When we then attempt to rigidly shoehorn the real, concrete lives of people into this perfect, but abstract Bible-based code we’ve made: people get squashed and cut up by the sharp edges. It brings death.
Thankfully, this is not how the law of the Bible works. Don’t get me wrong: Paul is clear on this—the law still brings death. But as Moses will often say: this law also offers grace and gives a context for life. The law is to support and lead to the Shalom of a people in a place and time, not make them slaves again as in Egypt.
As Jesus will later say of the Sabbath, this law is made for man, not man for it. It’s given to a particular people in a time and place. But as the times and places of the people change, so must (and does) the law. You can see this happen across the pages of the Bible. Even some of the laws of Deuteronomy are already different than those same laws in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. And changes will continue to happen along the pages of scripture.
The form that the law comes to us in then: as a law spoken to a particular people in a particular place and time—says something to us about the law itself. It is particular, not abstract or universal. And it is changeable: subjective—if you will—to the lives of the subjects it means to govern and support.
Principles like this inherent in the form of the law, mean that we must ever be vigilant to the ways that the Bible—God’s living word—speaks anew in Spirit-fired ways to the ever-changing times, places, people, and yes—even culture—among whom it is spoken in each present moment. It is no sin to be a “revisionist.” This is, in fact, what it means to be attentively faithful in the times we’re given. Said in more familiar language, this is one of the ways in which we are called to be “Reformed and ever Reforming.”
Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites (Deuteronomy 4:41-43).
At first glance, these Mosaic cities of refuge seem rather antiquated and irrelevant to the Christian church. However, upon closer examination there are some lessons that Christians would do well to remember.
Hidden here is a basic principle which lies behind the story of the two brothers in Genesis 4 and is articulated fully in Genesis 9:5-7: “from each human being…I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. ‘Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind’. As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”
This is God speaking. Human life is precious because we are made in his image and we are blessed to increase upon the earth. Anyone who kills human life denigrates God’s image and stands in the way of his blessing being fulfilled. In killing a person, we set ourselves against God. The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us how seriously God sees murder. It offers this commentary, “I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor--not by my thoughts, my words, my look, or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds--and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either” (A 105).
Blood revenge was commonplace in the ancient world, even in Israel. It is still practiced today. Historically, the closest male relative of the victim was responsible to kill the slayer. However, accidents happened. But it was possible, even likely, that the family of the deceased person refused to accept that the death happened unintentionally. They would seek vengeance. This had the potential of initiating an escalating cycle of revenge killings. Where would it end? These cities of refuge were places to which the innocent could flee. There, a public determination could be made to validate their claim to innocence.
We live in a so-called civilized society. We don’t endorse practices like this here, do we? Not literal blood. But what about virtual blood? Maybe we ought to update the Catechism to include cautions to behaviour that hides behind the screen. Do not the culture wars that pit conservative against liberal illicit behaviours which the Catechism correlate to murder.
When it comes to what is known as ‘silence culture,’ would not virtual cities of refuge be a good thing? It seems to me that sometimes people possibly get silenced for things they would like to retrack, or for things that get taken out of context. I fear that our culture is returning to a ‘blood revenge’ mentality, even if it is only virtual blood. And Christians are not immune.
Israel was to be different from the other nations. The church is also called to be set apart. We are set apart to be followers of the prince of peace, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:23-24).
Jesus, the innocent one, offered himself to death, to murder. His death brings an end to the escalating cycle of revenge killings. He opened the possibility of forgiveness as the grand alternative. That is why Paul wrote, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:17-19).
In commenting on the command against murder, the Catechism offers this positive explanation, “By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies” (A 106).
When someone harms us, let us think first of the cross, where the true innocent one died. Enough blood has been shed. Let us be people of peace, even of virtual peace.
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other (Deuteronomy 4:32-35).
In our text for today, Moses is challenging Israel to do her historical homework. Its unlikely Moses would have appreciated some of the dry history textbooks, imposed on high school students. For him, history was alive with the great saving acts of God. These are the stories Moses wants remembered; remembered so that the appropriate lessons can be drawn. The most important is this: there is only one God, he is the Lord God of Israel.
As I read Moses’ words, I am reminded that early in its history, the church began to meet on Sundays to remember her own history. Our story as church parallels Israel’s story. Let’s consider these two stories.
The essential question is this: has anything like what Israel experienced ever happened before? ‘Of course, not’, it’s a rhetorical question. And arguably, nothing like it happened until Christ himself.
Early on, God spoke to Israel directly, “And God spoke all these words…” (Exodus 20:1). With this act, God separated himself from the other gods of all the other nations and identified Israel as a nation unique among the peoples. Gods did not speak directly to their people. Moreover, Israel survived the encounter. “You heard God and lived”, Moses reminds Israel.
This was another act of God’s grace. He desired to have direct contact with his people. Other gods were not interested in such things. They had more important things to do that interact with their worshippers. Humans believed they needed to attract the attention of their god, but only enough to get a few blessings. If a god got to close, there would be human casualties.
God’s direct speech was too much for Israel. They were afraid and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” (Exodus 20:19). But God desires to speak directly to us. Thus, God came to us in Christ Jesus. This is the burden of John 1, summarized in the famous words of verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In Christ, we see the glory of God and we too live.
The gospel accounts want us to recognize that in Christ, something greater is happening. Israel was spared from death when they met God. Wherever Jesus went, he brought life: the hungry were fed, the lame walked, the deaf heard, the dead were raised. When we hear God, we are not just spared from death, we are given the life of Christ himself. Jesus promised the Spirit who would teach us everything he had told his disciples (John 14:26). Paul adds, “the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:15-16).
The miracles Israel saw God perform in Egypt and afterwards, revealed God’s omnipotence. He was and is stronger than Pharoah and all his gods. Jesus came, claiming to be God. He came with signs and wonders, showing that he was more powerful than sickness and hunger and even death by raising people back to life. The Gospels present Jesus as the Lord God of Israel, who ushers in the kingdom of God with signs and wonders that climax in his resurrection.
Through his death and resurrection Jesus proves his divine identity; he is the Redeemer of Israel. If God’s rescue of the Israelites from their slavery to Pharaoh and his kingdom demanded a tremendous act of divine power, how much more our rescue from sin and the kingdom of darkness. This is what Jesus has accomplished for us, and in so doing he has demonstrated that he alone is God; there is no other.
That is why Sunday became the church’s day. She continues meeting to remember her history and to respond in faith. Moses wanted Israel to remember that only her Lord was God, so that she would believe and live in covenant faithfulness. Christians meet to encourage one another in their faith and in their Christian life. If you have lost connect with your Christian fellowship, I encourage you to get reconnected. Its difficult to go it alone.
…the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger… you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess….The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive…There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath (Deuteronomy 4:24-31).
In our text we find two statements about God that appear contradictory. The first is, “the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (24) and the second, “the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors” (31). Both describe God as equally passionate, one passion destroys, the other gathers and heals.
Can they both be true? Can God be “a consuming fire” and “merciful” at the same time? Moses thought so. And God describes himself as such. Consider these things.
The Israelites had seen God’s consuming fire from the foothills of Mount Sinai, ironically, they were not consumed. We commonly view jealousy as a negative reaction akin to envy or covetousness. However, in the Old Testament, it usually speaks of a legitimate passion aroused when a proper relationship is threatened by a third party. We still accept this type of jealousy as legitimate when someone attempts to woe a person already married. The Lord of Israel is an impassioned God, who treasures Israel as his covenant people. This jealous love is fueled, not by an abusive need to dominate, but by the zeal for Israel’s well-being.
God’s consuming fire on Sinai, demonstrated with spectacular cosmic pyrotechnics, was not meant to create physical fear, even though it did do that. Rather, it revealed the passion of his redeeming love which had brought his people out of the fires of slavery. Such love can tolerate no rival. He was committed exclusively to Israel to bring shalom to the world. Israel’s only appropriate response is an equally exclusive commitment to God.
Thus, if Israel pursues another lover, she will arouse this jealousy. it would entail a reversal of the covenant with Abraham: ‘only a few of you will survive’ (27) clearly contrasted with the promise of ‘descendants as numerous as the stars’. Scattered into far away lands, the Israelites would worship man-made gods. God’s irony: under judgment they will have to do what they had freely chosen to do, serve other gods. In exile, they would discover the powerlessness of those gods. If these gods cannot perform even basic human functions, what hope is there of any saving power from them?
But that is never the end of the story. No place would be too far and no time too distant for Israel to come back to God. Beyond sin and judgment there is always hope. Israel knew this already. After her apostasy with the golden calf (cf. Ex. 32-34), Israel discovered that her survival depended not on her ability to keep the covenant but on God’s willingness to sustain it. God’s forgiving grace and unswerving commitment to his promise to Abraham guaranteed Israel’s survival. God would not forget God’s word.
In Exodus 34 God identifies himself as, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (6). Thus, if scattered because of their idolatry, they turned back to God, he would allow himself to be found by them. Unlike the gods of the peoples, he is not limited to a place; rather, he is the personal God of Israel, his ear is always listening for his people. His mercy is warm and tender affection, like the love of a parent toward a child.
Like Israel, we cannot depend on our own righteousness. We will always come up short. But God has provided. Paul writes, “righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). When we turn to him, we find God. Always. A jealous, consuming fire God? Absolutely. Zealous enough for us to enter death’s dark domain that we might know his shalom. Turn to him and you will experience his mercy.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Leviticus 23:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What are the similarities and differences between the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
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In what sense is the Unleavened Bread the “Bread of Affliction”? In what way does Jesus embody and fulfill this meaning?
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In what sense is the Unleavened Bread the “Bread of Redemption”? In what way does Jesus embody and fulfill this meaning?
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In what sense is the Unleavened Bread the “Bread of Hope”? In what way does Jesus embody and fulfill this meaning?
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Which of these themes do you most resonate with in your own life? Where do you long for affliction, decay, and death to be removed? For Redemption to come? Or for hope to be restored? Lift up these situations to Jesus in prayer, asking him to be your Bread of Life today.
You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19)
The first two commandments receive an extended treatment in chapter 4 of Deuteronomy. That is, the commandments about loving the Lord by having no other gods, images, or idols before him. These commands dictate that there is only one God for Israel. Their hearts and loyalty cannot be divided, for as Jesus will later say: the human heart can only follow one master.
These commands that place God at the centre as the only God show up here in chapter 4 as the heart and foundation of the rest of the law. Everything flows from this: from God and his primacy in the Creation and Redemption of Israel. There is no other who has created Israel’s life, saves them, or sustains them.
And yet, with a God who remains as mysterious as Israel’s God does—so invisible and seemingly unapproachable—there is a strong desire to create something more tangible for our faith. It’s hard to trust in what we cannot see, and so we are endlessly distracted by the things that we can see, touch, count, carry with us, or control. The human heart is an idol-factory.
The law cuts hard against our tendencies. “You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire,” Moses says, and so it must remain. What they have received from God is his speech, his voice, his word. And this is how they are to know their God—through his spoken word—a thing which is organic, relational, and memorable, but which is also momentary, fleeting, and invisible.
But that doesn’t mean God has left us without a visible witness of himself. This verse recalls the opening chapter of Genesis. As all the various facets of creation that may not be turned into an idol or object of worship are rehearsed, one is reminded that the only image of God that we have been given, has been given by God. And that image is humanity itself—for “in the image of God he created them.”
At this point in the Bible, we may interact with an image of God only by interacting with the living, breathing, enfleshed reality of one another. And we may interact with God himself only through the dialogue of speech—listening and responding. One does not have to think hard to understand why Jesus came as the Word of God in Human flesh.
There is something good and life-giving about this arrangement. When these laws are observed and obeyed, we find ourselves growing deeper into a loving, relational connection with both God in prayer and with our fellow-image-bearing neighbours in conversation. When we transgress this command however, we subvert relationships by enslaving the creation or being enslaved by it—the very things God had Redeemed his people from.
So live as the people that God has created and redeemed by loving the Lord your God whose voice you now know in the form of Jesus.
Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb (Deuteronomy 4:9,10).
Today’s text reminds us that we are in the season of Lent. Lent’s purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ—to consider his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial, and resurrection. This 40-day period is based on two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible: the 40 years of wilderness wanderings by the Israelites and, after his baptism, Jesus’ 40 day fast in the wilderness ending with Satan’s temptations.
Moses already understood that self-reflection would be essential to living a faithful life with God. Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on the truth that the law of God is “holistic, relational, and interested in a life of flourishing Shalom for all”. Selfishness and competition for resources get in the way of this vision. Such things come from the human heart, as Jesus said, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly” (Mark 7:21-22).
Such things live in all our hearts. They hide in crevasses, closets, and the dark attic corners of our souls that we don’t visit. Sometimes they slink out of hiding through the back door so that we do not observe them until they are well established patterns in our lives. Other times they jump out so unexpectedly that, before we can stuff them back out of sight, they have caused all sort so damage.
Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). This is why Lent is necessary. We need dedicated time to examine our own hearts. Of course, the hope is the 40 days of Lent will create healthy patterns in our lifestyle that stay in place long after it is over.
Early in the church’s history, Christians realized that doing this hard work of examining the heart’s motivations was difficult in the rush of daily life. Thus, a movement developed called the “Desert Mothers and Fathers”. These Christians moved out to the wilderness to be alone with God. They have left us a wealth of wisdom regarding ‘self-examination” rooted in the prayer, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT).
This is the sort of thing Moses encouraged Israel to engage in as they entered the promised land. They were to remember how they had met God at Mount Horeb, how the thunder had rumbled, and the lightning had flashed. God was impressive, worthy of both worship and obedience. Moses wanted them to remember, but he knew life would get in the way, just as it does for us. We need to ‘watch ourselves closely’, to ensure that we don’t move subtly from a life of justice to one of injustice, from a life of helping others flourish to one in which we are concerned only about our own flourishing.
And we need to teach this way of life to our children and grandchildren, passing on an ethic of Shalom from one generation to the next. An ethic rooted in the grace and commands of God. God took Israel out of Egypt because they could not flourish there. Egypt was a place of death, not life for Israel. After deliverance came the law. Learning healthy patterns for life, happens best in a community where it is practiced with joy. What better place for this than in families and churches?
Christian families and churches are places in which living is rooted in grace not duty. Paul articulates this when he writes to the Colossians, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14).
To know ourselves as chosen, holy and dearly loved, is to know ourselves as people safe, secure, and connected to God by the bond of the cross which cannot be broken. Knowing ourselves as such, gives us the safe place to examine our own hearts, offering our failings to God and sometimes to other Christians, knowing that we will be handled with gentleness. We will be uplifted, not beaten down. In such environments, children can safely discover the beauty of God’s law.
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)
Yesterday we heard how obedience to the law is tied to life. Today, Moses gives more and different reasons for a life of obedience.
The overarching theme is that Israel’s keeping of the law is their way of witnessing to the nations around them. The first reason to keep the law yesterday was so that Israel itself might have life. Today the reason is to show their life as a life in God that other nations might just want to partake in themselves.
So firstly, God is near to his people. Near enough to care how they lived—not only with him as the first table of the law speaks to, but also with one another as the second table of the law speaks to. Israel was to love their God AND their neighbours. This is a call to be in relationships of flourishing: in communion, in shalom/peace/flourishing with God, neighbours, even the Creation itself. It all started by God being near enough to his people to know them and be known by them in a dialogue of prayer.
This was secondly, therefore a righteous set of laws: a set of laws that promoted and guarded righteousness not just in relationship to God, but also in society. It’s not strange that Western law codes are based in no small part on the ethos and values of the Judeo-Christian legal ethic. We are not a law unto ourselves (as if our individual choice was all that mattered), nor is it just about us and Jesus. The law concerns all of life and all of relationships, even our relationship with the Creation! This law is holistic, relational, and interested in a life of flourishing Shalom for all. This is what God means by justice and righteousness.
In keeping this law, the Israelites would thirdly appear wise and understanding to the nations around them: able to govern society holistically and well with harmonious attention to the relational flourishing of all—even with the foreigners within their gates.
But again, beyond the values embedded in this law like the dignity of image bearers, neighbour love, and peace/shalom/flourishing for all (from which come our modern notions of human rights), one value outstrips them all as central: God himself.
One critique that Christians rightly raise in regard to new laws produced by our Western governments, is that if they are no longer based on Judeo-Christian values, what values are they based on? Often when one drills down: the values are missing. And so the means become the ends. Efficiency or progress or choice for their own sake become the values we drive at, never thinking to ask whether these “means” of getting somewhere are actually going to drive us to the sorts of “ends” we might wish to arrive at, like Shalom and human flourishing. More often they turn out to bankrupt the Creation, set people against one another, and make us lonely cogs in someone else’s wheels.
There is much wisdom to be gleaned from the laws of Deuteronomy, but this perhaps is one of the more important ones for our cultural moment. Deuteronomy helps us to recognize that living righteously is about more than progress, choice, and efficiency. It is about communion and conversation with our God who is near to us and who calls us to be in communion and good, relational conversation with the Creation and our neighbours as well. There is a wisdom to this. An attractive, witnessing wisdom.
Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you (Deuteronomy 4:1).
Moses continues talking. I hope there was some shade for his listeners. He has many words left before he will finish. His passion and purpose are becoming quite clear: he wants Israel to live. He is not sure they are up to it, so he will keep talking, hammering home the same points. Of course, he has good reason for his scepticism, having little confidence that Israel will remember his words. In his 40 years as leader of this flock, he has noticed that their capacity to listen to and follow the law of God is limited.
His main point is this: obedience is life, disobedience is death. Life here is not eternal life as Christians understand it, but the full enjoyment of God’s blessings in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The land will be given to them. That promise will not be taken away. But for Israel to dwell, to possess, to enjoy the land, each generation must commit itself to following the law of God. Moses is not sure they will.
This positive view of God’s law is celebrated with unrestrained delight in Psalms 19:7-11 and 119. Here is a taste of Psalm 19, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (8,10).
It's worth our time to wonder how different we are from Israel. Recently, I listened to a podcast on which theologian John Stackhouse warned that some Canadian evangelical Christians do not take the Bible very seriously. We are reluctant to conform our lifestyle and thinking to what the Bible says. The way we function suggests that do not have a high view of scripture. So, its worth asking, does it taste like honey or like vinegar to us?
John asserts that in Jesus, someone better than Moses’ has arrived. Many are familiar with his words, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). And he adds, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth happened through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). The contrast is not between law and grace, but two ways of expressing grace, the latter better than the former: Moses only spoke it, Jesus embodied, lived it. Moses spoke the law; Jesus spoke it and lived it.
And Jesus agrees with Moses’ emphasis that obedience is life. He said, “If you love me, keep my commands…If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love… I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 14:15, 15:10-11).
Israel was gifted the land, but only through obedience would they enjoy the life God offered them. Likewise, for Christians, we cannot receive the gift of God’s grace in Christ and ignore what he says. We are saved by faith in Christ. But faith goes to work. Paul wrote, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:8).
Peter used more words, “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-7). I think Moses would agree.
We cannot embrace eternal life without producing its fruit. Take some time to make a plan, a goal. How will you live your faith today? How will you embrace the life God gives by sharing it in some way?
At that time I pleaded with the Lord: “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.” But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor. (Deuteronomy 3:23-29)
Here at the end of chapter three, after Sihon and Og, the Kings of the Amorites have been defeated, Israel is ready to enter the promised land. The anticipation is growing, and on this threshold between the wilderness and the promise, Moses prays. God has shown him so much, will God not show him just a little more by allowing him to go over to see this good land for himself?
Moses already knew the answer, of course. God tells him that this answer will not change. However: God does grant half of Moses’ request. God will indeed allow him to “see” the promised land: "go look at the land with your own eyes,” God says. But Moses is not to confuse the land of God’s promise with God himself. God and God’s word of promise will have to be enough for Moses. This is as far as he will go. It is the one named Joshua, meaning, “the Lord’s Saves”—he is the one who will lead the people across to their inheritance.
One direction this devotion could go is to speak to all of us on the threshold of life transitions that force us to relinquish all that we still would wish to be and to do. Getting married, having a baby, sending a child to school, graduating, starting a job or career, retiring, downsizing, contemplating death as Moses was—all of these are just that sort of transition that entail a loss of some kind. The question to us would be: in these transitions, is God enough for us? What if it’s just him and his promises and nothing more? Can we let go and rest in the peace of God, trusting that that is enough for us?
Another direction this devotion could go is to recognize something curious about Moses himself. One of the commentators we’ve been following (Patrick Miller, Interpretation) does this, and I think it’s worth a few words. Moses says that it is “because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me.” In the end, Moses also accepts this word from God. In a strange way: Moses, the faithful servant of the Lord takes on the punishment for the people. The people will enter the land. Moses will not—and somehow that is because of their sin (as the book points out elsewhere too).
The suffering servant of Isaiah plays a similar role. As does Jesus, who was the second Moses. Here in Deuteronomy 3 then is Moses’ Gethsemane prayer: praying for the cup to be taken away. And yet in the end, Moses resigns himself to the will of God—"not mine but yours be done.” Moses remains in the wilderness.
We as Christians—“little Christs”—are also called into this priestly role as we follow our Saviour, Jesus. We are called to bear the sins of the world and of our families, neighbours, and friends—to accept slaps and slanders, persecution and whatever else. We are to bear it in our souls where all this evil and sin can be put to death in the death of Christ such that what comes back out of us in return is the life of Christ. In this way we are priestly agents of God’s transformation in the world: turning evil to good, sin to forgiveness, decay into hope.
What Gethsemane prayers might you need to lay before God in order to live this this priestly role faithfully today?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Deuteronomy 16:1-8 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
1) What is happening behind the scenes with the 10 plagues? What is the essential message of the Passover?
2) Why the firstborn?
3) What element gets added to the Passover celebrations while Israel is in the Land of Promise? How does this connect with the Lord’s Supper?
4) In what two streams of the Passover Celebration merge in Jesus?
5) How does the story of the Passover become a source of encouragement to Christians? Is it worthy celebrating?
When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. At that time, we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—men, women and children. We left no survivors (Deuteronomy 2:32-34).
The Old Testament is often difficult to read. Many of us fret over the violence authored by God himself. How can we reconcile this account of complete destruction with Isaiah’s description of the coming Saviour, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (53:7)?
Many have addressed this concern without full success. It is one of those aspects of the Bible that we must wrestle with, even if, in the end, we cannot satisfy our reservations and even revulsion of such stories. Yet, let us attempt to understand what happened.
As I mentioned in my sermon on Saul this past Sunday, God enters the human realm using the cultural elements at hand. The greatest example of this is Jesus’ incarnation; he became a Jewish baby, incubating for nine months in Mary’s womb. This has always been God’s manner, coming to us in ways that we can understand. Theologians have often argued that the Bible itself is like this. In it, God condescends to use human language to give us a picture of himself. Yet, God is greater and more dynamic than mere human words can express. God uses our language even though it is inadequate.
And so, as Israel took possession of the promised land, she used methods that she understood and that were practiced by the other nations. But compete destruction? This is a technical term which the NIV footnote defines as “the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them”. There are very few examples of this happening.
There are two criteria offered in scripture for the destruction of the nations. One, those who directly opposed God’s purposes and promises to Israel, as in Sihon and Og, in these early chapters of Deuteronomy. God wanted Israel to travel through their territory, on the way to the promised land. Instead of giving permission, these two kings marshalled their armies to destroy Israel, essentially saying, “over my dead body”. So that is what happened.
Two, those who posed in a unique way the problem of religious contamination and syncretism, as in the Canaanites and Amorites. The reason for such strong measures is that these nations will turn Israel and her children away from worshipping the Lord her God.
The command for total destruction is rooted in the concern that Israel will be easily swayed to abandon God. That she will quickly ignore God’s first command, “No other gods, only me” (Deut. 5:7, The Message). This appears to be Moses’ main concern in this entire book. As he says in chapter 6, “Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!” (4,5).
Israel’s subsequent history proved this to be a valid concern. Here we do well to ponder her history. Do we love the Lord any better than Israel did? Aren’t we too, easily swayed to add other gods to our religion?
This was a particular time and place in history. These stories do not give us permission to use such tactics today. There is too much in scripture about the humane treatment of other persons, about special regard for the weak and powerless; and about a very different way of dealing with enemies, with the power of love, rather than hatred, belligerence, or destruction.
When Jesus was asked about the centre of the Law, he quoted Moses’ words in 6:4,5 followed by Leviticus 19:18, “Love others as well as you love yourself”. These are the heart of the law. Paul expands on this by quoting from Proverbs: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head” (25:21,22; cf. Romans 12:20).
This is the culture of the church established by the Lamb who was silent before his executioners. We can be grateful that God calls us to a different way of life then Old Testament Israel. Yet, we must ask again, “Are we different then they were?” We may not strike with swords, but what about with words? How have you blessed your enemies this week?
And the Lord said, “Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.” So we crossed the valley. Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp. Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, the Lord said to me, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. (Deuteronomy 2:13-18)
In the land of Esau, the land south of the Zered Valley, the last of Jacob’s unfaithful descendants die. Does the text mean to recall more through this geographical point of interest? I think it does.
If you recall from the story in Genesis 32-33, Jacob is filled with “great fear and distress” (Gen. 32:7) at the prospect of meeting his brother Esau again after so many years in exile with his uncle Laban. Jacob wrestles, alone, all that night with a man who he later understands to have been God. In some way, this is a story of Jacob’s fear wrestling with a God who proves to be for Jacob, not against him. Jacob had a hard time believing that God really could be faithful to his promise of establishing Jacob in the promised land, given the frightful prospect of Esau and his 400 men. And so, Jacob’s fear wrestles against the promise of God ‘til daybreak where he is given the name “Israel,” the “one who wrestles with God.” As it turns out, Jacob’s desire for blessing proves stronger than his fear. He survives the encounter and lives, though not without a God-induced limp to humble him and remind him that he always lives by God’s saving, and not his own.
Our present story in Deuteronomy is similar. It is in the land of Esau, south of the Zered Valley, where Israel once again becomes Israel. For a 38-year-long night their fears have caused them to disbelievingly wrestle with God’s promises. At the end of this long night: their desire for blessing wins out and they are still alive, but not without a significant limp. All the fearful fighting men have died and Israel is reminded that they live by God’s promises, God’s provision, and God’s saving—not their own.
It’s worth noting that this is the first Holy War described in the book of Deuteronomy. “The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them.” This language is the same as in other God-directed military campaigns that Israel will undertake. It is important to remember, therefore, that the first Holy War is not against the enemies of Israel, but is waged within Israel itself. Fear had to die out of the camp before Israel could trustingly receive the promise of God’s victory.
The promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could only be received by a people of Abraham’s faith, who were willing to go on nothing more than the word of God, trusting that whatever was needful would be given by God. Or perhaps more accurately: a people of Jacob’s limping faith, that through wrestling with fear and doubt would have to discover again and again that God’s blessing was worth pursuing, that God was faithful to his promise, and that anyway: God was the only hope for salvation they had.
The language of fear vs. faith and fear vs. love will show up again and again in the Bible. It is at the heart of the account of Saul vs. David that we’ve just finished off. Read 1 Samuel 18—the passage is just dripping with the contrast between the fear encircling Saul and the love buoying up David in the promises of God. Or again in the New Testament, go back to the passages cited by Pastor Michael yesterday like that from 1 John 4: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”
This dynamic shows up in our own hearts still today. So take time to examine: what fears in your heart cause you to wrestle with the promises of God rather than receive them? We tritely and simply accuse others we disagree with these days of being “fearful,” particularly when it comes to the culture war battles being fought within the church. The accusation may very well be correct. But remember: the first holy war is fought within—not without. Before we can go crusading against the world—we have to wrestle through the fears of our own hearts. Having done so, we may just find that there’s actually no battle to be fought at all on the other side… just gifts to be trustingly received from the God of promise and blessing who saves us still.
[God said], You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink (Deuteronomy 2:2-6).
Moses is recounting Israel’s history. His own commentary is mixed in with God’s directions for the journey and instructions for life as his people. In our text, he is recounting the moment for which Israel had spent nearly 40 years waiting. That’s how long they had been wondering in the wilderness after the first failed attempt to enter the land.
One can imagine that a few of the Israelites wondered quietly if God would keep his promise or would he leave them to wander endlessly, generation after generation, in this wilderness. Centuries earlier God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would one day live in the land of promise. Israel’s lack of trust in God’s capacity to make it happen had launched them on this 40-year wilderness wanderings. Maybe God didn’t want to risk it again.
But no! God calls an end to this pilgrimage. “It’s time,” he says. He is faithful to his promises. He was now setting the stage for their triumphant entry into the Promised Land from across the Jordan opposite Jericho. He will give them the land. These stories are written, as least in part, so that we will see God’s faithfulness at work. We, too, must often wait for God to fulfill his promises. Sometimes, the waiting is long and longer. We, too, wonder if God has forgotten, or maybe God is abandoning us to the wilderness. The promise God made to Abraham took more than 400 years to be fulfilled. The lesson here is simple: God does not forget; he keeps his promises. Trust him.
This part of Moses’ sermon also demonstrates that God is faithful to his threats. Because the faithless Israelites had refused to enter the Promised Land, God swore to destroy that generation in the desert and start over with a new people. There is also a warning here for us. That first generation was ungrateful for divine grace experienced over and over again. They repeatedly clamored to return to Egypt. Part of the covenant arrangement is that we take God seriously at his word. That we trust him. There is consequence for lack of trust.
Consequences for lack of trust may appear less obvious for us then they were for Israel. But, then again, maybe not. Consider the disciples in the boat with Jesus soundly asleep while the wind and waves threatened to capsize the craft. What does Jesus say when they wake him, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Later, one of those disciples would pen the line, “Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Whose love is the disciple speaking about? God’s love of course. We do not need to fear because God loves us. This is the lesson Israel had such a hard time learning. Are we much different? But we do not have to live in fear, we can trust in his love. It was lived out on the cross.
There is another lesson in this text. The reference to Esau is significant. The land his descendant’s live in was given to them by God. It’s the same language that is used to describe God giving Canaan to Israel. God is involved with the nations around Israel as well. We do well to remember this. As much as it may seem that God is absent from the affairs of the world, Moses wants Israel to see that God is the King of kings. This gives us encouragement in our prayers for the nations, for peace among the peoples.
Israel did have a unique purpose, but she did not have a monopoly on God. God is deeply invested in the whole earth. The psalmist understood this well when composing this prayer, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations… May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you” (Psalm 67:1,2,5). Likewise, the church does not have a monopoly on God. God is always at work outside the church. The church is called to reveal God to the nations, that the peoples may join us in praising him.
This is a return of sorts to an old devotion from February 23, 2021. I had intended to write something new for today, but find myself sick instead. This devotion remains a good one to be reminded of, and from a bit later on in the same run of history that we're covering now in Deuteronomy. May you find hope in God as you read...
“…the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. … “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. (Joshua 2:11b-14a, 21)
Rahab the prostitute, hanging by a thread at the approach of the army of Israel who intended to raze Jericho to the ground.
Rahab clearly didn’t hold a high position in her ancient society. She was likely assumed to be a woman of dubious character. She quite likely was a victim of circumstances out of her control that placed her in this profession. Economic hardship. No husband to guard her rights. A prostitute.
And yet, Rahab the prostitute gives a full and sincere confession of faith in the God of Israel, nearly as strong a confession as anyone else in the book of Joshua as she speaks to the sovereignty and power of the Lord who will give this new land to his people.
She trusted this Lord she had only ever heard about, and she entrusted herself to his people. “Give me a sure sign… that you will save us from death,” she says. And the sign they give her is a sign that oddly reverberates with the crimson blood of the lambs smeared over the entry ways of the Israelites on the night of Passover. In her window she is to tie a scarlet cord, and huddle inside behind locked doors with her whole family as the Israelites did on the night of their salvation.
But this cord signifies more. This story is the second instance of this Hebrew word for hope. Where is that word in this story? The “scarlet cord.” There are actually three words here in the Hebrew. One of them means thread, one of them means scarlet, and the last of them has a root which means “to be tense/rigid,” or by extension “to be expectant.” That last one is our word for hope, and is indeed translated as hope elsewhere in the Bible.
Rahab the prostitute, hanging by a scarlet thread of hope in the Lord, even as the walls were quite literally about to collapse around her, putting an end to life as she’d known it. But that scarlet thread of hope playing gently in the wind was also the promise that a new life was coming.
Even when a thread is all you seem to be holding on by: it’s enough. Hope in God never comes with much in this life we can lay our hands on, just a thin whisp of scarlet hope. But as these members of Jesus’ own genealogy—Rahab, Jacob, and Ruth—would discover: God is faithful. The Lord delivers. A hope in him, threadbare though it may be, is never misplaced.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 11 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive-In Questions
- Do you agree with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”? In what ways have you been tempted to divide the world into good and evil people?
- Do you struggle with the violence ways in which Israel sometimes related to her neighbours? Can we say anything that might help us with this? How does the Amalekite attitude towards Israel play into this?
- How does this passage portray Saul? What does it reveal about God?
- What is at the heart of obedience? Where do you find this most difficult? In what ways do your religious activities hide a heart that only half-heartedly listens to God?
Then you replied, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us.” So, every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’” So, I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance, you marched up into the hill country. The Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. You came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you (Deuteronomy 1:41-45).
As all parent knows, raising children is full of complexity. Taking a newborn home from the hospital may seem like the scariest thing on earth. Many parents have moments of utter panic as they realize that this little human is utterly dependent on them. Yet, years later, looking back, we realize that that was the easy part.
Its what came after that proved to be so complex. How do we teach our children to live within proper boundaries? How much pain do we allow them to experience so that they learn? How do they come to believe that we have their best interest in mind when we put up limits? Will they ever learn to truly listen to us?
These questions, and more, are at play in our text for today. Moses is reminding Israel of her history, hoping that the children will respond differently to God then their parents. Yesterday, Pastor Anthony, talked about how the parents did not trust in the Lord. They would not believe that he loved them. They did not believe that he was a good father who intended to give good gifts to his children. Because they refused to trust and obey, God said he would give the good land to their children instead. The parents would wonder aimlessly in the wilderness until their children reached adulthood.
Well, when the first generation heard that, they were sorry indeed. They realized they had sinned against God. In their eagerness to make it up to him, they decided to go and take the land, to do battle against those who lived there. As they armed for battle, Moses warned them not to go, God would not go with them. They went, only to discover that the land “flowing with milk and honey” also produced stinging bees, which swarmed around them, chased them off, and struck them down. Why? They recognized their sin, but still were not willing to listen to God.
Having chastised the Corinthians, Paul draws a parallel with this episode when he writes, “…your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended… Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you… (1 Corinthians 7:9-11).
What was the difference between Israel and the Corinthians? Paul speaks about two effects of sorrow or grief. There is worldly sorrow, which is at best a shallow remorse, but which is consumed by bitterness and self-pity and which issues in death. Clearly, the Israelites demonstrated this. “In their arrogance,” Moses said, they went to war. “We know better than God,” they said, “we know how to fix this.”
Alternatively, there is godly sorrow which produces repentance as expressed in earnestness, eagerness, longing and concern and which issues in salvation. The difference between the two comes down to this, “listening.” After then confessed their sin, the Israelites were still not willing to listen to God. They had not changed. But the Corinthians did. They began to pay attention.
God, our Father, lavishes grace on his children, but also gets angry when we defy him and refuse to trust him. Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23-35) teaches us this is still true. God, our Father, loves and carries and cares for us, but Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that the fatherhood of God means more: “The Lord trains the one he loves. He corrects everyone he accepts as his child.”
Sometimes, some of the pain we experience is this kind of pain. We should be very cautious about naming this for someone else. But we should be willing to name it for ourselves. Are you? Is there this kind of pain in your life right now? If so, whose example will you follow? If you turn to God with godly, listening sorrow, know that you can carry on with the blessing of your Heavenly Father.
“There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors… And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.” (Deuteronomy 1:31-35, 39-40)
One might think that a good parent-child relationship builds trust. But that is not Israel’s response to God’s fatherly care that saved them and provided for them.
Even despite the report of a good land from Moses, from the spies, and from God’s own promise. Even despite the assurance received from Moses and from the Israelite’s own experience. Even still: fear of the “facts” as the Israelites decided to see them overshadowed the relationship of trust with God their Father.
This is now the third time that Israel has responded in fear instead of in faith. The first time was when they asked to send spies to show them where to go instead of trusting the God who had led them by cloud and fire to show them where to go. The second time was when they named all the many fears they had, including not only a fear of the scary people in the land, but also a fear that God their father actually hated them and intended to kill them off by means of the Amorites in the land.
After this second time, Moses assures them: do not be afraid—God will fight for you and care for you as a Father—just as you yourselves have seen him do these past years in the wilderness! But they would not trust in this Lord. They would not believe that he loved them. They would not believe that he was a good father who intended to give good gifts to his children.
So finally God himself speaks. To the people who could not see the gifts of provision and care in the wilderness: they will not see the good gift of the promised land either. To the people who saw God as a God of hate that wished for their death, they will receive precisely what they expected: death as a punishment from their God. For this people unwilling to be children of the father, their place would be taken by true children: their own.
Through this passage runs a common question of the Bible. The question is: what do you see? Do you more quickly see enemies or gifts? Do you see scarcity or abundance? And what God do you see? A God of love, or of hate?
To put the question differently, do you see the world through the eyes of a child, or of a cynic? Children know how to receive gifts, receive love, receive care. Children are trusting. Children have faith.
As the writer of Hebrews will later write, reflecting on all the stories of Israel: “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” So, what do you see when you look out at the world around you?
May God open your eyes more and more to the childlike, faith-filled vision of his fatherly care, good gifts, and loving action.
“But you wouldn’t go up [into the land, Moses said to Israel]. You refused to obey the command of the Lord your God. You spoke against him in your tents. You said, “The Lord hates us. That’s why he brought us out of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites. He wanted to destroy us. Where can we go? The men who checked out the land have made us afraid. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large. They have walls that reach up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’” Then I said to you, “Don’t be terrified. Don’t be afraid of them. The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will fight for you. With your own eyes you saw how he fought for you in Egypt. You also saw how the Lord your God brought you through the desert. He carried you everywhere you went, just as a father carries his son. And now you have arrived here” (Deuteronomy 1:26-31).
Today, we ponder the second half of the Bible’s story. Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on the first half, so if you missed yesterday’s, you might want to pause here and do that first. As he said, the first half of the Bible is all about God’s gifts to us. The second half explores how we respond to these gifts. And as our text relates, humans tend to be less than thankful for God’s gifts.
Before we explore that, let’s turn to the book of 1 Corinthians in which we read, “Those things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us. That’s because we are living at the time when God’s work is being completed. So be careful. When you think you are standing firm, you might fall (10:11-12). This is no subtle warning that we really need to pay attention to this story.
Of course, we are not Israel. Arguably, the gift God gives us is much greater. Earlier Paul wrote, “Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus…He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free (1 Corinthians 1:30). He continues, “We have received the Spirit who is from God. The Spirit helps us understand what God has freely given us” (2:12), and “we have the mind of Christ” (2:16). God’s gift to us is Christ Jesus and all his benefits. This gift will keep giving until we have received our inheritance on the new earth.
How do we respond to God’s gifts?
The best thing to do is to receive them with joy and thanksgiving; as Pastor Anthony said, like a child. But somewhere between childhood and adulthood many of us become like the Israelites. We look at the gifts God gives and decide that God can’t do it. We are too scarred, too broken, we can’t be fixed. We believe the lie that God’s primary attitude towards us is hatred. He is repulsed by what we have done, or the things done to us. Try as we might, we can’t rid ourselves of sin’s stain. So focussed on the bleating of evil around us, we do not hear the words of Jesus, “For those sins I died.” We are filled with fear.
It might also be that we are too proud to receive them. This sort of refusing pride comes in two ways. On the one hand, we do not think we are sinful enough to need redeeming, all we need is a tweak here and a tweak over there and we are good to go, heaven should be proud to have us. Such pride has never investigated their own heart. Such hearts cannot receive the gift.
On the other hand, there is a pride that refuses to receive God’s grace. Refuses, not because we are so stained, but because we are rooted in a theology that says, ‘we must earn our place’. Among seasoned Christians, I constantly hear versions of this. As much as we talk about grace, we cannot believe it. When we slow down enough to examine are own hearts, we discover we are filled with fear. We have not made enough progress in the Christian life; God must hate me for being a repetitive failure.
In the face of such fear, Moses reminds Israel of what God has been doing for her: he has been present with her and going before her; as her divine Warrior and Captain he fought for her defeating her enemies before her very eyes; and he has sustained her through the great and terrifying desert. With sensitive pastoral touch, Moses compared God’s care to that of a parent who carries their child through danger to safety. She has experienced God both as fighter and as father, as savior and as provider; a powerful combination of metaphors that echoes through the whole Bible.
Echoing Moses’ compassion, Paul says that we belong to God, we are set right with him, we are set free and made holy, we have the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ. Like Moses, Paul says, ‘Don’t be afraid. God can do this.’ Move forward in faith, receive the gift, embrace the promise.
Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.” The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshkol and explored it. Taking with them some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.” (Deuteronomy 1:20-25)
This set of verses lays out fully one half of the Bible. Arguably the best part. The other part, we’ll come to tomorrow. So what is this first half of the Bible about? It is about what God has given. The other half is about how we respond. But first things first.
Three times in this passage some form of the word “given” rings out. “You have reached [the land], which the Lord our God is giving us.” “See the Lord your God has given you the land.” “It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.” Gift, gift, gift. Three times gift. Three also being one of those numbers that resonate through the scriptures telling us here that the land is a complete gift, a perfect gift, a God-gift.
So, what is it that we do with gifts…? Earn them? Win them? Of course not. Ask any child: they know. The thing to do with gifts is to receive them! Open them! Rip into them, play with them, enjoy and take delight in them! Children will even correctly point out that we should all be wanting and living in eager expectation of getting even more gifts: all the time. It’s never a bad time to get presents. Of course, adults often reply with a corrective: “be grateful for what you got!” In other words: don’t expect anything, don’t think you deserve anything, don’t be too eager to receive anything. After all, hand outs are bad. Too much of that might spoil a child and make them lazy.
Sorry to say, adults, but we’re the ones who’ve got this all wrong. As Jesus will tell us later on in the Gospels: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” It is not only childlike humility that we need to emulate, I think, it is also that childlike ability to receive what’s given and to live with hopeful expectation.
This same idea came up in our last sermon from 1 Samuel: Jonathan has the eyes to see the gifts of God in salvation from enemies and the promised land under foot simply oozing with honey. But Saul cannot see the giftedness of life as God has created, provided, and redeemed it. So much so, that he declares on oath that even if the transgression against his ill curse should lie with the “gift of God” (i.e. Jonathan)—he won’t hesitate to put that gift to death. It is religious zeal, bereft of the Spirit of God and purified by fear (see tomorrow’s devotion) at it’s worst.
Tomorrow we’ll discover that the story of the wandering Israelites was not so different. They believed their fear of “the facts” more than they believed in the perfectly sufficient gift of God. The results? They all died in the desert. Death is the result of giving up on the gift of God. The same thing happened to those religious leaders who crucified the gift of God in the Gospels. You can hear Saul’s zealous vow and the Israelites disbelieving fear just underneath the din of “crucify!”
Everything needful has been given by God. A creation of life and abundance, a salvation against every enemy, and place with God to call home. Will you receive it as children? If so, you will find that there remains a place of rest, life, hope, and peace for the people of God…
Here is what I commanded your judges at that time, (said Moses). I said, “Listen to your people’s cases when they argue with one another. Judge them fairly. It doesn’t matter whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and an outsider living among you. When you judge them, treat everyone the same. Listen to those who are important and those who are not. Don’t be afraid of anyone. God is the highest judge. Bring me any case that is too hard for you. I’ll listen to it.” At that time, I told you everything you should do (Deuteronomy 1:16-18).
In creating a leadership structure for his people, God establishes an important principle that runs through the Bible: good laws are not sufficient, good laws need good people to administer them. Good leaders possess wisdom, understanding, and a good public reputation. These good people are given four principles to govern their decision making.
One: they must look for what is right, determining who is the innocent and the guilty party. The word ‘fairly’ in our translation is a little weak. The Hebrew says, “judge the right.” The primary duty of judges is to discover where right lies and to judge accordingly. They must have the wisdom to distinguish truth from falsehood. Not always easy.
Two: they are not to show partiality. All humans are equal, and we all deserve equal standing before the law. Two specific examples are given. The Israelite is not to be favoured over the outsider nor the important over the unimportant. The equal status of the outsider is a distinctive feature of Israel’s law. These outsiders were landless folks from non-Israelite nations. Being landless and without family, they were vulnerable to exploitation and oppression.
The reference to the outsider and the unimportant evokes memories of Israel’s status in Egypt. The Egyptians treated the Israelites horribly. Israel was not to imitate Egypt but the Lord their God who rescued them from oppression. The land of promise is God’s gift to Israel, meant to be shared. As such, the small, the weak, the poor get the same fair hearing as the rich and powerful, they are to be treated as God treated Israel.
Three: the judges were not to be afraid of any person, because in exercising justice they were doing the work of God himself. Judicial activity has an elevated status in Israel. And the law has a transcendent value. It may be administered by humans, but it possesses an authority above them. Behind the law stands the God who loves and requires and gives justice.
Judges should not let fear of the powerful or wealthy compromise their insistence on the right, issuing judgements that bring shalom to the community. A frightened judge can never deal justly; nor is there any place to turn for justice when the court is intimidated. The earthly judge rules on God’s behalf, who will hold all parties, including the judge, accountable.
Four, humility. Judges must be able to admit when cases are too difficult for them and pass them along to Moses. This will require constant inner probing. It is easy for those in authority to delude themselves into believing they have all the answers. The truth is rarely easy to discern. It takes great humility, which must be constantly nurtured, to be able to say, “In this case, I don’t know.”
The early church modeled itself on the Deuteronomic pattern of leadership portrayed here. When she experienced similar rapid growth under God’s blessing, there were disputes and organizational stresses. These were met by a response similar in nature (cf. Acts 6:1-7).
God does not drop good leaders out of the sky. They are nurtured within the community of faith. Are you developing the qualities for good leadership? Are you encouraging those around you to do so? Even though leaders are held to a higher standard, it is good to aspire to this role (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 14:24-52 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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If someone would look into your life and assess the fruit that your life bears, would they say you are a good tree?
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What kind of a tree was Jonathan? What does his name mean?
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What kind of a tree was Saul? Write down all the examples that you encounter in this sermon and passage and what they mean…
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What is the verdict that the text arrives at and how does it get there? Who brought trouble? Who sinned? Which fruit and which tree was vindicated?
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How might you grow good fruity in your life?
At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky. May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself? Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.” You answered me, “What you propose to do is good.” So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. (Deuteronomy 1:9-15)
This past year we talked a bit about deconstruction. This past year, even these past few years, have been years of pruning, tearing down, being diminished. Some of you went through that. Some of you are still there. But some of you, as we turn the calendar into this new year, are beginning to enter a different head and heart space: one of reconstruction, rebuilding: a season of growth.
The story for the Israelites at the opening of Deuteronomy is not so different. During their bondage in Egypt, they were in many ways a people diminished, torn down, discouraged. They lost sight of who they were and whose they were. It was a season of deconstruction where the promises seemed to fail and the presence of God seemed absent.
But after God showed up in a big way in response to his people’s distress, liberating them from their slavery, the seasons changed. Though they were in the desert, it was very much a season of reconstruction. It didn’t have to go that way: it could have been a season of drought, despair, and death—that is what the wilderness is all about, after all. But through the surprising work of God to nourish and refresh with manna and water, to give direction and signs of presence through the cloud and fire, and to give structure, identity, and purpose through the covenant, law, and rituals: this season in the land of desolation became a surprising place of encounter, formation, and yes—reconstruction. Israel became a people—a nation—with an identity and a purpose in the wilderness.
How did that work? Well, it was actually many little moments of deconstruction and reconstruction. Our text today is one of them. After crossing the Red Sea, Moses was the sole commander, official, and judge over the people. This “institution” carried by one man could not bear the weight of this people, though. The “institution” broke down. “How can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?” Moses asks.
Was this a sign of failure? Not at all. It was a sign of blessing, actually. God was fulfilling his promise to multiply his people and to make them numerous! But with that increase came different opportunities, challenges, and needs. Before burning out completely, Moses received the wise intervention of his Father-in-law, Jethro to build something new, give power away, and entrust this people of God to the work of God in the people.
So a new institution grows up: a new structure for the faith and life of the people. The new opportunity and challenge inherent in the pressing problems and their scale led to the deconstruction of one form of institution and leadership and the birth of another as more and more were invited to shoulder the responsibility of the blessing and its challenge.
It’s worth noting though, that God worked through both the old and the new form. He’s not bound to one particular institutional manifestation of leadership, church, society, or nation.
So as our own situation and culture changes around us: how might God be inviting us to deconstruct and reconstruct faithful and responsible forms of personal devotion, of family life, of church, and of leadership out in the world to support lives of faith and community in our culture today?
The Lord our God spoke to us at Mount Horeb. He said, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Take your tents down. Go into the hill country of the Amorites. Go to all the people who are their neighbors. Go to the people who live in the Arabah Valley. Travel to the mountains and the western hills. Go to the people in the Negev Desert and along the coast. Travel to the land of Canaan and to Lebanon. Go as far as the great Euphrates River. I have given you all this land. Go in and take it as your own. The Lord promised he would give the land to your fathers. He promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He also said he would give it to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 1:6-8).
There, at Mount Horeb, also know as Mount Sinai, the forging of a covenant nation had begun. There, Israel reflected on how God had carried them on the wings of eagles and brought them to himself (cf. Ex.19:4). For the first time they had heard his voice. It terrified them; and so, Moses became God’s mouth piece. Yet, the Lord God and his people had spent time together, had begun to know each other; and the people began to grasp that they were “a kingdom of priests to serve God; his holy nation” (cf. Ex. 19:6).
We too must learn to know the voice of our God. Covenant means relationship. As God covenanted with Israel, he now covenants with the church. Relationship means that we know one another. Jesus said that his sheep know and recognize his voice (cf. John 10:7ff). We hear his voice in the scriptures and sometimes through the whispers of the Spirit to our spirit (cf. Romans 8:16). Sometimes it’s a terrifying voice, he is God after all. Yet, we all come to know him as our God who carries us out of our Egypt of sin on the wings of eagles. In Christ, he is not just our God, but our Father. This is both deeply personal and profoundly communal for it is very difficult for a Christian to thrive outside the community of faith.
Having spent time at the mount, getting to know their God, it was time for Israel to move on. They were not meant to wander forever in the wilderness. The act of being God’s holy nation was very concrete, very specific. It was meant to be lived out in a particular place. As we consider this, Moses would have us ponder three things.
First, it is a place of promise. Israel’s homecoming will not be a casual or unexpected event. God’s intention has always been to situate Israel in a land promised, to bring blessing to all the families of the earth. First Abraham, and then all his descendants, were invited to trust in God to deliver on his promise. Likewise, Jesus’ disciples are called to believe that we will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). As they say, the best is yet to come. The promise remains that we will enter our rest (Hebrews 4:1). We still struggle against sin in ourselves and in the world, but the day of rest is coming. Its his promise. Trusting in this promise keeps our hope and courage alive.
Second, the land is given. It is not deserved or claimed. It is a gift from God. Moses will continually remind Israel that no merit or power of their own will win them the land. They must receive it and then live in it as something gifted to them. As soon as they begin to act as if they possess it or have a right to it, things will go badly for them. Paul is equally emphatic, “God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The joy of living in the gift of redemption marks the Christian life.
Third, the land must be taken. Israel must go in and take possession of the land. On the surface it means warring against those who resist. But there is something deeper here, taking possession means cleansing it of evil, establishing in it a holy people dedicated to the Lord. In its reflection on the meaning of Sabbath, the Heidelberg Catechism concludes, “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (Answer 103).
So already in this life we begin to experience the fulfillment of God’s full promise of salvation. The Spirit leads us in the way of obedience to God. Jesus put it this way, “I have told you this so that you will have the same joy that I have. I also want your joy to be complete. Here is my command. Love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:11,12). Joy, love, and obedience; three qualities of the Christian life, three gifts of grace.
These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. East of the Jordan in the territory of Moab, Moses began to expound this law… (Deuteronomy 1:1-5)
Today we begin a new chapter in our wanderings, heading back to the wilderness. We’ll be running through the book of Deuteronomy in anticipation of the season of Lent, which will focus on the Jewish festivals. We think Deuteronomy will be a fitting companion to our worship.
More than that though, there is perhaps no book in the Old Testament that has more direct connections with the rest of the Old Testament or what will come later in the New Testament than this book. It is important background to the whole of the Christian faith that follows. Jesus, Paul, and the other New Testament writers and actors all rooted their faith and many of their words and actions right here in this book.
So, what is the book of Deuteronomy all about? Firstly, this book is located squarely in the “Arabah” of “Moab,” East of the Jordan and just outside the promised land. The final verse of the book of Numbers gives a more familiar term for this place: “the plains of Moab.”
What is this place? It’s the borderlands: the place in between the wilderness and the promised land, the place in between the past and the future, between death and life, between wandering and homecoming. The people have been “born” out of bondage by their crossing through the waters of the Red Sea, but they have not yet been “born again” through the waters of the Jordan into the land of God’s promise. Jesus’ own teaching very much took place in the same “borderlands” between past and future, between Old Testament and New, between Law and Grace, that is: between being “born” and being “born again.” This is why Jesus chastises Nicodemus in John 3 for not understanding the time and place that had come upon him: “You are Israel’s teacher… and do you not understand these things?”
In our own lives, we continue to find ourselves in the borderlands. We live between Jesus’ first and second coming. We’ve received all the promises of the Kingdom of God and even parts of it’s reality through forgiveness and the outpouring of the Spirit, but we’ve not yet stepped foot into the New Heavens and the New Earth where everything we know is set right and made well. More specifically, we face all sorts of in-between time realities. Culture is shifting under our feet and the post-pandemic world is still taking shape: we do not yet know what our future will be like.
Secondly: the title of the book of Deuteronomy in Hebrew is “These are the words.” These are the words spoken into this borderland time between past and future. These are words that recall the past and give the reasons for living hopefully and purposefully into a future given, shaped, and commanded by God. These are the words of promise, of warning, of encouragement, of covenant, of law.
As relevant as these words were for the Israelites back then, they remain so for us in the church today reminding us that our journey with God is more than just what we face in the borderlands of the present moment: our journey is anchored in a God-saturated past and lived in hope for an abundantly good and fruitful God-guaranteed future.
These are therefore, the words that will guide us into the season of Lent, even as they guided Jesus and his disciples along their journey with him to the cross, empty tomb, ascension, and outpouring of the Spirit.
Praise the Lord. Praise God in his holy temple. Praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his powerful acts. Praise him because he is greater than anything else. Praise him by blowing trumpets. Praise him with harps and lyres. Praise him with tambourines and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with clashing cymbals. Praise him with clanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150).
At the end of the Psalter, we are given a glimpse of what is happening everywhere, all the time: the worship of God. At least, the way it is meant to be and the way it will be. Here is probably the most challenging of all the psalms: it’s not about you, it’s not about me, it’s about God. Why do Christians gather for worship? Not for our sake, but because God is worthy of our worship.
The Psalms began with the wisdom words of Psalm 1, calling on the faithful to delight in and meditate on the God’s Word. The story of the Psalter is the story of God’s covenantal love for the Israelites and for all of creation. At the end of the story, the faithful, along with all of creation, offer absolute praise to God. It can be no other way.
Frequently in the book of Psalms, the composers call God’s people to worship Him and then give reasons why they should do so. But not here. In the final psalm its like, “We have said a lot about God in all these psalms; considering what we have said, you know all the reasons to praise God. Just do it.”
The Presbyterians captured this when developing their teaching tool. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question “What is the chief end of humanity?” And the answer is, “Our chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever”.
Worship begins in heaven. Our worship is not primarily personal, its not about our personal devotion to God. Its not about songs, styles, or feeling like it. As pictured in Revelation 4 and 5, the four heavenly creatures around the throne, ‘day and night never stop’ their worship of the only one who is worthy (4:8). Their worship swells out until “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them” joins the chorus (5:13).
Thus, worship is primarily our response to God. What else can we do? Jesus first words to John in Revelation are, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living one; I was dead. And now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” What shall we say to that except, ‘Praise the Lord!”
When we gather for worship as Christian communities, we are only joining what is already happening in heaven. How can we do anything but lay ourselves fully on the alter? This psalm, anticipating the great chorus’ of Revelation, calls us to worship God with every means possible, “to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is our true and proper worship” (cf. Romans 12:1).
We are not trying to get a hearing in heaven. We are not performing for God; he is no spectator. We are not doing it for our own spiritual self-amusement or as a form of spiritual entertainment. Our worship only begins to find its purpose when it focuses on who God is and what he has done for us in Christ. We certainly ought to offer God our best, but should not allow the details of corporate worship to distract us from the joy and delight we have in God.
The writers of the New Testament pick up this truth that the worship of God must be our total commitment. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). “…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20).
Since God’s glory fills the universe, his praise must do no less. Worship is all of life, it is our first and foremost task. It is a preview of heaven when we will join the throng at the throne.
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them—this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 149)
This psalm takes a surprising turn, doesn’t it? All is happy and well, the praise of God is on our lips and our feet our dancing—and then all of a sudden we find a sword in our hands!
There have indeed been times in the past when this psalm has served as a call to war for Christians—like the Thirty Years’ War in Europe following the Reformation. Somehow the fruit of that endeavour doesn’t square with Jesus’ command to Peter to “put away your sword!” No, there’s something else going on in this psalm that seems to echo more with sword of the Spirit, or the double edged sword of scripture: a sword that is the power of God’s spoken and written word that reveals and transforms more so than an earthly military power that kills and destroys.
The faithful people of God who are given this sword are the ones that have praise on their lips and who are humble in heart. Again, resonating with the words of Jesus: these humble ones, meek in spirit, become in this psalm the very ones who “inherit the earth.” How do they do it? By praising God and living faithfully according to the revelation they have been given in God’s words and promises to them, I think.
There is a sense in which this psalm speaks more to the way in which God’s people witness within a world that as yet remains hostile and temptuous. The militant church of Jesus Christ is a witnessing community armed with God’s revealing word and the Gospel of the Word, Jesus Christ. We are armed with love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. And indeed, nothing cuts through a person’s defenses quicker than an undeserved second chance or word of forgiveness.
Telling someone how they’ve failed relative to the law and demanding they do better or else only plays into the shame, isolation, and guilt that already plague the world with darkness. To tell someone that they are seen for who they are, and forgiven and welcomed in nevertheless in the name of Jesus: well that’s countercultural in a way that cuts people to the quick and utterly changes the conversation.
How can we keep our sword of this kind of healing, forgiving, loving grace and mercy clean and sharp, ready for battle? The sharpening stone offered by this psalm is praise. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and on his completed and coming work. We praise God because we have a better story, a better ruler, and we know that we are free. It’s only with this kind of praise consistently on our lips that we will have the wherewithal to participate in the coming of the kingdom. Otherwise, it’s too easy to turn dower, bitter, burdened down with sorrow and compassion fatigue. The antidote is praise. And praise, oddly enough, is also the weapon. A witness to the completely confronting counter-cultural ways of our God and his Kingdom, “the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.”
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 11 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What is at stake for Israel in this story?
- Why is Abijah’s Uncle mentioned? What does it say about Saul? What is Saul doing that aligns with ‘glory gone’?
- How are Jonathan and Saul compared? What is the heart of the difference between the two? How do we observe Saul’s spirituality decaying? How much of Saul do you find in your own life?
- How do we apply this story to our lives? Take time this week to discern which voices you are listening too. When Jesus called his disciples, how did he evoke this story?
- What must we believe about God to apply this story to our living?
Praise the Lord! Let [everything he has made] praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens (Psalm 148:1, 13).
Praise the Lord!
There is it. One of the basic commands of the Christian life.
As basic as the two great commandments: love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself. As complex as the cultural mandate in Genesis 1:28 and the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Understanding that this is a foundational practice of the Christian life, the liturgical traditions of the church end each day with a version of ‘Praise the Lord!’
This Psalm is a musical variation of Genesis 1. Everything God has created is called to join the great chorus of praise. Verses 1-6 elicit praise from the heavens, while verses 7-12 issue the same summons to the earth. This is the poet’s way of including everything in the cosmos: breathing, non-breathing, weather, planets, the elements on the periodic table, mighty and non-mighty; all must praise the Lord.
It is because God created us that we are called to praise Him. The Contemporary Testimony articulates the implications of God’s creating work: Our world belongs to God-not to us or earthly powers, not to demons, fate, or chance. The earth is the Lord's. In the beginning, God-Father, Word, and Spirit-called this world into being out of nothing, and gave it shape and order (7-8). Because he is the creator of all, all he has created ought to praise his glorious name.
This also: God formed sky, land, and sea; stars above, moon and sun, making a world of color, beauty, and variety-a fitting home for plants and animals, and us-a place to work and play, worship and wonder, love and laugh. God rested and gave us rest. In the beginning everything was very good (9). How can we not praise Him?
We might ask why this call to praise is needed. Why does it not come naturally to us? And of course, the answer is that all of creation is now subject to bondage and decay (cf. Romans 8:20-21). Along with the rest of God’s created order we are subject to other powers because of sin.
But that is not the end of the story. Romans 8 also tells us that the creation waits in eager hope for liberation. The rest of the story is that the one through whom the creation was formed became flesh and went through death to liberate all things. Christ frees us from the bondage of all hostile powers. Jesus reconciles us and all creation to our Creator God.
As redeemed children of God, we have been recreated as new beings. We are incorporated into a new community which a new attitude towards life. Our lives our no longer controlled by sin but centred in Christ so that the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, the word of Christ dwells in us richly, and the name of the Lord Jesus governs our behaviour. Christ has put on our flesh, therefore we put on Christ in our flesh -- Christ like in our everyday living, singing to God with thanks in our hearts, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, always giving thanks to God the Father through Christ (cf. Colossians 3:1-17).
But we are only the first fruits, a taste of what is to come. The whole creation is waiting eagerly for its renewal. Salvation isn’t just about “me and Jesus.” It is about everything in heaven and on earth. Again, from the Contemporary Testimony, “Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule (55). On that day we will see our Savior face to face, sacrificed Lamb and triumphant King, just and gracious. He will set all things right, judge evil, and condemn the wicked. We face that day without fear, for the Judge is our Savior, whose shed blood declares us righteous. We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose (57).
Followers of Jesus sing Psalm 148 in anticipation of the whole creation being free to sing the praise of God again. Let’s sing this psalm in anticipation of Christ’s final and full victory. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. (Psalm 147:1-6)
This psalm has a lovely way of weaving two pictures of God together that we sometimes have a hard time joining. Do we have a big, powerful, far off God—the inside of whose boardroom we will never see—or a God who is intimately involved in the small, everyday, muddy and mundane realities of our lives with us? This psalm answers with: “yes.”
The God of psalm 147 is a big God who deals with the massive works of the universe. He numbers and names stars, for instance. But he is also a God intimately involved in the daily lives of his people, too. The mind-numbing difference between these two contexts does not seem to phase or create a barrier for God at all. He knows his whole creation by name. He works his ways and gives his caring, intimate presence in everything he does.
The God who is great and powerful enough to deal with the heavenly bodies of the universe is surly powerful enough to move the things in our lives. But this is not the coercive power that we fear these days: this is the power of a God who bends down, condescends to menial, servant-like tasks of changing bandages.
Toward the end of this psalm, we hear of how it is God’s word that goes out to work out and accomplish so many of these things. Again: this is not a picture of a distant deity shouting commands that somebody had better do, or else. No, this is a picture that looks much more like the first half of the psalm. It is a picture that looks, in fact, a lot like Jesus. The Word of God: Lord of all the Universe, yet also the Servant of all the Humble and Brokenhearted. He is at once deity and humanity. Transcendent and imminent. Big enough to do what needs doing, humble enough to walk beside us and support us through the long journey that gets us there.
These acts we’re invited to praise God for are long, generational pictures of God’s work of salvation in the lives of his people against the backdrop of evil. It doesn’t happen overnight. Wounds don’t heal instantaneously. The exiles of Israel didn’t return for 70 years. Sometimes our times are hard. Worthy of lament, of anger, of grief as we face the real evils and troubles of this world.
But we have a big God who is not afraid to walk the hard, dark, or narrow roads of life with us in Jesus until our salvation is complete. Having witnessed that long, faithful work of God again across the last 146 psalms, psalm 147 reminds us that praise is the fitting final word to place on our lips. Thank you God for who you are and for all you have done for us!
Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Don’t put your trust in human leaders. Don’t trust in people who can’t save you. When they die, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help. Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God! The Lord rules forever. The God of Zion will rule for all time to come. Praise the Lord (Psalm 146:1-5, 10).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony offered us a wonderful meditation, A Litany of Praise, based on Psalm 145. Today’s psalm follows a similar theme. In fact, this theme, “offering praise to God”, rounds out the psalter. The final six psalms are a huge exclamation mark. As Eugene Peterson frequently told us, the psalms must shape our lives. We must live them. Only living them, can we truly begin to understand them.
So, do something crazy, like, “Praise the Lord!”
Pastor Anthony included these words, “God’s people are constantly doing this work of telling out the faith to one another because God remains faithfully present and active in new ways in our lives. Through this simple act of witnessing in response to what God has done: the faith is passed on. So, how will you join this litany of praise that passes on the faith? What story of God’s praise do you have to share? How will you tell it out to the next generation?”
It seems to me that we ought to use the same kind of language when speaking of evangelism. I’m not sure if this word ever had good resonance within the church. For most of us, it just sounds scary. One of the reasons we fear evangelism (and any sermon on it) is that we think of it as separate from the rest of the Christian life, from the rest of our faith. We go on retreats in order to learn how to do it right. In my first congregation, we paid a some folks to come for a weekend to train us in evangelism. They were quite unsuccessful, in that, no one joined the church because we were better evangelists.
Many of us feel woefully ungifted in this work; moreover, we feel mighty guilty for not having racked up a list of converts. And there in lies our great difficulty. Evangelism is seen as Christian work. It’s a manner of assessing our success at being Christian. The more converts, the better we are. In the end, we leave it to the experts and retreat into our Christian ghettos.
I don’t think there is merit in such formulas, or such guilt. They are rooted in the assumption that somehow, we need to convince people to become Christians, to somehow prove that the Christian religion is better than all others. This seems to be rather misguided. There is no injunction in scripture to do such a thing. Rather, Psalm 146’s, “Praise the Lord”, echoes throughout Scripture.
When a church is a gathering of people who begin and end their days with praising God, and doing it again in between, evangelism occurs naturally. In such a setting, techniques, and clever strategies for marketing the church do not have to be taught. Rather, individuals, like the psalmist, communicate the message of God's kingdom with their very lives. They never cease communicating this message, even when tragedy strikes (as it inevitably does) or boredom afflicts. People who genuinely praise God while they are hurting are remarkably good witnesses to God.
Evangelism is a weird word which is not found in the Bible. In the good Book, we are told to be witnesses, to tell the stories of God in our lives. When the word evangel does appear in the Bible, it connotates the telling of good news. Like the women, telling the male disciples that Jesus was risen. That is all.
No one really wants to talk about the 2022 season of the Hamilton Tiger Cats. There is nothing good to tell. But what if, instead of playing their usual dismal games during the playoffs, they had won game after game until they hoisted the Grey Cup. Then people would want to talk. Fans would love to tell others about the season, especially those last games. They would not need to convince others that the Ti-Cats had become a great team in the end, the Cup would tell the story.
The same is true in the Christian life. Telling the stories of God saving us and others is what the Bible tells us to do. We don’t have to do the convincing. We can leave that up to God. As the psalmist says, “Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God!” This is also true in witnessing. We don’t have to make converts. The Holy Spirit does that. Praise the Lord!
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works—and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. (Psalm 145:3-8)
This Psalm in Hebrew is an acrostic poem. Each new line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. From Aleph to Taw, A to Zed. Or if you prefer: from alpha to omega, from beginning to end. There is a completeness to it. As there is a completeness to the deeds of the Lord and to the generations that are called on to praise Him for it.
The very structure of this psalm reminds us that God’s people have always told the stories of God. They have always lifted up their voices in praise of God. There will never be a time when they don’t, because God and his work is always worth of it. If somehow we miss a beat, the very stones will cry out. We simply take up our place in that litany of praise and storytelling—publicly professing our faith again and again in songs, creeds, and stories until we finish our race and take up our place in the great cloud of witnesses. And even there: we’ll continue praising our God.
Now, the words of our confession do change from time to time as God continues to intervene and act in history. In the time of Israel, the best way to describe God was the way that God described Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
The words that we use now are different though. Because we’ve come to know God through Jesus Christ. And so when we join the chorus of God’s faithful people, we do so in words like those of the Apostles Creed—declaring the saving action of God in Jesus Christ who came to live, die, and be raised again: who Ascended, who will come again to judge, and who in the meantime has poured out the Holy Spirit.
Our confession is even more particularly shaped in the language of the Reformation—the Heidelberg Catechism’s first question and answer being among our most favorite—recognizing that our only comfort in life and in death comes from our belonging to Jesus Christ our Lord because of all His mighty deeds on our behalf.
As a church denomination we recognize how the mighty deeds of God bear on our contemporary lives and situations through Contemporary Testimonies like Our World Belongs to God and the Belhar Confession.
Even more particularly through the unique prayers we pray and stories we tell, we as individuals in the church continue to confess the ways that God has shown up and been faithful. We tell out to one another the ways that God has brought healing, comforted us in times of grief or loneliness, saved us, forgiven us, empowered us to forgive someone else.
God’s people are constantly doing this work of telling out the faith to one another because God remains faithfully present and active in new ways in our lives. Through this simple act of witnessing in response to what God has done: the faith is passed on.
So, how will you join this litany of praise that passes on the faith? What story of God’s praise do you have to share? How will you tell it out to the next generation?
Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle…None of our city walls will be broken down. No one will be carried off as a prisoner. No cries of pain will be heard in our streets (Psalm 144:1, 14).
This psalm is easy enough to understand within its context of the king leading Israel’s armies into battle against their enemies. War was part of their lives (cf. 2 Samuel 11:1). Its most likely that David, the warrior king, composed this song. He was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul's army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?
The only way is to be trained and then placed in the middle of the battle. Only in the furnace of war can we truly learn to be warriors. Practice doesn't make you battle ready. War games won't prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The stark reality is that only being in the battle makes us effective warriors.
But we live in a very different context. Israel may have gone to war against other nations. But the church does not. So how is this psalm useful for Christians today?
One fruitful reading of this psalm sees in it a foreshadowing of Christ’s reign. Today, from heaven, he reigns over the lives of His faithful here on earth. The kingdom of heaven has come to this world, but there are still other kingdoms opposed to it and its king.
Today, the saints don’t go to war against other nations, but we do suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). As such, the Christian life is properly thought of as combat. Jesus, as King, is also our military leader. In this psalm we praise Him for teaching our hands to do battle and our fingers to make war, and for delivering us from the evil sword. Could meditation on this psalm have led the apostle to pen Ephesians 6:10-20?
When Jesus taught us to prayer, “Deliver us from evil”, was he referencing this psalm? Consider what the Heidelberg Catechism says about this petition, “By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh-never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory” (A 127).
Simply reading our Bible will not make us warriors for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is folly. Only when we are placed in situations where we must depend on God will we learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make us into soldiers for Christ in the workplace. When we come to the place where we want to be dead to anything that keeps us from fulfilling God's purposes, there the Spirit will lead us to fruitfulness.
From the earliest days of the church, we have this anthem, “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ rules.” It was sung by the martyrs, their blood poured out for Caesar’s pleasure. Those men, women, and children were not in doubt as to the identity of the true King. They believed He was the conqueror of Revelation 19:11–14.
Surely, the confidence in God exuding from this psalm, sustained many who have died for their faith. Should it not sustain those of us who continue to war against “our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh”?
Christ is not just the conqueror, he is also the Prince of Peace. The latter part of the psalm describes “the blessings of those whose God is the Lord.” The images in verses 12-14 refer to the tranquility and prosperity of a well-governed realm. Such is the Kingdom of the Christ celebrated here. We may not see it yet, but Jesus promises that all who endure in the faith will experience this kingdom. Such vision has long sustained God’s children. Let it sustain us.
For now, we experience both war and peace. The first half of the psalm pictures war, the second peace. Can we see in the second half images of the new earth and new heavens, when all wars have ceased? Can we partner this psalm with the prayer of Revelation 22:20, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”?
Before we get to today’s text in psalm 143, let me say a bit about it. It is the last of the penitential psalms, which are the psalms the church has recognized as psalms fit to teach us what it means to repent. Soon, the psalter will take the turn from repentance to joy in the final 5 psalms.
But first, a recognition of who we are before God and our utter dependence on him for salvation from our sinful state, salvation from our earthly enemies, and the sort of sanctification that teaches and grows us up into any form of righteous living. Aside from knowing the particular means by which Jesus Christ and the work of the Spirit would later become our salvation and sanctification, you can already hear much of the New Testament pattern of dead to sin/alive in Christ here in Psalm 143.
So, before we get to those psalms of praise that lift our eyes to the hope and joy of our life in God, perhaps it’s fitting in our devotion today to simply read and pray this psalm as our own psalm of repentance and hope.
Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.
Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. (Psalm 143)
I call out to the Lord. I pray to him for mercy. I pour out my problem to him. I tell him about my trouble. When I grow weak, you are watching over my life (Psalm 142:1-3a).
At some point, most children must wrestle with a sense of abandonment. This loss is felt when parents leave the room. As they return time after time, the child will grow confident that their leaving is not permanent. For some children this is a more difficult journey than others. And some children, mostly due to neglect and the withholding of love, struggle to trust anyone. As they grow up, they find it difficult to develop healthy attachments. Even into old age, they remain afraid of being abandoned.
Our psalm for today, touches on this matter of abandonment, being left alone, without human community. We can imagine this psalm on the lips of Jeremiah, cast into the well, then drawn out only to be imprisoned until the fall of Jerusalem. No effort is needed to hear this prayer welling up from the throat of Job, as he sat on his dung heap, bereft of every earthly comfort. We could include Jacob fleeing from his brother Esau, Joseph thrown into an Egyptian prison and Elijah running from Jezebel.
When we think of those unjustly accused who may have prayed this psalm, other people come to mind, such as Daniel in the lion’s den and his three friends in the fiery furnace. We might include Hannah, surrounded by children not her own. And David fleeing from Saul and later from Absalom. Of course, many Christians today living in places of persecution understand the sentiments of this psalm.
If this lament is a fitting supplication for those in prison, then even John the Baptist is to be counted among those who may have prayed it and the Apostles Peter, Paul, and John. But most of all, and adding dignity to the rest, there is Christ our Lord, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, abandoned by His closest friends, betrayed by one of them and denied in public by another, finding His sole refuge in the Father.
Here is a lament of a person who has been faithful to God, but who feels oppressed and abandoned by the community of faith. Words and phrases such as “complaint,” “my spirit grows faint,” “no one is concerned for me,” “no one cares for me,” “desperate need,” “set me free from prison” haunt its verses.
Yet, throughout the song, there is one ray of light, God has not abandoned this singer. This is the one thing that holds despair at bay. “When I grow weak, you are watching over my life” (3); “You are my place of safety. You are everything I need in this life” (5); “Set me free so I can praise your name” (7). This is one of the hall marks of the Christian faith: that God does not abandon us. Jesus’ incarnation is the proof. It’s a matter of faith to believe that God remains with us even if we cannot see or feel him.
This song speaks into our impersonal world. We work with, go to school with, live next door to, worship with people whom we hardly know. What burdens do they carry? Do they feel that the very breath of life is being sucked away by traps and snares? Do they feel that no one regards them, no one inquires after their well-being? Maybe some of you express those questions for yourself.
This psalmist expresses these fears of abandonment, and the ultimate fear of death, in this cry to God. He will be a refuge when all others fail. But more than a place to hide, God will also be our “portion,” that is, He will be the satisfaction of our lives. He will be everything we need in life. The trouble is we often need to lose the little refuges we cherish to know that God is still our ever-present refuge.
Let me finish with this question: has not the church been called to be a place of refuge in the land of the living? How can we know the presence of God if we are not that presence to each other? What ever church you are part of, get out the directory, look through it, pray through it. Who is God calling you to be present with so that they will know that God has not abandoned them?
The psalm-singer pleads for deliverance by God for one reason: to give thanks to the name of God (7); that once more the righteous will gather round in community. In the third and final expression of trust, the psalmist is confident that after God delivers, the righteous will gather round, and the psalm-singer will no longer feel abandoned and alone. Why not reach out to make that happen today?
I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. (Psalm 141:1-4)
This is a psalm that has often marked services of daily, common prayer throughout the history of the Christian church—particularly the service of evening prayer. Indeed, in the CRC’s newest red hymnal (Lift Up Your Hearts), this is the psalm written in for the service of evening prayer (#381).
The psalm is really quite general in terms of what it asks God for. Hear me. Help me. Guard my words. Guard my heart. Keep me from evil and from the evil of evildoers. These last petitions resonate with the Lord’s Prayer: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
While general, there is also something quite deliberate and attentive about this psalm. It names our mouth, our hearts, our eyes, our actions. It is a psalm that desires wisdom and growth away from the ways of evil and toward the ways of righteousness. Perhaps most significantly, it recognizes that we cannot do this alone, but need God’s help if we’re going to turn away from evil and toward the good.
It’s not enough for us to watch what we say: we also need God’s accountability and help to watch over the door of our lips. We also need God’s help to check us against the ever-restless desires of our hearts for the “delicacies” of any number of different “appetites” of relationship, body, status, or possession that may not quite be ours to enjoy.
Salvation is not our doing. We know that. But neither is living in grateful response to the salvation gift that we have been given. We are equally as dependent on God for living Christianly as we were for becoming a Christian in the first place. There’s a whole lot of Christian life and living that comes after the point of our “salvation,” which for a good number of us may have been the day we were born into the covenantal Christian community as infants. That means we need a whole lot of very boring, ordinary, general, everyday help from God.
Psalm 141, therefore, is a good prayer for all of us. We need a good prayer for this general, everyday life use. We need a Holy Spirit guard over our eyes and lips and hearts day-by-day against all the “little” sins, “white” lies, and ordinary, glancing temptations so that our little eyes might be careful what they see, our little tongues what they say, and our little hearts what they covet.
May God indeed do this work daily. May God keep us hungry for him and satisfied in him alone. May he keep our words pure and in step with the fruit of the Spirit in all situations. May he keep our eyes on the gifts he’s given us and off the gifts he’s given others. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Lord, save me from sinful people. Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me. They make evil plans in their hearts. They are always starting fights. Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent. The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake. I say to the Lord, “You are my God.” Lord, hear my cry for mercy. Lord and King, you save me because you are strong. You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle” (Psalm 140:1-3,6,7).
Its interesting to trace the use of a Psalm among God’s people; to explore in which contexts worshippers have found this song helpful for their faith. Often, we must travel back in time to find such a setting.
For Psalm 140, no time travelling is needed to find people praying this psalm. It has been adopted by many women who suffer domestic violence. Psalm 140 has become a fervent prayer of such people.
Let me pause for a moment to say this, if you are in danger, please call a local abuse hotline. Even if your abuser professes to be a Christian, you should not stay in a place of danger.
In this psalm, we can hear the realities of both physical and verbal abuse. The scars of the later may run deeper than those on the body. When this happens in the privacy of the home, within the sanctuary of a marriage, the horrors are magnified.
The church has often been silent and complicit. As such, the church has not read her own psalms very well. This song ends, I know that the Lord makes sure that poor people are treated fairly. He stands up for those who are in need. I’m sure that those who do right will praise your name. Those who are honest will live with you (12,13).
Here is a song for the abused.
It is those with power who do the abusing. They also need to read and pray this psalm. It is clear here and in so many other places in scripture that abuse of any sort is evil. It is a misuse of power. Let us be clear, power is to be used to protect those who need protecting. God does not intend power to be used to control or manipulate. It is never to be used for selfish ends.
Jesus was quite blunt about this, “You know about those who are rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free” (Mark 10:42-45).
He said this specifically to his disciples who would later lead the church. Any of us who hold positions of power and influence, whether at home, at school, in the church or the marketplace would do well to carefully heed Jesus’ words. We should also spend time with this Psalm wondering if we might be numbered among those this psalm calls out.
The Apostle Paul quotes from this psalm, “The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake” (Romans 3:13). Interestingly, Paul is not referring to or condemning the malicious and violent enemies of the faith, but all humanity. Each of us is capable of plotting maliciousness and engaging in violent ways. Our faith in a God of goodness and wholeness reminds us that we are to be imitators of this God, not creators of violence and abuse.
Often when people have designs on our lives, then, we are reduced to prayer. All we can do is pray for God to show grace. The psalm recalls God’s own nature as the one who has the strength to protect, and it recalls occasions in the past when he has provided protection. God is on the side of the lowly and the needy when they are faithful and upright and he is urged to make the would-be evil doers the victims of their own plans.
Evil, injustice, and oppression must be confronted, opposed, hated because God hates them. Too often anger leads us to new forms of violence. This psalmist invites us to submit our anger to God, trusting in both his desire for justice and righteousness and in his ability to bring it about. With the psalmist we pray, “You are my God. Lord, hear my cry for mercy. Lord and King, you save me because you are strong. You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle”.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. … Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:1-2,23-24)
Psalm 139 begins and ends in exactly the same way. The psalm praises God in deeply personal and poetic ways for his infinite knowledge, presence, and power. From that basis, the psalm asks God to do it again: “O God who knows me, know me again—here, now today. O God who searches my heart and mind, search me again. O God who is present everywhere and everywhen, lead me into your everlasting presence again today.”
There is something incredibly comforting about this psalm. We use it often in worship and devotions. Many of us know parts of it by heart. Perhaps we don’t think often enough of how frighteningly intimate this psalm is, however.
That God should know every thought and deed of our entire lives—that he should be present as witness in every secret room where we have ever given in to temptation—is actually quite a frightful thought. This is the very thought that sent Adam and Eve off to hide in the bushes when they realized they were naked before the eyes of God and one another. We fear being known so intimately. It takes a great deal of trust built over a great deal of time to be willing to reveal and entrust ourselves—warts and all—so fully to another. This is part of the wisdom that leads the Christian tradition to restrict the naked vulnerability of sex to the safely guarded commitment of marriage: in doing so we claim that intimate knowing of one’s body, just like intimate knowing of one’s self, ought only be offered in a setting of highest, deepest trust and commitment.
This is just that sort of relationship, and I’d say an even deeper one, that psalm 139 describes. In a marriage, it remains true that one never fully knows the other. Who of us can truly plumb the depths of mystery and living reality that is another human being like ourselves? We can’t. But God can, and does. We are fully known by God.
The crazy step of faith that psalm 139 takes, is that it recognizes that God knows our true and authentic self more deeply than even we, ourselves ever will, and actually invites that knowing. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Far from a cynical, deterministic, or fatalistic look at religion, the psalmist claims a place of agency and responsibility within the relationship with God. Yes, God knows the psalmist anyway, but the psalmist has also come to know and to trust this God. The psalmist is not merely a passive participant in a pre-determined world. There is a relationship here: God created it that way. And so the psalmist has a role in inviting that relationship: inviting God in to see and to know and even to speak into the psalmist’s life in ways that lead into even deeper knowing of self and even deeper relationship with the everlasting God.
Our relationship with God is our first relationship of intimacy, our first experience of being seen, known, and yet loved all the same. Will you continue to invite that relationship as psalm 139 does, so that you too can experience what it is to be seen and known, and yet loved and led into even deeper, trusting places of relationship? The grace, forgiveness, and peace of Christ assures us that we can.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 11 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- What are the challenges facing Israel in this story?
- Saul rises to the challenge. How does it happen? What are major differences between the work of the Spirit in the Old Testament vs the New Testament? How do we live under the power of the Spirit today?
- Saul wins a great victory. How does this point towards Jesus’ work? How can this shape our faith and living today?
- Saul refuses to retaliate against his detractors. In this way, he acts in a godly manner. How can you pass on this grace God has offered you?
Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. In front of those who think they are gods I will sing praise to you. I will bow down facing your holy temple. I will praise your name because you are always loving and faithful. You have honored your holy word even more than your own fame (Psalm 138:1-2).
If the psalms of the Old Testament are our prayer book, then it is wise to both pray them and learn to pray from them. So, as we read Psalm 138, what do we learn about prayer?
Let’s begin with the phrase, ‘all my heart.’ What does it mean to pray with ‘all my heart’? Prayer is interior work. That is not a phrase which we use very much today but has long been used by Christians to describe the soul work. In a recent devotion I encouraged us to get our bodies involved in our devotional acts. This opens us to the temptation of allowing our acts of devotion to drift towards being only rote physical acts. When the psalmist prays ‘with all my heart, we are reminded that our souls, our spirits must be involved.
Today, many of us thing of our hearts as the place of feeling. When we pray, we want an experience that we feel. Many Christians have stopped praying because their hearts are ‘no longer in it’ so that they do not ‘feel sincere.’ We tend to identify sincerity with emotional spontaneity. There is nothing wrong with spontaneity. It is good to have the feeling of experiencing intimacy with God. But this is not what our psalmist is hinting at. An intense spiritual experience while at prayer has always been the exception, rather than the norm. It’s a gift God gives us of his own choosing, not something we create or may demand from him.
The word “heart,” in the biblical and traditional vocabulary of prayer means ‘from the very core of ourselves, the center of decision and resolve, a region vastly deeper than our emotions’. It includes our emotions but is not dependent on them. It is at that level that God speaks to us. When Jesus conversed with the Samaritan woman, he told her that true worshippers worship God ‘in spirit and in truth’ (John 4:24). In prayer, we direct our attention and words towards God and offer him the truth about ourselves. We might say that we allow God to reveal the truth about our hearts to our conscious minds.
Our psalmist speaks about praying, “in front of those who think they are gods”. But this is difficult to do. We worship a multitude of gods that hide in the shadows. We turn to God in prayer so that our hearts are laid bare. This will take decision and effort on our part because our hearts will resist giving up those other gods. In prayer, we seek to name the false gods that we worship secretly, so that we can renounce them and worship the Lord God alone.
When we begin to pray, we endeavor to involve, as best we can, our inner core of decision and resolve. To the extent that we can find them or know them at all, we turn our hearts to God, and we confess Him Lord of all gods. From our heart we turn ourselves to God in His throne room, in spirit and in truth.
Continuing, the psalmist says, “I will bow down facing your holy temple. I will praise your name because you are always loving and faithful.” The temple that the psalmist was referring to is long gone. In John’s gospel, Jesus makes the case that he is the new, the true temple of God (John 2:19-22). He is the abiding-place where we find God. The goal of prayer, after all, is our union with God, so the proper foundation of prayer is the Incarnation, in which God and man are joined. Jesus prayed, “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (John 17:21). Thus, we come to the Father in Christ’s name.
As Christians, we know nothing of prayer outside of Christ. Our psalmist prays, “I will praise your name because you are always loving and faithful. You have honored your holy word even more than your own fame.” It is in God’s glorification Jesus’ name that all Christian prayer is safely placed. In Christ, we see the full richness of God’s love and faithfulness. The fundamental confession that we make in our hearts is “Jesus is Lord!”
Not every pray we utter needs to run this deep. Even in the Bible, there are many kinds of prayers. But to grow deeper into our Christian faith, we do need to take the time for this kind of deep praying. This is the kind of praying that takes effort, our bodies and souls will resist. It is good work. It is the kind of prayer that usually takes place in ‘the closet’ that Jesus speaks of. And when our souls learn to commune with God this way, they begin to long for it, they begin to feel at home in his presence and it will become easier.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4)
This is one of the few psalms that comes with a definite historical context. The exiles, weeping before the taunts of their Babylonian captors in a foreign land. In this land of exile, memory plays a central role.
Memory firstly brings forth lament. Things have changed: drastically, violently. Everything familiar has been ripped from place as the people themselves have been ripped from place. And yet, the memory of home is not so easily dislodged. The exiles remember Zion. They remember their past. They remember the goodness, the joy, the laughter—the songs. They remember their God.
It is the dissonance between these two realities: between the city of Babylon and the ever-present memory of the city of God that tells them just how far from home they really are. This dissonance becomes lament. They remember the joyful songs of Zion—the songs of ascent we ourselves just went through—but they can no longer sing them. Not today. Not here. They hang up their harps and weep as their captors laugh in spite and derision.
There are also days when we get our bodies to the church while our souls still linger with a moment in our past—that moment when a spouse said: “I don’t know if I love you anymore”; the moment when disease struck; the moment someone we loved died. A similar dissonance plays out and we find that we actually just can’t sing the songs of the Lord in this new foreign land of exile, grief, or confusion. We’re in the space of lament. A space where we, like the Israelites sitting by the rivers of Babylon, simply have to hang up our harps, weep, and name the fact that we can’t sing today.
The psalm also holds on to memory as an act of hope. As exiles, these were people who held out the hope of return. So they swore off any forgetfulness: they would continue to remember Zion, holding out hope that they would once again stand in the land of promise in the presence of their God in the city of their God.
In the Christian faith, we too hold onto a hopeful memory. Not the memory of returning to the way things were before an accident, estrangement, or loss—but rather a memory of the promises Jesus made before he left that things would not always be so painful or lonely as they are now. We remember and place our hope in the fact that he said he would come again to set all things right and make all things new.
The final act of the psalm is an invitation for God to remember. And here the visions converge somewhat. Psalm 137 asks God to remember the violence and evil that was done to his people, that God might bring justice and restoration. That’s not far off from the vision of the book of Revelation and our own, Christian prayers. We also ask God to remember us, his people in our pain and hardship, and his promise to come and restore all things when we pray “come, Lord Jesus.”
Memory is an important thing: it brings us to face the hardest places of our lives, it calls us to remember our hope, and it invites us to continue to cry out to God until he finally accomplishes his work in Jesus so that we can sing, once again.
Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods, His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords. His love never quits (Psalm 136:1-3, The Message).
Gratitude is not natural; it certainly does not come easily for most of us. Many Christians bristle at the biblical instructions to give thanks. When I preach on a text such as “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), the most common response is guilt. Even seasoned Christ followers tend to struggle with discontent.
Is there anything to be done about this? Are there things we can do to develop, as they say, ‘an attitude of gratitude’? Can we Christians move from disgruntlement to thanksgiving? The answer is yes. Nothing happens in the Christian life without the movement of the Holy Spirit, so prayer for the Spirit’s working is the place to start.
And the first aid of the Holy Spirit is the Word of God. A text such Psalm 136 is a place the Spirit might direct us to. We cannot be sure who originally composed this song or when. But we do know, from its language, that it was adapted by Israel’s musicians for post-exilic worship. It was in those days, when Israel was greatly diminished from her glory days of David and Solomon, when she remained largely under the thumb of foreign armies, that this psalm was retooled to nurture the faith of the returned remnant worshipping in temple that looked like a hovel compared to Solomon’s.
This psalm encouraged Israel not to get fixated on the stuff of this earth, but rather on the goodness and love of her God. When our focus is on the things of this earth, even such things as happiness, gratitude is generally far away. North America ranks near the top of the world’s wealth list but also near the top of the world’s unhappiest. The Spirit and the Word draw the eyes of faith away from such things to focus on our God.
The opening paragraphs of Our World Belongs to God articulate the momentum of this song for us, “As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world-which some seek to control, and others view with despair-we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God! From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until the kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever: Our world belongs to God! God is King: Let the earth be glad! Christ is victor: his rule has begun! The Spirit is at work: creation is renewed! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”
The psalm invites Israel to consider God’s character and behaviour throughout her history. Despite Israel’s propensity to neglect God, God remained faithful. Whenever Israel sinned, God came after her. Eugene Peterson’s rendition of this psalm’s refrain is spot on, “His love never quits.” All around us, human love quits. It quits in our marriages, in our friendships, in our neighbourhoods, in our churches; we still quit on God. The only love that has never quit is Gods.
Even though God sent Israel into exile, he followed her. And he brought her back. Initially, he liberated her from Egypt, then he rescued her from Babylon. Like wise, he comes to us in our sin and redeems us through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. “This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God” (1 John 4:10-11 The Message).
Every Passover, the Jewish people use this psalm to retell the story of their salvation. God heard the Israelites' cries for deliverance from servitude to the Egyptians and brought them into the Promised Land. By remembering God's provision of salvation, the Israelites were reminded of his enduring love.
Jesus saves us from our servitude to sin; he is our Passover lamb. We have not yet entered our promised land, the new heavens and earth, but by faith we believe that God is even now, preparing it for us. It is this faith, in God’s redeeming work in Christ, which will be completed when he returns, it is this faith which causes gratitude to well up in our hearts. Seeing what we have in Christ is the way to thanksgiving.
Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. … Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. (Psalm 135:1-6, 13-14)
On either side of the Psalms of Ascent, there are psalms of praise. Psalm 135 picks right up where psalm 118 left off before we traveled through the law in Psalm 119 and to the Temple for Festival in psalms 120-134. We left rejoicing, and we are to return rejoicing.
The theme that flows through Psalm 135 is how Israel is planted as God’s specially chosen nation amidst all the other nations to become the embodiment, example, and message of the Lord’s name and renown. Those other nations make their gods, but Israel’s God has made all things, including his people. The Lord is the one, true, sovereign God: the only God who can save—as he demonstrated in the deliverance of his people from Egypt and his defeat of the kings of Canaan to settle his people in the promised land. For these acts, Israel has reason to continue to praise the Lord.
Of course, Israel continued to live among the nations even after these great acts of salvation were accomplished. In this muddled middle of history, things were not always so clean cut as they may have seemed in the past. And so a promise for the future also resides in this psalm. Verse 14 says: “the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.” Continuing to believe in the Lord as the great God above all gods who is trustworthy to save and deliver remained a difficult and contested act—especially when it seemed like the nations and their gods had the upper hand or the better life.
We, in a very different and yet also very similar way, still live in an age of contested belief. We may follow Christ, but we are fully aware that many of our neighbours, coworkers, and online friends do not. Rather than being part of a nation geographically insulated by borders from these secular or spiritually or religiously other people in our lives, we rub shoulders, share roads, and exchange online comments with them almost daily.
How in this culture do we continue to be distinctly Christian, trustful of the work of our sovereign God, believers in the things we cannot see even when it seems like we’re increasingly in the minority?
The psalm gives a single solution: to praise the Lord. The content of our praise is filled with memory. It reminds us of what God has done in the past. These are the things we praise him for. But the act of praise itself is an act of hope that envelopes, as Pastor Michael said yesterday, our whole body and lives. It gets our voice, or arms, our heart, our mind, our soul—all of it involved in responding to God, remembering God, being in grateful relationship with God.
As the Church in this culture we do not need walls, nor do we need policies. What the Church needs in order to be the Church and to witness to the world in this secular age of contested belief is deep-throated, full-bodied, believing, hoping praise of our God. Do we have a message of Good News or don’t we? If we do, then let’s praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 134).
Once, when I took a two-week course at a retreat centre, our professor, the late Dallas Willard, began the course with two instructions: you will sleep 12 hours the first three nights and then 10 hours thereafter and you will go out into the wilderness and pray Psalms 145-150 at the top of your lungs with hands lifted high.
Wise counsel! As a culture, we deprive ourselves of sleep. We are too tired! Fatigue hinders our ability to drive well, and it hinders our ability to commune with God well. I think this is somewhat obvious, even if we need it pointed out on occasion.
Still, the instruction regarding Psalms 145-150 elicited almost as much resistance as the one regarding sleep. Here we were, 25 church leaders from around the world, and we were somewhat embarrassed to be caught praising God enthusiastically. Makes one wonder! I wonder if we are too limited in the ways in which we commune with God. Its mostly a mind exercise. Should we involve our bodies more? Should we consider how our bodily postures influence our communion with God? Can our bodies help our souls be more in tune with God?
At least in part, Psalm 134 invites us to consider these questions. Many of us, who were brought up in the protestant part of the Christian church, understand prayer to be “asking God for stuff”. None of us would define prayer that way, but when we listen to our prayers, that is the bulk of it. Further, prayer is conducted by sitting or kneeling reverently trying to get our minds (and maybe our souls) to stay focussed on the task at hand. Rather limited, don’t you think?
This is the last psalm of Ascents, those communal songs the Israelites sang during their pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the religious festivals. It appears that the final night of these festivals was spent, at least in part, in communal worship, with hands lifted.
This psalm has a long usage in the church as part of the day’s final canonical hour, called compline. In the monastic tradition the day ends with a service of song, scripture, and personal meditation. Psalm 134 is part of that service.
In Protestant circles, there is a long tradition of ending the day with prayer. Many Christian parents teach their children to kneel at their beds for prayer before going to sleep. In this tradition, it is time for intercession, especially for forgiveness of sins committed during the day. This is good. But what about Psalm 134? Is it possible for us to end the day with praise? Is it possible to end the day with hands up lifted? How would it change our spirituality if each day is ended in praise? What if, after asking forgiveness, we got up and praised God for his grace? What if we went to sleep with the clean conscience grace gives?
Virtually all physical postures are fitting for prayer. Many are referred to in the Bible: kneeling (2 Chr. 6:13; Dan. 6:10; Acts 7:60), kneeling with face bowed to the ground (Is. 45:23; Phil. 2:10), full prostration, that is, laying flat on the floor (Rev. 4:10; 5:8). Sitting seems to be a prayer-posture particularly fitting for settings of contemplative quiet (Luke 8:35; 10:39). Many, too, have found walking to be a fine way of communing with the Lord (cf. Luke 24:13-17); nor should lying on (in) one’s bed be excluded from among the acceptable postures of prayer (Psalms 4:4; 62:6).
The most favored in the Orthodox Church has been that of standing, which combines the features of dignity, attentiveness, readiness, obedience, and vigilance. Its helpful to vary the postures we adopt for praying depending on the occasion and need of our prayers. I suspect that our bodies are useful spiritual tools. Sometimes, the body can lead the soul.
Our psalm speaks of standing: a posture of both giving and receiving. The worshippers are encouraged to lift heir hands as an act of blessing God. But also, as a posture of receiving His blessing. Maybe it’s the image of a little child reaching up to hold the hand of a parent. That simple gesture signifies gratitude for the security the parent offers while at the same time receiving it. A fine way to commune with our God.
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133)
The Israelites didn’t have separate denominations. They certainly had conservative factions and progressive factions within their ranks (think of the disagreements in the Sanhedrin between Pharisees, Sadducees, and others later on from the New Testament!), but given the fact that there was only one city of Jerusalem, they only had one place to go to celebrate a festival. The journey of ascents to the one, true God and to the one city of Jerusalem necessarily brought them all together as one, big, raucous family again. Despite their grudges, despite their disagreements, despite their opinions of one another’s practice of the faith: there they were—worshiping, eating, and praying together as God’s people.
Imagine that. All of God’s people living together as sisters and brothers. The divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel living together as sisters and brothers. The faithful exiles living together with the Samaritan traitors as sisters and brothers. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and Zealots living together as sisters and brothers. In those rare moments when it happens: it is like the ordained, anointed blessing of God running over through the priesthood and down to all the people. It is as if the plentiful dew of a lushly green-forested mountain fell on the dry rocks of Mount Zion; as if the day of God’s gift of abundant life and blessing has arrived at last where all the people will gather in peace and celebration for the feast of the Messiah.
Each festival celebration was a foretaste of much better things to come—the vision of what God was up to in calling Israel as his one, singular people. In Jesus and around the Lord’s Supper table, we catch a similar vision of the power of God at work.
We confess and believe in the one Spirit-fired “holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the life everlasting.” Which is to say that we believe that Christians from the URC and the CRC, the Canadian Reformed and the Free Reformed, those on all sides of present school and church conflicts—that all of them, in the end, are one. Not because we have managed to work it out on earth, so much as that it is the reality of God’s heaven.
In current conversations on sexuality, much is made of a morality rooted in a Creation-order ethic. But I do wonder at times if we shouldn’t find our starting point in the other end of history: in the New Creation where “they will neither marry nor be given in marriage” and where all God’s people are gathered fully and finally together—progressives, conservatives, protestants, Catholics, and every one of the thousand-plus factions of “the Reformed faith”—all at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. This place where we will finally and manifestly be what we actually already are in God’s reckoning: reconciled together in Christ into one body, through the one Spirit, faith, and baptism through which the one Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
May Psalm 133 inform our praying of the Lord’s prayer that God’s “will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” And, until that day when our journey of ascents is complete inside the gates of the New Jerusalem, may this psalm inform our living, too.
Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might…For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, ‘this is my resting place forever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it’ (Psalm 132:8, 13-14).
We are still among the psalms of ascent, the songs the Israelites sang as they came and went to Jerusalem for the festivals of their faith. This song resounds with two important elements of identity for the ancient Israelites: a dwelling place for God and the kingship of David. From David’s time onward, these two aspects of Israelite life became deeply entwined, finding their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
But before we go there, we need to recall that when David pledged to build God a temple, God was not very keen on the idea. “I like being able to move around, not being fixed in one place,” God says, “and anyway this initiative of yours reverses the proper relationship between me and you. I’m the one who is going to build a house, a house for you” (in the sense of a household, a line of succession). “That building needs to come first” (a summary of 2 Samuel 7).
Sometimes psalms turn into a conversation in which God responds, and Psalm 132 is an example. In the second half God speaks, recalling his commitment to David; his promise that there would always be a descendant of David on the throne. From Zion (another word for Jerusalem), where David’s throne sat, God will bless his people. The promise about David’s successors presupposes that they will be faithful to God. Maybe God in his grace will be merciful when they are faithless, but they cannot assume that God will keep his side of the covenant when they fail in theirs. As so, exiled to Babylon they were.
But after their return, there was no throne in Jerusalem for a descendant of David to sit on. Yet the pilgrims sang this psalm to each other and to the Lord. Chanting it as they walked was a reminder that God was still among them, and better days were coming for his people. Singing it, they recalled God’s promises.
It’s a good song for us to sing as well, helping us express our own desire that God dwell among his people. If its true that the greatest commandment is to love God will all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, then it is also true that we do not love him very well.
Christians have long understood that our capacity to love God does not arise from trying harder, but rather from experiencing his glory and love. The words of this psalm evoke in us a desire for God to show up among his people. Jesus said that God’s true worshipers, worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23,24). We need the presence of the Holy Spirit for that to happen.
David’s sons and grandsons were covenant breakers. They forsook God. As such, they lost the throne. But what of God’s promises? Looking back, we understand that this psalm finds its final fulfillment in Christ our Lord. He is at once the new Temple (John 2:19-21) and the very son of David who fulfills the promise God swore to David. Through Christ, David’s descendant sitting on heaven’s throne, God blesses his people, giving them of his Spirit, uniting us with Christ and with each other.
When we join the Israelites in singing, “May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy” (9), we are not referring to Aaron’s descendants working in the temple, but about ourselves. Peter understood this when he wrote, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Who knows, maybe Peter had been mediating on this Psalm before he wrote his letter?
With this psalm, we give voice to our faith that God dwells among us, his holy people. God has found his resting place, and it is us. He has chosen us to be his dwelling place. He names us his royal priesthood, his holy nation. That is who we are, praise be too God. Let’s sing it. Let’s make it a love song to our God.
My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. (Psalm 131)
Psalm 131 connects with the psalm that comes before it, psalm 130, which is a cry from the depths of suffering that eventually resolves to wait in hope for the Lord—"more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Psalm 131 carries that hard-won resolve to wait in hope for the Lord on into the rest of life. This picture of humility is childlike—but it’s not the kind of humble trust that comes from a child. It’s a mature, adult form of humility before God, and it often only comes after long years of experience that lead one to return to that place of childlike submission to God. It’s a 2nd humility: a 2nd, much more experienced and determined form of childlike trust.
As Eugene Peterson tells it, there are two sides to that childlike trust that the Psalmist highlights. One is a check against uncontrolled pride and ambition, the other is a check against infantile dependency.
It is a check against uncontrolled pride and ambition because, we were not created to have it all. We were created to live within limits. Adam and Eve set their eyes on higher things of course, reaching for that which was not theirs to have. They over-reached: trying to become like God, instead of submitting to God. We do the same: trying to gain for ourselves the agency, the knowledge, the control, the resources, or the prestige of God, instead of submitting to God. Or, trying to save ourselves and give ourselves our own identity, rather than accepting and submitting ourselves to our God-given identity as sons and daughters of God, loved and redeemed by His work in Jesus Christ and not our own.
In a few short words, the Psalmist tears down our Forbidden Fruit aspirations. “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” Why? Because that’s your job. Not mine.
But, contested Adam Smith and other capitalists like him down through the centuries—without pride and the arrogance and ambition that it drives, won’t we all just be lazy mooches? Given to unhealthy dependency and sloth?
Well, no. Not in the Psalmist’s perspective, and not in the perspective of the Christian tradition down through the ages either. Without the prideful overreach for forbidden fruit—far from being sloths—Adam and Eve would’ve gotten on just fine with good and plentiful work to do, food enough, and living in the true paradise, with God—heaven on earth. They would have been naked—stripped down quite literally to their truest human selves, and feeling no shame whatsoever in the presence of each other, or a Holy God.
There is a place between the sin of pride and the sin of sloth. And it is healthy, Christian humility. The place of childlike trust. Instead of reaching to take on God’s work ourselves, the Psalmist says: I have calmed and quieted myself. I’m like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child, I am content.
That’s the idea of the Psalm. Israel is to put their hope in the Lord because He is the one who provides all that is needful: salvation, identity, provision. All of these are given as good gifts of the Lord. Actually it is only he that can give these gifts—even our best attempts fall short, because we are not God. Only He is. So the psalm’s invitation: put your hope in the Lord.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you… Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption (Psalm 130:3,4,7).
When we think of God’s accounting ability, we ought to cringe. Suppose every unkind word we had ever spoken, every lie we had ever told, every shortcut we had ever taken, every word of gossip that ever passed our lips, every lustful thought we had entertained, every sin we ever committed were recorded on God’s cell phone. What if God sent us the file and made us watch it? How would we react?
For many of us our first reaction would be to deny it all. Admitting guilt is rarely our first go too. It tends to be the avenue of last resort to keep out of trouble. When denial doesn’t work, we move to rationalization. We blame the circumstances of life, other people, even our genes. “It’s in my nature,” we complain, “I just can’t help it.” And if that doesn’t work, we compare ourselves to others. We tell God that everyone else is doing it, so why can’t I! Or we mention casually that our sins are not nearly as grievous as our neighbour down the road.
It's a good thing that God is patient. He listens to all our excuses one by one. But in the end, we must discover that none of them are truly valid. If God was to lay out ours sins before us, we must echo this psalmist, “Who could stand?”
Despite our best efforts to be good, we are constantly engaged in a wrestling match between the old sin nature and the new person in Christ. Even the Apostle Paul complained, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19).
There is a way out, however. It’s a one-word answer: forgiveness. In His infinite mercy, God chooses to pardon the penitent sinner (Isaiah 55:6-7). We are saved by grace. The Old Testament poets and prophets already knew this. How much more, should we, who know Jesus Christ, know the infinite mercy of our God? If He was not merciful, we would all be destroyed by His judgement. Because we have been forgiven much, we are able to respond in grateful praise. We are moved to revere and respect Him, to worship and adore Him, to follow and obey Him!
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you, says our text for today.
God’s mercy includes more than just forgiveness. In His mercy, He also promises full redemption. We ought never to reduce God’s redemption to anything smaller than the full restoration of the cosmos to its intended glory. In fact, the book of Revelation suggests when God’s full redemption has come, it will be more glorious than the original creation.
If our psalmist was waiting eagerly for that day, how much more shouldn’t we? In our waiting, we cry out to God to hasten that day. But we also wait patiently because we know His sovereign hand will not be forced by human entreaties unless the time is right. He hears our prayers and then acts according to His own perfect timing.
In ancient times, watchmen were posted atop the broad gates of Jerusalem to sound the alarm if signs of imminent danger were observed. If the watchmen could make it until the first rays of the rising sun, they could rejoice in their security for yet another night.
Waiting in darkness merely emphasized the glory of the sunrise! As we wait in the darkness of uncertainty and human inadequacy and our own inclination towards sinfulness, we rest in the faith that His sunrise is surely coming! It will be glorious.
“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say; “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.” May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow; a reaper cannot fill his hands with it, nor one who gathers fill his arms. May those who pass by not say to them, “The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 129)
The Bible reports that the Egyptians treated the Israelites ruthlessly: beating them, abusing them, running them ragged in forced labour until they cried out to the Lord. It’s here, in Israel’s youth that they experienced the plowmen that plowed long furrows—back and forth like the strips from a whip—along Israel’s back. They were a nation raised in oppression, and they knew what it was to bear the brunt of insult, violence, and abuse as their humanity was ripped away furrow, by long furrow. Israel also knew, therefore, what it was to hunger for justice and righteousness, to live with fists clenched, teeth gritted, and anger smoldering under the surface—to live with a curse on their lips.
It’s not what we would think to call a Christian sentiment, but until the day when the Lord comes, it certainly is an honest one. The Psalms are pretty honest about the hard stuff of life—and this is one of those things. Righteous or not, there were times when Israel actively longed for the downfall and disgrace of her enemies.
And yet, it’s precisely these people—these honest, grumbling, wrestling people—that the Lord comes out in righteousness to save. Israel knew just what that meant too. It was the Lord that first blessed them and gave their ancestor Jacob the name “Israel”—"the one who wrestles with God.” It was the Lord that acted out in righteousness to uphold their cause against the wicked oppression of the Egyptians, too, cutting them free from the cords of the wicked and ending the tyranny of the slave-driving plowmen.
After Egypt and throughout the Old Testament the Lord delivers Israel from the hand of their enemies again, and again, and again. The same basic truth rings out in a thousand places on Israel’s lips in the Old Testament: “The Lord is Righteous, and he has cut me free.”
Troubles and forms of oppression still face us today—in small ways and large. All sorts of untidy emotions bubble to the surface with it—fear, sadness, rage, and bitterness—any of which can leave us cursing or close to it. That’s honest. It happened to the Israelites too. But lo and behold, it finds its place right here in the prayer book of God’s people: the Psalms. Those ancient Israelites didn’t bother to hide such untidy feeling from God. He sees it anyway, and so they simply brought it into the conversation with Him. Might as well be honest. How else can you be healed?
Because it is God who heals the long gouges of the furrows plowed into our hearts. It is God who cuts us free from the cords of oppression. Through another dramatic action of God—not the Red Sea, but the waters of baptism—we too have come to know salvation. The death and resurrection of Christ has broken the oppressive cords to sin and its effects so that we might become His righteousness—his saved people: a people that belong to God.
It’s a basic truth of the Christian faith that rings true in a thousand places: Salvation and preservation belong to the Lord. It was the Lord who made us into His people through the work of Christ, and it is the Lord who will sustain us as His people in the strength of Christ, no matter the oppression we face along the way.
As we journey on together, no matter how easy or hard the road we face, it’s important that we continue to remind and encourage one another of who we are because of who God is, as the Israelites did each year on their journey when they sang: “Let Israel say: they have greatly oppressed me from my youth—but the Lord is righteous, he has cut me free.”
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 9:1-10:16 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- What is the tension that keeps re-appearing Saul’s story?
- What two stories are interwoven in today’s scripture reading? Why is the story of Saul’s anointing told this way?
- What Israelite memory is evoked in this story? Why is this important?
- How does this story of Saul’s anointing weave its way through history into our lives?
- How has the Spirit been changing your character? How have you been resisting that change or walking in step with the Spirit?
- How do you, as a Christian, express your submission to the Word of God?
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord (Psalm 128:1-4).
This psalm has created anxiety for many saints. It has been thrust at me accompanied with haunting questions such as, "What did I do to cause my children to turn their backs on me?" or "Why won't God bless me?" And well, since I'm the pastor, I'm supposed to know the answer.
Rarely, did I think there was an obvious answer. It is beyond my ability to solve family issues, but it is my task to respond to people’s spiritual questions. Not so much with answers, but to help them wrestle well with God, to set them on a better road.
On the surface, Psalm 128 reads as if all who obey the Lord will be blessed with wholesome family life and a full table. But that is not really the point. Obedience is paired with fear: a sense of awe and reverence before His majesty; to live believing that He is the sovereign King and our covenant God who holds us in His hands. Fearing God includes trusting him when adversity strikes. Also, trusting that his ways are right.
But we need to know what we are reading. Recently, I have mentioned that, to read the Bible well, we need to use our imaginations and to read passages in context. This psalm suggests something more. We need to know the kind of literature we are reading. Let me explain. We read poetry different than we read prose. We read a historical novel differently than we read a history textbook.
Psalm 128 was classified by the Jewish people as wisdom literature. Thus, it is like the book of Proverbs. A proverb, even today, is not understood to be a rule or a promise; rather, it is something that is often true. They are patterns that have been observed by people. The Bible will not allow us to conclude that life is sweet sailing for all who fear and obey God. Check out Psalm 73 as an example.
Now back to the pastoral questions. Saints must realize that family troubles do not mean that God is against them or that they have necessarily committed some great sin for which God is punishing them. But realizing this does not remove or fix their troubled families.
A helpful context for this song is Genesis 3 and 4 where the Bible illustrates that the consequence of the fall into sin is both difficulty in securing food and dysfunction in family relationships. Work, marriage, sexuality, and family are all corrupted by sin.
How do we overcome these difficulties? The first answer is always, "we cannot." There is nothing we can do to undo the curse of sin. The cure is not our obedience but the blessing of God. This psalm highlights sufficient food and family health as blessings of God for human flourishing. Whenever and wherever we see them, we see God’s redemptive activity.
Living in the blessing of God calls forth from us faithful living, not pride. Those who fear the Lord often experience not just the spiritual blessings of redemption but the physical ones as well. Those who fear the Lord will not see these blessings as a reward for their hard work but as a gift from God.
God’s covenant with Israel restored His reign over her and with that comes the renewal of creation. But throughout the Old Testament, it is never enough. Sin always interferes. There is always need for something more. The ultimate divine blessing comes in and through Jesus Christ and His ministry of redemption and reconciliation. Only in him is the curse of sin undone.
In the New Covenant in Christ, we also find creation restored. We see it in the miracles of Jesus. But God’s kingdom and reign have not yet fully come. This psalm is waiting for a full and complete fulfillment, which will only happen when Jesus returns. So, as we experience the continued brokenness of food insecurity and breakdown in family relations, we are propelled to pray for God’s blessings and for Christ’s return. The fear of God and this psalm bring us to our knees, they fill us with longing for the fullness of redemption. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
It’s useless for you to work from early morning until late at night just to get food to eat. God provides for those he loves even while they sleep. Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from him (Psalm 127:2-3).
Reading the Bible well involves our imagination. It also requires understanding the whole story and its context. Too often Christians take material from the Old Testament story of Israel and apply it directly to individual Christian living. For example, this psalm has been used as an anti-birth control text or that the more children you have the more blessed you are. Such assertions fail to understand this psalm within the story of Israel.
This song was sung by the Israelites as they journeyed from their homes to worship at the temple. This could take days or weeks depending on where you lived. The psalm is about building a home and city that will endure. As today, that was no easy task. It took labour, sweat, labourers, time, money, etc., etc.
Yet, here is the home builder, the city planner, taking a month off from this work for religious festivals. Foolish, don't you think? Psalm 127 says, “Not at all.” This is a covenant song, addressing Israelite life in the promised land. The people needed to build, to sweat, to determine how to construct houses and city walls that would endure. But...
The BUT is very important. In Israel, the success and endurance of any building project is not directly tied to the sweat or skill of the builders BUT upon the blessing of God Almighty, the covenant Lord of Israel. This regular hiatus for worship was an act of faith. Those who believed in this BUT took time for it.
The words about children do not mean that we should have as many children as possible, rather, it was a statement of life in the promised land. The transition from one generation to another was not dependent on Israel's abilities or hard work but on the blessings of God. Children were a sign that God was enabling Israel to continue living in the promised land as his covenant people.
This psalm was a profession of faith sung to remember the most basic reality of Israel’s life: her life was in God’s hand. Without God, Israel was just another nation struggling to survive in a hostile world.
Here is where we can apply this psalm to our lives. Our work and life are in vain without the blessing and presence of God. The ability to earn a living and find relief from one’s labours -- refreshing sleep -- comes from the hands of a loving Father. To build a house is no guarantee that we can live in it. Trying to do things without God is like trying to sail a sailboat by blowing into the sail.
This is a psalm for the hard-working, hard-driving person ... the kind of person who builds things, who runs things, who makes things happen. Who, when seeing that things aren't moving, the problem isn't getting solved, starts work earlier or works later or works harder to make things happen.
As a result, we unbalance our lives. The stress causes us to fall into neglecting our family, neglecting our sleep, neglecting our time with the Lord, and neglecting our Sabbaths. We work, work, work, but we become like corpses.
The Psalm does not encourage laziness. Rather, that we understand our income earning labour as an act of worship. The bottom line is not our primary motivator, but loving obedience. Our income is sometimes more than we deserve. Sometimes it is less than we hoped for. God’s desire is that we see Him working in our daily labours, that we avoid depending on our own effort to succeed.
Yesterday was Wednesday, hump day. A word suggesting that our income earning labour is done primarily to enjoy the weekend. But what if we saw this labour as an opportunity to serve the Lord? What if we saw our work as our worship? A gift to God? That is what our Psalm is aiming at.
Today, ask God to show you how you can worship him in your labour. Ask him to show you how to serve your fellow labourers.
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. (Psalm 126)
The joy that this Psalm speaks of, is that unique kind of deep-rooted joy that’s only found among the people of God. It’s a contentment that transcends the ebbs and flows of wealth, work, and possessions. It’s a peace that flows steadily beneath the shifting situations, diagnosis, and surprises of our lives. It is a hope that’s anchored, unmoving in the bedrock of God’s promises. A trust that can bring a smile, a laugh—even a song—in the darkest of valleys. That’s joy. A fruit of the Spirit, a gift of God.
According to the psalm, joy arises from past memory, gives a solid place to stand in the present, and a hopeful picture for the future.
The past actions of God, when “the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion” in the words of the psalm, or when Jesus lived, died, and rose again for us in the Christian story are the place where our joy is anchored. Because of what God has done in forgiving us, setting us free, and offering us life in abundance through Christ, we are a people of joy.
Knowing what God has done in the past also anchors our future. We hold a hope of a world renewed: all pain and tears wiped away in a new heaven and a new earth where peace reigns, disease disappears, and all relationships are set right. It is a place and time, in other words, of deep joy and gladness in the presence of God.
Therefore, when trouble or heartache strike, we can pray with the psalm: “restore our fortunes, Lord.” It is a way of praying “on earth as it is in heaven.” A prayer that asks God to make the joy we have known in the past and the joy we await in the future complete even in this present moment.
This sure past and future hope shape other aspects of how we live too. Many look for happiness in relationship, but we find ourselves loved perfectly and completely by God in Christ already and therefore able to love. Many look for happiness in a party, but we find ourselves invited to a wedding feast. Many look for happiness in entertainment, but we find our real life in God filled with better promises and a better story.
There is a steadiness to this joy that we find in God then. We are daughters and sons, adopted into God’s family and belonging to Him. Our life is no longer built by our own achievements, but rather is anchored in the life He has won for us. Our deepest cravings and yearnings in life find satisfaction in the one who grants to us abundant life, salvation, and nourishment, all without money and without cost. And we know that even in times of heartache and pain, there remains a solid hope to look forward to. God’s work is not yet complete and what we see is not all there is. For even “those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved and will endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forevermore. Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil (Psalm 125:1-3).
Reading the Bible well requires us our imagination. The Word of God is filled with images which require us to pause and appreciate, if we are to derive benefit from them.
If you have ever driven through the mountains, it will be easier to grasp the central image of this psalm. Jerusalem was a walled city on the top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains, some larger than hers. Standing on top of those walls, looking out at those mountains, an Israelite could feel secure.
Like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. Of course, God’s protection of his people is worth more than mountains. This imagery of the mountains surrounding and protecting Jerusalem helps us understand one of God's qualities towards His people. But God is always more than the earthly image.
This sense of trust in God often comes when we enter our “holy places.” These are the places and times, both personal and communal, when we look to our Lord, who is like a mountain that surrounds us. The Songs of the Ascents remind us that holy places are an important part of our faith, for they provide focal points for our relationship with God.
At this point in the psalm, we should recall the covenant relationship God formed with His people Israel. He promised to be their God and called them to follow His ways. If they reject His ways, they break covenant and cannot count on His protection. In fact, he promises to be against them if they persist in rebellion.
How do we use this psalm to strengthen our own faith? One way is to consider Jesus’ beatitude, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meek here, does not refer to someone who gets walked over constantly, but rather, to someone who has trained to do what is right, so they do it even when it is difficult, in other words, the righteous, those who trust in the Lord and are not shaken.
Such folks will inherit the earth, or what we often refer to as the new earth. The folks who included this psalm in the Bible were the refugees who came back from Babylon and struggled to establish a righteous Israelite society in the promised land. They were opposed by various other stronger nations, and by many fellow Israelites who gave up on righteous living to pursue dishonest gain.
The righteous were often left in the economic dust of these two groups, wondering where on earth God’s protection for them was. It was tempting to abandon their vision of an obedient nation. ‘Don’t give up,’ says the psalmist, ‘evil folks will not endure. In the end, the righteous will dwell securely in the land.’ God will see to it.
Many of the pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem singing this psalm were not the rich and privileged. They often were the victims of injustices in their daily lives. They most likely felt crushed. As they gathered in Jerusalem, the holy city, and worshipped together at the temple, some measure of confidence was restored. God does do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts, despite the circumstances that surround them each day.
In holy places, we can call on God to surround us like a mountain and keep us safe from the wicked ones and those who turn aside to crookedness. May we all find our ‘holy places’ — those places of gathering in which we gain new strength for the days of our journeys.
Life in God's church is not much different from that of Israel of old. It is not easy to live righteously before God, to love him and neighbour. May this psalm fire our imaginations to hear with new ears Jesus’ solemn assurance, "In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world" (John 16:33). May this psalm encourage us to live faithfully before him.
If the Lord had not been on our side—let Israel say—if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 124)
Psalm 124 is a song of witness and testimony to the God who is our help. As a song that was sung trip after trip, year after year, it represented the accumulated testimony of the people of God. And it continued to prove its truth. Each time the song was sung, more meaning filled its lines. More experiences filtered into the cracks of the song’s lyrics to prove its truth and give credence to its word.
In that sense, Psalm 124 was to the Israelites much like some of our great anthems and hymns of the faith are to us: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Amazing Grace, When Peace Like a River, Holy, Holy, Holy, O God Our Help in Ages Past, and any number of others.
Over the years, these become more than just another number in the hymnbook or set of words on the screen. They give voice to the truth of our lives and faith such that we’re not only singing the words when we sing these hymns, we also find ourselves re-singing the memories of our lived experiences with God as we voice these tunes.
We remember the time when his peace, like a river, attended our way as we accompanied a loved one in the hospital. Or, when a morning dawned in our lives after a long dark night where new mercies from the faithful hand of God appeared. Or, how we sang Amazing Grace at our parent or grandparent’s funeral—and really felt the power and emotion of those words for the first time there. And now we find that we cannot sing that hymn anymore without remembering the time, or times, in our lives where that text rang true.
These songs become our lived testimony of faith. They become the words that we use to encourage one another in times of distress—because the God of whom we sing is faithful, and He has shown it.
Faced with the pressing questions of whether or not God exists, or whether he’s with us, or cares about us, or why he allows some of the awful things that destroy what we hold most dear—the faith of the Psalms does not always offer proofs or logical explanations, clarifications or qualifications. Instead, sometimes it just offers a song. A testimony. A living witness to what God has done that has a strange way of cutting through even some of the most thorny questions, fears, and heartaches of our lives.
Psalm 124 is a song like that. It is an anthem of the faith to remind all the faithful, that indeed, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” On the road up to Jerusalem, that’s just what the ancient people of Israel would do. Sing, remember, and believe once again in that God who was their help in ages past, and their hope for the years to come.
Whatever road you’re journeying on through life today—will you hear their testimony? Will you enter the song?
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 2:21-40 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- How are you doing in your relationship and devotion time with God?
- In the average week, how many times do you pray? On your own or with others? Make sure to include prayers before meals, morning, nighttime, or bedtime prayers—including prayers with children/parents; include praying at church, opened-eyed prayers during the day, devotional times of prayer before or after a meeting/class.
- In the average week, how many times do you read the Bible? On your own or with others? Include any Bible reading or devotionals you do around the dinner table or at other times that include Bible passages (the Today, Wilderness Wanderings, a Bible app), include bible study or other groups where the Bible is read, and include church services too!
- In the average month, how many times do you participate in some other faith-connected or churchy activity? Bible studies, any other church activity, group, committee, care team, leadership role; volunteering to serve others in the community, with an organization, or giving financially as a response to your faith; Christian school activities, listening or singing to Christian/worship music.
- Add your 2 weekly numbers (from 3. & 4.): =__________ Multiply that number by 4 (to make it a per-month number): 9=__________Add that number to your monthly number (c.): =__________Multiply that number by 12 (now it’s a yearly number): =__________Multiply that number by the average life expectancy of 81: =__________ Multiply that number by the number of people in our church (275ish): =__________ Even a little bit of Ordinary faithfulness can make for a pretty big impact!
- What kind of “authentic” faith do you feel most pulled toward?
- How did ordinary faithfulness create the context for Joseph, Mary, Simeon, and Anna’s encounters with God’s work?
- What practices of ordinary faithfulness will you commit or continue to commit to this year?
“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us mercy” (Psalm 123:2).
In the Old Testament there is no finer picture of a servant at prayer than what is pictured in this psalm. In the culture of the ancient Near East, a master spoke to a slave as little as possible, especially during a meal.
A good servant learned to watch the master closely, with a complete, rapt attention. All that should ever be required was a nod of the head, a look, the slightest hand gesture. If the master was forced to speak, the servant had already failed.
A good servant learned to know the mind of the master. That's the way the psalmist waits on God: singleness of mind, not looking to the left or the right, not distracted-just relentlessly attentive to the master's will and desire.
When a massive army once made its move toward Jerusalem to conquer and destroy it, king Jehoshaphat prayed to the Lord, his Master: "O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help" (2 Chronicles 20:12).
Here it is, the posture of a praying servant. What do we do when we don't know what to do? We keep watching and waiting on the Lord. Of course, we act and decide as the situation demands, but we do so in the full knowledge that everything we do, we do before the Lord, and we are accountable to him. Jesus put it rather starkly, “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10).
It is true that we are more than servants; Jesus also calls us friends (John 15:14-15). But even here the aspect of servanthood is not far, “You are my friends if you do what I command”. What Jesus specifies is that he tells us God’s business. We know it, we don’t have to guess at it. And we are called to do it. Was Jesus thinking of the posture of this psalmist when he told us to "seek first the Kingdom of God"?
Many of us have been in situations feeling like we are in over our heads. We would love to swim gently through life being fully capable to ride every little ripple that comes our way. It seems that God keeps pulling us into deeper waters where our dependence on Him must grow.
As we come to the end of a year and prepare for the next, we often take stock of our lives. We assess how we have lived and make commitments for the year to come. It would be beneficial to ponder what our posture before the Lord has been and will be. This matter of being God’s servants is countercultural. As I was growing up, Christians often encouraged each other to live counter culturally. Rarely, did we explore what that meant. Being anyone’s servant is anathema in our culture. We are all meant to be free and self-determining individuals. But we Christians do not truly believe that. We take our lead from Jesus. God gets to tell us how to live.
We are servants of the Lord, and if we are wise servants we will fix our eyes on him, "just as servants keep their eyes on their master." We will meditate on his Word and pray it back to him. To do the will of the Lord, we need to know the will of the Lord. We must soak in Scripture to know the mind of our master.
Perspective is everything. Many have been taught to pray with eyes closed and hands folded: a posture of reverence. But what if there is more than one posture of reverence. What about hands uplifted, face turned up, eyes focussed on our Master, eager to do his will?
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:1-2)
Psalm 120 marked the repentant turn that began the journey to God. Psalm 121 marks the trustful journey up. And now, already in Psalm 122: we’ve arrived at our destination. “Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.”
Even though the journey is the backdrop of all of the psalms of ascent, the focal point of these psalms is not the journey itself, but the destination. It is a journey to God and to the place where God had caused his name to dwell among his people: Jerusalem.
That’s a good reorientation point for us, too. Because we’re good at the journey. We’re good at stringing together a life that works. We have all sorts of “common sense” and sayings and experts and best practices and YouTube how-to videos to navigate ourselves successfully through the journey of life. And we have to do these things—we have to work, keep up the house, raise the family, get where we need to go—because if we don’t, these things have real consequences. They make their demands on us daily.
But God doesn’t. If we don’t stop to pay attention to God… nothing really happens. If we don’t go up to worship on a regular basis… our life skates on just fine. No one has to go to worship. And lots of people have discovered this over the pandemic time with its lockdowns. Going up to worship is not “essential.” It is voluntary. It always has been: even in ancient Israel.
Sure, Israel had laws that said otherwise, but if you examine the record of faithfulness to this law given in our scriptures, you’ll find it ebbed and flowed, just like it does today. Faithful practice never lasted for more than a generation in the general population. And faithful practice usually never resumed until there were, well, consequences: like subjugation to a foreign power or exile to a foreign land. But Jesus has now shouldered all those consequences for us… so there really is only one reason left to ever go to worship. Do you know what it is?
God.
And unless that’s the reason you come—to meet with God, to be shaped by God, to grow in your love for God, to live in faithful response to God—then your coming is subject to the same shifting sands that have ever blown away the faithfulness of God’s people.
Of course, it works the other way too: in coming to worship, our pretenses and utilitarian uses for God and for worship are slowly stripped away as God does his work in us and as the relationship between us grows. We become part of God’s story, we are reminded of God’s presence, we receive God’s love, we are empowered by God’s work through his Son and Spirit. Slowly, the act of worship trains our emotions, our desires, our habits, and all of our lives such that we find ourselves in company with Psalm 122 among those who can say: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
“I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let you foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:1-4).
Two things should be clarified as we consider this psalm. First, via the King James Version and Maria von Trapp, an errant translation has made it into our hearts. In those, the second line reads, "from whence comes my help." On the surface this suggests that our help comes from the hills. But on a more thoughtful reading we realize that God often meets His people on mountain tops and thus we see God there and feel secure.
However, the NIV translation is more accurate. This is a travelling psalm. The Israelites are making their way towards the temple for one of the yearly festivals. They needed to journey through the mountains which were full of dangerous pathways and evil bandits.
Further, the mountains were full of shrines to false gods who offered protection. The people encouraged each other with this psalm to keep them from the temptation of these false deities. As they journeyed to and from Jerusalem for the festivals at the temple, they reminded each other that their help did not come from these deities but from God himself, the one who never slumbers nor sleeps, whose watchful care never wavers.
This context leads to the second clarification. This is a matter of culture and context more than translation. Our Christian culture is very much about 'me and Jesus'. Thus, when we read this Psalm, we read it personally. And when something bad happens, we ask “Does this psalm speak the truth?"
The Israelites did not sing this psalm as a 'me and the Most High God' testimony. They would not have understood this as an individual blessing. What I mean is that the Israelite did not believe she had a claim on God that He must keep her safe or else He has failed in being God.
The Israelites were a deeply communal people because God had formed them that way. The only claim they had on God was that He had laid claim to them. They were the sheep of His flock because He made it so. God kept intervening in their history to develop this covenant relationship with them.
His greatest intervention was in Jesus, through whom He redeems the world and established His new people, the church. He has called us to be members of his kingdom of priests and his holy nation (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). The Lord watches over us because He watches over His church. We may trust in Him because He has made us His children.
Jesus echoes this psalm when He says, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Can we trust this God? Jesus says that God has the hairs of our head numbered (Matthew 10:30). That is how much He cares for us. But this does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us. It means that we are never out of His care. Our only comfort is indeed that in life and in death and in body and soul we belong to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.
Our Psalm provides strong words of assurance to us worshippers that we fix our eyes squarely on the source of our help. The Lord, the maker of heavens and earth, who does not slumber, will “guard, keep watch over, protect” and “be a shade” to us. But it also warns us not to look to other “mountains” for help. They are no help at all.
Maybe Jesus was reflecting on this Psalm when he said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. (Psalm 120)
Psalm 120 is the first of the Psalms of Ascent. So as we start off once again on our Psalm series, we start on a very particular journey—the prayerful, singing journey up to Jerusalem with the Israelites—the journey in other words, of discipleship.
It’s fitting that this journey begins with Psalm 120, because it is set about as far away from Jerusalem as you can get, both figuratively and geographically. Meshek is located thousands of kilometers away from Jerusalem somewhere in the south of present-day Russia. Kedar refers to a wandering tribe of nomads that resided somewhere to the south of Israel.
But Meshek and Kedar also have a figurative meaning. Meshek would have been a strange place to the Israelites. Far away and inescapably foreign. Kedar was better known, but known as a violent, even barbaric tribe: hostile to the Israelites.
The Psalmist and the Israelite pilgrims felt the tension that arose from these figurative places of hostility and far-flung strangeness: “Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar!” It is as if to say, this place where I am is not my home—it’s hostile, it’s distant, the people are cruel and warmongering lies abound. So the prayer of the Psalm: “Save me, Lord, from these lying lips and from deceitful tongues.”
The beginning of the Israelite’s journey was a reminder that they weren’t home and that they didn’t belong. This gave them a reason to turn to God and cry out, beginning both the physical and the spiritual journey back home to God as embodied at Jerusalem.
This is actually where any true journey of faith begins: in a recognition that we’re far from home in a place we don’t belong. Christians have long recognized this. I like the way Dante says it in the opening lines of the Divine Comedy. He writes: “Midway through the journey of our life, I awoke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.” Once we wake up to this reality of being lost, the very next step called of us, is a step of repentance: a word that quite literally means to turn, in this case, toward God.
Knowing that we are far from home and bereft of belonging is actually a good thing when it turns us back toward home. Picture the prodigal son. All of a sudden he woke up to the memory of his Father’s house. Immediately he turns away from the paths that had left him destitute and begins that long journey back home to the Father.
That journey is the same one that the Israelites walked on their way up to Jerusalem every year. It’s the same journey any of us walk when we give up and cry out any version of the prayer “Lord, save me.” Throughout our Christian lives: this is the discipleship journey we walk. The journey of repentance, which is in other words, the journey that turns us back home to God.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 2:1-20 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions:
- How is your life an ongoing act of worship to Jesus?
- How would you describe his glory? What five words would you choose?
- Who would be considered the ‘outsiders’ in your community? How can you reach out to them as an individual? As a community?
- Identify two ways that you can more intentionally worship Jesus with your everyday life.
- Identify one person (or group) that needs to experience the love of Jesus. Follow the pattern of Jesus and reach beyond yourself to the outcasts in your community.
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have people who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years (Malachi 3:1-4).
Here it is, the Friday before Christmas, the end of Advent. Our trees are lit, our homes decorated, gifts purchased and food ready. The nativity scenes illuminate our windows and front yards. Its time for all the warm fuzzies of Christmas Eve and morning, of family around the gifts and the table.
It would be nice if the Bible authenticated our domesticated versions of Christmas. But on all accounts the Bible portrays the event, both in terms of its deep meaning and the realities of those who lived the first Christmas, as something radically different from our fantasies of the perfect Christmas. Our text on this final Advent Wilderness Wanderings is no exception.
These verses once puzzled some folks in a Bible study. They wondered what it meant about the character and nature of God. So, one of them offered to consult a silversmith to learn about the process of refining silver.
The smith held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. He not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver while it was in the fire. If left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The Bible student asked, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled while answering, "Oh, that's easy...when I see my image in it.”
It is difficult to keep this in mind as we celebrate Christmas. But this is the point. To the Ephesians, Paul wrote, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (4:22-24).
This was prophesied by Malachi. Israel had returned from Exile but was picking up old habits: greed, injustice, and disregard for God. The early chapters detail these things. Israel is questioning God’s commitment to her. “Why is God not blessing us?” In our text Malachi says that God is coming. “But who can endure the day of his coming?”
God comes in love, absolutely. But his love includes judgement. This is not a judgement of destruction, but of purification. God’s people will be refined, “For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” John the baptizer, the messenger, used the images of purifying fire to describe his work. He indicated Jesus would have this same purifying effect. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would convict us of sin.
God loves us, yes, but he doesn't want to leave us as we are. He wants us to be just like Jesus. God desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold and silver. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.
Christmas harkens to God’s laundry machine, that our lives are lived in it. Its whirling back and forth cleans us. The Spirit of God is the water, and the Word of God, the soap. Jesus operates it, not from a distance waiting for the finish beep. No, Jesus is standing by the machine watching closely what is happening; sometimes heating up the water, sometimes cooling it down, sometimes speeding up the machine and sometimes slowing it down.
Not till he returns will the work be finished. Through all this purifying and washing, Jesus is transforming us into a holy community offering genuine worship to Him. Till then, Jesus is hard at work getting rid of our anger, rage, lust, selfishness, hatred, discord, drunkenness, and such things. He is producing in us love, joy, peace patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
When God takes us through the refiner's fire, let us be encouraged because he is committed to turn us from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal. He will do this through events in our workplace, our relationships, and other circumstances in our live. This is the reason for Christmas. Let’s not blow out the fire.
But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:4-9)
We wonder at times, and especially in these times after lockdowns, whether we really need to go to a church to worship God. And in some sense, the answer is a resounding no. God is everywhere present, God is spirit—all the universe belongs to God—so how can we be anywhere but in his presence all the time? Wherever we are, he is. We can pray by ourselves, read the Bible by ourselves—and actually we might just find that we do better on our own without all the hypocrisies of the church anyway. So what do we need a committed habit of Sunday worship in a particular place and with a particular people for?
The returning exiles from Babylon perhaps wondered the same. They too had been removed from their regular place and habit of worship—and for a much longer time: some 60-70 years. Now having come back, they had erected their own houses, but the Temple of the Lord was still a blackened pile of rubble. It was no site of worship or connection with God. And, well, they seemed to be doing alright without it, so why build?
But here’s the thing, throughout Israel’s history as a nation, God continually chose to dwell with his people in a particular spot and in a particular way. There was a tabernacle and later a temple with an ark where God was enthroned and where his words lay. This is the mode through which the condescending God had chosen to dwell with his people: in a particular, central place of meeting.
So Haggai calls the people once again to rebuild. To lean in, to invest, to commit, to work together until the temple is rebuilt and the glory of the Lord is restored in the place where God once again has chosen for his glory to rest. But a problem soon arises: this temple looks nothing like the former one. It is much diminished, not only smaller, but also with far more crude and humble materials.
So comes Haggai’s reminder in our text: the temple is not so much about the look of the place, or the size of it, or the number of people who gather in it—it is about the God who fills it with his glory.
Of course, all this temple imagery is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who becomes, in himself, the embodiment of the word, the rule, and the glorious presence of God on earth. And yet his incarnation at Christmas and his post-Easter promises remind us that it is still in a particular place and time that the condescending God chooses to dwell with his people: now in the church.
And so a similar thing could be said to us as was said through Haggai: though our church community may have changed over these last few years—no matter how things look, it remains important to lean in and commit to being present together with God’s people in this place, trusting that what fills our gathering place with meaning and purpose is Jesus, who brings his glory and his peace into it.
So remember: God’s covenant remains, the Spirit is among us, and Jesus is with us. There is no reason to fear.
Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.”
“I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time, I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time, I will gather you; at that time, I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord (Zephaniah 3:14-20).
Overall, Zephaniah’s prophecies are a lament. There is not much good in Israel. Nor does he prophecy good things for Israel. Yet, his book ends inviting God’s people to rejoice. Suffering and pain are ahead of her, so how can she rejoice? Because after her punishment God will act to heal her. Through the lens of the New Testament, we see that Jesus acted just as God promised. Let’s have a look.
First, God will pardon Israel for her sins. Much of the book explores God as Israel’s judge. His people are guilty of breaking covenant. Zion was a rebellious, polluted, and oppressing city (3:1). That forgiving sin is central to Jesus’ mission is clear from the outset. The angel said to Joseph, “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Several times in his ministry, Jesus heals people with the words, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:23, 7:48). Christmas is only an empty holiday filled with trivialities if there is no sin to forgive. Our joy will be empty and vague if we cannot rejoice in being forgiven sinners.
Second, God comes to Israel as the Divine Warrior to defeat all her enemies. “Never again does Israel need to fear any harm,” says Zephaniah. Jesus’s first disciples portray him as this Divine Warrior, though he defeated the principalities and powers who ruin human life in a most unexpected way. “Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death— that is, the Devil— and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Third, Zephaniah says, “The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you” (15,17). In the dark days, God seemed absent. But God will return to his people. We see here hints of Jesus name, Immanuel. Paul wrote that once we were "without hope and without God in this world" (Ephesians 2:12). But now in Christ Jesus we who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (13). Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit so that he is with us all the time. Indeed, God is with us, Immanuel.
Fourth, God comes acting as Israel’s shepherd. He deals with the wolves and false shepherds who oppressed his flock and he “rescues the lame and gathers those who have been scattered.” Picking up this image, Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who gathers all his lost sheep into the fold (John 10:14-16). We witness Jesus doing this very thing with incredible tenderness.
Finally, the shame of God’s defeated people will be replaced by “praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame.” In every way, God will come and “restore your fortunes.” Paul writes, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6-7).
Some of this we already experience today, but much of it is still waiting for us. Already now, in Christ we can know the forgiveness of our sins; we can experience Jesus gathering us into the fellowship of his people. We’d love to connect with you so you can know more about these things.
Like Israel, we are invited to rejoice not only in what we have now, but in what God is still preparing for us. For us Christmas is more than just looking back to Jesus’ birth. It is also looking forward with expectation to his return and the fulfillment of all these promises.
Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace (Micah 5:1-5a)
The remnant of Israel is in distress and under siege. Babylon is quite literally on the doorstep. The king is humiliated. So much for the greatness of the people who bear God’s name.
In our own world, we received news that one of our fellow CRC churches in the area—New Street in Burlington, has voted to close in the new year. They are not the only church in our region who have been asking those questions about the future as of late. The pandemic has only accelerated the decline that brings churches to just this point.
It may feel then, and perhaps more and more so in the next few years as we hear word of more church closures, that the remnant of the Church of Jesus Christ is under siege and that the greatness of the people who bear God’s name has diminished.
But then, it is important to hear once again and remember that it is to just those people that the prophecies of a Messiah come. It is to the last and the least, the ones who are counted out or not counted at all—like the “small” little town of Bethlehem, or the youngest son of Jesse who was assumed not to be worthy of inviting to the meeting with the prophet. These small and insignificant places and people are the ones that God continually seems to be doing some of his most significant work in and with.
And in Micah, he promises to do it again. Out some small, insignificant place among the clans of Judah, a significant ruler will come for the whole land. Out of the present weakness of Judah, this ruler will stand and shepherd in the strength of the Lord. Out of their insecurity, security will come. Out of their abandonment, diminishment, and humiliation, the Messiah will gather the people up once again and establish them securely under the greatness of his reign that will reach to the ends of the earth. From a place of siege and the threat of exile ring out the words: “he will be our peace.”
So why is it that these words come to a people abandoned and much diminished? Why is it that the Lord uses such small and insignificant places and people to accomplish his work? Perhaps because they are the ones who know they need to be saved—that they can’t do it themselves even though they’ve tried. Perhaps because they are the ones humble enough to see and believe that is the Lord and none other—not even themselves—that establishes the greatness, the security, and the peace of the people.
Whatever the reason, the fact that the church in our day is much diminished tells me in my heart that we can’t be far from a revival. If things look like Good Friday, it most certainly means that Easter isn’t far behind. These are precisely the conditions into which our God speaks his advent hope.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus, come.
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior’ (Jeremiah 33:14-16).
Today, we return to the image of the Branch. Again, it is a balm for the soul of the weary Christian, weary of the church failings and weary of the struggle to live faithfully in this world.
It is a message that comes to Jeremiah the prophet, a prisoner in Jerusalem. First the Assyrians chopped up Israel and then the Babylonians chopped away at Judah. Only a remnant remains; even these leftovers refuse to follow the Lord God. A stump is a fair image for what is left of his people. And it will get slashed down even further when they flee to Egypt, a country they may not return to. God explicitly instructed them never to retrace their steps. Yet, this remnant will cart Jeremiah back through the wilderness. God’s faithful prophet will die in Egypt.
Into this miserable setting, God speaks to Jeremiah, reiterating his promise that this devastation will not be the end of Israel’s story. Last week, the Ruler from David’s line was called, “The LORD our Righteousness.” Here, Jerusalem is given that name. The remaining Israelites will hear in this title a play on the name of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, which means “The Lord is righteous.”
Zedekiah was anything but godly. As a righteous king, he was a dramatic failure. He simply refused to put his trust in God. Yet the promise remains, someone from the line of David will come, a branch will grow from the stump. The future will bring a just and righteous king in contrast with the end of Judean history as witnessed by Jeremiah. Salvation and safety are in store for Judah and Jerusalem because this branch will personify justice and righteousness.
This promise to the Davidic house comes unexpectedly in Jeremiah. The dynasty is generally regarded as Israel’s main problem and this vision of a David-shaped future is rare. Nonetheless, God’s favour toward the dynasty and family of David are Israel’s central promises and God is true to his word. That out of this broken line of David’s descendants hope should sprout is an encouraging word for believers today. To paraphrase Jesus, “With God, all things are possible.”
The word “righteous” tells us of the ruler’s character; “branch” of his humble origins. He will bring justice and righteousness, not just to Israel, but to the whole earth. As we saw last week, Christ is the promised Ruler from David’s line, and his ministry on behalf of his people shows the depth of God’s commitment to us. Then as now, we are called to trust in God’s promise and to live according to the hope revealed to us.
Christian hope reaches for the future of the fullness of God’s kingdom. Hope, at least in part, is maintained by living according to the values of this kingdom in the here and now. That is why, after his long chapter on the future resurrection, Paul concludes simply, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Further, we are also called to look not at the church, but to Christ. He is our righteousness. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). It is from him that we receive our beauty, not from ourselves. This, too, is something we ought to deeply consider, especially church leaders who are so concerned to root out impurity. We will not save ourselves, only Christ can redeem us.
When kings practice justice and righteousness, their cities and lands are healed and saved. In Jeremiah’s day, Jerusalem was a sordid city, her kings disappointing, exploitative towards the common folk. Yet, out of this mess came Jesus of Nazareth, of the house of David. At his ascension, he occupied God’s throne from which he rules his church. Let us look to him, he is our only hope.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 1:57-80 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- When you think of darkness (like the kind spoken of in v. 79)—what sorts of things come to mind? What is that darkness? What do you think that darkness might be in our secular world today?
- What might have the people of Zechariah & Elizabeth’s town thought that the darkness was? What kind of salvation were they looking for?
- What knowledge of salvation was John to give the people? How was that different from what they were looking for? How was it the same (even if it addressed the problems of darkness in a different way)?
- What sin do you struggle with in the darkness of your own heart?
- How will you join the work of the kingdom of light within our world this week?
- Zechariah speaks as though God’s redemption & salvation have already happened, even though Jesus hadn’t yet come the first time. Why was he able to speak like that? Even though Jesus hasn’t yet come the second time, why are we able to speak like that?
This is what the Lord says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’ (Jeremiah 31:7-10)
This word of Jeremiah is for exiles, a people scattered. They will not always be on the outside of their hope, looking in. One day they will possess it.
Through this text, there is good news. All those broken, marginalized, scattered, cast out will be gathered up by the Lord. The blind, the lame, and women carrying the hope of pregnancy will be among the throng. This word of hope keeps company with the prayers of the psalms, like in its psalm twenty-three-esque picture of the good shepherd leading his people home beside streams of water. Or like in psalm 121, God’s people will not stumble for the Lord watches over them in their going and coming. The people are coming home to their inheritance, and all God’s promises are being made true in their return.
But they aren’t there yet. Just as we aren’t. This word is a future promise. It’s a good one, but it isn’t here yet. That’s why this is an advent text. It holds in common the tension of our faith: future hope and present prayer.
The people are given this word of future hope. It is theirs to guard and keep with their very life and for their very life. It is a sure promise from God: they will return from exile and from their time of being scattered to the ends of the earth. Even the nations are told about these promises of God. So sure is the promise that God invites the accountability of witnesses. It is a public proclamation of the King: let all who hear it believe: God will gather up his scattered flock like a good shepherd.
In the meantime, however, the people are also commanded to pray. Through songs of joy and petitions of praise, their prayers are to arise: “Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.” This is their faithful act of worship until the day the Lord accomplishes what he has promised. They are to hold the hope and petition in praise.
What an odd thing, a praise-petition. “Lord, save your people” doesn’t sound much like praise. But it is, because it’s grounded in a God and a promise so sure it can be believed as if accomplished. There is joy in the hoping, even as there remains the deep tension of desiring.
So it is with us in advent. We joyfully hope in the things we cannot see and have not received. We prayerfully praise out our petition “come, Lord Jesus come.” Save all your people, now scattered. Your restless church. Our wayward children of your covenant promises. All those broken, marginalized, scattered, and cast out. Gather us all, we expectantly, painfully, and joyfully pray.
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior” (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Our text for today is a balm for the soul. Like myself, many of you know Christians who have become separated from the fellowship of the church. Some may have left because they observed many Christians listless in their faith, only paying lip service to the deep dynamics of God’s kingdom, claiming to believe but unwilling to shape their lives by the kingdom’s demands.
Others may have been hurt by careless words, whether directed at them or at someone else. The speaker may not have intended to inflict harm but was unwilling to acknowledge that injury was done. In the church we still often live by the motto, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” I can remember chanting those words while my heart wept with pain. Many have been hurt and, while still clinging to Jesus, are afraid of his church.
And yet others, have fled from the church fellowship because of the sins of church leaders. You know the kinds: abusive, manipulative, narcissistic behaviour; financial fraud; sexual grooming and abuse; neglect of the hurting.
You may know other things that have caused Christians to separate from the church. Jeremiah 23 addresses the realities of the last matter I mentioned: the selfish sins of church leaders who are in it for themselves, who abuse their flock. That is their problem: they think the people are theirs to do with as they please. But they are wrong. The chapter begins, “’Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord.” Its God’s flock that is under attack.
It is particularly damning that these shepherds destroy the sheep since real shepherds go to great lengths to take care of and protect their flock. Jeremiah is referring to the kings of Judah, descendants of David the shepherd. Rather than keep these sheep together for their protection, they have scattered them, making them easy prey. They will be judged because they have failed to fulfill the duties of their office.
However, the punishment of these evil shepherds signals the beginnings of salvation. God speaks to a future, ‘the days are coming’. Israel is compared to a tree that has been chopped down, but from its stump comes a shoot or a branch. The Messiah as a branch is found also in Isaiah 4:2; Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12 and elsewhere.
Ultimately, this prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, who is the righteous shepherd and the descendant of David. He is “the LORD Our Righteous Saviour.” Through Jeremiah, God promises to raise up for his scattered people a shepherd who will rule justly and wisely. In contrast to the unworthy leaders, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I know my sheep and my sheep know me… I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:11,14, 16).
God’s promise through Jeremiah is a balm for the souls of all who weep at the scattering of God’s church. Whether that dispersion happens through internal conflicts during which we verbally crucify each other or abusive behaviour of church leaders, it is cause for weeping. Jeremiah and Jesus are equally disturbed by the tragedy of God’s sheep wandering aimlessly and leaderless over the hillsides.
God’s promise is that Jesus will shepherd his people with righteousness and justice. There is a warning here to all who use power for their own cause. The biblical concept of shalom is rooted in the idea that you and I use our power, how ever large or small that might be, for the welfare of those who have less. Jesus’ mother understood this, she sang, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:52-53).
The message of Christmas is difficult to accept, especially for those with power. Let us pray that we can accept it and live it. And let us pray that Jesus will gather his scattered flock as promised.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. (Isaiah 64:1-9)
Woof. What a prayer. A powerful prayer, made for just this moment, I think. Both our moment in Advent, but also in the church in the Western world at this moment.
We prayed this prayer in worship about a week and a half ago. And I think today, rather than me saying much about it, it’s appropriate simply to invite you to go back and pray this prayer as your very own prayer and let that be the time of devotion for today.
So, reflect on this prayer today—where are these words your own? And then pray it. Let it name your advent longings, and let it be the words of your confession, finishing perhaps with that Revelation prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”
I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so, he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy, he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So, he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. Then his people recalled the days of old… (Isaiah 63:7-11a).
Our text contains three themes which are woven throughout the Bible. They are evident already in Genesis, yet in the Exodus story they rise to the forefront and are rarely far from the surface thereafter. And it is to the Exodus story that Isaiah appeals in our text.
In that story, God’s “kindnesses” and “compassion” (7) are discovered, as is his “love and mercy” (9). He is One who does “good things” (7) in saving and redeeming (9) his people. This revelation of God as full of generous and underserved grace pulls the Bible’s story along. We see it again in the birth of the church. How else could a group of people who were neither the intelligentsia nor the elite of their day have the impact on the world that those first Christians did? It was only the result of the grace of God. Paul marvels that this grace permitted him to be the one to reveal the mystery of Christ to the Gentiles.
The Exodus story also reveals the rebellious character of God’s people. After all God had done for them, the Israelites turned against him. Isaiah says they “grieved [God’s] Holy Spirit” (10). This is the language of intimate relationship, for the “Holy Spirit” is God’s personal presence among his people. In verse 14, “the Spirit of the LORD” gives “rest” to the people. Clearly God is personally involved with us. Our text says, “he lifted them up and carried them” (9).
All this makes the rebellion more unthinkable. It is not a king or a judge who has been disobeyed or whose authority has been denied. Rather, it is a father’s love, care, and concern that has been treated as worthless. The result is that their Lover became their “enemy” (10). God cannot be played with.
This theme is part of the church’s story as well. Think of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5. The New Testament contains multiple warnings against taking God’s grace for granted. Like Israel, the church has often rebelled, and as a result crumbled under the weight of her own sin. We have seen it too often of late.
But as Exodus illustrates both the undeserved grace of God and the shocking rebellion of the people, it also illustrates what older theologians called the “biddability” of God. Despite the rebellion of the first generation in the desert, God did not abandon his people. Although he would have been justified in wiping them off the face of the earth in response to their repeated breaking of the covenant, he did not do so.
This is the third theme of our text. Across the centuries, time after time, when it appeared that the church had finally gone beyond the point of restoration, that very thing occurs. Often, through human agents, God renewed and renews his church: Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, John Wesley, Lucy Farrow, Billy Graham, to name just a few. Alongside these, there have been millions of unknown people who have turned to God in failure, despair, and shame and found not merely restoration to favor but more than that, genuine cleansing, and revitalization. In our rebellion, we have experienced God’s incredible willingness to hear the prayer of desolation and come back home to our hearts once again.
Isaiah calls us to return to our first love. It begins with the closing words of our text, “Then his people recalled the days of old...” and carries on through the end of the book. The One who has carried us through all the years calls us back. He is the One who gave us birth in the first place, who held our arms when we took our first steps, and who faithfully guided us out of the desert into green pastures. The whispers of the Holy Spirit are those of a broken-hearted Lover who tells us that it is not too late to return to his arms. He has breathed new life into his church before, and he will do it again.
I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm… Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” (Isaiah 62:6-8a, 10-11)
This is an advent passage if ever there was one. Why are the watchmen posted on Jerusalem’s walls? To look out for danger and defend the cause of the Lord and his people? One might think so. We often have a heroic notion about our faith—like that somehow we are the ones who need to do the saving. But the watchmen on the walls in this passage are not soldiers, at least, not quite. They are sentinels, but that’s about where the metaphor breaks down.
These are the watchmen of Psalm 130 that wait for the Lord like they wait for the morning—with an ever-piercing vigilance that remains alert and wakeful through every watch of the night. They are like the young girls of Matthew 25 who keep oil in their lamp while the bridegroom tarries. They are the servants of Luke 12:36 who keep watch for the master’s arrival at any time. They are marked by vigilance and preparation.
But they also have quite a unique task unlike anything we tend to see within our own role as Christians. These watchmen are there—day and night—to sleeplessly bang on God’s door with cries and shouts that permit him no rest and that remind him of his promises until he makes good on them.
We tend to hold a very objective and logical view of faith that says: if he said it, he will do it. And while that certainly is true, we then tend to leave it there and assume no further role for ourselves in the play of the divine theatre—for how dare we tell God what he should be doing? We might be willing to tell other people what they should be doing, but never God. Even if it means biting our tongue and dealing with simmering feelings of hurt, betrayal, and resentment toward God, we will pay the price, because we dare not confront our God.
Not so in the faith of the Old Testament. The work of God and his people was a team sport. If you look closely at Isaiah’s words: it is God Himself who has set these watchmen on the wall to be reminding him of his promise. Telling God what he promised and telling him what he should be doing about it is a God-ordained work of prayer! Not necessarily because God is forgetful (though the text does allow for the possibility that God really does need the reminder), but because this is work that we must be participants in.
The work of the coming Kingdom is a work we all have a role in. Some of us as watchmen on the walls, calling to God through the dark watches of the night to tell him to come already. Some of us participate through our actions: removing the stones of injustice that block people’s paths, raising a banner to invite the lost others in.
Jesus is coming again: and our waiting cannot be passive. God has given us each a role in his advent. What is yours?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 1:1-25 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- How would you define favour? What are some tangible examples of God’s favour in your life?
- Why do you think God has given his favour to you? How will you respond to this favour?
- How can you respond in a way that gives away favour for the glory of God? for the sake of others?
- Why is it so difficult to remain humble? To live humbly? In what ways do you struggle with pride? What can you do to live dependently on God?
- Take time each day this week to reflect on God’s blessings in your life. Find a way to channel that grace to others each day.
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God (Isaiah 61:10-62:3).
In ancient times, the week prior to a wedding was time for celebration, with the men celebrating in one area and the women in another. On the day of the wedding, the bride was led to her groom’s home dressed in a gown he had provided for her. There another round of feasting occurred before the bride and groom went to the wedding chamber.
These ancient wedding customs lie behind the verses of our text. Knowing them is helpful for understanding Isaiah, but even more so to understand how this theme plays in the New Testament. Here are two passages rooted in our text. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes that the church will appear before Christ “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (5:27). Revelation 19:7-8 adds, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints).”
he wedding of Jesus and his bride, the church, will be the final act of this age. Rooted in Isaiah’s imagery, the New Testament makes the point that we are currently in the week of wedding preparation. Two things happen in that week: dressing up and celebration. This was already evident in yesterday’s devotion in which God promises to bestow on the grieving “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).
Praise and thanksgiving are the natural response to grace that has been personally received and experienced. Inspired and gifted poets help us to voice this praise. Hymns such as Amazing Grace and Amazing Love, How Can it Be are classic examples. More recently In Christ Alone and How Deep the Father’s Love help us express our praise for God’s grace which we have experienced in Christ.
Because we live between the two comings of our Lord, the Christian life is characterized by joy. There are times when it gets washed away by the griefs and hardships of life in this sin-stained world. Yet, it keeps rising again, leaking quietly back into our lives, filling us with thanksgiving and with expectation and hope for what is to come.
Celebration marks the Christian life; but also, ‘dressing up.’ Notice how Isaiah phrases things, “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness” (10). Also take in what John sees, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Revelation 19:8).
God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that is, to make us like himself, to behave as he does. To Titus Paul wrote, “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (2:13-14). Forgiveness of sin is not the end; it is only the means. The end is that we should live out the righteousness of God by faith. We cannot live out this righteousness in our own strength. Only as we believe, that through his Spirit, Jesus is giving us cloths of his own righteousness, do we discover God making us holy.
Shall we go to the wedding feast of the Lamb clothed in the rags of our own failures? Surely not! We come to the celebration clothed in a gown of righteous behavior. Jesus has caused this garment to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah invites us to lift our eyes from the horror of our own sin and to see the glory of what Jesus is doing in us. Like the ancients, let’s celebrate as we get ready.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)
This passage is a breath of fresh air, isn’t it? Finally everything set right. Even more eloquently than the book of Revelation, this passage gives the future hopes of God’s people: the year of jubilee comes with healing, freedom, justice, and provision enough for all. It is the day when death and the curse of ashes to ashes and dust to dust is undone, traded in for the undying glory and beauty of our resurrection bodies in the new creation. Then will our time of mourning end and our despair be dispersed in the dawn of a new day.
So much around us at present seems to be crumbling—institutions and memories and the ways that thing were even being torn down—deconstructed, literally in the world around us and figuratively in many of our own hearts and minds. It is a disorienting world of much change where very little makes sense according to our sensibilities of even just a decade ago.
But whatever has been lost, whatever has been torn down—by us or by others—on this day, God’s day: it will be rebuilt. Not perhaps in the way that it was. But in a renewed way—the way of the Kingdom of God—the way of the New Creation.
As Reformed people we often look back to the Creation Order to understand the norms by which we are to live in this day. But our faith does not lean backwards to the past—passages like this remind us that our faith leans and even longs forward, not toward the old creation, but toward the new.
Now of course, Isaiah was talking to an exiled people of Israel, and the ruins they longed to rebuild were the ruins of Jerusalem and its temple. Of course, the rebuilding of those ruins by the returning exiles only ever captured a shadow of what they had been back in Solomon’s day. So, there is more here to this passage than that.
The New Testament confirms this. Jesus takes the opening lines of this passage up as the declaration of his own mission in Luke 4:18-19. This is the vision of the Kingdom of God that would shape the work of Jesus through his life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension. It is the vision that shapes the coming of the Kingdom of God still—in that future day when Jesus comes again and it’s all complete, yes—but even here and now Jesus does this work through his Spirit and people like you and me. The new creation is here, is coming, and will one day be complete.
So: how does this Isaiah vision and mission of Jesus through the Kingdom that is coming on earth as it is in heaven shape your life and living? How are you participating in the proclamation of Good News to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives and prisoners, those suffering from injustice, and those despairing in grief? How are you participating in the work, not just of deconstructing, but also of reconstructing until Jesus comes again? It’s no easy work, but the “Spirit of the Sovereign Lord” is on us and we may trust—as Paul writes while reflecting on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15—that our “labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
May Jesus accomplish it in and through his church—both now and finally on that day. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:7-10).
As Pastor Anthony mentioned in yesterday’s devotion, we cannot understand the fullness of Christmas without a rich understanding of sin. Whose fault is it, he asked? All the brokenness in the world, who is at fault? In some cases, me. In other cases, you. But in other cases, it’s simply ours, as sin-broken people in a sin-broken world—our inheritance from our mothers and fathers before us. A place where awful things like death, pain, loneliness, and other forms of tragedy live.
When we talk about sin and its effects on our lives, sometimes we forget that sin is always an affront to God. It breaks our relationship with him and distorts the goodness of his creation. Because we are sin-broken people in a sin-broken world, communing with God, worshipping him, having faith in him does not come naturally. We need to put effort into it and in the end discover that God himself makes it possible to do this unnatural thing: a gift of his Spirit
In our passage for today, Israel has been removed from God because of her sin. She is in exile, banished from the presence of God, his temple in ruins. Jerusalem is a ruin of rubble and weeds and wild animals. There was once a city here, but how big she was or how grand, is not visible anymore. God’s people had persisted in their sin against him, despite repeated warnings by the prophets. In the end, she was removed from the land.
But now, the prophet announces a new dawn; the sun is rising over Israel again. God has come. Feet that have tread the mountain pathways are not physically beautiful. They are calloused, dusty and most likely bloodied and blistered. They are only beautiful because they bring the message of salvation. To people long removed from God, having lived many years in the land of the deep darkness, these feet bring the good news of God’s coming.
The Lord has returned to his people, keeping his covenant, gathering his people together once more. As a shepherd cares for his flock, so our Lord is comforting his scattered people. When the world is dark with wars, natural disasters, looting and inept governments, violence in our streets and a crumbling health care system unable to care for our loved ones, we too need to hear this word of good news, “Your God reigns.”
We need someone to tell us this, to remind us, because it is not always evident. And God’s salvation is slow in coming. It’s been 2000 years since first John the baptizer and then Jesus himself, declared the ‘Kingdom of God’ was at hand. Often, we wonder, ‘Where is this kingdom? Why do we see so little of it?” Because of the darkness that can envelop us, we need someone to say, “Your God reigns.”
But we need more: we need to hear this invitation to celebration. For many reasons, we may not ‘feel’ like celebrating. Yet, the call remains, “Burst into songs of joy together”. Soon, “The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” As we too anticipate that day, let us celebrate joyfully this Advent and Christmas season. As God came to Israel to end the exile, Jesus will return to this earth completing his work of salvation. Someday, we will see it. Creation will be restored, will be good once more. We will see it. Sin and all its effects will be wiped away.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. … You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:1-2, 9-11)
In the opening verses of these beautiful and familiar words from Isaiah 40, we hear that the Israelites’ exile was directly related to the presence of sin in their lives and in the life of their nation. Not only was their hard service completed, but their “sin had been paid for.”
Fine for the Bible to say so, but when we or someone else associates the word “sin” with our own losses and griefs, we start to cringe. It’s indelicate, insensitive, and not always a shoe that properly fits the story—which is certainly true. But it is also true that unless we associate the losses and griefs of our lives on some level with sin—we can’t really hear these words of comfort from Isaiah as words that are addressed to us, either.
In some sense that’s what Advent is about—meeting the harder, more difficult and painful truths of who we are and how our world is so that we can honestly receive the comfort of our God through the Saving work of His Son. Because Jesus was not born into a world that was happily at peace, or a world that was whole. He was born into a sin-broken world full of loss, where nothing was as it was supposed to be.
There was pain, injustice, oppression, addiction, disease, estrangement and more. And that was true, because there was sin. The sin of one person against another. Or the sin of one person that unintentionally affected another. Or the sin without any real discernable origin at all that continues to ricochet down the halls of history affecting everyone.
That’s still world we live in. It is sin-broken. The drinking, the adulteries, the injustices, the lies, the shouts, the abuse, the mistakes, the theft, the shirked responsibilities—all of them together from all of humanity—ricocheting down the halls of history—bouncing into this person, knocking the legs out from under that one.
Whose fault is it? In some cases, mine. In other cases, yours. But in other cases, it’s simply ours, as sin-broken people in a sin-broken world—our inheritance from our mothers and fathers before us. A place where awful things like death, pain, loneliness, and other forms of tragedy live.
All this to say: it’s too big for us to handle on our own. We need a Saviour to rescue us from this mess. We need a Shepherd to gather us up to his heart and bring comfort, healing, and peace when our world falls apart. We need, in other words, to see our God—this God of the sin-afflicted—like us—who acts to save and who speaks tenderly to comfort. For surely, he is our God, and he is with us.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom…they will see the glory of the Lord…And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isaiah 35:1,2,8-10).
"You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River” (Psalm 80:9-10).
So sings the psalmist attempting to capture God’s relationship with Israel. This is no legal contract but a dance of lovers. However, the beloved perpetually dances away to find other partners. Yet, God pursues Israel to win her back, lavishing her with gifts, causing her to flourish.
As she flourishes, Israel is to be generous, passing on the gifts of God. She is to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with [her] God” (Micah 6:8). Yet she rarely does. In exasperation God asks, “When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?” (Isaiah 5:4). Isaiah is comparing Israel to a vineyard that God has lovingly and tenderly planted and cared for. He concludes, God “looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress” (5:7).
Because of her propensity to go after other lovers, God determines to use those same lovers to strip her bare. They will ruin and plunder her and carry her into exile. The vineyard will become a wasteland, a wilderness. She will be dry, harsh, and dangerous. Travellers will go around her rather than face her hostile conditions.
Yet, God will not abandon her. Instead, he will punish these so-called lovers for going too far, for taking a perverted joy in plundering and demeaning Israel, God’s beloved. As they laid Israel waste, he will lay them waste. This is where our text picks up the story. Both Israel and her lovers, turned enemies, have been laid waste. What hope is left?
Now Isaiah pictures the desert bursting into bloom. God has once more come to the aid of his people, his beloved to deliver her, to restore her (5:4). Israel is pictured returning to Zion, the city in which God dwells with his people. As she travels, the desert returns to life, discouraged people are lifted and the broken are healed. They will all see the glory of the Lord.
Judah was heading towards exile. They needed a word of hope to sustain them, so they would not give in to despair. As a TV character recently said, “Hope is never mere, even if it is meager.” To bolster Israel’s meager hope, God offers this vision. And John echoes it when he writes, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
As we trace Jesus’ ministry on earth, we see elements of Isaiah’s vision fulfilled: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the hungry are fed. The wilderness blooms. Yet, when we look around at our world, it seems more desert like than a flourishing vineyard. When our hope flags, we need to return to Isaiah 35, to remember that hope is never mere. As God promised to redeem Israel from exile, Jesus promised that he would return. And even as he tarries, the Holy Spirit whispers in our hearts, “All will be well.”
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 1:26-38 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What stands out to you as you read/hear this part of the Christmas story again today?
- Think for a moment about your own journey with God. What have been those profound moments of encounter with God that have most profoundly shaped you? How much silence stretches between those encounters? If you don’t yet have one of those moments to point to, think of other stories you’ve heard of others encounters, and reflect on these same questions.
- Have you ever been discouraged in your faith or struggled with the silence of God? What is it that you find hard or have wrestled with?
- What is it that “greatly troubles” Mary? Why is that strange?
- Do you believe that “the Lord is with you?” How might wrestling with that reality shape your life and faith today and going forward?
In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” (Isaiah 12)
This short chapter follows on the heels of our devotion yesterday from Isaiah 11. Death must come first. It always comes first. Before there is Easter, there is Good Friday. But in God’s story: new life always follows death. And so it is here: after death and exile comes new life and the songs of the redeemed. Isaiah 11 describes the reality that will come as new life is born from the stump of Jessee, Isaiah 12 describes the response of the redeemed to the new life they’ve been given.
Anger turns to comfort. Fear turns to trust. Weakness becomes strength in the Lord. The thirsty drink afresh from the well of salvation. Once again God’s people are reminded that their God is among them and that he is the one who gives the things that really matter in our lives, the things that we cannot get for ourselves.
How hard it is to see hope in the pit of despair. How hard it is to find comfort in the throes of fear. Who can sing a song of joy in the dark valley of death? And yet it seems that it is always in just these places—when we are spent, exhausted, deflated, discouraged, at the end of our strength, faith, and hope—that we discover that the only thing that we truly need is the thing that we’ve had all along: our God. He meets us there in the dark valleys of our lives, reminding us that he is “among us.” And not only that, but that he is also still saving us, still giving us new life, new purpose, new callings to step into where we might live the resurrection life of his salvation more fully for the sake of the world.
And that is why we sing. We sing because he has done great and glorious things for us. We sing because his name needs to be shouted out and shouted up—exalted to the highest place where it belongs. We sing because all the world needs to hear—not just our apologetics and our teachings, but our songs of salvation! They need to hear a good word of great joy that is for all the people, a word worth heralding out with the angels of Bethlehem. It is not always the “believing” bits that catch people’s wonder and draws them near—it is more often the “beholding” bits where we are caught up short in wonder and awe—where we are unable to articulate anything of response but a shout and a song.
It's moments like this:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child… (Mt. 1:23)
Behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove… (Mt. 3:16)
Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen… (Mt. 12:18)
Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. (Mt. 26:45)
And on the day of resurrection: “Behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’” (Mt. 28:9 – all from NKJV)
Rejoice indeed. What is the song of salvation that you’ve been given to sing?
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him…They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:1,2,9).
Imagine a large swath of land that once was forest. All that remains are stumps. Such is the image that Isaiah now paints for the people of Israel. The ten northern tribes have been carted off to Assyria and the Babylonian threat is on the horizon. Nebuchadnezzar is coming for Judah.
If he comes, he will carry away the royal family, David’s descendants. That is what conquering kings did; removed the threat of anyone restoring the royal line. If this happen, what of God’s promise to David that his descendant’s would always reign over Israel? The faithful in Israel are afraid.
And so, Isaiah paints the picture, “A shoot from the stump of Jesse;” Jesse being David’s father. This family will be carried off to exile, leaving a dead stump. But out of that stump new life will grow, a shoot. Isn’t that just God’s way? Abraham and Sarah, old, wrinkled, childless. Hannah, weeping as if drunk. Jonah in the belly of a big fish. Mary, the unwed pregnant teenager. Who will believe her story? Jesus, lying dead in a tomb. All dead stumps. All shooting new life.
There is a deeper story here. Judah’s coming exile will be God’s judgement because she persisted in her disobedience. This divine judgement is not vindictive but follows a long patient path of redemption, of restoration, of return. Out of the ashes life will bloom again.
It is the persistent image of the Christian spiritual life. “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies... (John 12:14). In baptism, we are buried with Christ into his death (Romans 6:14). Only if we lose our life for Christ can we find it (Matthew 10:39). Death precedes life.
Some 600 years later, a king is born from Jesse's long-dormant stump (Mary & Joseph, both David’s descendants). Born only to die. Born to bare the curse of sin for us. Exiled into the darkness of the tomb. Christ redeemed us from the curse… by becoming a curse for us…He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Galatians 3:13,14).
Isaiah laid out this element of Jesus coming. “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him.” Four times, Isaiah names the Spirit and what he will bring, wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord (11:2).
And what a vision Isaiah offers for the world because of the Spirit of the Lord. He will bring justice for the poor and needy. He will slay the wicked. The wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the goat, the calf and the lion will all pasture together and be led by a child. Isaiah concludes, “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”.
What a beautiful image. What delight that will be. But how little we see of it, even in the church.
Why? Is it because we will not follow the nudging of the Spirit? For life to sprout, we need to die. But we are unwilling. We hold onto our grudges, we refuse to forgive, we insist that we are right! Jesus said the Spirit will lead us into the truth. But we do not want to be led. We want to go our own way. The Spirit does not drag, only leads.
Will you follow? Will you die to yourself? Of what must you repent? What must you forgive? Jesus came to bring peace on earth. By way of death. His death, yes. But ours too, this is the way of the Spirit. Will you follow?
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:2-7)
These may be some of the most familiar and beloved Advent verses from Isaiah. But before they had meaning connected with a coming Messiah, they had a message for the moment into which they were spoken.
We heard yesterday about Ahaz and the sign that was given to him of a baby, Immanuel, that would be born as evidence of the Lord’s redemption from the threat of Aram and Israel. However, one verse further on from yesterday’s text tells that Assyria would swiftly replace Aram and Israel as the rod of Judah’s oppression. And so we find Ahaz to be a failed and unfaithful king: his reign characterized by an ever-growing darkness in terms both of the socio-political reality and his neglect and outright assault on the worship of the Lord in the land. You can find that story in 2 Kings 16.
The promise of this text from Isaiah 9 is a ray of light that shines out in this gathering darkness. It is a promise of peace. A promise of a child to be born. In context, it may mean simply Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah. A king in the line of David of whom it was said that “no one [was] like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (2 Kings 18:5).
And yet, we know that after Hezekiah, Judah would eventually be swallowed by war and exile to Babylon. The book of Isaiah goes on to tell us all this. The darkness falls again. So in the larger context of Isaiah—this prophecy also rings out in a broader sense. Into the darkness of exile, a great light will dawn. The people will return to their land under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah—and so this prophecy would be fulfilled again.
But of course, even after the return from exile, darkness remained. The full promise of the dawning light of the everlasting kingdom of the Prince of Peace had not yet come. And so faithful Jews began to see in the words of this prophecy something more: the promise of a Messiah—the promise of peace from war, freedom from oppression, and of an everlasting Kingdom established by God himself where all would be set right and all made new.
As Christians, we see the birth of Jesus as the dawning of just this kingdom of light. For to us, this child has been born. And yet the darkness is not yet fully driven out of our days either, is it? And so, together with all those who have gone before us, we continue to wait in longing for that day when Jesus comes again and this prophecy is fulfilled fully and finally.
Again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste” (Isaiah 7:10-16).
Ahaz, king of Judah, has a problem. Two kings, Pekah and Rezin, have formed a military alliance designed to rase his kingdom to the ground, leaving Ahaz and his people shivering like leaves in the wind.
As a solution, Ahaz made alliances with Assyria and Egypt, bribing them with silver and gold looted from God’s temple. Shoving the Lord and his altar aside, he set up an Assyrian altar in the temple courtyard. He even burned his own son on it. He did everything he could to help himself against this treat.
The prophet Isaiah caught up with Ahaz as he was inspecting his war instruments. The word of the Lord was for the king to do nothing; to be still and let God be God. "Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood. They have made their plots against you, but they will not succeed" (7:4).
Rezin and Pekah’s schemes would fail. All that King Ahaz had to do was, nothing, to stand firm in faith, to trust the promise of God, to wait for the Lord who helps those who cannot help themselves. But "if you do not stand firm, you will not stand at all," warned Isaiah.
God even offered Ahaz a sign, to strengthen his faith. Ahaz may name his sign, and the Lord would grant it. But he refused; he would not put the Lord to the test. Though the king sounded pious, it was his pride speaking. If he received a sign, he would need to trust in the Lord and not in his political schemes.
Isaiah gives a sign anyway. The virgin (young woman) will conceive and bear a son and will call him Immanuel, which means "God is with us." Within nine months, Ahaz would know for certain that God was with them. And before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right (about 13 years), the land of the two kings he dreaded would be laid waste. And that is precisely what happened.
God uses Ahaz's faithlessness as an opportunity to give a sign of a yet greater event. The true deliverance of Jerusalem, the City of God, will come when a virgin conceives and bears a son, naming him "Immanuel."
“A virgin will conceive?”, you ask. “That’s impossible!” That is the point. The great sign that redemption is at hand would be something only God could do. Genesis 1 tells us that the "Spirit of God" hovered over the waters. Now the Holy Spirit hovers over the womb of the virgin Mary to launch the work of re-creation (Matthew 1:20).
The angel tells Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, to name her son Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins. In Jesus, God has come to His people personally and permanently not just to save us from a human oppressor, but from the cruel oppression of sin and Satan.
What must we do to get this salvation? Isaiah gives the answer to Ahaz. Nothing. Just wait and receive. Watch what God is up to. The next month will include a great deal of preparation. Enjoy it all. But remember that God has done all the preparation for Christmas. As we trace this preparation through the Old Testament, remember that in the end, all we need to do is receive Jesus. Christmas is first and foremost, God’s gift of redemption to us.
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)
For the next while, we’re going to be camped out in the book of Isaiah. Many Old Testament books hold inklings of the way God would eventually complete his work of redemption through Jesus, but none so thoroughly throughout as the book of Isaiah. So many bits and pieces of this book build bridges into the New Testament and give shape to the New Testament authors’ understanding of Jesus—even of Jesus’ own self-understanding when he begins speaking of his mission in the Gospel of Luke. Isaiah is a great place to marinate our Christian imagination in the season of Advent as we train our desires on Jesus.
Geography and topography play a significant role in Isaiah. The mountain of the Lord rises, rough places are made smooth, streams appear in the desert. All of these pictures of the physical world changing in particular ways and in particular places carry forward the poetic message of the prophet. Not so different from Baalam seeing the ruler and star rising from Judah, Isaiah sees the mountain of the Lord’s temple rising, exalted above all other hills and mountains, drawing all nations to Jerusalem.
To a people who will soon go into exile, Isaiah writes a message of hope that declares a radically different word than the proclamation of death that will come elsewhere across these pages. “In the last days” God will bring all his promises to fulfillment, even if now for a moment things seem bleak and hopeless. Even though the temple of Jerusalem will be broken down in days of war and conquest—it will not always be so. God himself will rebuild and raise his temple to a place of prominence throughout the world.
It reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 12 from a sermon a few weeks back—he said “when I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.” Jesus himself becomes the new temple—the new place where heaven and earth meet—the temple that was torn down and rebuilt in three days through his death and resurrection. When this temple is lifted up, the nations come streaming in. The Spirit goes out into the world carrying the word of the Lord through women and men from all nations who have been redeemed and sent by Jesus—they themselves being temples of the Holy Spirit. In this way, through the church and its members like you and me, the ways of Jesus are taught and lived throughout the world.
These are those last days. Right now in you and me through the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus, this prophecy is fulfilled. What a glorious vision! And yet we know it’s still not yet complete, not in fullness. So while we work we also wait: Come Lord Jesus, come.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 1:1-25 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Do you struggle with waiting? What are you waiting for?
- How can you practice this difficult discipline of during the Advent season?
- How do you see the story of Israel aligning with your own story?
- What prayers seem unheard by God?
- In what ways do you need God to do the impossible in your life?
“‘The Lord declares to you [David] that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever’” (2 Samuel 7:11-16).
King David has been granted rest and security as king in Israel. His enemies are defeated, and he has built himself a city and a palace. As he looks around his city from the roof of his new home, he realizes something is missing. There is no home for Israel’s God. His presence still resides in a tent, the dwelling of a nomad, someone who has no place on earth to call his own.
So, David, desiring to be a good and grateful king, proposes to build a temple. He confers with Nathan, God’s prophet, who concurs. But God declines. Since he rescued Israel from Egypt, he has been content to live in a tent with his pilgrim people while he secured their rest. Not once has he even mentioned a royal house of "rest" for himself.
Moreover, God has not finished his work. He will establish a house for David, a dynasty for the sake of his people's rest. Listen again to our text, “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you…and I will establish his kingdom…and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him… Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever’".
There are seeds here that will grow throughout the Old Testament until they blossom in Jesus Christ, the full glory of which we will not see till the new creation. It’s a valuable exercise to trace the development of these crumbs through scriptures. What seeds do we find here?
First, the everlastingness of God’s kingdom. The work God does through Jesus will never end. It will outlast all earthly kingdoms. It is this hope which fortified Israel though the Babylonian exile and the dark centuries there after. It is pictured dramatically throughout the book of Daniel and is elaborated on in Isaiah. This is the hope of the church, through all our self-made crises and times of persecution. Despite our efforts at sabotage, God will continue using his church to build his kingdom.
Second, it is here that we find the first hints that Israel’s true shepherd will be God’s Son. I will be his father, and he will be my son. This becomes literally true in the Incarnation. The man, Jesus of Nazareth, is also Son of God. We may be used to this expression, but it was so radical and considered so blasphemous, that it got Jesus crucified.
There is even more here. To paraphrase John, “to us who do receive him, to us who believe in his name, Jesus gives the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (1:12-13). God is not content with one Son. He desires a family. Through Christ, we become daughters and sons. The Kingdom of God is populated not by subjects or servants, but by children.
Third, rest. David and Israel have rest from their human enemies. But God does not. And even for David and Israel, this rest is temporary. God desires to give forever rest to his people. Rest from our spiritual enemy, the devil. This is the deep understanding of Sabbath that the writer of Hebrews draws out in chapter 4. The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes what Sabbath means: “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (A 103).
David’s son will build God a temple, but God will not rest from his work. Jesus tells us that God continues to work (John 5:17). He will not rest till his kingdom is fully established, sin and evil have been vanquished and shalom invades the entire cosmos. Then, and only then, will God rest. You can count on this!
But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. … And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people. … I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. (1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, 35)
When Luke writes his gospel, he opens with stories about Jesus’s birth and adolescence. Particularly, Luke tells us that Jesus “grew in stature and favor with the Lord and with people.” It’s a direct quote from this story. What does Luke mean by it? Well, he means the same thing that’s meant here in the story of Samuel. Namely, that Jesus matured. As Samuel did. Not just growing old and getting big, but also growing mature in the kind of character and competence that builds trust and community with God and people.
As Samuel grew in stature, the priesthood grew with him—from a shrunken farse of a shell under Eli and his immature, rebellious boys—to a full-embodiment of faithfulness. The annual gift Samuel receives from his mother of a custom-tailored priestly robe is a sign of this continual growth-into-maturity as a priest and as a man of God. By the close of chapter 3, Samuel has become an adult who has become known throughout all of Israel as a mature man of God who hears and speaks the Word of God for the people.
It is this growth to maturity, not just in stature—which is easy to do—but also in favour with God and people which is much harder to do, that Luke attributes from Samuel to Jesus and implicitly invites us into as well. Of course, this invitation grinds against one of the most significant undercurrents of our culture that tells us never to grow up and to pursue our youthful whims and desires above all else and unto whatever end. But if we are to follow Jesus, there is no other way but then to grow up.
We are invited to grow up in terms of character: a willingness to commit, submit, and apprentice oneself to Jesus and to obedience to him. It is a growing up in terms of the fruit of the Spirit: like love, patience, and self-control. It is the ability to keep boundaries and rhythms of faithfulness, like Sabbath, marriage vows, even one’s word in the more day-to-day run of life. It is the willingness to confess and to forgive. It is putting our anger aside to show what may be an uncommon and underserved love and compassion, instead. These are marks of maturity that we see in the life of Samuel and of Jesus and that also mark out our growing more deeply into the image of God.
Many scholars scratch their heads as to why Luke included stories of the young Jesus at all. But I think this is the reason. Luke wanted to show how important it was that Jesus grew up to maturity so that we would know the pattern to follow as we too, seek to grow up into Christ. Even more importantly, Luke wanted to show how Jesus, like Samuel before him, would be a fulfillment of that word of God to Eli about a faithful priest that God himself would “raise up” to maturity and establish forever.
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel… He will crush the foreheads of Moab…” (Numbers 24:17)
These are the words of the fabled prophet, Balaam. The guy with the talking donkey. He had been hired by King Balak of the Moabites to curse Israel. Moab, of course, had heard the story of Israel and its God—how Israel’s God had defeated the Egyptians and set his people free, how God had provided for that people in the desert. And now that people was knocking on his own doorstep. So Balak wanted them cursed.
But Balaam was unable to curse them. In fact, God increasingly opened Balaam’s eyes to see that this people was blessed by God. In fact, God so opened Balaam’s eyes that Balaam began to see even greater things than these. In words that resonate deeply with Jacob’s blessing for his son Judah in Genesis 49, Balaam begins to see—ever so faintly—a ruler to come. Not now, and not near—but definitely from this people. A ruler who would, much to Balak’s terror and dismay, crush Moab.
The Israelites would eventually come to see this prophecy as a looking forward to King David, even as the blessing of Jacob over Judah in Genesis was. Indeed David did subject the Moabites to Israel. But slowly the hopes of another king in this same line of David also grew—hopes of a Messiah and saviour of Israel who would rule with the kind of perfect justice and righteousness that the scriptures had always envisioned, but which no king had ever yet lived—fallen, sinful, and human as they were. So Balaam’s distant vision took on more weight.
Some other pagan magicians from foreign nations, like Balaam was, would eventually see the star of this king rise. Because—as Balaam saw already back in the book of Numbers—the rising star and scepter of this Messianic king from Israel was always about more than just Israel. This rising ruler would be visible to the nations. But just how would he crush his enemies? Just how would he rule? From the book of Numbers—while we begin to see and behold him—the vision remains too distant and future to really tell. For that, we journey further on into the scriptures that prepare the way of the Lord.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” Abraham replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to the place called Moriah. Give your son to me there as a burnt offering. Sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you” … Abraham had his son Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering. He himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said. “But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:1-2, 6-8).
This is a difficult story. Any honest believer will wrestle with it. For decades, Abraham had waited for the promised son. What kind of test is this, that he is now asked to sacrifice this child? Despite our horror, the faithful have found that this passage ‘prepares the way’ for God’s Messiah. It is one of the most vital.
The story is structured in three cycles. Three times, there's a summons to Abraham - first by God, then by Isaac, and then by the angel of God. Three times, Abraham answers, "Here I am." Three times, a response. At the centre of these three is Abraham's trembling reassurance to Isaac: "God himself will provide" - literally, "God himself will see to it."
This is the heart of redemption story: “God himself will see to it.”
As is often the case, art can impart what explanations cannot. This scene is depicted in the Golgotha Chapel of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the heart of Jerusalem. It’s the site traditionally associated with the crucifixion of Jesus. One wall of the chapel features an immense mosaic of this scene: Abraham, knife in hand; Isaac, atop an altar; a ram caught in a thicket of bushes. But on the adjacent wall, there's a mirroring mosaic: Jesus, nailed to the cross, being raised in the air. There's an identical thicket in that mosaic, but no ram.
God himself will see to it.
This dark story, in the end, foreshadows another journey taken untold centuries later. Jesus of Nazareth - Son of Abraham and Son of God - would walk into that same mountain range, with wood on his back, and make the dreadful three-day journey into death. This is the lengths to which the divine Love would go for the sake of the world, for you, for me.
God himself will see to it.
After God provides a ram for the sacrifice, Abraham names that mountain: Jehovah Jireh, "The LORD will provide." It was not Abraham, and it is not us, who make the sacrifice for redemption. No. It is God himself. The lamb took the place for the son. And the Lamb of God took our place. He offers himself! What pain in the heart of the Trinity. What love!
As Charles Wesley once wrote, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood? Died he for me who caused his pain, who caused his bitter death? Amazing love! How can it be that you, my Lord, should die for me?” (Amazing Love).
God himself will see to it.
Or as Shane and Shane penned, “Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders. Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished” (How Deep the Father’s Love).
John said, “Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29). Did John understand what sacrifice that would require? Probably not. But we do. And in faith, we look at that cross, at that Son and we say not, ‘God himself will see to it’, but, ‘God himself has seen to it’.
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Today we begin our Advent series of devotions as we prepare once again to meet our Lord—our salvation and hope—at Christmas. “But it’s not advent yet!” you might reply. And, you’d be right. It’s not quite advent yet. But our series will take us through many of the Old Testament texts that “Prepare the Way of the Lord,” our advent devotional theme. There are more of these texts than we have space for in the regular season of advent, so we have decided to begin early. That, and if we would have continued with the Psalms we would have found ourselves in the Psalms of Ascent, something we thought we’d save for after Christmas.
So, here we are—beginning Genesis at a text that the church has long seen as the first inkling of the good news that God had a saviour in mind.
The first transgression of humanity has just taken place. Adam and Eve reached for more than they were given, they sought to become God rather than have a relationship with God, they fell short of what they had been created for. Ashamed, they ran away from God and hid.
But, no sooner had sin and death entered the world than God entered too. God sought out his beloved children, and while there was punishment and exile in store for their sins, there was also grace. Just because this bit of Genesis constitutes the section of our faith and scriptures we refer to as “the Fall” does not mean that the power and reality of God’s “Creation” and “Redemption” do not still flow through these verses at the very same time.
God comes to his children: searches them out. He calls them back to honesty in this relationship between Creator, Creature, and Creation. “What is it you have done?” God asks. Adam and Eve respond with admission that something has gone wrong, but neither of them can own up to their own part in it. The blame is passed on to others. So comes punishment, curse, and exile.
But with it, also a veiled promise. Not always will the snake get the upper hand. Through the woman’s offspring will also come one who will, in the words of Paul “crush Satan” underfoot (Romans 16:20). Many long years would pass with the snake striking at our heels before this promise would finally be made reality. But the promise was made, nevertheless. And God keeps his promises.
For a lovely depiction of this small slice of Gospel in Genesis, you can find an illustration given by Sr. Grace from a monastery in Iowa by clicking here.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:19-23 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What experiences have you had in which hope motivated you, kept you going? Why is hope important?
- How have you experienced belonging to God? What things rob you of the confidence portrayed in Revelation? How can you help others gain certainty of their place in God’s fellowship?
- What are you working for? What is most important? What kind of treasures have you fixated on? What can you do to move towards a healthier perspective on earthly treasures?
- Whom do you serve? (Take a few days to answer this question). Why serve God today? What does serving God look like for you?
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word…Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:15, 16, 18).
Even though this is a very long psalm, we offer only this one meditation based on it. Many of us have found ourselves daydreaming as we tried to read through the whole song. It's a psalm that we should not try to conquer but chew on slowly in bite size pieces.
Let's begin by noticing that, for the Christian, this psalm helps us in handling the Scriptures. It offers us some postures of the heart and mind that improve how we use the Word of God. Like this psalm, Scripture is not for us to conquer, but to savour until it conquers us. Here are five postures towards the Bible.
TRUST THE WORD OF GOD Repeatedly, David expresses his belief that the Scriptures are true. He believes in them. He trusts in their reliability. Not as in a science textbook, of course.
He means that God reveals Himself truthfully in the Bible. Here, we learn who God is, his long-range plans, his deep and abiding love for us and for all he has created. We are invited to respond to him in love and shown how to love.
STUDY THE WORD OF GOD David doesn't just believe the Word; he is a student of the Word. He learns it, he seeks it, he memorizes it, and regularly meditates on it.
If the Bible is worth trusting, it is also worth studying. Its not just a matter of the head, but of the heart. The Word is like a seed that gets planted in soil. We cannot always see its fruit immediately. Study the Word and tend it in your heart and mind but leave the results up to God.
USE THE WORD OF GOD Believe it. Know it. Rely on it. In times of trouble, the Bible shows us God’s faithfulness. It encourages us in perseverance when we are tired. We are shown the way of gracious responses to ungracious people. It teaches us both how to handle stress and how to celebrate and enjoy life.
DELIGHT IN THE WORD OF GOD David takes things one step further than we might expect. It's not just that he trusts, studies, and uses the Word of God. He has affection for it. He has a deep emotional affinity towards it.
David has passion, zeal, and excitement for the commandments of God. He loves them not because he is a closet legalist, but because they reflect God's own nature and character. He loves God's law because he loves God. His delight is contagious.
OBEY THE WORD OF GOD The prior four postures of the heart towards the Scriptures naturally lead to this. David repeatedly expresses his desire to obey God's law. He wants to follow it, keep it, and fulfill it.
We do not keep the law to earn salvation. We obey out of love for God. Check out John 15. Jesus himself was very much about "obeying the law." Jesus delighted in keeping his Father's law. He embodies all five of these characteristics and asserts that if we love him, we will obey him.
Embodying this prayer does not happen quickly. Think about a mother hen sitting on her eggs. What is she doing? Its not a trick question; she is sitting on her eggs. Nothing more, nothing less. One might say that she is wasting her time. She isn't doing anything. Nothing is happening.
For 21 days the eggs look the same, until they don't. Like David, sit on the Word, and one day… well, you’ll see.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. (Psalm 118:22-24)
Anyone familiar with the New Testament will know that these verses from Psalm 118 about Jesus being the cornerstone show up all over. Verse 24 is also where our song “This is the Day that the Lord has Made” comes from. The Palm Sunday shout of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” also comes from this Psalm. So, there’s a lot going on here.
The most significant theme that resonates throughout is how the Lord is the one who saves. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans,” the psalmist says. And later: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” The Lord is the one who saves from death, calamity, and sin. He is the only one, in fact. The psalmist couldn’t do it alone and is convinced that no one else can either. But because the Lord is good and because “his love endures forever,” we are able to trust that the Lord will not give us over to death either, even when we face death.
Of course, all of this good foundational theology was made flesh and dwelt among us in Jesus. He was the one who came in the name of the Lord. He was one who faced death unjustly and entrusted himself to the Father for salvation. He did not attempt to save himself. His hopes were well placed. On the third day he was vindicated by the Father and rose from the dead, able to say once and for all with Psalm 118: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” All of us who trust in Jesus are able now to say the same thing.
But of course, this all looked rather like weakness. Jesus didn’t put up a fight. He got himself bloodied and bruised. He got himself killed. Builders do not choose weak stones to be the foundational cornerstones. Builders do not choose broken stones to become the foundational cornerstones. Nor do they choose stones that they cannot put to their own uses. By that criteria too, Jesus was rejected.
But God vindicated Jesus. Not only by overturning Pilate and the Religious Leader’s unjust verdicts against him, not only by raising him to life and so nullifying the sentence of death carried out against him, but also by raising Jesus to the highest place in the throne room of heaven—making him the King, the foundation, the base upon which the Kingdom of God, the Church, and all God’s people would be built. This weak one becomes the strength of God. This broken one becomes the restored face of the entire edifice. This one who could not be put to use by the will of man becomes the one who empowers any worthy use any of us can set our lives to.
Jesus is our cornerstone. The only name in which life and salvation can be found. The only worthy foundation upon which to build our lives. So today, let us rejoice and be glad in him.
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 117).
I remember that Psalm 117 was once our weekly memory work. We were excited: so short. Shortly after, the minister read it as his sermon text. The preaching lasted a long time for so short a psalm.
We are reminded that God does not require long prayers (or sermons). The issue is not the length or the words, but the intention of our hearts. For this reason, Jesus warned us about elaborate praying, believing that we are heard for our many words (Matthew 6:7). Brief praise is enough when it expresses our relationship with the Lord.
And that is what this brief psalm does. Its a simple yet powerful statement about the relationship between Israel and her God. In ancient Israel, it was recited towards the end of the Passover celebration. It was part of her thanksgiving to God for redeeming her, recited with a goblet of wine in hand.
As we echo Israel and recite, `Praise the Lord,' we declare our intention to praise God. And it is an invitation for others of all nations to join us.
The second stanza begins with the preposition 'for'. We praise the Lord 'because'. There is a reason for praise. The question is 'because why'. And the psalmist answers for us: because of the Lord's love and faithfulness towards us. These are two of God's self-descriptive words to Moses in Exodus 34:6.
Since that time God had shown himself to be true to his word. The psalm doesn’t linger here but does invite us to fill in our story of God’s love and faithfulness. Our story begins with Jesus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). With this beginning, we tell our own story of redemption.
Like Psalm 117, this verse expands our focus to those not yet part of the worshipping community. An essential element of worship is to declare the greatness of our God, not for those praising, but for those listening in. The uniqueness of this short prayer is that it is focussed on the Gentiles. They too are upon God's heart. They too need to know Him. But how will they know him if no one tells them? He is the Creator of all, and He will become the Redeemer of all.
The fulfilment of this psalm now rests in the church carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus commands the apostles to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Obedience to this command is essential for the church's life. God wants those from every tongue and tribe and nation before His throne.
Our neglect to send missionaries or go ourselves is disobedience. Only as we witness to the world can we pray this psalm with integrity. This is a short prayer for a missionary heart. Witness begins with declaring the praises of our God.
The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!” … For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:3-4, 8-9)
Death and life. It shows up all over the Bible, not just in the story of Jesus and his death on the cross. I hope you don’t feel that I’m unduly belaboring the point from Sunday’s sermon, but death and life is one of the most central threads through the scriptures.
There are perhaps two things worth underscoring here in Psalm 116. Firstly, that it is God that saves us from death. And he does it precisely at the moment when we give up all of our hopes in any other form of salvation and simply cry out to him: “Lord, save me!”
This is the story of any journey of repentance we have ever been on, but it is also the story of any other spiritual journey we can be on. This is the journey of learning to forgive. This is the journey of grieving. This is the journey of love and of marriage, and of so many other things that require more of us than we can actually give or do. In each of these cases there comes a moment when we say: I cannot love this person again, not after what they did, unless it is by your grace—Lord, save me! Or, I cannot carry on without this person I loved unless it is by your grace—Lord, save me!
Each of these are moments of death and surrender. Moments of dying with Jesus. But those are also the moments when we meet Jesus most profoundly. Because he comes. He delivers us from death, he is present with us in our sorrow, he gives us the grace to forgive, or to love, or to be transformed, or to turn away from sin. He gives us, in other words, new life. He saves us.
And this is the second thing to underscore. Dying with Jesus is not just about dying. If it’s only about that part—it sounds too hard and masochistic, frankly. Thankfully it’s not only about dying. It is about that fact that it is in death that we find new life. In those little moments of death, the new life of Christ is also born within us as he saves us again. Brings us more fully into the land of the living where we experience yet another taste of that “life to the full” that Jesus promises.
I don’t know what else to call this other than a paradox. But it is why the Christian church has chosen to mark itself with an instrument of death as its identity symbol all these years. We are marked by the cross. It is the symbol of Christianity--because Christians know that this cross means far more than just death. It means life, true life, full life. The only kind of life that is life: the life lived by those who have faced death, surrendered themselves to God, and have been raised on the other side to new life in Christ.
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1).
Today, we return to the Psalms. After our 28 Days of Prayer, we come back to Israel’s prayer book (it should be our primary prayer book as well).
This psalm poses a question: How do we react when God doesn't do what we want Him to do?
Among the Israelites, the Lord's love and faithfulness seem in a land, “Far, Far Away”. Israel's existence is bleak. So, the nations are taunting her, "Where is your God?" (2). We might have a small sense of this in our culture, but for many of our Christian family in other parts of the world, this is very real.
What do we do when God doesn't do what we want Him to do? Now, let's analysis the question a little. The way I have phrased it, it is all about me: what do I want? God is under no obligation to do what I or you want.
When God doesn't do what we want Him to do, then we need only Psalm 115:1. When life is about what I want than I am most important, and I want the glory. This verse knocks us off our rotting pedestal and bluntly reminds that life is about God, not me.
However, Psalm 115 is about God's love and faithfulness. When these things are not in evidence than the problem is real because God is under full obligation to be true to Himself. That’s when we need the rest of the psalm. It offers us two responses.
First, we can go find a different god. And this we have done. Our lives are filled with idols that are of our own making. But, as the psalmist points out, these idols have no voice, no vision, no hearing, no senses of smell or feeling. They cannot walk, and they cannot utter a single sound.
They are merely idols - the house, the boat, the car, the fine jewellery, the awards and recognition, the high-paying job, the self-help method. No matter what we offer them, they have nothing for us. They only stand in the corner collecting dust as we slowly kill ourselves sacrificing to them.
What ultimately matters, what lasts, is the God of the house of Israel, whose blessings extend beyond our own earthly existence to those who come after us. And thus, we may declare, along with all the generations of the faithful, that we will praise the Lord from now and for all time (18).
Thus, the second response this psalm offers us is this: to gather with God's people to declare the praise of God. To do so in the firm hope that God is our help and shield (9). We praise Him, convinced that we will experience God's love and faithfulness. In response to this psalm, God's people gather to worship Him. We worship to remember who is God! He is the God of love and faithfulness. He will be true to his promises.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 12:20-36 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- Where in your life do you most long to see Jesus? Where in your life do you feel most lonely or abandoned in the face of what seems like the silence of Jesus?
- What leaves you unsettled about church these days? What are your fears for the church? What is your own relationship and commitment to being a part of the church or a church?
- What pulls do you feel toward a better or more perfect church that might actually turn out to be mirages or worse, idolatries?
- What might Jesus be saying to us and to the church today? Where might he be found?
- What is the promise for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus, even into dying to themselves?
- How will you die to yourself today and in this week ahead? What within you needs to die? And, where do you suspect the new and fruitful life of Jesus might be found on the other side?
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:3-4)
Followers of the Prince of Peace are called to be peacemakers, promoting harmony and order and restoring what is broken. We call on our governments to work for peace and to restore just relationships. We deplore the spread of weapons in our world… We pledge to walk in ways of peace, confessing that our world belongs to God; he is our sure defence. (OWBTG 54)
Followers of the Prayer Guide will notice that I’ve chosen Saturday’s texts for today. On Remembrance Day, it seemed more fitting to talk about our Prince of Peace.
Here in Isaiah is a vision of the Kingdom of God where the nations no longer take up weapons against one another or train for war anymore. Conflict ceases. The rein of the Prince of Peace comes. Surely this is a vision of what the world will look like when Jesus comes again—but to what extent is it a vision that is or can be realized today? Because the Kingdom of God has already broken into this world, has it not?
It has. And we as God’s people are called to be peacemakers. “Blessed are the peacemakers” Jesus says in his beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, “for they will be called children of God.” We are given the power of forgiveness, love, and a Spirit-fired witness to the self-denying ways of God’s Kingdom as our tools to implore people everywhere to be reconciled to God and one another.
We are also given power as citizens of a democratic government to speak into government. In what ways do we advocate for peace in our city, province, nation, and world? The churches in Canada have asked that question together and created Project Ploughshares based on that mandate from this very text from Isaiah 2:4. This organization is “the peace research institute of The Canadian Council of Churches that works with churches, governments, and civil society, in Canada and abroad, to advance policies and actions to prevent war and armed violence and build peace.” They regularly speak into the proceedings of the UN on our behalf (yes, the CRCNA is a member).
As you intercede for peace this Remembrance Day in your life, family, community, city, and world, perhaps check out the Autumn edition of Project Ploughshares quarterly publication, the “Ploughshares Monitor”. There you can find articles that speak to the state of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Digital Surveillance, Outer Space Security, and one that details exactly how many weapons and armaments Canada exports, including to countries involved in conflict and human rights abuses. Let it inform your prayers for peace.
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God -- Rest and leisure are gifts from God that relax us and set us free to discover and to explore. But we confess that often our addiction to busyness allows our tools and toys to invade our rest and that an internet world with its temptations distorts our leisure (49).
The Christian church has a wide spectrum of interpretation on Sabbath keeping. We run the gamut from ignoring it totally all the way over to keeping it as literally as possible. For today, let’s pay attention to the unique contribution Deuteronomy makes to this Biblical theme.
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there…” Remembering is a key aspect of Sabbath in the Bible. Two things are mentioned here: “You were slaves” and “God set you free”.
The language of Exodus 1 suggests that Pharoah was working the Israelites to death, literally. God liberated them from certain death and told them not to be like the Egyptians or to go back there. They should not act like Egyptians, but like God. God set them free, they should set others free.
Jesus pursued this dimension of the Sabbath. He set people free. Have you noticed many of his miracles happened on the Sabbath? The man with an evil spirit (Mark 1:21), the man with the twisted hand (Matthew 12:10), the disabled woman (Luke 13:14), the man lame for 38 years (John 5:1-10) and the blind man (John 9:14). All healed on the Sabbath.
He was setting people free just as God set Israel free. These miracles were signs that the kingdom of God had arrived; the Shalom of God was being brought to the earth; the curse of sin was being undone. Jesus’ resurrection, his victory over evil, took place on the first day of the week. A new Sabbath had arrived; soon Jesus’ followers began to gather on the first day to remember that Jesus had set them free from the dominion of Satan.
Interestingly, as part of its reflection on the “Mission of God’s People”, the Contemporary Testimony reflects on Sabbath keeping with these words: Rest and leisure are gifts from God that relax us and set us free to discover and to explore. But we confess that often our addiction to busyness allows our tools and toys to invade our rest and that an internet world with its temptations distorts our leisure (49).
How true is that? The very things that should give us rest, enslave us, and rob us of the rest. Years ago, the Heidelberg Catechism was already onto this. We are given Sabbath, it says, so “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (A 103).
This echoes Paul’s words in Galatians 5, “Christ has set us free to enjoy our freedom. So, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again” (5:1).
Let us pray that we may all learn to enter God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10-11).
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Jesus Christ rules over all. To follow this Lord is to serve him wherever we are without fitting in, light in darkness, salt in a spoiling world (OWBTG 43).
I’m watching election results roll in from the US midterm elections as I write this on Tuesday evening. Nothing is yet certain, except that there is much division in the air. Perhaps it has always been so in ebbs and flows across history. But this is the moment we live in, and what we do know for certain is that it’s worse than it has been in a while.
So how are we as Christians to be salt and light in this present moment?
For Jesus to be Lord over all means that he is Lord over ALL. There is no square inch that he does not claim as his own. That includes every square inch of a divided church, of divided societies and countries—every square inch even in a divided world. And if that is true, how can the Lord Jesus and his work on the cross not be powerful enough to reconcile his diverse and divided people within the church into one, single, family of God?
I continue to believe that the single most potent way for Christians to be different, to offer the flavourful and illuminating light of the Gospel to our present cultural moment is to make visible this unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace that Christ has won for us through his cross. Despite our disagreements even on the hottest and most contentious political, theological, and ethical issues—because of the cross of Christ: we remain one.
If the church, across all its differences, was able to broadcast that single message to our neighbours and the world around us—that despite all our deep and grievous, intractable differences, we remain humbly, gently, patiently, and lovingly united as siblings in Christ—well: that might just witness them right into this counter-cultural kingdom of God themselves. For, as Jesus prayed in John 17, it is when we are one as he and the Father are one that the world comes to know Jesus as the Son of God. Isn’t that a message that tastes good and shines bright?
As you pray your prayers of intercession today, do remember to pray for the church to keep and visibly manifest that unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Contemporary Testimony: In a world estranged from God, where happiness and peace are offered in many names and millions face confusing choices, we witness-with respect for followers of other ways-to the only one in whose name salvation is found: Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God reconciles the world to himself. God loves all creation; his compassion knows no bounds (42).
What do you think our text means? Here it is again, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. What is being said here?
My first thought was this: the only way to get sins forgiven and to get into heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. I suspect that many of you had similar thoughts.
But then I wondered if this is correct, so I read the context. Acts 3 & 4 is one narrative, which begins with the delightful story of Peter and John healing a lame man. Thus, we sing that wonderful ditty, “he went walking and leaping and praising God.”
Peter went on to tell the gathering crowd about Jesus Christ. He called on them to repent of their sins trusting that, as promised, God was going to restore all things. For this Peter and John were arrested. The next day they were brought before the Jewish leadership body, who wanted to know by what power they had healed the man? Our text is part of their defense.
Peter understands this healing as a demonstration of the salvation that Jesus is bringing to this world. Certainly, forgiveness of sins and entrance into heaven are part of it; yet, in the Bible salvation always seems to be more. Its wholistic. It’s the whole universe, ‘all things’ are restored within God’s salvation.
With the environment and democracy unravelling somewhat before our eyes, we need this reminder. A narrow understanding of salvation allows us to be uninvolved in society. It says that this world doesn’t really matter. But this is simply not true. As the Testimony says so succinctly, “In Jesus, God reconciles the world to himself.”
This echoes Colossians 1, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (19, 20). If God cares for all things, so must we. Our proclamation of salvation must be as broad and far reaching as God’s reconciliation.
Belligerent and angry are two adjectives often associated with Christian evangelists. On many occasions, we have not been nice people and our strategies of evangelism have done more harm than good. The Testimony offers us a better way forward. It says, “God loves all creation, and his compassion knows no bounds.” Surely this allows us to respect people of other faiths, rather than tearing them down and seeing them as the enemy. The manner and attitude in which we proclaim salvation matters.
Peter says, “Salvation is found in no one else”? Do we believe this? 2000 years after Christ’s ascension and in light of the mess the church has often caused, its not so easy to believe. But this is the heart of our faith: God is reconciling all things through Christ. If we believe this to be true, then we can engage in our society and with winsome tones tell the story of our Redeemer.
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)
The Spirit calls all members to embrace God’s mission in their neighborhoods and in the world: to feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and free the prisoner. (OWBTG 41)
Our theme this week is the mission of God’s people, which begins, of course, with God’s own mission. We are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. We are loved by God in Christ and commanded to both return that love and offer it to our neighbours and selves. We are forgiven and told to forgive. But we are also equipped for more specific bits of mission, and we catch a glimpse of those particularities in Jesus’ statement of his own mission in Luke 4.
He is a Messiah who not only preaches and teaches a spiritual word of salvation for souls (though he does do that!): he is a Messiah who is anointed to carry out real action in the world: setting the oppressed free. That’s good news indeed for the financially oppressed poor, for the physically oppressed blind and imprisoned, and really for any person oppressed by anything.
The church is called to follow its Lord into his mission, which means we are called to both the spiritual acts of enacting freedom—like forgiveness—but also the very practical acts of enacting freedom: like addressing poverty, racial injustice, homelessness, health care, and so much more.
We cannot so easily divide the spiritual bits of our faith from the lived bits. Jesus lived, healed, taught, freed, died, rose, and ascended quite really and truly in this world. It enacted spiritual freedom from sin and death, but also began to effect freedom from very real physical, fiscal, and practical bonds of oppression. The blind saw, the lame walked, the dead were raised to life. This was his mission.
Sin has broken not only the spiritual relationship between God and the souls of humankind, but also the operations of every business, bank, school, government, church, and family. So, salvation in Christ plays on every plane, both spiritual and concrete. This is the salvation we receive in Christ: not just from sin, but also from the real-world impacts and effects of sin. In turn, this is the very real freedom that we then proclaim and seek to bring into this world and into the lives of our neighbours.
Take time to intercede in prayer for those people and situations who may have come to mind in this devotion today, and then see how you might participate with God in answer to those very same prayers because that is God’s mission.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:19-23 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What do you do when afraid? What frightens you about living as a Christian?
- What mission does the church have? How do we learn about that mission? What keeps us from carrying it out? How does Jesus encourage his disciples?
- Jesus blesses his disciples as he sends them out. How does this combined blessing and sending work itself out today?
- What emotion replaces the disciples’ fear? Do you think we are lacking in this today? How can we find it?
- What is central to the mission of the church? How can we keep it in clear focus?
- What gift does Jesus leave with his disciples? Does that encourage you?
Christ himself is our peace. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us…On that cross, Christ put to death [our] hatred toward one another. He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit… You are also members of God’s family. You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit (Ephesians 2:14-22).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: We grieve that the church, which shares one Spirit, one faith, one hope, and spans all time, place, race, and language, has become a broken communion in a broken world. When we struggle for the truth of the gospel and for the righteousness God demands, we pray for wisdom and courage. When our pride or blindness hinders the unity of God's household, we seek forgiveness (40).
Today, we continue our deep dive into the truth about the church of Jesus. Our text is full of action: destroyed, put to death, preached peace, a building that is built, held together, rises. It is essential we recognize that Jesus is the actor. We, believers in Jesus, are acted upon. We receive what Jesus has done and is doing.
Every action belongs to Jesus. He is our peace. On the cross, he destroyed (put to death) the hatred between us. He preaches peace to people throughout the world, bringing each one to the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit. People from every nation are being built into one church, with Jesus as the chief stone. He holds the structure together. The Holy Spirit is building us into a house in which God lives right now.
In the Old Testament, Israel built a tabernacle and later a temple. When these structures were completed, God’s presence came and took up residence in them. Because of Jesus’ work things are different, God lives in an unfinished building. We are being built into a house in which God already lives.
We do not have to make peace. Jesus has made peace on the cross. Each one of us is bought by the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, the Lord’s Supper must be understood as the table of grace and not as a place of reward for spiritual accomplishment. Here we recognize that the only common ground we have is the grace of God in Christ. Eating from the one loaf and drinking from the one cup impresses upon us that this common ground is the only thing that matters. We all stand before God because of his grace.
So reread the passage. Pray it. See what God has done and is doing. And receive it. Especially when you cannot see it, believe it is true. Frolic in the grace of this passage. Believe for yourself and for everyone else “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).
Faith is one of our responses to this good news. We need to believe in Jesus, what he has accomplished on the cross and what he is doing now through his Spirit. The church rightly tends to focus on the cross, but she must not neglect what Jesus is doing right now. He is making peace between us.
How else shall we respond? The Contemporary Testimony leads us in the right direction: we seek forgiveness. How different would the church look to the world if she was known as the community that forgives and seeks forgiveness? Rooting ourselves in the grace of God, we need to train ourselves to be forgivers. We need to decide each day that when we are offended or hurt, we will choose to forgive, that we will not hold grudges.
Forgiveness does not mean that sin doesn’t matter, nor does it mean that we refrain from holding each other accountable for sins committed. Rather, forgiveness comes from the faith that we have something which is stronger than sin. We have grace. We have received it. There is plenty to pass on. Further, it is grace that “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11).
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Restored in Christ’s presence, shaped by his life, this new community lives out the ongoing story of God’s reconciling love, announces the new creation, and works for a world of justice and peace. (OWBTG 39).
Ambassadors. Continuing with what Pastor Michael challenged us with yesterday, do you see this as an identity that fits the church at present? Does it fit you? Are you a diplomatic statesman or woman who represents the best of the kingdom of God in which your citizenship resides? Are you a practitioner of that counter-cultural art of Christian statecraft that before all else is the offering of a message of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace?
There are a few arresting realities given to us in this brief little passage. Firstly: Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. There are a number of Christians anxious today about the wrath of God coming against sin and sinners, as if the burden is on our shoulders as individuals or churches to escape this wrath. But that misses a critical point: the wrath has fallen on Christ. Not on his church. He became sin for us. When God looks at us: he sees righteousness—no matter how badly we continue to struggle with sin in this life. For those in Christ, our sins are not counted against us. Jesus paid it all. Period.
That brings us to the second arresting reality this passage drops on us. We are, already right now, utterly new creations in Christ. The old has gone, period. The new is here, period. Our identity and reality has changed completely. It may not look that way when we glance in the mirror or reflect on our lives, but again, the challenge is to see reality as God sees it, not as it looks from here. In the eyes of God, the kingdom has already come, we have already become his righteousness, we have already become the new creations that we look forward to in that new heaven and new earth. Challenge yourself to see in the mirror this strange new reality of new creation that God sees. Let it shape your self-perception and your perception of the church—and let it shape the way that you live! Live like the you are the person that God says you are!
When we believe and live these things—these things that no eye can see and no ear can hear, save through the gift of faith—we do, by our very presence and witness in the world, bring the good news of God’s redeeming love, of his new creation come, of the justice and peace of his kingdom and reign. This is what it is to be Ambassadors of the reconciliation of the Kingdom of God.
You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. And over all these good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one (Colossians 3:12-14).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: The church is a gathering of forgiven sinners called to be holy. Saved by the patient grace of God, we deal patiently with others and together confess our need for grace and forgiveness (39).
Imagine with me: what does the typical Christian look like? How does this person behave? What stands out as the driving motivation of their life? Hang on to these questions and images for a moment.
Yesterday’s Hamilton Spectator included an opinion piece by Michael Cohen. It was more of a rant. It began with Canadian census data which indicates that the number of people claiming to be Christian is steadily declining. Michael wondered why Christian leaders are alarmed by this. “There are seemingly endless stories of abuse, examples of hypocrisy, gruesome tales of historic oppression, anti-vaccination hysteria, mobs proclaiming their faith as they scream support for Donald Trump…” he writes. He does not want to be identified with this expression of Christianity. Many who think like him refuse to check Christian on the census form.
I’ve ranted about this myself. And then I wonder if I am partially at fault. Maybe I have not lived grace well enough. Maybe I have not preached grace well enough. I’ve long believed that there is only one topic for preaching, and that is grace, God’s grace. And the church needs to hear it now more than ever.
Passages like our text frequently catch me up short. Why are they not front and centre in our churches? It tells us what Christians should look like: merciful, kind, gentle, patient, quick to forgive, not holding grudges, loving. When others think Christian, this is the image that ought to come to their minds.
The Contemporary Testimony gets it right: “saved by the patient grace of God, we deal patiently with others and together confess our need for grace and forgiveness”.
Why, if this is our confession, is it not deeply engrained in our communities? As I was growing up, each Sunday evening I heard a sermon based on the Heidelberg Catechism which begins with these brilliant words, “I am not my own, but belong-body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.”
This catches the content of our text quite well. Once we know that we are God’s chosen people, our lives can begin to change. Again, I wonder, why are Christians not known for this. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this kind of community?
What do we do about it?
There is only one thing to do. Begin at home, in one’s own life. This week’s prayer practice is called the ‘Welcoming Prayer.’ It invites us to be mindful of all the times we face temptations to grasp for ‘security, affection or control’. And when faced with such, we then surrender ourselves to Jesus, believing that he offers all the security and affection that we need, and we give control of ourselves to him.
We release ourselves to Jesus and welcome him in. We are the ones who can change the image other folks have of Christianity.
Our new life in Christ is celebrated and nourished in the fellowship of congregations, where we praise God’s name, hear the Word proclaimed, learn God’s ways, confess our sins, offer our prayers and gifts, and celebrate the sacraments. (OWBTG 36)
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19 Note: this is a different text than listed in the Prayer Guide, because we covered Acts 2:41-47 on October 20!)
There is a strong thread in North American Christianity today that says: “I don’t need the church in order to be a Christian.” But that’s wrong. Here’s why…
Love is a relational word. You cannot love in the abstract. This verb requires an object in order to be enacted.
It’s a lovely thing to think that you love “neighbours” or “the poor,” but without a real, concrete person with a name, face, and story attached to that verb of love—you actually don’t love anything or anyone at all. It’s easy to “love humanity” in the abstract, for instance. But to love the real neighbour that blows their leaves onto your yard or the real homeless person that leaves their shopping cart in the middle of your street is quite a different matter, isn’t it? Loving the real Christians that gather together in our church on any given Sunday is no easier.
To be a part of a church community is to be annoyed, offended, hurt, suspicious of or disappointed in the real person in the next pew over whose name and face you know and whose voice you can hear. But it is only in being confronted with this real mess of humanity—this real mess of Christ-redeemed humanity—that you can ever begin to grasp how offensively wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ actually is. Because to be in the church, you will be forced to admit that your love simply isn’t up to the challenge of loving the people that God loves in the way that God loves them. What a stiff-necked and hard-hearted people this is! It’s enough to make anyone contemplate leaving any church.
But it’s actually only in committing to this mess of folk who are on the way that we live into this odd prayer of Paul, because it is only together with all the Lord’s holy people that we come to know the offensively expansive nature of Christ’s love for us.
Of course, God has to do the heavy lifting if we are to remain together long enough for this to happen—which is why this is a prayer. But God does do that work, as the testimony says: he nourishes us in the fellowship, giving us a word of praise, a word to follow, a word that turns us around and transforms—a word that is even confirmed tangibly in sacrament. So: trust this work of God. Commit to the church. And, may this prayer eventually also be answered in you.
Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we should also love one another. No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His love is made complete in us (1 John 4:10-12).
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! no mere human showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it” (Matthew 16:16-18).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: The church is the fellowship of those who confess Jesus as Lord. She is the bride of Christ, his chosen partner, loved by Jesus and loving him: delighting in his presence, seeking him in prayer-silent before the mystery of his love (35).
The Bible includes many images for the church, the final one being “the Bride of Christ”, appearing first in Revelation 19. Because not all of us identify with being a bride, it may feel odd at first blush.
Nevertheless, this image of a wedding celebration, with the church as the bride, has captured the imagination of Christians throughout the centuries. Amid a world in turmoil and facing constant persecution, the notion that we are heading towards a grand celebration has lifted our spirits. It helps us carry on running the race.
There is a particular aspect of the wedding that God seeks to impress upon our imaginations. And it runs counter to normal marriage preparations. In many cultures there remains this: its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony. I don’t know where this originated and I don’t put stock in it, but it remains a thing.
Now here is the point: Jesus, the groom, has been preparing the church, his bride, for the wedding celebration from the very beginning. Jesus’ declaration, “I will build my church”, is the first time the word, church, is used in the Bible. He is dressing us in righteousness, right living.
John gets at the essence of the Christian life when he says, God loves us first. Because he has acted on this love by dying for our sins, we are able to love each other. More than that, when we love each other, its God’s love in us. And its only when we love each other that this love is completed.
It is not that God shows up when we love. Rather, when we love, it is God’s love working in us. When this happens, God’s love is fulfilling its purpose. That is what “completed” means. God intends to love others through us; so, when we don’t love each other, it’s a big problem. The church will fall apart.
Too often we focus on our failings to love. The church needs to keep her focus on God and his love for us. That is why the Contemporary Testimony says, “delighting in his presence, seeking him in prayer-silent before the mystery of his love”. God is always the initiator of love. By loving us and moving us to love each other, Jesus is building his church. He is preparing us for the final grand celebration. Through his Spirit, Jesus is getting the church ready for the ‘wedding feast of the lamb” (Revelation 19:7).
The church is not ready yet. Sometimes we see her still dressed in the filthy rags of sin. This can be very painful, especially when we hurt each other. But Jesus is at work. Jesus will build his church. He will make us ready. Trust him and live in anticipation of that final party.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Peter 2:4-10 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- Where do your time, energy, and money go to? What kind of pursuits? How much of your identity is wrapped up in those things?
- What sticks out to you about CS Lewis’ story of the ghosts vs. the “solid people?”
- What are some reasons that we (or you) might be feeling thin and ghost-like these days—uncertain of our (your) identity?
- What are ways that we seek to “solve” our identity crisis by giving ourselves to other tempting sources of security, affirmation, or control? Do any of these “altars” resonate in your life?
- How does the story of the Creation and Fall help us to see these alternative sources of identity as the nothingness that they are?
- Who are you according to 1 Peter 2? And: what does that mean for where you place your time and energies?
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:19-25)
The Bible tells us the story of God’s mighty acts in the unfolding of covenant history. As one revelation in two testaments the Bible reveals God’s will and the sweep of God’s redeeming work. (OWBTG 33)
The thing about James is that he gets to the point. It’s pretty simple by his reckoning. When it comes to the Word, there are three easy steps to follow. Stop talking, start listening, and do something with what you hear.
Stopping is no easy task, though, is it? It’s not just talking that we’re guilty of. It’s a chatter of constant activity. Some of that is words—but more so it’s movement. It’s our lips moving, our fingers moving, our feet moving, our cars moving, our lives moving: everything moving. Fast. Constantly on the go. Tackling to-do lists and leisure activities, assignments and social engagements. It’s a cultural problem. We work more and sleep less than any other developed nation in the world, second only to the US. And so S-T-O-P-I-N-G takes a great work of cross-cultural slow down: fighting our own feelings of getting left out and left behind in order to keep the boundaries we’ve been called to and take our place as creatures rather than gods of our own making. It’s hard, but it’s necessary if we are to hear the word and do it. So, first things first—you’ve got to stop.
Listening is also hard though. There are a million voices, videos, pictures, and messages flying our way in a myriad of formats. The built world of infrastructure, technology, and architecture tell us who we are and what to do. So do schools, advertisers, and governments. So do friends, family, and influencers. Of course, God does too: but his voice is still, small, and easily drowned out by the others. That’s why we need to stop: but listening takes more than that. It’s an act of focused attention—of cutting through the distractions of the heart and mind long enough to attend to God and what he is saying to us. But listening also takes longer than that. It’s not enough to focus in and hear God in the moment: we’ve got to hold on to what we’ve heard and remember it through the day and week! Our focus and attention have to carry on such that the word works through and transforms our habits of attention throughout our lives!
These are the pre-conditions of Christian action though. That might sound strange, because if we’re anything, we’re doers! But without stopping our doing long enough to listen, the doing we do is our own alone. In order for the Word to flow through our lives (and not just our own ideas of helping others and being good people), we have to stop and we have to listen so that God’s will and work are done on earth, and not just our own.
Jesus performed many other signs in front of his disciples. They are not written down in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to him (John 20:30-31).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: It is the Word of truth, breath of God, fully reliable in leading us to know God and to walk with Jesus Christ in new life (32).
Our text comes near the end of John’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry. He informs us why he included the things he chronicled. They were recorded to awaken faith in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.
These are two titles that have always been significant in the Christian faith. They have deep Old Testament background. Best known among Christians are the words of Isaiah, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (9:6).
Some of Jeremiah’s prophecies also became tied to the hope of God’s Messiah, “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land’” (23:5). Micah says it this way, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come for me a ruler over Israel. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago” (5:2).
For many Christians, Jesus’ ministry has been reduced to the forgiveness of sins. Of course, this is an essential part, as the angel told Joseph, “You must give him the name Jesus. That’s because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Recognizing our own sinfulness is central to our faith in Jesus. He forgives as he brings us back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
But there is more. Believing in him means we come under his reign, we enter his kingdom and all its glory. We are given life as expressed in these and so many other Old Testament passages. This life was discovered by many who met Jesus during his days on earth. Such are the stories John told.
At the end of his gospel, he then askes, “Do you believe that Jesus is the one? Do you believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, sent from the Father above to bring life to this world, to you?”
The Contemporary Testimony invites us to read the entire Bible from this perspective. The whole thing is God’s gift to us to reveal Jesus and through Jesus to know God and walk in the new life he offers. The whole Bible reveals that without the Holy Spirit we walk away from God, and it invites us to turn towards Jesus to receive forgiveness and walk with him in this new life.
Without the Bible, we cannot know Jesus and we cannot know this new life. Thank God for the Bible. Explore it! Ponder it! Treasure it! Let it show you Jesus. Let it show you the wonders of God’s redemption.
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16-21)
The Bible is the Word of God, the record and tool of his redeeming work (OWBTG 32).
Do you notice that it is often (not always) the case that when the New Testament authors speak about “Scripture” or “the Word of God,” they start with an incarnate rationale for why we ought take it seriously? That was true of yesterday’s text and it’s true of today’s.
As Peter seeks to vindicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his recipients, he begins by telling them of his experience of Jesus. It is the experience of The Word made flesh that authorizes Peter to speak of the Word that has been written. This was the credential used by all the apostles to vindicate their message. They did not appeal to some dead or abstract sense of truth propped up by some propositions. No, listen to Peter. He says: “We were eyewitnesses!” “We ourselves heard the voice!” Nowadays we would call that subjective and dismiss it out of hand. Can any real spiritual truth depend on human experience?
The Bible says yes. It was in fact, the most fully human of human experiences—the experience of Jesus, in the flesh, sent by the Father—that authorized the Scriptures we now hold for use by the Christian community. Peter goes on from his lived experience of Jesus being glorified on the mount of Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-9 for that story) to confirm to us that the written Word, is of this same God. The Scriptures were spoken by human authors, prophets, who were carried along by the Holy Spirit, faithfully speaking the Word of God into the lived history of their times. This Holy Spirit-inspired speaking was yet another experience that Peter himself could relate to after Pentecost.
In this in between time of waiting for the day of Jesus’ return, the scriptures, illumined by the same powerful work of the Spirit, remain the reliable light that guides our path day by day. The scriptures remain for us the place of living encounter with God, His Spirit, and His Word. If we’re faithful in seeking God in this place where he has promised to be found, we may just find some experiences of our own to witness to in telling the good news of Jesus.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: The Spirit, active from the beginning, moved human beings to write the Word of God and opens our hearts to God's voice (31).
We learn two fundamental things about Scripture here: where it comes from and what it is intended for.
First, all Scripture is God-breathed. It originated in God’s mind and was communicated from God’s mouth by God’s breath or Spirit. Therefore, we call it ‘the Word of God.’ As the prophets often said, ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken’. It is also true that God spoke within and to the cultures of the folks who wrote the Bible. They were not robots but maintained their unique styles. Thus, the tremendous diversity within the Bible.
It's not necessary to offer an exact definition of ‘God-breathed”. It remains a bit mysterious. However, its important to understand its implication. The Bible is not like other books. The words are not dead letters on a page. The book lives, it has power to move our souls. As God says, “It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Therefore, Christians encourage each other to pick up the Bible, to read it, to learn it.
This is the second thing Paul underscores in our text: because Scripture is God-breathed it is useful. God’s Word instructs us for salvation. Its main purpose is to teach not facts of science but facts of salvation. It unfolds the divine plan of redemption—our creation in God’s image, our fall through disobedience into sin, God’s continuing love for us despite our rebellion, his eternal plan to save us through his covenant of grace, culminating in Christ.
Jesus came as our Saviour: died to bear our sin, was raised from death, was exalted to heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit. Our Messiah rescued us from guilt, alienation, and bondage to evil, and grants us immortality as children of God. The Old Testament points towards him, while the New Testament tells the story of his ministry on earth and his ongoing mission through his Spirit anointed community. This narrative of redemption in Jesus Christ is intended to nurture our ‘faith’ in him, in order that by faith we may be saved.
The usefulness of Scripture relates to both our belief and our conduct. It is useful for reforming our characters and discipling us in right living. When we hope to overcome error and grow in truth, to overcome evil and grow in holiness, we turn first to the Scriptures. Its is God-breathed. It comes with his power. If, as God’s servants, we desire to be equipped for every good work, we turn to the scripture. They are the Spirit’s primary tool in the renovation of our lives.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-14)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
God speaks through prophets, poets, and apostles, and, most eloquently through the Son (OWBTG 31).
God speaks the whole of Creation into being. God speaks his covenant promises to Noah and Abraham. God speaks his Name and his law to the Israelites in the desert where the Word changes from a spoken word to a written word. But this written word never quite fits this living people: it only brings death. And so God speaks again—this time his Word becomes flesh and lives among his living people. And this time, the Word brings life.
Today, God speaks in so many ways. All of Creation is a manifestation of the Word of God: it was his word, spoken, that brought all of it to existence. Every gust of wind, every leaf that falls, every ray of sunlight, and drop of rain is an obedient echo of God’s “let there be.” Through the Spirit, the written Word still takes on flesh in our flesh as we hear and respond to God in our lives and living today—this is what this week’s practice of “praying scripture” is all about.
But it is through Jesus Christ that we hear God’s voice most clearly. Because in Jesus Christ we have the exact representation of God and the precise force and intent of his Word enfleshed in a person and a story that we can see, hear, and believe. All the words of God and about God find their final interpretation and focus in Jesus. The question “what would Jesus do/say” is not far off in this regard. It’s a question that seeks the revelation of the living word-made-flesh in every new moment of our lives.
How might you turn these scriptures into prayers to hear, see, and respond to the eloquent voice of Jesus, the Word made flesh in your life today?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 19 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In
- How many ways do we humans communicate? List as many as you can think of. What would the human world be like without the ability to communicate? What are the two most essential elements of communication?
- How does the creation speak? What does it communicate?
- What comparison does this psalm make between the sun, as representative of God’s whole creation, and the sun?
- Why do we need more than the creation to know God? What does God communicate in the ‘Torah’? What value does it have for the believer? How do you respond to God’s speech?
- How does the psalmist respond to God’s speech? What desires does the psalmist attempt to awaken desires in the reader? Why might these desires not awaken in you? In what ways should your attitude towards God’s speech change?
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” He showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:19-23).
Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God: Anointed and sent by the Spirit, the church is thrust into the world, ambassadors of God’s peace, announcing forgiveness and reconciliation, proclaiming the good news of grace (30).
During the past decades, much has been made of congregational mission and vision statements. Before that, we were encouraged to develop, “Master Plans.”
Many good things have come out of these conversations. Yet, I often wonder if such processes do not start at the wrong place. A Christian church is a group of people who are voluntarily gathered around Jesus Christ of Nazareth and are sent on his mission by the Holy Spirit. Only as much as the Holy Spirit convicts us of this reality are we united in our cause. No mission or vision statement can do what the Holy Spirit is not accomplishing.
If a congregation has a mission statement she hopes to accomplish, it must be rooted in Jesus’ mission to his disciples. Peace is its core.
Twice, Jesus gives peace to his disciples. These are deserters and hiders. When the soldiers came for Jesus, these folks fled and now they hide, hoping they will be forgotten rather than remembered as his friends. They deserve a flogging, but they are given peace. Such is our mission. Such peace cannot be found, nor conjured; it is received as a gift from the resurrected Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Peace is discovered in the joy of meeting the Risen Lord. These two, peace and joy, come from the certain knowledge that all is well. If death could not hold Jesus, then nothing can hinder him and his mission. Truly, all is well with my soul. He is the Blessed King who comes in name of the Lord (Luke 19:38). He is the Saviour of the World, bringing peace and giving joy.
Can we be sure? Look at his nail scarred hands and wounded side. He is the suffering Messiah. He has made peace between God and us. All that stands between has been removed by the blood of Jesus. Peace is never just a concept. It is an action. The one who has been injured extends the olive branch, saying, “I forgive”. The cross is God’s olive branch.
Yet, here is the fascinating part of peace and forgiveness. It is never fully experienced until we pass it on. That is why Jesus keeps tying the Father’s forgiveness to ours. Jesus holds out his nailed scarred hands, saying, “I have done it! You are reconciled with God.” Look at what it cost me. Now go. Reconcile with others. Forgive them. Bring them peace, as I have brought you peace. Be willing to pay the cost.
Is this why we like mission and vision statements? They are easier than this. They distract us from our real mission: to forgive. When you pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, come”, remember he comes in and with peace.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:41-47)
The Spirit gathers people from every tongue, tribe, and nation into the unity of the body of Christ. (OWBTG 30)
I’m sitting at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago right now, people watching. All the tongues, tribes, and nations of the world are busy bustling past me. None of them belong here, save for a handful of employees who hold a quiet community with one another, and even they will end their shifts and soon go home. This is a transitory place. A place of comings and goings, but not a place of permanence. No one means to live in an airport.
It was actually not so different on the day of Pentecost. This large crowd that had gathered from every nation under heaven in Jerusalem that day were all from out of town. They didn’t live in Jerusalem. They lived elsewhere—in all those other nations under heaven. They had only come to Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Pentecost and they would soon be going home.
Yet something new and significant did happen there that day. Something different. The Spirit came, gathered this crowd of wandering travelers, slashed through the barriers of language, culture, and race and turned them into a community of the baptized people of God. Sure, they would still be traveling on, but not as the same people who had come. They were changed now. They had a foretaste of the kingdom of God.
And they would bring it home with them—this taste of the Kingdom of God breaking out on Earth through the power of the Spirit—Jesus reconciling a church to Himself from every nation under heaven where all are truly and justly: together. Filled with the Spirit they too would go and tell as witnesses of what they had seen, heard, and experienced of Jesus and His Spirit filled community.
As yeast through the dough, the Kingdom of God would spread. And with it, this taste of a church that looks like the bustling lobby of an airport terminal: a church without borders or barriers of race, culture, wealth, or language. Sure, the church wouldn’t and hasn’t always—or even often—looked like that. But a community like that is the longing placed in our hearts by the reconciling power of Jesus through the Spirit. And so we pray: Holy Spirit, come.
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:3-6).
Contemporary Testimony: God the Spirit lavishes gifts on the church in astonishing variety-prophecy, encouragement, healing, teaching, service, tongues, discernment-equipping each member to build up the body of Christ and to serve our neighbors (29).
The gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church are beautiful. Eugene Peterson reaches for this when he paraphrases Romans 12:6-8 this way, “If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face” (The Message).
We have lost this beauty partly because we spend too much time figuring out what gifts we have. Spiritual Gift courses tend to complicate the matter. And sometimes like the Corinthians, we imagine that our gifts are more important than someone else’s. Unfortunately, when we do that, what we are really driving at is this: “I am more important than you are.” Then, there is the theological tradition which asserts the gifts were only for the early church, to get her moving. Once she was rolling, they were fazed out.
All these things have caused us to miss the main thing which our confession states so poetically: God the Spirit lavishes gifts on the church in astonishing variety- … -equipping each member to build up the body of Christ and to serve our neighbors (29).
When asked why his church did not have a spiritual gift course, one modern mega-church leader responded with, “I tell people to get busy serving; trust the Holy Spirit to bring you to that place where you are needed. Just start.” I’ve always appreciated that approach. The point of the Spirit’s gifts is not “what are they?” but “why are they given?” & “how am I using them?”.
‘What gift do I have?’ is only of secondary importance. These gifts are jewels through which the grace of Jesus flows, like raindrops through which light refracts and reflects to create a rainbow. The Holy Spirit desires to use us to serve the church and our neighbours, thereby giving glory to God.
That is why Paul begins, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought”. When we recognize that we are instruments the Holy Spirit uses to do God’s work, much grace will flow to the world. When our conversations about the gifts focus on ‘me’, they will lose their beauty. However, when we trust the Holy Spirit to lead us in our Christian life, these gifts will display the full beauty of God’s grace.
Occasionally, we might lengthen our breath prayer just a tad, “Come, Holy Spirit, shine through me.”
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)
The Spirit renews our hearts and moves us to faith, leads us into truth and helps us to pray, stands by us in our need, and makes our obedience fresh and vibrant. (OWBTG 29)
We may not be naturally inclined toward doing the right thing. Some of us are. But I suspect that many of us have our moments of angry outbursts, judgemental attitudes, and indulgences. Here’s the thing though: God saves us anyway. Despite who and what we are, we are loved by God in Christ all the same. Not because we deserve it, not because we have earned it with a bunch of righteous things we’ve done, but because of his great mercy, kindness, and love.
And now throughout the rest of our lives, the Holy Spirit is slowly and surely renewing us. Like a waterfall pouring and pounding over the stones below, the Spirit is constantly flowing, moving, polishing, and washing us.
Just like with those stones at the bottom of the cataract though, it can take years and decades before the hard edges get smoothed off. Sometimes that slow pace can be discouraging: shouldn’t we be better people and Christians already by this point in our life?
But despite how things might look, we are invited to always keep the end in view. We have become heirs with Christ, heirs of hope and eternal life. The work will one day be complete. We will one day take our place in the kingdom of God as the renewed people we can only now imagine ourselves to be.
Hopefully that hope does more than give us the courage to endure the slow rate of growth we face now: hopefully it also propels us toward the good we seek. That’s Paul’s invitation here in his letter to Titus. But this is also the Spirit’s work—to move us toward the good and to make “our obedience fresh and vibrant.”
So, continue praying as the Spirit helps you today for this good work to see it’s way through to completion! Remember the breath prayer: “Holy Spirit, come.”
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:17-18).
Revived and filled with the breath of God, women and men, young and old dream dreams and see visions (Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God, 28).
For the next four weeks, Wilderness Wanderings will be tied more closely to life at Immanuel than it normally is. Immanuel Church has begun what we are simply calling, 28-Days of Prayer. We have developed material for this season which anyone can find @ Immanuelministries.ca.
The purpose of this season is not to launch some major new initiative nor to discern something specific. Sometimes, we Christians use such prayer seasons in hopes of manipulating God into giving us something; or even to give the appearance of super spirituality. There are no such intentions here.
We are encouraging some basic things. Prayer is an essential practice of the Christian life, and so we are motivating each other in it. Reading or singing through the Biblical psalms gives the impression that prayer is more varied then simply us talking to God, and so we are fostering experimentation in our praying. Paul teaches us to pray continually, so one might say, that we hoping to develop the muscles of obedience. We are praying for Christ’s church, his whole church, believing that she will only thrive if Christ builds her.
As pastors of Immanuel, Pastor Anthony and I will be using Wilderness Wanderings to encourage these things. If we stay true to our intentions, these devotions may tend towards the shorter side during this season, in the hopes that will leave more time to develop prayer practices.
With all that said, today’s text. Its point is simple yet profound. In the Old Testament, there were specific people on whom the Spirit descended equipping them for a specific purpose. In Exodus 31, God fills Bezalel with the Spirit to give him skill, ability, and knowledge to direct the work of building the tabernacle. In Numbers 11, God takes some of the Spirit which is on Moses and puts it on 70 elders who will help Moses in his work of leading the people of Israel. In the book of Judges, we read frequently that the Spirit of God empowered the Judges to lead Israel and to free her from the oppression of other nations.
Here is the important point: throughout the Old Testament, God’s Spirit is given to specific people for specific purposes. Now in the Numbers 11 story, the 70 elders were called to gather around the tabernacle to receive the Spirit. However, two of them stayed home. Yet, they too received the Spirit, which created a bit of a disturbance. Moses quiets things down with this comment, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).
Moses’ wish is made reality at Pentecost: all those who belong to Christ receive his Spirit. In the OT, the Spirit was dripping from God’s tap, drip, drip, drip; but at Pentecost God opened the tap full blast and the Spirit is pouring out. In the OT, God’s Spirit blew like a gentle breeze, but with Pentecost began to blow like a great wind.
Prophecies and visions are not about divining the future. Such things were used to guide God’s people in his ways, in the ways of obedience. We will have opportunity to reflect on that later this month. For today, remember that if you belong to Jesus, you have his Spirit and “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Ask the Spirit to lead us this season.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 14:15-27 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What does home mean to you?
- When you feel that you don’t belong—what things do you do to seek a place of belonging or escape the sadness?
- Why do all of our earthly, human places of home and belonging ultimately leave us still longing?
- What was going on in the Upper Room that made Jesus speak these words to the disciples?
- Is the home that Jesus promises in these verses enough to satisfy?
- What foretastes of “home” does God give us as gifts to be enjoyed? And how might you invite others into those places of belonging this week?
Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:1-8)
I think that this psalm, along with a couple selections from Isaiah and Jeremiah, remain some of the best Biblical commentary on smartphones.
I was struck by that fact when I came across the lines of this psalm while reading Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media a while back. He was well known for his commentary on media and communication through the 60’s, he even got a Heritage Minute made about him. Less well know is the fact that he was a convert to Christianity, daily reading from the Bible in all 6 or 7 of the languages he knew. No surprise then that little scripture verses pop up curiously here and there in his works.
Psalm 115 was one of them. McLuhan famously said “the medium is the message.” While explaining that riddle, attempting to suggest that the built world of technology in which we live has more to say about the philosophy we come up with and the lives we lead than our ability for “free and independent thought” might lead us to believe, he tossed out a quote from verse 8 of our psalm: “those who make them will be like them.” In other words: the things that we build and place our trust in are the very things that we ourselves grow more and more like.
So: we’ve created these smart phones with camera eyes, microphone ears, and speaker mouths, all of which do really seem to see, hear, and talk. But while they promise to see and hear the whole world and all the people we care about, keeping us connected to all these things and people all the time—in actuality, they leave us more lonely and disconnected than we were without them. In search of life through a screen, we actually become less like the living things we are, and more like the dead things that our devices are. We become more like the silver and gold, diodes and transistors, screens and wires that make up these lifeless little rectangles we devote so much of our time and selves to.
It is important then to account for what we build and what we place our trust in because these are the things that become our idols. In this conversation on idolatry, others have swapped the word trust and used the word “worship” instead. That: “we are what we worship.” Or “we are what we love.” If our love, trust, and worship is given to our screens, our sports, our entertainment, our identity, our career, or even our relationships with family or friends—then our life is patterned on something dead or dying, fallen and fleeting. Even the very best of our human relationships fit these categories. These are idols—all of them—and they will eventually break the hearts of their worshipers.
And so the psalm invites: right off the top and through to the end—a radical shift in our trust and worship from our idols to the living God. He is the only source of life. And, he does what he pleases: he is not subject to us nor can he be so readily controlled or manipulated like a little black box in our hands. A life patterned on him is the only means to full and abundant life. Because: those who place their trust in God will also become like him. It doesn’t only work with idols. Having been created in the image of God, our life’s goal is to be conformed again to our God in the image of his son, Jesus Christ. But it starts by naming and surrendering our idols so that we might trust in him, and him alone.
“Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills like lambs? (Psalm 114:5-6).
Let’s begin with some things Pastor Anthony said yesterday about Psalm 113. That psalm asks: “Who is like the Lord our God?” Answer? No one. Nothing. Our God is utterly unique. And in his Son Jesus Christ, we get an even better look at him. He did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage but instead became nothing. The highest of the high, the utterly transcendent, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God was born into this world as the lowest of the low: the baby out-of-wedlock of a poor peasant couple from the Podunk frontier town of Nazareth.
Why did our God take such a lowly path? To raise us up to the highest heights with him, that’s why. It was Israel who was first brought up from their poverty and need in Egypt: they were set free and made into a people.
Among Jews, Psalms 113 & 114 are recited at the beginning of the Passover meal. Why did God's people choose this Psalm to remember the victory of their God?
Because it puts the eaters smack dab in the middle of the great saving acts of God. With vivid simplicity the psalm proclaims what happens when God shows up.
Showing up in power, his first act is to choose Israel both for His sanctuary and His kingdom. Thus, if anyone else in all the earth wants to meet God or observe life in his realm, all they need do is show up in Israel.
All contrary powers are driven from the field by His appearance. The chaotic powers that put salvation in question must flee before Him. In His presence the mountains- the symbols of all that is solid, durable-quake.
God's mighty salvific work is proclaimed by all the facts that are brought together in this weighty hymn. When Israel is thirsty, God offers her water from the rocks and desert sands. When she is hungry, she can pluck birds out of the air and bread from the ground.
God provides for those who are near Him. The elements of creation react to the powerful appearance of God. Because they move before God's coming, Israel's passage into the Promised Land stretches out before her. All this and more are remembered as the Jews sit down to eat the Passover meal.
Do you know why Christians choose to worship on the first day of the week rather than the Jewish seventh? The early Christians saw Easter as our Exodus. As much as the Exodus from Egypt shaped the imagination, the memory, and the living faith of Old Testament Israel, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, shapes the imagination, the memory, and the living faith of the church.
As much as the Exodus was the birth of Israel, so Easter is the birth of the church. And as much as Israel was God's dominion and sanctuary in the Old Testament, we believe the church is God's kingdom and sanctuary today.
Thus, if anyone else in all the earth wants to meet God or observe life in His Kingdom, all they need do is find the church of Jesus.
There Psalms are recited as the opening of the Passover meal. They helped the eaters enter the story of God, their story. We worship Jesus today to enter the story of Easter, to make it our story.
How does Easter shape your life? How will living in the presence of the God who raised Jesus from the dead, impact your life today?
Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. (Psalm 113:5-8)
There is something unique about Israel’s God that sets him apart from any other human or deity. Not only is he high above the highest heights—a great God on the throne who reigns over the whole of the universe—but he is also a God who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth, even taking an interest in the plight of the poor and needy—the lowliest of the low.
There was no other deity of the ancient world like that. Sure there were gods that sat in highest heights, but they didn’t care about any human problems. And sure there were great heroes among men, but even they were not terribly concerned about the lowest of the low. That Israel’s God could and did span and draw together such a mindbending spectrum as that between the utterly transcendent throne room of heaven and the utterly mundane and imminent ash heap of the needy made this God simply incomparable.
So, the psalm asks: “who is like the Lord our God?” Answer there? No one. Nothing. Our God is utterly unique. And in his Son Jesus Christ, we get an even better look at him. This one who did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage but instead became nothing. The highest of the high, the utterly transcendent, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God was born into this world as the lowest of the low: the baby out-of-wedlock of a poor peasant couple from the Podunk frontier town of Nazareth.
Why did our God take such a lowly path? To raise us up to the highest heights with him, that’s why. It was Israel who was first brought up from their poverty and need in Egypt: they were set free and made into a people. And with Jesus, we too have been raised up. We have not been given an earthly place, but a heavenly place next to the prince of peace who has become our brother.
Of course, God still does this work of justice and of salvation in a thousand other ways too. He really does rescue the poor and lifts them up. He really does still rescue the needy of our world from the ash heaps. Sometimes he even invites us into that work—to join him, our prince, into the places where he is still today, spanning the gap between the highest heights and the lowest lows. Our God still sees, he still acts. He still hears the cries of those who have long been oppressed, and he still moves in justice and salvation on their behalf.
We are never to think that we are too high not to stoop down low. Nor are we to ever think we are too low not to be lifted back up high. Our God is in both places, and meets us in each. Rescuing us, and also inviting us to join him in his work of bringing justice, grace, and mercy to others, too.
Praise the Lord for his great work that continues even today! Praise the Lord, for there is no one else like him!
“Hallelujah! Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous person. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice” (Psalm 112:1,4,5).
When I was young, I remember waking up on certain mornings to a world gone missing. Outside my window there was nothing but a light grey brightness: fog.
On school mornings, the buses would run an hour or two late depending on how long the meteorologist expected the fog to stay. Those unexpected extra hours were dedicated to pure enjoyment while we waited for the sun to burn the mist away.
When my children were in school, the buses were just cancelled. Its as if someone forgot that the sun would rise and burn it away. When faced with fog, it is easy to forget that there is a sun.
Psalm 112 calls attention to this Christian forgetfulness. Verses 4 and 7 both speak of fog in the life of the saint; yet the godly person is not afraid. Despite a foggy morning, the righteous sing: Hallelujah!
We know that behind the fog is the sun. Behind the clouds of pain, God still reigns. Christians are people of faith; there is more to this world than what the physical eye can see. Jesus is king, even if the evidence is hiding. Despite a foggy morning, the righteous sing: Hallelujah!
If you are looking for the word 'Hallelujah!' in this psalm, you will not find it in many English translations. It's a Hebrew word most often translated, "Praise the Lord!" (In Greek, Alleluia).
There is much to meditate on in this psalm, but two more things for today. First, early on, we come across the word 'Blessed' which we find so often in the Bible that we frequently overlook it.
Its one of those wonderfully difficult words to translate because it has such profound emotional and spiritual resonance. But let's try. The dictionary includes this: "go straight, advance, follow the track."
Think about the seven dwarfs from Snow White's story, sauntering home after a day's work singing their song. They know every inch of the path; each shrub and rock familiar to them. At the end of the path is their snug little dwarf home.
To be blessed means that one is walking on the right path, the one God has laid out for us. This path is the basic trail of the Christian life: loving God and neighbour as fully as possible. And to be enjoying that path to the fullest. Living thus is to be blessed.
Do you know this? Do you believe it? Do you live this way?
Second, the psalm points out that the work of the righteous (the acts of love) will endure while the work and memory of the wicked will fade. God will take the good that we do and cause it to produce fruit 30, 60, and 100-fold.
Jesus makes mention of this when he calls us to “lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).
What kind of treasures are you making? Where is your heart fixed?
The blessed person is content to walk along the path of God, not afraid of the fog, knowing that God will shine through. Our Lord will also cause our righteous acts to produce their harvest.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Colossians 1:15-23 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Who is Jesus? (Use today’s sermon as a starting point; include other things you know).
- What did Jesus show us in his life and ministry? What do we miss when we focus only on the cross?
- What does it mean that Jesus stands in our place? Why is Jesus more than an example for us to follow?
- God’s salvation is free. Why is it good to know that? How is God’s grace active in the Christian life?
- What value does Jesus’ ascension into heaven have for us? What is he doing there?
He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:9-10)
Psalm 111 praises God for his great works—two of them mainly—God’s work of fulfilling his covenant of promise to Abraham and God’s work of giving his covenant of law to Israel.
Many of the works named in the first part of the psalm correspond directly to God’s work of saving Israel from Egypt, providing for them through the desert, and bringing them safely into the land of promise. Our God is a God of redemption, faithful to his covenant and promises.
But God has given his people not only a covenant of promise, but also a covenant of law. While wandering through the desert, God discipled his people into the ways of his commandments. Commandments that, over many long years in the desert, the people learned to quite literally walk out in their lives day by day. Our God is a God who commands a trustworthy, faithful, and upright way in which to walk and live.
The beauty of this psalm is that it draws both of these great works of the Lord together—both his covenant of promise and his covenant of law—and then reflects on them. The things that God himself did on Israel’s behalf as he fulfilled his promise to them is the very thing that God calls them to do in response through his commandments. God has redeemed and commands his people to redeem. God provided for his people and commands them to provide for one another. God has been faithful and commands his people to be faithful. God is trustworthy and commands his people to be trustworthy.
We have been taught to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This psalm would suggest that the way to know, understand, and live the kingdom and will of the Lord is to watch what he himself has done and to follow in obedience after what he himself has commanded. For: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
This fear of the Lord is also the beginning of praise. When we watch and learn from the fearsome and marvelous deeds of the Lord and when we follow his precepts, we cannot help but say thank you. We cannot help but marvel at the way he lovingly saves and mercifully provides for us and so return some awe and wonder his way. All his people who have watched and followed this, their God have done just that for centuries and will continue to do so into and through the day his kingdom comes—for “to him belongs eternal praise.”
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever…” (Psalm 110:1,4).
If the New Testament had its way, Psalm 110 would be our favourite psalm, not the 23rd. This is a song worth knowing. It may not be the easiest to understand or to pray, but it may be the most important of them all. How so? It is the most often quoted psalm in the New Testament: 14 different places.
(Add that to your next Bible trivia game: list 7 places where Psalm 110 is used in the New Testament).
Before you continue take a moment to read the psalm. If its not familiar to you, it may take a few readings before it sticks. Now some reflections on it.
This psalm is God’s declaration of a newly enthroned monarch who is followed and obeyed willingly by the people. He is endowed with strength and stamina which encourages and strengthens all who follow (3). This monarch will also be priest, mediating between God and his people. He will be priest and king forever.
The early church had a fundamental belief that we may have lost: “When God speaks things happen…”
Jesus was born in Nazareth: poor, powerless, obscure. He did not appear to be a contender for anything. But then God spoke: “The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’”
Thus, Peter uses it to back up his claim that God has exalted Jesus to his right hand. Having quoted verse one, he finishes his Pentecost sermon with the words, "Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
So, God declared Jesus the king who brings order, beauty, justice, and peace. And God declared that Jesus is the priest who brings us back into relationship with God. With metaphors, not arguments, the psalmist invites us to pray for this to become reality.
The final sentence is unforgettable, “He will drink from the brook…and lift his head high.” A picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, the king priest, among us on our level, thirsty in his humanness and kneeling at the brook; then refreshed, with lifted head, proceeding on his way, ruling, and saving. But he was so ordinary. A thirsty messiah, who would want?
Much of our spirituality is shaped by Psalm 23 which we misuse in two ways. One, we emphasize “my”, meaning, he is mine to control, I get to tell him how to shepherd me. Two, we leave God out until our funeral. In these ways, our spirituality is as ego centric as the rest of our lives. This is very hard to root out.
But now consider a spirituality centred in Psalm 110 which is difficult to misuse. It un-centres us from ourselves. It recentres us in the being and action of God, calling us to join God in his work. Moreover, the capacity to live and work for God does not come from within, but from the monarch, Jesus. Sounds like the work of the Holy Spirit. No wonder it’s a Pentecost song.
The action in the Psalm belongs to God, as it does in Psalm 23. Both Psalms are about God and what he does. Somehow, the shepherd song often gets twisted to be about me and my wants. This kingly psalm does not lend to that.
We ought to recite this Psalm along side every recitation of the 23rd. Selfishness is very persistent. We need something to counteract it. Starting each day with Psalm 110 will help.
Spiritually, we often start well but then we drift. There is no time for drifting here. In seven verses we hear four times, “The Lord”. This is followed by “he will” four times.
Psalm 110 centres us in God. It doesn’t ignore that we live in a messed-up world. It doesn’t ignore that our good works and our good intentions are flawed in such a way that they often do as much harm as good. But it says that, despite this, we are not disqualified from the work because we are drawn into what God is doing in Christ to establish his will “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, Lord, have done it. While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice. May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. (Psalm 109:26-29)
There was a song that came on the country radio a decade or so ago now called “Pray for you.” It has lines like “I pray your brakes go out running down a hill. I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to.” Those lyrics probably make you cringe a little bit, right? But they might not be quite so far from the Bible as we might piously think.
Psalm 109 is the most imprecatory of the imprecatory psalms. Imprecatory is a fancy word for a curse. So to say: this is a cursing psalm. Yes, says the Bible: there are times when even the person of faith needs to curse. Maybe not quite like that country song did. But close.
The psalmist goes on for 15 verses praying awful things toward their enemy. Things like: “may his prayers condemn him…” “may his days be few…” “may a creditor seize all he has…” “may his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.”
Why all this hate? Well, the psalmist identifies himself as one who is poor and needy, his heart wounded within him. He has been a friend to this man he now prays against. To describe this person, the psalmist says this: “he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse—may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him.”
In short: this is a prayer that the one who would not bless be not blessed—that the one who only cursed be cursed. It’s the golden rule. May it be done unto him as he did it unto others. May he get what he gave.
But notice that the psalmist does not take matters into his own hands. For his part: the psalmist has been a friend. The psalmist has loved this man, even though he has only received hate in return. And so the psalmist lays it all out before God in prayer—asking for the Lord of unfailing love to intervene on behalf of him: the one who has shown love. Even though this enemy may dole out curses at the psalmists and all the other poor and needy people like him: the psalmist asks for God to transform those curses into blessing. God, after all, is a God of love, of life, and of blessing. Not of cursing, death, and destruction.
The Apostles saw Jesus in the words of the psalmist. He was the one who loved his enemies unfailingly in the face of their curses and persecutions, even though it cost him his life. The apostles saw Judas as the one this psalm is prayed against—as the one who returned curse for blessing, hate for love. They quote this psalm as evidence of the judgement of God when they select Judas’ replacement in the book of Acts.
If nothing else, this psalm gives a second way for Christians to deal with the evil of this world. Not only through words and prayers of lament: but also through prayers that ask God to curse those who curse.
But we do well to remember always that it is the Lord’s to dole out the judgements—not ours. We can be brutally honest with God about what we’ve experienced and what we’d like to see done—but it ends there by surrendering that prayer to God to work it out as he will. God is the one who vindicates and God is the one who repays.
"My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies” (Psalm 108:1, 2, 12, 13).
This psalm offers us unique insight into the spiritual practices of ancient Israel and, as such, it ought to inform our own spirituality and faith in the same God.
It is commonly understood that Book 5 of the Psalms (Psalms 107-150) was compiled after the Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile. As the Jews trickled back into Palestine, they began to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple of God.
With this rebuilding emerged a new tradition of worship at the temple site. It was a new day which required new songs and prayers. The psalms gathered into Book 5 are part of this worship renewal.
The words of Psalm 108 are parts of Psalms 57 and 60 melded together. It offers us some insight into this new period in Israel's history. The opening stanzas offer two declarations. On the one hand, the psalm proclaims that God is great and exalted among all the nations.
Though this is a note often strummed in the psalter, it is worth repeating. In a world in which we know every horror that is happening everywhere, it is easy to forget this basic Christian belief. The Apostle's Creed's opening line, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth” is a very succinct statement of this theme. Our World Belongs to God, a Contemporary Testimony developed by the Christian Reformed Denomination, weaves this theme through every paragraph.
The second declaration of these opening verses is that the psalmist will praise and exalt this God. In fact, praise to the Lord Almighty will awaken the dawn. The first and foremost task of the day is the praise of God!
These opening words give the impression that the psalmist is having a 'good week'. But then we discover (6) that Israel is in trouble. God has promised the land to her, but she does not possess it yet. As returning exiles, they have little and less. Just a little more trouble will snuff them out.
When trouble arises in North America, we expect to hear someone ask, "Where is God?" Many of us have asked it too. Israel teaches us a different way of life.
When things are not as they should be, Israel's worship leaders teach their people to do two things. First, not to complain but to worship. This is reminiscent of Israel marching around Jericho's walls before they had fallen. Worship, especially the corporate worship of God’s people, includes a recitation of God’s great deeds. One of its purposes is to renew flagging faith. If you haven’t returned to the post-COVID worshipping community, I encourage you, if it is possible, to join God’s people in worship.
Second, in times of trouble, Israel is taught to remind God of His promises. Verses 7-9 recall what God promised long ago. So, her prayer becomes, "God, its time you kept your promises." If God is indeed Israel's mighty covenant God than He will surely keep his promises.
As you meditate on this psalm notice the robust prayers that arise out of the knowledge of God's character and promises. I’m regularly struck by the audacity of the Israelite prayers. By contrast, our prayers appear too polite and too timid.
After Thanksgiving, our Immanuel congregation will be invited in into 28-days of prayer. I encourage all of us to be emboldened by such prayers as this psalm. Keep this psalm in mind when you ask God for things. After all, Jesus taught us to prayer, “your will be done on earth as in heaven.” That’s no little prayer.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 3:1-5, 21 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What three things do humans do in response to sinful behaviour? What other things have you done to evade a sense of guilt?
- Why is this story not primarily about humans? How does that inform how we read the Bible?
- What is the surprise in Genesis 3? How is it revealed? How have you experienced it? Have you offered it to others?
- What are some ways in which we can live out this surprise in our daily lives?
- In what way does this story inform the rest of the Bible? What resources do we have which the folks in the Old Testament did not have?
Praise the Lord (1). We have sinned, even as our fathers did (6). Therefore, the Lord was angry with His people (40). But he took note of their distress (44). Save us, O Lord our God (47) Praise the Lord! (48) (Psalm 106).
It's a long song, a full 48 stanzas. But for all of that, it only makes one point. You see, the Hebrews of old understood that those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. And if there was one thing the Jews who experienced the Babylonian exile didn't want, it was to repeat those mistakes.
And so, the song writers got together and composed this hit single. Well, I'm not sure it quite made it to the top of the pop charts; it's more of a county song. Actually, its difficult to pin it to any genre. The opening and closing are catchy enough, but in between it feels more like a dirge.
It's unlikely that the trumpets were blaring this tune as the people streamed into the worship centre. It's doubtful that the children sang it as they splashed in the river or the women as they hauled water from the local well. But it was taught by worship leaders and Sunday School teachers, its lessoned engraved on the hearts of young and old alike.
Much of the psalm recounts the sins of Israel's past. It points out that the division of the 10 commandments into two halves, our relationship with God and our relationship with fellow humans, is artificial at best.
Whenever Israel mixed the worship of other gods with the worship of the Lord, the neighbour paid. The psalm cites the most grievous example - human sacrifice (37-38).
Whenever we put trust in something other than the true and living God, our neighbour will suffer. When we worship wealth, we cannot see to our neighbour's needs. When we pursue power, we do so at the expense of the neighbour. When we deify career, or family, or country, concern for the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner will be tragically subordinated. When we take our eyes off God, everyone suffers.
Today is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. Wealth, power, and the advancement of white civilization were driving forces in Canada’s past and are still in vogue today but maybe more subtly. And yes, we must add that the advancement of white civilization was tied intimately with the Christian church. The result is that first nations folks are deeply scarred, and many remain without necessities like clean water. Is the nation of Canada less guilty of human sacrifice than the Israelites?
Today, we need this psalm. It invites us to remember God, to know his story, and to find our place in his story. In this narrative, it is "not possible not to sin." Thus, to find our place in the story of God is to take up our place in the story of those who have willfully rebelled (43).
Can we do that today as Canadians, as Christian Canadians? Will we allow ourselves to be part of the Canadian story, recognizing the many ways that this nation has caused much suffering? Can we admit that many of the harmful attitudes of the past still linger in our hearts and minds? That is what this psalm invites us to do. “We have sinned, even as our fathers did” (6).
But that is not the end of the story. This song invites us to also take our place in the history of those who have turned and been delivered and forgiven, again and again, by the Lord. It is to take up our place in a relationship of dependence upon the gracious forgiveness of God.
The song is not about our triumphs but about the triumphs of God and His grace: a grace that roots out the attitudes of racism; a grace that gives us the courage to hear the pain we have contributed to; a grace through which we work towards shalom for all people.
We remember that this grace is a gift. None of us deserve it. None of us have earned it. Having received it, we got to join the song, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.”
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever… For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. (Psalm 105:5-7a, 42-45)
This is a psalm of praise. It is also one of the few historical psalms that recounts the story of Israel. What is unique about this psalm though, is that it doesn’t share anything about Israel’s own part in that story. Nothing is said of Israel’s failures or faithlessness. The psalm focuses squarely on God.
But it is addressed to Israel. This account of what God has done is given to inspire their praise, focus their eyes, sharpen their memories and their obedience.
It was God who gave the promise; God who brought them to Egypt; God who raised up Moses; God who brought the plagues; God who brought them out; God who protected and shepherded them through the wilderness; God who brought them safely to a new land. All of this was God’s work and not their own. It was not Moses’ doing, it was not Abraham’s doing, it was the accomplishment of no one but God.
Most significantly, the psalm is bracketed by the God’s own “remembering.” God remembers his covenant forever the psalm says at the beginning. Then it launches into the story of Israel to prove again exactly how God showed his remembering of that covenant. At the end, the psalm circles back around to the point, declaring: “he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.” In other words: God was faithful. God did what he said he would do, even though it was some 400 years later. God remembers his covenant forever.
The question left open in this psalm is how will Israel respond? The very last line of the psalm declares that God not only kept his promise, but that he did it with a purpose: so that Israel “might keep his precepts and observe his laws.” God meant for Israel not only to be the people who belonged to him, but also to be the people who embodied his words and ways to the nations around them. God’s desire was that Israel might be “the word of God made flesh” among the nations.
And so: faced with the purposes and promises of God that God remembers and brings to fulfillment in them and in the nations—how will Israel respond? Will they remember God as God has remembered them? Will they faithfully embody the word of God that God has spoken into them?
The same question comes to the church. Will you hear, see, remember and believe that your God has remembered you: chosen you, loved you, forgiven you, and adopted you as his very own in Jesus? Will you embody this word made flesh in Jesus in your own flesh as you die to yourself and live and speak and act each moment of this day in the ways that Jesus himself lived and spoke and acted?
How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time (Psalm 104:24, 27).
Psalm 104 is a creation hymn weaving together several complimentary themes. Thus, it speaks into today's environmental fears. It may not dispel our fears, but it will challenge God's people to enter the conversation with a distinctly hopeful perspective.
The first theme is that of the Lord as once-and-ongoing Creator. The creation story does not end with Genesis 2. God's fingers remain constantly immersed in the clay, shaping and moulding. Listen to some of the phrases: “He waters the mountains…He makes grass grow…You bring darkness…”
In summary the singer writes, “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time…when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground (27,29,30).
We are compelled to look for the Lord in creation and find His fingerprints in the trustworthy order, joyful nature, and ongoing wonder of re-creation. Being renewed spiritually by the Spirit of God does not remove us from His creation but sends us back to it with full anticipation that we will see much of and learn much from our redeemer as we dwell in this creation.
A second theme is that of the creation's trustworthiness. Genesis 1:2 tells us that the earth was 'formless'. The Hebrew word here is more dramatic because it suggests 'chaos'. The rest of Genesis 1 tells how God created order out of this chaos.
Throughout scripture evil is portrayed as attempting to push the world back into this chaos. But God's presence keeps things in order. Much of western scientific development is predicated on the belief that God created order and maintains it. Our delight is to find that order and use is for the good of humankind.
Of course, there is evidence of chaos, such as storms like Fiona and Ian. We must note that, as destructive as these are, they are the exception. Most of the natural order carries on in an orderly fashion. We see the creation's trustworthiness is the daily, seasonal, and generational cycles. It is observable every time we plant a seed, and it grows, producing a new crop of food and/or beauty. God promised it would be so, and it is. God will not allow chaos to engulf his creation. He will hold chaos at bay until it if finally banished altogether.
Thirdly, this psalm celebrates the sufficiency of creation. The Lord provides enough to satisfy the earth, the trees of the field, the wild animals, and indeed satisfies every living being with good things.
In an age in which we fear that we cannot feed the people on earth, this psalm offers a necessary corrective. It gives motivation to all those who ponder the issues of food distribution. The problem is not lack of sustainability but human greed and avarice which hordes food and wastes it. Economic and political systems tend to be controlled by those who already have more than enough.
For this reason, before the psalm closes, we read “but may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more” (35). Evil is perpetrated by people who do evil things. When we pray for God’s shalom, we pray for an end to evil and those who refuse to turn away from chaos bringing acts. We grieve these destructive actions recognizing God’s own sorrow when his creatures are extinguished by human selfishness.
Finally, Psalm 104 celebrates God's joy in His creation. The Lord delights in Leviathan, creates wine to gladden the human heart, and rejoices in all His works. The psalmist himself rejoices in the song of praise, ending with “Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord.” God’s gift of Sabbath to us is the gift to enjoy the creation. So let us sing this psalm and keep sabbath.
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:7-12)
Right at the heart of psalm 103 is this familiar title for God: “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” It’s the title God used as he proclaimed his name to Moses, way back on Mt. Sinai—on the second trip up the mountain for the second set of the Ten Commandments.
Moses broke the first set, if you recall, because the people had made a golden calf to worship. Within the 40 days that Moses spent with the Lord on the mountain, the people had forgotten their God. Which is odd, because God had made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the people of Israel. They had seen the mighty pillar of fire. They had watched the sea roll up so they could pass through on dry ground. They had seen God’s provision of water, manna, and quail in the middle of the desert where nothing grows, nothing lives, and no rain falls.
The Israelites had seen the deeds of the Lord. But in just a little over a month—they forgot. And it was then that the Lord more clearly showed them not only his deeds, but also his ways. Because God, knowing what the people were up to down there at the foot of the mountain, put aside his anger at their idolatry. God forgave his people.
We all have a tendency to forget who our God is. We get pulled along by the steady current of activity, conversations, and news in our lives and world and lose track of the matters of real importance in the process. Like the Israelites before us, we can very quickly forget who our God is and wind up with caricatures of him instead: maybe as this senile benevolence or the specter of a distant, wrathful punisher.
Psalm 103 puts our feet back on the ground in our relationship with God. He is near, like that Father who has compassion on his children. He is intentional: he knows our sins. And yet he is also very good and gracious—"he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” His love is as high as the heavens, and his ability to remove transgressions from us is limitless. This is our God: the kind of God that sends his son so that we might see him in the flesh, get to know him, and learn from him just what the love of God means in action—that he is a God that would go to any length to forgive his children, even dying for them.
Our God did not treat Adam and Eve as their sins deserved, nor the Israelites fallen into idolatry, nor us today. Our God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Tuck that word away in your heart, remember it throughout the day no matter what happens, read it again tomorrow. Remember it, and believe. Our God forgives. Thanks be to God.
My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations (Psalm 102:11-12).
In New York City, in front of the RCA building on Fifth Avenue, stands a gigantic statue of a massively proportioned, magnificently muscled Atlas, the world resting on his shoulders. As powerfully built as he is, he is straining under the weight, barely able to stand.
Close by stands St. Patrick's Cathedral. Inside, behind the altar, is a little shrine to the boy Jesus. He appears to be no more than eight or nine years old. As little and as frail as he looks, he is holding the world in one hand, as if it were a tennis ball!
Here is the fundamental choice of life: either we live like Atlas, straining to carry the world, or we worship Jesus, who easily holds the world in one hand.
As Christians, we sometimes glibly tell people to choose, as if the choice is easy. When we do that we forget that Psalm 102 is part of our sacred text. In this Psalm, Israel's singer goes through a spiritual struggle to hold on to that choice.
This is not the Psalm for those who think religion ought to be easy or who believe that God's primary purpose is to make us happy. It's easy to fall into this trap, so let's not skate away too quickly without recognizing these tendencies in our own spiritual journeys.
This song is for those who find themselves buried under a load of misfortune and pain. Take a long time to read through verse 1-11; feel the pain and loneliness expressed here. Imagine the situations that would have caused the psalmist to write these laments.
Now pay attention to the opening of verse 12, "But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever." This is astonishing! How can the psalmist be so confident of God's enthronement after such lamentation? Here is the faith that keeps us from getting buried under the misfortune of life.
Notice that it is not the past that this psalmist relies on; not God`s historic deeds. Rather, it is the present and future acts of God which give heart to this poet.
The psalmist has come to recognize that God is present with his people not to shield us from bad things, but he does unexplainably sustain us in all things. God does not prevent the tragic thing, the cruel thing, the unfair thing, from happening. Rather, He carries us along in the intimate depths of the tragic thing itself—and will continue to do so in every moment of our lives up to and through death, and beyond.
When this is difficult to believe, and during tragedy it is easy to doubt, Christians cling to the cross. This is part of its mystery. Jesus prayed to be delivered from it, but he was not spared. But God raised him from the dead. Jesus was not abandoned, not even in death.
We are invited to hear Paul’s prayer to be relieved of his ‘thorn in the flesh’. And even more, we are called to hear God’s response, “My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
As you read the second half, notice the hints of Christmas this psalm contains. Not nicely decorated houses, elevator worthy Christmas carols or heaps of food and gifts but the Christmas of the Bible, the Christmas strains of redemption: God hearing the groans of the prisoners and releasing those condemned to death (20).
Peering into the future, the psalmist sees all nations gathering to bow before the Lord enthroned forever. The wise men's worship was only a foretaste of this. Christmas marks the beginning; Jesus' second coming will be its fulfilment. God will finish his work of redemption. The fall will be undone. Shalom will guide the nations. Trust him and let him hold your world. He is able.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 3 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What is “sin”?
- What was the “sin” of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3? How does that same “sin” impact our own world and lives today?
- What is the difference between “sin” with a small “s” and “Sin” with a capital “S”? What implications does that have?
- What do Adam and Eve do when confronted by God? How could’ve that story been different?
- What did God himself do differently, especially through Jesus?
- In what way are we called to take up our cross and follow Jesus when it comes to our Sin/sins and the Sin/sins of others? Where is Jesus calling out to you today?
I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. … The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. (Psalm 101:1-2,4)
It is supposed that this psalm of David was composed more or less as a formal declaration of conduct from the King. The king declares both how he himself will live, but also how he will enjoin his subjects to live within the city and land. The psalm spells out what is meant by a blameless heart and conduct, as well as what is meant by perverseness of heart and its conduct. All of this is modeled, of course, on the love and justice of the Lord, under whom the King serves—the Lord who many of the previous psalms have acknowledged loudly and repeatedly is the real ruler of the land.
It's easy on a first read through this psalm to think that it just ticks off a bunch of boxes of behavior: those who secretly slander, who are arrogant, or deceitful will be cut off from the land by the king! But the psalm actually digs a bit deeper than that. This isn’t about a list of wrongs or a rule of law and order by some legal or legalistic standard. No: what the King is entrusted with is something more—a cultivation of his own character and the character of the people in his kingdom.
The word “heart” shows up multiple times in this psalm. The king promises to conduct himself not by means of checking all the right boxes of all the right deeds, but by the cultivation of character and practice that arises from a blameless heart. Similarly, what the king promises to root out of himself, his house, and his land is not merely a specific brand of law-breaker, but instead that which arises from a perverse heart. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Matthew that “out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person” (Mt. 15:19-20).
The drum beat of “law and order” has grown louder these past years in the political arena. Morality codes are also increasingly popular in the church too. These trends can lead very quickly to a harsh, black-and-white, loveless orthodoxy with many dangers for leaders and majorities to control, coerce, and erode the space for real, fallen, foibled human people to live. But the faith of the bible always seeks to drive us deeper than that—to attend not just to the surface infractions against an abstract legal code, but to drive down to the matters of the heart—and firstly our own, as it is here with the king. This is where character and maturity are cultivated. It goes beyond the law and rests instead on the heart.
Does that make the law unimportant? No, but it is also not sufficient. Reading through this list of wrongs in Psalm 101, I’m convicted that I fall short of the legal code. I too am in danger of being cut off from the land. According to the law: we’re all toast. Thanks be to God it’s about more than that then: the slow growing to maturity by the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness of God that transforms our hearts more and more to walk in his blameless ways. We all need God to “come to us” in order to live this psalm—thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ, he has!
But we also need other, embodied examples in our lives to see what this can look like, lived. Which was the point of the King offering his own example to the people in this psalm. Queen Elizabeth might be a good example of such a ruler today. No human example is perfect of course, but it is striking what the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby said of her in his funeral message before hundreds of the world’s leaders and rulers who had gathered for it. He said: “people of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.” That is just the sort of challenge to live with deeper integrity and character of heart that a good leader ought to give.
As we seek to walk a blameless life, we are called to follow and align our hearts in just such a humble, self-giving way—ultimately after the pattern of our Lord who did not come to be served, but to serve and to offer his life sacrificially for many.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth…Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:1, 3).
All over the world (and through the ages) this psalm is used in Christian congregations to launch worship services. It's a good song and is rightly used. But it is also problematic. Let me explain.
When we Christians gather for worship services, not all of us feel joyful. Some may already be bored before the worship leaders emerge on the stage. Several may only be there because they got dragged along. Others may be there with deep and real pain in their lives. So how can we talk of joy?
The second problem is not the pew sitters but the leaders. In many contexts, they are attempting to launch the audience, to get them into it. We have taken the approach of the pop concert. I'm not being negative about pop concerts. What I am saying is that worship services are not concerts
Communal worship in Christian communities is a much deeper and a much richer experience than rock concerts. At least, it ought to be. These gatherings are events in which a Christian fellowship assembles in the presence of God to commune with Him.
As Christians, we gather to praise and thank our God. We petition Him and sometimes even groan before Him. But we also gather to hear from Him. We come to listen! We receive his grace and respond with thank offerings.
We talk about the dialogue of worship: God speaks, and we respond. In many services we insert scripture between songs. This is not just filler, not a moment for the singers to catch their breath. It is dialogue: God speaks, we respond. Its not just random stuff stuck in a lineup.
Thus, this psalm is not to be used to launch a worship service. It is rightly used as a call to God’s people to worship him. We hear it as God's call to us to assemble and to turn our attention to him. When God calls, He recognizes that we gather with all sorts of mixed emotions. We may indeed not feel like worshipping at all. Our hearts may be joyless. The only thing we can offer him are our groans, our despair.
Therefore, the Psalm calls us to dig deeper than our emotions. "Know that the Lord is God" (3). This is the real heart of the Psalm. It calls us to examine not our emotional well being but the very foundation of the world: our Lord is God. This is our covenant God, who comes to us and declares that He is our God, and we are his people. We belong to him!
In life, this foundation may appear to be on precarious ground. As they say, life happens, and it is seldom pretty. And that is one reason God calls us together for worship, to remember that our Lord is God, and we are His. Life is often lonely; ask any refugee, the person dealing with mental illness, the grieving, those who weathered the pandemic living alone. But in the gathering of God's people for worship we know that we belong to God and thus to each other.
He cares for us like a shepherd cares for the flock. Jesus took for himself the title, “Good Shepherd”, letting us know that he is the God of Psalm 100. And then he adds another layer to this song. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” he says. Only after his resurrection did his disciples understand that he meant this literally. In worship, we see the nail scarred hands of our Saviour, now seated at the right hand of God.
Sometimes we cannot sing, we can only sit. Sometimes, all we can do is tune in from afar. But sitting there, we listen, hearing our faith expressed by other. We hear the grace of God pronounced. Somehow, the Spirit is at work, even in us.
This worship is missional. Consider what the world sees as God's people worship: a people who dare to declare that their Lord is the God of all the earth and the only glue that holds them together is the blood of Jesus. But what a glue! What a song!
The Lord reigns… Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy. (Psalm 99:1a,2-3, 9)
Like Psalms 93 and 97, psalm 99 also begins with the declaration: “The Lord reigns.” Each of these psalms praise God for a different aspect of his kingship though.
The theme for psalm 99 is God’s holiness. Three distinct words on God’s holiness are given, which offers some echo or precedent to the hymn found in the heavenly throne rooms of Isaiah and Revelation where all cry out: “Holy, Holy, Holy” before the throne of God.
What is interesting is that Psalm 99’s definition of holiness differs somewhat from our own. Holiness here does not necessarily refer to purity or a sense of distance between God and ourselves. It starts there, perhaps, when we hear how God is exalted over all the nations. But the majority of the psalm marvels at how such an awesome God who rules over all the earth and all its peoples still has concern for Israel.
This is the second “holy” in the psalm. The fact that the King is mighty, that he loves justice—that he has established equity, even doing what is right and just in Jacob. Israel is reminded that God rules from Zion, that he sits enthroned between the cherubim of the Ark. So the psalm encourages the people to “exalt the Lord our God.” This Holy One who is already exalted over all the nations should receive exaltation among his own people too for his justice displayed before them.
The third “holy” in the psalm is the fact that God is not too distant from his people to hear their cries. This aspect of God’s holiness is all about prayer. When the people or their leaders have cried out to the Lord, the Lord has answered with forgiveness. The people still needed to follow in obedience, sure, and they were still punished for their misdeeds by this God of justice, yes. But when they cried out to the Lord their God, there was also forgiveness. A way out of their misery and hardship was provided. A salvation was given. This too is part of the holiness of God: his great forgiveness for his people.
In this psalm, the notion of God’s holiness transforms from any abstract theoretical sense of some fascinating, fearsome, far-off deity into something markedly more personal. The psalm speaks about Israel’s history with God, Israel’s experience of God. This is a people who has a relationship with God that defines what they mean when they say “holy is he.”
This is the High King over all who has nevertheless done what is right for us, listened to our cries, answered, and forgiven us. We know his name. He is our God. As Christians following in the footsteps of these psalms, we can say much the same. We also know this holy, listening, and forgiving God’s name: it’s Jesus.
For a peaceful setting of Psalm 99 by the Sons of Korah, you can click this link.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him…Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity (Psalm 98:1, 7, 9).
Momentous events need to be celebrated. In our personal lives, birthdays and anniversaries are marked with celebrations. We throw a party for graduations and other major accomplishments.
In our communal lives we do the same. We mark the anniversaries of our churches with special gatherings worship services. I’ve been part of a few of these. We celebrate the birth of our country with red and white celebrations each July. Some can remember the celebrations which marked the end of WW2.
Great art and great music also mark turning points in human life. Who can miss the grandeur and pathos of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture? But how many of us know that it was composed to commemorate Napoleon's defeat at the gates of Moscow? Or who can remain seated as Handel's Messiah crescendos in the "Hallelujah Chorus"? (Except yours truly at the age of four, who slept through it – my dad used to love to tell the story).
The cultural revolutions of the 60s coincided with the birth of rock 'n roll.
Church history also shows us that every great revival has produced new songs. Suddenly an awakened people break traditional forms, giving voice to their praise. This was true in the Reformation, in Wesleyanism, Pentecostalism, and the Jesus movement. They all brought new worship music into the life of the church.
In Psalm 98, God's marvellous works prompt the call for a new song. Israel has experienced "marvellous things." God has acted and gained the victory (1).
Israel has experienced salvation because God has remembered His covenant (2-3). The earth is called to join in the singing with instruments and joyful shouts (4-6). Finally, all of creation must add its praise because God is coming to judge the earth and bring in His final resolution (7-9).
Nothing is to be spared in praise of God; every voice and every known instrument are to raise a shout of praise. The celebration is to be as over the top as possible. Nothing is too big to express the praise of the one who made us and saves us.
But this calls forth a question: do we dance and sing when we think of "judgment day"? Do we trust God to judge with equity all the peoples of the earth? Can we really join in the celebration in loud voices? The celebration here is not trite. We are called to celebrate God's judgment on us and on the world.
What is this judgement? Pastor Anthony spoke about it yesterday, but I think its worth a few more words. Israel’s expectation that God would come ‘to judge the world in righteousness’ was her faith that one day ‘God’s will would be done one earth as in heaven.’ As Jesus would later explain, his reign begins with the deep foundation of God's rule in the human heart, yours and mine. God's shalom will govern the earth.
As Ezekiel foresaw, our hearts of stone would be broken and replaced with hearts tuned in to God’s Spirit. This judgement will remove our conflicted loyalties so that we worship God alone.
To sing such Psalms is too long for God’s salvation, not just for the world, but for ourselves as well. They awaken in us a renewed dedication to our Redeemer, inspiring in us a desire to flee from all evil and to embrace all that is good and righteous. These are good songs. Are you singing them?
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. (Psalm 97:1-2, 11-12).
This psalm encapsulated both Israel’s present faith and their future hope.
The Lord reigns: even now, despite however things might look. And the Psalmist believes that to be good news. News that should bring all the earth into gladness and rejoicing. Why? Because righteousness and justice are the foundations of God’s throne.
The Kingdom of God, God’s own rule and reign is the essence of all that is right, sound, and solid in this world. God’s Kingdom is itself a living standard by which all things can and will be judged, but a standard that in the end brings all things back to the very fullest of life. And so the Creation can rejoice in the hope and knowledge that it will one day be liberated from its groanings and set free once again to flourish.
And so with our own lives too: there is a strange confidence the people of God hold on to that there is indeed a living standard of righteousness and justice that transcends our politicking--a justice out there that will “judge the justice for which we fight,” as Leslie Newbigin put it. Interestingly, that should never give us confidence that we are above the law, as Christians have sometimes done. No: this justice is clean, pure, and impartial, dividing soul from spirit and joint from marrow when it comes to it. There’s nothing hidden that will not be brought to light. So, our confidence resides not in the fact that we ourselves are righteous and just, but in the fact that we know a God who is. A God who knows what actually is wrong with this world, and who is also big enough to set it right.
Here then is the future hope of Israel found in this Psalm. Some of its images do indeed echo with our own book of Revelation, I think. In the middle of the Psalm, we find that all peoples see the glory of God, and those who have entrusted themselves to any lesser god are put to shame as the justice and righteousness of the Lord King of heaven and earth is powerfully revealed.
Of course, for the people of God, this is the moment when all suffering is redeemed as all injustice is set right. A moment we have been sitting in pews and folding our hands at bedsides praying and watching for all our lives. This is the moment when the light shines on the righteous and the people of God are made glad.
Oddly enough, we know that this somehow includes us, unrighteous though we may feel. “The righteous” includes us, not because we are above the law or have an in with the judge that would cause him to look the other way. No—this God is the very one who, after making a just appraisal of our situation, has nevertheless loved us, chosen us, and shown mercy and forgiveness to us in Jesus Christ.
So: “Rejoice in the Lord, you who [have been freely made] righteous, and praise his holy name.”
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 3 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What does the creation story invite us to do? What gift did God give us so that we could do this? What is the gift meant to teach us? Why do children lead us in the praise of God?
- Who are we humans? What responsibility did God give us? Why is it so difficult for us to do this?
- According to Hebrews 2, what do we see? How does this give us hope? How does this assure us that ‘this world belongs to God’?
- What does it mean to be a Christian?
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:1-3).
What's the point of life? Where is history headed? Is it just a random series of events? Why even ask questions like this? Isn't it better just to do one's best to survive? Can't we just adopt the old bumper sticker: 'the one with most toys wins'? How would you define toys? What would winning mean for you?
As Christians, Psalm 96 helps us shape an answer to these questions. The point of history and our lives, as small as they may be, is to worship God. We have long believed that declaring the glory of God gets about as close to the heart of living as we can get.
There is an important context to our psalm. It’s a shortened version of the song Israel sang as the ark was given its place in Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16 tells the story. God is enthroned as King in the worship of his people. His presence, glory, is symbolically present among his people ‘between the cherubim’ which covered the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle.
This presence of God is a shadow leaning forward towards Jesus, for John says, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14). There is more. This psalm is about God as king. “Say among [all] the nations, the Lord reigns” (10). Jesus leans back to this psalm when he says to Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a king” (John 18:37).
The writer of Hebrews declares that “After he had provided purification for sins, [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). Jesus is king. Our text is fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. John sees and hears it in Revelation 5 when all the creatures in heaven and earth gather to sing a “new song”: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).
When we talk about the mission of the church, we start here. Everything the church does flows out of this desire to give glory to God, who is King. The followers of Jesus on this earth long for that day when all glory will be given to God. But here we come up against the problem don't we: do we desire to give glory to God?
Let's not gloss over this matter of our desires. If you are starting your day with this meditation: what is your goal for the day?
When raising your children: what is your goal? If you are on your way to your workplace: what is your goal? If you are in a dispute with a family member, co-worker, or church member: what is your goal? What do you want?
You see, most of us do believe in the bumper sticker: the one with the most toys wins! To believe that the goal of life, of history, of the church, is to give glory to God is much too difficult.
Giving glory to God begins with a passion for Him. The psalms of worship keep repeating: "For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise" (4). Worship that is passionate about God is by nature missional or evangelistic. It desires others to join us. The bigger the crowd the better.
Take some time to examine God. Do you see that he is worthy of worship and exaltation? Do you see his majesty and holiness? Do you see his righteousness and love? Do you see his justice and his mercy? Do you believe that one day the entire earth will 'ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name and bring offerings into his courts'? (8)
The worship of Christians is the aroma anticipating that day. Giving God praise is a necessary part of the Christian life because it reminds us of who we are and where we are going. It moves us away from the bumper sticker philosophy to the life described in Psalm 96.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord… For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. … Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness… (Psalm 95:1a, 3, 6-8)
In these days of pondering and playing witness to what it has been and will be to have a monarch over the nation of Canada, we perhaps have some footing on which to reckon with these psalms that speak of God as King.
The Israelites lived in a land where the nations each had their own gods that they believed to be sovereign over the land or the sea. But Israel’s claim was unique. Whereas for other nations, their gods’ power tended to end at their own national borders, the Israelites claimed that their God was God over the whole of creation. It’s true that the Israelites were monotheists. The Lord was God and there was no other—but there were different ways of saying so amidst the nations and this was one of them. In the assembly of deities, for Israel only one ruled supreme: the great King above all gods: The Lord.
The psalm goes on to declare how the Lord is God over not just the other gods but all of creation. How then should God’s people respond—this flock under his own care? By coming to bow their own knees before his majestic throne, that’s how. “Come, let us bow down in worship,” declares the psalmist, “let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God.”
But God is not a withdrawn, benevolent servant in cahoots with the national interest or the people’s parliament as it is in Canada. We do not merely genuflect or nod to his majesty and comment to one another how cool it is that our God is the best of them all. No: this sovereign is the living God, and in every today in history that ever has or ever will be known as “today,” he has something new to say to his people. Always, even today he is speaking, if only you would hear his voice.
As the people assemble, God’s voice all of a sudden speaks out in this psalm: “do not harden your hearts like you did that day in the wilderness…”
As God’s people we are not merely invited to participate in the pageantry of worship or submission. We are not merely to go through the motions. When we come to worship and bow the knee to our God, Lord of all the Universe, we are also to bow our hearts and lives, submitting and bending our wills and living to the voice and call of our God.
No further command comes in the psalm. Simply the command to keep not just our knees, but also our hearts, lives, and obedience supple and at the ready to hear and respond to God’s call.
It was just such a situation that Jesus found himself in when tempted in the wilderness by another spiritual being who would’ve sought to usurp the throne of the God of gods. But Jesus’ heart was not hard, and his ears remained attentive and responsive to the voice and calling of God His Father. Where we failed, he prevailed, enabling our willing obedience in his steps, even as he continues to soften our hearts. Take heart: we remain the flock under his care.
For a fun, minor, acoustic musical setting of this Psalm, you can find a cover of the Sons of Korah’s version of Psalm 95 by the group Half a Mile on Spotify by clicking here.
“The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve…When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:1,2, 19).
An appeal to the God who avenges sounds inconsistent with the Scriptures that present Jesus as bringer of shalom - peace. Yet that is how this psalm begins.
Have not the storms of our hearts similarly cried out for justice? The world is not fair, the rich and influential are invited to the table while we are left out in the cold. Someone at work, those scoundrels in government, someone in our own family has stabbed us in the back, and we would like to see the tables turned.
Honestly now, this is the sort of psalm we can understand. Still, don't get stuck on the opening words. The anger soon turns to questioning.
How long, God, are you going to let this go on? How long, Lord, will the wicked be jubilant? How long will you let your people be abused? How long will you allow the poor to be neglected? People are saying that you don’t pay attention to the evil practices of this world.
But then God speaks. He chides our foolishness: "I do hear, I see, I discipline, I teach, I know … I know that your thoughts are like a breath: they last for a moment, are not seen, and soon gone forever."
And we respond: "Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law."
We began in anger, crying out for vengeance. But having heard God, our anger morphs into confession.
The first and necessary discipline was not on those other wicked and proud folks, but on the wicked and proud person whom we see reflected in the mirror.
The Lord disciplines the one whom He loves; and so, our difficulties are all turned for our good. God is working to move us from the one crying out for vengeance to people who cry out for mercy - both for our self and for others.
The psalm is not done with the wicked, those who make injustice law. Those who “band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death;" they will get what is due them. The vengeance of God is not some irrational burst of divine anger, but rather the exercise of divine justice. God gives sinners what their sin deserves.
The world is full of innocent victims, victims of rape and drunk and careless driving; children living in homes invaded by alcoholism and drug addiction. Religious folks persecuted because of their faith.
But ultimately the Psalm points towards the Lord Jesus, the righteous one, the only innocent one. He is the ultimate victim of this Psalm. God judges us in our sin, but because he is "rich in mercy," his "mercy triumphs over judgment" (Eph. 2:4; James 2:13, ESV). God does not dismiss our sin as no big deal, but instead bore it on the cross. All who appeal to him receive mercy. Jesus’ resurrection leads to the renewal of creation and God's ultimate triumph, and ours.
This is the consolation that cheers us. As we go through the hardships of this life-and really, we know little of hardships compared to many Christians in most times and places. But as we go through our raging for vengeance, our impatience with God's schedule, and finally come to see His discipline lovingly training us, then we can say, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."
The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days. (Psalm 93)
What do the seas have to do with anything in this Psalm? Three times we hear how the seas have lifted up, and three times we hear that the Lord is mightier than those seas. This is the Psalmists’ way of describing how “the world is established, firm and secure,” how God’s throne is established, firm and secure, and how God’s statues are established, firm and secure.
In the world of the Psalms, the seas were emblematic of all the chaotic forces of the world that threatened to upend and destroy all that is settled, good, and sure. In Creation God subdues the seas: he tames the waters and sets boundaries for them bringing order out of the chaos that is “very good.” In so doing, God establishes the world, firm and secure, and by virtue of that fact, he also becomes King over all that he has established. This of course means that his statutes are firm and decisive for the world and all who live in it, for it is his realm.
What’s interesting here is that God’s statutes are not just rules for people to live under, but they are one and the same statues that govern all of Creation. The same statutes and boundaries that the seas must obey and that the world lives out, are the very same ones that we—who are formed from the dust of the earth—must also abide by.
That’s a bit different relationship to the Creation than we usually consider ourselves to have, though, isn’t it? We tend to grab hold more of the Creational command to rule over the earth and subdue it. But here: no distinction is made between the people and the earth they inhabit. All stand equally under the firmly established statutes of the Kingdom of God.
There is an invitation in this psalm then to humble ourselves: before God, certainly, but also in our own eyes and in our relationship to the earth. It is not a limitless resource for us to consume to our hearts content. No: boundaries have been established not only for the seas, but also for us people. There are limits, firmly fixed, beyond which we cannot go.
Pastor Michael mentioned it yesterday, but it deserves underlining: Sabbath is the practice that restores the balance between not only Creator and Creature, but also between Creature and Creation under the rule of the Creator. It is one day a week when we cease our labours and give not just ourselves, but also the earth a break from our labours. It is a statue of restraint imposed upon us, a boundary like that around the seas that we are commanded to observe so that we do not overflow our banks and plunge the world and ourselves with it, back into chaos.
Thankfully, the establishment of the world and its proper functioning is not finally of our doing. It is an order that God, the King, has established. And under his rule and reign it will remain, firm and secure, with or without our faithful observance of boundaries—because he is mighty to tame the chaos: even ours.
That said, why not work with God rather than against him? Sabbath is the statue we have been given to find our good, Creaturely place in the balance of Creation under the rule of the Creator.
“It is good to praise the Lord, and to make music to your name, O Most High. proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done” (Psalm 92:1,2,4).
Each work of art comes out of a context, whether its poetry, music, photography, or sculpting. Art historians enjoy debating the effects of the context on the artist and how it shaped her work. This is true of the biblical psalms as well. But much is lost in history. The context of today’s psalm has vanished.
However, we do know how it was used by the people of Israel as they worshipped together. The Jewish rabbis encouraged their people to use this psalm as a psalm of thanksgiving and as a Sabbath psalm.
Why would the rabbis connect this psalm to thanksgiving and Sabbath? It does not fit at first glance. But consider the following things.
Reading Exodus 20, we discover a link between Sabbath and creation. We are told to rest because God rested from his creating work and to make “a sabbath to the Lord.” On the Sabbath we re-learn to trust in God for life and well being. He is THE CREATOR.
Through out the Old Testament and in Christian theology, the doctrine of God as the creator of the world includes not just the initial act of creation but his continued providential care over it and us. The Heidelberg Catechism and A Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God make this connection (Google will find both for you or contact our church for copies).
Psalm 92 is a call to praise God (thanksgiving is part of praise) because of this ongoing creative work of God. This psalm explores God's providential care over His creation, especially over His people. This care leads to victory over His enemies and to flourishing for His people.
Sabbath is a time to remember who is God! As Christians, we believe that our Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is God. It is not always easy to remember or believe this. There is still much chaos and evil in the world, in our own lives. That is why God commands us to rest: to remember that He is God, He will be God forever, and he has not abandoned his creation.
Several wise Christians have pointed out that the two twin enemies of the spiritual life are hurry and fatigue. This is a malady of North American Christianity. Hurry and fatigue are the result of not enough sabbath. Yet, keeping sabbath is the only back to trusting in God.
This psalmist also catches a glimpse of what is to come. At times in this life, we may see the enemies of God scattered and powerless. Sometimes, we may see God's people flourishing. But those are only glimpses. Not until Jesus' work of redemption is complete; not until He returns in glory will we see this fully.
Until that time, we are to keep Sabbath. Sabbath is time to look forward, to anticipate, and to pray for that day. Also, to remember that God will bring it about. Let us give thanks for Sabbath.
Be honest: when is the last time you took time for Sabbath Keeping? Our Christian faith doesn't just happen. It takes some effort on our part. Part of that effort is to be quiet, to rest. To consider what is true. When is the last time you adjusted your living because you gave God time to correct your way of life?
As we enter a new fall without COVID restrictions, let us include Sabbath keeping in our rhythms. Let us gather for communal worship when possible and pause regularly in the course of our days to let God be God.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 8:31-39 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- Is there anything that you are afraid of or anxious about right now? Write about it here.
- What causes for fear and anxiety did the church in the city of Rome have? What about the ancient Israelites at various points through their history (like what we hear about in the book of Exodus, or Psalms)?
- Do you ever feel like God is absent or silent? Do you have any doubts about God? Take some time to write them down here, noting any that may resonate with what Pastor Anthony talked about.
- Why might our doubts, fears, and anxieties about life and God’s absence or silence within it (separation between ourselves and God) not be reality? What reasons for confidence does Paul give in response to our concerns?
- How we might we encourage each other in believing the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us and that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love?
- Where have you seen God recently? Who will you share that story with?
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)
Pastor Michael talked yesterday about finding a home in God. A place to dwell. It’s the theme of Psalm 90: God is our home. But it is also the theme of Psalm 91, a reflection and promise of what home with God really means.
God guards, protects, and saves those who make their home in him. God gives shelter in the storm, shade in the heat and ultimately, a place to rest. This is what it means to have a home with God: a safe place to rest. A place where you are known, loved, saved from the distresses and sufferings and evils of life. A place of peace. A home.
So whoever seeks to dwell in the shelter of the Most High finds this rest. This place of home, of peace, of belonging. These are the gifts of making one’s home with God.
Here’s the thing though: we learn in the New Testament that God also desires to make his home with us. And that is a very good thing indeed, because having a ready home with God does not always mean that we seek that home or even dwell very often in that home. There are a million ways that we attempt to make our own home.
We build homes of belonging with our workplace or career. We make homes of protection and security out of our accumulation of wealth, pursuit of good health, or our relational connections. We pursue our own means to rest through increasingly elaborate leisure activities that leave us, our relationships, and our bank accounts wiped. And of course, there are other shelters of escape that we might pursue too: like secret or addictive ones. Houses that our own desires and temptations lead us back to more than we care to admit.
But God knows this of us. Since the Garden of Eden we have been slow to accept a home with God “as is” and have reached for something more or different, winning nothing but exile for ourselves from the only home that could ever give us rest, joy, and peace. Indeed: the devil tempted Jesus with the words of this very Psalm to try to get him to make a home somewhere other than in a trusting relationship with God the Father.
But Jesus didn’t fall for that. No: the Word had became flesh in Jesus Christ in order to “move into the neighbourhood” as Eugene Peterson puts it in his Message translation. And in so doing, God made his home with us. And now, through Christ, our own bodies and hearts become homes where the Holy Spirit himself dwells, taking up residence within us.
Having run away from home—our good home in the shelter of the Most High—that home has come to find us, to save us, to guard us, to protect us from ourselves and all the other evils of this world so that we might find just the rest that we have been searching and longing for all along. May you find this rest in the shelter of the Almighty today.
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations” (Psalm 90:1).
When I was younger, our family’s New Year's Eve celebration would end with my dad reading Psalm 90 and leading us in prayer. I'm not sure why he read this psalm every year, but it might be rooted in his immigration from the Netherlands to Canada.
When I flew to Europe at 19, I fully expected to fly home again. When my dad flew to Canada at age 19, he believed he would never fly back, nor would he ever again see the people he was leaving behind. In those days, it was a one-way ticket for life.
It is easy for me to imagine that Psalm 90 was a source of comfort to him as he made his home in Canada. He had left everything familiar behind, but God went with him.
This Psalm has often been important to Christians in times of transitions. Like Psalm 23, it is frequently read at funerals. Yet, it is beneficial to reflect on these verses outside that setting. Its theme is simple: God is our home. He is a refuge more secure and lasting than any structure or community we have on this earth.
We find security in lots of things: work, family, church, routine, retirement savings, etc. We are allowed to enjoy the blessings of all these things, but they do not bring the security God does. Thus, Jesus teaches us to pray, 'Our Father'. Those opening prayer words are anchored in this psalm.
It speaks about the brevity of human life. All things considered, our time on this earth is rather short. Some days it may feel like a long time; but considering this globe's history, our time is like no time at all. Further, as strong as we might think we are, we are easily snuffed out.
These reflections come out of deep humility and foreshadow the prayer, "give us this day our daily bread".
The opening words may cause us to think we have a right to expect God's protection. But those thoughts are quickly repudiated. Our sin against God arouses his anger. He is our good refuge, but He is not safe. It is very unwise to imagine that we have a right to God's protection or grace.
We are inclined to minimize our sin and rebellion against him. Comparing ourselves to others, we pretend we are not so bad; God must like us more than them. But the psalmist will have none of that. Such presumption is deadly and so we pray "forgive us our sins."
It speaks about God's compassion. The psalmist recognizes the mercy of God. We have no right to presume on God's compassion and protection, yet God gives it to us. This song appeals to God's character. We can expect mercy because God is merciful.
We look at ourselves, find ourselves unworthy and assume God will not want anything to do with us. But that is faulty logic, says the Israelite poet. God is our security because he is God, not because we have earned it.
It speaks about God establishing our work. Again, we may think we are quite something. We may think highly of our strength or intellect or intuition or persuasive ability, but unless God blesses our labours, everything we build is like a house of cards that the tiniest breath of wind can destroy.
Psalm 90 puts us in our place. We are not much. But it is a good place because it puts us in the arms of our God. It puts us in the place where we pray "yours is the Kingdom, the glory, and the power forever." We want our work and our lives to be for his glory and kingdom, not our own.
How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all humanity! Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave? Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen. (Psalm 89:46-52)
Psalm 89 is a lovely, soaring Psalm. Beautiful things are said of who God is: a God of righteousness, faithfulness, and loving kindness who has created the world, subdued all chaos, and made a covenant with his people.
The Psalm spends long verses explaining the faithfulness of the Lord. It spends long verses describing the covenant made with King David and his descendants: how even if those sons of David were unfaithful to the Old Testament law—that is, the covenant made at Saini—how God would be faithful to his new covenant, made with David, even still. God’s faithfulness is everlasting. Eternal. Nothing can break it. And God—who does not lie, the psalmist points out—made this promise to David, unconditionally, to ensure that David’s line would continue forever.
But then God broke his promise.
Or at least, it sure did seem that way to the psalmist writing this song. A dramatic turn comes quite suddenly upon us as the psalmist presents us with the devastation and abandonment experienced by God’s people. The psalmist demands to know: how long will this continue, Lord? Your promise to David is everlasting—so will this devastation end before the end of time? If you’re faithful—it should, and soon—we human people don’t live forever! The Psalmist further demands to know: where is this going to happen? Where is your former great love to be displayed? Because it certainly was not evident to the psalmist in any space he could see.
We Christian people hold on to a Christian hope of a future of life with Christ. But when our present life and situation on earth does not look like we hope it to in heaven, these questions are pertinent. It’s great we have a future hope—but that doesn’t mean that we can’t ask God if he will not show his love in our time and in our space. We can pray alongside the psalmist in asking: “will your kingdom not come on earth as it is in heaven so that we might see it and live in it in our times and spaces, O Lord?”
“How is it that we can say such bold things to God though?” you might wonder. Because it is God’s own faithfulness that’s on the line, that’s how. And, because it is ultimately a question about God and not about us, well: perhaps this is exactly why Jesus came to bear out the final lines of this psalm as his own—to allow the mockery of the nations, the wrath of God, and the abandonment felt by God’s people to fall on him instead. Only in the ministry of Jesus, therefore—in his death and resurrection—do we finally find an answer to this psalm.
But we don’t live that answer of Jesus’ resurrection life in fullness yet, do we? It remains only a future hope. And so in each new generation, including ours, we find that we too have to take up our cross, along with the words of this psalm, and journey together with Jesus toward our own death as we wait for God’s faithfulness to be proved once again in our own time and space.
Maybe that isn’t a happy end or neat resolution to this devotion. But it is where the psalm ends and indeed where Book III of the Psalter ends: by placing our petition before God—demanding that his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, soon—and waiting for his response. “Amen and amen.”
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 9:1-19 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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How connected do you feel to other churches? What attitudes do you have towards Christians from other places in the world? from other denominations?
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How have you personally reacted to the scandals which have plagued the church in the past decade? both the sins of today and those of long ago, even before you were born? If there is only one church of Jesus, what does that mean in this context?
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Daniel’s scripture reading led to his prayer of repentance. How often does our scripture reading inform our prayers? How could you change that? How does he begin his prayer?
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In Daniel’s request that God return to his people, what does he appeal to?
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What stands at the heart of God’s new covenant with his people? Why is repentance and confession still necessary? What must we be prepared to do after confession?
“You have put me in the lowest pit in the darkest depths” (Psalm 88:6).
This text is no ‘happy go lucky’ religious trope. It's downright depressing. And it's not just this verse, the entire Psalm is dark. We might ask ourselves, why is it in the Bible? Various answers may be given. Paul tells us that all Scripture is for our training in righteousness and being equipped for every good work (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). So, its fair to say that God wants all of us to wrestle with the issues of this psalm.
It recognizes that God's people sometimes get to a place which psychiatrists call 'clinical depression'. This doesn't mean we can diagnosis the psalmist with it. However, many of the things expressed here resonate deeply with those who experience depression. For them, this lament gives Christians permission to be depressed in God’s presence. There is no requirement to come before God full of happiness and brimming with faith.
Note that God gets the blame. The psalmist shoves his finger into God’s face saying, “Its your fault my life is a mess.” The theological accuracy of this accusation is not the point of the Psalm. This is a deeply emotive poem, penned by a believer who hasn't got the foggiest notion where God is; or anyone else for that matter. Everything and everyone important have evaporated.
This is probably the darkest of the psalms. It recognizes the reality that just because we are God's children, doesn't mean that we always see the world as rosy. It stands in complete contrast to Paul's statements that we ought to give thanks always.
It reveals that the Bible is not a neat and tidy book with all life's answers in plain sight. That God’s people should always be upbeat is refuted here. Instead, we are given words to express our dark night.
The only apparent hope of this psalm is that it is addressed to God. Somehow, if there is any light at the end of this dark tunnel, God will need to provide it.
This gives us some clues in walking with people who are living Psalm 88. Few of us truly know the darkness of these verses. So, let's not pretend that we do. Further, let us not try to theologize people out of their darkness. We are sometimes guilty of thinking that if we can just pour enough Biblical truth into people, they will snap out of it. Remember Job’s friends. Their silence was helpful, their words were a disaster.
Even worse, we sometimes try to guilt Christians out of their darkness. We attempt to give them the proverbial boot in the hind end. They should just pull up their socks and get over it. Pray harder, play only happy worship music, etc., etc.
This psalmist will have none this. The Christian sometimes finds herself in a very dark hole. And no matter how hard we holler from the safety above, there is nothing the Christian can do to get out. And our rope ladders are often too delicate to hold the wait of despair.
Let me suggest what we can do. First, study this psalm to get some understanding of where our friends are at. Secondly, stay with them (without trying to fix them) until they are rescued. Finally, we must pray that God will rescue them. He is their only hope, and sometimes he might just use us to help them out.
Many of us know the song Amazing Grace written by ex-slaver turned Reformed Pastor, John Newton. His close friend, John Cowper, composed Oh, For a Closer Walk with God and God Moves in a Mysterious Way. John Cowper suffered from depression all his adult life. There were times when the depression lifted and, reflecting on his experiences, he wrote songs. Their context gives these old hymns a new depth.
Sometimes John Cowper could only sing Psalm 88. Other times, he could lead the congregation in God Moves in a Mysterious Way. John Newton learned to be his friend, to the very end Cowper’s life.
He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God. “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’” Indeed it will be said of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.” (Psalm 87)
One of the themes that has struck me over and over during the course of my seminary journey so far is that of the unity of the Church. Again this week I have been reflecting on the unity of the body of Christ. This psalm is a wonderful reflection of this theme.
The whole earth belongs to God (Ps 24:1), yet He holds Jerusalem in special regard. God’s foundation and the center of His redemptive work is in Jerusalem, the city of God. It is where David reigned, where the tabernacle of God found a permanent home in the temple that Solomon built, it is the place where Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected. It is in Jerusalem that the day of Pentecost occurred. And these glorious things and many more were spoken about the city.
Yet…in verses 4-6 God speaks and doesn’t only invite the rival nations of Israel into the city to dwell, God claims them as His own. Wow! Rahab, or Egypt, was known for its strength and pride. Both Egypt and Babylon were deadly enemies to Jerusalem. Tyre inflated the importance of material prosperity and Cush was a distant land who knew little of the God of Israel. Yet God says that He will record all these nations as those who acknowledge him.
But not only that. God also says that people in these nations will be regarded as citizens of Jerusalem and be registered among the people of God. It will be as though they were born within the city. Foreign nations aren’t captives here, nor are they paying homage to Zion and its glory, but these nations are fully incorporated and registered, by a new birth, among the children of Jerusalem.
All Gentiles are welcome in to honour the God of Israel, not as outsiders, but as born-again citizens in God’s holy city. That’s us. We are born-again citizens of the city of Zion. No questions about our past, presuppositions about our future or prerequisites for entry into the city. We need simply come in faith in Jesus and we are joyfully welcomed by God. It is God who writes our names on the registry of His people. It is God who declares and records our citizenship and birthright.
The idea of being a citizen and being registered as a born citizen of Zion is also a spiritual concept. Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.”
In Jesus Christ, every believer can have the privilege of registration in Zion and of being a citizen of the heavenly city of God. This doesn’t eliminate the special regard God had, has, and will have for the physical land of Israel and Jerusalem. It surpasses it.
And so, our natural response is to praise God. In verse 7, this is done through song and dance. It’s God’s fountain and life spring that give us new life and new birth into an imperishable city. All who believe in Christ are welcome into this city. None who come in faith are excluded. In Christ we are fully united to God and with one another. What better reason is there to praise our Maker?
He has founded his city on the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God. “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’” Indeed it will be said of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.” (Psalm 87)
One of the themes that has struck me over and over during the course of my seminary journey so far is that of the unity of the Church. Again this week I have been reflecting on the unity of the body of Christ. This psalm is a wonderful reflection of this theme.
The whole earth belongs to God (Ps 24:1), yet He holds Jerusalem in special regard. God’s foundation and the center of His redemptive work is in Jerusalem, the city of God. It is where David reigned, where the tabernacle of God found a permanent home in the temple that Solomon built, it is the place where Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected. It is in Jerusalem that the day of Pentecost occurred. And these glorious things and many more were spoken about the city.
Yet…in verses 4-6 God speaks and doesn’t only invite the rival nations of Israel into the city to dwell, God claims them as His own. Wow! Rahab, or Egypt, was known for its strength and pride. Both Egypt and Babylon were deadly enemies to Jerusalem. Tyre inflated the importance of material prosperity and Cush was a distant land who knew little of the God of Israel. Yet God says that He will record all these nations as those who acknowledge him.
But not only that. God also says that people in these nations will be regarded as citizens of Jerusalem and be registered among the people of God. It will be as though they were born within the city. Foreign nations aren’t captives here, nor are they paying homage to Zion and its glory, but these nations are fully incorporated and registered, by a new birth, among the children of Jerusalem.
All Gentiles are welcome in to honour the God of Israel, not as outsiders, but as born-again citizens in God’s holy city. That’s us. We are born-again citizens of the city of Zion. No questions about our past, presuppositions about our future or prerequisites for entry into the city. We need simply come in faith in Jesus and we are joyfully welcomed by God. It is God who writes our names on the registry of His people. It is God who declares and records our citizenship and birthright.
The idea of being a citizen and being registered as a born citizen of Zion is also a spiritual concept. Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.”
In Jesus Christ, every believer can have the privilege of registration in Zion and of being a citizen of the heavenly city of God. This doesn’t eliminate the special regard God had, has, and will have for the physical land of Israel and Jerusalem. It surpasses it.
And so, our natural response is to praise God. In verse 7, this is done through song and dance. It’s God’s fountain and life spring that give us new life and new birth into an imperishable city. All who believe in Christ are welcome into this city. None who come in faith are excluded. In Christ we are fully united to God and with one another. What better reason is there to praise our Maker?
Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy” (Psalm 86:1).
Praying is difficult. Beyond giving us a model for our prayers, Jesus teaches us two things about this spiritual work: don't babble and persevere. One wonders at what point perseverance turns into babbling. The tension between these two is one of the challenges prayers must wrestle with. Wisdom is needed.
The apostle Paul reminds us to persevere in our praying when he writes, “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Yet, many prayers in the Bible are short and to the point. The longest one, Psalm 119, still won't keep us tied up very long.
Several times I have encountered surveys asking pastors how much time they spend praying. Those who analyze these surveys always seem amazed at how little time pastors commit to prayer. The assumption is that short prayers are indicators of poor spirituality.
This may be true, but not necessarily. A survey of the Biblical prayers does not convince me that this is an adequate measurement. The Bible seems to prefer quality over quantity.
Further, I think we need to distinguish between two different ways that we pray. On the one hand, there is the actual time that we set aside for praying “with hands folded and eyes closed” (or walking through the woods). This is what we normally measure.
But there is also the posture in which we are constantly conscious of the presence of God. In this form, we are constantly asking God (frequently without audible words) to direct our living according to the patterns of His Kingdom and to bring his blessing into the world we are experiencing. To live life this way, a form of ‘praying continually’, is a difficult discipline.
Psalm 86 helps us live both these approaches to prayer. It's short. We can pray it within minutes. It can be summarized in three words: "God, help me!" a phrase that can shape the way we live.
There is something interesting about this psalm: it's totally plagiarised. All its phrases can be found in other Psalms. Since David probably wrote many of them, I'm not sure it's really plagiarism. But it does suggest that we don't have to make up new prayers all the time. It's OK to make someone else's prayers our own. And repetition is not necessarily babbling.
The themes woven throughout this psalm will also help us in our learning to pray. First, David admits his weaknesses. This is essential to Christian prayer. We need God. This is Jesus’ point in his story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee doesn’t recognize his need for God, the other prayer does (Luke 18:9-14). Those who ask, receive. We all need His help. Not only are we not able to get out of difficulties, our sinful behaviour and thoughts often get us into trouble. Only God can rescue.
Second, David affirms who God is. This prayer includes mention of God's faithfulness to His promises, of His greatness. God has no revivals and is therefore worthy of our worship. Our prayers are bolstered when we remember who we are addressing and recall the God’s character and actions.
Third, David prays for an undivided heart. In the face of many enemies and troubles it is difficult to continue relying on God. Relying means waiting. Here too, we find one of the difficulties of prayer: waiting for God's answer while troubles multiply. We want to help ourselves. David prays that God will help him stay the righteous course.
As they say, practice makes perfect. Well, I’m not sure prayers can be perfected, but practicing what we learn is the only way forward. So, keep praying.
I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:8-9)
What makes a good listener? Being a parent of elementary aged children, when I think of this question I think of how, or rather how ‘well’, my kids listen to me. It’s not always such a pretty picture. I wonder what God thinks of our listening skills when it comes to our relationship with Him?
When it comes to listening to God, I think that there are a few qualities that make someone a good listener. First off, a good listener tunes out distractions. In the physical, this means turning off screens like cell phones, laptop or tv, and really listening to someone. At times, this can equate to a place of silence or solitude to really hear what God is saying to us.
But God can also use the distractions of life and speak through them to us. When I am paying attention and really “listening well” for God in my days, I often find that the diversions and distractions can become moments of revelation from God about the attitude of my heart or the direction of my day.
Next, a good listener…listens. Meaning that they use their ears more than their mouths in conversation. I think that this is one of the most difficult parts of listening well. Both in the physical and the spiritual. We often pray the same sorts of prayers, and prayer is time well spent. But how often do you take time to listen either during prayer or after you pray? I wonder how we would hear God speak to us through the small sounds, smells, sights around us if we stopped long enough to pay attention?
Lastly, a good listener responds to show that you are listening. In conversation this means giving a nod, or an uh-huh, or say, “tell me more.” I think that one of our responses that God loves to hear is, “so what I hear You saying God, is…” as we lean into Him to discern what we are hearing from Him. And “I’m not sure about what You’re saying, or where You’re taking me God, but let’s walk the road together.” That’s a road where “love and faithfulness meet together” (v 10a).
Just like the psalmist begins the psalm with three verses of the goodness and favour of God, and asks in verse 4 for God to restore His people to this place once again, I believe if we turn our heart and our ears more often to God and less often to the folly of our stubbornness or need for control, that we would see God begin to revive us (v 6), our cities, the Church, and our land.
“[God] promises peace to His faithful servants” (v8). And this also is a road where “righteousness and peace kiss each other” (v10b). The righteousness of God found in and through Christ and His salvation, and the peace of God given freely to us in grace naturally beget our faithfulness in listening and responding well to God. How will you listen well today?
"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2).
What do you want? How would you answer this question if it was popped on you randomly?
Pause your listening or reading and ponder this question for a while. Before you carry on, wonder about it again.
Confession time! I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. Or, if some conference speaker infers that we ought to know. For myself, I find it depends on the day and its circumstances. I'm not sure if there is one thing that I know I want. Most of us are not so fully in tune with our hearts as to always have an answer ready.
But knowing what we want is important. Consider what G. K. Chesterton once wrote, "Every person who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God." The only difference between that person and the one who kneels to receive the Lord's Supper is that the former is looking for satisfaction in the wrong place.
The former does not know that it is God who is being sought for. It's the same with all our appetites and longings: a bigger house; a faster car; better make-up; successful children; political position. We want many things.
The thing is getting these things doesn't satisfy. In fact, they tend to kill us. We humans have an infernal habit of mistaking the things God gives for the God who gives them. We want the creations rather than the creator. It is easier for us to worship the things God gives rather than their Maker. As Paul once wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised! Amen" (Romans 1:25).
God made everything for His glory, to show off His greatness. For God, that is not egotistical; it is just true. His glory puts everything in perspective. The things He created all point back to Him. They remind us that He is our true home, our destination.
Sin is wanting the signs, the created stuff. Sin is making the signs our home rather than God to whom they point. Worshipping God's creation will be our death.
The psalmist knew this. He was away from Jerusalem and longed to be home. Not because he worshipped that city but because in Jerusalem was God's temple. The temple represented God's presence on earth. It was the symbol of God's presence; that is where he encountered God. That was her joy.
This is even truer for us, followers of Jesus. God's house is Christ Himself and we, the church, are his body. God is right here, where we are. But do we want him? Is he our joy?
What do you want? The psalmist answer is simple: to be with God.
If that is what we want to want, how do we shift our wanting from created things to the creator? There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this. We are all on the journey either towards or away from God.
For today, consider this: our spiritual practices (things like communal worship, prayer, scripture, giving) are not ends in themselves. They are meant to be means through which we draw close to God, means by which are “wants” are changed. So, use them well!
Also, this: Jesus suggests that our prayers should not be too long. Many Christian traditions encourage short prayers prayed regularly. Rooted in this psalm, make such a prayer, and offer it several times a day.
"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2).
What do you want? How would you answer this question if it was popped on you randomly?
Pause your listening or reading and ponder this question for a while. Before you carry on, wonder about it again.
Confession time! I get irritated with stories in which a character immediately knows the answer to such a question. Or, if some conference speaker infers that we ought to know. For myself, I find it depends on the day and its circumstances. I'm not sure if there is one thing that I know I want. Most of us are not so fully in tune with our hearts as to always have an answer ready.
But knowing what we want is important. Consider what G. K. Chesterton once wrote, "Every person who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God." The only difference between that person and the one who kneels to receive the Lord's Supper is that the former is looking for satisfaction in the wrong place.
The former does not know that it is God who is being sought for. It's the same with all our appetites and longings: a bigger house; a faster car; better make-up; successful children; political position. We want many things.
The thing is getting these things doesn't satisfy. In fact, they tend to kill us. We humans have an infernal habit of mistaking the things God gives for the God who gives them. We want the creations rather than the creator. It is easier for us to worship the things God gives rather than their Maker. As Paul once wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised! Amen" (Romans 1:25).
God made everything for His glory, to show off His greatness. For God, that is not egotistical; it is just true. His glory puts everything in perspective. The things He created all point back to Him. They remind us that He is our true home, our destination.
Sin is wanting the signs, the created stuff. Sin is making the signs our home rather than God to whom they point. Worshipping God's creation will be our death.
The psalmist knew this. He was away from Jerusalem and longed to be home. Not because he worshipped that city but because in Jerusalem was God's temple. The temple represented God's presence on earth. It was the symbol of God's presence; that is where he encountered God. That was her joy.
This is even truer for us, followers of Jesus. God's house is Christ Himself and we, the church, are his body. God is right here, where we are. But do we want him? Is he our joy?
What do you want? The psalmist answer is simple: to be with God.
If that is what we want to want, how do we shift our wanting from created things to the creator? There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this. We are all on the journey either towards or away from God.
For today, consider this: our spiritual practices (things like communal worship, prayer, scripture, giving) are not ends in themselves. They are meant to be means through which we draw close to God, means by which are “wants” are changed. So, use them well!
Also, this: Jesus suggests that our prayers should not be too long. Many Christian traditions encourage short prayers prayed regularly. Rooted in this psalm, make such a prayer, and offer it several times a day.
O God do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish…Cover their faces with shame Lord, so that they will seek your name…Let them know that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:1-3,16, 18)
Psalm 83 is the last of the psalms of Asaph. Many of these psalms have been laments about the condition of Israel, especially to the threats of opposing nations. Some of these laments concerned the people of God in captivity. But these laments have almost always been accompanied by hope in the Lord. Such is the case in this last psalm of Asaph as well. I want to turn today’s devotional into a prayer based on the psalm. I encourage you to read through psalm 83 in its entirety first (it’s only 18 verses!) and then take in this prayer which I have written through our modern eyes and words as I reflected on its words and their meaning for us today.
Oh God strong and mighty! I come to You in boldness and in truth. Do not stay silent! Do not shut us out. Move on our behalf! Your enemies are living their lives to the full. Those who hate You God, are plotting evil and conspiring against Your name and Your people. “Let’s wipe this nation and this people from the face of the earth,” they say. “Wipe God’s people from every mind so that they are remembered no more.” God, Your enemies plot together to get rid of You. They band together against You.
We are surrounded by opposing forces on every side! Every direction that we look, north, south, east, and west, there are those who are attacking and slandering Your people, Your cherished people. There are those who are attacking You God. For when Your people are attacked, You are also attacked.
We think of the nations and those within them who live far away from us, like the those who drive Christians across the seas into underground churches and those who persecute Christians who openly profess their faith. And those people who are closer to home. Those who are like the opposing nations who trace their family lineage back to Esau, to Ishmael, to Lot. The people who are from Your family line, God, but who do not profess Your name. These are the people who are close to us. Some are national or local public figures and officials. Some people are so much closer to us than this.
When Your people are attacked, You are also attacked, God. Those who don’t follow Your ways plot with their mouths to take over the good ground that Your people have planted on the word of truth. Help and hope for the refugee, the racialized, the prisoner, the homeless, and those whose very freedom of speech and personhood is persecuted. Your attackers Lord, want this ground taken back for themselves.
Although we may be surrounded on every side by those who are slandering us, who are slandering You God, we know that we are surrounded in greater strength and power by You God. For You alone are strong and mighty to save. You have never let us down God, and You never will. Let us not be among those who attack, slander, throws blame, or gets involved in petty arguments. May Your people be known as the peacekeepers, the bridge builders, and the restorer of broken walls.
Do to Your opponents as You have to Your opponents through the ages. Reveal to them Your justice Lord for You are a God of justice! Shower Your fiery gaze down on them and throw them into the midst of turbulent storms that cause them great fear.
Yet Lord, You are also a God of mercy. And so I plead with You to also reveal Your mercy through these terrifying storms to these same people. Cover the faces of Your oppressors with shame. May their shame cause them to seek You God. May their dishonour draw them straight to You, Oh Lord. Bring them from the place of terror and shame to a place of repentance and refuge in the shadow of Your wing, so that they may be a witness to the greatness of Your name.
Reveal to Your oppressors, Your attackers, and to those in opposition to Your ways, and Your people, that You alone are the Lord God Almighty. There is none like You. Let them see that You alone, are exalted Most High God over all the earth, and over all of creation. Amen
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 8:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
"God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgements among the “gods”: Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance” (Psalm 82:1-2).
Not many of us will remember hearing a sermon on this song. And I doubt that it's popular in modern devotional literature. It takes a bit of imagination to grasp its setting.
North American Christianity is extremely monotheistic. There is only One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But ancient Israel did not have the same understanding. They believed that other gods existed and were able to influence events in this world.
Thus, Israel was frequently persuaded to worship the gods their neighbours believed in. To encourage the Israelites to be faithful to their Lord, the Psalms include phrases like, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods” (96:4) and “Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever” (136:2).
Israel’s song writers knew that faith is shaped through communal worship. Music speaks to the heart in ways that mere words cannot. So, if you are young, learn the songs of our faith.
Now back to our Psalm, its setting is a council of the gods as they gather to rule the world. The God of Israel presides over the council, and he calls the other gods to account for their poor decisions. They are not ruling according to the values of His kingdom.
Before dismissing this psalm as having no relevance for us, it’s important to know that these other gods had human agents who enacted their will. These agents were being called to account as much as their gods were. As such, this psalm invites us to evaluate the values that guide our decision making. Are these values in line with God’s law?
Specifically, we must assess our own attitudes and actions towards the oppressed, the weak, the fatherless, and the poor. As we encounter these folks in our daily lives, do we turn a deaf ear, or do we respond with compassion and mercy?
In our society, we're programmed to expect people to shape up, take control, solve their own problems. We applaud self-reliance and scorn any show of dependence or need. When someone asks for help, we instinctually respond with suspicion. “Do they really deserve our help?”
God's structure of law and order is undermined when His people ignore the needs of others; His kingdom is advanced when they do. We may not be elected officials, but we are God's official representatives with our own spheres of influence. And we are accountable to Him to reflect not only His justice, but His mercy as well.
God is the judge of human judges. He created justice and equity. The nations of the world belong to God, and he holds us responsible for our ethics and conduct.
Isaiah 58 reflects how important justice and mercy are to God. In Isaiah 1:14 and Amos 5:21, God says that he hates Israel’s worship because her hands are full of blood. She does not practise justice and mercy between worship times. How would God evaluate our worship?
Does your heart resonate with God's mercy? While reading this, what excuses have you been making so you don’t need to get involved? In Luke 6:34, Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” The way towards mercy is not to try harder, but to receive it first. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how merciful God has been towards you. Having received mercy, we are able to pass it on.
"God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgements among the “gods”: Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance” (Psalm 82:1-2).
Not many of us will remember hearing a sermon on this song. And I doubt that it's popular in modern devotional literature. It takes a bit of imagination to grasp its setting.
North American Christianity is extremely monotheistic. There is only One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But ancient Israel did not have the same understanding. They believed that other gods existed and were able to influence events in this world.
Thus, Israel was frequently persuaded to worship the gods their neighbours believed in. To encourage the Israelites to be faithful to their Lord, the Psalms include phrases like, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods” (96:4) and “Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever” (136:2).
Israel’s song writers knew that faith is shaped through communal worship. Music speaks to the heart in ways that mere words cannot. So, if you are young, learn the songs of our faith.
Now back to our Psalm, its setting is a council of the gods as they gather to rule the world. The God of Israel presides over the council, and he calls the other gods to account for their poor decisions. They are not ruling according to the values of His kingdom.
Before dismissing this psalm as having no relevance for us, it’s important to know that these other gods had human agents who enacted their will. These agents were being called to account as much as their gods were. As such, this psalm invites us to evaluate the values that guide our decision making. Are these values in line with God’s law?
Specifically, we must assess our own attitudes and actions towards the oppressed, the weak, the fatherless, and the poor. As we encounter these folks in our daily lives, do we turn a deaf ear, or do we respond with compassion and mercy?
In our society, we're programmed to expect people to shape up, take control, solve their own problems. We applaud self-reliance and scorn any show of dependence or need. When someone asks for help, we instinctually respond with suspicion. “Do they really deserve our help?”
God's structure of law and order is undermined when His people ignore the needs of others; His kingdom is advanced when they do. We may not be elected officials, but we are God's official representatives with our own spheres of influence. And we are accountable to Him to reflect not only His justice, but His mercy as well.
God is the judge of human judges. He created justice and equity. The nations of the world belong to God, and he holds us responsible for our ethics and conduct.
Isaiah 58 reflects how important justice and mercy are to God. In Isaiah 1:14 and Amos 5:21, God says that he hates Israel’s worship because her hands are full of blood. She does not practise justice and mercy between worship times. How would God evaluate our worship?
Does your heart resonate with God's mercy? While reading this, what excuses have you been making so you don’t need to get involved? In Luke 6:34, Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” The way towards mercy is not to try harder, but to receive it first. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how merciful God has been towards you. Having received mercy, we are able to pass it on.
Hear, O my people, and I will warn you—if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. (Psalm 81:8-12)
“Listen. Listen to Me!” God calls out to His people. The people are joyfully worshipping God as the psalm begins, according to what the law of Moses commands them to do at the appointed festival times. But as God tries once again to call His people to attention, it is as if He is talking to a wall.
In Hebrew, ‘hearing’ and ‘doing’ are basically the same thing. So, how should the Israelites, and by extension, how should we, respond when God calls us to listen? We must love the Lord our God. Love Him not just with all our emotions, but love Him with all of our strength. All of our “doing.” When we love someone, we act out that love in loyalty and faithfulness.
For Israel, to love the Lord meant faithful obedience to the terms of their covenant relationship. Obedience to the laws of God was never supposed to be about legalism or trying to earn God’s favour. The people already have His favour. We already have God’s favour. Rather, obedience is about love and listening to the voice of God. Read through the beginning of Deuteronomy and you’ll find the words “love” and “listen” closely connected throughout because they go hand in hand.
God wants us to open wide our mouth and He will fill it. This statement implies dependency, faith, trust, and obedience to God on our part. On God’s part, it implies commitment, faithfulness, and provision.
Just think of a nest full of baby birds. Their mouths seem almost too big for their scrawny bodies as they open them wide and thrust their necks upward in expectation for what tasty morsel will be given to them. Those babies are completely dependent on their parent for regular provision and protection. They have faith that when they open their mouth, their parent will fill it. They trust their parent completely.
Whatever we open in our lives to God, He will fill. We can’t open our mouths bigger than He can fill. We tend to open our mouths most often when we are in need. Verse 6 says, “You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you.” We know how to come to God when we’re in need.
But we also open our mouths wide when we ask God for large things. Larger than life things. We open our mouths wide when we understand the awesome wonder of the God to whom we pray and serve. We open our mouths wide when we ingest the word of God and speak His words in love back out of our, once again, open mouths.
When we open our mouths, our hearts, our love, our loyalty, and our obedience to God, it becomes more than a command that God gave to the Israelites back in the days of Moses. It becomes a relationship with the God who saves us.
And Psalm 81 ends by telling us what He will do for us as we listen to His words, love Him and others, and take action in obedience to that love. “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways how quickly I would subdue their enemies…you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock, I would satisfy you.” (v13,14a,16)
As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” (14). Let’s go straight to the source. Straight to the one who satisfies. Open our mouths wide to Jesus and receive from Him the goodness, and satisfaction which He alone provides.
"Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel... Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:1,3).
Our psalm stands in sharp contrast to Psalm 23, the better-known shepherd psalm. Here God is also addressed as a Shepherd. In Psalm 23, David appears to live as close to paradise as one can find in this life. But here, in Psalm 80, Israel is far from such tranquility. Here are no green pastures or quiet waters, only the shadow of the valley of death.
We live more often in Psalm 80 than in Psalm 23, yet we know the 23rd. How many of us are familiar with this psalm? Far fewer! Why is this? Is this avoidance of reality? Do we have a pie in the sky religion? Is it an unwillingness to call God out for the way he runs the world? North American Christians tend to avoid the harsh realities of life and faith.
This psalm helps us sit with Job in the ashes where he offers us a powerful spiritual example. He sat in the ashes until God answered him. As impatient Canadians, we want to get out of this Psalm and out of the ashes asap. But notice that this psalm does not have a happy ending. The prayer is over, but God has not answered.
We want to get to Psalm 23. And we derive many ways of getting there. But Job and Asaph (if he is the author of this psalm) did not find ways of getting there.
They both knew that only God could get them there. Job wanted God's answer. And Asaph composed this refrain, "Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." Three times! Verses 2, 7, 19.
This psalm helps us sit in our own ash pit and helps us form our prayers in our pain. It also gives shape to our empathy as we sit around the ash pit of our friends. It keeps us from making useless conversation and accusations like Job's friends. It also gives us words to pray for them.
As we spend time in this psalm, we discover something more. It gives us rich metaphors for our conversations with God. The psalm contains the imagery of a vine: a lush, vibrant, fruitful vine that once covered cedars, mountains, and whole countries.
But now the vine is dying. It's been abandoned and left uncultivated. Anyone can come and pick its fruit. Its gardener has gone. Who is this gardener? He is God Almighty, the shepherd of Israel.
Sometimes, we live under the illusion that if we serve God well, everything will go smoothly for us. Occasionally, someone articulates that because we have given our lives to God in service to his kingdom, we ought to be able to live happily ever after. If we don’t get that, we must have sinned greatly, or God is not keeping his end of the deal. Sometimes, that may be true, but it should not be our go to answer.
Here, in verse 4, our psalm mentions God’s anger, but in verse 12 it asks why all this tragedy has happened? It is certainly not clear that it is because of Israel’s sin. The Psalm is clear about this: if God will not return to His people, she will be lost forever.
The imagery of the psalm gets picked up in the gospels. Jesus reminds us that God is the gardener who is still at work today. He has not abandoned his people or his work of redemption.
More than that, in Jesus, God has turned his faced fully towards us. Yet, for those darkest hours he hid his face from Jesus. In our distress we turn to Him. He can sympathize with our sorrows and weaknesses. He is the bringer of God's face. In Him, God shines upon us.
We wait for Him!
O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.… They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? … Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and provide atonement for our sins for your name’s sake. (Psalm 79:1, 3-5, 9)
The king of Babylon had conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem, tearing down God’s holy temple and leaving in it nothing of value. Bodies of God’s chosen people were strewn in the streets. Blood poured out like water. The city was utterly forsaken.
God had abandoned His people, making them a reproach to all the nations around them. Judah’s idolatry and derision of God had become a putrid stench to God, rising up to greet Him. And so God had followed through on His promises of utter destruction, should the Israelites choose to walk away from Him and instead take up the despicable practices of the nations around them. God’s jealousy for His people burned like a fire. Both the people and the land of God’s inheritance had been invaded and trampled by the enemy.
But life had not always been that way. The prayers of His people had once been as a fragrant incense rising up to God (see Psalm 141:2). The people of His inheritance.
And now we are God’s inheritance! Think about that for a moment. God owns everything in the universe. Everything in the billions of galaxies that He created. Yet He has chosen us as His inheritance. “The Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.” (Deut 32:9)
God is saddened because of our deliberate sins yet compassionate towards us when we sin unknowingly. The Psalmist cries out to God “How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?” It is a cry that we ourselves may have cried out in our hearts or shouted from the rooftops during our times of deepest trial or hardship. But we can be assured that “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime.” (Psalm 30:5) Although we may feel like God is showering us with trials or hardships, isolation, heartache, physical or emotional pain, we can know that his favour and blessing are ultimately ours.
Not every hardship in our lives comes from the hand of God, as is the fate of the Israelites which this Psalm laments. But as God’s inheritance, He loves us greatly. “He has redeemed [our] soul from going to the pit, and [our] life shall see the light.” (Job 33:28) We can rest on the assurance that God has atoned for our every sin through Christ Jesus. In our sin and even in spite of our sin, He helps us, and He delivers us.
Help and deliverance might not always look like what we want or expect, but it will always come, in God’s time and in His way. With our deliverance comes the glory of God’s name. God will never forsake the glory of His name.
The Israelites were not forsaken forever. They returned once again to the land and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and laid the foundation of the temple of God. The treasures of the temple were restored. God does not forget His people. He will never forget His inheritance. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Surely, God’s love endures forever.
"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord...His decreed statues for Jacob. Then they will not be like their forefathers--a stubborn and rebellious generation whose hearts were not loyal to God... (cf. Psalm 78:4,5,8)
As shepherds outside of Gevas, Turkey, were eating breakfast one morning, they were surprised to see a sheep charge over the edge of a cliff and fall to its death. What followed took away their breath-and their appetite. Most of the remaining 1,500 sheep followed the first sheep and leaped over the same cliff. About 450 sheep died; the others survived only because as the corpses piled up at the bottom of the cliff, their falls were cushioned.
This gives new meaning to the prophecy of Isaiah 53:6: 'All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own.' Sheep are followers; so are sinners. God, the Good Shepherd, has his hands full. It's a good thing he is patient, says this psalm.
It is a long psalm. Well, it's a summary of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and even parts of Joshua, Judges and 1 Samuel. It is a distillation of all that history down to one big lesson, summarized in Romans 5:8, "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
This is a song about God's mercy: “their hearts were not loyal to him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them” (37-38). His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, not contempt and complacency. Let us pray that our hearts will yield to his mercy.
The psalm also reminds us that there has been no golden age for the people of God. Hebrews 11 selects various men and women of the Bible and parades them in a kind of hall of fame of faith. But most of our history is more like a hall of shame, redeemed only by the boundless mercy of God. We are supposed to learn from all this.
Their story is our story, written in part, to show us how not to live, how not to be. Yet, more than that, its written to shine a spotlight on God’s mercy that we might be moved to faithfulness by it. And we are invited to continue the story, to tell the stories of God so that the next generation will not be like our ancestors: stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God, but moved by his mercy.
What is it that causes people to give their hearts to God? Of course, the right answer is, “the Holy Spirit.” Does the Spirit have tools? This psalm would say, “Stories!” I wonder if that is why our appetite for Catechism classes and other forms of teaching has disappeared. They were often about information rather than stories. They aimed at the mind rather than the heart. For many, the way to the mind is through the heart, and the heart is moved by stories.
The psalm builds to a crescendo: one defection after another, one monumental act of divine mercy after another. Where sin abounded, grace abounded even more. God answers the stubborn rebellion of his unfaithful people by giving the greatest shepherd-king they ever had: David, whose lineage would eventually conclude with its own crescendo: the Good Shepherd, the King of Kings, Jesus.
Give thanks for this! Give thanks for God’s mercy.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 6 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What leaves you feeling insecure today?
- What ways do you tend to respond to feeling insecure? What ways did Pastor Anthony mention from today’s text?
- The immature law of those seeking to secure themselves is set up against the “law of Daniel’s God.” What was that law (was it a law)?
- What does it mean to have a mature relationship with God? What did Daniel’s relationship with God look like?
- Take a look at Daniel 6: how many parallels do you find between this story and the story of Jesus through the events leading up to Good Friday and through Easter?
- How will you place your trust and hope for security in God this week?
“Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. … Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. (Psalm 77:7-11, 19)
This psalm gives one of the hardest set of questions found in the land of lament. It is a moment when the rug has utterly been pulled out from under the psalmist and where no trace of God can be found.
I think of Kevin. Of Erin. Of Kelly. Of Michael. Of Paul. Of Rianti. These young parents stolen away from their families cruelly by disease and circumstance. And of course, there are others too. Our church and wider community have known so much death and pain in these last few years.
Psalm 77 gives voice to exactly the sort of questions we have asked and demanded answers to from God over these past years. Perhaps they are questions we’re still asking for these or any number of other reasons. We each have pain and heartache particular to our own lives.
The beauty of our faith, is that we stand with a community that includes the psalmists, and which not only permits us to shout out our raw, un-sanctimonious questions, fears, and emotions, but actually encourages and teaches to do it through psalms like this!
We often think it’s better to not say the hard things we feel to God—that it’s better not to question his “plan.” But that is a false reverence—our relationship with God demands honesty above all, even when it’s raw and painful. The alternative is to lie. Or to avoid God altogether. And neither of those options are good for our soul or our faith. It’s best to just get the truth out then. And, God is big enough to handle the hard stuff.
It's only through that sort of raw honesty before God that we are brought back and more deeply into relationship with God. And it’s in that place that slowly we begin to remember who he is; how he cares for us; and how the silence that we see and feel from his end may not be the whole story.
The psalmist scours their memory—searching for any traces of God—for any memories to hold on to, experiences of worship, familiar songs or stories of the faith. Slowly the pieces fall back together.
God was the one that made a way through the sea for the Israelites… but no one actually saw God there either. His footprints were not seen. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t with his people: saving them, making a way for them even still. And maybe, the psalmist begins to reckon, just maybe that’s true in my life right now too. Just maybe God is still present, with me, even here, even though I can’t see him either.
Dear friends, be honest with God. Go to him often and always with whatever is on your heart. It is from that place of honesty that we are best able to remember and believe—not just in the work of God in the past—but that this God might also be that same God still in our lives and sorrows today.
"God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great...There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war” (Psalm 76:1,3).
Christians continually return to the psalms to help us express both our praise and our anxiety. Through these songs, we give voice to our joy and our pain.
Yet the psalms have a larger purpose then helping us shape our response to God. He uses them to shape us, especially our understanding of the world and history. John Calvin once wrote that we find the entire gospel in the psalms. Psalm 76 shapes our understanding of the gospel in the age of Pentecost, that is, the age of the Holy Spirit between Christ’s ascension and his return.
Set in the context of Israelite worship, this Psalm speaks about God going out from Israel as a conquering warrior. As Christians, we generally understand ourselves as the new Israel, the people of God today. So, wherever the church is, God goes out in judgement.
But what does that mean? Should we use this violent language in our worship today? Let us consider several things.
First, this is poetic language that describes the violent evil of our world. It may be difficult for us, 'civilized' citizens of the western world to understand this. But go to the war-torn places of the world and see the results of evil acts: millions of people huddled in refugee camps, thousands of hectares of crops burned, villages looted and destroyed, old men and boys killed, youth recruited as labourers and soldiers, women and girls raped.
Spend a month with a single mother, with two children in a single bedroom basement apartment, trying to hold down a minimum wage job, keep food on the table, her children in school and adequately clothed for a Canadian winter.
Suddenly, a God who comes roaring in judgement and restoration sounds like a very welcome sound.
Second, these psalms are part of communal worship. In that holy place, God dwells with His people and purges away our alien loyalties and our despair. Such worship is meant to be intense and cathartic so that we see reality more clearly. We see God in judgement of the persecutors and exalting the persecuted to a new, glorious existence. Everything is turned into praise.
Thirdly, the reality of divine judgement invites the worshippers to commit themselves to a counterculture world view. Since we believe that God will come to set right the horrible evils of human existence, we commit ourselves to live in righteousness today.
Even while all around us, people pursue a life of self interest, stepping on others to get ahead, worshippers of God seek to live justly, to do good to our enemies, overing evil with good (Romans 12:21), to have mercy on each neighbour God sends our way (Luke 10:37).
The age of Pentecost, between Jesus Ascension and His return in glory, is an age of warfare. As Paul says, Christ must reign until all His enemies are a footstool under his feet. That is the age we live in. Psalm 76 is a poetic expression of this age, which we read through the lens of Ephesians 6: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (12).
And there is also this, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. (Psalm 75:1-3)
I feel like I’ve been saying this over and over again for the past 3 years. But it sure feels like the earth and all its people are quaking, doesn’t it? Still? COVID has exposed so many deep faults and rifts in our world that now continue to fracture into uncertainty, restlessness, division, fear, anger, and all sorts of other things. Our institutions feel fragile and continue to shift under our feet. Our relationships and community may feel oddly distant or fragile too. None of us really have any gas left in the tank, but the world we live in keeps asking for more.
We need saving. Somehow we just can’t do it ourselves. We cannot secure our own lives or communities. We cannot control the fate of our institutions. We cannot quell our own restlessness and loneliness no matter the temptations or distractions we turn to. And we just can’t catch a peaceful break in which to rest up and be refreshed. God help us. And I mean that quite truly: as people who cannot save themselves and are going to have to rely on someone else to do it—God will need to be the one to step in and help us.
In Psalm 75 we hear God speak. Amidst so much injustice, God declares: “it is I who judge with equity.” Amidst so much that feels apocalyptic, as if the end is somehow drawing near, God reminds us: “I choose the appointed time.” And when we are simply shaken and shaking in a world that feels like its coming undone, God reminds us: “It is I who hold [the earth’s] pillars firm.”
Of course, the other side of those declaration of God’s work over this world is the implication that we are not the judges, not the ones who get to know or choose the times, nor the ones who hold the world or our lives together. No: this is God’s work, not ours. We cannot save ourselves. Only God can do that.
Much of this psalm speaks out against the boastful, the proud, and the wicked who think they can do it all themselves. By their power, their might, their control. But God says no. He bursts our bubble and reminds us that we never could hold it all together ourselves. We have always needed a saviour. We have always needed a God to hold us and help us.
The invitation is for us to humbly submit and to give thanks: because if the weight of the world feels like too heavy a burden to bear, that’s because it is. It’s time to turn it over to God and let him be God today. May he come quickly to save us.
"Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? Remember the people you purchased of old...Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary (Psalm 74:1-3).
Reading Psalm 74 reminds me of those news briefs coming periodically out of the Middle East a few years ago. Those reports depict a group, such as ISIS, appearing to systematically eradicate the Christian memory from their territory. The fear among Christians in the West was that all evidence of Christian existence and worship of God was being scoured away.
We know from scripture, especially the book of Deuteronomy, that when Israel found herself in this kind of national crisis, there was only one cause. She herself was to blame. God stated very clearly that if Israel abandoned Him, He would let her enemies destroy her.
These things happened to Israel because of God's judgement. St. Augustine, back in the 4th century summed it all up with these pithy words, "If we reject God's mercy we are only left with His wrath."
But that is not the only story. From Scripture, we know that there are other reasons why tragedy strikes God's people. We must not be so arrogant as to imagine we understand the reasons behind adversity. Job never finds out why he experienced his calamity. When Jesus’ disciples want to know whose sin caused a man’s blindness, Jesus topples their theology, saying this was to display God’s work (John 9:3). Many of God's people have found themselves praying from the place of chaos with no knowledge of why!
How do we pray in this void? How do we give voice to God's seeming absence? Psalm 74 helps. It is always good to start with confession and repentance. These should always be in our spiritual arsenal. But this psalm has none of them. It gives absolutely no rational why Israel has been pillaged and burned.
Israel's worship leaders do not ask God to see how real or sincere their repentance is. Nor do they ask God to notice how holy their lives are now. No! There is nothing selfish about there requests for God to act.
They appeal to God's cause and the defaming of His name (22). These words give expression to our groaning when God seems absent. Why is God not doing anything? The distress caused by God's inactivity is heightened as the worshipper’s recount some of the great acts of God. He has always been the God of action and power for his people. He came to them as their Redeemer, rescuing them from Egypt.
So why is He so silent now?
We pray to the creating and saving God who has overcome every challenge to His kingship. Christ sits enthroned in heaven, having conquered death. Why does He tolerate the 'monsters' that are destroying his worshippers today?
This is a prayer of desperate faith. The issue for the worshippers is not that their lives are in ruins, but that God's fame and honour and name are in ruins. The redemptive project God began by liberating Israel from Egypt is in jeopardy. If doesn’t act soon, his followers will be wiped from the earth.
This certainly challenges how we pray. Such psalms invite us to consider what motivates our prayers. Often, our motives are selfish. The church has long encouraged us to use the psalms to shape the content of our prayers. On our own, we turn inward, self focused. With the scriptures as our guide, we can truly learn to pray, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.”
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. … This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. … Those who are far from you will perish… But as for me, it is good to be near God. (Psalm 73:1, 12-17, 27a. 28a)
That’s a long and complicated selection of text that I picked for today. Jesus said it a lot more simply in his Beatitudes from Matthew 5 when he said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
But it is hard to keep a pure heart, and that’s what this psalm is all about. The psalmist confesses early on in verse 2 that their foot had nearly slipped—they had nearly given up their pure heart as they envied the wicked.
Why this envy? Because the wicked are carefree, rich, and healthy. They don’t follow any rules: they do what they want and they get what they want—they chase their desires and fulfill them with all the money, entertainment, property, sex, and power that they can get their hands on. And it works. Despite the fact that we people of faith believe that doing things God’s way is what gets the blessing: it never quite seems to turn out that way. Whereas those who take the short cut, elbowing their way through any way they can get away with, seem pretty successful and blessed!
So why should the pure in heart bother to keep their hands clean? Why should they follow the rules? Why do they keep suffering affliction when they too, could easily just jump the que to grab the blessings they desire for themselves?
Well, it frankly doesn’t make any sense at all. Or at least, it didn’t until the psalmist stepped inside God’s sanctuary. Then he remembered. And that’s true for us all: entering into God’s presence invites us to remember.
The psalmist may not have had all the blessings his heart desired. He may not have even had much health in his body. But what the psalmist did have that the wicked didn’t, was God. Despite all the wealth and health in the world, the wicked remained far from God. And ultimately, God is what makes the difference. God and being near to him is what holds the ultimate value.
This is where the Psalmist ends. “Those who are far from you will perish,” for who has any life that’s really life without God? But God’s people who have had their hearts and hands made pure through the work of Jesus? They are the ones who find life, and blessing, and eventually also that promise of shalom that we heard about yesterday, because they are the ones who have God. The ones that God has come near to. This is true life, life as it was meant to be—life with God.
So says Jesus: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
"Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness…In his days the righteous will flourish, prosperity will abound till the moon is no more…May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway” (Psalm 72:1,7,16).
When Israel first asked for a king as recorded in 1 Samul 8, God warned her it would be a disaster. Samuel told Israel a human king would fleece her and the land. He would not bring shalom but establish an economy rooted in the machinery of warfare. This need for power would destroy humanity and the earth.
Israel did not heed the warning. Saul was that kind of king; his reign dominated by war with an economy of destruction. Not much has changed. With an unsatiable hunger for more and for cheaper stuff, the worker and the earth are both defrauded. Since the world of power hides behind political bureaucrats and the machinery of the supply and demand economy behind international conglomerates, many feel powerless to initiate any change. And our imaginations are too numbed by mindless entertainment to dream any alternatives.
Yet, during the reigns of David and Solomon battles ended and weapons were turned into tools of agriculture and industry. In response, Israel’s worship leaders began dreaming about 'shalom'. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the elements of shalom began to crystallize and put to music in Psalm 72. Somewhere along the way, the whole nation began to sing these words.
A quick glance at our song selections, suggests that little of this vision has penetrated our spiritual imaginations. Our view of salvation tends to be limited to the individual soul. The New Testament suggests rather strongly that the shalom of this psalm is at the heart of the Kingdom of God as Jesus preached and practised it.
If we profess to be followers of Jesus, we will desire to follow in his footsteps. Thus, this psalm will need to be allowed to penetrate and guide our prayers and worship. It is first and foremost a prayer for the king to be endowed by God with God's justice and righteousness. (We do well to offer this same prayer for our political leaders).
When the king rules with justice the primary beneficiary is not himself or his close associates, nor the wealthy. No, it is the afflicted that benefit. Do you recall that Jesus continually hung out with the afflicted, healing their maladies? This irritated the powerful.
Under a just king's rule, the afflicted would be cared for and the land and its people would flourish. Grain would even sway on the hilltops. Its notoriously difficult to get crops to grow on the hill tops because water doesn’t stay up there, it flows down before the plants can get enough of it. Finally, when the king leads with justice, his reign and power will extend to the ends of the earth. All will benefit when God answers this prayer.
As much as the Bible describes how wealthy Israel became during the reigns of David and Solomon, the wealth did not last nor bring shalom for all. In 2 Kings 2:1-12, David speaks his last words to Solomon. On the one hand David tells his son to follow the Lord, on the other, he encourages his son to give David’s remaining enemies their due reward, vengeance.
For us, the Psalm anticipates the return of Christ when He will reign supreme, and His justice will flourish in all of creation. No human king will ever be able to accomplish this grand vision. So, until that time this psalm needs to fill our imaginations. It needs to inspire our worship and prayers.
When it informs our worship, it will also inform how we live. If our lives are not lived with a view to this vision, our worship is meaningless, empty, useless (see Isaiah 58).
Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. (Psalm 71:17-18)
We never retire from the Christian life. From our birth and youth, until our senior years and death we are witnesses to the work of God. That happens in two distinct ways.
Firstly, we witness what God does across our lifetime. He teaches us through those who go before us, through the scriptures and prayer, through worship and sacraments, through provision in times of need, through comfort in places of distress, grief, or loneliness—all across our lives we are learning about this God who has claimed us in our baptisms. We witness, personally, his work in our lives as slowly the testimony of the scriptures become our own lived reality and belief.
These are the ways that we witness who God is and what he does. These are the ways he teaches us. But we also witness in another way. We are not only witnesses of God—seeing, hearing, and receiving the things that God has done, but we are also witnesses to God—declaring the things that God has done. Witnesses see something, but witnesses also say something.
Again, the second form of witnessing begins the moment we are born. The very fact of our life—of a new life born into the world—is itself a testament to the beautiful handiwork of God. But as we begin to speak across our first few years, we begin to offer other testimony as well. We learn the language of faith—to say “amen” and “Jesus loves me.” To offer those prayers pastor Michael mentioned yesterday of “thank you,” “help me,” or even of “I’m sorry.”
And as we grow, we have more and more experiences of this God and of his people. We hear more of the stories. We learn more of the language of faith: learning things like lament, learning to wrestle and fight well with God, learning to submit and humble ourselves before God. And in each new chapter of life, we have more testimony to give. More witness to bear to the work and reality of our God as each year ticks by.
Our life becomes a witness—a sign to others. And we never graduate or retire from this work. Despite the fact that we make profession of faith often quite early in life—we’re never done. You elder saints among us bear a special responsibility in this regard: your memory stretches longer and your experiences deeper. You become the living memory of the community, the ones who carry the wisdom of a life lived before God with all the joys and challenges therein. When, around the Lord’s Supper table we are implored to “remember and believe,” you elder saints are the ones who have to help the rest of us do it!
There is power in the stories of God’s power revealed and witnessed to through the life of someone we know. So: dear people of God, continue to tell the stories of God! The Biblical stories yes—but also the stories of where you yourselves have met God, where he has shown his faithfulness to you. We all need to remember and believe again and again—and this is a work and witness best done together, in faith.
"Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me” (Psalm 70:1).
Anne Lamott once said that the best prayers she knows are: 'Help me!' and 'Thank you!'
She has a friend who has two very different prayers. Each morning the friend prays 'Whatever' and each evening, 'Oh, well.'
Recognizing it's a grand oversimplification, most of the prayers in the Book of Psalms can be divided into, 'Help me!' and 'Thank you!' prayers. The resignation in the prayers of Lamott's friend are unknown in the Bible. Its prayers are full of urgency and passion and expectation.
And how could they not be? Our need is great and the God we pray to, our only hope, is responsive, powerful and His promises are extravagant. And so is His grace.
Psalm 70 is mostly one of the 'Help me!' prayers. It has been used this way since its earliest days. You will find an earlier version in Psalm 40:13-17. That was probably its original setting. Later, it was taken from there and used in the liturgy of temple worship.
One of the earliest Christian preachers said, “This [Psalm] should be poured out in unceasing prayer so that we may be delivered in adversity and preserved and not puffed up in prosperity. You should meditate constantly on this verse in your heart. You should not stop repeating it when you are doing any kind of work or performing some service or are on a journey. Meditate on it while sleeping and eating and attending to the least needs of nature…Let it be the first thing that comes to you when you awake, let it anticipate every other thought as you get up, let it send you to your knees as you arise from your bed, let it bring you from there to every work and activity, and let it accompany you at all times.”
The Benedictine monks begin each of their seven daily 'hours' of prayer with Psalm 70. Maybe we ought to do that too. Learn a few verses of this song and use them 7 times each day in prayer. It's one way to weave dependence on God into our lives.
Christians have long recognized that we face two equal dangers. When we are in trouble, we think we need to solve each problem ourselves. When we are in prosperity, we think we have earned it all. The regular repetition of this prayer was encouraged to help us develop the anxiety free life Jesus encourages in Matthew 6.
The Psalm 70 'Help me!' prayer is like a one size fits all pair of socks. It can be adjusted to fit all sorts of circumstances. And often, in times of trouble, 'Help me!' is the most we can muster. In those times, we have some good biblical words to form into our prayers.
But in the good times, when all is at peace, we ought not to forget that we have this prayer in our spiritual arsenal. It helps keep us humble and alert, reminding us how much we need God's help, even when it doesn't seem like it.
Yet, in the middle of the Psalm is a call to rejoice and be glad in the Lord (4). More than that: we declare that God is exalted. Those who know his helping, saving hand need to proclaim what God has done. The psalm is more than a 'help me' cry. It is also part of the 'Thank you!' stream.
Even while we cry 'Help me', when we are not sure when or how God will come to our rescue, there is the glimmer of sunshine. We anticipate a time of rejoicing. While we wait for God to act, we are glad that we have a God we can call on for help.
You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. … But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me. (Psalm 69:19-21, 29)
Psalm 69 holds a lot of suffering. It’s a long psalm that outlines detail after detail of how this person has been hurt, scorned, and rejected by their community. Not only that, but it also speaks about how their affliction has itself come from the hand of God.
The writer tries to carry their cross, their God-given thorn in the flesh with grace, humility, and faithfulness only to find that the rest of the community of believers shuns, scorns, and mocks them. Says the psalmist: “I looked for sympathy, but there was none.”
I wonder how many of us have had just this sort of experience. The language of our faith suggests to us that we should receive all the things in our lives as part of God’s work and will in our lives—both the good and the bad. And yet, a number of us have also had the experience of being abandoned by friends, family, and the church in the midst of our wrestling with God through the burdens he allows that feel too heavy to carry.
Sometimes people just don’t know. Sometimes they just don’t want to be nosy. Sometimes we have a strong ambivalence: we want them to come and we don’t want them to come at the same time, and folks take the hint and stay away. But sometimes, more painfully, people just move on and forget. Or ignore. Or actively decide to stay away or avoid us so as not to get caught up in our mess.
More painfully yet, as time passes, people can begin passing words around the community like “shouldn’t that person just move on already?” “If I were them, I would _______.” Or, “they should just do this, and it would be fine.” Each time one of those sentiments catches our ears, it’s another barb in our flesh—another pain to bear.
We do not always have a very deep sense of what it means to suffer well. To suffer Christianly. To suffer with dignity. And certainly very little idea of what it means to journey with others who are seeking to bear their suffering in just that way. And, if psalm 69 is any clue—perhaps we human folk never have.
But Jesus models something different. Psalm 69 has long been a psalm associated with his suffering. He is the one who had gall and vinegar offered to him on the cross. The one who suffered under the will of God and yet was rejected and scorned by the people of God all the same. Jesus was the one who bore his suffering with the sort of grace, humility, faithfulness, and dignity that had been made perfect by that suffering—as the writer of Hebrews puts it—even able to offer forgiveness to his crucifiers.
We may never suffer with such grace as our Lord. And maybe we’ll never display the sort of long-suffering grace of Christ to someone who is suffering either. But even where we fail, or where the Christian community fails us—we are invited to place our hope and trust ultimately in the same place that Jesus and this psalm do: not in ourselves or in others, but in God and his vindication. His salvation.
Because the promise we receive through Jesus’ suffering, is that one day, for those who place their trust in him, suffering will be no more.
"May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him... Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before" (Psalm 68:1,28).
In the Narnia Chronicles, C.S. Lewis uses the phrase, "Aslan is on the move". It instills hope in those who still believe in him. It is a tonic whispered among those outnumbered few who fight against those determined to crush the goodness out of Narnia.
I think Lewis may have been riffing on Psalm 68 which can be summed up with the phrase, "God is on the move." The entire biblical story could also be summed up with this phrase.
He speaks creation into existence. He walks in the Garden with Adam and Eve. He puts all of life into an ark and sends the floods in judgment. He calls Abraham by name and rains plagues in Egypt. At His command the Red Sea splits and Sinai thunders with the majesty of His presence. He leads His armies in battle and shatters His enemies. He gives His people a land and carts them away from it in chains when they persist in crushing all goodness.
In centuries past, theologians sought to tame God into logical constructs. It was believed that we could predict how God would behave. Some thought that God could be known in such a way that he would no longer surprise us.
But now in our chaotic age we are less sure of ourselves. Our universe is dynamic: light is both particle and wave and the nature and movement of subatomic particles is not fully understood. In such a cosmos, the exploding energy of the God of the Bible is more acceptable.
Moreover, despite the revelation of the church’s deep sinfulness, God continues to uphold and even renew his church. In this, we see the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit made visible, and God looks more and more like the living God of Psalm 68. Like Aslan, He may not be safe, but he is good, and he is on the move.
In our psalm, God is remembered for guiding Israel through the wilderness and defeating opposing kings. He shakes Sinai and has an army of chariots who do His bidding. He also speaks oracles, wounds His enemies, and orders a procession into His temple. He "rides on the heaven of heavens” (33) and is "more awesome than His holy places (35)."
It's a psalm that portrays God on the move, conquering his enemies and delivering His people. It’s a source of encouragement for all of us who get weary in the battle of the Christian life. The battle belongs to the Lord. It anticipates Easter. It's a riotous collage of images depicting God crushing all evil and lifting all that is good.
But it is also a prayer; a powerful plea that God will arise. That He will do what He has done in the past. It's a prayer taking us back to creation and to the empty tomb, as it also anticipates Christ’s final victory as depicted in Revelation 19:10-14, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”
No matter what struggles you may encounter, remember, God is on the move. This psalm offers us a way to pray with hope amid the evil chaos of this world. We don't pray to a small god easily understood, but to a strong God, who will and can do the unexpected. We pray to the one who will make all things new.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 5 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- Do you ever look for a sign from God? Have you ever seen or received one? Tell about it.
- What does Pastor Anthony mean by “the silence of God?” Does it show up in the Bible? Have you experienced this?
- How do we lose sight of God and lose track of his voice? Are there other ways than what Pastor Anthony suggested? Do you agree or disagree with what he said? Why?
- How has God acted to give us signs and assurances of his presence? What gifts have we received from him to show us his care? What reminders are there in worship and in the life of the church that can remind us of his presence, love, and forgiveness?
- How might you keep your eyes peeled and your ears open to the voice, presence, and gifts of God this week?
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him” (Psalm 67:1-3, 7).
Have you ever asked God to bless you? Of course, you have. We Christians hardly ever pray without asking for God’s blessing. And we know these are not empty prayers because God does want to bless us. Pastors regularly offer these words to their departing flocks, "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
God told Moses and Aaron to lift their hands over Israel blessing His people with those words. But have you ever wondered what they mean? To ask it differently, when we ask God to bless us are we asking for what He wants?
From Psalm 13:1 and 89:46ff we learn that when God hides his face from his people it means trouble. It's a poetic image picturing the curse of sin having full licence to do its worst.
When God's face is turned towards his people then the effects of the curse are held at bay, even repelled. The oddest thing is that when God turned His face away from his own son in the darkest hour of Jesus' life, God was turning his face fully towards us.
During those darkest hours this world has ever known, in those events that led Jesus to cry out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" this same God was pouring out his blessings upon this earth.
It's true that when we ask God to bless us, we are often praying from selfish motives. Richard Foster tells us that all prayers begin here. But as we continue to pray, our motivations begin to change. Prayer changes us. Rather than looking fully towards our own interests, we move towards Gods. But this takes time, so maybe long prayers are not always a bad thing.
In prayer, we turn our faces towards God. As we gaze upon Him our petty motivations and desires crumble away. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we become absorbed with the great works of God.
This is where Psalm 67 leads us. It echoes that blessing of Numbers 6. And, I think, the Lord’s Prayer echoes this Psalm.
God's blessings towards us serve the larger purposes of His redemptive work in Christ. We are blessed so that others may know the great ways of God, so that they will know how great Israel's God is. God blesses us so that we can bless others.
But there is even more to it than that. The structure of the psalm suggests that verse 4 is the heart of the matter. It says, “May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.” We are blessed so that the nations we join us in glad songs of praise to our God.
In the end, all nations will be gathered about the throne of God and the Lamb as pictured in Revelation 7, “there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (9-10). To that end, God blesses us. Let’s pray for that.
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him” (Psalm 67:1-3, 7).
Have you ever asked God to bless you? Of course, you have. We Christians hardly ever pray without asking for God’s blessing. And we know these are not empty prayers because God does want to bless us. Pastors regularly offer these words to their departing flocks, "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
God told Moses and Aaron to lift their hands over Israel blessing His people with those words. But have you ever wondered what they mean? To ask it differently, when we ask God to bless us are we asking for what He wants?
From Psalm 13:1 and 89:46ff we learn that when God hides his face from his people it means trouble. It's a poetic image picturing the curse of sin having full licence to do its worst.
When God's face is turned towards his people then the effects of the curse are held at bay, even repelled. The oddest thing is that when God turned His face away from his own son in the darkest hour of Jesus' life, God was turning his face fully towards us.
During those darkest hours this world has ever known, in those events that led Jesus to cry out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" this same God was pouring out his blessings upon this earth.
It's true that when we ask God to bless us, we are often praying from selfish motives. Richard Foster tells us that all prayers begin here. But as we continue to pray, our motivations begin to change. Prayer changes us. Rather than looking fully towards our own interests, we move towards Gods. But this takes time, so maybe long prayers are not always a bad thing.
In prayer, we turn our faces towards God. As we gaze upon Him our petty motivations and desires crumble away. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we become absorbed with the great works of God.
This is where Psalm 67 leads us. It echoes that blessing of Numbers 6. And, I think, the Lord’s Prayer echoes this Psalm.
God's blessings towards us serve the larger purposes of His redemptive work in Christ. We are blessed so that others may know the great ways of God, so that they will know how great Israel's God is. God blesses us so that we can bless others.
But there is even more to it than that. The structure of the psalm suggests that verse 4 is the heart of the matter. It says, “May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.” We are blessed so that the nations we join us in glad songs of praise to our God.
In the end, all nations will be gathered about the throne of God and the Lamb as pictured in Revelation 7, “there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (9-10). To that end, God blesses us. Let’s pray for that.
Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:8-12)
Psalm 66 is a song of praise to God. And yet, these are some pretty hard words here in the middle. “Praise our God” says verse 8. “You brought us to a place of abundance” says verse 12. But in the centre of this paragraph are some facts that might make us question that triumphant assertion.
How can a God whose plan for us includes testing, refining, imprisonment, burdening, oppression, fire, and water be a God that’s worthy of praise? It is a question that’s haunted many people of faith, including the psalmists, for millennia. But it’s not really a question that psalm 66 dwells on.
There are different seasons in our lives. Sometimes we stand in a place of a childlike faith—perhaps it’s naïve about the challenges of life—but it is trustful and uncomplicated: oriented fully toward God. At other times we stand in the place of disorientation. It’s the messy middle where we are confused, hurt, feeling abandoned and asking the hard questions or just avoiding God altogether. But then there is a third place: the place of reorientation when we finally find some hard-wrestled place of peace with God again, our faith having been tested, deepened, and renewed. This three-part rhythm of orientation—disorientation—reorientation found all over the psalms and all over our lives was coined by an Old Testament scholar, and it’s helpful, I think.
Psalm 66 is not written from the place of orientation or disorientation, but from the place of reorientation. This is a psalm proclaimed by the people who have passed through the fire and the water and who have found God faithful still on the other side. They call back to us who still languish in the throes of disorientation following whatever crisis of life or faith we may be facing, and they remind us of God’s faithful, saving work. “Be patient,” they say, “keep going! There is still reason to hope.”
They remind us that God is a God who saves, who “preserves our lives” and keeps “our feet from slipping.” Through the waters of the Exodus, through the return after exile, and as we Christians would now read it too: through the work of Jesus himself. There are Good Friday times of disorientation when we cry out “why have you forsaken me!?” But there are also times of Easter reorientation when life is curiously changed and made new and we find reason to praise God again. That’s what this psalm declares.
It says: “hang in there: we’re here to tell you that there are still places of abundance—Easter still comes! God is still a God of resurrection and salvation no matter how dark the night may look from here.”
So dear friends, whether you’re ready to take up the praise of God on your lips right now or not: be encouraged that the community of faith cheers you on. Be encouraged that there are others who are in that third place who can praise God for you on the days when you feel too disoriented to do it yourself. Be encouraged that no matter how long the night, our God is still a God of resurrection hope.
Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.…You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it” (Psalm 65:1-4,9).
Reading through the psalms can feel like riding a rollercoaster. Yesterday, Psalm 64 led us to a deep introspection of the cunningness of our own hearts. Such things are never fun, even though under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the work can be profitable. From the darkness of the human heart, Psalm 65 ushers us into the glories of God’s movements in the cosmos.
Yet the distance between the two is but the blink of an eye. This psalm does not ignore the realities of human sinfulness. Rather, it recognizes that the disasters we create are overwhelming. We get buried under the chaos our own cunningness creates. The only way to get ‘unburied’ is to turn to God and God alone. In his goodness, God comes to the rescue. That is what this psalm is about.
If we are still stuck in the darkness of the misery we have caused, or others have caused for us, this psalm offers us profound hope.
It plays two melodies. The first is the praise that describes the power of God. Those who are near him are blessed. He is the God of salvation, whose power controls the raging of nature and of human affairs. It is our Lord who gives the land fertility and brings about the joy of its great productivity. His awe-inspiring deeds bring about the reverential fear of all who dwell in it.
For Israel, God's presence was centred in Jerusalem, His holy city. But His works extended out to immense horizons of creation and history. He is the Hearer of Prayer unto whom all people may come. For Christians, we believe that, through Jesus, everyone is invited to come before God in prayer (Hebrews 10:19-22) and receive his grace.
God visits the earth and moves through it like a conqueror, but unlike human conquerors he does not leave it desolate. His trail through the land leaves fertility and abundance behind, unlike armies of old and today who leave destruction and famine and starvation in their wake. Fatness drips from the tracks of the great Hearer of Prayer. This is the first melody of Psalm 65.
The second are the petitions which ask God to pour forth His blessings. In God's rule of the universe, He does not need our prayers, yet He desires them. The strong word of Scripture is that we don't receive if we don't ask.
Thus, we turn to the great Hearer of Prayer for forgiveness of our transgressions. And he forgives, true. But the word translated ‘forgave’ has a richer meaning. It says, “you make atonement for”. God not only forgives, he also sets things right. That is what this psalm leans into. We wreck relationships, we devastate the planet, we refuse to give justice, but God does not do these things. He is the God of redemption.
The strongest impact of the psalm is surely in the joy over the gift of rain and the flourishing which results from God’s coming. He sustains His creation with active involvement in its mountains and oceans, its water supply, and its harvests, bringing life amid human devastation.
His work is to undo all the damage we bring. Surely, this is what Jesus meant when he said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working”. This comment after he enabled a lame man to walk (John 5:17).
The melodies of this Psalm sing of His saving power throughout creation and of our prayers for complete redemption. They are in captioned in the yearning of the Bible’s closing prayer, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear. … But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. (Psalm 64:2-4, 7-9)
The central assertion of this psalm, not included in our verses today, is that “surely the human mind and heart are cunning.”
There are any number of reasons to distrust our politicians, our church leaders, our business leaders, even many reasons to distrust our own neighbours, family members, and fellow church members. It seems like we increasingly do distrust others. Maybe not always the people that we directly know who are in our lives, but certainly those who are a few steps removed from us—like when we think of leaders we’ve never met or group people into abstract cohorts like “liberals,” “conservatives,” “corporate leaders,” “the media,” or whatever other labels we might use.
This psalm uses the terms “the wicked,” “evildoers,” and “the innocent.” Obviously these evildoers are the ones we would distrust, and reasons are given.
But what about all the people who fear God by the end of the psalm? Whose team are they on? Are they the innocent or the wicked? Hmm, maybe there’s a bit more going on than meets the eye.
It is the human mind and heart that are cunning. Not just the mind and heart of the wicked evildoers. We are all wicked. And eventually God’s justice meets us all too. Those who sharpen their tongues like swords will be judged by their own words. Those who shoot arrows of cruel words are shot by the arrow-word of God. And so all those wicked ones who shoot off their lips without fear will see the word of the Lord act in judgement against them, which by the psalm’s end leads all people to the fear of the Lord.
So can we trust one another, even ourselves? Yes and no. In the Gospel of John, John says that “Jesus would not entrust himself to [the people], for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Indeed. So who did Jesus entrust himself to then? The Father alone, that’s who. And that is the call for us as well.
Every institution, group, and individual person will eventually let us down. Because none of us are righteous. The only one we may truly entrust ourselves to, is God. But, having placed our trust in God alone and having a clear-eyed view of ourselves and our fellow-folk, we can then learn to love and trust one another more appropriately. We do it in a way that doesn’t place undue burdens of expectation on fallible people, but that recognizes that disappointment, sin, confession, and forgiveness will all be part of our walk together. But it’s a walk we can make in good faith, because the God in whom we trust has first provided for, loved, and forgiven us.
That’s what shot through our world and hearts when God took aim and fired off the arrow of His Word. His Word is Jesus Christ. His Word is forgiveness.
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (Psalm 63:1-5)
“In a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Do you ever feel like you live in that land? Where nothing satisfies. Where you remain unsleepingly restless: full of desire and longing but with no pursuit you can find that every really quenches it?
We can distract ourselves from this roving restlessness of desire for something with almost anything: our phone, a show, work, sport, relationships, or any number of lesser goods that beckon. But they never quite quench the thirst. If we’re honest: in those times when we’re brave enough to sit still and quiet to face ourselves for any extended period of time—the restlessness is still there.
This is the heart string that psalms like this one pluck. This is what it means to be thirsty for God. It’s that ambiguous, never-satisfied restlessness that drives us or that we run from. That’s our thirst. That’s our soul craving growling at us. And that’s the reason that nothing we do with the stuff of this world ever seems to satisfy it for long. Because it’s a thirst for God. You just can’t quench it with anything else. Not with a busy, successful life, not with games and entertainment, not with a bunch of friends, likes, or reactions.
It is God that sustains our life. Not just practically through the provisions of food and drink, work and rest, or even the breath of life itself that God gives. No, to say that it is God who sustains our life means more than that. Our whole life finds its end, its purpose, its satisfaction, its fulfillment, its home, its joy, its rest in God. “Your love is better than life” declares the psalmist. To have God’s love is to have more than all we could ever ask or imagine—more even than having life itself.
Does that mean that all the other things aren’t important? Our relationships, our work, our enjoyment of life? Not at all. But everything in its proper place. With our desires having found their proper end and fulfillment firstly in God, it actually sets us free to truly enjoy all those other things that we otherwise might only pursue as a means of escape or as a false consolation. Said differently: with our thirst quenched by God, our body is refreshed and ready to really live.
And that living that we do after our restless desires have found their resting place in God? It all becomes an act of worship: praising God as long as we live. Because his love is better than life.
If you'd like to hear the musical version of this psalm I grew up with, you can search for "Better than Life" by Acappella, or find it here on spotify.
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2
This psalm, like so many others, comes from the cry of one who is afflicted. One whom the enemy seeks to destroy, or, if that isn’t possible, at least to lower him to a place of undignified shame. It is from this place that David says in faith, “I can trust and wait on God alone.” In how this verse, and later, verse 5, are worded, there is an emphasis on being silent before God, and God ‘alone.’ This rest in silence can be understood to be deeply expressive.
We all undergo struggles and hardship. Peace is often not won without a hard fight, often in tears. We must sacrifice something of ourselves and our lives before we can say in the stillness of our hearts, “all is well.”
People will disappoint us, but we can always rest our hope in God. We are to trust Him at all times. His will is holy and good. This trust and hope bring us to the place of rest, of stillness and contentment. In Him alone.
David in verse one makes a statement, “my soul finds rest in God alone.” Then in verse five he commands his soul, “Find rest, Oh my soul, in God alone.” First David asserts the stillness of his soul in God. Then he speaks to his soul as assurance and affirmation of steadfastness in God. It is a good habit for us to assert, affirm and remind ourselves of truths that are found in Scripture. Speaking out biblical truths is an integral part of a strong faith life. We see David doing that here.
In the years when David was an outlaw from king Saul, his hideouts often included a cavern made of rock, a stronghold. As an experienced fighter, David knew the value of these solid defenses. Yet even more, he recognized that his safety came from God alone who is his forever rock and fortress. His high tower, above the struggles of the world, where he could find rest for his soul.
Often, we tend to put one foot on the rock of Christ while we rest the other foot on a bed of sand. Then we wonder why trials feel so difficult, or why we can’t seem to get it all together. But David asserts his complete and utter dependence on God for all of his earthly needs. With both feet solidly on the Rock of Christ, we will never be shaken and our hope, trust and peace in Christ will remain steadfast throughout every stormy gale.
It must be in God alone that we find our rest and the peace that we seek. We cannot save ourselves, nor can we save anyone else. God alone is our salvation.
David invites the people to trust God at all times in verse 8, then lists off places where their trust cannot be found. Both the lowborn and the highborn are no more than a breath or a vapour. “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:12).
Riches are a gift from God. But with riches comes a temptation and trap into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction (1 Tim 6:9). There is a right way and a wrong way to obtain riches. Extortion and robbery are a mockery of God. There is no one and nowhere else where our hope can be found, but in God alone. True riches are not in our hands, but in our heart. How is your heart posture towards God?
David ends this psalm declaring the omnipotence of God. All power and strength belong to God alone. The power of God in Christ is for our redemption. It is in God alone, our Rock, our Salvation, and our Fortress, where our soul can find true rest. In Him we will never be shaken.
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah
5 For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.6 Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day. (Psalm 61)
Feeling far away from God, nearly overcome, the psalmist cries out. “Can’t I just go home to your presence already, up to that place of refuge where you will shelter me? I cannot withstand the tempest that blows around me nor the foes that threaten: give me a place to hide, to be safe at last—a place to rest.”
All the ways that our little church community has been slammed by death and heartache within and the pressures of a world in turmoil without, I can very easily see this psalm as our own. After much weary weeping, our hearts grow faint. After much tragedy, it’s easy to feel like God is far off or that we are—to feel like we have to shout from the ends of the earth to have even a hope of crossing the divide.
Out spills the heartache and the helplessness. Out comes the admission of need—the desire to just be done with it all already. “Lead me home, Lord. Take me under your wing and care for me like my mom used to. I just haven’t got the strength today.”
The weeping, the weariness, and the wanting for home all plop out in a great exhale of exhaustion before God. And then: silence. In the Hebrew, the word “Selah.”
It’s hard to say how long the silence lasts—how long life stretches on in the in between time from the cry of dereliction and need to the response of a faithful God who loves us. Perhaps it’s supposed to last as long as Holy Saturday did. That day after the first half of our salvation on Good Friday—the exhale, but before the second half on Easter when fresh, crisp air comes rushing back in.
Holy Saturday can stretch on for ages sometimes before Easter comes—before we even know whether Easter will come. But the Gospels tell us that Easter does eventually come. God responds to the cry of dereliction. Life is made new. Jesus reaches across all the divides of time and space, even of death, to catch us up under his wings and take us home.
Finally the silence of “Selah” breaks into the heritage of those who fear the name of the Lord. It breaks into the days of the King: the days of joyfully responding to a reunion and homecoming that makes our hearts to sing in the presence of Jesus and all those we long to hold again.
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah
5 For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.6 Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day. (Psalm 61)
Feeling far away from God, nearly overcome, the psalmist cries out. “Can’t I just go home to your presence already, up to that place of refuge where you will shelter me? I cannot withstand the tempest that blows around me nor the foes that threaten: give me a place to hide, to be safe at last—a place to rest.”
All the ways that our little church community has been slammed by death and heartache within and the pressures of a world in turmoil without, I can very easily see this psalm as our own. After much weary weeping, our hearts grow faint. After much tragedy, it’s easy to feel like God is far off or that we are—to feel like we have to shout from the ends of the earth to have even a hope of crossing the divide.
Out spills the heartache and the helplessness. Out comes the admission of need—the desire to just be done with it all already. “Lead me home, Lord. Take me under your wing and care for me like my mom used to. I just haven’t got the strength today.”
The weeping, the weariness, and the wanting for home all plop out in a great exhale of exhaustion before God. And then: silence. In the Hebrew, the word “Selah.”
It’s hard to say how long the silence lasts—how long life stretches on in the in between time from the cry of dereliction and need to the response of a faithful God who loves us. Perhaps it’s supposed to last as long as Holy Saturday did. That day after the first half of our salvation on Good Friday—the exhale, but before the second half on Easter when fresh, crisp air comes rushing back in.
Holy Saturday can stretch on for ages sometimes before Easter comes—before we even know whether Easter will come. But the Gospels tell us that Easter does eventually come. God responds to the cry of dereliction. Life is made new. Jesus reaches across all the divides of time and space, even of death, to catch us up under his wings and take us home.
Finally the silence of “Selah” breaks into the heritage of those who fear the name of the Lord. It breaks into the days of the King: the days of joyfully responding to a reunion and homecoming that makes our hearts to sing in the presence of Jesus and all those we long to hold again.
You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor. You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles. You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling. But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. Psalm 60:1-5
The backdrop of Psalm 60 is that of David and his army who fought and gained victories against the armies of Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah at the start of 2 Samuel 8 and 10. Then Joab, the commander of David’s army returned with his men and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt (1 Chronicles 18:11-13).
Yet David begins the psalm with lament. Why would David be voicing such lament when in the biblical narratives they had gained victory over the enemy, not just once, but against several nations? Well, there must have been some measure of defeat in the midst of their victories. Because David knew that when the Lord fought for Israel that victory was assured. If there was any defeat, it was likely a sign of God’s displeasure.
So, David appealed to God, who he believed to be, not the immediate cause of their defeat, but the ultimate cause. David asks God to restore the nation of Israel to Himself. Worse than defeat, was a sense of separation from God. Relationship with God always must come first. We too must release everything that we have placed in front of God and trust in Him alone for our provision, our safety, and the hope of our future.
Even though David felt that God had cast off and broken Israel, he continued to fly the banner of trust and faith in God. In Exodus 17, Moses stood atop a hill with his arms lifted up and the staff of God in his hands. As long as his arms were lifted up, the Israelites were winning the battle against the Amalekites. That day, the Amalekite army was defeated. Moses built an altar and called it ‘Jehovah Nissi,’ that is, the Lord is my Banner. The concept of a banner was connected to Israel’s reliance on God and how God claims victory for His chosen people.
In verse 5, David calls the people of God, His beloved. This comes from a Hebrew word which belongs to the language of love poetry. It appeals to the strongest of bonds, to the most passionate relationship. Despite the present defeat, David appeals to God on behalf of God’s beloved people. Their rescue would be found in greater trust in and deeper relationship with God, not in questioning and doubting His sovereignty and His ability to defeat the nations.
Verses 6-8 claim God as the ultimate victor. His word triumphs over the nations. David understood that God steps forward and settles disputes with His own authority. The Lord claimed the victory. Not Israel.
In my own life, I often find that although I aim to teach my children the importance of respect for one another and devotion to God, I still feel the need to be right. To be the one in charge. The one who can put everything right. But that’s not my role, nor is it yours. That’s God’s territory. He will right the wrongs. His word and the working of His Holy Spirit always end in ultimate victory. We won’t see every victory on this side of heaven, but God always has the final say.
As David finishes the psalm, he writes of his renewed trust in the God who helps. “Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, Oh God, who rejected us?... For all human help is useless” (v 9, 10, 11). Just as the psalm begins with a desperate cry to God who had rejected them, now David claims victory through that same God. David knows that with the banner of the Lord held high and their trust in Him renewed, that God would bring victory over the enemies of Israel.
We don’t need to fight our own battles. We need to lean into our reliance on our God who has already won the battle over sin and hopelessness, discouragement, and discord.
As Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” Although we can prepare for every eventual outcome and yield every weapon of our warfare that we know, our armour must that of our complete reliance on and allegiance to God in Jesus Christ. It is in Him that our ultimate victory is found.
“Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood…You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely” (Psalm 59:1-2, 17).
Once again David is besieged by his enemies. If our biblical editors are correct, he is in his own house with King Saul's soldiers prowling around it, trapping David inside. Since it's not likely that this is a common experience for us, how do we pray this psalm? How do we make it our own?
Here are a few suggestions:
This psalm helps us pray for our Christian family members who are persecuted for their faith. It gives us language for such prayers. The psalmist uses the words 'prowling dogs' to embody the devouring, malignant persons and forces in human affairs which seek to destroy the people of God. Many Christians live in places where this is their constant reality. When we don’t know how to pray for them, the Holy Spirit has already given us words to use.
In a similar vein, it helps us pray for events in North America that reflect the breakdown of our collective security. There seems to be no end of such things: gun violence, sweltering heat, aftershocks of a 2-year pandemic, corporate restructuring leaving us hunting for a new job, inadequate housing, rising interest rates. We are virtually powerless in all these situations. Any number of things haunt our steps in the night, let alone during the day. This psalm helps us pray in those situations in which we have little influence to affect change.
Those of us who are part of the white middle class have generally enjoyed significant freedom and opportunity. We may feel as if those privileges are diminishing. But the fact is, many people, because of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, have lived for generations without those freedoms and opportunities. It is difficult for the privileged in society to understand the realities of life without prospects. This psalm gives us a window into the life without control.
We can also use Psalm 59 when faced with personal temptations. Whether we wrestle against our own fleshly nature, the world around us or direct attacks from the devil himself, we face foes too strong for us. As Martin Luther once penned, "For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal."
But, like Martin Luther, we also believe, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing... Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he..."
It is he. He faced all the powerful forces of earth and hell itself. It is he. He stood firm, facing the full-frontal attack of the devil. It is he. He faced them and fought them, and he rose from the dead. Death could not hold him.
With his resurrection, the kingdom of God was established on this earth. It is he. Because of his resurrection, we know that God's derision and scornful laughter is more than a match for all these dogs (8).
Today, we may still need to pray this psalm. But, because Jesus rose from the dead, some day we will not need this psalm. Its time will be over. Thanks be to God. It is he!
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 4 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What power do you have?
- Who/What are the Nebuchadnezzars of today?
- What is the difference between knowing God is sovereign and KNOWING it? In other words, what does it really mean that God is Sovereign, and what implications should that have on our lives?
- What paths are there to coming to this deeper, transformational knowledge of God?
- Can we get to that place of submission and transformation on our own? Say more about God’s work in transforming us.
- How might you submit your life, in partnership with the Spirit, to God’s sovereign rule this week?
Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. …
The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” (Psalm 58:1-2,11)
The world is full of injustice and violence. There is nothing new under the sun.
This was David’s complaint long ago. He didn’t blame it on fate, evil, the devil, or any other divine or impersonal force though: he blamed it on people. Particularly on those with authority and responsibility to uphold justice and peace who had instead twisted the means at their disposal toward their own ends.
We tend to be less precise in our blame for the evils of this world. Sometimes we see the hand of the devil at work, other times it’s the churn of impersonal systems that grinds people up in the gears, still other times we might blame it on our leaders, whether or not they had something to do with the issue. Sometimes we simply blame it on the way the world is, which is akin to blaming it on fate.
But psalm 58 drives us back to facing ourselves as humans as the primary cause of injustice and violence in this world—particularly those of us who have some measure of power and responsibility for others. It is people who are wicked, and it would be difficult not to see ourselves in that condemnation, especially given David’s description of the wicked in verse 3 that sounds eerily similar to the doctrine of original sin.
The pictures painted throughout this psalm are pointedly graphic. The wicked are pictured as deaf cobras that cannot be tamed—they slither unrelentingly for their own benefit using their power to bite and poison. There is a prayer that God smash the teeth of these wicked, immature lions and cause them to disappear like water in the desert. And finally at the end comes the most gruesome image of all: the avenged righteous dipping their feet in the blood of the wicked.
These sharply contrasting images would remind us that there are many people—some of them among us and in our city—who face violence and injustice that they cannot escape where the lines are very sharp indeed between oppressor and oppressed. Some of us have felt this sort of helplessness ourselves. This psalm is the cry of anyone who finds themselves in just that position: as the innocent afflicted one.
But this is perhaps a good spot to remember that Jesus was also a righteous innocent person. Afflicted. The rulers devised injustice against him. They met out violence against him. Their wickedness—our wickedness as human people—became manifest against him, putting him to death on the cross. And this death of Jesus—the lamb who was slain, but who became alive again—becomes the backdrop of John’s vision in Revelation.
As the battlefield image of blood-drenched fields from Psalm 58 is picked up by John, we take note that none of the violence of God that brings judgement and justice on the world is actual. Jesus’ sword comes from the words of his mouth. And the only actual violence that shows up was the violence that Jesus himself absorbed from we human people as displayed in the wounded, but now living lamb.
Jesus himself took the punishment, the vengeance from God’s justice, that should have been directed at the wicked, even though he was righteous. And he did that so that we—the wicked--might become righteous. This is the shocking, humbling good news of our faith. That we: sometimes innocent, sometimes wicked people, should receive the reward and vindication of the righteous.
"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn (Psalm 57:7-8).
The setting of this psalm is riddled with irony. Saul, the first king of Israel, is squatting in a cave doing what people, rich and poor, male and female, must do: empty their bowels. The most powerful man in the nation is at his most vulnerable. He has 3000 of Israel's elite military with him. But they are outside, giving the king his privacy.
Inside the cave, way in its bowels, the most wanted man in the kingdom, David, the king's son-in-law and once right-hand man, huddles with his band of 400. They have hidden in the back of this cave hoping the king and his 3000 will march right on past and they can breathe for a bit. Oops. The king needs to relieve himself. This squatting king wants David's head more than anything else.
His outlaw band urge David him to stab the king in the back. God has already anointed David as the next king of Israel. Clearly, they reason, God has orchestrated this situation so David can finish Saul off and claim the throne that is his by right.
What's to stop him? Only his conscience. Only the fact that the man squatting there is the king, God's anointed. David lets him go on his way, cutting off only the corner of his robe as a demonstration of his innocence; that we will do no harm to this king.
David knows it s not over. He knows the king will continue to seek his life. Saul is jealous. In the end, either David or Saul will die. David knows that. But he will not take Saul's life. That's God's business; not his.
As he continues to keep one step ahead of Saul's murderous vendetta, David pens Psalm 57. It’s filled with hope, even joy despite the precariousness of his life. It is as if he is "among lions" who are out for a kill. And he’s the only prey around. All through this crisis, he trusts in God, hiding in the "shadow of His wings," knowing God will act on his behalf.
Thus, he praises his Lord, calling upon his lute and harp to make joyful music so he can sing to God among the nations. Here then is a burst of song in the storm. Many of us know these storms. They come in the form of illness, death of loved ones, financial uncertainty, job loss, break down of family relations and so many other forms.
During this storm, David sings, “My heart, O God, is steadfast.” This is no trite spirituality, ignoring the realities of life in this world. It recognizes that walking with God takes effort on our part. Paul says such things as, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) and “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1) and “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1).
This is not about earning our salvation. Rather, it is about putting effort into following Jesus, learning from him. Then he fulfills his promise, “you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We come to places in which are hearts are steady in the storm and we can sing, “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand” (Cornerstone).
In this psalm we are reminded that praising God only when all is well is cheap praise. Praise also needs to be given when life is not good (as we normally define it). It is right to praise God for our material blessings. But it is also necessary to praise God in the storm.
That is when our praise is rooted in trust. This takes effort and practice on our part. It's a matter of growing into it. Pray that God will grow your trust and your praise.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)
This psalm follows similar threads to the last few. Enemies pursue constantly. Prideful, arrogant people twist words, conspire, and lurk all to undercut the life of the of the psalmist. There are many reasons to fear, as pastor Michael talked about yesterday.
We can fear the big things like the culture shifts and the rising prices that we feel. We can fear personal things like relationships that fracture, challenges at work, antagonistic people, a hard decision, or the loss of something or someone that we love. Fear swirls all around us, or at least it can.
But psalm 56 largely centers around trust. When fear rises up, the psalm sees it as an invitation and reminder to turn to God and renew our trust in him. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” A simple, but powerful refrain.
Why might we trust in God? Well, because God is bigger than our fear. Human enemies are not God. Human problems are not bigger than God. God is the God of deliverance and salvation, and because he’s God, he is able to deliver us from and hold on to us through any danger, hardship, or loss that we might fear.
This is a refrain that echoes through the Bible. Jesus takes it up, as does Paul when he writes in Romans 8: “if God is for us, who can be against us?” Indeed, he goes on to say that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Many of the things we fear in this life are things that threaten our lives or ways of living in some way, or that threaten the lives of those we love. All the examples I’ve given are of that sort. Fear appears where the loss of some goodness of life is threatened, which can be from as seemingly neutral a thing as a simple change in life. Change also involves loss, and therefore can be a context for fear.
But against those fears, the psalmist who has practiced a trust in God proclaims by the psalm’s end: “You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
Our trust in Jesus rests on an even stronger word. The Apostle John reminds us that God’s perfect love shown to us in Christ drives out our fear, and Jesus himself in John’s gospel says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It’s almost a direct quote from the final line of this psalm. For those who walk with trust in Jesus against all life’s fears, the promise is that we will indeed walk in the light of life.
For those who might be interested in listening to it, the Australian band, the Sons of Korah, have an excellent setting of psalm 56, which you can search on the internet or find on Spotify, here.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught... But as for me, I trust in you (Psalm 55:2, 20).
Fear! Have you known fear? Most of us have. A bully. A failing grade. A request to see the boss. A visit to the doctor. A rejection letter.
Fear can be intense, overwhelming. It can simmer inside us for a long time. Sometimes it's rational, sometimes not. When we're afraid, our imagination goes into overdrive.
More than any other emotion we experience, fear is linked to our brain and our nervous system. Often, we react to it involuntarily, our whole bodies get involved: knees shake, bowels loosen, we lose our ability to make rational decisions, sleep flees.
Almost every Hebrew word for fear occurs in the first five verses of this psalm. It begins with fear’s troubling thoughts: an obsession with the "what ifs"; a dwelling on the possibilities of what might happen. With such thoughts often comes an oppressive restlessness.
Neurobiologists have identified a "fight or flight" reaction in our brains that prepares us to run or defend ourselves. Both are found in this Psalm. In verses 6-8 the psalmist wishes he was a dove so he could escape his circumstances. When we're afraid, we want to get away more than anything else.
But in verse 15 he wants to fight. He calls down a curse of death on his enemies. There is a desire for sweet revenge in this verse. Such prayers are troubling because they are hateful and appear unchristian. Fear makes us capable of doing things totally out of character.
Isolating such verses will distort our spirituality. But they can be deeply precious to us if kept within the context of this psalm. The entire lament is David wrestling with God about the pressures he is experiencing. As his fear gushes out of him like vomit, it splatters before God's throne. God seems just fine with this. We have permission to do the same.
As David vents his frustration in God’s presence, his fear gives way to faith and trust. His fear of people changes to fear of God. These are two very different kinds of fear. Fear of God is not 'being afraid,' it is faith and trust generated from the reverent awe of worship.
When we worship God, we cast our cares upon him because we discover that he will lift us up in due time. God's circle of concern is identical to his circle of influence; he has the power to intervene in all circumstances.
Faith leads to worship which leads to peace. Having faith in times of fear may sound cliché, but it's the only true way forward. When we believe God has the power to do anything, the character to do the right thing, and the love to care for us, we will find peace.
Fear is a natural, physiological response God hard wired into our brains to protect us. Despite our physical reaction to scary situations, we have a choice of how to handle our fear. We can allow our fear to paralyse us. Or we can ask God for help, surrender what we cannot control to him, and decide to move forward in faith.
1 Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
people without regard for God.
4 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. (Psalm 54)
We tend to read things in a linear fashion, from beginning to end. We assume, therefore, that the point of whatever it is that we’ve read comes at the end. But in the scriptures, that’s not necessarily the case.
Material that is written for the ear instead of the eye, that is, material that was transmitted orally in a largely illiterate culture, often has a different logic to it. Instead of linear, it is cyclical, such that the main point falls in the middle instead of at the end.
You can picture it like the ripples of the water when a pebble is thrown in. The pebble falls in the middle, and the implications radiate outward in all directions in the form of waves. This is the reality of acoustics as well: sound waves also radiate outward from the centre. Such is the logic of an oral culture and its rhetoric.
You’ll find this logic of composition all over in the scriptures: in the prophets, the psalms, the gospels, even in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that Pastor Michael and I recently did some preaching through. You may have heard a different selection of verses to mark out a section and a different emphasis come out of our preaching on this letter than you’ve heard before, because we were looking for the point in the middle of a section, instead of at its end (see, for instance, how the cross shows up at the beginning, end, and middle of 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:2).
So it is here in Psalm 54. Looking at this psalm acoustically you can see the parallel rings that radiate out from the centre.
Verses 1-2 and 6-7, the verses that mark the beginning and ending of the psalm, both speak to God’s salvation and the activity of worship. Verses 1-2 ask that God save, deliver, and hear prayer. Verses 6-7 report that God has done just that, even as the psalmist continues in prayers and offerings of praise and thanks.
Verses 3 and 5 speak of the foe. Verse 3 names these people as ruthless and faithless people bent on killing. Verse 5 sets the faithfulness of God against the faithlessness of the enemy, and asks God to deal with them accordingly, that the faithful God might let their ruthless, faithless ways recoil upon them.
Verse 4 is the centre. It is the pivot around which the whole psalm moves. It is the affirmation of faith that changes the first half of the psalm into the second half.
The psalmist says this in that central verse: “surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” This is the reality that causes the psalmist to ask that faithless people be dealt with by the faithfulness of God. It is the reality that transforms the prayer for salvation in verses 1-2 into deliverance and praise by verses 6-7.
Because God is our help and sustainer, we can trust that he will hear when we pray, that he will save us when we ask, and that he will remain faithful even when we are surrounded by faithlessness.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 3 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What is this story about?
- How does this story mirror the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11?
- Where do you face such coercive dangers today?
- How is o’ Neb’s religion different from that of the Christian faith? Do you know this deep in your heart? How do you sometimes practice your faith according to O’ Neb’s kind of religion?
- Are you afraid you might fail a test such as the one our three friends faced? What reassurance was given in this message? How can we live in preparation for such trials?
- How does Jesus fulfill the human desires explored in Genesis 11 and Daniel 3?
"God looks down from heaven on the entire human race. He looks to see if anyone is truly wise; if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away" (Psalm 53:2,3).
This psalm is almost a total repeat of Psalm 14. There are a few minor differences, but the two psalms sing the same song. Why repeat what has already been sung? Nobody really knows; but maybe it's because the message is so difficult to receive.
What's the message? A poet once wrote, "We have met the enemy and he is us." That's this psalm in a nutshell.
Follow the flow of the psalm: there is the fool, the enemy everybody hates. The fool is, of course, the one who has turned his back on God (1). Then there is God, who looks down from heaven to see if there is anyone who is not a fool (2).
Guess what? God can't find anyone. "All have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good; not a single one" (3). I think that's call a burn. We get caught by our own trap. We thought we could escape, that we were different, not fools. But alas, fools we all are!
It's a hard truth to receive. "We have met the enemy and she is us." The apostle Paul uses this verse in his indictment of the entire human race. He puts it this way, 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Romans 3:9-12).
From here, neither the Psalm nor Paul gets any easier to handle. They both articulate a deep truth. Because we all have turned away from God, we all turn against each other. Without the restraints of God's grace and love, peace turns to violence and love to hatred.
None of us are exempt. We are all fools. In some Christian communities, this appears to be the only part of our story which gets sung. The earth, and the whole human community with it, is going to hell in a handbasket. God is angry. End of story. Sure, there is that story about Jesus, but the way it gets told, redemption is rare.
In our community, we tell the story differently. This psalm only tells part of the story. We are people immersed in Christmas and Easter. Jesus came because of the truths lamented in Psalm 53. The point of this lament is not that we are all as evil as could be. Its message is that we all need help. We all need redemption. Because of that need, Jesus’ entrance into our story is good news. He came to save us from our foolishness.
There's another picture in the Bible of God looking down and searching the earth and all its human inhabitants. Its 2 Chronicles 16:9: "the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." The worst kinds of fools are those who don't know they're fools. They can't be helped. But God delights in those who know they are fools. He strengthens them. The only fools God doesn’t help are those who won't ask for help.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (that’s the fool); “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). All we must do is ask. To pray is to ask for help. The only fools Jesus doesn’t save are those who won't pray. There are fools, and there are fools. Which kind are you?
The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying, “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. (Psalm 52:7-8)
Where is your trust rooted? In God? Or in your ability to provide for yourself?
The obvious answer is that our trust is rooted in God, of course. But I’m not sure it’s always quite so simple. It takes a lot of introspection and questioning of our motives and heart before God and his word as found in passages like this to begin to suss out where we really put the weight of our lives.
The conversation on power and privilege that has sparked to life recently has a lot to say about these culturally invisible places that we perhaps unknowingly put our trust.
Wealth, for instance, is a huge source of power and privilege for many who might be reading this. When we speak about wealth as a privilege, it means that wealth is a special right or advantage that belongs only to certain people. The poor would not have the privilege of wealth. Wealth is not a right: it is a privilege which some have and others do not.
The fact that some person has wealth means that many tasks and activities of life become much easier for that person simply because they have access to the funds to enact their desires. They are therefore, privileged. And when they use that privilege of wealth to enact their desires, they are exercising power—which is very simply the ability to exert force or influence.
Hopefully this is enough of a set of definitions to make it clear that all of us are using our privilege and power in whatever form we might have it all the time, but in case not, here’s another example.
I was privileged to grow up in an English-speaking context, making me a native speaker of the dominate global language and enabling me therefore to enact my will and desires in the world much more easily than someone for whom English is a second language. I use this power every day. The fact that I am male, white, married, educated, young and healthy, economically well off—all of these are aspects of the privilege I hold and the power I am therefore able to exert.
Once you begin to see the privilege you have and the ways that you use that privilege as power to accomplish the things you seek to do in a day, the next question becomes—how much do you rely on that power and privilege? To what extent do you entrust yourselves to your own power and privilege—your own ability to accomplish what you want to in the world?
A good illustration might be the massive Roger’s outage this past weekend. All of a sudden, many of us were unable to use the privileged power of communication or of our wealth to influence the world around us to accomplish what we wanted because the phones had lost connectivity, the internet was out, and the Interact payment system was down. The privilege of our digital world was removed from us for a day, and we felt, well, powerless! How much have we entrusted ourselves to the power of our smartphones and digital infrastructure? How much to our wealth? Our other bits of power and privilege?
The call of the Christian faith and psalms is to place our trust firstly and firmly in the Lord. Not in our great wealth. Not in our ability to exert power. So each day we have work to do to discern exactly where it is that our trust resides really. In our own power and privilege? Or in the Lord? It’s a good spiritual question for times of daily prayer before God.
The promise and reminder, of course, is that the Lord is trustworthy, indeed, he is ultimately the only worthy place to place our trust.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love...For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:1,3,4)
In Christ’s church, this is a well known and well-loved Psalm. It is often used in worship liturgies during the season of Lent, with its propensity for introspection. It raises eyebrows when it is used during Advent, a season of hope rather than self-examination. However, if we accept the Biblical diagnosis that our problem is our rebellion against God (Genesis 3), then this Psalm points the way towards Advent hope.
The angels declare unequivocally that Jesus came to save us from our sin (Matthew 1:21). Both John (Matthew 3:1) and Jesus (Matthew 4:17) declare that repentance is required to enter the kingdom of heaven. Salvation and repentance are woven throughout this song.
Joel, an Old Testament prophet, put it this way, "Yet even now, says the Lord, repent and return to me with all your heart" (2:13). We return because God both invites and calls us back. Picture God walking in the garden after Adam and Eve had eaten of that notorious fruit and calling out, "Where are you?" or picture the father, in Luke 15, looking for his son.
When they ate from the tree, our first parents turned away from God, just like that son in the parable. When God calls, He invites us to turn back toward Him. Repentance is part of the journey back to God.
In Psalm 51 David confesses his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. He also prays to God, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." David, in his sin, had lost the joy of living with God, of knowing intimacy with him.
This song mentions that God "desires truth in the inner parts." This truth only comes through the ministry of the Spirit who reveals why we are running after things apart from God. What are our motivations? What things allure us away from God? What things are giving us false satisfaction? Why do we respond the way we do to stress? Why can we not get along with that one person?
This truth most often comes in the quiet. Let us take the time to be still. And know that the Lord is God. Let the Spirit soften our hearts so that we can receive the truth about ourselves. When we offer ourselves to God in repentance, he forgives and renews our joy.
Repentance gives birth to hope. Why? Because in repentance, we stop looking at ourselves for help and begin looking God's way. God points us to Jesus and says there is the hope for your troubles; there is your salvation. Redemption is all laid out for us in Christ. We do not have to earn it, we do not have to find it, we just need to receive it.
Redemption does not come because we have repented properly or confessed all our sins. Salvation is a gift that comes freely from the mercy of God. David prays for it and receives it. Its freedom and grace are fully on display in Jesus Christ.
The road back to God is the real journey of both Lent and Advent. It is the journey of the Christian life. This is a good road, often difficult, but filled with grace, love, and hope. The journey is always worth it because the Spirit guides us, Jesus walks with us, and the Father calls us and receives us home.
When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. (Psalm 50:21)
Psalm 50 is the first of the psalms of Asaph, which tend to circle much more around the covenant and its requirements. So it is here in psalm 50, which begins by setting up a scene of judgement.
God arrives as judge and calls the heavens and the earth as witnesses. The heavens and the earth were, after all, the witnesses God called when the covenant was first made in the wilderness. This is perhaps also a reason that we find the sky blackened and an earthquake shaking the rocks at Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospel of Matthew: the heavens and the earth are testifying to a new covenant being made.
With the heavens and earth serving as witnesses, God then calls his people. He does not take fault in their sacrifices or offerings, but he does remind them he doesn’t actually need, eat, or drink the things they offer. God provides for them, not they for him. Everything already belongs to God, what could humankind possibly give him that isn’t already his? No, it is not out of our plenty that we give a bit to God: it is out of God’s plenty that we have received whatever it is that we have—and that has only been given to us to hold and distribute as a trust and for a time.
So we give our thanks offerings and fulfill our promises (like our baptismal and profession of faith promises) to God because it is right and proper that we do so, to remind us that nothing was ours to begin with, and to help us practice the posture of an open hand and a responsive life before the God to whom all things belong.
Worship is not just about dealing appropriately with the resources of God’s Creation though, it is also about salvation. We practice the habits of worship not only because we depend on God for our provision, but also for our salvation—for our help “in the day of trouble.” Nothing in Creation or Salvation is something we accomplished ourselves: it is all a work of God. We depend on him for everything.
Having set the record straight on what worship is for, God moves to the character and conduct of his people—naming disobedience, theft, adultery, slander, and false testimony. He says “when you did these things and I kept silent, you thought that I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.”
I have long found this one of the most arresting statements in all of the psalms. It addresses the main issue that the whole psalm deals with, namely that we have a tendency to imagine God in our image. So our issue is not just turning other objects and pursuits into gods of our own making—idolatry—but also making God himself into a god of our own making. So even when we’re faithfully doing the right motions of worship and avoiding idolatry, we can still be off base when we shrink God down to our size, pin his wings to the cork board like a biology project, and loose all sense of his cosmic, mysterious, holy otherness.
That goes for our ethical relationship before God when we think things like “God won’t mind a white lie” or “he’ll see and understand why I’m doing this and that I’m basically a good person.” But it also goes for our understanding of God: we easily get the sense that we are the ones that hold God up or let God down rather than understanding the extent to which we depend on his every grace and provision for the very breath that we breathe and the very life that we live.
This whole psalm is a call to remember the holiness and otherness of God—to remember that he is the judge—and that we are never able to fully know his mind or his ways. This is an invitation to stand in a humble awe and fear of the Lord and to live and worship accordingly. It is he that we depend on for our very creation and for our continuing provision and salvation—which in Jesus, unlike in the psalms, we have received in full. And so it is Jesus that our lives are to be conformed to, not he to us.
People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish (Psalm 49:20).
Ray Romano, star of Everyone Loves Raymond, addressed the studio audience after the last episode of the show was filmed. He spoke about his years as a struggling stand up comedian and then read from a note his brother had stuck in his luggage the day he moved from New York to Hollywood. "My older brother Richard wrote, 'What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?'" said a tearful Romano. "Now I'm going to work on my soul."
Psalm 49 is an interesting twist in the book of prayers. It is not a typical prayer since it doesn't address God. Yet it was used by the Jews in their worship. Notice that some of our songs similarly don't address God but each other.
This psalm is a proverb or a reflection on a proverb (4). Our text is the proverb, "People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish." A proverb invites us to reflect on life and to live wisely. You might want to pause here and read Psalm 49.
This proverb notices that wealth and power tend to coalesce in the same people or group of people. The wealthy tend to grab power to maintain their wealth, often using this power to keep their wealth from others. Those who have neither, often live in fear of those who have both.
The psalm also notes that the righteous are at a significant disadvantage. They do not live to increase their wealth and power, rather, they follow Jesus’ directive to store up treasures in heaven. This way of living makes no sense if one believes that this current existence is all we get.
When the wealthy, power hungry schemers die, they are dead. That is the end of their story. Nobody will do anything for them. But, says the psalmist, those who are righteous have another chapter.
Righteous here refers not to those who simply do what is right but to those who trust in God. While the evil will remain dead, the righteous will be redeemed from death. God will redeem their lives from the grave and give them a new home with himself.
Here we have an Old Testament allusion to Jesus. Old Testament writers did not know much about how God would redeem the world, but on occasion there are some hints. Now we know that this redeeming would come through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So, the wisdom offered in this proverb reflection is, "Don't be easily impressed by people and their wealth. All of us will lose what we gather here on this earth. But the righteous will be redeemed from death."
Maybe Jesus had this psalm in mind when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin don’t destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
It is not wealth that is the problem, but the lack of wisdom. Do you know where you are storing your treasure? Will you find wisdom before you die? Will you work on your soul before it is too late?
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 2 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- In what sense does our present moment feel apocalyptic to you?
- What does the word ‘apocalypse’ mean? And what are the things it brings to light?
- What was the situation faced by the Jews of Daniel’s day and those to whom this book was written? What was the problem faced by King Nebuchadnezzar and the wise men of Babylon at the beginning of the chapter?
- What does God reveal through Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar? What stands out to you as significant about it?
- What are some of the temptations we face as we try to respond to our own secular age? Do you resonate with one or the other? Why?
- How might an apocalyptic imagination fired by our Christian hope of Jesus’ kingdom come and our conviction that God loves the Babylons and Nebuchadnezzars of the world enable you to faithfully witness to and invest in the world around you today?
God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts...That you may tell of them to the next generation (Psalm 48:3, 12, 13).
In the Bible, cities can be centres of pride and corruption. Babylon symbolizes this kind of civilization (Revelation 17:18). However, a city can also be a centre of strength where the Lord God is worshipped. Jerusalem, also named Mount Zion, is the symbol of this form of society (Revelation 21). She is often called, the city of God.
Throughout the Biblical story, Jerusalem, as the capital city of Israel, never fulfilled this destiny to be the city of God. Therefore, the Gentiles destroyed her in 586 BC and again in AD 70. Prophets such as Ezekiel and Isaiah looked for a new city with a new, restored temple.
In the New Testament, the story turns from Israel to the church. Even before the physical temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, the church is identified as the new temple of God. Paul tells the Ephesians that they have been made members "of the household of God" and they are a building, under construction, growing "into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19-22).
So, we do not come to "God's house" on Sundays for worship. We are God's house; we gather as God's temple. Honestly, church buildings do not mean much to God. He certainly does not live in them.
When John has his final vision in the Book of Revelation, he sees the New Jerusalem, God's city, which is also the bride of Christ. This city is His church (Rev. 21:9-11).
Psalm 48 celebrates the greatness of Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Zion is great because God is great and he dwells in His city and in His temple, among His people.
The immediate context of the psalm is probably that of worshippers going up to Jerusalem for one of the major festivals. We notice that as the worshippers head towards Jerusalem they contemplate this city. They ponder what it means that God is within her.
The glory attributed to Jerusalem was never fulfilled in the Old Testament. The church, too, has fallen far short of the glory of God. We look much more like the Israel of the Old Testament than we generally care to admit. Yet, we eagerly await and look forward to the day when we will be glorious (Romans 8:18-23).
Thus, this Psalm invites us to contemplate the church of Jesus. When we think of the church, what do we think about? Do we think about all the unholy people who claim to be Christians? Do we see the faults of our fellow worshippers? Many of us do exactly that. I'm sure it is one of the reasons why we have so many different denominations.
We do need to be honest enough to admit the church’s unholy state. We should never try to minimize the hurt the church has caused.
But we are also invited to see something more. God is among his people sanctifying his church. Do we see the Spirit at work preparing the bride of Christ? Can we see people being made holy and pure and spotless? Imagine your fellow worshippers being presented as holy to the Father in heaven. Your fellow worshippers will someday be part of that holy city. God will see it done. He is faithful. What a vision to prepare us for worshipping together!
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47:5-9)
There is a bit of a call and response rhythm to these first few psalms of Book II of the psalter. Do you notice it? Psalm 44 cries out in suffering and psalm 45 responds with a hope-filled vision of the messianic wedding feast. Psalm 46 speaks to the moment the earth gives way under our feet, reminding us of the promise that God will be glorified in all the earth. Psalm 47 responds with exactly that: the glorified God ascending to his throne of glory.
This is a psalm that has been sung in the Jewish faith at the turn to the new year. In Christianity, it has often been recited on Ascension Day. In the book of Revelation, this psalm surely informs the Apostle John’s imagination as he sees the kings of the earth entering the royal city of Jesus, the King, bringing their tribute.
Perhaps this psalm also informs Paul’s vision of Jesus Christ being the one in whom all things hold together, indeed the one through whom all things (including thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities) are reconciled to God.
This is the movement of the psalm. “The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham.” Did you catch that little word “as?” The nations have somehow become the people of God! They belong to him! The promises that God has made to Abraham is fulfilled. It is not just that Abraham will be the father of many nations, but also that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through” Abraham. All peoples now come under the rule, but also the blessing of God of Abraham.
There is again something within this psalm that smacks of our future hope in Christ. That the world we see at present is not the world we place our hope in. The heavenly country we long for has a much different texture to it. No more power games or warring nations. No more economic woes. No more young men or women who die before their time or suffer from addiction or disease.
No: God is the God of the living, says Jesus. And when God ascends to take his throne: all of his promises will be fulfilled. All will be made well and right in resurrection, reunion, and reconciliation through the one who holds all these things that we’ve entrusted to him against that day, together.
Come Lord Jesus, come.
God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:1,7).
Last Sunday, I mentioned in my sermon that songs shape our theology. We remember very few sermons, but there are songs we can sing from memory. These lyrics shape our thoughts and feelings about God. In 1529, Martin Luther wrote poem based on Psalm 46. The story is that he composed it to be sung to a popular pub tune of the day. Some of you will recognize these words.
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever! “
To this day, this hymn is one of the best meditations on Psalm 46. I suspect it has shaped a few of you. I know that it formed me. But like much poetry, this psalm takes a moment to digest. Let me help a little.
Imagine the fear you would experience if you were sleeping with your family in a cheap canvass tent on the Canadian prairies only to be woken by a very loud clap of thunder. That horrifying noise is followed by a deluge of rain being driven by hurricane force winds.
This scene helps us get into the skin of the ancient Israelites. Such was their life, they lived subject to the natural elements. The turmoil caused by the nations at war against Israel aroused this same intense fear.
This is the key point of the psalm. Israel were the Lord God's people. He had called her out of the nations to fulfill His redemptive purposes in this world. But there were forces of evil bent on destroying Israel. Often, it seemed like they would succeed.
So, God says to His people through the psalmist, “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Those are the key words of the Psalm. Later it says, "Be still and know that I am God."
This psalm does not tell us that all our problems will go away. Rather, this is a testimony given to the church that as she seeks to fulfil God's calling, God Himself will ensure that the church will not fall. Many times, the church has gotten things wrong and has caused harm. Yet Jesus keeps building his church.
Storms may come in the form of ridicule from our co-workers, outright persecution on university campuses, or through temptations of all sorts. During the worst that Satan can unleash against us, God is like a river in the middle of a besieged city. He gives life while death surrounds us.
So, stop your fretting (be still). God will be exalted in the earth.
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. (Psalm 45:6)
Today’s psalm picks up almost directly on the heels of yesterday’s. A question looms in psalm 44 about the suffering God’s people have faced. They’ve done nothing wrong, and yet have been crushed. Their God and King has decreed victory, and yet they have faced defeat. As Pastor Michael noted yesterday, no answers are given to the concerns stirred up in psalm 44, just a prayer for God to rise up and rescue his people.
Psalm 45 would seem in some ways to be that answer to psalm 44’s prayer of suffering, though.
It is a psalm to mark the wedding day of the King. The King’s presence, power, and purity of character is revealed in all its royal majesty. “Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds” (45:3-4).
It all builds up to our verse today, a verse quoted in the book of Hebrews as pertaining to Christ: “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.” The King enters and rises up in the fullness of his power and majesty, vested with all the finest garments and armaments to be every ounce the God and King we would ever hope for him to be.
As the psalm continues, the bride is also described in all of her glory and beauty. The song is joyful, anticipatory, taking a long look at all the descendants to follow from the union of these two pure and noble persons. Bride and bridegroom, king and princess soon-to-be-queen: the consummation of the very best ideals of all that is good and right in the world (if you need a visual: perhaps Aragorn’s Coronation and reunion with Arwen in the white city of Gondor from the final scene of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, would be appropriate).
This psalm rhymes with the Song of Songs, and certainly looks ahead to all the beautifully cryptic language of our Christian hope: that day when Christ, the coming King will be united with his bride, the Church in that great heavenly wedding feast at the end of the age. It is a hope and a moment that encapsulates all the very best that we can ever hope for or dream: every ideal of justice and righteousness come in perfection, every notion of healing and wholeness made complete, every longing for fullness, given in abundance in ways that leave our cups overflowing.
Psalm 45’s answer to psalm 44’s suffering then, is to remember and to believe in the hope that is ours in our King.
Of course, in Christ, we have a much fuller picture to remember and believe as we await our Christian hope in our present times of suffering. It is no longer a merely human king that we look to, but Christ: one who is both human and divine—a king who perfectly embodies the truth, humility, and justice that we seek and who is mighty to save his people. This is our king who has been enthroned and our bridegroom who will come again to draw us all into the splendor of his royal reign when we take our seats and celebrate together with him at the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Dear friends: in our present sufferings and sorrows, may we never lose sight of the hope of joy, reunion, and peace to come in the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
“We are brought down to the dust, our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 44:25-26).
Often in the Christian life, faithfulness does not equal success, at least, not the way the world measures success. The clearest example of this is the ministry of Jesus. He was faithful in preaching the Good News of the kingdom, in healing the sick, in delivering the possessed, in teaching the multitudes, and in training His disciples. He was faithful in doing everything His Father sent him to do (John 17:4).
Yet all rejected Him at the end and His enemies crucified Him. By sundown on that first Good Friday, as Jesus' followers limped away in despair, it seemed that Satan had won.
Frequently in the history of the church, those faithful to God have experienced similar defeat. Untold numbers of Christians died in Hitler's gas chambers and in Russia's gulags. Other nations have made Christians the objects of military and police massacres. Faithfulness does not mean survival.
Psalm 44 is written in the context of Israel's faithfulness and defeat. A military campaign has been lost. The enemy has taken the spoils, sold captives as slaves, and deported them. The king, who is also the commander of the army, has been dishonoured, and the battle has resulted in great slaughter.
While the memory of past triumphs remains, and the hope for fresh victories has not died, the difficult fact is that God's people are defeated, and Israel's state of weakness brings reproach.
Often, Israel’s defeat is a result of God’s judgement upon her faithlessness. But not here. This psalm justifies Israel before God: “All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten you. We had not broken the covenant you made with us. Our hearts had not turned away from you. Our feet had not wandered from your path” (17,18).
She knows that victory is only in the strength of the Lord her God. And the claim is made that God's people have remained true to Him. The question is: if Israel is faithful, why is she not successful? How can a faithful people be overrun?
The question is not answered. It lingers through the ages getting picked up in Romans 8, where verse 22 of this psalm is quoted, “But because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed” (8:36). Paul uses this psalm to encourage the young Christians to remain steadfast in the face of many hardships. Here too the suffering is unexplained. We are encouraged to endure because of the glory that is to come. Suffering does not negate God’s redemption work.
Christ has accomplished salvation. This salvation is much more expansive than just the forgiveness of sins. It includes the restoration of the entire cosmos. But that salvation is like a seed that has been planted and is growing but is not yet ready for harvesting.
We live in that growth period. While we wait for the fullness of salvation, we will experience suffering. Yet, just as surely as Jesus was raised from the dead, in due time, we will experience the completion of God's redemption.
We endure suffering in the trust that God is with us and someday we will experience the glory his new creation.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 1 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- Who are the actors in this story? Why is it important to note who does what?
- What questions does this story raise and answer? What value do these have for our own faith?
- What are the Babylonians trying to do with the young nobles from Judah?
- What fundamental element of the Christian faith does this story highlight? What are some ways in which we can live into that?
- What does our future and the future of the church not depend on? What does it depend on? Why is the title of this sermon “Eat your Veggies” misleading?
I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:9-11)
These have long been two of my favourite psalms. They walk through a full progression of human experience.
Psalm 42 opens in a dry and barren place. God seems far away and the psalmist seems far away from God. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” People are taunting: “where is your God?” And the psalmist can only just remember the times when they used to go to church. But now the psalmist is lost, adrift. Far from God.
Then comes the refrain: “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
As the first scene passes to the second, the psalmist begins to remember. There’s a memory of what it was like when the relationship with God was strong and life-giving—filled with music, prayer, and love. There’s a memory of what it was like to stand in worship with the gathered congregation when things were good—when there was joy and praise and warm fellowship to be shared. The longing of the downcast soul causes one to think back, remember, and savour the goodness of what once was.
And that memory begins to spark some hard questions of lament, like why isn’t it that way now? God is still my rock, so God: “why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about oppressed...?” Why is it that I have to suffer these constant questions from my foes that make me doubt your presence and love? Why does there have to be some feeling of truth and pain in their lie about you being far off?
Then comes the refrain. “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
As Psalm 43 opens, the prayer turns from longing, remembering, and lament to petition. The fires of passion and the memory of a strong relationship the Psalmist still has with this God drives the Psalmist back to God to boldly ask for answers. “Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause... rescue me... send me your light and faithful care... let them bring me to... the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.”
And then the refrain rings out once again. “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
This whole journey the psalmist takes from longing to remembering, to lament, to petition, to a vision of hope and restoration is exactly the Christian response to the often apparent silence of God. It is a curious, counter-cultural way to live—a way of faith and hope, not of sight. CS Lewis says it well in his book, the Screwtape letters as the senior demon writes to his junior counterpart, saying:
“Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
With longing, memory, hope, and the support of one another, may this be our response as well.
“Blessed are those who care about weak people. When they are in trouble, the Lord saves them.” (Psalm 41:1).
Jesus aptly sums up Psalm 41 when he says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7).
Some of us can learn mercy by reading about it in the Bible. Many more of us learn mercy by taking the plunge and practicing it.
Some years ago, the story of Sister Helen Prejean was portrayed in the movie Dead Man Walking. Joining a correspondence program for death row inmates, she begins exchanging letters with Gary. As his execution date approaches, he asks Helen to be his spiritual guide.
Helen recoils at the idea of visiting a convicted rapist and murderer, let alone ministering to him. But responding to the nudging within her soul, she overcomes her fear. Gary is cocky and arrogant, refusing to admit his guilt and insists that he is the innocent victim of a corrupt legal system.
She is despised and publicly vilified by the victims' parents for spending time with Gary. How could she, a deeply religious nun, befriend this cold-blooded murderer? They are horrified and let her know it frequently.
Despite these difficult barriers, Sister Helen risks her name, her reputation, her own safety, to reach across them and embrace Gary with the love of God. The more she perseveres in loving him, the more his defences begin to crumble. Finally on the night before his execution, Gary confesses to his crime and asks for God's forgiveness.
She decides to stay for the execution, explaining to Gary, "the last face I want you to see before you die is not one of hatred and vengeance, but one of love and mercy."
Some of us learn mercy by reading about it in our Bibles. But most of us, like Sister Helen Prejean, learn mercy by offering it to those who least deserve it, to those who are unclean, who are despised and rejected by society.
How have we learned to be merciful? Or should we back up a step and ask, have we learned to be merciful? Mercy is one of God's qualities and thus needs to become a characteristic of his followers. Kindness, a similar virtue, makes it into the list of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Like Helen Prejean, David experiences deep loneliness in this psalm. Everyone appears to have turned against him, even his close friend. People visit him in his sick bed, acting as companions, but when they leave, they spread slander about him among the neighbours.
David can endure the trials because he firmly believes that God will lift up those who have "regard for the weak", those who are full of mercy. God stands opposed to the proud but lifts up the weak. Peter offers this application, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:5-7).
This is not a reward system, “do this and God will pay you back in kind”. This is a deep reality of the universe. It is not the proud and self sufficient who win. Mercy and love are stronger and last longer that self aggrandizement.
In an age and culture that is deeply divided, in which verbal virtual bombs are launched in all directions, Christians are being called to reach across institutional, cultural, and social walls to have regard for the weak. As you walk through the day (today or tomorrow) ask God to open your eyes that you may see the weak. And ask for a spirit of mercy.
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:1-3)
At the reception following Kevin’s funeral yesterday, I heard some version of the same comment pass over a few people’s lips. It was a noticing that in this same space of visitation and funeral over the past couple days laughter and weeping, smiles and tears were often layered over top of one another. A memory that brings a laugh in one corner of the room while a confrontation with the weight of loss cracks into weeping and embrace in the other. Sometimes these two very different emotions poured out of the same person at the same time.
And that is exactly how life is. The good and the bad get all stirred up together in ways that we just can’t pull apart so easily. Experience continues to defy our categories and our desire for simplicity.
Psalm 40 testifies to the same. It opens with a strong word of praise and thanks to God. We pray: God answers. We’re in trouble: God pulls us up from the slimy pit and sets our feet back on solid rock.
But if you would continue reading the psalm, you would find other experiences intertwined. “Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord... for troubles without number surround me,” the psalmist writes. The psalm finally ends with the simple prayer “you are my God, do not delay.”
Both of these prayers were prayed yesterday too. The prayer of thanks that Kevin has been healed and made whole in the presence of God was there. Jesus has lifted him out of the mud and mire and set his feet on the rock. Kevin will never again be shaken. Thanks be to God.
And yet, in his death, a gaping wound of emptiness and loss has just been violent ripped into the lives of so many others. Even as Kevin has been lifted out of the pit, so many others have fallen in. And so the other prayer is there too: “do not withhold your mercy from them, Lord... you are their God, do not delay.”
These two prayers are stirred up together in ways that we just can’t pull apart so easily. Just like in the psalm, the paradox can’t be resolved in either direction. It can only be lived. Prayed. Sung. Grieved.
At least, that’s the way it is here and now in this life. There will come a day though when the first words of the psalm become the final words for all of us. A day when God himself will resolve the paradox and finally bring our dissonate chords to harmony.
And that’s ultimately what keeps us living and praying. That’s what keeps the confession of this God on our lips whether our prayer is praise or lament. We trust that Jesus will return to lift us all up to a solid place, that he will put a new song on all our lips. We trust not just that Kevin is whole, but that one day we will be too: reunited with him, with one another, and with our Lord, forever.
But until that day: we sing and pray and live the paradox that we’ve been given. Lives of both tears and laughter. Prayers of intersession and thanks. Songs of sorrow, but also of hope.
Show me, O Lord, my life’s end, and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure (Psalm 39:4,5).
Standing at a bassinet, delighting in new birth, we are often unnerved by how fragile life can be. Struck by the raw beauty of a small baby, we ponder the potential of life, wondering what joys and pains this child will both experience and give. At death, we also find ourselves faced with that frailness, but not with the promise of potential greatest or filled with the fullness of hope. At death, the frailness of life can leave us empty with despair.
As a community of faith, we find ourselves in that space today as we participate in Kevin Holkema’s funeral. We cannot be faulted for finding life rather brief, a vapour, a mist, a breath; over too soon; too easily ended. That is where death brings us. We ask deep questions. Who are we? What are we here for?
We may deceive ourselves with the busy-ness of life, thinking we are more important than we really are. Our great plans may cause us to think we are indestructible. We reach for the stars. Yet, in all our bustle and activity, we are still mere phantoms. Death makes us realize how little we are, how little control we have over the destiny of our hoarded wealth and ambition. It strips us of our illusions of self sufficiency and immortality.
That is David in the Psalm 39. He has looked at life and found it wanting. What caused David to number his days? The answer: intense suffering. Extreme pain opened David to a deep work of God in his life. Dejected and depressed, David cried out to God, pouring out his soul about how brief and fragile life is.
David could not figure out rationally the circumstances of his life, except that he was not innocent. He admits that some of his pain was God's discipline. But that did not nearly account for all the trouble he saw and experienced.
With nothing left for him, he turned to God. In the Lord was a firm hope. Here was a rock. David’s lifespan was nothing before God. Yet life itself was empty without God.
Life may be frail, but with God there is salvation. God sent his Son to take away the sting of death. Jesus chose to walk the road of suffering and the grave so that we might experience more than the frailty of life. Jesus said he came so that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).
Jesus Christ came to break the bitterness of death. As he said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). God shattered the midnight darkness of death by the light of an empty tomb. If there is nothing beyond the sunset and the dark, if death is a sleep from which there is no awakening, if the grave is the end of existence than our pilgrimage here is rather purposeless, intolerably pathetic, with little incentive for goodness.
Gloriously, however, something has happened to give us hope. Something has happened. Christ has been raised from the death. Something tremendous has a foothold in this darkened scene that has changed the face of this world. Christ has turned all our sunsets into dawns.
Today, we mourn. But we do so with hope. We hope in the resurrection. Jesus was the first, all who believe in him will follow. And while we wait for our own resurrection, we look to Christ’s blood for forgiveness for our sins and to his Spirit for the empowerment to keep doing what is right and good, “for our labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings. The text is Psalm 46 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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Have you ever felt like your world or life was shaken? Write about that...
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What are some of the ways that our world and society feel like they’re shaking today, or that other people in our community might feel that the earth has given way under their feet?
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How does the fact that God is the God of Creation enable us to “be still and know that he is God?”
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How does the fact that God is the God of Salvation enable us to “be still and know that he is God?”
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How does Jesus show himself to be the God of Creation and Salvation to us still today?
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What is the hope that we hold on to in Jesus? What pictures of this hope are given to us in Psalm 46 and Revelation 22?
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. … All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. … Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. … Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior. (Psalm 38:1-2, 9-11, 15, 22)
In the aftermath of a traumatic experience, a swirl of emotions, thoughts, and questions gush through us. Psalm 38 strikes me as kind of like that.
One thread seems to ask: is this my fault? Did I sin or do something wrong? Did I fail to do something that I should have? Am I being punished?
Another thread sees an enemy at work. The enemy is scheming, lying, seeking to do harm.
Yet another thread simply laments: my strength fails, the light is gone from my eyes. Even my friends and neighbours avoid me. The loneliness and emptiness we can feel in times of grief.
But it seems like the place that the psalm finally ends—which is also the place it begins—is with God. The psalmist recognizes that no matter what our circumstances, no matter what our sins are or aren’t, no matter our need: it all ultimately has to do with God. The buck stops at his door.
Our confession comes to God. Our provision, healing, and help come from God. Our salvation from trouble, enemies, sin, and evil come from God. Our very life is a gift of God. But perhaps the hard times we face are also in some way allowed by God too: because if he really is the King and ruler of this world—then the buck stops at his door.
And so the psalmist—faced with the pain, the evil, and the traumatic griefs of this world—turns to God as the one with whom we all have ultimately to do. “Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me.” And you know this Lord, you see it. “All my longings lie open before you… my sighing is not hidden from you.”
Slowly, as the psalmist’s words pour out before God, the confused threads weave together into a prayer of submission and trust that cries out for salvation. “Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. … do not forsake me… come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.”
I think this is the prayer pattern for all of us to follow in this week as our community continues to reel from the news of Kevin’s death and as family and friends do too.
Ultimately this awful moment has to be wrestled out with God: and not just once, but over and over again as the confused threads of our hearts and questions flow all over one another. But slowly, in bringing it out of our hearts and minds and offering it up before God, our unknowing is every so slowly transformed into a trustful waiting in Him.
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
These are not words I would have selected for our community this week, as we mourn a life tragically cut short. This verse seems to mock us in our grief.
It’s been carved on many a plague to adorn our kitchen walls and encased in a picture frame for our living rooms. Sometimes preachers will choose it for a sermon text, leaving their congregations with the impression that if they just love the Lord enough, all will be well with them. As they define wellness.
The trouble is that these words are often ripped out of the context in which they have been passed down to us. Psalm 37 is not a “Don’t worry, be happy” kind of prayer. It begins, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong...”
It’s not about God giving us what we want. It is about worry, or rather, moving towards a worry-free life. But even that is not quite accurate. This psalm invites us towards lives in which we exchange despair for hope. Notice that its not quite a prayer, not directed towards God. If anything, it is directed towards God’s community of faith.
Why is despair so prevalent in this song? Because of evil and people who commit evil. They are everywhere and appear to have the upper hand. They commit acts of injustice, and they get away with it. Such people seem to have all the power, and the powerless simply get walked on.
In inviting us away from worry, and I think, uncontrollable rage at injustice, the psalmist views life from the perspective of God’s promises, his commitment to bring justice, in his own time.
This psalmist is getting impatient. We can relate to that: all the places in the world where human conflict is creating refugees and the constant killings in our communities are just few examples. But also, the tragedy of cancer, roadway accidents, and the deaths of those still in the prime of life. We can relate to the psalmist’s desire for justice now.
As the piece is composed, this singer remembers that in the end, evil doers will get their due. And the righteous will inherit the land. Jesus’ beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" is a succinct summary of this psalm.
Why doesn’t the psalmist just give us Jesus’ synopsis instead of going on and on? It’s formed around the 22 letters of the Hebrew language, so as we read it and pray it, our hearts slow down. As our brain waves follow suit, we ingest the truth that God will set all things right in His time. God did say, "I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5).
Along the way, we are offered advice that leads towards less worry: trust God (3), he is able and willing to bring justice; commit your lives to Him (5), entrusting our plans and futures into the loving arms of our heavenly Father. When Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age”, he was echoing one of the deepest melodies of the Old Testament.
We are encouraged to take delight in him (4), so that our desires change. We lose our own evil intentions and long only for the righteousness of His kingdom. God will fulfill those desires.
There is no mocking of grief here. There is a deep recognition that much is wrong in this world. The message is strong: evil will not have the final say. God’s justice will come. God’s justice means no more sickness and no more death; no more hunger and no more poverty. God himself will dry our tears.
Read this psalm again in light of the visions of the new heaven and the new earth in final chapters of Isaiah and Revelation. And let hope fill your heart.
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36:5-9)
Our community is once again rocked by a tragic death—Kevin’s. This is not the way its supposed to be.
Our words largely fail in the face of what we face, particularly in the face of the overwhelming shock and grief of a family that so many of us are connected with in so many ways.
The psalms are there for exactly such times—the times when we don’t know what else to say or pray. Psalms of lament give voice to our anger and grief. Psalms of petition give voice to our desires for comfort and grace. But there are also psalms that give voice to the God of refuge and love who meets us in such times.
With God is the fountain of life: the waters of baptism into Christ that marks each one of us as God’s very own—no matter what tragedy might befall us. With God is the feast that nourishes us in the memory that we always have a home with Christ. God provides for, sustains, and saves his people still.
God’s love searches us and finds us—no matter if we’ve flown to the highest heavens or sunk to the greatest depths—God is there. Still our refuge and hiding place when our circumstances have become more than we can bear.
There are dark places in our lives. Hard seasons with little hope. Surreal moments that shake us to the core.
This is the darkness that Jesus entered into: the light in the darkest of places. Our darkest places. And our darkness does not overcome him. Instead, in his light… ever so slowly… we begin to see light. In his life, we begin to find life again.
Not all at once, of course. But this prayer of God’s people reminds us that it does happen. That this is what we believe and that this is the God in whom we believe. It is in him that we take refuge when all else is shaken and it is he that finds and saves us even when we don’t. Because his light continues to shine in the dark places. And in his light we see light.
“O Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God” (Psalm 35:22-24).
Once again David is in trouble. It seems like his life is nothing but trouble. Many of his Psalms are requests for liberation. And David thinks God tends to be slow in responding to his pleas. Sound familiar?
The bold opening of this prayer is worth some reflection. David asks God to fight against his enemies. Have we ever made such a prayer? Would we? Should we? What should such prayers sound like today? What would we want God to do with our enemies?
Further, should God consider our enemies His enemies? Maybe we ought to turn that around: do we consider God's enemies our enemies?
Certainly, these reflections ought to be tempered with the biblical instructions to love our enemies and to bless them (Romans 12:9-12). What would it look like for God to bless our enemies? How would we articulate a prayer for God to do good by them?
As we read this psalm, it is difficult to miss David's impatience. He is being harassed from all sides. He is wearied to the bone by the mocking taunts of his accusers. He wants some relief, some space, some quiet. And he tells God that he wants it now.
Yet, the psalm weaves together despair and hope. The despair comes because of those who stand against him. At least some of these have been close friends, people he has prayed for (13). David is distressed because of their schemes, slander, and scorn. They are scheming against him, they are making false accusations against him, and they are laughing at him, gloating over his anticipated downfall.
Yet, as he voices his complaint, David's perspective began to change. Hope is born. He begins to anticipate the day when God will respond. He remembers that God takes care of "the poor and needy" (10).
David’s perspective is enlarged as he waits on God. So often we live in the moment and the pains of life make everything revolve around "the now." But God has a better perspective. There may be more important things at hand than our immediate relief. Like David, we need to learn to wait on the Lord. While we wait, we remember who he is.
As David waits for the Lord's deliverance, he does not hide. Instead, he enters the company of the faithful. Like good food, sorrows and pains need to be shared. It is too difficult to carry them alone. We do well to develop the friendships that can be counted on in trouble. Yet, for David, at least some of these friends turned against him.
Maybe some of you can relate to David. Or maybe you have let your friends down. You left them alone in their time of sorrow. An admission of guilt is a good way to start afresh. As Christians, we do need to develop the courage to walk with those in pain and the courage to admit our faults.
Into his complaint, lament, David weaves hints of praise. Even as he wrestles with God's silence, he insists that he is a worshipper of the Lord God. Though he has no clue as to what God may be up to, though he can't fathom God's silence, he will continue to put his hope in the Lord.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8-10
David wrote this psalm as a song of praise for the way God delivered him from a life-threatening encounter. David could have focused on the pain of the situation or continued to fear for his life, but instead he lifts up his voice in song to the Lord in a psalm of thankfulness.
Even for David, a man after God’s own heart, he experienced hardship, trials, and life-threatening situations. Time after time, David chose the high road, the righteous way, yet he still experienced these trials and tribulations.
Psalm 34 begins in an explosion of exuberance. “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” This begs the question, what then does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good? And what about the fear of the Lord which is brought up throughout this psalm?
I believe that the psalmist is inviting believers into a reorientation of thought and action. What would it look like to go through life with each day filled with reflection on the presence of God and God’s activity in our everyday? In the things that are too mundane, or perhaps too painful, or even too far removed from the Christian life to invite Jesus into them?
I believe that as we learn to live like God is present in every aspect of our lives that our orientation slowly shifts from fear and anxiety to fear of the Lord and joy in the goodness of the deliverance and salvation God graciously gives to us in Jesus. When the righteous cry out, God hears them and delivers them from every trouble (v 17).
Psalm 34 speaks repeatedly of a person’s mouth. For the praise of God (v 1). If we love life, we are to keep our tongue from speaking lies and evil (v 13). The Lord hears those who cry out to Him (v 4, 6, 15, 17). Taste and see that the Lord is good (v 8). The deliverance of God comes through relationship with God through prayer. Prayer filled with both exuberant praise and heartfelt tears. God wants us to open our mouths and talk to Him. He already knows our every need and want. And He is close to us through every moment of our lives.
This psalm reminds us also that each of us has a story to tell of the goodness of God. Whether we feel as though we have lived a ho-hum kind of life, or we’ve been through giant peaks and valleys, each life holds a testimony of God’s goodness. When the righteous seek the Lord, they lack no good thing. Even lions grow weak with hunger. But even though the righteous in God should go through heartbreak and troubles, when we find refuge in God, we will lack no good thing and will never be put to shame.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN
- What is the background to this text? What is this a case study of?
- In the first mess, what is pride doing in the church? How does Paul apply Jesus’ crucifixion? How would your experience of church have been different if more of such yeast was infiltrating the church?
- What is the second mess dealt with? What kind of people is Paul referring to? Have you experienced misapplications of this text? Do you know situations in which such action should have been used?
- What is at stake in the final mess of this passage? Have you been gripped by the impulses which lead to this mess? How can we avoid such situations?
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. For... (Psalm 33:1, 4a)
The opening part of the worship services in many Christian congregations include “a call to worship”. Most often this is a passage of scripture like the beginning of Psalm 33. These verses are like invitations that cannot be declined. They call us to worship God and they give us reasons why we ought to do so.
This is an important component of Christian faith and spirituality. It is true that worship is multi-faceted and singing “joyfully to the Lord” is only one facet. Yet, this invitation comes to all God’s people, even to those who do not feel like it; maybe, especially to those who do not feel like “singing joyfully to the Lord.”
Jesus tells us that we need to approach God in “spirit and truth”. He says that true worshippers of God come this way (John 4:24). This means we need to acknowledge to him that we are currently finding joy difficult.
That was my reaction when I opened my Bible to Psalm 33 this morning. The feeling of joy is not present. The past couple of days, I have been listening to the deliberations of my denomination’s Synod meeting. They have disturbed me deeply.
As some of you know, I have my doubts that the Christian denomination I am part of will survive her current struggles. This week that doubt has deepened. We live in a culture in which our ears are closed. We don’t hear each other. We live in silos. I had hoped that our Synod would be different. But I don’t think it has been. I might be wrong. But I did not get the impression that the delegates listened to each other in order to weigh the issues at hand. They had made up their minds before they came. I fear that our ruptures have grown.
But Psalm 33 is a balm for the distressed soul. It does not tell us to come and sing joyfully because we feel like it. It tells us to come because “the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (4).
A significant reason why the church gathers to worship the Lord our God is “to remember.” Life in this world is difficult. We come battered and bruised to our weekly Christian reunions. Often, we batter and bruise each other. Life causes our faith to weaken, our hope to get dented and our love to dim. By the time Sunday dawns, we are all mixed up, scratched, and confused.
Therefore, we gather to remember. We remember who our God is as we recount the things He has done and said. As we remember, our faith is renewed, our hope is varnished, and our love is strengthened.
No one is sure of the context in which Psalm 33 was first composed and sung. Verse 20 suggests that Israel may have been in some difficulty. The psalm was used to renew the hope of His people.
There is value for Christians to sing joyfully before the Lord when they are all alone. Yet, worship is naturally a communal activity. Partying alone is, well, lonely. God uses our communal worship to renew those who are dented and banged up. Worshipping God together ought also to renew fellowship.
Psalm 33 sings of three things about God: He is large and in charge, He is everywhere and always here; and He is passionate for those who look to Him in faith.
Through worship we renew our faith that God is able to weave all the circumstances of our lives together to create a wonderful tapestry that accomplishes His purposes. We see this most thoroughly in Jesus’ life. He was able to endure the Cross because of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). In baptism our lives are wrapped up in His destiny. In worship, we remember.
So, people of God, gather together and worship our great God together. Whose knows what he has in store for us.
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. (Selah) Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. (Selah) Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. (Selah) Psalm 32:1-7 (NLT)
To many Christians, the message of the Old Testament is that sin equals judgement and the wrath of God. And the New Testament then equals grace and forgiveness of sins. How do you view the God of the Old Testament? He is the same God who gave up His only Son, Jesus, so that we could be fully redeemed and forgiven.
Yet, we as Christians often live as though this were not true. We ruminate on the things we’ve done wrong, quarrel with others because we know better than them. Some days, weeks, and even seasons, whether we always realize it or not, we seem to marinate in our own sinfulness.
The psalmist did this too. He talks about how his body wasted away, his strength was sapped, and God’s hand was heavy on him when he held his sin too closely to his heart and refused to confess it. That’s because we are not meant to do this life alone.
The Lord is a secret hiding place for us. Not a place to wile away from the world and to avoid and put off and ignore the sin within us. No, God is the place where we can bring everything within us, knowing that He is our Shelter, our Protection, our Covering, and He holds the wisdom that we need for this life.
As we come to God more and more with all the sinful, broken and hurting places within us, the Lord will surround us with songs of deliverance. Not only our own deliverance, but that of believers around us that have also been set free through the forgiveness, grace, and compassion of God. God will never move in one life without impacting lives all around. Just like the expanding riffles, after dropping a stone into the water.
That means that there is a role for the Christian community here as well. The forgiven psalmist ends this poem by calling the community to rejoice. For one sinner has found forgiveness! This is a counter-cultural notion in a culture that celebrates not forgiveness, but rather Schadenfreude. That is, enjoying the punishment of others. When someone is forgiven, we often label them as “having gotten away” with something. But this psalm reminds us that we have a role to play when someone is forgiven. We are to take joy in the new life of the one who was pardoned, and, in this way, we welcome back a fellow believer who had been lost.
Don’t be like the horse or mule of verse 9 which must be controlled by bit and bridle. When we bring ourselves willingly before God, He instructs us and teaches us and slowly transforms and molds us more and more into His own image-bearers. And what greater joy in the world is there than that?!
In three locations in Psalm 32 there is the word “Selah.” It means to pause or reflect on what has just come before it. Selah positions us to hear God’s voice and to be in His presence. It is found after verses 4, 5, and 7. Often in times of pausing, God gives us a revelation that transforms something inside of us, bringing us closer to Him. I encourage you today, to read back through Psalm 32 and to pause after these verses and to reflect on their meaning for you in your own life and the life of your Christian community.
Give praise to the Lord. He showed me his wonderful love when my enemies attacked the city I was in. I was afraid and said, “I’ve been cut off from you!” But you heard my cry for your favor. You heard me when I called out to you for help (Psalm 31:22-23).
"All prayer is prayed in a story, by someone who is in the story...Spiritualized prayer is denatured prayer, prayer in which all the dirt and noise of ordinary life is boiled out" (Eugene Peterson, Answering God 47, 49).
I think we might pray too often. Now, before you call for me to be defrocked me of my credentials, let me explain. As I was growing up, our family gathered around the table three times a day for meals. No meal began without prayer and no meal ended without it. They were all about the same length and the content was similar.
The greatest variation was on Sunday mornings. Breakfast would end with a longer prayer than usual. As children, we knew to settle in for the long ride on Sunday morning. These were good rhythms for us.
But there was also a routineness that led to a lack of engagement. The words were being said, but the mind and heart were elsewhere. This is the problem Peterson identified: our prayers are somehow separated from the life we live. Faith and prayer become an add on to life. Something perfunctory.
This same problem sometimes surfaces in our Sunday worship. I hear people pray that we leave the business of the week at the door and worship God without all that stuff cluttering our spirits.
I believe that God wants us to bring all that stuff into our prayers and worship. What else did Jesus mean when He said to the Samaritan woman that God's "worshippers must worship in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24), but that we should not leave our baggage at the door? How can we worship God in truth if we our hiding our lives from Him?
Seventy-three of the psalms are linked to David, one of the people in scripture we know a lot about. The Bible records stories of David as a boy, a teen, an adult, and an old man. He is shepherd, soldier, outlaw, and king. He is son, brother, husband, and father. He is wondrously obedient and disastrously disobedient.
His story is told as from the outside. But his prayers tell the inner story. It shows his passions and fears, his longings, and his revulsions. Read Psalm 31 and identify all the inner workings of David's soul. Note all the things it tells us about him.
Jesus tells us that prayer is not meant for long recitations of empty expressions (Matthew 6:5-15). Rather, it begins, "Our Father who is in heaven..." Prayer then is connecting the story of our lives with the story of God our Father.
Prayer should deepen our lives, laying their insignificance and their significance before God so He can shape and deepen it. It is about ex-changing false gods for the God of the Bible; admitting our idolatry and longing to pray to God alone.
It is not really that we pray too often but that our prayers are too routine. So, if your prayers have become routine, do something about it. Change the way you prepare to pray. Let your prayers be honest. Speak to God from your heart about your life.
To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:8-12)
Jesus said of his disciples at the time of his triumphal entry: “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Praise is a necessary aspect of being human. It is so fundamental, in fact, that psalm 30 uses it as a reason for the Lord to intervene with mercy. For who praises God from the grave?
Harkening back to some earlier psalms, there is a realization that the silence of God toward us can feel like death. But psalm 30 suggests that our silence is also significant. Our participation in giving voice to the praises of God is essential to life.
And so the psalmist cries out for mercy not by making any claim to their own goodness or deserving, but rather to the silence that results when a faithful person no longer proclaims the saving work of the Lord in praise. Because that is a loss of the necessary vitality of life and a diminishment of the glory that is due to God. So will God not step in with mercy and help so that his very own mission in this world and through his people may go on?
Jesus expands this notion beyond where the psalm does: not only is human praise necessary to life, but the praise of God is a necessary work of all of creation—including the dust and the stones.
We, together with everything else in the world, are created to give thanks. We are created to tell good stories of God’s faithfulness, provision, and salvation. We are created to point back to God in all that we say and all that we do. We are created to witness to God through our words of praise and our grateful living that is ever more fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. This is the mission of God that continues and broadens in the work of Jesus.
Psalm 30, therefore, is deep at the heart and foundation of everything it means to be a person of faith. Not only because it places witness and praise of God at the heart of human life, but also because it tells the story of God’s faithfulness in praise.
God does save. He does bring from death to life. He does turn our wailing into dancing, clothes us with joy, and transforms our silence into singing. Not merely so that we can sing his praises, but so that we might know, deeply and personally, the song of God that is ours to sing!
And as we do: all creation joins, and all the world listens in as the mission of God in Christ goes forward into the world in the power of the Spirit.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name, worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness…The Lord on his throne rules over the flood. The Lord rules from his throne as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:1,10-11). Do you know the story of the dad trying to get a kiss from his daughter?
"Honey," he said, "come give Daddy a hug." To his surprise, she calmly replied, "You know I'm nine years old now. I'm busy." To which the father replied, "Do you know who gave you those Barbie dolls?"
After gathering a Barbie in both hands, she clambered into his lap and delivered a hug and a quick peck on his cheek. That light peck on the cheek just didn't make a big enough deposit in the Daddy account. "No, no, no. Come on. Give me a big hug."
That was when she rolled those big brown eyes and said, "That's the problem with you daddies." "What?" he said. "You always want too much love."
Do you sometimes feel the same about your Father in Heaven? He demands too much. Do you sometimes feel like saying after Sunday morning worship, "There, that ought to do you! See you next week!"?
Psalm 29 is an invitation to stay a while longer. Its intention is not to induce guilt. This is an invitation to take a second look at God, to linger on his lap, to stay awhile. God is not begging for our worship. He is simply worthy of it.
The song begins in heaven calling the mighty heavenly creatures to worship the Lord. From there we take a roller coaster ride through the created realm, catching the briefest of glimpses of God’s wonder and power displayed in His creation.
There is no small hint of laughter in this Psalm. Many nations worshipped Baal as the god of the waters and the thunders. There's an "oh ya, really?" attitude here; a rhetorical question gleefully ringing through the skies, “Can Baal do what our God does?”
The psalm looks forward to Jesus sleeping in a boat being tossed about in a storm. His disciples are petrified, believing their doom approaches. But Jesus chuckles, telling the wind and waves to relax. He is the God of Psalm 29. With a wave of his hand, he demonstrates that He has full control.
As the psalm says, "He sits enthroned over the flood; He is enthroned as King forever" (10). This is the God who gives strength to his people; the Lord who blesses his people with peace (11).
Our circumstances change. But our peace does not depend on them. Our peace depends on the Lord, enthroned in holy majesty. As storms break upon us, He gives us strength and peace. Whatever problems we face, God is still on the throne. Its worth our time to linger on his lap.
When the voice of thunder threatens, read this psalm. Hear the voice of God. Then remember that His Voice became flesh and dwelt among us. Now, that Voice, the Son of God, beckons us to follow Him. He is still the same Lord.
This voice speaks to his disciples, “I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Shall we not stay a while longer and say, "No, it is not enough"? How can our worship ever be too much?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Eccleciastes 3:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What is God saying in this text?
- What surprised you? What convicted you?
- What part struck you as important for you? What is God saying to you?
- What does God want you to do? How will you live life differently? What attitude do you need to change?
To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. … The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:1,8-9)
One of the most difficult realities of the Christian life is the experience of the apparent silence of God. We don’t talk about it much, but it is a pervasive experience that most of us know. The fact that we don’t talk about it can leave us with the impression that we are somehow alone in this: feeling abandoned while everyone else sings their heart out in worship. It can also leave us feeling like we are somehow guilty of something or unfaithful: we can blame ourselves.
But the psalmist and all the Israelites who prayed this prayer through the ages knew all about the experience of God’s silence. And together in community, they claimed it as part of the life of faith. In praying prayers like psalm 28, they declared to God and with one another that it is not always because of our sin or unfaithfulness that we fail to hear from God. Sometimes it is, but not always. There are times when God is simply silent.
Now, to say that it is a common experience is not to say that it is a pleasant one. The psalm cries out to God: “if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.” In other words, the experience of silence and separation from God feels like death. Which is perhaps why Paul in Thessalonians imagines hell in these terms: an eternal separation from God. Because to be separated from God is hell. It feels like death. And the experience of God’s silence can feel eerily similar.
But the life of faith is not only valleys. There are also mountaintops. And this is where the psalm closes. The Lord is strength and salvation: a God who blesses, shepherds, and carries his people forever.
In that last line there are echoes of the famous “footprints” poem, which perhaps helps to tie these two threads together. At the end of life’s journey a person asks God why he was absent for long stretches—why she looks back and sees only one set of footprints in the sand—to which God replies: “it was then that I carried you.”
God’s apparent silence and absence is a common experience, but it is not an accurate barometer of reality. Our God is a God who carries his people forever. A God of salvation and strength. In those mountaintop moments we know this to be true. But in the valleys where we aren’t so sure, we need to continue praying prayers like psalm 28 together so that we can remember these truths again and believe, despite what our eyes fail to see and our ears fail to hear.
May God continue to save his people and bless his inheritance, being our shepherd who carries us forever and who breaks those moments of apparent silence so that we might have life.
“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Here’s a story I’ve told before on Wilderness Wanderings. One day while Stuart Sacks was serving as a Christian Missionary in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on his porch. Stuart went out to see what he wanted. Rafael responded, "Ham, henek met." Again, Stuart asked what he could do for him, but the answer was the same. Stuart understood what he was saying but not its significance: "I don't want anything; I have just come near."
Later Stuart shared the incident with a local veteran missionary. He explained that it was Rafael's way of honouring him. "He really didn't want anything; he just wanted to sit on your porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near you."
This is David's desire in Psalm 27. It is not that he wanted to give up being shepherd or king and become a monk. David knew that no one was allowed inside the holy of holies in the temple. That was the place God dwelt among his people and only the high priest was allowed in there, and him, only once a year after lots of preparation.
But the tabernacle stood for God's presence. David wanted the pleasure and protection of unbroken communion with God in His house. What is our ambition in life today? Is it to get rich? Is it to make a name for ourselves? Is it to do some wonderful thing for God? The highest desire that can possess any human heart is a longing to see God.
Jesus taught us that there would be a day when we could experience that reality. It came with Him. God has no address on this earth. The universe is His and He is everywhere. We live in the presence of God all the time, even if we forget. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with us wherever we are.
I think that David desires more than just to be in the presence of God. He wants to gaze on his beauty and to seek him. Like many other psalms, this one comes from a place of trial and tribulation. Enemies are surrounding him; it is easy to be afraid. Our world is not a safe place either. Jesus tells us not to worry. The solution for worry is to look at our heavenly Father. Trust in God is built by paying attention to him.
The most challenging words in this psalm are the little three letter ones, "one," and "all." "One thing, only one, I have asked from the Lord," David says. "I am no double minded man. I don't want to love God and love the world too. If the Lord will grant this one request, then he may deny me everything else and I will still be happy. I am single minded in my longing."
Rich Mullins left us this prayer: "Save us from those things that might distract us. Please take them away and purify our hearts. We don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing. What will we have when the world is gone, if it isn't for the love that goes on and on with our one thing? You're our one thing. The pure in heart shall see God" (My One Thing).
It is good to be near God. May "Ham, henek met" be the desire of our hearts! But also, this, “Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith…” (Hebrews 12:2).
What one thing can you do to see God more clearly? Practice looking at him when all is well. That way, when troubles come, it will be natural to turn towards him, to sit in his presence, and receive his peace.
Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. (Psalm 26:1-3) This Psalm—like any number of others—gives us pause. Who of us would dare say such a thing to God?
But while it might seem strange in ordinary times, there are situations that crop up in our lives like a tragic death, a betrayal in a close relationship, or the cancer word where it’s not. In those situations, we might quite naturally find ourselves crying out to God, asking what it is that we have done to deserve such pain and suffering being thrust into our lives. It is a way of praying in the vein of Psalm 26.
There are some events and realities in our lives that are bigger than us—out of our control. Perhaps more of them than we might think—or like—to list. And when we realize our lack of control, we realize that we have need of God. A God who can save us. Or, in unfair or unjust situations: a God who can judge rightly and vindicate us—which is salvation all the same.
This psalm is a prayer prayed in the face of an evil world that dishes out things that we do not deserve and cannot solve on our own strength. And this is a psalm that does what it says: that relies on God fully and solely for vindication and salvation.
It strikes me more often these days that this is exactly the life that Jesus lived. Even though he had all the power and ability to control on his side, he did not wield it against his oppressors—the Sanhedrin and Romans that condemned and crucified him. He could have saved himself, but he did not. He could have vindicated himself, but he did not. Instead, he gave up his power and control, humbled himself, and submitted himself to the just judgement of God the Father. And God the Father did vindicate him, by raising him from the dead on the third day, proving Jesus’ innocence and righteousness in the process.
This is the Jesus that we trust in: the Jesus whose life, righteousness, and vindication have become our own. And as we continue to rely on his vindication and salvation, we remain connected with the reality of things—the reality that our situation is bigger than us such that we need God, that our life is a gift of God, and that the invitation of our living is to respond in congruence with the righteousness of Christ that we have received from God.
We cannot control the events or realities that we face in this world, but we can entrust ourselves to the God who in Christ has saved us and who continues to save us.
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust…Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths (Psalm 25:1,4).
The psalms of the Old Testament are the church's prayer book. This doesn’t mean that these are the only prayers or songs we offer, but that we allow them to be our prayer teachers. They will teach us how to pray the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father who is in heaven..."
Many psalms come out of the depths of broken, harassed, or desperate hearts. They seem to explode out of the psalmist; we can feel their pathos and desperation. Others, like Psalm 25, are more deliberate; they have been brooded over and carefully constructed.
This psalm has 22 verses. It is an acrostic, meaning that each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This prayer is not offered "off the cuff'. It comes to us only after careful meditated crafting. We often think that praying needs to be spontaneous. That is an illusion. The psalter teaches us that a prayer which is thought out and stylistic is as spiritual and effective as spontaneous expressions of the heart.
I have found that praying along with saints long deceased helps expand the content of my prayers. It is very easy for our prayers to shrink to the narrow confines of our own lives. Listening to and praying along with others (even those no longer on this earth) can help us discover the depth and breath of Jesus’ prayer “your kingdom come”.
Psalm 25 comes out of a time of trouble; thus, it is not prayed with a smile or exuberant joy and certainly not with a detached indifference. In this season of anguish, the psalmist explores for himself what it means to lift up his soul to the Lord (1).
So, what can we learn about "lifting up our hearts to the Lord" from this prayer? We notice that significant parts of the psalm reflect on the "way of the Lord." This pray-er believes that the way of the Lord is the right way to live and therefore he wants to be taught how to live it. He recognizes that there are different ways to live. He doesn't necessarily know God's way, so he wants to learn. Trusting in God and lifting our souls up to Him means that we seek to walk in His ways.
I wonder how many of us respond to adversity this way. It might not have been the psalmist’s first response either. Yet, as she wrestled with the troubles she faced, she came to that space where this became the desire of the heart. Maybe you have had that experience too. Our first reaction to stress is “Get rid of it, God”. But as we wrestled in prayer, the Spirit brought us to a place in which obedience became our primary desire.
Such movement in prayer brings with it a recognition that we have not always followed God's ways. It may even be that some of the psalmist’s current problems have arisen because of disobedience. So, what does he do? Does he try to hide this reality? No. He confesses it and asks the Lord to forgive. Forgiveness is possible because in His love, the Lord forgives.
Trusting in the Lord does not mean instant success. The psalmist has staked his life on doing life God's way. If he goes down in defeat, he will experience public shame. He fears that shame even though he knows that in the end God will be proven to be right.
In the long run, God will set His people secure in the land (13). Jesus makes a similar statement: "Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). We recognize this may not happen until the new heavens and the new earth. Are we willing to live in obedience to God until that time?
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:1-8)
As Christians reading this Psalm today, you can hear the themes of Creation, Fall, and Redemption flow through it. The Lord founds the world and everything in it. The people seek him, and yet the question remains whether they can stand in his presence. Do we have clean hands and a pure heart, free from idolatry? Probably not. But God is victorious, he wins the battle and the gates lift themselves up to accommodate his glory as he enters the sanctuary.
Even though the Israelites did not know Jesus, they may actually not have heard this psalm in such a different way, because since the Exodus God was a God of salvation and redemption to them. He was the one who had redeemed them from their slavery and saved them from their enemies countless times since.
But because this Psalm knows the King who redeems, it changes the whole understanding of who may ascend his mountain and stand in his presence. Psalms like this one were sung in worship, and so it wasn’t an entrance exam before being allowed into the sanctuary. It was a rehearsal of all that God had done for his people and an invitation to live worthy of this God they had come to worship: the Lord of Creation, and victorious King of Redemption.
The popular worship song of a few years back gets the sense just right: “Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts, let us not lift our souls to another.” God has saved his people: and as we seek to live worthily in light of who he is and what he has done, we recognize that God will need to continue saving us if we’re ever to meet the bar.
But that’s exactly what our God does. He comes to us to save us. This is the work of Christ, but it is also the work of the Spirit that continually sanctifies us: makes us holy and conforms us to Christ. In the presence of our God, he makes us more and more to be the kind of people fit for his presence and service.
So let the King of Glory come! Let the doors and gates of our hearts and our sanctuaries lift themselves up to accommodate his great glory, power, and strength. But when the time is ripe—at the consummation of the ages—let our world do the same, that the King of glory may come in. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions:
- How are pride and love opposites?
- Why does Paul contrast arrogance with power?
- How is pride functioning in the Corinthian church? How does it show up in the church today? in your life?
- How does pride and arrogance ruin the possibility of responding to sin? What goal should the church have when responding to sin?
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23). Without question, Psalm 23 lingers in a post Christian culture. While most people in North America do not read the Bible, this psalm is remembered.
There is a story about two men at a banquet who recited Psalm 23. The first was a famous actor who knew how to hold people spellbound with a single word. He recited the psalm first and received a thunderous standing ovation.
The second was an old preacher whose voice was cracked with age. As he recited, people began checking their text massages and changing their Facebook statuses.
However, when he was finished the actor returned to the microphone and said, "The difference between this old man and me is that he knows the shepherd."
How many of us have not read through the shepherd psalm without really paying attention to the shepherd? How many have read it countless times never asking what the psalm professes? I encourage you to take time today to meditate on this psalm.
When I read it at funerals, I indicate that I read it for the living, not for the one who has died. It is a psalm for life, for living.
At some point in his life, David began to understand just how much like a shepherd God is. God's shepherding does not mean that everything will always be green pastures and quiet waters. With God as shepherd, we still pass through valleys that reek of death. But even there, God goes with us. That truth enables us to live with and for him as articulated in this paraphrase of the psalm, with images from the workplace.
"The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want. He gives me peace when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job. He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honour Him in everything I do.
"Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I will not give up for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
"His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check. His retirement plan beats every RRSP there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His Name" (Jeff Benham).
When Jesus claimed to be the ‘Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11), he was evoking all the images of Psalm 23. Do you know this Shepherd?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2)
I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:22-24)
Many of us hear and immediately recognize the opening words of this Psalm as the words of Jesus from the cross. But before they were Jesus’ words, they were Israel’s. Psalm 22 was a prayer regularly read or sung in worship that had been sincerely prayed by many who felt abandoned and afflicted by God.
In his death on the cross then, Jesus is not only shouting out his own experience of forsakenness, but is also identifying himself with the forsaken: with all those who have prayed this prayer to God—from the time of its writing right up to the present day. For, as the book of Hebrews tells us, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…”
Many of our lives will include moments when we feel forsaken by our God. When a loved one dies, for instance, or when a painful situation rips through our family. And of course there are many others in our world on the margins who may feel that forsakenness far more often.
The existence of this prayer of forsakenness and the identification of Jesus with it tells us that it is a perfectly faithful expression of faith to ask God why he’s absent and why he has abandoned us in those times when it feels like he has. We don’t have to keep a stiff upper lip or grin and bear it. We can be honest and raw with God. He’s big enough to handle our hurt.
We know that to be true because of watching Jesus’ own suffering. The Father did not ultimately abandon Jesus to the grave. But rather vindicated him, raised him from the grave to new life: a new life that we will share in also.
Psalm 22 takes a similar turn. Mid-way through, a declaration of praise rings through the despair. Why? Because God does not and has not ultimately scorned the suffering of the afflicted one. God has not ultimately hidden his face, but instead has turned, listened, and delivered.
Jesus himself is the promise that the prayer of forsakenness never goes unheard. He comes to us to minister to us still today, finding us wherever we may be and saying: “I hear you, I understand, and I am here.”
“The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips” (Psalm 21:1, 2).
Psalm 21 is a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.
Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.
Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced God is stronger than all his enemies, and thus, the enemies of God’s people, our enemies. While they wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever (4).
Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says at Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. Like in Psalm 16, we understand that this phrase refers to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.
But this means the psalm is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It holds notes that will become the resounding chorus of Easter and Ascension. This victory of Israel’s enemies is only a small foretaste, an appetizer, if you will, of Christ’s victory over his enemies on the cross. It hints at Paul’s conclusion in Colossians 2, “Having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (15). As such, the psalm gives content for our praises in the days of Easter and Ascension.
It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these very words as he was delivered into the hands of sinful men. Even as he bore the sins of the world on the tree, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.
After passing through death on behalf of his brothers, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.
Can we hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb? Can we hear, as Jesus sat down at the Father’s right hand, the angels praising God, “The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!"
There is more here for us. We can have confidence today that our enemies will not overwhelm us because Christ has prayed for us. His hearts desire is that all those whom the Father had given to him may be with him where he is, to see him in his glory (cf. John 17:24). God will give his Son his heart's desire and will not withhold the request of his lips. Our future is guaranteed.
Paul affirms this in his letter to the Ephesians writing, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (1:3). And later, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (2:6-7).
We cannot imagine the joy that awaits us when God’s redemption is complete. Psalm 21 whets our appetite and invites us to live in expectation of what awaits us, and while we wait, to sing God’s praise.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)
We are always and everywhere tempted to believe that salvation comes by our own accomplishment. By the work of our hands we establish ourselves and provide for ourselves and our families. By our own firm stands we defend ourselves, our family, and our institutions.
And, there’s something to that notion. We do have things to do to get in on the action of God—we do have callings and things that we’re equipped for by him, things that we do out of a grateful response.
But there’s an important caveat. Quite a big one, in fact, upon which the whole goodness of the good news of the Gospel rests, and it’s this: that our trust finally rests not in our own work, but in God’s.
It is a super simple principle, but we get it wrong all the time. The Old Testament is littered with examples, especially through the history of the books of Samuel and Kings.
Subtly, slowly, the people would again find themselves believing—first through their actions and then through their hearts—that if salvation from their enemies or struggles did not come by their own hands it would not come at all: which is the same as confessing no god at all. We first live, practically and pragmatically, like there is no god and then eventually our mind and hearts catch up with our lived confession.
It can happen in so many different ways. It happens in the usual ways we might think of, certainly. We stop going to church and participating in the life of the Christian community, or we become addicted to a particular sin. But it happens in far more subtle ways too that may pass our gaze and impact each of us in ways that might surprise us.
For instance, when Christians fight with one another. To keep a conflict healthy and fight fair and Christianly is no easy task, which means that fighting is a high-risk activity. When our passions stir, it is easy to allow less-than-Christian means into our actions for the sake of winning the day: things like self-righteousness, pride, lovelessness, control, slander, manipulation of people or process, gossip, anger, and more. Each of these are examples of trusting in ourselves rather than entrusting ourselves to God: just a different version of chariots and horses.
Our confession of faith is different though: that while some trust in chariots, some in horses, some in gossip, some in control: we are continually called to trust in the name of the Lord our God, who in Jesus has come and won the final victory—the only victory we will ever need. Our salvation along with the salvation of the church are found in him.
How might you live out that trust in Christ today?
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and My Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Like me, many of you have likely heard this verse prayed during a worship service. Preachers will pray it just before they begin their sermon. It is a good practice; I’ve done it many times myself. We preachers will also pray such a prayer when we are in our studies preparing sermons or devotions.
But have you ever prayed this prayer? I assume most of you are not preachers, yet I ask you this question. Have you prayed this prayer for yourself? How often have you asked the Holy Spirit to sanctify ‘the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart so that they are pleasing to God’?
It is unlikely that this psalm was originally prayed by a preacher. The NIV editors ascribe it to David. The psalm headings are not considered part of the inspired Word of God; thus, we readily admit they might be wrong. This psalm is included in Israel’s song book to be prayed by all, including all of us. That includes you.
How did the psalmist come to give voice to this prayer? Let’s take a quick look. This song can easily be divided into three stanzas. The first, verses 1-6, is a magnificent poem detailing how the natural world exudes with the glory of God.
The Belgic Confession, Article 2, teaches us that the creation is one of the two ways that we get to know God. It takes its cue from Psalm 19. We can learn much of God's grandeur, greatness, creativity, and providential care if we spend time in God's creation, observing it.
We can easily imagine, David the shepherd, alone at night with his father’s sheep mesmerized by the moon and stars and in the morning watching the sun creep over the horizon warming the air.
The second part of the prayer, verses 7-10, takes delight in the spoken and written words of God which give direction for living in covenant relationship with the Lord. This psalmist recognized that there are different ways in which we might live. Moral choices must constantly be made. The psalmist declares that God's ways are the absolute best.
Moreover, these words are life, they are refreshing like cool streams of water. They give guidance among the confusing choices of the day and reassurance for the fretting which interrupts our sleep. They offer forgiveness and the courage to forgive. God’s kindness is on display moving us towards mercy.
Having feasted on God’s glory displayed in God’s creation and in God’s word, beginning in verse 11, the psalm concludes with a personal reflection on these two great sources of info for God. This composer wants her life to measure up to God's standard. Notice, it is only after she has spent time with both God's creation and Word that she moves to this conclusion. I highly recommend the psalmist's pattern.
We are invited to stand in awe of God. Not just of God's greatness and majesty, but also of God's mercy and grace. We can ask for forgiveness and the grace to lead a blameless life. Surely this is a prayer that we all ought to pray.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:16 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What has been hard for you in life over these past years? How are you doing now? Take time to take stock.
- Paul reviews his 4-chapter essay up to this point: what again was the foolishness (and wisdom) of God that we’re called to emulate? Why aren’t we supposed to boast?
- What does it mean to be “of Christ?”
- What does it mean to imitate Paul (as he imitates Christ)? Said differently: what does it look like to live out our identity as those who are “of Christ?”
- What does seeing our suffering as connected to the suffering of Christ do for us? How does our own dying to ourselves participate in that work of Christ that transforms the world and brings the kingdom?
- Does your life look like the cross: like the death and resurrection of Christ? Where might you be called to die to yourself this week?
“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1).
This opening phrase of Psalm 18 may suggest to us that this will be a nice, gentle psalm. It is anything but. It is filled with bold colours, powerful metaphors, haunting images, and violent movements.
John Calvin wrote that the creation is the "theatre of God's glory." It may have been this psalm which inspired that phrase. David, having spent his life shepherding sheep, hiding in caves, and defeating enemy armies knows a thing or two about this creation. That intimate knowledge fashions his prayer.
Let's take a brief look.
In the first movement God is rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, stronghold. But wait a moment. These images of mountain strongholds are all preceded with a pronoun. David says, "The Lord is my..." I uspect that we ought to follow David's example more often. Find the strongest elements of God's creation to describe what God is to you.
In the second movement, David uses creation metaphors to describe how he almost dies: cords of death, torrents of destruction, cords of the grave. Have you ever dared to uses such images to describe the state of affairs in your life?
The third movement of this psalm imagines the creation coming apart before God's approach: trembles, quakes, shakes, smokes, parts. Here God does not come in light, but in the darkness of judgement. It's an edge of your seat horror show.
Then, suddenly, the imagery shifts. This horrifying God reaches down, shepherd like, and picks up his trembling lamb from the cliff of disaster. As enemies surround him, cutting off his life, God pauses, picks him out of the fray and sets him in a safe place.
Why? This is who God is. He has an eye for those who seek Him. When the psalmist declares his own righteousness, he is not suggesting that he is perfect, having ever sinned. No. It's another way of saying, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God" (Ps. 42:1). God comes to those who seek Him.
Now God becomes the teacher: God is the master and the psalmist, the apprentice. Notice all that God does for and teaches this psalmist. All this training is so that he can go out and deal with his enemies. David is not rescued in order to be spared the struggle. Rather, God uses David to deal with those who oppose Him. Remember, God's enemies are David's enemies.
David is amazed at how thoroughly God has carried him through the storm and how thoroughly God has raised him over his enemies. Thus, he praises God.
We too can pray this prayer. Read Ephesians 2:6-7 and Psalm 42 in light of those verses.
Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:1-2,15)
These are the first and last verses of the Psalm. They recognize that though we might seek to live the best life we can in this world there are some things that are simply out of our control. The psalmist still had enemies. Even though the writer remained honest, it didn’t mean that others did.
There is evil, hurt, and hardship in this world that we cannot protect ourselves from, nor escape. The rash of shootings in the States remind us of this all over again. The cry for justice and vindication for the innocent against evil enemies is a real thread that runs through our world and our prayers.
But it also hits home sometimes. Our trust can be so betrayed by someone we love or trusted that this prayer for vindication finds its way to our lips. Even doing everything right—still we find ourselves blindsided by some evil that wreaks of injustice, lovelessness, or betrayal.
Or, perhaps it happens to someone we know. A friend’s marriage is blown apart by addiction, or an affair perhaps. Whatever the case: we feel powerless, or feel the powerlessness and vulnerability of the one we love. They did nothing wrong, and yet still their life is blown apart.
The psalmist, in that place of powerlessness finds that they are never completely powerless though. There is a God who sees what’s right. A God who judges. A God who will make things right, even when we cannot. That’s a profoundly good thing.
As Christians, we now know who that God is: Jesus Christ—the innocent one who himself was betrayed unto death. On this Ascension Day (yes, that’s today), we remember that he is the same one who has ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from which he will come to judge the living and the dead—including the stuff in our own lives.
But as we wait for his return, prayers like these in Psalm 17 continue to give us a language for expressing and acting against the injustice we see and feel in a faithful way—a way that continues to keep us from falling into despair or the sin of retaliation ourselves, even when we are otherwise powerless to act.
And, as we entrust our case to God, we also receive a promise. At the beginning of the psalm we find ourselves praying to the God who sees. But in the end, we take comfort and hope in the fact that this is the God that we ourselves will see—face to face—even as he vindicates us and welcomes us into his home of shalom where justice, peace, and belonging assure us that all will be well from now on.
"I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing’” (Psalm 16:2).
Helena and I choose Psalm 16 as our wedding text and Rev. De Bolster, then president of Redeemer College, preached from it during our marriage ceremony. I admit that I don't remember what he said. I do remember that it was a very hot July afternoon.
Regardless, it was a good choice. The psalm invites us to live life from the perspective of verse 2, "I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'"
Consider this question: "What makes life good?" Before you go on, answer the question for yourself. Don't give the right answer. Be honest and give the answer that is true for you. What makes your life good?
In Psalm 16, David invites us to give this answer, "As long as God is with me, life is good. And since God is always with me, life is good."
David was not avoiding the troubles of life. He knew enough of them: facing Goliath, running for his life from Saul, his terrible conduct with Bathsheba and Uriah, his son rebelling against him. I suspect that David would have agreed with the Heidelberg Catechism that we have three basic enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil (A 127).
These three continually attempt to draw us away from God. Thus, David begins his Psalm with, "Keep me safe, O God." The good life begins with trusting in God to keep us close to Him. David’s opening plea is for more than physical protection. It includes the petition Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13).
Let’s return to the question, “What makes life good?” When you answered it for yourself, did you include any spiritual considerations. I suspect many of us think first of material success when we think about the good life. If so, we have succumbed to the culture of materialism. How can it be that we, who follow Jesus, give so little thought to spiritual wellness?
Further, David takes delight in those who belong to God and is abhorred by those who oppose Him. We can't delight in God while turning our noses at His people. Enjoying the presence of God means we will stick with His people and delight in them.
At the same time, there will be within us an abhorrence of all things evil. We will flee from them. Not that we will avoid people who don't believe in Jesus, but we will flee from activities that draw us away from God.
From here, David describes how his life is good and secure because all things come from God himself. At the end he gives us one of the few Old Testament glimpses of the future resurrection. Peter quotes from these verses in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:25-28). David glimpses that life after death is still physical, human, body life. And that such life will be lived with God in a way we do not experience yet.
David recognized that God would not abandon him, even when he died. He would also, I think, agree with the opening words of the Heidelberg Catechism, "My only comfort is that I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ."
I'm didn’t grasp all of this when we choose Psalm 16 all those years ago. But what better way to go through life than with these words of security.
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. (Psalm 15)
Who may dwell in the presence of the Lord? The Psalmist gives a pretty high bar in response.
If we examine ourselves against this list, we might very well find that we’ve done a good job in some areas: we keep our promises perhaps, have never accepted a bribe. But even if we’ve not transgressed some of those narrow statements, who of us can really say that we’re blameless? The Scriptures would tell us that none of us are. And if we think we are, then we’ve deceived ourselves.
But if that’s the case, then who may dwell in the presence of the Lord? It seems a hopeless question.
And yet, the Psalms are not the law. The Psalms are prayers. They are worship. Liturgy. The Psalms are spoken at the sanctuary, in worship: in the presence of the Lord. And so this psalm cannot be a judicial decree that bars us all from entrance: somehow it must mean to tell us something different.
Perhaps flipping our understanding around a bit might help. What if instead of an entrance exam, this psalm is more like the guide for grateful living in a worship service, or the call to discipleship? As we gather in the presence of the Lord, we recognize that the only way we stand in his presence at all is because of what he has done in inviting us, saving us: calling us his own.
Far from the fear and death produced by the law we’ll never measure up to, God’s underserved gift of grace that invites us holds out the possibility of transformation as a different response wells up within us: gratitude—thankfulness for what he’s done.
Hearing these words today as Christians, we recognize in this invitation an invitation to respond to the gift of Jesus by being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. In the name of Jesus and because of his gift, we gather in the sanctuary of God. We may dwell with God now even as the Spirit dwells within us. All the actions this psalm speaks were carried out by Jesus perfectly: he was blameless. And his blamelessness is now our own.
So we now are those people who may dwell in the presence of God. And we are now those people who will never be shaken. But we are also those people who are invited to work out the gift that Jesus has worked into us. We are invited to live like he did: to do what is righteous, speak the truth, love our neighbours, lend to the poor, and keep our promises even when it hurts.
We do these things as a grateful response to the gift of righteousness that we have received in Christ. And we can do them, because belonging to God, we know that we will never be shaken.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What was the role of the temple in the Old Testament?
- What is the crisis?
- With the temple still standing in Jerusalem, consider how radical Paul’s words were for the churches.
- What is Paul’s point in his farming parable? How does that effect our work on Christ’s behalf?
- In his building parable Paul emphasizes the foundation that is already laid. What kind of materials can we use in building on that foundation?
- How will we live out the truth: we belong to the Lord? How does this change the way you think about this congregation?
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge” (Psalm 14:1,4,6)
There are various reasons why lament rises from the heart of the godly. In Psalm 14, it is ‘the fool’ who causes the dirge. Biblically, the fool is not someone who lacks street smarts or survival skills, rather, it is the person who lives as if God does not exist. Since people without God need to survive by their own skills and power, they will often crush the poor and the righteous in their pursuit to collect resources. Thus, the psalmist moans, “They devour my people as though eating bread…you evil doers frustrate the plans of the poor…” (4, 6).
Still, we are reminded that God is the refuge and the restorer of fortunes for both the poor and the righteous (6-7). In the end, evil doers will get their due. This invites us to reflect on our trust in God, His sovereign reign over this earth and over our lives. Do we truly believe that God is with us?
We do need to be careful how we phrase this. It is not that God is on our side, in the sense that we get to decide how God should act. Rather, he has promised that evil will not go unpunished and that He will care for those who seek Him. Can we wait for Him rather than seeking vengeance on those who wrong us?
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Here lies a truth we need to reckon with, namely, that what comes out of our mouths has come from our hearts. The heart is the centre of the human being. It is our core, the wellspring of our attitudes, feelings, and beliefs. It is the great internal processor through which all that we receive by way of our senses gets sorted and interpreted.
We are not merely emotional, nor merely intellectual, but a combination of both and more. How our heart processes things is important. The wise father of Proverbs advises his child, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (4:23).
Psalm 14 might be used to generate a diatribe against atheists outside the church. But that would be largely fruitless. It seems wiser to recognize that there are generally two very different kinds of atheists.
There are atheists who vocalize their atheism for all to hear. But there are also many who say they believe in God with their mouths but live as if he does not exist. They say that God is Lord of creation, but rarely live by that confession. Such atheists do populate the church.
Alcoholics Anonymous believes that the most important hurdle an addicted person must surmount is to acknowledge, deep in the soul, not being God. No mastery of manipulation and control, at which addicts excel, can overcome the root problem. To some extent, we are all addicts. We must quit playing God, and then allow God himself to play God in our lives, which involves daily, even moment by moment surrender.
As the psalmist laments, heart-atheism becomes social oppression. If the self makes its own rules and satisfies its own compulsions, the social result is that people around me become food—material that I can use to fulfill my needs. I no longer look on them as persons but as stuff that I can use to make life satisfactory.
One of the great myths of our age is that what I believe is nobody’s business but my own; what I do in the secrecy of my own heart is of no account to anyone else. This is bad psychology. What I believe is everybody’s business because what goes on in my heart very soon shapes the way I act in society.
Heart-atheism is the belief system of self-righteousness. It establishes me at the centre and arranges things, people, events, and God around me in such ways that no matter what happens I am right. ‘The voice of the “I” becomes the voice of God.’ Everything is viewed and interpreted in relation to the sovereign me. We can often manage this with an extraordinary degree of success. Because of this the Psalmist warns, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalm 14:2).
We are invited to examine our hearts. How much atheism lives within us?
As we learn to trust God, the Spirit nourishes spiritual fruit within us. We have the space to love others; joy and peace, rather than anxiety, are kindled deep within us. When we seek God's Kingdom, the Spirit's fruit grows. We seek this Kingdom when we trust God.
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken. But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13) There is a torrent of pain and suffering constantly battering our senses and burdening our hearts. It’s in our lives, it’s in our world. We can’t engage meaningfully with every evil and ill we face though—it would flood over us, overwhelming us again and again. Often it does, in fact.
When city planners of the past decades would come across the not unrelated problem of unruly waters that would flow their banks every spring. They solved it by burying it. That was the case for the Chedoke Creek that flows underground near (or under?) our church’s property. The landscape has been flattened and made useful, but no one sees or hears the waters of that creek anymore until they spill over the escarpment in the Chedoke waterfall, and then just as quickly as they appeared much of them are gone again into another culvert.
Slowly we come into awareness though, of the fact that we human folk are somehow healthier when graced by the sound, sight, and even touch of live, running water, no matter how unruly it may, at times, be. And not only us, but the ecosystem is likewise healthier when creeks, streams, and swamps are left alone to clean the water and provide habitat for a myriad of other creatures of God’s Creation. Nothing lives or is brought life though when a creek is banished to a culvert and its once carved creek-bed is flattened to pavement.
So it is with our emotional world and our experience of grief and suffering. Like so many practical man vs. nature solutions of the decades past, we’ve often buried this river of hurt, painting on smiles if necessary.
But when we don’t face the suffering we experience, it doesn’t get the chance to drive us to the ultimate questions of life, death, and God that are important to ask. Questions like, “Is God really in control?” “Is He really present, or has He forgotten us?” To look at suffering in the light of the day is to grapple with the foundations of our faith and to cry out like David, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
If we don’t confront suffering—we implicitly deny the hope offered by Christ in the face of it. On the other hand, if we accept suffering without question, we implicitly deny the unacceptable reality of the sin and evil in our world that Jesus came to save us from. Both are ways of shunting our suffering underground.
So it’s important to daylight the river of human suffering—our suffering—to look it in the face and turn it into prayer before God. That’s lament: prayers, questions, and cries that arise when deep suffering and deep faith meet, offered to the God whose love never fails.
That is what David does in Psalm 13. And it is only in this honest place of wrestling with both our sufferings and our faith that we discover the deep places where the salvation we have in Jesus really meets the deep pain, suffering, sin, and evil of our lives. And that: being saved out of those places by the gracious action of God again and again—that is what can make our hearts to sing.
Everyone lies to his neighbour; their flattering lips speak with deception. “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times (Psalm 12:2,5,6)
Does it seem to you that Psalm 12 describes our society? Do we expect the truth to be spoken? As I listened to the opening part of the Ontario leaders’ debate on Monday night, I found myself inclined to mistrust everything I heard. We don't really believe the campaign promises made, yet we vote for those who make the biggest promises (which means, the biggest lies).
Centuries after David penned this lament, the apostle Paul wrote, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
CEOs tell us they care about the laid off factory worker while they deposit their bonuses for streamlining the company. And we the consumer, we shrug our shoulders and purchase their merchandise (which we don't really need).
Eugene Peterson once described the state of our culture:
"The puzzle is why so many people live so badly. Not so wickedly but so inanely. Not so cruel but so stupidly. There's little to admire and less to imitate in the people who are prominent in our culture. We have celebrities but not saints. Famous entertainers amuse a nation of bored insomniacs. Infamous criminals act out the aggression of timid conformists. Petulant and spoiled athletes play games vicariously for lazy and apathetic spectators. Aimless and bored, people amuse themselves with trivia and trash. Neither the adventure of goodness nor the pursuit of righteousness gets headlines" (Run with the Horses).
How should Christians live in such a treacherous society? First, we need to recognize the state of things, acknowledging that truth is not loved around us. This is not a matter in which Christians ought to feel superior, but one in which we ought to test our own hearts, examining how easily we get caught up in lies.
In his psalm, David recognized that a society built on lies mistreats its citizens. The ones on the bottom of the socio-economic pile will get buried deeper and deeper. It is the powerful who create the lies for their own advantage. They gain from the lies. But it is a dangerous game they play, “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them” (5).
We must ask ourselves. Where are we in the pile of lies our society lives on?
Secondly, we ought to join David in his prayer, "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue" (3). As dangerous prayer! Will our tongues and lips survive? We will not defeat evil. The enemy is too strong. Rather, we pray that our warrior King will be defeat evil. We wait for His justice and for his Spirit to sanctify our living.
Thirdly, David says, "The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver..." (6). The antidote to the lying in our society is a delight in the truth which is found in God's Word. It reveals the way to true life. Do we love it?
And so, we pray that our lives will be permeated with God’s words, not marked by uncontrollable tongues. If we’re controlled by the Spirit, we won’t manipulate people. We will minster to them. And we will experience fullness in place of emptiness, wholeness in place of fragmentation, and fellowship in place of loneliness.
In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. (Psalm 11)
What do you do when you’re backed against a wall? Only hanging on by a thread? Threatened? Stuck?
That’s the context of this psalm. When everything is hopeless and you feel helpless what do you do? Some might say: flee away! Run as far as you can! Escape your troubles! Elijah did that. He ran for his life all the way to the mountain of God in the desert to try to find some steady and solid place in which he could reclaim his trust in God in a time when he felt all alone and abandoned. When he arrived though, God asked him: “what are you doing here, Elijah?” An arresting question.
Of course, maybe the writer of this psalm felt the sarcasm of those who were telling him to flee. They were taunting, shaming. Taking advantage of the fact that the psalmist was all alone. We do attempt to assume that everyone is tolerant and nice and whatnot, but there are bullies out there. People that cheer for our downfall. People that would love nothing more than to see us throw in the towel and walk away a failure.
Of course, when we’re talking about those who might root against us because we’re Christian, or people who might root against the church, we may very well be talking not about bullies but about people who have been hurt by the church. There are a lot of them. And those of us inside the church increasingly feel some of that pain too. Residential schools are one example. Sex abuse scandals another. It’s hard to stand firm in the name and identity of “Christian” these days when it means wearing all these public sins that tarnish the name of “church.” So maybe folks are right and it is time for us to just go away already. Indeed, lots of people have.
So: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” When the church is shrinking, when its witness is broken, when our discipleship falters, and when even God seems distant: what can we who place our hope in Christ do? Should we give up and flee?
We can’t. Somehow beyond all doubt and arrows shot from the shadows, we hold faith that the temple is not empty after all and that the King still sits on his throne. Somehow, someway, even when everything is hopeless and we feel helpless, we remain because of this curious confession the psalm begins with: “in the Lord I take refuge.”
We do not stand as the church because of our own righteousness—indeed, left to ourselves the record doesn’t look so good. No, we stand because Jesus stands. We stand because the one in whom we’ve taken refuge forgives and redeems us. We stand because we trust that he will do right and that he finally will see us through until the day we see him.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Corinthians 2:3-16 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
1. What distinctions do we tend to draw between ourselves and others—whether others in the world or in the church? How has this passage played into the way we draw those distinctions?
2. Where are we at in the letter of 1 Corinthians? Where does Paul’s current train of thought begin and where does it end (hint: think in chapters, not verses)? What is the overarching concern of that large section and how does/should that guide the way we hear the present passage?
3. In what words, phrases, and verses do you see the idea of “Christ Crucified” lurking in this passage about spiritual mysteries? What difference does it make to see the crucified Lord in all these places? How does it change the way one might live?
4. Pastor Anthony mentioned that verse 15 might be about the Spirit only, and not about us: how does that change our understanding of the distinctions we might (or might not) be able to make between ourselves and others? How does the mind of Christ further enable us to make bridges instead of distinctions?
5. How might the way you live and the things you say be shaped by Christ crucified this week?
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. … Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal. (Psalm 9:9-10,19-20) Most of this Psalm is a prayerful song of praise to God for who he is as Judge of the Nations and what he has done in showing himself to be a refuge for the oppressed against their oppressors. But near the end of the Psalm, the tune begins to turn from praise to plea. A plea for justice and judgement against the nations and the wicked.
A funny thing happens across the Psalm: the whole of the congregation who may have sung or recited this Psalm identify themselves with the oppressed and needy. “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed” and a God who never forsakes those who seek him. On the other side, the enemy is identified with the nations, the mortals, the wicked ones.
I have often found it hard to draw such hard lines as the Psalms do. I am rarely as confident in my own righteousness so as to shout out with David: “vindicate the integrity of my cause!” I likewise have a hard time slapping the label of wicked on anyone and asking for them to be destroyed.
But there’s more to the prayers of the Psalms than just these hard lines and categories. Surely there were wicked people and enemies in Israel too. Surely there were wealthy and arrogant people that would not have so well fit the category of “the oppressed.”
And yet, when the Israelites came to worship before their God, they became “the needy.” To ask for salvation and justice from God is to admit of one’s need. To recognize that there are, in fact, powers with which one cannot reckon on one’s own is to admit of one’s need. To recognize that one is “only mortal” is to knock all of one’s arrogance and pretentions to power down to the appropriate lens of perspective that allows one to admit of one’s need.
The Israelites are so humbled as they enter worship and remember again that it is only by God’s work and not their own that they are ever saved and preserved, whether they find themselves in humble and oppressive circumstances, or not. And this then becomes the prayer for the nations too: may they also be reminded that they are but mortal. May they also be humbled in the presence of God so to admit of their need.
This, I think, is a very good way to hear this Psalm spiritually for all those of us who might not find ourselves to be particularly “oppressed” at any given moment.
But of course, there is also the very real and hard thread that runs through this Psalm too that we just can’t ignore: the Judge will judge with justice. Those who really are oppressed or needy, those who are addicted, abused, homeless, hungry, or afflicted in whatever other way—they have a refuge in God when they seek him. Not just because he comforts them, but also because he brings justice.
This Psalm then is also a call to all of us who may not be oppressed to keep a keen eye out both for those who are, but also for the ways that we might be contributing to their oppression. This is where the spiritual meets the practical: as we are humbled to our own mortality and need in worship before God the judge, we are called to gain the eyes to see others who were already there.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1 & 9)
John Calvin gets credit for suggesting that the psalms contain both the entire gospel and the entire range of human emotion. Psalm 8 transverses the vast kaleidoscopes of both the gospel and the human soul.
Consider the stanza that brackets the song, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” God's name is compared to all the grandeurs of the created order. David knew a few of those: the delicate flowers along the creek banks, the roar of the lion, the bond between mother sheep and her lamb, the vastness of the night sky unmarred by modern streetlights, just to name a few.
But among all the majesty of the created order, there is nothing that matches the majesty of God's name. God's name evokes everything from fear of condemnation to outright frolicking. When we know God, its difficult to be indifferent. We either fear his judgement against our self-aggrandizement or we revel in the depths of his love.
Greatness tends to arouse jealousy and enemies. And this majestic God has His enemies. But here are hints of the gospel, the praise of infants will silence the foe and the avenger. It will not be great deeds that bring peace on earth, rather, the small and weak will lead the way. Reminds us of Christmas and Jesus welcoming children!
Having been awed by the glories of the heavens, the psalmist replaces the telescope with the microscope. After marvelling at the stars, he marvels at humanity. "What is...the son of man that you care for him?"
Biblical scholars’ debate who is referenced here. What does the "son of man" mean? It's difficult to know exactly what David meant by this. But this we know: the New Testament writers saw a shadow here pointing towards Jesus. In Hebrews 2 this psalm is used to validate that Jesus is greater than all the angels.
We also know this: that we will be like him. We, those who believe in His name, are being remade to be just like him. We humans were meant to be the rulers of the creation. Today, we are making a mess of things, but some day we will know how to rule just fine.
This psalm takes its cue from the glories of creation. But its thrust is not about creation as a whole. It focuses its lens on the one created to lead all of creation: humanity. “What is man?” it asks, hinting that the honest answer is, "not much; a disaster, mostly."
But God was not satisfied with that. Nor was he willing to abandon us. No, he set out to recreate, to reshape, to restore. At the heart of the restoration is Mary's baby boy. How absurd! Jesus, the Word of God; he flung the stars into space, heaped up the mountains, scooped out the Great Lakes; now he lies in Mary's arms, nursing from her breast.
How undignified! How bewildering! The hope of the world? Indeed.
What can we say except, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
The creation is awash with the glory of God. David saw it. He composed poems and songs about it. Living in dense urban centres, many of us have few opportunities to really see. But that is the thing isn’t? We must open our eyes and see. Even in concrete jungles there is plenty of evidence of God’s majesty. Look for it.
To really sing, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” we must see what God has made. But then, we must also know the ‘son of man’ of Hebrews 2. When we know him, “O Lord”, becomes, “our Lord” and we join the song.
God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:11-17)
Psalm 7: another real good example of the deeply rooted faith of the Psalms that takes God and evil seriously and that finally rests in submission to God and his justice.
At the beginning of this Psalm, David brings his case before God, his refuge, by saying: “Arise, Lord, in your anger… Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High” (vv. 6-8)
But, David also leaves room for his own presumption of innocence to be overturned by the God who is Judge, by saying: “…if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—then let my enemy pursue and overtake me…” (vv. 3-5).
And here we have a picture of how the faith of the Psalms understood God’s wrath and judgement to be enacted practically, especially through the final verses of the Psalm that I’ve included in our reading today.
God’s deadly weapons of wrath are displayed, says David, not in activity, but in passivity. God enacts his wrathful judgements by allowing the one who has dug a pit to fall into it, by allowing the trouble one has caused to recoil on them, and by allowing the violence one has committed to come down on their own heads. The fact that God does not save from these calamities of one’s own making, is the evidence that God has passed judgement.
I’ve been struck often in these last years by how many Biblical narratives in the Old Testament and the New portray this exact movement of God’s judgement: a judgement and wrath enacted not by the addition of punishment, but by the removal of presence. The narrative of the Ark of the Covenant we preached through from 1 Samuel earlier this year is an excellent example. The people wished to fight their battles on their own, and so God lets them. It doesn’t turn out well.
Our conception of hell and final judgement fits this picture too. In 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul writes that those who were shutting the Christians of Thessalonica out of society for their faith in Jesus would themselves be “shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” which would be their destruction. C.S. Lewis puts it the same way as he writes: “There are only two kids of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ’thy will be done.”
This is far from the picture of an angry, vengeful God that we catch on first blush when reading Psalm 7 or any number of other passages in the Bible. It is a God who sounds rather more just. A God who does not step in to keep troublesome people from receiving the trouble that they seek, but also a God who actively grants salvation and mercy for those who seek to find salvation and mercy in him. So like David, let us be exactly that sort of people.
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony used Psalm 5 to remind us of the basic elements of Lament: taking God seriously, taking evil seriously and submitting ourselves to God. Prayers of lament articulate the pain of life in this broken world, while also accepting that only God can be trusted to deal with evil.
Today, in Psalm 6, we find these elements explored further. This is a penitential psalm, a prayer of confession and repentance. The psalmist is living under a great weight, feeling wretched, miserable, at wit's end. This misery is caused by God's anger. There is only one cause for God's anger: human sin.
Let's remember that God is not peevish, nor does he get miffed when he doesn't get his way. Having created the cosmos good and flourishing with life, God becomes angry when he sees his creation getting wrecked. We must think not just of the physical creation around us; but also, of the strain we put on human relationships because of our selfishness and anger. We beat each other up with our silence and with our words. Further, injustice systems that keep certain people impoverished arouse God’s anger.
Many people do not like the idea of an angry God. We want a nice God. But the God of the Bible doesn't come across as nice. To quote C.S. Lewis, "He is dangerous, but good." In Romans 1, Paul gives us context to God’s anger. It is his response toward the hard of heart, the unrepentant, those sinners who turn their backs and deliberately refuse His grace. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18).
Paul’s point is that God’s anger is not directed towards us every time we do something bad. It is aroused because we deliberately and willfully move away from him; we harden our hearts towards him. It is not just a mistake; it is not something for which we simply apologize. It is, rather, a choice to deface the image of God in us or in others; to selfishly ruin what God created good.
Lament takes us down the road in which we take our own sin seriously. We cannot simply end our prayers with a quick “and forgive us our sins. Amen” and assume confession is accomplished. Rather, it invites the introspection which ends Psalm 139, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (23-24).
It brings us to the space in which, because of our sin, we recognize that we are under God's judgement: his anger and wrath. We have turned away from God and made a mess of things. His anger has been aroused. We are in trouble.
Thankfully, the psalmist does not leave us with God's anger. Instead, we are pointed towards God's mercy. "Me merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint...Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love" (2, 4). We need to make such prayers because hardness of heart remains a possibility for all of us.
The only way out from under God's anger is God's mercy. The God of the Bible is not quick to anger, but he is quick with his mercy. God’s anger is in service of God’s love. His anger is not a permanent state but arises from time to time because of human violence against other creatures whom also God loves. Thus, we are encouraged to pray for God's mercy with confidence.
It seems our psalmist has suffered under the fallout of his sins for some time. But now he is turning to God and is confident that God will answer him and deliver him. The wages of sin are death. But the mercy of God is vast and rich and without end. To know this mercy, we must know our sin first.
So don't read this psalm too quickly. Take the time to make it real for you.
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. … For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. … Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:1-2,4,8-11)
Psalm 5 explicitly introduces us to a new form of prayer: lament. It’s already showed up in the Psalter starting at Psalm 3, but Psalm 5 explicitly uses the word, and so today is a good time to remind ourselves about what it means to lament to God.
Often in the face of evil: whether it’s come through events or people, we will opt to do something about it ourselves. Our fight or flight response is activated and so we’ll strive to overcome the evil or perhaps seek to run away from it or ignore it. But whichever response we use, it does not always occur to us to invoke God’s name as part of our response.
The mindset of the Psalms and Psalmists is different. In the face of evil and enemies, the first inclination of the Psalms is to come to God. And as people of faith, this is a good inclination to embody in our own lives. Lament helps us to do that by forming us in three core habits. You may remember them from our sermon series on lament that had begun just before our first COVID lockdown.
Firstly, the prayer of lament takes God seriously, as here. David declares God to be his God and also his King. David believes in his God and King, and reminds God of who he is: a God who is not pleased with wickedness nor welcoming of wicked people.
Secondly, the prayer of lament takes the evil of this world seriously. David has enemies and faces evil—people who lie and betray trust. But rather than taking matters into his own hands or fleeing away from the evil around him, David turns the situation over to God. Taking God and evil seriously means that the presence of evil in this world is firstly God’s problem and is a problem rightly submitted to God. God has said that wickedness has no place in his kingdom: so David appeals to God—“declare them guilty, O God!”
Finally, the prayer of lament is a prayer of submission to God. We don’t only turn the evil of our world over to God, but also ourselves. We don’t set ourselves up as a judge over God when we see evil in the world, instead we submit to him as the rightful ruler. This finally is where the Psalm ends: “let all who take refuge in you be glad.”
So, when you feel pressed by fear, pain, enemies, or the overwhelming crush of evil in this world: do something about it. Lament. Take God and the evil you face seriously enough to pray, shout, and cry about it before God. Then rest in submission to this God to whom you’ve come for refuge.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8). How many of us wouldn't love to be able to sing the ending of this Psalm? How many of us haven't felt guilty because we lie awake for hours at night stewing over this and that? How we wish we had the faith displayed at the end of this Psalm!
We would all like to live a worry-free life. Christians who worry often feel guilty for not living up to Jesus’ encouragement not to worry but to trust in Him (Matthew 6). However, Jesus also invited his disciples to come and learn from him (Matthew 11:29). Moving from worry to trust is often a long twisty road. This psalm shines some light on that pathway.
It's a rugged psalm, moving quickly from place to place. Prayers in the Bible do not always follow a straight line from “Our Father in heaven” to “Amen”. Many are erratic, full of the conflicting emotions we humans find stewing inside us. The opening lines form a complaint against God. The psalmist has been in distress and has prayed about his troubles, but God has been silent. He is troubled by God's silence.
Then the psalmist raises a complaint against people who are pursuing dishonest lives. One gets the sense that the psalmist's own life is being made miserable by these people. She has sought to live with integrity but has received little support for such a life.
Verse 3 is really the crux of the Psalm. It is a piece of important theology, answering the question, "What is God like?"
And the answer is this: God takes care of the godly. But rather than giving us a textbook answer as to how God does this, Israel’s prayer book explores this through the eyes of the godly, how they have experienced this. It makes for a rich tapestry. The godly are those who desire God and want to honour Him with their lives. The psalmist is sure that God will listen to their prayers.
Of the eight stanzas in this psalm, only 4 are addressed to God. Stanzas 2-5 are addressed to the psalmist’s enemies. Many biblical scholars suspect that these adversaries are Absalom and his followers who chased David into the wilderness. He calls them away from their sinful pursuits, to humble themselves before God.
Even if we identify more with the godly than the rebellious, the invitation to search hearts, to determine motives, should be heeded by us all. We need to test them against God's holy ways and root out any foothold the devil may find. Part of that examination is silence. The fewer words we speak the better. How often haven't we got ourselves into trouble by spouting off or just saying too much, even to God? Practice listening to him.
Finally, the psalmist tells the godly to bring their case before the Lord. God is the great judge and will see that His righteousness and justice prevail. "Trusting in the Lord" means that we wait; wait for him. In this world, vengeance and anger rarely wait. But those who trust in the Lord develop patience.
It is not until all this and more has been laid out that the psalmist writes about being able to sleep. It is not an easy place to get to. Good theology takes us a long way. It helps us trust and wait.
The psalmist does not promise the godly an easy life; but we are offered a pattern for godly living during adversity. Next time you find yourself laying awake in worry, ask yourself, “What is God like?” Then remember this Psalm and others that answer that question.
1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. (Psalm 3)
Yesterday we heard from Psalm 2 about how the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain against the Lord and his anointed. Today, in this Psalm ascribed to David, we hear the response of faith from the Lord’s anointed.
All the things that Pastor Michael said yesterday are things we know. We know God ultimately wins out. We know that we have a secure hope for the future in Christ. And yet, while living this life between the promise and its fulfillment, the world often looks more like what David describes here in the words, “how many are my foes!”
All the world seems intent on subverting the main gospel message that the Lord delivers, or saves. We are told both explicitly and implicitly that we need to insure ourselves, secure ourselves, pursue our own happiness, peace, order, and good government—that we need to work ourselves up the ladder and elbow everyone else out on the way there under the assumption that there just isn’t enough for everyone.
In response to these explicit and implicit messages swirling around us from advertisements, influencers, and the accumulated wisdom of “the way things are,” many of us do live life in pursuit of our own salvation. We may perceive our need for salvation to be any number of things—saving from our family story or history, saving from financial or physical insecurity, saving from death and illness, saving from pain—there’s no limit to the things any one of us might perceive as a threat or a worry, including our own selves and sins.
And yet, though David found the same issue, he responded differently. Though just as many messages of “God will not deliver you” were coming at him, he did not respond by seeking to save himself. Instead, he turned to prayer. Psalm 3 is the first prayer of the Psalter: the first Psalm that addresses God directly.
Two paths are set before us: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. The way of life and the way of death. Choosing life and righteousness means choosing, against all odds and apparent reality, that the God of our confession is every ounce the God he says he is. It means choosing to believe that Jesus Christ really does save.
Prayer in this context then, is an action of faith. An action of choosing to entrust ourselves, our cause, our anxieties and fears—all of it, to God. And, having entrusted ourselves to God in Christ, we may just find what David does—that in Christ, we also find our rest—no matter what our situation.
Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them (Psalm 2:1-4).
Back in 1850, a French philosopher wrote, “Each citizen is habitually engaged in the contemplation of a very puny object, namely himself”. More recently, Goldie Hawn told college graduates it was time for them to attend the "college of you." Self-obsession is the curse of our day, a significant cause of all the social and personal problems we face. Some social scientists indicate that it is the cause of much drug addiction, suicide, and domestic abuse.
Much Christian prayer suggests that Jesus’ followers are equally self-absorbed. Our prayers sound like the whining of a 3-year-old. There is a solution. We need to pray the Psalms. As we explore them over the next months, may they cause our praying to sound more like the prayer Jesus taught us to pray.
Psalm 2 picks up the major theme of the first. People are either with Lord or opposed to him. It adds this layer, those who are opposed to God will also be opposed to His followers. As such, this psalm offers at least three points for Christian reflection.
First, why are we so surprised when we face ridicule for our faith? Why do we not anticipate that being a Christian is hazardous to our health? This psalm gives us hints of what the New Testament points out so strongly: Jesus is the stumbling block. He is God’s Son, all must decide, are they with him or not?
In the western world, Christians have largely had it easy compared to many places in the world. Evidence suggests that this is changing. If it becomes more difficult to follow Jesus, than we are entering a time of normalcy, Christians are not wanted. How will we pray about this?
Second, this opposition doesn't bother God. He laughs. No matter how many argue the contrary, God sits enthroned above, and we believe Jesus sits at His right hand. Jesus holds the sceptre of power and authority.
It is our natural inclination to get rid of our enemies right away; to get even; to triumph. But the Bible makes quite clear that God is in no hurry to be proven right. For many reasons He chooses to wait. Waiting teaches us perseverance and it gives time for others to find their home in him.
We can be assured of this: in the end, God will put all things right. He will pronounce judgement and justice will reign. Romans 12 ends with the reminder that justice belongs to God. Therefore, we ought not to take revenge or seek to set things right ourselves, but rather to bless our enemies. This begins with prayer.
This leads to the third matter the psalm invites us to ponder: whose side are we on. I use the word ponder deliberately. It is necessary to take time to reflect on this question. It will not do to say, "Of course, I am on Jesus' side, I made a commitment to him years ago; I made profession of faith."
What is necessary here is self examination. We need to examine the way that we live, especially the way we deal with controversy and with those who disagree with us. If we always need to win or even to prove that we are right, can we really say that we are allowing God to be God?
Ponder what Peter writes about Jesus, "When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23). He left us this example to follow. Do we? How does this psalm change the way we pray?
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1)
Today we begin a new journey in our Wilderness Wanderings. Having reached the end of the Gospel of Luke, our intent is to begin walking through the Psalms. Today, we enter the Psalter through the front door of Psalm 1.
It presents before us two paths: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. It is reminiscent of Moses and Joshua setting two ways before the people in days of old—the way of life and the way of death—with the injunction: “now choose life!”
This will be a question set before us all throughout the Psalter as the wicked are contemplated and the righteous too. What separates them? Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? What does God mean by the “way of life” and “fruitfulness,” even and especially in times of hardship, sorrow, evil and enemies? In the Psalter we are confronted even with dark and painful expressions of faith in lament, like Psalm 88, that makes no turn back to God or the light at all… and yet somehow remains on the faithful path of the righteous.
So: Psalm 1 prepares our hearts for this journey, and already here there is a curious echo of what is to come. An echo that may be lost on we Westerners who live in the lush land of the Great Lakes and Greenbelt.
A colleague recently wondered aloud, given our COVID experiences, what exactly that tree planted by streams of water might have been, in the mind of the Psalmist. We might imagine a mighty oak tree or one that bears edible fruit, like an apple tree or something. Or, if we’re really imaginative and get our heads a little closer to the Middle Eastern context of the Bible, perhaps we even imagine something a bit more native to the terrain, like a cedar, fig or even an olive tree.
But this colleague of mine wondered if the tree the Psalmist had in mind wasn’t more like the Acacia tree. You see, the hills around Jerusalem—that famed hill country of Judea, is pretty dusty, rocky, and bare. Just sprigs of yellowed grass that pop up here and there, a couple of prickly shrubs. To our eyes the land is mostly indistinguishable from desert.
But there is a tree that grows in that desert. You can find it in the sandy, dry river beds where the torrent rushes through on those rare occasions when the rain does fall in the desert. This tree makes for some of the hardest wood on earth. A 2019 study in Israel discovered that unlike every other tree in Israel: the Acacia grows year round, including in the dry season. It has sunk its roots deep enough, like tens of meters deep, to the place where whatever water there might still be in those desert streams can be found. As a result, the Acacia tree’s leaves do not wither, even when all the other plants have.
So: what if the life of righteousness looks less like the easy life of lush luxury, and more like a hard wooded work of straining for the sub-terranean waters of life, even when all else on the surface looks dry and dead?
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God (Luke 24:50-53).
Luke ends his gospel in the place where it began: in the temple. God’s people are at worship. But much has changed. Its now a people gathered in Jesus’ name. Throughout the gospel accounts, the disciples cannot figure out who Jesus is, neither can they accept what he says. But now, in this simple statement, “they worshipped him”, Luke tells us that all doubt and confusion is gone. Jews only worship God and these disciples are still Jews. Now they know, Jesus is their God, and so they worship him.
Their master has commissioned them as his witnesses and to carry on his ministry. The last image the disciples have of Jesus is his arms lifted over them in blessing. From heaven, Jesus continues to bless and send out his people. He returned to heaven to carry on his ministry from there. But now he will do so through his disciples.
As Zechariah and Mary began the gospel by responding to God with joy, we find the disciples doing likewise as Luke concludes his story. Worship of the living God, revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, is at the heart of Luke’s vision of the Christian life. Their hearts are filled with joy because they know that God is on the move. His redemption is being worked out.
In the beginning, Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name” (Luke 1:46-49). The disciples have discovered that this is true for each of them. So, they worship at the temple.
‘The temple’ is the place where God meets his people. This gospel opened there with Zechariah, at the heart of the Jewish faith. In those days, that was the place where Israel went to meet their God. Part of Luke’s story has been to show that a new way has been opened for us to be united with God. There is a new temple.
The temple building, doomed to destruction, has been replaced by the community of Jesus’s people gathered. Henceforth, it is they who ‘are God’s temple’. Among them God meets with them. Is it possible that we have put too much emphasis on the individual aspect of our faith, personal devotions? Is it possible that we have underestimated the communal gathering of the faithful? Is that one of the things we have learned during this pandemic?
Christians need each other. Yes, God meets us in the ‘prayer closet’, but together we are the temple of God.
At the end of Luke’s gospel two things seem important: that Jesus sends us, his people, into the world to tell his story and that we gather to worship him. In worship, we humble ourselves as we exalt our Lord, we encourage each other in our commitment to and passion for our Saviour, we submit ourselves to his Word, and we respond by giving ourselves to him with joy.
The gospel is the message of joy. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10), the angel told the shepherds. Joy can’t be contained. It must be shared. We have the good news. We have been redeemed. Let’s share this with each other and the world.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Corinthians 1:1-2:2 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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Fun Question: what do you know about TrueCity Hamilton? What did you learn about this movement/network our church is a part of today?
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What were some of the significant facts about Corinth that shaped the situation of the church Paul was writing to?
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What were some of the possible reasons for the divisions in the church in Corinth?
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Where does our fear of not belonging, or our sins of pride, self-righteousness, and a lack of love for one another still spill over in our lives and the life of our church? Is there a particular place in your life that you see this?
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What difference does the cross of Christ make and how does it change the way that we interact with one another?
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How might your interactions with other Christians flow differently in light of the humbling fact that we are all equal before the cross?
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49)
The disciples already had the word of God as given them in the books of the Old Testament, but they needed Jesus to come both as the revealer and the revelation of what that word meant before they would be ready to be his witnesses.
Jesus comes in the flesh, as we heard yesterday. The revelation of the risen Lord there in person, able to eat and be touched, which of course, is the revelation of what all of us long for when we speak of a hope for “heaven,” or for “resurrection,” or even just more generally for “life.” We long for a life and body like his resurrection body.
But Jesus also needed to open their minds and speak to them in order to reveal himself to them. Not only is Jesus alive, but this living Jesus is what the scriptures had been talking about all along, he tells them.
The revelation of the living Jesus, present right there in the room with them was in some ways easier to grasp and convey than this second thing. “Jesus is risen” is the Gospel in a nutshell. It was a reality viscerally present and perceived to the first disciples, without which the Christian faith would not have existed.
But this second thing—this revelation of the scriptures thing—was a revelation firstly of a suffering, dying Messiah, and secondly of a Gospel message that included all nations. Suffering and dying to self remains a challenge to the church even still today. So does inclusion of diversity.
It was no easier on day one. Peter’s first reaction before Jesus’ death had been to rebuke him. “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you!” And now as Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection: he tells them that they’re still not ready to live it out. They still have to wait for the Spirit before they will have the power to proclaim a suffering savior and a diverse, inclusive church for and of all nations where there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female.
For us who now live in the Spirit’s power, Jesus’ words ring out and confront us with their revealing power just the same: are we willing to take up our cross, die to ourselves daily, and follow this suffering saviour? Are we willing to forgive and preach forgiveness in his name to all people and invite them into our church? If we are: Jesus’ gift of grace in the Holy Spirit will more than accomplish it within us.
He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence (Luke 24:38-43).
Seeing Jesus in the flesh, the disciples are disorientated. As Pastor Anthony said yesterday, it is very understandable that they are frightened, resurrection is a very unusual event. Further, Jesus just materialized out of thin air. Physical bodies do not normally move through walls or doors. But Jesus, in his kindness, does not speak harshly of their slowness to believe. Rather, he invites them to use their senses to determine the truth. Is he their physical Jesus or some disembodied ghost?
We need to pay attention to this because it helps us think about our own future. What will we be like after our resurrection? In 1 Corinthians 15, we come across the question, “With what kind of body will the dead be resurrected?” (cf. 15:35). Paul tells us that the body will be glorious, like Jesus’ resurrected body (cf. 15:36ff). Rather then telling, Luke shows us.
Jesus wants to make clear that his body, and thus, after resurrection, ours, is fully physical. He has flesh and bones. We will too. He can eat bread and fish. We will too. Further, his body maintained the scars of his crucifixion. Hmmm. Will we too carry scars of this life? Maybe. We are told that Jesus will wipe away all our tears, but not our scars.
Here is the main point: we are not resurrected for some spiritual non-physical existence in heaven. Jesus’ resurrection is God’s deepest affirmation of the material world. Physical reality is not some form of lesser existence that we should seek to escape. The new creation will be as physical as this one. However, it will also be different. Out of the old, God will make a new type of material, no longer subject to death.
In our current existence, there are two distinct spheres: heaven and earth. We do not travel back and forth but by exception. In this age, we are tied to this earth. Our new bodies, like Jesus’ new body, will belong in both heaven and earth. At the end of the book of Revelation, heaven and earth will finally be joined together into one, so there won’t be any shuttling to and fro; the two dimensions will be fused together at last.
Right now, our bodies are earthly only; Jesus’ new body is at home in both earth and heaven. Some of us many need our mental pictures of ‘heaven’ adjusted to allow for this startling possibility. We who live, even as Christians, with our thinking conditioned by the world of sin and death, find it a huge struggle to adjust to God’s new world. That is part of the challenge of the gospel.
There is something else here. Easter is forever tied to Good Friday. Like it or not, Jesus body does and always will, carry the scars of the cross. And we who follow a nail scarred-risen Saviour may not separate the two events. Until death separates us from this earth or Christ returns to complete his work of redemption, we are tied to this earth and its people and its scars.
We are not to run away from the sorrows of this world. Jesus told us and continues to tell us to pick up our cross daily and to follow him. Isaiah says that ‘he took up our pain and bore our suffering’ (53:4). The church has always understood that we are called to walk with those who suffer, Mother Teresa of Calcutta being a prime example of one who did that.
The suffering of the world is immense; the harm that sin has done cannot be measured. How do we bare up under it all? With the hope of the resurrection burning in our hearts. Paul’s mini sermon on the resurrection is vivid with imagery and full of hope; yet it ends rather blandly, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. (Luke 24:36-37) We quickly forget that worshiping a risen Lord is actually a very odd thing to do.
Jesus has just appeared to the disciples on the Emmaus road. In fact, he’s appeared to Peter and likely to others at this point as well. The Upper Room is all abuzz with Jesus sightings and the news that he’s alive and on the move! “It is true!” they had just been saying: “The Lord has risen and has appeared…”
And yet: when Jesus appears among them: they’re startled and scared of what they see. They think it’s a ghost. Which, to be fair, is what any sane person would’ve thought. Regardless of whatever news that happened to be circulating at the time: the only picture or sound of Jesus that most of them had was the memory, accessed only through their own minds now, of the Jesus they had known before he had, well… died. And, a mere rumor of this good news was not immediately enough to overpower the empirical truths that their own senses had perceived. A mere rumor could not bring the voice and image of Jesus that lived only now in their memories back to embodiment before them.
So, for Jesus to appear, embodied and speaking before them: what a shock to the system! It’s one thing to hear some good news, it is an entirely different thing to witness something for yourself. For their own eyes to see and recognize a familiar face that they’d last seen dead, for their own ears to hear a familiar voice that they’d last heard on the cross—what a strange experience. Almost like that sensation your body gets when you’re sitting in your parked car and a large truck that fills your entire scope of vision begins moving next to you. You feel like you’re moving, but you know it can’t be true.
So it must have been for the disciples. To hear that Jesus was alive was not the same as the visceral, sensual experience of seeing and hearing the Jesus who was alive. To perceive him for themselves was disorienting. And yet, without that experience of disorientation, the reality of Jesus’ life would never have had the power or force to re-orient them to a radically different understand of the world, of Jesus alive, and of the Kingdom of God he would send them to proclaim.
I think in some ways the same is still true for us. We can sit in church, engage in Bible studies, and join in ministry ventures all our lives and never face that radical disorientation and reorientation that Gospel transformation—an encounter with the risen Christ—entails. The Bible everywhere promises that we cannot meet Jesus and remain the same. Encountering Jesus means a transformation of our hearts and lives: a repentance, a turning around, a dying to ourselves so that the new life of Christ might take hold of us and in us.
So: an invitation to pay attention. With your eyes. With your ears. Watch for Jesus. Listen for him. Seek him out in prayer. Attend to the ups and downs in your day today that might betray his movement in your life, inviting you to repent, to turn, to trust, to remember, to believe.
Jesus appears to the disciples who had gathered in his name and were eagerly seeking him. It is to they that were paying attention that he appears, and to them that he speaks his word of “peace.”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread (Luke 24:33-34).
Remember! Remember! Much of life is about remembering.
When families get back together after being apart for a while, they talk about the present, they may talk about the future, but eventually they will get around to talking about the past. Remembering! One story will lead to another and another and another. Much of it is just lighthearted fun recounting each other’s quirks and quarks.
Yet, often, there is something deeper going on as well. This storytelling gives shape to meaning. We share the stories that fashioned us, that forged our strengths and formed our lingering fears. These are the events that unite families or, sometimes, sadly, tear them apart. Hearing and telling the past creates opportunities to set our history in a broader context, to see patterns that were not visible while we lived the events. Also, openings arise for us to forgive, to heal, to let go, to begin new chapters, to travel new pathways.
This is exactly what happened on that first Easter Sunday. Recall, it began with sorrow and fear and confusion. With Jesus’ crucifixion, hopes had been dashed. The empty tomb added insult to injury. And all this followed by those reports that Jesus was alive and making appearances.
We have travelled with two of Jesus’ disciples as they returned home from Jerusalem, utterly bewildered, and undoubtedly, not believing the stories of resurrection. As Jesus joined them to explain the scriptures about himself, our hearts too burned. We wonder if we would have recognized him any earlier then they did. Not likely, we must admit.
It was only in the breaking of the bread that they saw him for who he was. This act triggered their memory; they had seen him do this before. It was him. It was Jesus. He has risen indeed.
What do they do? They hurry back to Jerusalem. Almost certainly, based on the other gospels, they go to that upper room where, just a few days ago, Jesus had broken bread and as he passed it to his disciples said, “Eat this bread in remembrance of me.”
That is where they go to tell their story; to add it to all the other stories that are piling up, one on top of the other. And slowly, bit by bit, the Holy Spirit will help this motley crew of half-hearted and bewildered disciples to make sense of it all. But before understanding, they must witness, that is, tell their story, to the other followers.
Their sorrow has been transformed into joy as their master broke bread with them. They have good news. It must be shared. They had convinced Jesus not to travel on because the hour was late, now it is even later, but return to Jerusalem they must. Some good news just can’t wait.
This will become the story that creates a believing community. Therefore, the story must be told over and over. It cannot be forgotten. We must tell it and retell it. It is the story that has fashioned the church. It is our story. Parents tell it, teachers tell it, grandparents tell it. We must tell it to each other.
It is the story of God’s grace. It is the story that enables us to travel new roads, to get off the roads of death and travel the pathways of life.
And to this story, we add new stories. Stories of the risen, bread breaking Lord, making himself know to us. What helps you remember the old, old story? One Wilderness Wandering listener wrote in about his Holy Spirit tree. Every time he passes that tree, he remembers the mighty Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead and prays for fresh Spirit winds to blow.
In the Old Testament, Israel was instructed to pile up rocks. These piles pointed back to a great work of God which shaped Israel. As they travelled, they would tell the story, remembering the past, shaping the present and giving hope for the future. What stories can you tell? How has our resurrected, bread break Lord, been blowing in your life? Tell the old, old story. Then add to it, your encounters with Jesus.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So, he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:28-32).
The first meal recorded in the Bible is heavy with significance. The woman took some fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened (cf. Genesis 3:6-7).
That meal is the beginning of humanities woes. Death itself is traced to this meal of rebellion. The whole creation subjected to decay, futility, and sorrow. It seems Luke is echoing this story, describing the first meal of God’s new creation. “He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened.”
In the first creation story, their eyes are opened, they realize they are naked. They are ashamed. It is bad. In the new creation, their eyes are opened, they recognize Jesus. Their hearts burn. It is good.
The Emmaus disciples discover that the long curse has been broken. Death itself defeated. God’s new creation, brimming with life and joy and new possibility, has burst in upon the world of decay and sorrow. Jesus himself, risen from the dead, is just the beginning.
He resurrection is not the same as that of Jairus’s daughter or the widow’s son. They had to face death again. Jesus went through death and came out the other side opening a new world, a new deathless creation, still physical only transformed.
Luke invites us to listen to the Biblical story, to have our hearts burning within us as fresh truth comes out of that old story. The careful study of the Bible is meant to bring together head and heart, understanding and excited Christian living. When we see the Old Testament as reaching its natural climax in Jesus, we have understood it. We will only understand Jesus when we see him as the one to whom scripture points, not in isolated prooftexts but in the entire flow of the story. And, when we grasp this, we will find our hearts burning within us.
Also, we are invited to know Jesus in the breaking of the bread. The way Luke has described the simple meal takes our minds back to the upper room, and to other meals that Jesus shared with his followers. This meal, the breaking of bread, quickly became the central symbolic action of Jesus’ people.
Though Jesus is no longer physically present, we discover him living with and in us through this meal. Scripture and sacrament, word and meal, are joined tightly together. Take scripture away, and the sacrament becomes a piece of magic. Take the sacrament away, and scripture becomes an intellectual or emotional exercise, detached from real life. But together, we have the centre of Christian living.
When Jesus’ parents found him in the temple, early in Luke’s gospel, he said to them, ‘Didn’t you know that I would have to be doing my Father’s work?’ Here we are invited to meet the Jesus who has finished his Father’s work, and longs to share it – the gift of his own presence – with us, his followers.
Luke has described for us the new Exodus that Jesus accomplished at Jerusalem (cf. 9:31). The real slave-master keeping us in bondage is death. Earthly tyrants borrow power from death to boost their rule; thus, crucifixion was such a symbol of Roman authority. Victory over death robs these earthly powers of their final threat. Sin, humans rebelling against God and defacing God’s good creation, is likewise defeated.
Jesus has led God’s new people out of slavery, and now invites us to accompany him on the new journey to the promised land. The road to Emmaus is just the beginning. Hearing Jesus’ voice in scripture, knowing him in the breaking of bread, is the way. God’s new world is here. Jesus welcomes us in.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 62 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What does it mean to have an “unshakable” foundation for your house? What about for your life?
- What do you have to do in order to benefit from that unshakable foundation? What are some of the stories Pastor Anthony shared that can help you remember?
- Are there any stories from your own life of when you didn’t/did benefit from having God as your unshakable foundation?
- How do we listen and respond to God? Said differently: what sorts of things does God say and what sort of responses might we give?
- We know about prayer, but what might “pouring your heart out” to God look like? Was there anything that surprised you in Pastor Anthony’s description?
- It’s important to continue to encourage one another too! God uses us to help ground one another on the solid foundation that is Jesus. So, how might you encourage someone else to trust God today?
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27)
As they walked away from Jerusalem, Cleopas and the other disciple recited the whole gospel message back to Jesus. “Jesus was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” they said. “We had placed our hope in him as the one who would redeem Israel. But he was crucified and died. And now on this third day reports have come of angels and him being alive again… but when some of our companions went to check it out, though the tomb really was empty, they didn’t see Jesus.”
Cleopas and his companion have all the accurate truths of the gospel story. But somehow it hasn’t quite been enough to spark belief. Indeed, this very journey out of town is a giving up on Jerusalem and their hopes of Jesus and whatever salvation he may have brought.
You see, the right information and the right beliefs are not enough in themselves to generate faith in Christ. Which is why apologetics rarely win anyone to Christ. What these disciples lacked was the breath of God to inspire the words they spoke and bring those dead bones to life.
Said differently, the truth of Jesus is not merely learned, it is also experienced: revealed, lived, given as a gift of a Sovereign God who still acts in our lives today as he breathes the dead words of our faith to life in the life of Christ.
This is exactly what Jesus does as he walks with these hopelessly downcast disciples journeying in the wrong direction. He breathes his words into them: the words of scripture, revealed through the word of he, the risen Lord Christ. Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explains and brings to life all these scriptures concerning himself. It is the gift of revelation, worked by the risen Lord that brings their faith to life.
And even still, it would not be enough. This inspired word of the risen Lord would still need to be confirmed to them through the sacramental breaking of the bread before they would truly see Jesus as he was. But already now, their hearts begin to burn within them as the breath of God breathes the scriptures open to them.
Our post-Pentecost confession has always been that it is the Spirit’s work to inSPIRE our hearing of the scriptures, which is why we pray for his guidance before we open them. We believe similarly that it is the Spirit’s work to give the gift of faith; the Spirit’s work to communicate Christ to us through the sacraments in such a way that we can taste and see that the Lord is good.
Truth is important, necessary even. But without the work of the living God here and now in our own hearts and lives, the truth remains dead in the mists of Good Friday. It takes a living Lord to breath life into our faith. And thanks be to God: he does.
Similarly good news is that our conversation with anyone who might not believe, does not rest on our ability to be a rhetorical ninja or an apologetical genius. It is God that gives the gift of revelation and of faith, and the Spirit is still doing that work. We simply play assistant to what God is already up to.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him (Luke 24:13-16).
Apart for some of Jesus’ parables, this story is one of the more beloved episodes of our Lord’s life. Treasured, not because of its suspense, but its space for meditation. It’s a slow story, simple, profound, and rather poignant.
Two of Jesus disciples (many suspect that the second was Cleopas’ wife) have left Jerusalem for home. They may have entered the city a week ago along with Jesus on that donkey, with high hopes of a turning point in Israel’s fortune. Israel’s long-awaited Messiah had arrived. But everything has disintegrated. If Jesus had been the one to redeem Israel, he should have been defeating the pagans, not dying at their hands!
Its likely that they are on their way home, wondering how to start life over. They had pinned everything on Jesus. Now he was dead. He last words, “It is finished” still rang in their ears. Imprinted on their memories, that last breath, along with the image of his lifeless body hanging limp on the cross.
That was Friday. Now its late Sunday. A story began circulating early in the day that he was alive. Some of their friends had seen him. But that is crazy. Dead people just don’t come back to life. Yes, of course, Lazarus had, but that was Jesus’ doing. Now he is dead. Who is there to bring him back to life?
It is all too much. They left the city and, on the way, went over events again and again, trying to make sense of it all. Why had their expectations of the Messiah come to such a tragic end? And what were they to do with this story that he was alive again? They could not piece it together. Too many questions and too few answers.
As they talk, Jesus joins them though they do not realize it is him. Their eyes are “kept from recognizing him.” And here we pause and ask ‘why’? Why don’t they recognize him? Some have postulated that Jesus was somehow different from before, already a little glorious.
Maybe it’s a case of “We see what we expect to see”. Their conversation has been heavy with sorrow, disappointment, and bewilderment; their hearts are so full with pain, they don’t really see the stranger who has joined them. They don’t expect him to be alive, so they can’t see him when he joins them.
Or maybe God just closed their eyes for a while. Luke doesn’t tell us.
An experience with the living God was what they wanted; but though he came to them, and walked alongside them, their hearts were too full of brokenness to notice him right there with them.
Let’s pause the story here for today. As disciples of Jesus, we may find ourselves in the very same place. We live with dashed hopes and dreams. Life is full of disappointments. We may even be disappointed with God. And yet we long for God.
If you’re in such a space, take time to sit there today.
Now notice that Jesus joins them in their walk home. He is there with them, even though they do not recognize him. It is Psalm 23 in action.
We can be sure that Jesus walks with us too. Like these two disciples, we may not notice at first. We assume God will show up in certain ways, so when he appears differently, we don’t see him, at least, not at first. Often, God is not like we expect him to be, he is like himself. And that is good.
Then they remembered his words.When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. (Luke 24:8-12)
In a Matthew & Mark, the women are commanded to go and tell the (male) disciples. But, Luke—ever mindful of the place of both men and women in the church—writes it a bit differently. Here in Luke, the angels don’t command the women to tell anyone. Instead, the angels remind the women about Jesus own words to them about his coming death and resurrection. Words which the women do indeed remember—because they are just as much disciples as anyone else.
The angels just click one piece of the puzzle into place for the women. “This odd empty tomb you’re seeing now is what Jesus was talking about when he told you he’d be raised on the third day.” With that piece put together for them: it clicks. The women remember. And once they remember—no one needs to tell them to go and tell. They just do it. They witness to what they have seen, heard, and remember.
Now, no one believed them at the time. To the others who had not witnessed what the women had witnessed, it seemed like utter nonsense. It would only later click into place with the others as they too had experiences of the living Lord that caused them to remember.
Memory plays a key role throughout these resurrection day accounts in Luke, as it does throughout the rest of the scriptures. It is our remembering of the whole story of the Creation and Salvation of our God that forms the lens through which we interpret our experiences of God’s movement in the present. It is this same remembering that colours in all our expectant hopes and longings for the future.
This is one reason why we continually rehearse and remind ourselves through preaching, sacrament, and devotion of all great deeds of our Lord. It’s not necessarily meant to be special in the moment. Perhaps half the time (or more) it seems like nonsense.
But then, at the significant junctures of our lives, when we find ourselves on utterly new and unsettling terrain as the women did that first Easter Sunday, that’s when the memory of these words and sacramental actions click back into place and ground us back into the larger reality of God’s work.
We remember that in our baptisms God said, “you are my child, whom I love.” We remember that Jesus fed us at his table and said, “eat, drink, remember and believe that you are forgiven.” We remember the words of scripture where Jesus has promised, “Behold, I am coming soon.” And as we remember, so we are again enabled to believe, and therefore also to witness anew to the faithful work of the risen Lord in our lives.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words (Luke 24:1-8).
In Genesis, God’s creation work is completed in six days, the seventh is for rest. Here, at the heart of redemption history, on the sixth day, the work of salvation is complete (23:54; cf. Jn. 19:30). And Luke points out that on the seventh day ‘they rested according to the commandment’ (23:56).
And now, ‘on the first day’ (24:1) a new week begins. It is the first day of a new era, a new creation. A whole new world is coming into being on that first Christian Sunday. Thus, Luke ends his Gospel with an account of that first day which begins the new age.
In Genesis, the creation story begins with “Let there be light” and there was light (1:3). Rather dramatic.
This new era begins with far less drama. Women are going to the tomb to rub spices into a dead body. But when they get there, the tomb is mysteriously open, and the body is gone. While they are wondering about this, two men with clothing bright like lightning appear. The women are frightened and bow to the ground.
Like in Genesis, God is at work, but here, he is in the background. The men say, “[Jesus] is not here; he has been raised!” telling us that God is responsible for Jesus’ return to life. God has intervened, just as Jesus promised. “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (9:22).
Jesus is alive. The tomb could not hold him.
They remember his words, but there is no ‘aha’ moment. They don’t seem to know what to do with this information. They are puzzled, and understandably so; ‘resurrection’, in their world, was what God would do in the end for all the righteous dead, giving renewed bodies to everyone from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob down to the most recent righteous martyrs. This resurrection would be a large-scale event. After Israel’s great and final suffering, all God’s people would be given new life, new bodies.
We shouldn’t be surprised at how surprised they were on the first Easter morning. It wasn’t just a lack of faith that had stopped them understanding what Jesus had said about his rising again. Nobody had dreamed that one single living person would be killed stone dead and then raised to a new bodily life the other side of the grave, while the rest of the world carried on as before.
The women, obviously, weren’t expecting it. They weren’t going to the tomb saying to themselves, ‘Well, we’ve got the spices in case he’s still dead, but let’s hope he’s alive again.’ They knew well enough that dead people remained dead. Nobody was expecting this.
The opening mood of Easter morning is one of surprise, astonishment, fear, and confusion. It will take some time before Jesus’ disciples believe in this new era. Its all a bit much to believe.
And isn’t that still true today? It’s a bit much to believe. Many will not believe it. Who can blame them? If its true, it’s the biggest news in the world. But most of the world is carrying as before. And so often, Christians as well, carry on as if nothing really happened, early on that first day of the week.
God did the work in the beginning. God did the work of raising Jesus from the dead. Before people can come to their ‘aha’ moment, and believe that Jesus is alive, God needs to be at work in them, bringing them to faith.
The resurrection is cause for rejoicing. But it is also a cause for prayer, that God will bring people to this astonishing faith: He has risen. Maybe we need to begin with prayer for ourselves, that we will not carry on as if nothing has happened.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. (Luke 23:50-56)
Holy Saturday is a liminal space.
What does that mean? Well, a liminal space is a space between the end of one thing and the beginning of another. It’s an in-between space. It’s the threshold of a door that connects the outside to the inside, but which isn’t really either of them. It’s the bridge that connects two countries, but that belongs to both or neither of them. Liminal space is the no-man’s-land in between.
But a liminal space can also be a period of time. The time between completing school and receiving your diploma at graduation. The time between sending an application and hearing a response. The time of engagement between agreeing to marry and being married. The time between Jesus’ first coming and his second. All of these are liminal times. But the principle archetype that gives meaning to all of them is the liminal space and time between Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Because liminal spaces and times are not always happy places to be. The space between a diagnosis, an accident, or the death of a loved one and whatever life looks like on the other side is a liminal space marked by grief and many other emotions that can stretch on for what seems like ages. And in the suffering we endure through the middle of them, we can wonder if the new life of Easter is ever going to come.
This past few years of pandemic time has also been a liminal space. Much of the life and world we knew ended somehow, perhaps in ways we have yet to discover. Whatever life will look like on the other side is not yet known, though we are anxious to hold it, or to resolve the tension of this messy middle as quickly as possible to get there. But Easter tarries. All we’re left with to hold on to is a swirl of restless emotions and the knowledge of what we’ve lost.
I think this little passage in Luke about what happened in between the death and resurrection of Jesus can help us navigate any liminal space or time we may find ourselves in though: whether coming out of pandemic, awaiting a decision, or grieving and adjusting following the loss of someone or something dear.
Because, this particular liminal space between the death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by something quite different than the day before. While Good Friday was marked by loud angry mobs pushing to get what they wanted for their own selfish and sinful reasons—Holy Saturday is marked by just a few people quietly and humbly giving of themselves to practice faithfulness and love.
Joseph—waiting for the kingdom of God—lovingly and quietly cares for the lifeless body of Jesus. The women prepare to do the same with spices and perfumes. And then they too join the faithful posture of waiting in trust on God: they rest on the Sabbath.
The fact that Holy Saturday is a Sabbath day is of great significance, I think. The faithful disciples practiced Sabbath in the liminal space. They loved, cared, and trusted. They waited. They rested in the promises of God. And in so doing, they gave their restlessness and emotions over to God.
In each liminal season of our lives, I believe we are called to the same.
This is a Special Good Friday edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 27:11-56 from the New International Version of the Bible.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:44-45). Before I give today’s devotion, a word about this weekend. There will be no Wilderness Wanderings published on Friday or Monday. Pastor Anthony will publish an episode for Saturday. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. The written version can be found on the Bridge App and the Wilderness Wanderings website. The email will not come out till Monday.
Now for today’s edition.
Hands. Wicked hands. “Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Matthew 26:45). Later, Peter would declare that Jesus was crucified by “wicked men” (Acts 2:23).
Wicked hands formed a crown of thorns and rammed it on His brow. Wicked hands lacerated His back. Wicked hands slapped Him and shoved Him. Wicked hands put nails through His hands and feet. Wicked hands hoisted up his cross beam and clunked it into place.
All this while the sun shone, in the light, public. Then it went dark … not like a cloud covering the sun … but dark. The dark of night that scares us as children (and as adults). There was more here than the hands of men. Are the very hands of evil reaching out towards Jesus?
Darkness! A sign of God’s judgement recalling the nineth plague in Egypt before the first-born died. Darkness! So dark that God was gone? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Silence.
Yet the nail punctured hands on that cross are not clenched in anger. They remain, as always, reaching out in love. He has nearly bled to death. Nails through his body fixed him to the wood of the cross, hanging him there, barely able to gasp enough oxygen to survive. Slowly, he is suffocating to death; hung up like a piece of meat.
His ought to be the ultimate image of inaction and passive acquiescence. And yet, it is precisely at this moment that Jesus takes his life out of the evil hands of his tormentors. He places it confidently in the hands of his Father.
Jesus voluntarily gave Himself into the hands of sinners, the hands of “wicked people”. Now he voluntarily gives Himself into the hands of God. “No one took my life. I gave it freely. Now I commit my life to my father.” He will not let his crucifiers have the last word or determine the significance of his cross.
All the words that Jesus has spoken, all the deeds that he has done, it is now up to God to make it all worthwhile. The next move is God’s. Jesus has taken his life, all that he is, all that he has said and done and been, and given it over to the Father.
The next move, the last move, as it always is, is God's. “No one can come to the Father, except through the Son”, Jesus had said (John 14:6). Now the Son is dead. Now the Father is silent.
Sit here for a while in the darkness. Is it possible that “wicked hands” will have the final word?
Now notice this. The curtain in the temple is torn in two. It’s that curtain that separates us from God, keeping God inaccessible to us unholy humans. The Son is dead. The Father is silent. But the way is open.
A small sign really, that torn temple curtain. The big announcement would need to wait. It would come on Sunday. The women, those faithful disciples, would come to the tomb and find it empty.
Jesus has been about his Father’s business. They were in this together all along, along with the Holy Spirit. They were working out our salvation. The torn curtain, the empty tomb. They have done it. Jesus led the way, the way to the Father is now open. Sins are forgiven. The kingdom has come.
That way of sacrifice is the way of the kingdom, it broke the hold of evil. It was not the hands of evil, but the hands of love that won and still win.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:35-40)
The king who saves? What a joke.
Jesus hung there on display for all the world to see: labeled as a king. A king with no kingdom. No power. No authority. It was a mocking statement in itself. Pilate may have thought it humorous to nail up the figurative king of the Jews and stick the religious leaders with their own words. They may have coerced him into crucifying the innocent Jesus by stirring up the crowd, but Pilate would get the last laugh as they found themselves humiliated, again. Their people made into a mockery: here hangs the Jewish king. A king who can’t save anyone, not even himself.
And yet, humiliated or not, the rulers would not be humbled. Instead, they put on strength by throwing their own angry insults at this messiah king. They admit that he had saved others, but they use it not as an article of belief, but as a barb. “Save yourself, messiah!” His saving of others had, in fact, been the very barb that had so unsettled their power. Now they stood condemned by their own words: conspirators against the Lord’s salvation. They should’ve known better.
The soldiers and criminals perhaps less so, though. They didn’t have theological degrees. The Roman soldiers didn’t even know what a messiah was. They just use the term “king.” Ignorant brutes who jumped on for a good time.
Then there was the first criminal. He had not become humbled by his own crucifixion, but cynical: putting on strength as the religious leaders had to cover his guilt. Defiant, he shouts out with the rest: “don’t just save yourself, but us too!”
But one person wasn’t laughing. One person still feared God. He’s the only person that doesn’t ask to be saved. And yet, he’s the only person who was. He did not make a mockery of salvation or the kingdom of God, but humbly sought both.
The criminal on the cross is another paradigm of discipleship in Luke’s account, along with Simon of Cyrene and the women. This criminal recognizes his sinfulness which had won him punishment by death. He, like Jesus, had taken up his cross and was dying to himself and his sin. And it is here, in humility that he seeks—not to be saved—but merely to be remembered by this Messiah and coming King. This little prayer in faith though, wins him more than he could’ve asked or imagined. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It is not in putting on strength, but in giving it up that we find the humility to ask for what it is that we most need from God: saving.
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots (Luke 23:32-34). It’s the hush in middle of the storm.
Here stands the crowd of thugs who arrested him in the garden – they knew what they were doing, – earning a night’s pay. Its likely they didn’t know Jesus well, if at all, indifferent to his guilt or innocence.
Here stand the disciples who abandoned him -- they knew what they were doing – they had sworn to stick with him, to intervene, not to let this happen. But it had happened. They had run when Jesus needed them.
Here stands the high priest, surrounded by his minions, they had brought false charges against him – they knew what they were doing – getting rid of him. This Jesus had constantly eaten away at their control over the Jewish people, he didn’t mind pointing out their hypocrisy and abuse of power, it was time to be rid of him. Death by crucifixion was the surest way to be rid of him. No one had yet survived.
Here stand the soldiers who had beaten him to inches of his life – they knew what they were doing – they had been trained for this – this beating – this torture – this humiliation – it was their game, their thing, it was the one thing they were good at, very good at. All in a night’s work.
Here stand the women who had cared for his needs and followed him – maybe they weren’t quite sure what they were doing here. They had followed him and cared for him; quietly, in the shadows mostly. They would stick with him to the bitter end. Among all those at the foot of the cross, they illustrate for us what discipleship truly looks like (see yesterday’s WW for more on that).
In that moment of silence, when all the cruel work of trial, torture and crucifixion was finished, Jesus gasps for breath, they all hush, he seems to look at each in turn: the disciples, the women, the soldiers, the leaders, he’s going to say something, but what …
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Suddenly, we become bystanders, eavesdroppers of a deep conversation in the heart of the Trinity…this is not about all those people, not about us, for us, yes; this is about God, the Triune Creator God.
We think we know ... we know how to live ... but look at our lives ... we know how to love ... but look at the hate in our hearts ... And Jesus cuts across all our puny efforts to play nice to God and says, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
Its so counter intuitive, so astonishing. We don’t do it this way. We want people to know first, how much it hurt, how deep, how lasting, how permanent the scars they have inflicted on us. People must know, they must earn the right, they must demonstrate they won’t hurt us again. Then we will think about forgiving.
Yet here, from the cross, is pre-emptive forgiveness. We end with forgiveness. Jesus begins with it. All those scoundrels, and deserters and false accusers gathered around the cross…The first words out of his mouth, Father, forgive…
The first word of God was, “Let there be light”. The first word of redemption is “father, forgive.” The first word into our darkness, “father forgive.” This is not about us, for us yes, but not about, it is about God, about His desire to have us back, about the depth of pain he endured to bring us back.
If God is going to wait until we know the wrong that we do, God will wait forever. If God's going to wait to talk with me until I first admit that I'm a sinner, the conversation will never occur. I'll be too defensive, too deceitful in my guilt. I'd rather die. “Did you conspire to crucify the Son of God?” “Who, me? Why are you always picking on me? I'm doing the best I can.”
Our salvation begins with these words. “You are forgiven.” Hear Jesus anew, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:26-31)
As it turns out: not all the crowds of Jerusalem shouted “crucify!” And not all the disciples fled.
In fact, this is perhaps the panicle of discipleship in Luke’s Gospel. Simon of Cyrene, a city in Northern Africa around modern-day Libya, does precisely what Jesus has called all disciples to do: he takes up the cross and follows Jesus to his death. Luke means for us to see the picture.
Similarly, while all of his male companions among the 12 may have fled, betrayed, or disowned him, the women who had followed Jesus all along, followed him still. All the way to the cross. They would also be the first to witness the empty tomb.
It is women who faithfully bear witness to these central moments of our faith. While Simon may have been “seized” and “made” to carry the cross, the women follow willingly. They are no strangers to suffering, and they do not turn away from Jesus’ moment of pain, humility, and loss. Instead, they bear it with him—humbling themselves to grieve with him in a strength of emotional maturity the male disciples could not muster.
Do I make too much of this point? I don’t think so. Luke and the other gospel writers point out consistently that it was the women, also a few men, but mostly the women who were present in Jesus’ greatest hour of need.
Peter had boasted: “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” But when it got hard, Peter disowned his Lord and fled. Not so with the women.
When it came right down to it: the women were the disciples who were ready to face death. They were the ones willing to face down and witness the brutally agonizing moments of Jesus slowing dying on the cross. They were willing to accompany his body to the tomb with Joseph of Arimathea. They were willing to face his dead body again on the third day to offer it the dignity of a proper burial.
Had the women not been consistent witnesses of all these central moments of our faith, would we have known today what happened there on the cross? Would there have been sufficient witness to the event to prove that he had really died, and that his body really was buried rather than stolen away? And what about the resurrection? If the women hadn’t gone to the tomb, would anyone else have?
The women were the first witnesses and preachers of the gospel. They were also the first to live it. The first to face Jesus’s death and cross. The first to receive word of his life. Will you join them as you take up your own cross and face down your own death in the death of Jesus? Will you stay with them long enough to die to yourself through the grief and pain of repentance and so find new life in Christ on the other side?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 12:13-34 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Pilate…said, “I have examined [Jesus] … and have found no basis for your charges against him… Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:13-21). Among the Evangelists, Luke has the most interesting cast of minor characters. Barabbas comes into focus here. His inclusion helps us understand what happened to Jesus, why it happened, and what it means for us. We need to enter his story to see the tragic day unfold from his perspective and to learn from him.
Barabbas was not a common criminal. He had been thrown into prison for his part in a violent rebellion that had taken place in Jerusalem. Such events were a regular occurrence. Political and social frustration would regularly spill over into violence, sometimes targeted, sometimes mindless and born of the apparent hopelessness of the cause. Because of such events both the Romans and the chief priests were nervous of popular or messianic movements, not least at the time of major festivals.
We know about Barabbas, but he was only one of many rebel leaders in the period. He escaped crucifixion that Passover time, but the cross claimed many, perhaps dozens or even hundreds, even when no major disturbance had taken place. Rebels were crucified. That was the Roman way.
Luke describes the event in such a way that we can hardly miss the point. Barabbas is guilty of some of the crimes of which Jesus, though innocent, is charged: stirring up the people, leading a rebellion. Moreover, Barabbas has committed murder; Jesus was never accused of that. We don’t know whether Barabbas saw himself as a possible ‘king of the Jews’, but that is possible. One of them is to die, Barabbas or Jesus, and it turns out to be Jesus.
Either Barabbas or Jesus must die; either Barabbas, who stands for violent revolution, which Jesus has opposed from the beginning, or Jesus who has offered and urged the way of peace. Jesus ends up dying the death appropriate for the violent rebel. He predicted that he would be ‘reckoned with the lawless’ (22:37), and it has happened all too soon.
We are by now used to seeing Jesus in company with tax-collectors and sinners. We have been told, from many angles and with many parables, that this was the focus of his ministry. He embodied the outstretched love of God to all in need, going in search of lost sheep wherever they might be found.
But we were not quite prepared for it to end like this. It is one thing for Jesus to go in to eat with a man who is a sinner (19:7). It is a considerable step beyond that for him to go off and die the death of the violent rebel. But this is in fact the climax and focus of the whole gospel. This is the point for which Luke has been preparing us all along.
All sinners, all rebels, all humans are invited to see themselves in the figure of Barabbas. As we do so, we discover in this story that Jesus comes to take our place, under condemnation for sins and wickednesses great and small. In the strange justice of God, which overrules the unjust ‘justice’ of Rome and every human system, God’s mercy reaches out where human mercy could not. Jesus not only shares in our life but goes so far as to take our place in death, receiving our punishment, our fate.
Though the sin we commit may not be murder, nonetheless Jesus suffers on the cross for our sin. Barabbas represents the position we are all in because of Jesus’ death: we live because he died. Amidst all this injustice, the grace of God shines through. Jesus overcomes evil and injustice, even while in the midst of it.
Barabbas’s story is our story. Jesus freed us by his death, just as Barabbas was freed. One who saves a life is owed a life. Our Christian walk is a statement of gratitude to the one who has taken our place. We willingly take up our own cross and follow him.
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. (Luke 23:6-12)
The opening verses of Psalm 2 says “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed…”
Pilate and Herod eventually both agree that Jesus is innocent. That doesn’t sound much like banding together against the Lord’s Messiah. And yet Jesus still winds up on a cross, something only the rulers of Rome could order. This should remind us of something that escapes us far too often. Sin is rarely so dramatically clear.
We see so many possibly redeeming characteristics in both Herod and Pilate across these episodes. We almost want to get up and cheer them on to make the right decision this time, because they seem so close and there’s so much possibility that hangs in the air!
Herod is pleased, curious, and had been waiting a long time to see Jesus. Is that not the posture of seeking that could result in a genuine encounter? And yet the encounter sours.
Not because Herod was raging and conspiring against Jesus, but because he was more interested in his own amusement than doing the long, hard work of seeing justice through to the end.
Herod wants Jesus to perform some fancy sign. But, as “a sheep before its shearers is silent, so [Jesus] did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). So, frustrated that he could not ply Jesus open with his questions—frustrated in other words, that his plaything would not dance—Herod decided to have his fun in a different way.
The chief priests and teachers of the law were there, vehemently accusing Jesus. And though we later find that Herod finds no basis in their accusations, nevertheless he joins them. He and his soldiers begin ridiculing and mocking Jesus, dressing him up in a fine robe so that Pilate can join in the fun. “Here is your king” Herod jests back to Pilate. And just like that, joking over Jesus, the joke king, Herod and Pilate become friends.
The sin of Herod is a good time. Slander, mocking, cruel joking and laughter at another’s expense. But on the basis of these boring sins, Psalm 2’s conspiracy between the rulers of the age against the Messiah come to pass. On the basis of boring, workplace, schoolyard sins like these: Herod abandons justice, truth, and the only encounter he would ever have with Jesus.
Rarely are the bold, scandalous, or sexy sins the sins that cause we or the church to fall. Far more often it’s something simple like a tasteless joke that wedges us away from a true love of God and neighbour.
Yet even for this, Jesus died. Though our love fails, Jesus’ love prevails.
Our text is from Luke 23:1-5 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” So, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” You have said so,” Jesus replied. Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here” (Luke 23:1-5).
Early in his gospel, Luke establishes that the question, “Who is Jesus?” is the key to his story. Readers must decide! This same question is still on full display in the trial that precedes Jesus’ crucifixion. And as Pastor Anthony said yesterday, we need to make up our mind. Are we with him or are we not?
Its obvious that the whole assembly of the Jewish leaders are not with him. They cart Jesus off to Pilate with a three-fold accusation. 1) He is subverting our nation. This is one of those bland non-specific accusations which lawyers use so that they can tie all kinds of stuff to it (At least, that is what they do in crime novels and TV shows). The problem is that Pilate will shrug his shoulders at this, if its about the Jews, that it is your problem not mine.
The second accusation: “he opposes paying taxes” is an outright lie, since Jesus clearly told them to give Caesar his coin back (Luke 20:25). But this one does get Pilate’s attention because his main job is to ensure that Rome gets its taxes on time. He cannot have a Jewish rabbi walking around discouraging the Jews from paying up.
But it is the third charge that Pilate focusses on in the trial summary Luke provides us. If Jesus intends to be king, than he is a direct threat to Pilate. But Pilate realizes the charge is laughable. Jesus does not look like a king, and he doesn’t act like a king. Moreover, the only would-be soldiers he has at his command all fled at the first sign of trouble. At this point, Jesus is no threat to Pilate.
At the beginning of the trial, we have two responses to Jesus: the religious leaders outright reject him, and Pilate thinks he’s a joke; innocent, but still a joke. What about you? How do you respond to this Jesus? I am sure that you know many people who have these same reactions to him. But why does that surprise us? Why do we tend to recoil when someone challenges or scoffs at our faith in Jesus?
Is it because, like Pilate, we do not understand him? Or don’t like that way of his kingdom? Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” to which Jesus replies, “You have said so.” That’s about as much of a non answer as we can get. What does it even mean?
We might have expected that, like Moses at the court of Pharaoh, the leader of the new Exodus would either threaten Herod with God’s judgment or perform remarkable feats to demonstrate his claims, but Jesus does neither. He isn’t that sort of prophet, and he isn’t that sort of king.
Luke places this meeting of Jesus and Pilate in a sequence of scenes designed to reveal the truth of Jesus’ kingship and the falsehood of all other types. At this moment, the truth is more eloquently stated by silence. Jesus made no threats, offered no resistance, and said hardly anything. Jesus was caught at the point where competing interests and agendas met. Not only the sins, but also the petty aspirations, of the world conspired to put him on the cross.
As Isaiah said, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:6-7).
Jesus is king of the Jews, but not in the way that Pilate meant. Not in the way of the world. Can we accept this King?
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” (Luke 22:66-71)
Odd things happen here in the Council chambers. The Council does indeed decide to make a declaration to the Roman governor that Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah King. They will attribute this to him, even though he does not “own” the declaration himself. “You say that I am,” is all that Jesus will give them.
Jesus will not incriminate himself, except by allusion to scripture—in this case to the book of Daniel, which talks about the Son of Man, or Psalm 110 where the Lord says to my Lord: “sit at my right hand.” Jesus calls Scripture to testify on his behalf rather than speak for himself. This scriptural testimony, of course, is testimony that each of the religious leaders will have to ponder and decide about for themselves... if they’re so inclined.
But they’re not. They’ve already made up their minds. Even still, Jesus confronts them with the truth and calls witnesses to testify on his behalf through his allusions to scripture. He loved them and offered them the means to hear and respond to his Messianic presence all the way to the end.
Those words of truth Jesus speaks are arresting though. When they ask him if he is the Messiah, he replies: “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.” In one of the most consequential questions of the Jewish faith at that time—the identity of the Messiah—no one in the religious leadership was genuinely seeking an answer.
They were committed only to leaving their options open. If Jesus had asked them if he was the Messiah—they would not have answered him one way or the other, not even to say “no.” And if Jesus were to tell them plainly who he was, that wouldn’t inspire any faith either, because they didn’t really care. They were committed only to keeping their options open.
Which is to say they were committed to other things. To keeping their power. Keeping control of their place in the Temple. Keeping the Romans or the crowds appeased.
If any of us are to be converted more deeply to faith in Jesus, to become more deeply transformed, we will have to hear Jesus’ challenge to the religious leaders too. Do we really want to believe Jesus is the Lord of our lives? Do we really want to take on the implications of needing to change and be transformed because he is?
If he asked us, would we answer? If he told us, would we believe him? Or are we actually committed to other things?
About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly (Luke 22:59-62). In the story of Jesus arrest and trial, both Judas and Peter experience guilt. Guilt is a good thing, mostly. It is meant to be good, to act like a smoke detector, telling us that something is wrong. Of course, like everything else about us, it can be corrupted by sin so that we feel guilty about troubles we did not create. Let’s leave that sort of guilt aside for today. In the gospels, both Judas and Peter feel the proper kind of guilt because they have both done wrong.
The question to be asked is, “What do we do with our guilt?” Its not guilt that is a problem, but how we respond to it. Judas could not deal with his guilt. Peter’s story ends differently; let’s consider it.
Surely, this is one of the most poignant moments in all of the scriptures, “Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter”. As he looked into his master’s eyes from across the courtyard, Peter must have remembered all his bravado: “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:35). Did he also remember that Jesus had prayed for him (22:31)?
He went outside and wept bitterly. He didn't kill himself, didn't disintegrate. He continued to hang around. A few days later he ran right into the tomb wondering “Is it really empty?” He swam ahead of the others to meet Jesus on the beach and after breakfast Jesus restored him.
There is no formula to it; Peter did no acts of penance. All we see in Peter is a new humility. He can’t bring himself to answer Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” He knows he doesn’t love Jesus enough. He knows that now. In Peter’s story, we see that it really doesn’t matter that Peter’s devotion is insufficient. That’s encouraging for all of us who wonder if our devotion is sufficient. What matters is that Jesus loves him, Jesus died for him, Jesus rose for him, Jesus stayed with him.
Guilt. What do we do when the guilt alarm goes off? It depends on which gospel we believe in. Many Christians buy into the gospel of self-improvement. We tell ourselves that we must try harder to be good and we must fix things. This is where we begin incorporating guilt for things that we had no hand in breaking. If only we had been a better parent, a better spouse, a better friend…this bad thing would not have happened. This only leads to despair and loneliness and, yes, sometimes, even death, as in Judas’ case.
This is the kind of guilt that says, “if I feel really bad for a long enough time;” or, “If I give a little more time to Bible study or to some other religious activity;” or, “If I try really hard to do better, come up with a series of goals and become accountable to someone to achieve those goals;” or, “If I work hard to undo the consequences for what I have done,” then God will know that I am serious, and he'll let me off, and I won't feel so guilty anymore.
Do you think that is what Peter saw in his master’s eyes from across the courtyard? An accusation and a command to try harder. Trying harder has never set anyone free of guilt.
Here is what Peter saw in those eyes, "Yes, you did it. You denied me, even though you vowed you never world. But I am going to die for what you did. You don't have to live with it. So go out and weep your bitter tears of repentance. That's appropriate because you've done a terrible thing. But then turn back to me in faith. Enjoy your salvation and dry your tears of regret, because for those tears I died!"
NO! Peter did not understand all of that yet. But he would. Latter, he would quote Isaiah, ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
When guilt fills your soul, hear those words, “by his wounds we are healed.”
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 6:25-34 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What is Gluttony?
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What does Gluttony have to do with our lifestyle? Where do you see gluttony in your own lifestyle?
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How do our habits condition our hungers? Do you see places in your own life where this has happened?
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What “spiritual disciplines” do you practice in your life and what god do they form your hungers into desiring? What reduction of your humanity do they result in?
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How might you re-order the Spiritual Disciplines of your life to seek God, His Kingdom, and his righteousness first? What other “disciplines” might you have to abandon to do so? How do you think that action might shape your trust and form your hungers for God?
When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.” (Luke 22:49-53) Yesterday we heard that the enemy came with a kiss. Today we hear that a friend comes with a sword. Jesus stops both of them: the betrayal and the violence. His kingdom has room for neither.
Jesus’ kingdom is a kingdom of light that operates in the open of the day. Jesus intends for his work to be seen and heard plainly. No sneaking around. No tricks or traps. No underhanded deals. No coercive uses of intimidation, bribes, or violence. None of that. Jesus is the light of the world that reveals the motives of every heart, the actions of every hand, and the loving grace of God that comes to confront, forgive, and heal them both.
But as Jesus himself proves on this night, it is not terribly advantageous to limit oneself to pure and innocent means. In a forceful, violent world—living as children of the light is a good way to wind up dead, defeated, left behind and relegated to irrelevance. The deeds of darkness are far quicker, more efficient and effective at achieving desired outcomes. A sword, an army, or a bribe of 30 pieces of silver gets things moving in a way that the slow kingdom wheels of justice, discipleship, and relationships just can’t hack.
That said: to be effective, many of these deeds of darkness have to stay in the dark and remain a secret. They can’t be exposed by the light of day or they will be seen for what they are: lies, injustice, and violence used to help us pursue our own ways at any cost. Their validity vanishes in an instant.
In this particular case: it was the insiders who did it. The clergy: the pastors and elders of the church. The people who should’ve known better if anyone did. But clergy and other leaders are no less prone to the sins of the darkness than anyone else. We also seek out our own ends, and when the ways of Jesus’ Kingdom of Light doesn’t quite seem powerful enough to win the day, sometimes we wait for the sun to set and resort to lesser things. So enters infighting, abuse, self-righteousness, slander, and church splits.
To all of these things, Jesus says: “No more of this!” Then Jesus picks our ears up off the ground, sticks them back on our heads, and attempts to get us all—the Judases and sword-wielding disciples alike—to hear his correcting, revealing word of truth.
Jesus’ kingdom is not a rebellious kingdom that marches onward to conquer the world with swords. Nor does his kingdom operate in the darkness of divisive and deplorable means. No: it is a kingdom of light and of the way of peace; of truth, justice, and righteousness that judges the hearts of all people and that would reconcile all of them together under one King: Jesus Christ.
This means of course, that Jesus will not fight back. He will submit to this hour of darkness and wind up dead. Counterintuitively, this is the very way that his ways prevail. Rather than join the darkness, Jesus, the light, shines in the darkness—proving once and for all that the darkness cannot overcome him.
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48). In today’s text, we see just how deep and depraved sin can be. Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was of the worst sort. But we also see just how determined Jesus is to bring redemption to the cosmos. He is willing to accept the betrayal from a friend so that all, including us, can be named his friends.
In those days, it was not unusual for men to exchange a kiss when they met. It was a convenient way for Judas to identify Jesus for those who had come to arrest him. It would have been very dark and those with only a cursory knowledge of Jesus and his band of twelve, could easily have arrested the wrong man.
This kiss of greeting expressed friendship and esteem, even love. Not romantic love, to be sure. But the love of friends who will go to all lengths to help each other. Giving this kind of kiss was a powerful symbol to everyone who saw it. Strangers would never greet each other with a kiss. It was a greeting reserved only for the most special of relationships. Later, Paul told the church “To greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16).
On the very night of his betrayal, Jesus served the Passover to His disciples, including Judas. That meal was an affirmation of His covenant with them. Jesus understood what it meant to be in covenant. He knew He would have to lay down His life to empower that covenant and make it real. And just as Jesus affirmed His covenant to the other disciples that night, He confirmed it to Judas. Jesus extended His genuine love and commitment to Judas as He offered him the bread and cup, and Judas feigned commitment by accepting the bread and the cup as symbols of the covenant.
Accordingly, this method of betrayal was particularly heinous. Betraying Jesus with a kiss was about as low as a person could go. It was like saying, “You and I are best friends forever. Now please turn around so I can stab you in the back!” The kiss Judas gave was false. It revealed insincerity, bogus love, and a phony commitment. The fact that it was premeditated made it even worse. This was no last-minute, accidental betrayal; it was well-planned and very deliberate. Judas played the game all the way to the end, working closely with Jesus and remaining a part of His inner circle. Then at the appointed time, Judas drove in the dagger as deep as he could!
Judas’s actions were hypocritical in the extreme—his actions said, “I respect and honor you,” at the exact time he was betraying Jesus to be murdered. Judas’s actions illustrate Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Often, foes disguise themselves as friends. Evil often wears a mask to conceal its true purpose. Such deception and hypocrisy often lie at the base of sin. Sin works hard to disguise itself.
But Jesus knows what is happening, as his question, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”, indicates. However, it also offers Judas one last opportunity to change course. Just hours earlier Jesus had warned his followers, “The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” (22:22).
Jesus will walk this road. He will accept his friend’s betrayal, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (19:10). And the way of salvation was through betrayal and death, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (9:22).
As Stuart Townsend sings, “Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal, He was lifted on a cruel cross; He was punished for the world's transgressions, He was suffering to save the lost; He fights for breath, He fights for me Loosing sinners from the claims of hell; And with a shout our souls are free - Death defeated by Immanuel!” (From the squalor of a borrowed stable [Immanuel] ©1999 Thankyou Music).
So, sit in that garden with Jesus, Judas, the other disciples, and the crowd coming to arrest him. See Jesus extending his hand of friendship to Judas to the very end. See that same hand extended to you. Reach out and grab hold. It is the hand of life, the hand that was dead, but is now alive, to give life to all who will take hold of it.
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46) Gethsemane is not a word that Luke uses. But it’s not that he doesn’t say it.
Gethsemane is a word that translates to “oil press.” Presumably the garden grove of Olive Trees on the Mount of Olives had an oil press within it, such that it was called by that name. “Gethsemane.” Oil press: it is the best description not just of the place, but also of what happens here, especially as Luke tells it.
But again, Luke doesn’t use that word. He just says “the place.” Upon reaching “the place,” Jesus told the disciples to pray so that they would not fall into temptation.
Why? Because temptation was pressing in. Satan had asked to sift the disciples like wheat. Peter had been told that he would soon disown Jesus. And they still didn’t understand anything about greatness, violence, or power when it came to the kingdom of God.
Some of this had perhaps become apparent to them as Jesus rebuked and warned them while they were still at table in the upper room. Luke reports that they were exhausted from sorrow, and maybe that’s why. In any case, as the press of temptations and forces hardened around them: the disciples went limp in their emotional exhaustion, desponding in sleep rather than responding in prayer.
But strong pressures were also pressing in on Jesus. Out of his humanity, he pleads for mercy. Instead, he receives strength. But it does not stop him from praying even more earnestly in anguished cries to his Father. It is here, in anguish, feeling the crushing press of Judas’ betrayal, the disciples’ emotional exhaustion, and the rejection and crucifixion that lay ahead that Jesus’ sweat falls like drops of blood.
Luke doesn’t use the word Gethsemane, but he does give the most vivid example of it. The law of firstfruits said that the first pressing of oil from one’s olives belonged to God, and the second to us. So it is here.
Jesus is pressed like olives at ‘the place’ of Gethsemane to the point that his blood begins to drip to the ground. This first pressing is for God, offered up in anguished cries of prayer and surrender.
Of course, the second pressing on the cross would be for us. “Drink from it, all of you: this cup is the new covenant in my blood,” Jesus said, after all.
This gift pressed from Jesus and given to us is exactly what strengthens us today for the prayerful battle against temptation. So: receive Jesus’ gift and hear his command—it is time to awake and pray.
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied (Luke 22:35-38). In chapter 9, Luke recorded how Jesus sent his 12 disciples into the villages to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, to cast out demons and to cure diseases. For the journey, Jesus instructed them to take nothing along. They were to depend on the hospitality of the people they encountered. Amazingly, it all went according to plan; they were well provided for as they did kingdom work, as referred to in our text.
Throughout the centuries, some Christian groups have attempted to replicate this mission, assuming that this is the normative method of proclaiming the kingdom. That is a misreading of Jesus intention. Most of the church has understood that this was a onetime mission with a onetime methodology. This conclusion is rooted in our text in which Jesus tells his disciples things are about to change.
Trouble is coming quickly. Perilous and difficult days are ahead. They will now have to fend for themselves. They can no longer depend on the good will of others.
It is important not to miss the rhetorical character of these remarks. The disciples take the comment about the sword literally—one of the disciples will even wield his sword at Jesus’ arrest, a reaction Jesus rebukes as he heals the damage the sword has done. His reply, “That’s enough”, is a dismissal. The disciples still do not understand the nature of Jesus kingdom.
In the past it was an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, sword for sword. You responded to danger by becoming dangerous yourself. But in his kingdom, one does not respond to violence with violence, rather, you turn the other cheek.
Jesus is about to be numbered among the sinners. He will be condemned to death as a criminal and allow himself to be crucified. Thus, the disciples are in trouble as well. He needs them to understand, and he needs us to understand, that his followers must be prepared for opposition. The Lord has in mind a toughness of character; a capacity to stand strong in the battle. He wants us to be focussed on his mission without the need for accolades nor the world’s acceptance and care. What is needed is the courage of a soldier in battle, fight until you win, or you die.
As disciples, we serve as aliens in a strange land (1 Peter 2:11), as citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). We will need to draw together to support one another, while not expecting support from those who do not share our devotion to the Lord. We need to encourage each other not to pick up the weapons of the world, such a swords or guns or fists or angry words.
We are called to be wholehearted followers of the Crucified One. But the world in which we live is in the power of sin and the Evil One. Thus, it is unavoidable that scorn and hatred will be hurled towards us from those who reject God and His Christ. And the only way to remain firm in such a world is to be spiritually equipped with His power and armed with the sword of His Word.
The use of force in the vindication and extension of His church on earth has been advocated by some sections of Christendom. However, it is quite foreign to the teaching of Jesus as his rebuke, “That’s enough” indicates.
A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:24-30). Years ago, early in my years as a pastor, I used to get asked a question about marriage. All sorts of occasions gave rise to the question. Yet, each situation had a common element: husband and wife were having a disagreement. The question I got asked was always the same, “Who gets to make the final decision?”
I admit that at first, I got taken in by the question and attempted to respond with a sound biblical and theological answer. After some years of experience in preaching and pastoral care, I came to realize that the question itself was a problem. The question I was being asked, “Which of us gets the final decision?” is in essence the same as the one Jesus’ disciples were debating, “Which of us is the greatest?”
It’s the height of irony. As Jesus faces his death and Judas engages in betrayal, the disciples worry about their status before Jesus. Which one of them is the greatest. They are concerned with their role in any future kingdom Jesus brings in. Power, not service, dominates their thinking.
It’s the same everywhere. Why all the division in our society today? Is it not about power? Why so many heated debates in the church? Is it not that each of us wants our ideas to win the day? We may say that they are about biblical truth and the purity of the church which are important matters in and of themselves. However, our debates quickly leave the high-mindedness of these virtues and descend into power plays and backroom dealings and extra meetings in the church parking lots (well, that was before ZOOM).
The dispute is significant because it impacts the unity of the community. Jesus’ disciples are to be different from the world in the way they exercise their roles. Kings and rulers wield power and “lord it over” the people. That is not the type of leadership Jesus calls for. Ruling in Jesus’ dictionary means service, not power. Elitism and debate about status are out.
The disciples have a special role to play in Jesus’ kingdom. They will sit at the banquet, and they will rule, but not because they are the greatest. They are to lead by serving. In the world, the leader gets all the perks and receives service. She wields power and authority with a recognition that rank gives the right to direct and coerce into action.
Jesus’ approach is the exact opposite. Leadership is not attaining a rank that allows one to exercise authority with one’s own interests in mind. Leadership is a responsibility and a trust to exercise one’s skills and energies to serve those who are led. To our shame, the church still does not understand this. Jesus’ own ministry indicates how central this perspective was in his thinking. He ministered to the poor, the rejected of society, the sick, those of different race and gender, children, or anyone who had a need. Position and status meant nothing to him. The church still needs such service and such an attitude today.
The question regarding marriage is rooted in Ephesians 5:22–33. I needed to notice that it says nothing about the exercise of power. Rather, the passage exhorts husbands to mirror Christ, who gave his body for his bride and the passage calls on them to nourish and cherish their partners.
Leadership, and headship for that matter, do not call for the raw exercise of power, but a sensitive display of compassion, care, and service. Real leadership serves, even when no one is looking. God exalts those who humble themselves, even as they lead by serving.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 12:13-34 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- Who struggles with the sin of greed?
- Is money a sin or even a problem?
- What is greed? Where does it come from? How does it show up in your life?
- What are some of the consequences of greed?
- Name some antidotes to greed.
- How will you re-arrange your life to stem the growth of greed?
- How much is enough?
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34) Here again is Satan, showing up at the opportune time. But notice something curious: Satan has to ask permission to do what he does. It’s reminiscent of the opening scene of the book of Job where Satan is a member of God’s royal court who holds the role of accuser (which is what the title “Satan” means in Hebrew). You could think of Satan as the Crown Prosecutor. And this prosecutor wants authority from the Crown to investigate the faith of Jesus disciples. This very much is the Old Testament view of who “the Satan” is.
Of course, in New Testament accounts of “the Satan,” we realize that this particular prosecutor does not necessarily have the cause of justice in mind. He doesn’t just want to investigate, he wants to sift the disciples like wheat: perhaps engage in less-than-noble schemes of entrapment, coercion, and other forms of temptation. In other words, he is the spiritual embodiment of evil and lies. He doesn’t merely want to discover whether or not the disciples are unfaithful, he would like to ensure that they are. But he still has to ask permission from the crown.
And that finally confirms again that God, while not sparing us from the evil and temptations of this world, is still finally in control. And while Satan may be granted permission to “sift you all like wheat,” all the while Jesus prays. He is interceding for us now at the Father’s right hand.
Jesus tells Peter plainly that his faith will fail. Peter will betray Jesus. Judas is not, apparently, the only disciple who would. After Peter remarks that he will go to prison and death for Jesus, Jesus switches from calling him Simon to calling him Peter, harkening back to when Jesus first gave him this new name. On this rock—Peter—Jesus would build his church, yet in the very next moment Jesus says to him: “get behind me, Satan!” Similarly here: Jesus tells Peter: “you will deny three times that you know me.”
But Jesus is also praying. And Jesus has confidence. Not only in Peter’s failure, but also in the fact that Peter will turn back. “When you turn back,” Jesus says, not “if.” And that turning around that Peter will do is what we might call “repentance.”
Repentance at the invitation, prayer, and enabling power of Jesus is what undoes the work of sin and Satan. Though we may stand tempted, entrapped, and accused: Jesus continues to pray for us and to invite us to turn around—to repent and to believe. Satan’s power is never stronger than the word and work of Jesus. He remains subservient to the Crown.
And so as Paul writes in Romans: “if God is for us, who can be against us?” Indeed, nothing can separate us from his love for us in Jesus Christ, our Lord!
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. (Luke 22:14-23) This text is at the heart of our Christian practice. It is Jesus’ gift of a ritual act to remind his church of what he was about to accomplish in his death and resurrection. Of course, it was not a new act, but a reinterpretation of a much older ritual act: the Passover.
In that sense, it’s interesting to note that the Passover lamb was not an atoning sacrifice for sin. It was a sign of faithfulness to the covenant promises that God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was also a sign of God’s saving action on behalf of his people, saving them from the destroyer (death) and freeing them from their slavery in Egypt.
We have come to understand Jesus’ work on the cross as setting us free from sin and death too: but again, it is more than that. Jesus calls it a new covenant made in his blood: a new relationship established on the firm and unshakable work of Jesus that yes, saves us from our bondage to sin, but that also gives us hope and a future in restored relationship with God and the promise of life with him in his Kingdom. Our celebration of the Lord’s Supper should never say less than that we are forgiven our sin, but it should also always say more!
I’m reminded of Romans when I hear these words again, that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8b). The first work that Jesus does is establish a relationship with his disciples: then he saves them. The best example of this is Judas sitting at the table with Jesus.
Jesus knows that Judas is about to betray him and that the devil is already at work within him. No matter: Judas is seated at the meal. Jesus invites him to the table of fellowship and relationship just as much as the others. Jesus does not bar Judas from the table because his conduct is unworthy, sinful, un-understanding, or un-discerning. Jesus invites. Jesus gives. Judas has every opportunity to accept the invitation freely given him.
I think this fact is one of the best reasons never to refrain from partaking in the Lord’s Supper, contrary to popular belief among many of us. Even if you’ve sinned and your life is an unreconciled mess, even if you’ve screwed up, or aren’t in the right head space or heart space—even if you are Judas himself!—even still, Jesus invites you to eat at his table. His grace comes first. Always.
While we are still sinners—repentant or unrepentant—Jesus comes to us and seeks to establish his covenant of grace with us: inviting us to repent, respond, and believe again no matter where we’re at or what we’ve done. So: do this, in remembrance of him. And let his gift of grace awaken, enliven, and even nourish and enable your response of grateful thanks.
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So, they prepared the Passover (Luke 22:7-13). In yesterday’s passage, Satan makes his move, enticing Judas to betray Jesus. First time readers of this gospel will recognize that the tension has just been ramped up: one of Jesus’ chosen twelve has turned against him. Will the devil’s move derail Jesus from his mission? Will he deviate from the plan laid out before him? Is redemption in jeopardy?
When writing a novel, an author will usually allow this tension to build and intensify. But Luke is not interested in causing us elevated heart rates. He wants us to know that Jesus is fully in control of the situation. Jesus has already laid plans for the celebration of the Passover and sends Peter and John ahead to prepare the room and meal.
The preparations for the meal symbolize what is happening in the larger story. A divine plan was being unfolded which Satan’s counterplot could not disrupt. Everything is going according to plan, God’s plan. Jesus directs it all, knowing how each detail will fall into place.
The disciples faithfully follow the instructions of their teacher. He, in turn, leads by example, trusting that the Father will lead him to complete his course. Two things are central: God’s sovereignty and Jesus’ faithfulness in the face of it. Jesus walks into Jerusalem, fully aware of what is about to take place. He goes to meet his death. He goes to bring redemption.
On the surface, the Passover meal is being celebrated, but underneath, the Passover Lamb is preparing to offer himself after this one last meal with his disciples. This meal will forever be a reminder of our deliverance and Jesus deep trust in God as he walked towards the cross.
He meets his call with a total commitment to walk in God’s way. We too face situations where God’s sovereignty calls us to walk a path where he leads, though the outcome for us may be unclear. God calls us to seek his face and direction amid the questions. We are called to imitate Jesus by trusting like he does here.
Facing betrayal and death, Jesus calmly leads his disciples into the celebration of God’s goodness in salvation. Though he will soon go to the cross and experience rejection, he leads his disciples in worship and reminds them of their call to follow in his steps.
Jesus rests in the knowledge that God cares for him. There will be moments in which tensions and anxieties are poured out to God through prayer, but at the base there is a sense of God’s being in control and of Jesus’ awareness of what is going on. All of this is reassuring to those who read Luke’s account. God’s control even during dire circumstances is important to recall as we face the painful circumstances of our own lives.
There are moments where we face desperate circumstances. We may struggle with God’s activity in our lives, where trust is hard to come by. Perhaps we are suffering from health problems that cause us to turn more fervently to God. The way in which Jesus faced the ultimate end of his ministry is not unlike coming to grips with the hard curves that often throw trauma into our lives.
Biblical scholars enjoy debating the theories about how Jesus’ death dealt with our sins. Many of them are profoundly moving, drawing together deep spiritual insight and a commitment to bring God’s saving love to the needy world. Many of them have inspired Christian people with a new view of God’s grace and mercy. Theories have their place. But they weren’t the main thing that Jesus gave his followers.
He gave them an act to perform. Specifically, he gave them a meal to share. It is a meal that speaks more volumes than any theory. In its simplicity it reminds us that salvation is accomplished and God is in control.
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. (Luke 22:1-6) Now begins the passion narrative proper. The night of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples is quickly approaching.
Now, the religious leaders had been attempting to win the hearts of the crowds or catch Jesus in some heresy or political offence against Rome. But to no avail. Jesus eluded their traps and the crowds only loved him more. So the plot thickens. The leaders seek to find some way to get rid of Jesus when the crowds aren’t present to see it.
Jesus had just gotten done exhorting his disciples to stand firm in their faith, keep watch, and pray so that they might be able to stand before the son of man, but apparently Judas’ heart was like the hard path in the parable of the sower: Satan was able to swoop in snatch that word of Jesus away before it had chance to sprout (Luke 8:12).
“Satan entered Judas” says Luke. Way back at Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, we heard that the devil left Jesus until an opportune moment. And while those same temptations and demonic work had continually pelted Jesus all through his ministry, now the opportune moment fully arrives. Satan shows up and finds a ready host and partner in Judas.
Whatever else we may say or think about Judas, in the very least it can be said that he was not prepared for the spiritual battle of keeping watch in prayer. Somehow he became confused, mistaking Jesus for the enemy instead of the devil. Jesus would have brought Judas to life. The devil would lead him on the path of death: Jesus’ death, but also his own. The words Jesus spoke over Jerusalem at his triumphal entry come to mind: “if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Did Judas do it for the money? Did he do it because he wanted to usurp Jesus’ place of authority? Did he do it because he was fed up with Jesus’ lack of ambition in being a political Messiah? What made his heart hard ground for the Gospel, but fruitful ground for the devil’s thorns? We never do find out.
Ultimately of course, this text invites us to look not at Judas, but at ourselves. The fact that one of Jesus’ closest followers and disciples betrayed him is an invitation to pause and reflect on the spiritual battle of our own discipleship. Are we softening our hearts to hear and respond to the word of Jesus? To watch and pray so that we might stand firm before him? Or are we becoming callous, allowing the small, slow sins of pride, envy, sloth and others to give the devil a foothold?
Wherever we are: Jesus’ word of grace comes to us today anew: repent and believe, he says. Die in my death that you might live.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36). As they say, ‘the world’s going to hell in a handbasket.’ A sentiment that has been true in almost every age. Many of us have said it and will say it again. In our own city of Hamilton, ON, three things tend to dominate the headlines: homelessness, drug addiction and murder and political corruption. Well, that’s four.
When we look further afield, wars, rumours of wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters are common news fodder. And more recently, the fall out of COVID 19 and the war in Ukraine tie the commentators in knots. They race to the microphones and twitter spheres to offer their expert opinions only to revise them a day later.
We have been warned. As Pastor Anthony said last Friday, Jesus told us it would be like this. Now in our text for today, Jesus warns us to “be careful”. What is it we must be careful of? Not to get caught up in wars or taken down by an earthquake? No! We must guard our own hearts.
You see, the constant barrage of bad news can make us grow weary. The weight of this news can strip us of any hope of relief. And in that weariness and hopelessness, we can gravitate to either of two extremes. We either party so hard we forget all our worries, or we get so concerned about our personal wellbeing we immerse ourselves is material security. We either party ourselves to death or we work ourselves to death.
Jesus encourages us to embrace a third alternative. Keep alert. This is what we were told to expect, so don’t be surprised by the daily dump of bad news. Patience is the key. Pray for strength to keep on our feet. There are times when our eyes will be shutting with tiredness, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical, and when we will have to prop them open.
This is what it’s about: not an exciting battle, with adrenalin flowing and banners flying, but the steady tread, of prayer and hope and scripture and sacrament and witness, day by day and week by week. This is what counts; patience is a fruit of the Spirit after all. This is primarily a spiritual battle. Prayer is what keeps hope alive. Prayer for patience, for steady progress towards the goal.
Prayer together. Read the story to each other again and again. Remind one another of what Jesus said. And keep each other awake.
Jesus’ point is not to make his followers fearful that they will lose their salvation, as some preachers and parents have done. He is leaning into what Paul will later flesh out, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).
When the Lord does come back, everyone will be faced with the reality of his return and his powerful presence. Some will be ready for it, while others will be surprised. Jesus calls his disciples to “be always on the watch” in looking for his return. Our attentiveness should be ongoing. We must pray to escape what lies ahead. Our goal is to “stand before the Son of Man.” All of us who identify with this Son of Man will stand in that day.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Genesis 1:1-2:3 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What is Sloth? Are there any misconceptions you had about it that were cleared up or clarified today?
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What do you notice about how and what God creates as he forms the formless and fills the empty? Name some of the rhythms and boundaries of Creation
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What does it means to be created through God’s speech and in His image? What relational implications does it have for us and all creation?
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What does it mean to “respond” to all these gifts and commands of our Creation and Redemption? What does it mean or look like to “despond” instead?
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Every new moment is a new opportunity to respond or to despond to Christ and our fellow human beings. How will you die to sloth so that you can rise to attend, actively to this choice this week?
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. (Luke 21:25-31) God creates the heavens and the earth. As death enters the world through Adam and Eve, the creation itself is cursed by God because of it. Later, as God makes his covenant with his people in the Saini wilderness, the heavens and earth are called as witnesses to the agreement. In the prophecy of the Old Testament, it is often noted that dramatic changes in the heavens and the earth will be signs of the day of Lord. When Jesus is born, the heavens rejoice by revealing a new star in the sky to mark the occasion. At Jesus’ death, Matthew reports that the earth quakes, splitting rocks and tombs open. Following Jesus resurrection and ascension, Paul reports that the whole of creation now waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
God created the heavens and the earth. Sin and death impact not just our lives, but the whole of creation: the heavens and the earth. Christ’s redemption is also a redemption of not just us, but all of creation—all of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.
So it is not strange then that the second coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, should be accompanied and heralded by a great shaking of the heavens and the earth. Will the sea and the heavenly bodies be shaking with excitement like a little puppy at the front door when a visitor comes? Maybe it’s just so.
Obviously earthquakes strike terror into our hearts and certainly any funny business in the sky would do the same, but should these things happen in our lifetime, Jesus would invite us to close our eyes, take a deep breath and remember: all these things belong to him. The heavens are his, as are the earth and the seas, for he made them. And while their shaking will be an apocalypse for sure, it is not a revelation of our death, but of our life.
Apocalypse literally means revelation. And what is revealed in these signs is best said by Jesus in his parable of the trees. When you see leaves poking out, you can see for yourself that summer is near. That’s what we’re seeing right now in these warm days as plants begin poking through the earth around our houses. And it means that the death of winter has ended. The summer season of lush and verdant life is nigh. Just so: the impossible-to-miss shaking of the heavens and the earth will be the excited puppy dog promise that the King is returning.
As he comes on the clouds with power and great glory, we can lift up our heads at long last, for our redemption to life has finally drawn near.
Maybe we’ll see it in our lifetime and maybe we won’t. But let this picture from Jesus cut through all the dark and fearful days of this present moment and keep you living with purpose and faithfulness with heads lifted high until that day when he returns and redeems all things.
“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so, you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life” (Luke 21:12-19). The prosperity gospel is “the belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for us, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth.” That’s according to Wikipedia. It’s a reasonable definition of what is sometimes called the ‘health and wealth gospel.”
Many of us have been sucked in by this teaching. Maybe not so much the second part about making donations to increase our wealth. But the business about being successful financially and physically has snuck into what we Christians believe. Earlier this week, a friend from years ago mentioned she was glad God had brought me to Immanuel. Why did she say that? Because I had told her things were going well here for me.
Do you get the connection? My sense of wellbeing meant I had followed God’s leading. I wonder if she would have dared voice the opposite: that if things were not going well, I had obviously missed God’s direction? Probably not. But do you see the connection drawn between wellbeing and God’s blessing? That is the heart of the prosperity gospel.
In our text, Jesus puts the lie to this understanding of God. Walking with God does not equal success as the world sees it. We need to be very careful about this in our personal lives and our church life and Christian parachurch organizations and even in our places of work and business. When things do not go well, it does not mean that we have sinned or missed God’s direction. It might be that, but it should not be our go to conclusion.
Jesus clearly tells his disciples that following him will include persecution and hardship. Not for everyone of course, but when it happens there should be no surprise. We have been forewarned. Following Jesus creates opposition. It will even come from those closest to us, from family and friends.
Beyond telling us to expect it, Jesus tells us not to worry about ourselves when it happens. Many Christians have told me of their hope not to be persecuted because they are not sure their faith can handle it. They won’t know what to say. That’s when I get to point to a text like this and assure them that Jesus will give them words to speak.
Sometimes the most effective witnessing takes place exactly when our faith is in the crucible of persecution. In such moments faith is seen as the central aspect of our lives. Jesus will give us words that “our adversaries will be unable to resist or contradict”. Still, they may kill us.
Do you find it rather odd that Jesus says, “not a hair on any believer’s head will perish” in the same sentence he tells us we might be killed for our faith? So much for the prosperity gospel!
Jesus is challenging us to get our heads out of the sand, not to be concerned only with this phase of life. After death, there is more life to be lived! And if we stand with Jesus in this present age, God will welcome us into the next. There is “no way” we will be harmed ultimately; that is why we can face suffering in the short term. God will protect his disciples. To stand with Jesus is to have salvation.
What does it mean to stand? In means that we claim him as our Lord, and it means we live this life according to his direction. Belonging to Jesus includes being willing to endure suffering as he endured it during his life and death. It includes choosing to do good to our enemies, as he did.
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” (Luke 21:5-11) Jesus’ first point to his disciples is: don’t pay attention to the outward appearances of a thing. That had been his point about the widow’s mites and the showmanship of the Teachers of the Law in our previous two devotions, too. It is still his point here. Things are not always as they seem.
The Temple may have looked magnificent and all the gifts of God’s people too, but never has the majesty of the architecture told much about the heart of the matter. And the heart of this matter was that God was about to do a new thing. In Jesus, yes, but also in relationship to Jerusalem and the Temple: every stone would be thrown down.
Jesus’ second point is that despite the deep religious, political, military, humanitarian, and even astrological and seismic upheavals: his followers need not be afraid and ought not be deceived. It is not about the outward appearances of a thing: things are not always as they seem.
Just because the world feels like it is coming undone, does not mean that it is. Just because it feels like the time of Christ’s return is nigh, does not mean that it is. Just because someone comes with high religious claims of messianic proportion, does not mean they are to be believed. Our Lord has told us quite plainly: do not be deceived or taken in by these end-times or messianic predictions. Do not follow them. Follow Jesus. Period.
And yet, just like the disciples, we want to know when the end is going to come and what it’s going to look like!
That anxiety runs particularly high today. Not just a rumor of war, but war itself has broken out against Ukraine. This is not the only armed conflict in the world today or even in the past few years—there have been many, like the civil war raging across Ethiopia right now. But the war of Putin against the Ukraine feels different to us. It’s happening closer to home and with a much more lethal power involved: a nuclear power.
This is a war that has led to much costly suffering, has already changed the geo-political landscape in significant ways, and that carries the threat of nuclear holocaust in ways not present since the end of the Cold War.
And yet: Jesus’ words remain. Do not be frightened or deceived. Stand firm. What does that mean practically? It means, I think, to continue to follow Jesus and him alone in his Kingdom ways, even now. In other words: it means things like praying, giving, and acting in ways consistent with obedience to Jesus in his ways of justice, peace, grace, mercy, and love on behalf of Ukrainians and Russians (and Ethiopians and so many others facing open war, famine, etc.). And of course, it means the prayer: Come Lord Jesus, come.
Pastor Michael will have some further thoughts on what kingdom living in tension-laden times looks like as Jesus continues this discourse in Luke, tomorrow.
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly, I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:1-4). A man who had become very wealthy was once asked to speak at the launch of a church fundraising campaign. In his conclusion, he mentioned that when he was young, he had pledged to give God 10% of everything he earned. He also recalled that the Sunday after he had earned his first paycheque the minister had preached on the opening words of Luke 21. As the offering plate went by that morning, he put that entire first paycheque into it. As he took his seat, the lady behind him leaned forward and whispered, “I dare you to do it again.”
I do not know if this story is true, but I did read it once and tucked it away in my story bank. It gets at the heart of Jesus’ reflections on the widow’s offering. But to get there, we need to do a little background.
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on the end of chapter 20, where Jesus berates religious show-offs. Jesus insists that God does not see things as we do. He does not count; he weighs. He does not count the coins we donate; he weighs the heart that gives. Jesus called this widow’s gift the greatest of those that his disciples have been observing. What others gave came out of their excess. They would not miss what they had tossed into the temple offering. But this widow gave out of her poverty. She gave what little she had, even though she needed it to live on. Jesus called that real giving.
Jesus is not discouraging the wealthy from giving large amounts. He is challenging our hearts. Those wealthy would not miss what they had given, they gave showing off. As Jesus says in Matthew 6, that is all the reward they would get, “the praise of people.” But the widow did not know if she would eat tomorrow. Her giving was an act of trust. Trust that God would care for her tomorrow.
That was the challenge given to our wealthy man. Would he trust God again?
Jesus is not telling us that we should give away everything we have. But he is asking us to allow the Holy Spirit to test our hearts. Why are we giving? To feel good about ourselves or as a gift to God? Do we ever give so that it hurts? Do we give so that we are deprived? Are we willing to take $50 for our weekly grocery budget, eating less costly food, so that someone else can buy groceries?
God weighs the heart. Where do our priorities lie? With sacrificial love or with satisfying our own cravings?
Jesus praises the widow because her attitude and action serve as an example of how believers should live. Jesus turns the tables of evaluation here. We tend to appreciate the amount of a gift, not necessarily the sacrifice that went into the giving. Notice Jesus uses a person on the fringe of society, a poor woman who would have been a nonperson culturally, to exemplify his kingdom ethic. God sees her gift as among the most significant. A seemingly poor gift was rich in what it cost and represented.
How do we develop such an attitude of the heart? In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 Paul writes of setting aside at the first of the week what we plan to give. What we give to God deserves priority. He should not receive our leftovers. As is all too common, the leftovers mysteriously shrink in size. On the other hand, giving to God that which is set aside from the first limits what we use for ourselves. It develops not only a healthy recognition that our resources belong to God, but it can also lead us to be more disciplined with what is left for us after we give.
And it helps us live in trust that God will provide for us from what is left.
While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” (Luke 20:45-47) There is a sense in which much of our evangelical world can fit under Jesus’ is warning here in this passage. So much of the things that have driven our practices and our passions these past years have been a desire to grow the church, to compete with the secular world, and to prove the greatness of God by the greatness of our churches and preaching and the spectacles that we can pull off.
But, it is exactly those sorts of things that Jesus warns his disciples to beware of here. And, of course it's not just the evangelicals that that have this problem: many of us are tempted to the same. But Jesus notes that some of what's underneath this show, flash, and pizazz—are things like the seven deadly sins that we've been talking about in our Sunday worship services.
You can hear in this passage examples of things like pride. “They like to have flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets,” Jesus says. There is also here the sin of greed: “they devour widows houses.” “Give more!” they say, “give more!” Perhaps even more than you're able to give, all so that I can build my empire.
Jesus warns us against these things and tells us that these men will be punished most severely. Indeed these sins lead to all sorts of things that distract and that actually take away from what we show up in the church for. We show up in the church to hear a word from God, a word of grace, a word of compassion, a word that meets us in our need and that is humble enough to meet us where we are. Jesus does exactly that and his church should too.
Ministers and leaders like myself have to hear this text and always weigh ourselves against it. As James says in his letter, those of us who teach have to be careful for we will be judged more strictly. But passages like this are a warning to all of us—not just against the temptations that some of these Pharisees and teachers of law had given themselves into of pride and greed, but we are also warned not to follow those who follow these sins of pride and greed and whatever else.
Jesus says: “I have a humble Kingdom and this is not necessarily what it looks like and so if you see these things—ministers and churches that like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the business world and have the most important seats in the places of honor—beware of such things.”
Beware, and always remember that Jesus came to us humbly and that his work of humbly giving himself up at the cross is eventually what saves us, not greatness in our own eyes.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 20:1-16 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What is Envy? Are there any misconceptions you had about it that were cleared up or clarified today? Why is envy’s eye said to be green?
- What was the wider context of Jesus’ parable from today’s text and what did it have to do with envy? Bonus: read through the verses that follow this parable too (through the end of chapter 20—the cross, the desire for thrones, and the blind given their sight) and ask the same question (does it speak to envy’s redemption?).
- What do you notice about the parable itself? What does it help us understand about envy from the workers experience? What about from the landowner’s response?
- In what ways does envy become deadly? In our relationships with others? In our relationship with God?
- Dying to envy in the cross of Christ: what does new life look like? What is/are the virtue/s of Christian character that begin/s to grow on the other side?
- In what areas of your life is Jesus inviting you to daily take up your cross this week, dying to envy so that his new life might be made manifest in you?
Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” (Luke 20:41-44) Jesus has been peppered with questions ever since arriving in Jerusalem’s temple. But after silencing all his opponents, Jesus takes on the role of questioner himself.
Everyone knew that the Messiah would be a Son of the David, thee Son, in fact. The terms were synonymous. And when people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, he never took any offence. Luke was, in fact, at pains in the first couple chapters of his gospel account to tell us that Jesus was the Son of David. He was fit to be the Messiah. His credentials checked out.
But now Jesus throws a wrench into the whole works. How can the Messiah be both David’s Son and David’s Lord at the very same time?
No answer is given. No one responds. Jesus doesn’t explain. The narrative just moves on.
People’s expectations of the Messiah were different than the Messiah that Jesus was. They were looking for a new earthly King to fight their earthly battles for them, and reclaim their earthly land from Rome. All their hopes lay within human reach. But would David have need to refer to one of his merely human descendants as Lord?
Only God can save in the ways that we need saving. Which are earthly ills, yes. We need saving from the earthly, unjust, violent oppression of war, like what we see playing out in Ukraine under Putin’s aggression. We need saving from earthly abuse and its impacts, as our sisters and brothers in the Meeting House feel acutely right now following Bruxy Cavey’s dismissal this week for sexual abuse. We need saving from disease, as we know from two full years to the day—today—of suffering under a pandemic. But we also need saving from a spiritual ill that shoots through and undergirds it all: sin.
Only the Son of God himself can do both. Only if Jesus is Lord and Christ can he save us from everything that destroys and disfigures life. Only if he is both human and divine—imminent and transcendent, near enough, but also big enough—can he save us from our sins and all their effects.
Thanks be to God: Jesus is not merely the Son of David, but also the Son of God. He is Lord and Christ. And even today: he reaches down to save, heal, and redeem us from all our violence, abuses, disease, and pain as only our Lord God can do. But as our human King, he is also close enough to us to comfort us in our sorrow and enfold us into his care. He is our Lord King, and in all this, we belong to him.
Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive” (Luke 20:34-38). As we know, Jesus loved to tell stories. He often answered a question with a story. In our text, his opponents decide to use his own device against him. The Sadducees come to him with a story about a woman who marries seven times. They conclude with a question, “At the resurrection whose wife will she be?”
The Jewish leadership of the day was broken roughly into two parties: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. One of the differences between the two groups concerned their belief in the afterlife. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Thus, their question is not honest.
In his response, Jesus tells them that they haven’t read the Bible very well. God clearly told Moses that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Present tense. The implication is clear: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all died, but if God was their God some 400 plus years after their deaths, then there must be life after death.
Before he gets there, Jesus tells them that in the age to come there will be no marriage and like the angels, we will no longer be subject to death. Honestly, I don’t like the sound of that first part. I like being married. Recently, as many of you know, Helena and I became grandparents. Does the lack of marriage mean that no more children will be born? No grandchildren? Not a fan of that either.
One of my colleagues once quipped that Jesus might have said this ‘tongue in cheek’. After all, the Sadducees were trying to trick him. I haven’t found anyone else who takes this position, so we should probably not travel that road too far.
It is worth noting that the Bible gives very little detail about life after death. In fact, this is one of the rare passages that gives a glimpse and since there is trickery at stake, we ought not press it for information it doesn’t give. But it does suggest that maybe we put too much stock in marriage. It is not the only way to live a fulfilling life that glorifies God. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul highly recommends staying single.
What ought we to take from this passage? First and most clearly, there is life after physical death. This is comfort for all who have lost loved ones in the Lord. Jesus rarely engaged in the scholarly debates of his time, but here he does. The Sadducees are plainly wrong. There is life after death. To God, all are alive.
Regarding the resurrection, Jesus hints that life will be different. We do not just go to heaven when we are raised from the dead; we are transformed (1 Cor. 15:35–58). Life after the resurrection takes place in a transformed community, where sin no longer exists. We live in a world so full of sin, including our own, that it is hard to appreciate how wonderful such an existence will be. Yet God assures us that he will make us like himself.
It is not just where we are going that makes the hope so great, but who we will be when we get there. The quality and purity of relationships will extend far beyond what marriage provides today. Sin will no longer cloud our relationships, and the quality of personal interaction will be directed fully by the presence of God.
In the resurrection, life will be better because we will be better. Maybe we ought to spend more time pondering what we will be like, than the streets of gold.
Keeping a close watch on him, [the teachers of the law and the chief priests] sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He saw through their duplicity and said to them,“Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. (Luke 20:20-26) The swords of the Romans were keeping watch over this scene from the Antonia fortress above the Temple walls. The Jewish Zealots within the Temple Courts were looking for a fight too. Caesar’s occupation of Judea led to deep political tensions between Roman sympathizers and rebel patriots. The tax paid to Rome was no small thing. This question from the spies was a death trap.
But Jesus sees through to the motives of our hearts. He’s not duped by flattery, nor ignorant of the broader political setting, nor unaware of the ways in which this question rhymes with one the devil asked him back in the wilderness of his temptation. “Just bow the knee to me,” the devil said, “and all the kingdoms of the world will be yours.” But Jesus did not confuse his allegiance then, nor does he confuse it now.
Instead, Jesus responds briefly and profoundly, navigating a way out of this political trap that silences his opponents. His brief words here—which are his first and only political pronouncement—gives us plenty to chew on too. “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
It goes beyond just taxes, down to a matter of Christian political principle. There is a proper “due,” a proper rendering that we rightly give back to government for the work they do on behalf of the common good—things like: governing, providing infrastructure, defense, standards in health, education, and much more. This is a corrective and a Christian challenge for those who are disengaged, discouraged, or who simply dislike government and following rules. Jesus commands us to give the proper respect due to government.
Yet at the very same time, Jesus also limits government. There are things that don’t belong to Caesar—our total allegiance among them. We are not to be imprinted with Caesar’s image (blue, red, orange, green, or a giant red maple leaf), because we have already been imprinted with God’s image. No national identity, political party, position, policy, leader, or solution can stand as an absolute, lest it become an idol.
But even more than that, there is an invitation to consider something deeper here. Just because Caesar, our country, or a political party puts its picture or inscription on something doesn’t necessarily mean it belongs to them. Our world belongs to God. So we serve, participate in, and give back to the State and the political process not for its own sake, but as an act of obedient submission to God who commands us to do this as part of honouring the authorities He’s given us. But our trust and allegiance are always firstly to God through Jesus Christ.
I hope this also starts to answer a question that came to me from youth group last night about political discipleship. :)
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!” Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:16a-19). Our text comes at the tail end of a parable in which Jesus warns that Israel is about to lose God’s favour. (See yesterday’s Wilderness Wanderings). She has not been living in covenant faithfulness. The teachers of the law and the chief priests rightly discern that Jesus ire is directed at them. After all, they are the ones who teach Israel about life with God.
What is it that has Jesus so distressed? Earlier Jesus directly addresses the leadership, “you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” (11:39-40).
This reminds me of a chapter in the life of Willow Creek, a mega church in the Chicago area. A survey of worshippers revealed a very disturbing reality: people were attending church events regularly but were not growing as followers of Jesus. They were doing religious activity, but their hearts were not changed.
To use Paul’s language, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
I wonder if Jesus would make the same accusation against the church today. Are we still more concerned with the outside of the cup, neglecting the inside? Do we put too much emphasis on doing religious activity without doing the more difficult work cleaning the inside?
Of course, we cannot cleanse ourselves. We need the scrubbing power of the Holy Spirit and the Word and the soap of Jesus’ blood. Sin is not easily eliminated. Its habits are deeply ingrained. To uproot them and replace them with the streams of love, takes a lifetime.
For the first time in 2 years, it feels like the worst of this pandemic is behind us. Society, including church buildings, are allowed full capacity again. Many church activities are being taken off the back burner. It is an important opportunity to ask about the value of these activities. Are they helpful for ‘putting on the new self’? Would it be more helpful if we did less or did other things?
Our text also reminds us that Jesus is at the heart of all things. He is either the cornerstone around which the church, and thus Christians, are built, or the stone that breaks us. As the centre of that plan, Jesus through the resurrection becomes the base of a new community, a fresh temple where God’s presence dwells. The Spirit in us is what gives this new living temple its life (1 Cor. 3:17–18). This spiritual life is not dependent on religious activities.
The problem is that we think we are well shaped to be part of this temple. But we are not. We are all deluded. This is the difficult teaching of this parable. Israel’s leaders thought they were doing exactly what God wanted them to do, but they weren’t. When Jesus told them so, they got mad at him and had him crucified. Hmm.
Would we do the same? Can we hear the teaching of this parable? Or would we too say, “God forbid!” Do we believe in this Jesus? And believing, do we do what he says?
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” (Luke 20:9-16a) The point of this parable would not be lost on the religious leaders. Just prior to this, they had asked Jesus by what authority he did the things that he did, like teaching and cleansing the temple of merchants. Jesus does not answer them directly, but he does tell them this story.
A man plants a vineyard. Folks who knew their Bibles, particularly Isaiah, would have recognized that man to be God, and the vineyard to be Israel. The vineyard owner then sends to get some of the fruit, which would have been the rightful rent payment due him. He sends three servants, each of them treated worse than the last. The reference here is likely to Israel’s stoning and killing of the prophets: God’s servants sent to them time and time again.
The vineyard owner is placed in a dilemma: what to do next. Our Bible translation doesn’t quite catch the full drama of this parable. The culture of the Middle East in the days of Jesus was a culture of honour and shame. So it is worth noting that the renters treated the owner’s servants shamefully. Biblical cultural commentator Ken Bailey says this honour culture means that “the abusing of his servants is an insult to his person, and he is expected, indeed honor bound, to deal with the matter.”
He had every right, and also the power to contact the authorities and have them send an armed company of trained men to storm and retake the vineyard. He could choose force, power, and violent judgement to put an immediate end to their abuse.
But instead he chooses a merciful and a costly act of peace. He chooses to extend the olive branch once more, knowing full well what these violent tenants have done to his servants, and what his risky choice of deeper vulnerability might cost. “I will send my son,” he says, “whom I love. Perhaps they will” not respect, but “feel shame in his presence.” That’s what the Arabic versions say, in faithfulness to the original intent within a culture of honour.
God had been insulted and had had His honor tarnished in the eyes of His people, and yet He chose to put His anger far away and not deal out the judgment they deserved. Instead, He sent His Son. A costly act of self-emptying love that has the power to disarm the violence of the tenants, reawaken their sense of shame, and bring peace.
That is still the reality today. So, do we exert our will and control on God’s church today, believing in the righteousness of our position? Or do we still feel ashamed and humbled in the presence of our gentle, self-giving Lord who mercifully comes to us with the offer of peace rather than the sword of judgement?
The invitation, of course, is to continue to accept the offer of peace given us in Jesus, let him heal and take away our shame, and go forward in this same humble, self-giving way of love and mercy that he has offered to us.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 18:9-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” so they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (Luke 20:1-8). John the Baptist has faded from our memories, but his role in Jesus’ ministry remains important. When Jesus threw the traders out of the Temple, he was acting like someone who thinks he’s in charge. His actions challenged the current authority structure which had the chief priests at the top, with the High Priest himself as the most senior figure.
Who does Jesus think he is, without their endorsement, throwing his weight about? They, that is, the chief priests, teaches of the law and elders, that is, the recognized authorities, decide to ask. There is heat behind their question, “Who gave you this authority?” Jesus had entered their space and with his actions claimed to have authority over them! They are not impressed!
Jesus replies with his own question. At first glance, it appears to come out of left field. Their whispered debate among themselves suggests they think it’s a trick question. Jesus obviously wants to make them look foolish in the eyes of the people. Its not this at all.
Recall, that “Who is Jesus?” has been the central question of Luke’s gospel. Jesus is no longer hiding the truth. Because he is the royal Messiah sent from God, he has authority over the Temple. This was already conferred on him publicly when John baptized him, with the descent of the dove and the voice from heaven.
Therefore, if John was a true prophet, then Jesus is indeed the true Messiah, with authority over the Temple. If John was not a true prophet – if he was simply a dangerous dreamer, leading people astray – then Jesus, too, is out of line. Jesus is forcing the authorities to declare themselves.
The high priest may make the loudest noise in Jerusalem, with his henchmen and his court, his access to the Roman governor, and the prestige that comes with his ceremonial and political role. But Jesus is challenging the old regime and introducing the new. It’s time to decide.
From now on – even as he hangs on the cross that marked Caesar’s rule, mocked by the same chief priests! – Jesus will exercise that authority, the powerful authority of saving and healing love, until all acknowledge it. He humbled himself, thus God lifted him up and gave him the name above all names. The chief priest and his entourage may question Jesus’ authority, but soon every knee should bow, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Christians acknowledge this and we profess that he is sovereign over our lives, our thoughts, and actions. We seek to live under that authority. But we often fail. In truth, we often do not want to live under his authority, mostly because it challenges our own authority. Our professions and our actions do not line up. We lack integrity.
Preaching the arrival of God’s promise and cleansing the temple are acts that either are sanctioned by God or are wrong. Jesus is not just a good man here. The kind of benign respect our culture pays him is not a possible category that the Bible allows us. He does not allow fence-sitting. He should either be embraced as Saviour and Lord or opposed.
And if he is Lord, then those who believe that, need to do what he says. Lent is often a time in which Christians fast in one way or another. Fasting is good. But let me encourage you to engage in something that is distinctly Christian. How will Christ’s Lordship impact you this season?
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. (Luke 19:45-48). Luke has the least vehement version of Jesus’ clearing of the Temple. In all the other gospels, Jesus overturns tables and scatters coins. In John’s gospel, Jesus even has a whip of cords as zeal for God’s house consumes him. But Luke doesn’t focus much on the how of Jesus’ action. No, Luke just reports that it happened. Jesus drives out those who were selling and reminds them all that the Temple must be a house of prayer, not of commerce or corruption.
Jesus is not here seeking to overturn the Temple itself. No, that will happen all on its own because Jerusalem did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them to bring peace, as Jesus has just said through tears at the time of his entry.
Instead of overturning the current religious order, Jesus is calling that religious order back to itself. He is calling the religious leaders, the worshipers, the merchants who facilitate access to the sacrificial acts of worship—he is calling all of them back to the primary purpose of the Temple. Which is to connect with God. To pray and renew the covenant. Not to gain power, influence, or wealth.
So as we hear this teaching from Jesus today—and especially as we prepare to emerge out of Covid-restricted worship—the question is what practices have crept up in our church that Jesus might seek to purify?
Where and how do we seek to gain power in the church? Or influence? Or wealth? What church practices or habits have distracted us from the simple act of prayer, communion, and restoration of our relationship with God?
Whatever they are, Jesus’s word challenges us here to turn away from our self-serving habits and in humility and repentance turn back toward him. But note here: Jesus does not abandon the Temple, corrupt though it may have been at the time. Instead, he seeks to purify it from within. He takes up residence within it. And he ministers to and from it—both with his peace, and with his word of challenge. Ultimately, Jesus remains the God who is with us.
As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:41-44). Our reading of Jesus’ Triumphant entry into Jerusalem rarely gets this far into the story. After all, who wants to end the procession of palm waving and hosanna shouting children with weeping. But that is where Luke brings the story, and it is worth our time to linger here.
Jesus has been ushered into the city with the crowds proclaiming a double refrain: he is King; he comes in the name of the Lord. These folks are expecting Jesus to save Israel while exacting vengeance on her enemies, currently the Romans. For this city, peace means death to the occupiers.
Cresting the last hill, Jesus sees the city spread out before him. He breaks down in tears. And not just a few, these tears express a gut-wrenching sorrow. Why? Jesus did come to save Israel, but not with the kind of salvation she wanted. Hence, in a few days Jesus would be stretched out on the cross.
Israel has lived by the ancient concept of justice: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. This principle produces an unending cycle of violence and vengeance. There is no end to the bloodshed. We still see it in the world today. We humans seem to enjoy holding onto our grudges, even passing them on to the next generation.
Jesus came to bring an end to this pattern. He came to bring forgiveness with a call to ‘love your enemies’ (Matthew 5:44) and to ‘not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good’ (Romans 12:21). He came to reconcile us to God (Ephesians 2:16). But Jerusalem would not have it. They wanted vengeance and bloodshed, so that is what they would get. It would be Israel’s blood that would flow. They would miss God’s redemption. Jesus wept.
Notice Jesus’ tears. Even though Israel would so thoroughly reject him, that she would have him executed on a cross, he still shed tears for her. It shows us that God’s judgement never proceeds from a stern and cold justice but always from a heart of love. Over and over, God delays judgement in the hope that people will turn from their sinful and selfish lives. There is never divine rejoicing over judgement.
Further, it is important to understand that God’s judgement is not impulsive. It does not come in a fit of anger or frustration. No, Moses already warned Israel what would happen if she turned away from God. Even though they refused to recognize that God was among them in Jesus, even though they would have him crucified, this impending judgement was still held back a generation, in the hopes that God’s people would recognize him.
Not many of us spend time considering God’s judgement. But increasingly, we are tempted to enact our own judgement on people and seek vengeance on those who hurt us. Even in Christian communities, it is no longer normative to live with an eye to reconciliation. We form camps and define ourselves over against people in the other camp. We don’t talk with each other.
In various ways, Christianity has become a matter of having certain moral, political and ethical leanings rather than following the King on the colt. Jesus came to bring salvation which begins in the human heart. His death on the cross redeems the human heart from bitterness, anger, and vengeance. He turns our desire to lynch people into tears for what they are missing.
It is crucial that Christians grapple with Jesus and his purposes. Is this the kind of salvation we want? Do we want our hearts freed from anger and vindictiveness? Are we willing to lay down the weapons of cyber warfare? Do we really want the Saviour God sent us?
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:35-40) Jesus, the Prince of Peace enters Jerusalem—the “City of Peace”—to the shouts of Peace, Glory, and Blessing from Jesus’ disciples.
Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem would stir up all sorts of passions: shouts of praise, opposition, betrayal, and clandestine assassination plots. His presence would reveal the motivations of many hearts: many for good and many for ill. But this stirring of passions would not bring peace. Just conflict.
And that conflict begins here with the Pharisees demanding that Jesus rebuke his disciples for such a ruckus display. Especially because such a display smacked of messiah-ship and king-ship that seemed utterly out of place for a mere rabbi.
Jesus’ reply, far from calming things down, actually ups the ante. Firstly, as Pastor Michael said yesterday, Jesus is clearly not keeping his messiah-ship a secret anymore. It’s out there now, loud and proud. But secondly, why would the disciples silence cause the rocks to cry out? That would only be the case if Jesus was more than a Rabbi, more than a King, more even than a Messiah. The rocks would only cry out if Jesus was God himself.
Way back in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses calls the heavens and the earth to serve as witnesses of the covenant between God and his people. It may be that Jesus had these texts in mind as he responded to the Pharisees. To deny the coming of God to his people would surely give the earth cause to cry out in protest! In Matthew’s gospel, the rocks do cry out at Jesus’ crucifixion as an earth quake shakes Jerusalem.
So, here in Jerusalem—the city of peace—everything finally comes to a head. The temperature rises and the conflict heats up. This stirring of passions would not bring Jesus to a throne. Nor would it bring peace—only death. Jesus’ death.
But then again—perhaps there is more here that meets the eye. Because ultimately, Jesus’ death did bring peace. And a throne. Just perhaps not the kind anyone was expecting. Perhaps still not the kind of peace or rule that we expect.
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it” (Luke 19:28-34).
We begin Lent with Jesus’ grand entrance into Jerusalem. Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on that verse in chapter 9 of Luke in which Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem. Now, 10 chapters later, he arrives. And it is very unlike Jesus to allow this kind of hype about himself. Up to this point, he had discouraged people from drawing attention to Him.
Let me give some examples. When Jesus was preaching in Capernaum a man possessed by a demon cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly (4:33-35).
A little later Luke makes this editorial comment "demons came out of many people, shouting, 'You are the Son of God!' But [Jesus] rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ" (4:41).
When he healed a man who had leprosy, Jesus said "Don't tell anyone..." (5:14). Likewise, after he had healed their daughter Jesus ordered Jairus and his wife "not to tell anyone what had happened" (8:56). Even after Peter had confessed that Jesus was 'The Christ of God', "Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone" (9:21).
But Palm Sunday is different. Jesus takes a unique approach, making arrangements to enter Jerusalem as a king. Reading the story, we are left with the impression that this colt ride was pre-arranged. Two of His disciples are sent into the opposite village to bring him a colt no one had ridden. Among the Jews there were two things that unridden colts were used for: for sacred purposes and to transport a king. Jesus needed it for both.
Jesus wanted this particular animal, evoking the prophecy in Zechariah 9, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9).
He came to bring God’s kingdom, but that kingdom could only take root if he now embodied it in himself. He had spoken this kingdom with his word; he had lived the kingdom by touching the outcast; he had shown the kingdom with his miracles. But none of that would matter if he didn’t fulfil his final act, his great sacrifice.
The living God was at work to heal and save, and the forces of evil and death were gathering to oppose him. Pharaoh and his armies had failed in their efforts to prevent Moses from leading Israel out of Egypt. This is the moment of God’s new Exodus, God’s great Passover, and Jesus must celebrate it and offer himself as the final Passover lamb. Jesus’ time had come. For this, the son of man had come to earth. All eyes need to be on him.
As we journey with Jesus to the cross, we too must choose. Do we want a Saviour who fixes only the symptoms of the problem: sickness, loneliness, and physical death? Jesus went to the cross to deal with the problem: our bondage to sin. Will we follow him all the way to the cross? Will we receive forgiveness there and new life?
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 12 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- Read Luke 19:35:44. What similarities do you notice between 1 Samuel 12 and this passage?
- What was Israel’s sin and why did they do it? Why was it a sin?
- Israel continues in their sin with only a little bit of repentance. How would you describe their repentance? How would you describe God’s response to his people?
- What happens when we don’t take sin seriously enough? How does the belief and knowledge of our own status as “sinners” help?
- What happens when we take sin too seriously? How does belief in Jesus’ completed work of saving us help?
- How might you live under the Lordship of King Jesus, our Prince of Peace this week? Trusting that his ways really are sufficient for salvation and peace in our world?
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)
The season of Lent begins already next week with Ash Wednesday. And so starting next week our devotions are also going to jump over to Luke’s account of Holy Week, starting with Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem in chapter 19.
But Jesus starts out for Jerusalem much earlier in Luke’s gospel, already way back here in chapter 9. It’s a simple little throwaway sentence that starts it off. “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” A simple statement on the face of it, but it marks a hard pivot in the Gospel of Luke that shapes the character of everything and everyone that follows.
In the chapters we’ve just come from, we discover how Jesus is the Son of God in ever increasing dimensions. Just before this in chapter 9, in a couple of the sections we skipped, we see Jesus reveal the heights of His glory in the feeding of the 5,000 and being transfigured in bright splendor on the mountaintop. But Jesus had also begun to reveal the depths of His suffering just before this too: predicting His impending death, twice.
When Luke says that Jesus has “resolutely set out for Jerusalem,” those of us who know how the story goes know that “Jerusalem” really means the cross and Jesus’ death.
And so it’s here in Luke, just a third of the way through, that Jesus resolutely turns His face toward his purposes in death, resurrection, and ascension. The depths of suffering, the heights of glory. And everything that follows is done, said, and written in light of this journey to the cross.
Immediately after these verses, in fact, Jesus will have some hard words for all those who would seek to follow Him in this journey. Words like, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Jesus says this now as one who has firmly put His hand to the plow. Jesus is resolute. He is headed for Jerusalem.
We know who Jesus is now. The question, is are we resolute in our desire to follow him? He’s headed to Jerusalem. There is no way to follow him there that does not involve taking up our cross and facing our own death. So are you resolute? Ready to follow, daily?
For those who do resolutely take up their cross and follow, the promise of Jesus’ gift of life waits just on the other side.
At that time Jesus healed many people. They had illnesses, sicknesses and evil spirits. He also gave sight to many who were blind. So, Jesus replied to the messengers, “Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made ‘clean.’ Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor. Blessed is anyone who does not give up their faith because of me (Luke 7:21-23).
In our text, John the baptizer has sent some of his disciples to Jesus asking him if he really was the one. Was Jesus really the messiah Israel was expecting from God? Luke is still working out his initial question: who is Jesus?
In reply to John, Jesus says that yes, he is the Messiah from God, but not the kind of messiah Israel was expecting.
You see, John had preached about coming wrath, destruction, fire, judgment (3:7-9, 17). But the words and deeds of Jesus had very little if any of this stuff. Even John’s arrest and imprisonment had provoked no counterblast of judgment from the powers of the kingdom of God.
John was clearly puzzled. Jesus wasn’t doing what he had expected. If Jesus really was the Messiah, why wasn’t he establishing the sort of messianic kingdom John wanted, the kind in which prisoners like himself were liberated and folks like Herod got what was coming to them?
In reply to John’s question, Jesus points to what he is doing: healing all sort of people. Then quoting from various prophecies in Isaiah, encourages folks to draw their own conclusion.
This is the kind of Messiah Jesus intends to be: not a straightforward rival to Herod. In the end, Jesus’ kingdom will challenge and outlast all the Herods in the world. But for now, his kingdom will operate in a different mode altogether, healing people and the world at every level.
On the one hand, there is encouragement for the Christian in this confrontation between John and Jesus. John had proclaimed Jesus coming, but when Jesus came, John didn’t get it. Jesus doesn’t berate John with some form of “how could you even ask”. Instead, he invites John and his disciples to come have a closer look. Rather than pushing John away, he draws him nearer.
If Jesus could deal with John’s questions and doubts, surely, he will be equally merciful to us when we question him. The church has often frowned on people with questions, telling them just to believe. In this, the church does not seem to follow her Lord at all. He was not offended by the questions and doubts. He simply invited the questioners to have a closer look. So let us no longer hide and silence our questions, but rather use them as opportunities to look deeper into what God is up to.
On the other hand, this confrontation poses a challenge for the Christian. Blessing belongs to the person who is not offended by Jesus. His style of ministry is not with the powerful flair of position and status the world expects and we want. Nonetheless he has been sent from God. Can we believe that acts of love and mercy do bring forth the kingdom? Its more thrilling to be involved in protest movements that dethrone governments. But Jesus always resisted such things. His kingdom comes through subversive acts of kindness and mercy. Can we accept that?
John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (Luke 7:18-20).
Jesus is the one who raises the dead. He raises dead hopes, dead-end lives, and even our own dead bodies one day. Jesus just proved it as he raised the dead widow’s son just 4 verses previous.
The reaction of the crowd to this act of resurrection was to praise God. The reaction of John the Baptist was doubt and despair. Or at least that’s how we often read it.
Why might John have had cause to despair? Well, he was imprisoned, for one. So while Jesus was proclaiming good news to the captives, John’s chains had notably not been released. Nor had a baptism of fire seemingly rained down. Nor had Herod or Ceasar been dethroned or kicked out of Jerusalem. No political victories in Jesus’ column yet, and vanishingly few spiritual victories for the vast majority of Jews, including John, either.
It does not always look like our cause is winning, either. We’re tired. We’re facing mental health challenges, loneliness, a sense of powerlessness, and much sadness. Especially now in the wake of Jerilee’s death, another young mother robbed from her family—we can feel the helplessness of grief in the face of these powers of cancer and death that despite our best efforts, we just can’t control. And so we wonder: is Jesus really God here?
The power of John’s question, is that he asks it to Jesus. Doubt and questions are a good thing in the life of faith. They mention the important unmentionables in those places where we see and feel a deep disconnect between the promises God has given and the reality we live. But to be questions of faith—a faithful doubt—they must be questions that we eventually ask to Jesus.
Perhaps there’s a different way to understand John’s question though. And I think this side speaks something true about doubt as well.
Perhaps John’s question was born more of a faithful searching than a despairing disbelief. Luke doesn’t have John meeting Jesus until this moment, and so perhaps John was simply searching for the Messiah he had preached and prepared the way for all these years. Was it Jesus, or should he continue his search? Seeing John’s question this way speaks of a desire to know this Messiah. A desire to keep looking until he finds. A committed faith that’s seeking understanding.
Much doubt is born from both of these places: both the place of despair, and the place of searching.
Both sorts of doubt are faithful when they ask their hard questions to Jesus.
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7:14-17)
Jesus has done some pretty incredible things already. He has healed the sick. Forgiven sins. Driven out demons through his word. Through all these things, Jesus has continued to show that he is Lord and God.
But in this story, Jesus crosses another plane entirely. Only two things are certain in life, we say: death and taxes. The people in Jesus’ day knew that truth just as well. They were subject to both, just like we are.
But then something new happens. Jesus stops the funeral procession with his presence and his touch. And with a simple word, he commands this young man back from the inevitability of death into life. Jesus word reaches through the un-crossable barrier of death, penetrates into the hearing of the dead so that even the dead respond. Jesus word holds final authority in every realm: the demonic, the physiological, even the realms of life and death. No frontier is beyond the earshot or sovereignty of Jesus’ authoritative word.
And as this man is suddenly and immediately snapped back from death to life, so his mother’s life is reclaimed from the dead. Women had no other means to life than through connection with a man for their security, property rights, and provision. So death immediately flees: not just from this young man’s body, but also from the reality of his mother and home: even the town and its community of people are brought from death to life as a funeral procession turns into a festive parade.
With a word Jesus transforms even the most hardened and stark realities of our life and world instantly. Though it can be hard to see and appreciate at times: pictures like these of the power of Jesus to bring life are there to remind us of the crux of our Gospel hope in him. That, in the words of Fredrich Beauchner: “all the death that ever was, set next to life, would scarcely fill a cup.”
That is, no matter the darkness, the fear, the doubt, the hard realities or decisions, the busyness, the stress, the strain, the hurt, the pain that you face: our hope in Jesus is that one day, he will speak the word that transforms all of it, in an instant, to life.
May God come to help his people, and soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 7:2-17 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
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Why is this story in Israel’s life so discouraging? Does this still happen today?
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Israel wants to be like the nations around her. How does this temptation surface in the life of Christians today and in the life of the church? How do we develop good self-identity as Christians?
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How did Israel’s request for a king reflect a crisis of faith? Why is it so difficult to live by faith? What do Christians and churches put their trust in today? What kind of kings do we want?
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What did God do with this request? What kind of King should Israel have waited for? Will you follow God’s king?
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at the commander. Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, “I tell you, even in Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.” (Luke 7:9-10).
How does one get noticed by God? How does one get into his good books? When thinking about our own death, we tend to ask, ‘How do I get into heaven?’ Let us ask the question a different way, “What pleases God?” or to use the language of our text, “What amazes God?”
Now, if you have been a Christian for some time, you probably have already given the standard answer to these questions, “by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Of course, you are right, that’s how we get into heaven. Yet, I wonder how committed we are to this. No, that’s not quite what I’m asking. Here is my concern: I don’t think many Christians recognize how difficult it is to hold true to this answer.
When we go to funerals, we generally get a recitation of the deceased person’s good qualities. Sometimes, it gets summed up like this, “they were an angel in this life, so of course God will let them in. Heaven has another angel.” This morning in the newspaper I read such sentiments: if I do enough good in this world, I will get into heaven. It’s difficult for us Christians to keep this sentiment from creeping into our worldview.
In our text for today, we meet a good person. He is a Roman military man, so not a Jew. He was wealthy enough to have helped the Jews build their synagogue in Capernaum. Moreover, he loves the Jewish nation. In this story, he sends some Jewish elders to Jesus because he has a dying servant, hoping that Jesus will do another healing. The elders advocate for him, “he is a good man, Jesus, he deserves this request.”
For unknown reasons, Jesus begins the journey to his house. But on the way he is met by the man’s friends with a new message, containing two things (7:7). First, ‘I am unworthy to have you come; I am unworthy of your attention’. He recognizes that despite having done significant good in this world, God owes him nothing. Can we say that? He did not even feel worthy of being visited by God’s agent. Doesn’t self-worth often subvert our faith? And we get angry with God because we think we deserve better than we are getting in life.
Second, the unnamed man believes Jesus has authority over illness, just say the word and it will be accomplished. He believed Jesus could heal by a simple sovereign word even at a physical distance—a situation that applies even more today considering Jesus’ presence in heaven. And he knew that Jesus cared enough to do so.
Such faith and humility in approaching God’s power are what amazes Jesus. This faith isn’t an abstract belief about God, or the learning of dogmas. It is the simple, clear belief that when Jesus commands that something be done, it will be done. Further, when God acts for our good, it is undeserved.
The gospels are full of stories in which the things Jesus does and speaks amaze people. But here Jesus is amazed. It was not the man’s accomplishments, his good works, that amazed Jesus, but the man’s faith in who Jesus is and in Jesus’ power.
We are invited to consider our own faith. Do we believe this about Jesus? Here is a Gentile who understood who Christ is. This passage calls us to possess a similar faith. God owes us nothing, yet he extends his compassion to us. God honors us with his grace, not because we deserve it, but because he cares (1 John 4:9–10).
This passage invites us to echo another petitioner in the gospels, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?7 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus is Lord was one of the earliest creeds of the Christian faith. If Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not. Money is not. The approval of our parents, spouse, friends, or society is not. If Jesus is Lord: he is Lord. He commands our respect, our obedience, and our submission to his will because if Jesus is Lord, he is King.
The parable of the two house builders invites the question: on what foundation have you built your hopes, home, and security in this world? On Jesus and his Lordship? Or somewhere else?
As for Jesus’ Lordship: you’ve heard his commands over this past week of devotions from his sermon on the plain: “spend yourselves on behalf of the poor, love your enemies, do not judge or condemn, forgive and give, take the plank out of your own eye first, love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.”
So: today’s devotion is pretty simple. You likely call Jesus Lord when you pray to him or talk about him: “Lord, Lord.” Do you also treat him as your Lord: bending the knee, building your life in him alone, loving him alone, and doing what he says?
‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:43-45).
Has anyone ever washed out your mouth with soap? I seem to recall being threatened with the Sunlight bar a few times. I suspect my mom was wielding it. Maybe you have warned your children if their choice of words didn’t change, you’d have to get the detergent out.
I totally understand the impulse for such threats and that they are not intended to teach anything theological or spiritual. But I wonder if such language doesn’t expose our unwillingness to understand the true nature of the human spiritual condition.
Do we think of religion, even the Christian faith, as simply a form of behaviour modification? If we can just tweak our language over here or adjust our thinking on this point or change our conduct on these few occasions, we will be godly. Many preachers are guilty of essentially preaching ‘3 steps’ for self improvement sermons.
Years ago, I came across this sentence, “Jesus’ doctrine of the kingdom as both inward and outward, coming first in the heart of [a person] and after wards in the external world, upholds the primacy of the spiritual and ethical over the physical” (Vos, Geerhardus. The Teaching of Jesus concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church).
I know it’s a bit of a complex sentence, but for some reason it struck me, and it’s stuck to me like a bur to a hand knitted mitten. I’m sure I had heard such things before but now they had hold of me. The Christian religion is first a religion of the heart. It is the heart that matters most. And we need a heart transplant. All of us.
Washing away some dirty words or eradicating some bad behaviour will not suffice. More of the same evil will always work its way to the surface. Jesus put is succinctly, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
The entire New Testament objects to the popular expression, “its not what you say but what you do that counts.” Both matter! And both reveal what the heart is made of. We must be concerned with our hearts and their fruit which our words and actions reveal. If they are evil, we are in trouble.
The Christian religion is not simply about behaviour modification, even though that is part of it. It is primarily about heart transplants. Or, to use Jesus’ language, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). And that is what Jesus came to do. That is why he died. He came to cleanse us, not on the outside, but on the inside, so that we can produce good fruit from good hearts.
That is why Paul told the church, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The clearest evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit is in the things Christians speak. Start reading at Ephesians 4:16 through the end of chapter 5 and notice how often Paul refers to matters of the tongue.
We cannot grow up into Christ without our speech changing. But washing our mouths will have little effect except causing us to gag. We need a heart transplant and for that we need the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Trust me, Jesus is up to the task.
He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:39-42) In this text, Jesus offers the best description of social media to date: “the blind leading the blind.” It seems our whole society is falling into a pit as a result. But, pot shots against social media aside, there’s something really important in Jesus’ words here for our particular cultural moment.
We get really excited about commenting on current issues and events. Certainly we have our thoughts about the current protests in Ottawa and the government response. Many folks have thoughts on the conversations around gender, sexuality, and orientation. There are many other examples.
Closer to home though, we tend to make judgements and speak into the lives of others that to us seem to be making mistakes or bad decisions. We want to inform and correct those we see stepping into sin. Arising from the evangelical or popular Christian world that many of us are influenced by, there is a compulsion drilled into us to proactively seek or act to correct the errant ways in others. They need to know what they’re doing is wrong, and we feel like the Christian faith requires us to tell them.
But does it? It seems to me in the very least that quite a long list of prior criteria must be met before we’re even allowed to. Are we the right person? Is our heart in the right place to hold the weight of someone else’s sin with the love and compassion it requires as Jesus did? Do we even see or understand the situation and our faith clearly enough to weigh in?
Jesus’ words here flip the conversation around entirely as he points out that we ought to be far more concerned about the planks in our own eyes than we are about the specks in someone else’s. Jesus is never nearly as concerned about someone else’s character or sin as he is about your own. I do believe he means us to take the same approach. Hence Jesus’ stern words against judging or condemning others in the preceding verses. This is the same Jesus who said “let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”
The Christian faith begins with humility, surrender, and submission. We submit to God—to whom all of us are finally accountable. Slowly in the presence of God, we discover the sins and faults in our own hearts and lives. And, as the Spirit enables us, we confess these sins, repent, and receive forgiveness. Slowly but surely, Christian character—the character of Jesus—is formed within us. A character that looks like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Perhaps when we begin to see each of these fruit regularly and consistently in our lives and when others can verify that they see the same, perhaps then we’ve come to a place where we’re ready to attend to the speck in someone else’s eye. But only after a long, humbling, submissive journey with our Lord where we ourselves have learned from him what it is to be a sinner met, healed, and restored with loving grace, compassion, and forgiveness. And even then, I don’t know that we are ever to be eager to do it. Perhaps only willing, when called upon, as an act of loving submission to the God to whom both of us must give an account.
How might this word from Jesus change the way that you engage with others this week and with the sins you perceive in their lives? How different might our world be because of it?
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38)
What things do you feel judgemental about these days? What do you condemn? There are lots of possibilities these days: I think of the truck protests, health restrictions and mandates, the government, various positions, identifications, and responses in the land of human sexuality, etc.
It does not really matter which side of these matters any one of us might fall on—the question is about when and where we pass judgement. And I would imagine that most of us do: somewhere. Every statement and action public or private falls under intense scrutiny these days, and many of us are given to the same.
Not that this hasn’t always been an issue, but it seems to me that social media has really accelerated our ability to feel righteous anger even as it has improved our capacity for making judgements and condemnations from the comfort of our armchair—this is how the algorithms drive our engagement. And while the digital world has probably also widened our portfolio of causes to give to, it would seem to have rather diminished our capacity for forgiveness somehow.
The point, I suppose, is that in light of Jesus’ words—many of us are not nearly reticent enough to pass judgement or condemnation (perhaps because via social media we no longer face the people that we judge or condemn), nor are we perhaps as ready as we ought to be to forgive (perhaps again because we don’t need to face down the people who have hurt us via social media—we just block them).
There are few consequences for stating a bold opinion about matters we likely have very little business wading into. Or so it seems. Jesus seems to suggest that the more judgement, condemnation, lack of forgiveness and gifts we put out into the world, the more judgemental, unforgiving, and scarcity-minded our world becomes which certainly comes back to us in due course. And so, Jesus calls us to something different through a variation of his “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” principle.
Who of us likes being judged? Then we also ought not be ones to pass judgement. Who of us likes being condemned? Then we also ought not be ones to condemn others. However, should we fail in some way, which of us would not like to be extended the grace of forgiveness and restoration? Then we also ought to be people quick to offer that forgiveness and restoration to others.
All of this speaks to a generosity of spirit: a giving that multiplies the gifts swirling around in the world such that we too find ourselves recipients of the very goodness we have sown. In doing this, we follow Jesus who himself sowed a profoundly imbalanced amount of grace and forgiveness into the world: forgiving even those who crucified him (forgiving the rest of us through that act too!); condemning not the woman caught in adultery; judging not before the appointed time, leaving wheat to grow alongside the weeds.
In any case, as tomorrow’s text will remind us: most of us plank-eyed people aren’t righteous enough to bear the weight of dealing gently with our neighbour’s sin anyway. Jesus is the judge who will meet out justice when the time is right—and this is a work best left to him.
Giving and forgiving though? These things have been given to us to do. And we already know the end result: a new creation bursting with life where tables are spread and cups runneth over. Will this measure that will be measured to you by Jesus on that day inform how you measure out gifts and forgiveness to others today?
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 7:2-17 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN!
This chapter is about a new Israel. The sermon highlights four aspects of this new Israel. Reflect on each one using these questions. What are they? How was each lived out in the text? In what ways can the church live out each today? How might the church grow deeper into Christ if we took these to heart? Is God calling you deeper into to Christ as you reflect on these?
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:35-36).
Let’s start with this question: When is the last time you loved an enemy? Or shall we go even deeper: Have you ever loved an enemy?
When you decided to follow Jesus, did anyone explain to you that this would mean loving people who hurt you? I wonder if, when people are preparing to join a church, they are encouraged to count the cost? Is there an expectation that being part of the body of Christ includes doing good to those opposed to Christians?
Let’s keep asking questions. That person at work who really annoys you, gets under your skin several times a week, what have you done to love that person? Have you even prayed for them? That social media friend of yours who has taken the opposite view on COVID mandates, how have you been treating this person?
Am I putting this too strongly? I don’t think so. Jesus has just said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them” (6:32). He calls his followers to a higher ethic. Love can be very easy. We fall into love and out of love in the blink of an eye. It is easy to love people who have loved us.
But Jesus did not define love like that. For him, love is not a feeling, it is a deliberate choice we make. Love is an action that brings good into the world, especially in situations in which good is not deserved. Jesus is calling us to deliberately love people who have not earned it. God’s love calls us to respond to evil actions not with judgement but with mercy and goodness.
Jesus expects us to act with glorious and absurd generosity. What is the best thing you can do for the worst person? Do it. What people are you tempted to be nasty towards? Lavish generosity on them! God’s kingdom has a fresh, springlike quality. New life bursts out energetically, like flowers growing through concrete, drawing attention with their colour and vigour.
Imagine living in a society where people believed in this God. Would there be violence? Revenge would be replaced with forgiveness. Divisions of class or caste would disappear. We would be more concerned with our neighbour’s wellbeing than hanging onto our property and possessions. Imagine if we took Jesus seriously and lived like that. Life would be exuberant, different, astonishing. People would stare.
But you say, “I cannot love that way.” Of course, you can’t. It’s humanly impossible. But we are Christians. Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit to overcome our human deficiencies. By the power of Christ in us, through the Spirit, we become able to love like Jesus.
We can be sure of this because God has loved us like that. While we were still his enemies, Jesus died for us. God’s love towards us is extravagant, extraordinary, totally underserved. Love does not originate from us. We receive it first, then give it away. When we have trouble giving it, we need to go back to the beginning of our Christian life. We need to receive from God. We start by asking him to help us.
Jesus wants us to imitate him. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. The world may misunderstand us and shun us and laugh at us, but that does not allow us to be insensitive or to harbor misunderstanding towards them.
Its time for Christians to follow their Lord.
Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. (Luke 6:20-26)
This is Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, usually referred to as the Sermon on the Plain because Luke sets the scene with Jesus standing on a level place. After withdrawing for prayer, Jesus has just named and called his twelve disciples and now he teaches them, along with a whole crowd of others from around the land.
In Matthew’s version of the beatitudes: that’s all they are, beatitudes. Blessings. But here in Luke we get both sides of the coin. Blessings and woes. And the woes get a little close to home.
This is an unavoidable theme in the gospel of Luke. “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” says Mary in her song, the Magnificat, at the beginning of the gospel (Luke 1:53). Jesus similarly declares in Luke 4 that his mission is to “proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). And unlike Matthew’s beatitudes where it is the “poor in spirit” who are blessed: Luke unavoidably refers to the materially, economically poor. The people who are actually, physically hungry from malnutrition. There is no spiritualizing Jesus’ words. Which also means that we can’t wriggle ourselves out of the woes on the rich either.
Who can deny that the majority of us have received our good material comforts from a disposable income most of the rest of the world would call wealth? Who can deny that three square meals a day equates to being well fed? Who can avoid the fact that before covid, and even during it for some, having the disposable time to binge watch the Olympics or participate in whatever other entertainment or gatherings with friends and family has led to a relatively easy life of laughter and joy?
Do we also have our sorrows and hardships? Of course we do, but nothing more than is common to the rest of humanity. What we have that is not common to the rest of humanity is peace, security, health care, and financial stability, even wealth.
So what are we to do with this teaching of Jesus then that seems to single us out for woes and future disaster? Are we left to just feel guilty for living where we do and having what we have? No, I don’t think so.
Jesus’ mission statement from chapter 4 draws on Isaiah 58. It seems to me that Luke has Isiah 58 in mind in chapter 5 and 6 of his gospel as well. We’ve heard Jesus talk about fasting, Sabbath, poverty and wealth, and tomorrow about a generous life. That’s Isaiah 58 in a nutshell, where one of the central invitations is to “spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.”
It’s not wrong to have wealth. But Jesus always invites us to remember that we who have it are only trustees of something that does not actually belong to us. Like Joseph overseeing the grain distribution in Egypt—wealth is entrusted to us by God so that we might distribute it to its intended recipients according to his direction. This, I think is Jesus’ kingdom intent: that we spend ourselves and all that has been entrusted to us on behalf of those who are poor, hungry, and weeping from oppression.
Doing so freely and openly might lead to a lot of messy realities, especially if we were to offer our church property and assets freely to those in need--like those in need of shelter or food, for instance. Our church lawn and building might become dirty or damaged, an eyesore: a site of inconvenient realities that cause folks to speak badly of us. But, maybe that’s part of what Jesus means when he says blessed are you when people hate and insult you because of the Son of Man.
Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath…I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (Luke 6:5,9).
While I was growing up, determining which activities were not permitted on Sunday was of significant concern. I can still rattle off the list of forbidden pursuits. There was one complication: each family made their own list. This random application of Sabbath has contributed to Sundays becoming a free for all in our churches. What makes Sunday unique from the rest of the week is rarely discussed.
I find it fascinating that Luke moves from Jesus’ announcement that his arrival is the dawning of a new era to stories about the Sabbath. Is Luke telling us that Sabbath keeping will look different in this new era? A new era meant new practices, including for the Sabbath.
He tells us what happened, “One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels” (1). The Pharisees accused them of violating the Sabbath because they reaped, threshed, winnowed, and prepared food. Four violations!
But Jesus will have none of this, he is Lord of the Sabbath, which is a sweet way of saying, “I get to make the rules.” He is not abolishing the Old Testament law, but he is knocking over the scaffolding of additional rules added over the centuries.
Sabbath keeping had become a source of identity and pride for the Jews. It distinguished them from the surrounding nations. The better you kept the Sabbath rules the better you were at being Jewish. Judaism had become a religion of law keeping, heaping heavy burdens on people which did not bring them into the Kingdom of God (Luke 11:46; Matthew 23:13-15).
The kind of Sabbath the Pharisees promoted left people hungry and disabled. Jesus brings a different Sabbath. He frames it with the question, “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” Can Jesus be any clearer? Sabbath is about undoing the fall into sin. That is why in the Old Testament, the Sabbath laws are linked to creation and exodus. Sabbath is about liberty from evil.
But how do we connect Sabbath to our Christian lives? I think the Heidelberg Catechism is helpful. In its treatment of the Sabbath commandment, it says nothing about figuring out what is and is not permitted on Sundays. Rather, it calls us to engage actively in gospel ministry. We need specific time to allow the Spirit and Word to align our lives with the Kingdom of God. This Sunday engagement then leads to this result, “that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (HC 103).
That puts in positive form the question that Jesus asked.
I think it is also helpful for all those who need to work on Sundays. We ought to develop the discipline of setting aside time during the week to focus on getting our lives shaped by the kingdom. It requires both discipline and the input of other people. We need to ask ourselves Jesus’ question: am I doing good or evil, am I destroying life or saving it?
For many of us, Sunday is a day for doing whatever I want (for some its family, for some its checking things off our to do list, for some is nothing at all). I’m not sure this is any better for us spiritually than a concern for following the rules.
So how will you adjust your life so that you can ‘rest from your evil ways, let the Lord work in you through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath’?
They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:33-39)
I have to think of this past Sunday’s sermon when I read this text from Luke.
The coming of Jesus is another one of those watershed moments: another shifting of the ages in terms of how God deals with his people. In 1 Samuel it’s the shift from the tribal, nomadic time of the Judges to the more established nationalistic time of the Kings. Here it is the shift from the Old Testament to the New, from Judaism to Christianity, from the Old Israel to the New Israel, from law to grace, from the time of prophets, priests, and kings to the time of Jesus who fulfilled them all.
New wine requires new wine skins and new cloth cannot be sown on old, because both of these new things are still, as preacher Fred Craddock says: “alive, changing, not fixed in form or size, and therefore… not to be treated as thought they were dead” and rigid. So it was with the new revelation of Jesus. Jesus represented a significant shift of the ages that would burst the old forms if those old forms attempted to contain him. Indeed, they could not. The new revelation of Jesus required new forms. No longer a Temple, but a living body of people called a church, for instance.
We often act as though this was the last shift point of the ages. The revelation of Jesus was the final chapter in God’s work in the world, we think. But if God remains a living and active God, sovereign in all his ways: why should his work cease? By thinking of ourselves as Reformed Christians, we implicitly confirm that God does do new things that require new forms: like the creation of an entirely new branch of Christianity that calls itself Protestantism nearly 500 years ago.
But having tasted the old and familiar: who wants to drink the new? We resist new movements of the Holy Spirit. We pray to Jesus for stability, comfort, and peace: not for change. What God has given us has suited just fine up until now, why should it be different?
It is a hard thing to discern the times and to discern the sovereign movements of the Spirit of God. When are we supposed to reach for the good old vintages of wine, and when ought we be readying new wine skins?
It seems Jesus addresses that conundrum here too. John’s disciples took the old forms: fasting and praying as was the tradition of many within the observant Jewish faith of that day. But Jesus’ disciples took the new—feasting and drinking freely. Jesus doesn’t answer the question between these two forms with any hard and fast rules, but rather suggests that there is a seasonality and a wise discernment needed here. A time to feast and a time to fast. A time for joy and a time for sorrow. A time for tradition and a time for innovation.
The question Jesus leaves with us then, is what time is it now? It’s a question the church—Reformed-and-always-Reforming—must always wrestle with.
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:27-32). There’s a story of a young woman whose heart sank reading this question on a college application form, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, the college replied: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
Many of us desire to be leaders, to be at the front of the crowd. Yet, to be a Christian implies never being at the head of the column, but rather to walk behind the master. As we walk, to grow, to learn.
Jesus’ call to follow him is an invitation to let go. To let go of understandings, perceptions, and beliefs that he would have us do without. If we are to live and grow in Christ, there are things we must willingly give up–mind you, not just willing to loosen our grip on, but to drop.
Jesus’ ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ ethic means that we must be willing to give up our hostility and apathy toward those who are different, understanding that they are not deficient and not inferior, but divinely and splendidly different. His flagrant forgiveness strategy means that we must be willing to give up our appetite for vengeance when we are wronged, remembering that even if our enemies do become our footstool (as David hoped), God gives us enough love not to step on them.
And perhaps, most fundamental, and fantastic of all, this closeness to God teases and taunts us to see the love of God as the heartbeat of live, the real meaning of life. Amazingly, to follow Christ is to give up the search for the “mystery” of life. Its meaning is found in Christ, and it is the love of God.
Follow me, Jesus calls, and lose the thirst for anything other than the love of God, which fills, fully and finally, your deepest longing. Lose egotism, anxiety, dread, and fear in favour of a living sense of the love of God. To follow Jesus is learning to be as vibrant, as content and as fulfilled as he was in the love of God.
Love can lift us above the petty jealousies, the dividing differences, the horrible hatreds that take the life right out of us, that deaden us while we are yet alive. Because of bitterness, anger, and hate, many die while they are still living. They are truly the walking dead. But love enlivens.
To follow Jesus means that we are willing to love the sinner. In ancient culture, to sit at the table communicated an acceptance. The religious leaders didn’t approve of Jesus getting so close to sinners. They thought he ought to keep himself distant and pure. But Jesus was not afraid of them. He was willing to get up close and personal with them.
I think that many Christians follow the way of the religious leaders, rather than the way of Jesus.
Following Jesus does not imply that we have reached the destination. We follow so that we can get there. He also said, “Take up my yoke and learn from me” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus does not call those who have arrived. When I go to the doctor, I know several things: I am sick, I need help, and I cannot help myself. In other words, Jesus’ call goes out to those who realize they need help. Ironically, they are the only ones who seem to hear his call.
He seeks sinners, keeping his eye out for them and reaching out to them is a priority for him. Yet, we Christians often avoid sinners. Rather than seek them out, we run from them, often filled with fear about what issues they might bring up or what types of situations we might find ourselves in.
Maybe, if we remember where we began, how much we have received, his invitation to us to follow, we would not be so afraid of those who haven’t responded to the invitation.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 6:1-7:2 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What are some of the signs of times that you see today that tell you that some significant shifts are under foot in the church and in society? Where do those shifts impact your life?
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In what ways did Israel in the time of Samuel sit upon some major shifts of the ages?
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What did the Philistines learn from the Ark of God and their “Exodus” experience?
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What did the Israelites learn from the Ark of God and their various “wilderness” experiences from and with it?
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What does it take to stand in the “presence of the Lord?” How are we consecrated keepers of his covenant today?
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How might this understanding of yourself as a baptized follower of Jesus change the way you view and engage with the major shifts happening all around us these days?
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Luke 5:21-26).
Boy, which is easier to say? With the medical technology we have to replace knees and reattach ligaments these days, it seems increasingly easy to say “get up and walk.” And, with the stubborn determination we increasingly have to exact vengeance rather than restoration these days, it seems decidedly harder than it once was (if it ever was easy) to say “I forgive you.”
It really depends on how you take Jesus’ rhetorical question, I suppose. To think too hard about it is to miss the point all together, though. The point is not about which is harder: the point is that Jesus can do both. Why? He’s God.
A lot of questions swirled about Jesus’ authority to teach what he taught. In those earlier occurrences of folks making reference to Jesus’ authority in chapter 4—Jesus never steps into the fray to defend himself. He just keeps doing what he does. But with the religious leaders in the room, now Jesus begins to address the question of authority directly. Not his authority to teach, mind you, but something much more central: his authority to forgive sins.
This act of healing was a sign to the man, the leaders, the friends, the crowd, everyone that Jesus had the authority of God to set humanity free and make them well and whole again—addressing not only the physical ailments that constitute the effects of sin on the created world and its creatures, but sin itself.
Sin is that deeper, relational ailment at the heart of all our ailments: whether the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. When the right relationships of the Created world to itself and its Creator was broken by an act of two human creatures that stepped beyond the boundaries set for them, it knocked the whole thing off kilter in a way that imbalanced the relational world of the cosmos for generations to come: like a loose bearing that permits a wobbled spin that eventually serves to misshape the whole apparatus and all its connected components.
Jesus’ forgiveness of sin is equally far-reaching though. He does not only replace the initial loose bearings in the act of forgiveness, but he begins to restore the whole works. Everything knocked out of whack by the counter-formation of sin is brought under Jesus’ authoritative power to heal and make well.
And so Jesus forgives. Firstly, he forgives: he deals with the initial problem, not just the symptoms. But having done so, Jesus addresses the symptoms too. He sets us free in every conceivable way that we might be bound—in heart, mind, soul, or strength. There is nothing in all our creational, creaturely experience that does not fall under Jesus’ powerful word of healing. So: what thing—hard or easy—might Jesus be healing within you today?
One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:17-20). Four men arrive carrying a paralysed friend on a mat. But they arrive too late; the crowds are thick around the door with no way to squeeze through. One of them has a bright idea: "The roof! We can get to Jesus through the roof!" They haul their friend up onto the flat roof, remove the outer tiles, and then dig through the saplings and plaster underneath.
In the crowded room below, hearing noises above him, Jesus pauses his sermon only to be showered by bits of mud and brush. A hole opens and a mat descends. Four anxious faces appear in the hole above as the crowd pushes back to make room for the mat.
The paralytic wants to be healed. And Jesus can make it happen. But they’ve just interrupted his teaching and covered him with dust! Will he be angry? Will Jesus send him away? What claim does he have on this rabbi anyway? He doesn’t deserve anything from him!"
The crowd is silent - waiting to see what will happen next. Sunlight streams down from the hole in the roof, particles of dust dancing in air. The room is filled with a haze and tension.
Jesus sees their faith. Not in an Apostle’s Creed sense, knowledge based. But in the sense that they were willing to over come all obstacles. A faith that says, Jesus can heal, and we need to get our friend to him. That is what faith does, it brings us near Jesus.
And then Jesus does the most bizarre thing. He says to the man: "Your sins are forgiven."
The mood of the room changes again. This is not what the paralysed man or friends had hoped for. He’d come to be healed - not forgiven. Not that forgiveness isn’t a good thing, it’s just this wasn’t why he’d come.
The religious leaders are not thinking about the sick man and his disappointment. Nor why Jesus didn’t heal this poor broken body. These are theologians - they’re thinking... theology. And they have their theology right: only God can forgive sins.
And that is exactly Jesus’ point. He has come bringing the kingdom of God. Jesus’ mission is to make this world whole. Sin and sickness are both part of the brokenness of this world and He has come to fix both. Sin is the deeper problem. Jesus chooses this setting, this audience, to make this announcement: He had come to bring forgiveness to humanity. If we are going to follow Jesus, we need to hear these words.
This is the only time in all the gospels that a sick person is told their sins are forgiven. Jesus is not saying that the sickness is directly tied to a specific sin. There are many good things that we want from Jesus that he wants to give. But none of those good things will bring wholeness to us without God’s forgiveness.
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on our authentic humanity and self which is found in our relationship with God the Father. As our faith draws us near, God speaks these words of freedom, “Your sins are forgiven.” We need to be right in ourselves, and right with our neighbours. But above all we need to be right with God. With whatever more obvious ‘paralysis’ we may come to Jesus, this is the real deep need which his eye perceives and to which his word of power is addressed. And when he speaks, it is dealt with finally, for ever, ‘Your sins are forgiven you.’
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:14-16)
After breaking through the barriers of social taboo and quarantine restrictions—which he could do because he was God—Jesus now gives instructions to the man he had willingly cleansed and made whole from leprosy.
Today we often think that freedom means the free, unrestricted pursuit of our own, authentic individual desires, even if that should come at the expense of others or of community. The only relevant imperative is that we all need to do what’s best for ourselves, and others just need to tolerate and accept it. There are many examples, I won’t fill that blank in for you today. But against that backdrop, it is important to note how freedom works and is understood by Jesus here.
This man was not cleansed and set free of his restrictions so that he could go and live however he pleased: like in pursuit of his own authentic self. He had lived long enough in that sort of dismal isolation. No, according to Jesus, this man was cleansed and set free so that he could be restored to the good bindings of community. Jesus tells him to go and return to life within the rules of the community: he is to follow the law, show himself to the priests, and offer the sacrifices. The man is set free from his social isolation so that he can once again live within the obligations of restored communal relationship. This is a good thing: his restoration to community is part of his restoration to wholeness.
That being said, Jesus reveals to us that there is still a place for isolation and solitary pursuits. It is not in order to cultivate or convey an ever-more authentic self-image to the waiting world around us, but is rather to be restored into a deeper and more authentic relationship of communion with God. The Christian tradition has long asserted that relationship with Christ is the only real access we have to becoming authentically human: we cannot get there by merely expressing, feeling, or searching the depths of our own self.
As the word gets out about Jesus’ authentic healing power, he does not revel in the fact that he is seen, wanted, needed, loved, sought-after, important—no, he recognizes a temptation to a lesser good in the crowd’s attention. Jesus knows that it is not finally about him. It is about his relationship with the Father and his loving submission to the Father’s will. And so Jesus withdraws to that lonely desert place once again to be alone with the Father in prayer.
This is the proper place for authentic individual pursuit. It is a pursuit to the heart of our relationship with God the Father where we find deepest access to our authentic humanity and self. A humanity that is not solitary, but relational—and a self not lived unto itself, but in submission to God. Grounded there, as Jesus enables us to be, we are set free to live well in community with others.
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him (Luke 5:12-13).
This miracle story captured my imagination and heart in my early years of ministry. Because we are working our way slowly through the gospel of Luke, I realize that it’s a pivot in the story about Jesus. A new question about Jesus is being introduced. Let me explain.
Here was a man who lived on the garbage dump: sewage & manure from the city streets, butcher scraps, blood from the offerings in the temple & rotting stuff. That was the garbage dump. By this point the man was covered with leprosy which usually began small, a little patch of white skin, a running sore; something we’d cover with a band aid.
There was no cure, and since it was highly contagious, afflicted people were banished from society. They lived in a community near the garbage dump, living off scraps of food people flung at them from far off. This man had probably lived there for several years, since his conditioned was well advanced. Likely, he had already lost several fingers and toes to the disease. It had disfigured his face so that even his parents would not recognize him.
In Israel’s early days, leprosy was simply a disease, but over the years, it became more and more connected with sinfulness. You got leprosy because you or maybe your parents had committed some terrible sin. Leprous people were not just banished from society, they were also forbidden from entering the temple. Thus, they were abandoned by family and friends and evicted from God’s presence.
But here he is looking for Jesus. And finding him, he falls with his face to the ground, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Do you notice the subtle shift Luke introduces? Thus far, the central question has been about who Jesus is, his identity: Is he the son of God? That is now established. Now there is a new question, “What is his character? What is in his heart? How far is Jesus willing to go? How deep does the compassion and redemption of God reach?”
“If you are willing…” the man says. “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” It is not a question of capability but of desire.
And Jesus responds with two things that grabbed my heart all those years ago. He deliberately reached out his hand to touch the man. It had been years since this person had been touched by anyone except his fellow afflicted. Now he is touched by the Son of God. Imagine that. And then to hear the words, “I am willing, be clean.” As the man felt the sensation of a healthy hand on his body, he experienced the warm sensation of the power of God spread through him as the leprosy fled before the touch of the Son of God.
In one precious, compassionate moment Jesus breaks through all the social and spiritual barriers that had barred this man from human and divine contact. With that touch, this man was restored to his family and friends and neighbourhood and welcomed back into the temple.
“I am willing,” said Jesus, “Be clean.”
To all of us, who may feel like this leper, banished from society and from God, with a deep sense of being dirty inside and out, Jesus says, “I am willing, be clean.” To all of us, who are burdened by sin, weighed down by the belief that God doesn’t want us, Jesus reaches out and says, “I am willing, be clean.”
Jesus is willing and able to heal; to heal anything that stands between you and God and others. In his compassion Jesus touches us where we hurt. He touches us in those places where we feel the effects of sin. Whether those are deep hurts because of what others have done or scars because of sins we have committed. Jesus reaches out with his hand to heal our hurts and says, “I am willing, be clean.”
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11)
Days pass one into another without much pomp or fanfare. It’s just ordinary life: food, activity, sleep, some chit-chatting. Nothing special to see here. Certainly nothing that God would be interested in getting involved with. He deals with the big stuff, right? That’s certainly what Peter thought.
He was just an ordinary guy—a fisherman—and as Pastor Michael talked about last Friday, he and his companions had just come up empty after a whole night of working the nets.
But then Jesus shows up. Jesus needs Peter’s very ordinary boat and rowing skills so He can preach to a crowd. Then Jesus suggests another fishing trip: to the wrong place at the wrong time of day. But this time so many fish are caught that the boats began to sink—Peter had never seen anything like it! And in that moment, right there in the ordinary and perhaps even frustrating celebrity fishing trip Jesus had suckered them into, the Kingdom of God happened upon them.
The thin veneer of the ordinary was ripped back to reveal the Holy Son of God who had been sitting and working in their midst the whole time. Peter fell to Jesus’ knees in confession. Somehow all that preaching Jesus did from the shore didn’t do it for Peter: but this? Jesus stepped into the real, ordinary concerns of Peter’s life—into the personal sphere of Peter’s expertise and inadequacy—in order to reveal a work that Peter’s practiced, master angler eyes could see and know immediately was nothing less than divine. So Peter fell to Jesus’ knees.
Then Jesus said: “Don’t be afraid, I still need your ordinary fishing skills.” Ordinary Peter had been participating in some big holy mysteries all day without even knowing it—but now with the eyes to see it, his life would never be the same. He left everything to follow Jesus.
It’s one thing to hear the word. It’s another to see and experience the word made flesh in one’s own life. That’s why it’s important to look for the places in your ordinary life where Jesus’ salvation meets you.
Because under the thin veneer of all that ordinary everyday life, a Holy God is stirring about. It’s never just fish, or work, or ordinary life. We might be ordinary sinful people, but God in Jesus has redeemed the sinful and put the ordinary to His use. God’s holiness surges through the ordinary as our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit, bread is given for the forgiveness of sins, and water marks us as God’s own.
So keep your eyes peeled and your ears attentive. You never know where the thin veneer of your ordinary everyday life might give way to a vision of Jesus at work. But beware, because to realize that the sacred mysteries of Jesus’ work are right there, stirring about within the ordinary of your life, might also mean that you, like Peter, can no longer be the same.
A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 5 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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Have you ever tried to use God as one does a Genie in a bottle?
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What happens in Dagon’s temple?
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What do the Philistines learn about Israel’s God? How is this good news for us?
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How does the ark of God in Philistine territory point towards Jesus?
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In what ways do we try to manipulate God when we pray?
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What is the antidote to our attempts at manipulation?
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So, they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink (Luke 5:1-7).
This is a beloved miracle story. Its in every Children’s Bible and every Sunday School curriculum and sneaks into many VBS programs as well. Despite this familiarity, I think it is worth spending some time with it today, paying attention to Simon’s relationship to Jesus.
We do not know this upfront, but it begins in a place many can empathize with: a lack of resources. Simon and his cohorts have been fishing unsuccessfully all night. They are likely grumpy and worried. Grumpy because hopes kept get dashed all night until finally, as the sun rose, they gave up. Worried because they had nothing to sell and therefore nothing to provide for their families.
As they were cleaning their nets to prepare for the next night’s fishing (probably wondering if it would be better and how to tell wives and kids, they had nothing), along comes this new rabbi wanting to use Simon’s boat as a pulpit. We can almost hear him muttering, “Fine, whatever. But not too long, when I’m finishing cleaning, I’m going home to bed”.
At this point, we might say that Simon is a volunteer. He has a boat which Jesus can use while he doesn’t need it. Is that where you are in your relationship with Jesus? Volunteering, but not invested. Hanging around the fringes, unwilling to get connected. If you want to stay there, you might want to quit here. Jesus isn’t done with Simon or with you.
Jesus invites him to go deeper. "Look," he says, "we're already in the boat, come, let's go where the water is deeper and see if we can't catch some fish. Let's see if we can't fix this lack of resources." It was absurd, expecting to catch fish in the middle of the day. Simon’s response is like our shoulder shrug, ‘Whatever.’
Jesus' presence in the boat makes all the difference. The results are overwhelming. His nets almost tearing apart, his boat almost swamped by the weight and wealth of this tremendous catch, Simon does everything he can to ensure that this bounty is safely hauled aboard. He calls over his fishing buddies, and together they fill the second boat to the sinking point.
Understand what is happening here. Jesus has been proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom. He has healed the sick and cast out demons. He’s going to ask Simon to join him (more about that on Monday). First, Jesus wants to show Simon that God’s resources are without limit. That is why Jesus always provides abundantly more food and wine then needed. Scarcity is result of sin and evil. Jesus has power to cast this out as well, to set people free from the worry about how to survive tomorrow.
He is going to call Simon to be a disciple. With this miracle, Jesus is saying to Simon, trust me. Its not that Simon can take the fish along and sell some each day. Rather, Jesus is inviting Simon to believe that he can do this again tomorrow.
Jesus does not typically walk into our lives when we are in control, when we are flush with our own success. He tends to enter our places of vulnerability and confusion, failure and sin. He likes to get us out there in the deep water where we don’t know how to succeed. We tend to gravitate to those Christians who know how to do it, who have all the answers. But Jesus saves the world through humility, gentleness, compassion, sacrifice and trust. Those are the qualities he desires in us.
We will not grow as Jesus’ disciples if we stay where we've always been. Jesus beckons us, invites us to come deeper, to grow, to trust him more. But to trust him more, we need to let go of what gives us security today.
At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:42-44) Jesus took his rest in solitude. And that break from the regular fit and flow of life was what, time and time again, Luke shows us to be the decisive transition moments of his ministry.
After all, Jesus’ popularity was growing exponentially: everyone was raving over him, the news was spreading, and people were flocking for healings and words from Jesus.
But instead of doubling down to consolidate his popularity by building a shop front or a little empire based in the pulpit of the local synagogue, Jesus withdraws. The place he withdraws to is a “solitary place” reminiscent of the wilderness where Jesus was tempted by the devil at the beginning of this chapter.
If you recall, one of those temptations was to do something spectacular that would win a crowd’s approval, like jumping off the temple to be saved by angels to the applause and belief of all. Another was to bow to the devil to win an earthly kingdom. Jesus spoke the word of God and turned away from both these temptations. But here they arise again.
The crowds are flocking: they are looking for him. They want the kingdom to come as their very own possession. “We love you, Jesus, keep the pain and evil of this world and the devil far away from us forever!” But Jesus, in the restful clarity of his solitary place, turns away from the temptations to be loved by a crowd and to set up a permanent storefront for the Kingdom in Capernaum. The scope is too narrow: he came for all the world and so his ministry cannot stop here.
It is here in this place, that Jesus mentions the Kingdom of God for the first time. A kingdom which is not an earthly kingdom with a particular, geographical residence. But rather a kingdom that is for the whole world, first for the Jews in their synagogues, and then for Samaria, and on out to the ends of the earth.
The fact that we are a part of Jesus’ church today, is a direct consequence of the fact that he did not bow to the devil’s temptation to set up an earthly Kingdom in Capernaum that day. Sure: he could’ve kept them demon- and fever-free forever, but without the cross and his ascension, the Spirit and the church: what kind of Kingdom would that have been? Surely not the Kingdom of God that is for all people and that transcends all ages and places.
Jesus continued to turn away from temptation. For him, that included the very earthly practice of withdrawing from his success, from his work, and from the social demands of people (for us that would include withdrawing from our technology). In the clarity of that solitary place, he was able to see and turn away from the temptations to power and chasing the approval of others.
If Jesus needed a practice of withdrawing to rest and be alone for clarity in order to fight the temptations of his life and ministry: how much more so do we? Thankfully, when we withdraw, we’re never quite alone. Jesus meets us there in those solitary places when we do brave the wilds to clearly face nothing but ourselves and our temptations. And in those places, Jesus continues to invite and enable us to follow him: out of temptation and into his Kingdom.
Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So, he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah (Luke 4:38-41). Today’s text continues with Luke’s chief concerns: who is Jesus and where does his authority and power come from? In yesterday’s devotion, Pastor Anthony talked about how a demon tried to use Jesus’ name to claim authority over him, but Jesus would have nothing to do with such power plays. With a simple, forceful command, ‘Be quiet; be gone’, Jesus showed just how great his authority is.
Our story for today is linked to that one. Luke tells us that Jesus rebuked the demon, now he rebukes the fever. Why does Jesus treat demon and sickness the same? Because he came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and both demon and fever are Satan’s work. We are to notice that Jesus words are effective against both forms of evil. The demon and the fever flee.
Both people are set free. Have you ever woken up from a high fever? Do you recall how tired and weak you were? Not this woman. She gets up and serves dinner. This is not a story about a woman’s place being in the kitchen. No indeed. This is a story about the authority and power of Jesus to send the devil packing. He heals so completely that this woman needs no recovery time. Jesus says the word and she is ready to go.
Luke is hiding other treasures in this story that are worth shining some light on. Its still Sabbath. Note that when the sun set, people felt free to bring their sick to Jesus. They would not do it earlier, lest they be guilty of working on the Sabbath. Not Jesus, he goes to work healing the sick on the Sabbath. This will get him into hot water with the religious authorities, but he doesn’t seem to care.
Our Lord came to bring Sabbath, that is, freedom from the effects of the fall. The biblical arc of the Sabbath lands here, freedom from evil (see the book of Hebrews). The Heidelberg Catechism summaries the purpose of Sabbath keeping with these words, “every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath” (A 103).
Luke also paints a picture of how Jesus did ministry. ‘He bent over her’ and ‘laying his hands on them’ are phrases that show us Jesus’ deep compassion. He came close to people, both male and female. Disease isolates. COVID has shown us again how true that is. Jesus was not afraid of diseases nor of diseased people. He could, of course, have healed people from a distance. But he wasn’t interested in just having a disease-free society. People are important to him. He wanted to heal people, for that, he needed to touch them.
As the son of God, he was welcoming them into the very presence of God. Talk about healing.
Jesus shows a commitment to service and compassion. When Jesus rebukes demons and diseases, he shows that he is the King, everything is subject to him. These miracles gave the folks of Capernaum, and they give us, a glimpse of the eternal Sabbath.
The ease with which Jesus sends away all forms of evil reveals that he does have the power to save. Since he is Immanuel, God with us, we can be sure that such forces can never totally overtake us. Hostile forces may try to destroy us, but he has the capability of helping us resist. The obstacles of life that threaten us humans are not so great or powerful that Jesus cannot overcome them.
These forces are sometimes very strong. They many even appear to block out the light of Christ. As those times, Luke would have us picture Jesus bending over Peter’s mother-in-law and touching the sick as he heals them. His compassion for us is just as great. Let these stories give you courage in whatever darkness you are walking.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:33-37) In the days of Jesus, to speak someone’s name (outside the context of a good relationship), was a way of claiming power over them—showing yourself in some way to be superior enough to set yourself over them. So the demon cries out Jesus’ name, and then turns up the heat, reciting Jesus’ real name and identity: the Holy One of God! The demon shouts and grabs at some way of gaining power over Jesus, revealing intimate details of who Jesus is to everyone in earshot.
Obviously, it doesn’t work. Jesus does not so much as dignify the demon with a name in return. Jesus does not stoop to name-calling power-games as if he and this demon were remotely on the same plane. He gives a short, terse, but effective response. “Be quiet! Come out of him!” That’s all Jesus says, but it works.
Jesus did not need to prove anything to a demon or anyone else in the room, nor does he try.
But the people take note none-the-less. They had already noted how he spoke with authority, but now they caught a glimpse of just how far that power and authority spread.
Authority was a technical term in the rabbinic Judaism of Jesus’ day. It referred to the formal conferral of status to become a Rabbi in one’s own right and teach the Word of God. You can think of it like the seminary degree that one might expect a pastor to have today—a degree which means that some set of teachers have signed off on this person’s ability to minister the Word of God effectively: conferring authority by virtue of their authority. This is why the question of where Jesus’ authority comes from is such a big question in the Gospels. Everyone wants to know what Rabbis signed off on this guy. Show us your papers, Jesus!
Here though, is one of the answers. None other than divine authorization could cause a demon to flee without a fight. Jesus is not claiming that God has authorized him to proclaim the word. He doesn’t need to. His actions speak for him.
And that reality is not lost on the people. They recognize immediately Jesus’ authority and power by this action. What’s more, they see it as an authorization, not of Jesus’ ministry of exorcism, but of Jesus’ ministry of the Word of God. “What words these are!” they exclaim.
Jesus, the Son of God, still speaks his healing, redeeming word into our lives today. And it still comes with just as much authority and power as it ever did. Words like “I forgive you,” “I love you,” and “come to me and rest.” Will you let Jesus speak these words into your life today?
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath, he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching because his words had authority (Luke 4:31-32).
“All preaching is the art of plagiarism.” I heard a seminary professor say that once. And its largely true. Honest preachers recognize that they are not saying anything new but regurgitating things that have been spoken countless times before. Hopefully in contextually fresh and winsome ways.
According to historical sources, when the Jewish rabbis taught in the Synagogues they mostly quoted respected rabbis of the past. Their authority came from recognized names of Israel’s history. I suspect that this made for rather tedious and sleep-inducing messages. In contrast, Jesus taught ‘as one who had authority’.
What has Luke been telling us about Jesus? That he is the Son of God. Our Lord taught from this reality and his words came to the people as authoritative. They were amazed that he claimed to have authority to speak on God’s behalf. Many found him convincing. Tomorrow’s devotion will explore how a demon articulated this fact for the people.
For today, I want to take a moment to ask how we respond to God’s Word. We do not hear Jesus speaking like the folks in Capernaum did, but we can read the Scriptures which is the Word of God. How do we receive it?
Let me quote a different seminary professor who begins his preaching class with this question, “Do you consider Scripture primarily to be an authority or a gift?” One can imagine that heated debate follows this question. If you’re listening, hit the pause button and consider how you would answer? If you’re reading, stop and reflect.
Eventually the professor asks a follow up question, “What difference does it make?”
Our understanding of Scripture comes from three main passages: Psalm 19, Psalm 119, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Based on those words, one can easily make an argument that Scripture is both an authority and a gift. Its important for us to know how we react to God’s word, what relationship do we have with it. Here is how the psalmist responded, “Oh, how I love your law!” (119:97)
What do we do when we love something or someone? We spend time with thing or person. And so, the psalmist continues, “I meditate on it all day long.” Let’s pause here again to consider this.
Many of us are production orientated. We want things to happen. When we read the Bible, we want to get hit over the head (not literally). When we go to a worship service, we want to be impressed, great music, great sermon, we might say (does anyone ever say, ‘great prayer’ or ‘great offering’?).
But if we love the Bible, and thus God, is it not enough to just be present and pay attention, to just listen? Meditation speaks of unhurried lingering. Squeezing God into a brief window at the beginning or end of the day does not speak of love, it speaks more to duty.
Meditation is about giving attention to. What will it look like for you to give more attention to God? Be creative. Don’t settle for the common answers; find something that fits your personality and life.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 4:1b-5:1 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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How are you doing, really, right now? How about in your relationship with God? What distractions and weariness keeps you from engaging more deeply with God these days?
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What has God done in your life or in the lives of those you know? Take some time to reflect on and remember those Ebenezer moments of faith where God’s help was evident.
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What was the mistake of the elders of Israel? By what sin of commission/omission did they break the covenant?
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How did Israel come to this point of sliding so far away from their covenantal, “love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and mind” faith? (at least three answers!)
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1 Samuel 4, for those with the eyes to see it, also reveals that God is present and even active among his people. What are the signs of God’s presence scattered throughout the narrative?
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God is present among us as well. Where do you see him? And, how might you continue to practice habits of attention like prayer and Bible this week to better focus your eyes and ears to see Jesus?
They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way (Luke 4:29-30). Has Jesus ever made you so angry you wanted to throw him off a cliff?
Our Lord’s escape from the angry mob has always fascinated me. How did he do it? One moment the crowd’s got him in their clutches, the next he’s slipping away like a fish through water. Mysterious as that is, Luke does not want us to focus on that part of the story. Its almost an after thought. He draws our attention to the anger of the crowd and the reasons for it.
Let’s summarize the last few devotions. Jesus is a local boy become a celebrity, but in his hometown, he will always be just the son of Joseph. They are afraid he is getting too puffed up with his recent fame. And now he has the audacity to tell them that God’s great plan of redemption will include those outside Israel. Israel has always been God’s gateway to the world. If they can’t handle that, he will simply step over the gate to invite the Gentiles into his redemptive work.
Jesus is inviting the folks in Nazareth to join him in God’s mission in the world, but they will have none of it. The Lord is their God, and they will not share him with any others. Others are simply not good enough. Later, Jesus will explain that those who refuse the invitation lose out (14:15-24). The party will not be delayed or put off. In Christ, God is doing a new thing, putting to death the hostility between Jews and Gentiles, reconciling them both to God through the cross, thus, creating a new humanity (Eph. 2:11-22).
Now, let me return to my opening question: Has Jesus ever made you so angry you wanted to throw him off a cliff? I doubt it.
But I sometimes wonder how different Christians are from the Jews of Nazareth. Certainly, we are all for missions and evangelism. Its not that we want to keep the gospel to ourselves. Yet, churches tend to be closed groups. We will let people hang around with us, but unless they start to look, smell, speak and act like us, they will always be outsiders.
Paul, the apostle, came to understand that the union of Jew and Gentile in the church was central to the work of redemption. The church is the new humanity. It is our calling as Christians to live out this new reality in the church. Human divisions such as language and culture and ethnicity are irrelevant. At least, they are supposed to be. But often, they are not. We hang onto them in subtle ways. The memory that someone came late to the party remains with us.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that becoming a multi-racial church is very difficult. People are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary for this to happen. We want people to become like us; we do not want to change.
How many of us make it a goal to develop friendships with people who are different from us in ethnic and social and economic background? Are we willing for our church customs and traditions to change so that we enfold new members? If we are not willing to do the real work of forming a new humanity, are we really very different from those who wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff?
When Jesus said, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21), he was offering them the ‘good news’, the Lord’s favour (18-19). But they could not accept that they needed redemption. This story calls us to remember that each of us needs to respond to the good news; we all need the Lord’s favour, his redemption. All of us are sinners.
And having received redemption, we are taken by the Holy Spirit into the community of Christ, which we call the church. This community is constantly growing up, to use the language of Ephesians 4, becoming the new humanity. Churches are not meant to be static, locked in traditions, but communities always finding new ways to welcome the stranger, to break the barriers that divide.
I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. (Luke 4:25-28)
The home town crowd of this domesticated Jesus may have wished him to “do here what you did in Capernaum.” In other words, bring your show home, we want to be entertained too! Not to believe, but just to see what the fuss is about for ourselves—if you really are anything special, that is. They had their doubts. Our text from today is Jesus’ offensive, roundabout way of saying “no.”
Middle Eastern cultural scholar, Ken Bailey notes how Nazareth was located in “Galilee of the Gentiles” as a Jewish enclave. A sort of frontier settler town, really, with a very nationalistic bent. In Jesus’ reading of Isaiah from the scroll that began this whole scene, he had omitted key sections about judgement against the Gentiles. And now he presumes to tell these nationalistic folks that God’s salvation is for foreigners.
Jesus is drawing some very clear and stark lines here, and not in the places that his home-town crowd would’ve liked them drawn. Clearly, Jesus was no longer one of them. He had broken faith with their interpretation of their Bibles. They envisioned a wrathful God that they could employ to fight their battles against their foreign, gentile neighbours. Jesus proclaims to them a Biblical God who heals and saves indiscriminately, sometimes even choosing foreigners in preference over his own people. What a slap in the face!
But also, what a counter-cultural gift for those who might have the ears to hear it. God is bigger than our own use for him. Jesus is too. Jesus is about much more than acting as our own personal body guard, mercenary, or vending machine. He doesn’t play that role for our countries either, no matter how good and civilized we may think them to be.
You never can quite contain or box-in the Sovereign Lord. Otherwise he wouldn’t be very sovereign, would he? He does new things and things that are calibrated to his notions of justice, righteousness, flourishing, not ours.
So always, always again we are invited, especially by these strange, counter-cultural words of Jesus to stop trying to submit God to our will, and to submit to his instead. That is an invitation to humble ourselves, open our eyes and ears, and be attentive to the surprising ways that He might move or speak so that instead of using God to build our kingdoms, we might follow him into his kingdom: because he is our Lord and Sovereign King.
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown (Luke 4:22-24).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony invited us to consider if we truly understood what Jesus meant by the word “salvation”. It’s a word so familiar, we Christians no longer see ourselves as part of it. Redemption might be for those not yet saved, but hardly for us. Today, I want to continue this train of thought because, well, that is what our text does.
Having heard his sermon, the people of Nazareth, where he had grown up, were impressed. He was obviously a good speaker with gracious words. But there was a problem. They all knew him. He had grown up among them. Some might even have hired him to do some construction. Several edifices in the neighbourhood could be attributed to him and his dad, Joseph.
So, the problem was this: how could this flesh and blood human whom they had seen grow up be more than just the son of Joseph? How on earth could he be the one to fulfill everything Isaiah had prophesied? How could he be the one bringing God’s salvation? They knew him so well, this ‘local boy made good’!
Luke has been hammering home that Jesus is more than just the son of Joseph. He is the Son of God. This is primary. But in Nazareth, folks don’t believe it. It just can’t be true.
I think we might have the same problem. We have domesticated Jesus.
I am not suggesting we do not believe he is the Son of God. We sing it often enough and regularly address him as God in our prayers. However, it doesn’t strike us as significant or meaningful. We view him as a kindly shepherd caring for his sheep. This is one of the biblical images and we do well to mediate on it. Jesus is kind and compassionate to the hurting, as he claims in Matthew 12:20.
But Luke has be telling us that Jesus is the “Son of God”. That’s a big deal! The first hint of this comes from Psalm 2 in which the kings of the earth are warned that they had better serve this Son of God or reap the consequences. Oddly, this phrase ‘son of God’ gets meshed with ‘son of Man.’ Daniel hears this about the son of Man, “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (7:14).
Mary drew out the implications in her song, “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53).
The folks in Nazareth recognized what Jesus was claiming. He was going to turn human culture upside down. He was claiming to be their forever king, worthy of their worship. But they wouldn’t believe it. Do we? When is the last time you fell down and worshipped Jesus? That is what folks in the Bible, who really get who he is, do. His neighbours didn’t want to do that. He was too domestic.
Have we done the same thing with Jesus? Is he just the guy we talk about on Sundays? Someone we might turn to him when we need some extra help? But the Son of God? Worthy of worship? In the business of upending the world? Not so much.
With many a knowing nudge and delighted smile, they turned to each other saying, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” The answer is No, no, a million times no! He is the Son of God. Are you with him?
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)
In Luke’s telling, this is the core of the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed. The passages Jesus reads from Isaiah are passages that speak of both the Messiah and the Year of Jubilee coming. Jesus declares that both are fulfilled today by his appearance: that he is the Messiah who saves and sets free the people.
Now, upon walking into a room, some of us may have been so bold as to declare: “You can start the party now, I’m here!” But to declare that our presence means salvation has arrived? That’s pretty insane, actually. To say it seriously, you either need to be God himself, a comedian, or out of your mind. Indeed the good folks of Nazareth pretty promptly tried to kill Jesus, as we’ll see a bit later on.
Now let’s say that we believe Jesus is God, and not in need of therapy. Even so, salvation is a big word. A word we toss around pretty freely in church-y circles, but a word that remains pretty abstract. And we like it that way. Abstractions don’t demand action. So we tend to keep this word abstract by setting it next to similarly abstract words like “sin,” “heaven,” “soul,” etc. Stir it all up together and you get a tidy formula of abstractions like: “Jesus has saved me from my sin so that I can go to heaven.” But what does that mean? The declaration of salvation should punch you in the gut and offend you such that you’re tempted either to fall on your knees or push Jesus off a cliff, and this cute little Christianese phrase just doesn’t quite do that. Because it’s abstract.
But Jesus doesn’t use abstract words like salvation here. He talks instead about concrete things for particular people. “Good news for the poor, freedom for prisoners and the oppressed, recovery of sight for the blind.” Now: did you hear your own name in those phrases? Maybe you should.
For someone to come up and say: nope, you can’t do life yourself—you’re a failure, unsuccessful, unable, not useful enough, guilty of mismanagement, incompetent, you don’t have enough, aren’t strong enough, aren’t smart enough—well that’s pretty offensive. Offensive enough to push Jesus off a cliff over. But that’s really what it means to be in need of saving. And then Jesus follows it up with the equally of offensive statement: that what you can’t do, he can. Who on earth would respond to that alter call? The folks in Nazareth certainly didn’t.
But perhaps those who found their own situation named by Jesus did. The poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed, the indebted. Somehow, when salvation becomes concrete and personal—addressed to us and our real situation: it not only offends, but can also redeem. Because then there’s enough relationship for us to entrust ourselves.
So the question is: what do you need saving from? In what area of your life are you burdened, shackled, oppressed, blind? Where is Jesus at work in your heart and life, inviting you to hear his good news of freedom, recovery, and good favour? It is a humbling thing to admit one’s need, but it is the first step toward hearing Jesus’ good news addressed to you.
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him (Luke 4:13-15).
Let’s begin the week with another mediation on the devil tempting Jesus. We hope you have found the reflections on this story helpful for your faith.
You may recall that Luke begins his account with the phrase, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit…” Now he writes, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he instructed his followers with these words, “I am going to send you what my father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:48). Clearly, this is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
From Luke’s gospel we can deduce that the life of Christian discipleship is lived under two powerful forces: the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. We have already noted that Jesus resists each temptation with scripture. It is a simple but powerful resistance. Let us all follow his example with confidence, for there will be no freedom from temptation in this life.
Luke points out that Satan finished these temptations but hung around in the background waiting for other opportune times to re-engage. We know he is hanging around us too, for Peter writes, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
As we have seen, Satan tempted Jesus’ regarding his status as the unique Son of God. He wanted to derail Jesus from the road of redemption he was traveling. We will be tempted in different ways, in places which matter most in our life and vocation. It is important for us to learn to recognize the voices that whisper attractive lies, to distinguish them from the voice of God.
Some of us will do anything for love, others for power, others for material wealth. There are other weak points we might have. We need to know them. And we need to know the scriptures that fill the emptiness within. Then we need to trust that the Holy Spirit will recall those scriptures to our minds when temptations come. Recite them to the devil.
We cannot avoid being tested in this life. How we response to them is our concern. Do we react in a way that looks to God to guide us through it? Do we trust him? Do struggles make us angry? Do we seek to reassert our control? Or do we rest in faith, looking for God’s hand, and asking him what we should learn from these experiences?
Luke tells us this story to show that the central conflict for Jesus and for us is against the devil. He was beaten, Jesus did not yield. Again and again, Satan would come with temptation. Each time Jesus resisted. Until, on the eve of the crucifixion, in that hour when darkness reigned (Luke 22:53) Jesus wrestled in Gethsemane. Satan attacked Him with all the power and savagery of hell in a desperate attempt to overcome Him. It was a last-ditch demonic effort, but Jesus triumphed over all the power of darkness in His death on the cross and confirmed His victory through his resurrection and ascension.
Jesus resisted to the very end. He walked the full hellish road of redemption for us. Let us thank God that our Redeemer, even under the most adverse circumstances, both spiritual and physical, emerged from the conflict as the spotless and Holy One, as triumphant Conqueror. He won for us. Through him we also conquer.
In Hebrews we read, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (4:15-16). Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 2:11-36 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What trends of polarization, individualism, and immaturity do you encounter in your world these days? How do you participate in those trends yourself?
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What are some of the harder implications of this immaturity in our society and lives these days? Have you ever experienced any of these implications?
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What was the deal with Eli’s boys? What were they judged for and how?
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How does Samuel’s story form a contrast to the story of Eli’s boys? How does Samuel “grow in stature and in favour with the LORD and with people”?
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What does Luke want to say about Jesus as he compares Jesus’s growing up to Samuel’s? (See one of the parallels between 1 Samuel 2:26 and Luke 2:52—note 1 Samuel 2:35 as well!)
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What does it means to grow up to maturity in the Christian life? How might you concretely go about doing that this week? And: what part does Jesus play in it?
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
“Do something spectacular,” the devil says: “make a name for yourself. Get a reputation. Show them something they’ve never seen before. Prove God exists already so that they believe!”
The first temptation is about our appetite for the material gratifications of life. The second about our ambitions to power and control. The third is about our desire for approval. “You’ll prove yourself and show them all,” the devil says: “these worshipers will never doubt you again. They’ll clap, they’ll cheer, they’ll know you’re God and they’ll finally love you.”
How much don’t we do in our life to impress or gain the approval of someone else? Or to gain a place of belonging for ourselves in the group? Whether it’s from our parents, our spouse, our boss or peers, many of us push to earn the approval we crave. Sometimes at great lengths and great cost, all for the elusive prise of getting a smile, a digital like, or even love itself.
But again, like the pursuits of our appetite and ambitions, our pursuit of approval leaves us empty and bitter more often than it leaves us full of the love we desire.
Because the love we long for isn’t earned. Love is a gift, not a transaction. It can’t be earned or won by a good performance, report card, or reputable position. Love is given. As God does in our baptisms when he says: “you are my child, whom I love: with you I am well pleased.”
The invitation is simply to receive this identity we already have as the beloved children of God, approved by him not because of what we have done, but simply out of his good, gracious gift in Jesus.
So when the devil—questioning Jesus’ sonship—tells him to take a flying leap to prove God good to his word, Jesus comes back with the voice of truth from scripture that there is no need to put God to the test. Jesus knows who he is. He is God’s beloved son. And no ploy from the devil will make him doubt it or feel the need to prove it—not to himself nor to the throng of worshipers below.
Now, we’re not Jesus. And we do doubt God’s love sometimes, even as we doubt our imperfect places of human love and belonging sometimes. I think God knew we would, and so he gave us a sign to remind us: not a gimmicky showman Jesus performing angelic dare-devil stunts, but a humble, faithful Jesus who was quite literally dying to love us.
It is only in receiving this unconditional, unflinching love of God in Jesus Christ that we begin to learn what it means to be loved. It is only rooted in this love of God that adopts us as children with a home and place of belonging that we begin to feel safe and trusting enough to offer the same love to others.
The devil led him (Jesus) up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Luke 4:5-8).
The second temptation the devil tosses Jesus’ way, hits home for many of us. Who has not dreamed, or at least day-dreamed, of a little bit more glory and honour than we currently have? Who of us hasn’t found herself thinking that she deserves more responsibility? We can handle it, we tell ourselves; we are more qualified than the person currently wielding it.
Most of us have a little turf that we control, even if its only as small as our desk at work, or a bit larger, like the lives of our children or spouse. We want control, to run things our way, to have a space in life that is predictable. When we start losing control we lash out, we blame, we criticize, we force people back into compliance; we set the ship back into order, our order.
The gift of authority and splendour meets a deep heart need within all of us. God created us with it. Created in the image of God, we were given responsibility over creation and crowned with the splendour of God himself. Addressing God, Psalm 8 puts this in poetic form, you “crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands…” (5,6).
We were meant to govern the cosmos according to God’s design. But we thought we had found a better way. When our first parents choose the way of disobedience, we lost control over the creation; our ability to shepherd it slipped from our fingers. Jesus came to restore us to this glory and splendour, that we might re-take our rightful place over creation. Not control for our own sake, to puff up our egos, but rather, that through us, the creation gives glory to God.
In temptations of power and status, Satan offers us something that we were created and redeemed for. The heavenly choirs sing that Jesus redeems us to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and to reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10). But it is not the devils to give. And ironically, worshipping him will bring us further and further from our intended goal.
But our text is about the temptation of Jesus. God does want him to become sovereign over the world, as Gabriel had told Mary (Luke 1:32). So why not go for it in one easy stride? Because the path to kingship is humble service, not a devilish seeking after status and power.
Jesus’ life is to be used for restoring others to life and strength, as his miracles demonstrate, not for cheap stunts. His status as God’s son commits him, not to showy prestige, but to the strange path of humility, service and finally death. The road to kingship is through self-sacrifice, not in grasping for power.
So, Jesus responds to the devil not by attempting to argue. A lesson we do well to follow. Arguing with temptation is a way of playing with the idea until it becomes too attractive to resist. Rather, he quotes scripture with a passage recited daily by the Israelites.
The Christian discipline of fighting temptation is not about self-hatred or rejecting a good time. Our resistance to temptation is love and loyalty to the God who has already named us his beloved children in Christ. Loving God with all of our hearts, souls, mind and strength, in other words, worship, is the way to resist. Those who resist intimacy with God are most easily seduced by the glamour of power or control.
Jesus calls us to follow him in the path which leads to the true glory. In that glory lies the true happiness, the true fulfilment, which neither world, nor flesh, nor devil can begin to imitate. The problem is that this pathway is the not the fast way. And it is not the easy way. It does often feel like plodding along. And it calls us to sacrifice. Satan tries to subvert our walk with God by offering shortcuts to spirituality—which are dead ends. In response, we must rely on God walking the hard road with him. Trust him, he will give us authority and splendour.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:3-4)
All of us get hungry. Jesus no less so. The question, is what do we do with our hunger, our appetite?
It was Adam and Eve’s appetite for fruit that was “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” that drove them to “take some and eat it” (Genesis 3:6).
We do the same thing every day. We see and seek to take a lifestyle that includes a particular kind of house, a particular amount of income, a particular style of food pleasing to the eye (like a charcuterie board?), and all sorts of other material securities and assets, as well as shows, podcasts, and whatever else we consumers need to consume to feel full of life, secure in our position, and satisfied. The picture of our desire here that we hope to find is that of pushing ourselves away from a good meal at a spreading Thanksgiving Day table—warm, full, and satisfied—ready to rest and enjoy all the goodness we’ve just gobbled up.
Of course, whether we’re consuming food, fashion, fame, finances, or functional improvements to our homes—after we’ve bought and consumed the thing—we get hungry again. Enough is never quite enough. The hunger pangs return and we need more.
And so we continue grabbing and reaching for more—sometimes more than we were actually created to have, as was Adam & Eve’s case. This is the hunger for money that’s at the root of all evil. This is the hunger for security that causes us to compete and elbow others out—like in the vaccine ques or the toilet paper line ups. This is the insatiable hunger for more that turns a Creation of plenty into an environmental catastrophe of scarcity. This is a hunger for life that—when limited by no God-spoken boundaries—succeeds only in bringing death.
As with all our desires, our hunger for life and its material provision always points beyond itself to something better and lasting. Like: every word that comes from the mouth of God, including the word that was made flesh and became for us Jesus, the bread of life. He is the God of Creation and all provision who invites us to trust in him and pray to him for our daily bread rather than greedily or gluttonously grabbing it for ourselves. The invitation is to trust in God for our provision, rather than to secure it for ourselves.
Jesus knew this, and so with 40 days of hunger built up in his gut from the wasteland of scarcity he faced down the devil. And where humanity failed, Jesus prevailed, stating clearly and freely: “man shall not live on bread alone.” He satisfied his hunger with something better: with a trust in the God-provided boundaries that Adam and Eve had forsaken.
A deep temptation for us is to believe that we actually do live by bread alone, that our infinite hunger can be satisfied by finite, materials things like a house, a show, or a solid pension, and that we can actually wrangle those things out of the finite stones of this earth. But it never works. Food (along with the rest of the material world) is not an end in itself—it doesn’t satisfy. Rather, it is a means of experiencing, living by, and giving thanks for God’s good gifts, and so deepening the relationship of trust between us. The material world always points beyond itself—to something better—lifting the eyes of our hunger and longings up past our plate and pointing them to the Bread of Life instead.
Trusting in Jesus for our life’s provision, we will find our deepest hungers and thirsts satisfied. And out of that contended satisfaction, we may find it much easier to share the abundant provision of God we’ve received with others too. When you trust in the word of God for your provision, 5,000 can be fed before you know it from what looked for all the world to be utter scarcity. Our relationships with God, our neighbours, and the Creation itself can be restored. So, may God give us today our daily bread and help us to trust in him to do it.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry (Luke 4:1-2).
With Pastor Anthony having been on vacation last week, neither of us prepared anything for yesterday. We apologize for that.
With that out of the way, let us return to Luke’s account of Jesus life and ministry. You may recall that in the early chapters Luke has been exploring who Jesus is, ending his genealogy with ‘the son of Adam, the son of God.’ We have here the doctrine of the incarnation which comes to us in story form not with theological precision.
In Luke’s account of Jesus’ temptations by the devil, we see both his humanity and his divinity in full display. This account is given to us both for our instruction and our encouragement.
Our text for today is just the introduction, but it is worth some exploration. Why does Luke say that Jesus was ‘full of the Holy Spirit’? Was he less filled at other times of his life? Not enough information is provided to give full answer. It seems clear that something significant happened at Jesus baptism which prepared him to begin his public ministry.
It is also worth noting that Paul tells us to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and Luke will tell us that Barnabas was ‘a man full of the Spirit’ (Acts 11:24). It seems that sometimes we Christians are more filled with the Spirit then at other times. It ought to be our desire and goal to be fully directed by the Spirit and we ought to live in ways that give the Spirit sway over us.
Our text takes us back to the Garden of Eden where the tempter is first introduced. There, our first parents had everything they could possibly want, after all, God’s declaration, “It was very good”, still held sway. Jesus is not in such a situation. He is in a place of deprivation, facing physical hardships Adam and Eve had not yet imagined.
Jesus is ‘the son of Adam.’ Will he fair better than Adam himself? That is a question answered in this story.
A second biblical call back is to Israel in the wilderness between Egypt and the promised land. The assumption is that Jesus spent 40 days in that wilderness. The Israelites had manna every morning, Jesus had nothing. By the end he was hungry; hungrier than most of us have ever been. Will he do better than the Israelites? Another question answered.
These temptations by the devil begin Jesus’ ministry. This tells us what the primary struggle is. His battle was not against the power hungry abusive Roman empire, nor was it against the false piety of the Pharisees, nor against the scarcity of food and health among the general population. Those were only symptoms of the real problem. His real battle was against the devil.
I wonder if we have forgotten this. We do well to fight against poverty and homelessness and human trafficking and lack of access to health care and all the other injustices that we see around us. Yet, among all these battles, the primary battle is still for the human heart, for the redemption of the human being. Even those of us redeemed in Christ, must still guard our hearts and fight against personal temptations first.
Luke makes it abundantly clear that Jesus, the New Israel, the son of Adam and the son of God, resisted the temptations. He won! And now he fills us with His Holy Spirit; we too can resist the wiles of the devil. There is hope for all who follow behind the rider on the white horse (see Revelation 19).
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 1 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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In your opinion, what is the state of the church today in North America?
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In what context does the book of 1 Samuel open? How does Hannah’s barrenness reflect conditions in Israel? Have you experienced such times in your life?
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Why is it so difficult to wait on the Lord?
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What four things does Hannah do in her waiting?
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How can you build these practices more deeply into your life? What value will they have for you?
6. Does this story give you hope for yourself and for the church?
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat…the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3:23-38).
Well, I skipped most of the passage, as many of you probably do when encountering a Biblical genealogy. Our culture has lost its interest in history, even its own history. But most cultures, today and throughout the ages, have valued the role ancestors played in shaping in their lives. This was true of Luke’s world. There is value in this list of names.
When we think of the teachings of Christianity, we might ponder doctrines like the transcendence of God and the incarnation of Christ. Luke didn’t have such theological titles; before there were doctrines there were stories and genealogies. With this list of names, he wants us to realize something about Jesus, the main character of the story he was telling.
Luke inserts Jesus’ genealogy between his baptism and his temptations. These three panels are linked with these phrases, “You are my son” a voice from heaven tells Jesus at his baptism, “the son of God” with which Luke ends the genealogy and “If you are the Son of God…” with which Satan questions that assertion (4:3).
Literary buffs will recognize that Luke uses a common narrative devise, he gives the answer before he askes the question. Here and throughout this gospel, we are being invited to wrestle with the question, “Is Jesus really the son of God?” and if he is, “What difference does that make?”
So, what answer does Luke offer us in Jesus’ genealogy? First, Jesus’ ancestry is traced back to David, so he has royal blood and has the right to claim the kingship of Israel, and ultimately the kingship of the cosmos. Second, he is traced back to Abraham, so he receives and has the potential to fulfill the promises made to Abraham and in fact, all the promises ever made to Israel. Third, Jesus is a son of Adam, the figure through whom all of us are connected to one another. He doesn’t just represent Israel but all the people of the world. We don’t have to be Jewish to be part of what Jesus does.
Luke is underscoring a point he made with Jesus’ baptism. Pastor Anthony put it like this, Jesus was baptized to “truly identify himself with us” and “so that he might truly take on our sin”. He came not just to be human but for the sake of all humans. That is why Luke ends, “the son of Adam, the son of God.”
We might all claim to be children of God, created in his image as we are. But the family likeness was distorted through the fall into sin. Since them, no one can claim to fully bear the likeness of God, except Jesus. He is again what Adam once was. He is human as God meant humans to be, the image of God, showing the family likeness in perfection.
We may picture our present human existence as a pit, in which all of us are trapped. The sin of Adam has removed any possibility of our climbing out. Jesus is like us in that he has come down into the pit with us. That is the message of the baptism story and the family tree, if we leave out their closing verses.
Even though Jesus is like us, he is also unlike us. We are here because of a fall into disobedience. He is here because of a descent into obedience. He never let go of the rope which joins him to God. He is firmly anchored in the unbroken relation of sonship with his Father. That is why his humanity is distinctive. That is why it is only by clinging to him that are we lifted out of the pit. That is the message of the last words of the baptism story (22) and of the family tree (38).
“You are my son” … “the son of God” … Next, we will see that Jesus passes the test of sonship with flying colours. Through Christ, we all can be part of God’s family tree, daughters and sons of the king. These are the answers Luke hides in his list of names, the ancestors of Jesus.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)
Today is the day of Epiphany! In the Church calendar, Epiphany marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas. Good thing you follow these devotions or you might not have had that epiphany today!
Epiphany also then marks a shift from our focus on Jesus’ incarnational “coming in the flesh” at Christmas to his life of ministry and miracles before we arrive at his crucifixion and death in the season of Lent.
The word “epiphany” quite literally means a “manifestation” or “appearance,” and that is precisely what Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of his ministry marks: his appearance as the Messiah and Son of God. Alright: enough church history class. What does Jesus’ baptism have to say to us today?
Certainly it tells us, through the Spirit’s presence and through the voice from heaven, that Jesus is God’s Son. It even shows us the Trinity at work: Father, Son, and Spirit. We might be content to leave it there. This is the gospel truth: believe it and be saved!
But there’s more here than just a foundation for correct doctrine of the Trinity or the Son of God. Luke says that “when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.” Just one of the crowd. But why on earth did Jesus need a baptism of repentance like all the other people? In other gospel accounts, John is even shown to protest the idea of Jesus being baptized. He didn’t need it! What did he have to repent of?
But that’s just it: though sinless, Jesus chooses to be one of us anyway. Not just to put on the flesh of our humanity and walk around among us, but to really and truly identify himself with us. We are baptized to cleans ourselves from sin, Jesus was baptized so that he might be truly able to take on our sin. We are baptized into Christ: but he was baptized into us, into identification with humanity. And it is actually through this full identification with us that Jesus becomes a saviour of us and for us.
And because he does—because he “who had no sin [became] sin for us,” we “become the righteousness of God” in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). And so the wise and faithful readers of the Bible over the years have pointed to this baptism text to say that all of us who are baptized into Christ need to see ourselves in these two verses. It is not just that Jesus identifies himself with us, we also need to identify ourselves with him.
We need to see ourselves as those who have the Holy Spirit descend on us. We need to hear the voice from heaven speaking to us, to you, right now: “you are my son; you are my daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Do you believe it? That God loves you and is well pleased with you? That you are his daughter? His son? It’s true—In Jesus Christ, it is true. God says to you: My daughter… my son… I love you. I am well pleased with you. If that is not the voice you hear when you think of the voice of God, let this be an epiphany to you today.
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them (Luke 3:15-18).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on John’s call to repentance leading to living ordinary lives in an extraordinary way. His listeners had been cut to the heart, desiring to be part of what John was declaring. In John’s warning of impending judgement, the folks heard the word of God, maybe not as clearly as Samuel had, but clear enough to make them wonder.
You see, these were people who lived with expectation. Rooted in their listening to the prophets of old, they believed that God was coming to renew his people. They believed it enough to have an ear and an eye open for God’s arrival. Luke tells us that they wondered in their hearts if John was the one, the Messiah. Someone must have verbalized this wondering because John responds.
He needs them and us to understand: no amount of baptism or repentance will be enough to get us on board with what God is doing. What is needed is fire. Approaching God is always going into the fire: the fire of judgement or the fire of the Holy Spirit. The great one John is announcing will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The Spirit purifies. We cannot meet God and stay unchanged.
John’s audience was expecting the Spirit. They knew God’s promises, “I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children" (Isaiah 44:3) and "I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command" (Ezekiel 36:27) and "I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live" (37:14). Water purifies the outside; fire purifies the inside. This is the ministry of the Messiah, to cleanse our lives of everything that is not pleasing to God so we can live. As it was then, so it is now.
We still believe that baptism points not to our work, but to the Spirit’s. These waters draw us to God and call us to respond in faith. But they also point us to the Spirit who purifies us from all unrighteousness and leads us into living our ordinary lives with righteousness, making them extraordinary. "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,’ writes Paul, “he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
John is quite clear that true repentance will produce fruits. The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that genuine repentance or conversion is the dying-away of the old self, to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it; and repentance is the coming-to-life of the new self, whole-hearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to (Lord’s Day 33).
All this is the purifying work of the Spirit in us. We stand between a fire and a fire. The fire of our selfishness and self-indulgence will destroy us. The fire of the Spirit will make us into fruit bearing disciples.
Can we survive the fire of the Spirit? Absolutely, through faith in Christ. And by that faith are we able to bear fruits of repentance. John called his audience to grow their roots not in their family, nor in their own religious activities, but in Jesus Christ.
If bearing the fruit of repentance seems far fetched to you, listen again to words Paul wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:11-14).
Trust Jesus and let the Spirit burn.
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:7-14)
Faced with the urgency of the Messiah’s coming and the vivid pictures of His wrath that John painted—the people asked: “What should we do then?” John’s preaching is confrontational: it demands a decision and a turning around of our lives and hearts. We may not be as quick to open ourselves to this kind of a sermon, but it’s good to try.
From the preaching of John, we learn that life is not actually a tolerance-oriented, hands-off matter of “you do you” and “I’ll do me,” however much we might like to think so. This notion so prevalent in our society and culture today is actually rather flat, admitting of no interference from any external agent aside from the horizontal pull of peers and influencers. They may speak into our lives, but submitting ourselves to the dictates of any vertical agent set over us like God or some institution like the church or government really rubs against the grain. So it increasingly is in our world today. Our tolerance for any vertical dimension is disappearing.
John’s preaching would seek to wake us up from this flat, individualistic cultural peculiarity of ours though, and immerse us back into a full, three-dimensional reality where there is still a God in heaven with a valid opinion about how we live our lives.
We are responsible to God for our living and doing, says John. God sees what you do, and what I do too. God judges those actions, but also invites us to repent, or quite literally “turn” toward better ones: toward actions that conform more and more to the contours of the Gospel of Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God.
“Producing fruit in keeping with repentance” is about more than just showing up at church or the Christian school. It is more than just doing the right churchy things of baptism or Professions of Faith. It is about your whole life. Your heart. Your actions at and in response to school, home and work.
You’d think then that those actions would have to be as radical as John’s message of fire—but no. John didn’t send the people out to change the world. Instead, he sent them right back to their ordinary corner of the world as changed people—people who’d encountered the vertical dimension of God and who had a change of heart, a repentance, a turning around because of it.
Nothing of John’s message changes your work or to-do lists, but it might change you. That’s what the good news of Jesus does. So, turn around. Repent. Live generously. Work with integrity and honesty. Be content with what you have and receive. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a few snapshots of the Good News of Jesus fruitfully at work. Remember Renita telling us about that?
Ultimately, it is through little things like these that the good-news Gospel of Jesus’ coming begins to transform workplaces and schoolplaces, perhaps even our society and world. But it starts ever and always with little things. The fruit of repentance, the change of heart that comes from an encounter with the living God.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation’” (Luke 1:1-6).
When coastal people are warned that a tsunami or hurricane is on the way, the wise ones prepare or evacuate. Imminent danger needs urgent action. That’s the kind of work John the Baptist was doing. People believed John and came to him for baptism.
What was the emergency, and how would being plunged into the Jordan help people to avoid danger? Luke’s introduction to the story of John the Baptist gives us the context to answer these questions. Its a story of oppression and misery that was building up to explosion point. The social tension was like that in the USA during their last presidential election.
About 25 years earlier the Roman emperor had sent a governor to Judea to enforce Roman rule against constant unrest. The current emperor, Tiberius, was a ruthless tyrant who was worshipped as a god in parts of the empire. Herod’s sons had Roman permission to rule in Galilee, but they were barely holding onto power. Rome had taken direct control of Judea, including Jerusalem. But every sign of Rome’s power rankled the Jews.
The family providing the high priests at the time wasn’t fairing much better. Many Jews considered them in bed with the Romans. Even though various resistance movements had been brutally put down revolt was in the air. Everybody knew things couldn’t go on as they were. Something had to happen. But what?
Devout Jews longed for a new word from God bringing Israel out of slavery into a new freedom. The old prophets had spoken of a time of renewal, through which God himself would come back to them. Details of the renewal were sketchy, but when a fiery young prophet appeared in the Judaean wilderness, telling people that the time had come, they were ready to listen.
Baptism, plunging into the river Jordan, was a powerful sign of this renewal, reminding them how God brought their ancestors through the Red Sea, through the Sinai wilderness, then through the Jordan into the promised land. Now they were in slavery again – in their own land! – and wanted a new Exodus to bring them to freedom.
The prophets had declared that this slavery was the result of Israel’s sin, worshipping idols rather than their one true God. The new Exodus, when it happened, would deal with this as well. The way to escape slavery was to ‘return’ to God with heart and soul; that is, to ‘repent’. ‘Return to me, and I will return to you’, Malachi had said (3:7). Hence John’s agenda: ‘a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.’
John was doing what the prophet Isaiah had said: preparing a pathway for the Lord himself to return to his people. This was the time. Rescue was at hand. But the people were not in good shape. Baptism was part of the ritual Gentiles had to undergo if they wanted to convert to Judaism, so John’s summoning of Israel to baptism speaks for itself. There was a national crisis at hand, but John called each person to search their own hears.
And so, it has been through the ages, all spiritual renewal begins with a turning away from what is hindering our obedience. If John were to come down your street with his megaphone, what would he be saying to you?
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 21-22 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- If you’ve got time: feed your apocalyptic imagination by reading the following passages!
-Exodus 28:15-21 - Aaron’s Breastpiece with precious stones for each of the tribes
-1 Kings 6:11-13, 19-20 - Holy of Holies; God promises to live among the people.
-Isaiah 65:17-66:24 - New Heavens & Earth; judgement; Jerusalem; glory of the nations
-Ezekiel 40:1-4 - Man with the measuring rod (see Ezekiel 40-48 for more)
-Ezekiel 47:1-12 - The river from the temple
-Ezekiel 48:30-35 - City gates named for the 12 tribes; city name: “THE LORD IS THERE”
-John 1:1-14 - The darkness has not overcome the light.
-2 Corinthians 5:17-18 - New creation in Christ: old is gone, new has come!
Can you think of other passages or Biblical images that feed John’s imagination (or yours!) as he writes Revelation 21-22 or as you hear it read?
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What is significant about the Holy City’s symmetry? (more than one answer!)
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What is significant about the Holy City’s light? (more than one answer!)
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What is significant about the Holy City’s life and fertility? (more than one answer!)
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What and who is heaven ultimately about for John? What does his picture of heaven motivate us to do in response?
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… Amen, come Lord Jesus.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:48-52)
The folks at the temple were amazed at Jesus’ answers. His parents were astonished too, but for a whole different reason: “Son, why have you treated us like this?” I suppose even the Holy Family has their days. Anyone whose parented can be thankful Luke included this story: even God himself drove his parents nuts from time to time. And all of us who have been children or are right now can take heart too: even Jesus got himself into hot water sometimes.
And that is part of the point of this story: Jesus was a normal kid. Mary and Joseph were normal parents. Their family was a normal Jewish family. They had their tensions, they had their worries, they had their big family stories of “remember that time when Jesus ditched us to stay in Jerusalem?” “Yeah! You nearly gave your father and I a heart attack!” All that normal family stuff.
There is an ordinariness to this story. And part of that ordinariness is not only about telling us how the Holy Family had their issues too, but also how ordinary the life of faith and faithfulness was among them. Jesus would not have been likely to get lost “in his Father’s house” unless Mary and Joseph brought him there sometimes. But they did, every year. The house of God was a familiar place to Jesus because his family went to church. And when Jesus got to church, he had something to say at the feet of the Rabbis because his family talked about the things of God at home around the dinner table and on the way to the grocery store as Deuteronomy 6 called them to.
Most significantly though, over the past 12 years of faithful family life, Jesus had formed a living relationship with God, his Father, such that here in these verses he is able to make his public profession of faith. All sorts of folks have said all sorts of wonderful things about him over the past few chapters of Luke: angels, shepherds, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna. But here, for the first time, Jesus speaks for himself. His relationship with the Father has become his own. It’s not Zechariah, Elizabeth, or John’s faith, not Simeon or Anna’s, not even his parents’ faith anymore: Jesus has come to know God the Father for himself. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” he says.
Far from making him arrogant, however, that relationship with God inspires a deeper commitment in Jesus to God’s ways. From this time on, he is said to keep the 5th commandment to “honour his father and mother,” even as he grows in wisdom and stature, in favour with God and man.
Study after study shows that the faith life we live at home matters more to the faith of our children than what happens at school or church. And it’s the small, simple things. Don’t discount the role of small devotions around the dinner table or before bed: even if you don’t always “get something out of it,” a faithful time set aside to attend to God in the life of your family forms the fabric of faith and gives opportunity for faith to find a way into your hearts, lives, and conversations.
Of course, this is also an invitation to those of you 12 years old or a little more or a little less to think about your own relationship to God. You parents faith is not your own, nor can it be. You have to find your own relationship with God and give voice to it yourself if it really is to be yours (that’s what we call Profession of Faith). Jesus had to do it too. We all do. And today is as good a time as any to think about whether you’re ready yourself to claim this God as your Father. I’d be happy to talk more with you about it if you have questions or whatever about that. Let me know.
And parents, despite all our anxieties, that transition of our children into their own responsibility before God is one of those things hidden in the mystery of God that sometimes we can do nothing about but pray and ponder through, like Mary, in our hearts.
After three days they [Jesus’ parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).
Of all the stories about Jesus’ childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like. And even this story leaves us with questions, such as, how did a 12-year-old boy survive three days in a strange city without his parents?
Most of our tantalizing questions wondering how life in Nazareth was affected by having the Son of God grow up there remain unanswered for now. Luke chooses to tell us this story to fill in the portrait of Jesus birth he has been painting. In Philippians 3, Paul details how in his early life he was the perfect Jew. Luke is picturing Jesus with similar colours. He was born to and raised by pious Jewish parents. Only men were required to attend the religious festivals in Jerusalem, so Mary’s going shows deep family piety.
With this family setting, Luke invites us all to consider the kinds of things our children learn from us. Do our words and actions match the faith teaching that we offer our children and grandchildren? Is our piety mostly showy, as Jesus decries in Matthew 6, or does it show a deep faith in God’s activity in this world? Can those around us notice our growing faith?
Further, Jesus and his parents were well integrated into their community. The trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem took three days and people traveled in caravans for protection. That Jesus’ parents did not worry about him for the first day, indicates that they fully expected others in the caravan to be looking out for him. They were likely looking out for other children and youth. This tidbit suggests that Jesus’ family was very ordinary.
In that day, it was not unusual for students to gather at the feet of the rabbis to discuss the Jewish faith, their understanding of God, and how to live faithfully with him. This was usually in a group question-and-answer discussion format, as Luke indicates. Thus, Jesus’ interaction with the rabbis was not unusual. That he didn’t leave Jerusalem with his parents was unusual, but Luke does not put the focus there.
His intention is that we recognize that even at this young age, Jesus has amazing knowledge of the things of God. Those listening to him are astonished at his understanding, a reaction that will occur later to Jesus’ miraculous work (8:56). Already early in life Jesus values the pursuit of comprehending God.
I think Luke wants us to understand that Jesus’ pursuit of God was not a product of his unique sonship with God. Rather, it was the outcome of a life lived among those who walked with God. It pictures how all of us should prioritize our lives before God. The way he lived his life and pursued God faithfully reflects how we should seek God’s face. When David was dying, he counselled his son with these words, “If you seek [the Lord], he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Luke is illustrating this truth.
Finally, this story illustrates something that one of Jesus’ brothers would later write, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). Later, Jesus and the religious leaders would come to logger heads, but that was because they were threatened by him. They refused to believe that he was the Son of God. They pursued their own power rather than submitting to the Lord. Jesus began by submitting to them.
As you ponder the year that was, consider these things.
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2: 36-38)
There was a law in Israel, it shows up a couple times in Deuteronomy and it goes like this: “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15).
In Luke’s gospel and in the book of Acts, as well as in other places scattered throughout the New Testament, you’ll find this wisdom in play. As these writers seek to establish the truth and validity of their witness to Jesus they often give not one, but two testimonies. Luke has a special twist on this theme. He will often ensure gender parity in his slate of witnesses so that we will hear from both a man and a woman. This is one of the first instances of this theme at play in Luke’s gospel that doesn’t come from the family of Jesus or John themselves. Remember too, that this pair of witness show up in the section of chapter 2 that’s all about righteous law-keeping at the centre of Israel’s life in the Temple.
So we meet Simeon and hear him praise God, bless, and testify to Mary and Joseph about their son who is the salvation of Israel. Then we meet Anna too, who also came “up to them at that very moment.”
While Simeon’s words are directed to God and to Mary and Joseph, Anna’s words are directed to the people. Simeon is noted to be a righteous and devout man, but Anna is acclaimed to be a prophet. Simon does all the speaking, or at least all the speech that’s quoted, but Anna appears to be the one even more significantly at the heart of Israel’s faith.
“She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” And she was a prophet: one called by God to minister the word—both God’s word to his people and the people’s words to God. More than that though, Anna had long been recognized by the people and by the Temple authorities themselves as someone called to this work. As we will discover later in the gospels, one does not just mill around in the Temple claiming to be a prophet without the permission of the religious authorities. The Temple guards knew she was there and the priests did too. Her presence there for so many long years speaks to their affirmation and authorization of her role as a prophet among the people.
So it is Anna—and not Simeon—who speaks to the people about this child. We may often think of Anna as just this cute, busy-body of an old lady who flits about, babbling excited niceties with all the passers by. “Oh look at the cute baby! He’s gunna save us all, eh!” But no. That is not the picture.
Anna is introduced with gravity in the same way any prophet is introduced with a pedigree when we first meet them. Isaiah, son of Amoz. Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah. Anna, daughter of Penuel of Asher. She is a prophet in the line of prophets. She has been acclaimed as such by the people and their leaders, and as a pillar of 84 years in the Temple, she speaks as one with authority. Not only that, but from long years of ministry, she knows which Temple goers are looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. It is to these faithful in Israel that the word of the Lord from Anna comes. “Behold the child of the promise: your redemption draws nigh.”
Israel’s ancient faith, full of memory and faithfulness is witnessed to by Anna of the prophets and Simeon of the faithful people of God. Both of them have remembered well and reflected long on God’s word and promises—throughout their lifetimes. And now, by their dual testimony they witness to God’s doing of a new thing through this child that is firmly anchored in Israel’s past and that fully matches Israel’s future hope.
It takes long years marinating in the word, rituals, and gatherings of God and his people to come to a faith like that. We are invited by the stories of Anna and Simeon to do just that though. To remain in the church, to remain in the scriptures, to remain in conversation with God in prayer long enough for him to do his long work in us of shaping, in Christ, both our memory and our hope.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…” (Luke 2:25-30).
The story of Jesus’ birth is bracketed by elderly saints. Zechariah and Elizabeth begin the story while Simeon and Anna come along at the end. Today, let’s focus our attention on this Simeon. It is worth noting that he stands in contrast to Zechariah. There is no doubt in him. He has been told that he will see the salvation of God and when he sees this little child in his parent’s arms, he is overwhelmed with joy. His life is complete, to use a common expression.
Its dangerous to use Biblical characters as our inspiration because many are flawed. However, this Simeon is an exception. Of course, we know very little about him. When we meet him, he is already an old man. Well, we don’t have direct evidence of this, but we assume this because he appears to be waiting to die but knows this will not happen until he has seen the Lord fulfill his promise to Israel.
Since it is the last week of the year, its possible that some of you may be thinking about New Year’s resolutions. In our culture the top self-promises run something like this: improve personal finances, stop smoking, lose weight, get more exercise. None of these are bad things, in fact, they are quite good. However, what does it say about our society that personal improvement is our top concern? What value, beyond to ourselves, do these goals have, except maybe to keep us out of the medical system?
Where are the goals that relate to pursuing God or knowing him better? Why do resolutions for the most part deal with external matters? Is the soul so unimportant? If exercise is valuable for physical well-being, should we starve our inner being? If we base contentment on externals that slowly wither away, will focus on such goals not lead to disappointment?
Simeon invites us to consider making faithfulness to God a high priority, so that we serve him with joy and surrender. When his duty is done, he is ready to be with the Lord. The inclusion of this aged saint in the gospel story shows us that it is never too late to be ministered to by God, nor is it too late to minister for him. I suspect Simeon may have been a role model for the apostle Paul who once wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!” (Phil 1:21-22). Paul was willing to live or die, whatever God choose.
It is in the context of the Old Testament sacrifices that Simeon appears in Jesus’ story. Because we do not have to make these offerings, we tend to skim over them. Yet, their inclusion reminds us that drawing close to God doesn’t just happen. To approach God properly, we must be prepared in spirit and body to draw near to him (John 4:24). One of the provisions Jesus makes for us through his death is the permanent cleansing that allows us boldly to approach God’s throne (Heb. 10:19-25).
The caution and sacredness about approaching God should not be lost. I think it is the key to a life that ends like Simeon’s. To truly emulate Simeon’s faithfulness and contentment, we need to begin when we are young. We need to take God seriously today. Make it a resolution to let go of any casualness about your Christian faith. Entrance into the salvation of God is a free gift of his grace but living in it takes effort on our part.
This story offers a whole perspective on life and on contentment. Simeon, near the end of his life, is still serving God full steam ahead. No retirement! Contentment is not a matter of age or energy level. It is defined by an openness to serve God and to share him with others. Such a perspective calls for serious reflection.
Note: We are going to continue plodding along through Luke’s Gospel, right up through Jesus’ passion in the season of Lent. So from Christmas to Easter, we will have completed the reading of a Gospel together. Continue to join us for it. But for now: today’s text…
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” … When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. (Luke 2:21-24, 39-40)
Luke goes from the stories of Jesus’ birth into an extended set of stories about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at the temple. A lot of legalese frames these stories, which is Luke’s way of saying that Mary and Joseph were among the righteous of Israel. They did everything right, quite literally by the book: by the “law of the Lord.”
In Jesus’ later scuffles with the religious authorities, no one could turn back and blame it on a heretical upbringing. Jesus was an insider to the Jewish faith and people, thoroughly—trained up in obedience to the ways and rituals of the Temple, Law, and Synagogue. As Paul would later say to the Philippians, so could Jesus: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of [Judah], a Hebrew of Hebrews… as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Philippians 3:5-6).
This was a revelation that not everyone had the eyes to see and the ears to hear at that time, however. Joseph and Mary were portrayed not overtly, but still quite certainly as outcasts of Israel in the opening verses of this chapter. There was no room for such a sinful, living-together, pregnancy-out-of-wedlock couple as them in the little town of Bethlehem.
But then the story shifts. The unclean, cast-out shepherds are singled out and brought to the centre of Israel’s life as messengers of the Gospel who would proclaiming the Messiah’s birth. And then the curtain comes up on Mary and Joseph too as they are also revealed to be, not outcasts, but Hebrews of Hebrews—the very epicentre of righteousness, obedience, and attentiveness to God in the life of Israel. They had the eyes to see the angels, the ears to hear God’s message, and the righteous obedience to follow through and enact the Word of the Lord from both the law and the angel’s message.
On the 8th day, in faithfulness to the law, these supposed outcasts had their child circumcised, naming him Jesus in faithfulness to the word of the Angel. What a supple faith and obedience that was both open to and able to integrate these various Words from the Lord, both old and new, in a living, active obedience.
And they would continue to do so. When the time came for purification after birth, they approached the house of God where there was room enough for them, purified themselves, and consecrated their child to the Lord. There’s a provision in the law that allows families to “redeem” their child from this consecration to the Lord, but Mary and Joseph didn’t do that. Jesus would belong to the Lord. Again, a supple faith that integrated the reality of God’s new revelation within the contours of Israel’s ancient faith. The wisdom and grace of God was with Jesus as he grew and became strong.
Today we often think that to find our ways into more true or authentic forms of faithfulness to God, we need to abandon the old ways of the church with its boring, stodgy, firm-set rituals. But that is not the Biblical picture. In the telling of the Gospels, these new works and words of God come from the heart of faithful obedience and participation at the centre of the life of faith represented in the Temple worship. Jesus is an insider from first to last. He does not reject the temple, its leaders, or its rituals, but speaks authoritatively from them, to them. Eventually it is the leaders who will reject Jesus, but not the other way round.
God continues to invite our faithfulness within the church, not outside of it. No matter how disingenuous, disheartening, or dishevelled the place may be: it is still the context within which God chooses to work and invite our work, where he chooses to speak and invites our response.
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 19 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
- What is the book of Revelation about?
- Compare and contrast the wreckage and salvation.
- In what two ways does the meal keep us grounded in salvation.
- Why is the vision of war necessary?
- What does the war vision call us to see and do?
A special, Christmas edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Matthew 1:18-23 from the New International Version of the Bible.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Luke 2:16-21)
The heavenly messenger angels come to the shepherds, but then the shepherds become the messengers. Would Mary and Joseph have known there were angels blazing forth in glorious praise of their son out in the dark hill country of Judea? No. But the shepherds told them. Would the people of Bethlehem and the surrounding country have known about the angel visit or the baby born as heir of David, the Lord Messiah and Sviour of them all? No. But the shepherds told them.
God sent angels to the lowliest of the low. The unclean ones who, up until that point, were unable to be part of the people of God. Unable to visit the temple. Unable to receive forgiveness. Unable to celebrate and sing with the festive throng.
But all of a sudden, the shepherds were at the very heart of things. They had a place, a purpose in the story and salvation of God: they were, in fact, the only ones who got to be part of the festive song! And as the angels told them, so they saw and believed: this saviour, this sacrificial lamb without blemish, wrapped in cloths in their manger was for them. Born to them. The Messiah was given to them! Forgiveness, salvation, and the kingdom of God had come to them! What a blessing!
Unlike the world that excluded them, they excluded no one as they burst out to spread the good news of great joy for all the people. And all those people were amazed. Amazed at the news and probably a little amazed at the messengers too.
In Luke’s gospel there’s no Magi from the East carrying gifts fit for a King. The only treasure is the gift the shepherds brought: a message of angels, a response of joy. These were the things Mary treasured up in her heart and pondered.
As the shepherds return, they glorify and praise God for what they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told. If you remember back to last Sunday’s sermon on 1 Samuel 3—isn’t it striking that the word of the Lord came through angels to those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear?
No one in the little town of Bethlehem had room in their busy and reputable lives to offer costly hospitality to social outcasts, but the shepherds did. Perhaps no one in the little town of Bethlehem were looking or listening for God either, but the shepherds were. Their eyes were open and they saw angels and the saviour of the world right there in their own little manger! Their ears were open and they heard the good news proclaimed to them!
It’s just these sorts of folks with open eyes and open ears who God speaks to and sends out into the rest of the world with the treasures of his good news. Today and tomorrow—Christmas day and eve—may your eyes and ears also be open and attentive to the glorious treasures of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Saviour!
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2:13-15).
As Luke tells us the story of Christ’s birth, many of the details may be lost to us. The story Pastor Anthony told us yesterday fits within the ancient near eastern context. But we have westernized the story so much that we miss such possibilities. Let’s talk about mangers today. In our imaginations, they are made of wood and filled with straw. It’s very unlikely that this is what Luke had in mind.
They're feeding troughs, of course. But in ancient Israel, they were made of stone. Not super-comfortable, but a safe place.
It’s said that there were special herds of sheep being raised on the hills around Bethlehem. From these herds, the priests would select the lambs used for the sacrifices in Jerusalem. They would find the lambs that were perfect, without blemish, that were suitable for the blood sacrifice which was offered twice a day to cover Israel’s sin.
But once the lambs were selected, they needed to be kept from getting bruised or bumped. It is said that the priests would wrap them up tightly. They'd swaddle them, wrapping them in cloths, like precious and terribly fragile bottles of wine. And they'd lay them in a manger.
Is this why the angel said that a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in manage would be a sign to the shepherds? Was Jesus’ first resting place already an indication of his destiny? Was his manger a sign that he would be the final sacrifice as the Bible says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).
This fits with the angel’s announcement that he is bringing news of great joy, “a Saviour has been born, the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:12). And there is more. The life of a shepherd was such that it was impossible for them to observe the Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals. They were considered religiously unclean and unacceptable. They raised the lambs for sacrifice but were unable to benefit from these offerings. They never heard the priest declare, “Your sins are forgiven.”
It is to them that the angel says, “To you a Saviour has been born.”
Like Matthew, Luke weaves the cross into the story of Jesus’ birth. There is nothing sentimental about Christmas. Heaven is invading earth. It’s a clash of kingdoms. Its war, as Revelation details. But its not war as we humans make it. Jesus is born to die. He will offer himself as the final sacrifice. He himself says to us, “Your sins are forgiven.”
In response to this declaration, the heavenly messenger is joined by a great heavenly army praising God. How else can we respond to the declaration that our Saviour is here? Any true Christmas celebration causes the worship of God. With the invading heavenly army we sing, “Glory to God in the highest.”
Someone once wrote, "Most middle class tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship. As a result, their meanings and values are distorted. Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair, and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot.”
Christmas, as Luke tells the story, sets things in the right order. Christmas is about salvation, about making all things new. In response to what God is doing, worship becomes primary. When Christmas is about redemption, we can sing with the heavenly army, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
There is another take on the housing crisis in Bethlehem than just the standard “no room in the inn” line. Well there are actually a few, but one of them involves the hospitality of shepherds and is drawn from these verses. So I’ll tell you that one. It goes like this…
The reason there was no room for Joseph and Mary had nothing to do with how many rooms were actually available: it was solely about the social scandal that was Mary’s pregnancy. What self-respecting Jewish family would take in this man with the knocked-up girlfriend? As Mary began to show it became unavoidably clear: Joseph and Mary were actively living in sin. And sexual sin at that: the worst kind. They were obviously unrighteous—unfit for inclusion in the people of God. So they were excommunicated, shunned. There would be no guest room available for the likes of them in Bethlehem.
But there are always others shunned from society. Like the poor. The homeless and the nomads. The immigrants. The ones who can’t keep it all together. The ones who are dirty and unclean, like shepherds.
This is where Joseph and Mary would find refuge: in the hospitality of their fellow outcasts.
Verse 8 gives the reason. Shepherds don’t put their flocks out by night. That’s when the wolfs and the lions are out. Predators can pick off weak and defenceless sheep in the dark like berries off a bush. How are you going to aim your sling if you can’t see the danger? You might as well give your flock away.
But what if the shepherds had given up the cave where their sheep were penned this night because they still had the dignity to offer a costly hospitality to a young couple in need? The towns folk of Bethlehem weren’t willing to risk their reputation on these outcasts, but the reputation-less shepherds risked much more: their very livelihood. These humble outsiders were willing to humble themselves for the sake of a neighbour in need, and for that reason God exalted them to the highest place on the visit list to see his new baby boy. Sounds a bit like the reversals of Mary’s song, doesn’t it?
Out came the angels trumpeting the good news! And the glory of the Lord lit up the dark fields to reveal flocks still bedded down peacefully that night. The shepherds knew just where to find this baby wrapped in cloths: he’d be lying in their very own manger. They who had saved Joseph and Mary from their outcast predicament would be the first to hear the good news of a Saviour come to redeem all the unrighteous outcasts like them. Great joy indeed.
Now is that actually how it happened? Truth is, we don’t really know: Luke doesn’t really flesh it out that clearly. But it’s worth pondering, I think. And it brings to mind this verse from the book of Hebrews: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (13:2). Some perhaps, in showing hospitality to sinners and outcasts, have even shown hospitality to God.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:5-7).
Theologian Stanley Hauerwas was once asked what he thought was the greatest threat to American Christianity. His answer was surprising. It wasn’t atheism, radical Islam, civil religion, or consumerism. No, Hauerwas stated that what threatens to undo American Christianity is sentimentality.
Rather than actively engaging with the grit and grime of the world, sentimentality longs for a life in a world illuminated by a soft, flattering light, where no one cusses and where every conflict is neatly resolved. It’s safe for the whole family. It never disrupts, never demands, never makes us question. Sentimentality thrives on comfort and making us feel good.
Luke will have none of that. As Pastor Anthony said yesterday, because the emperor in Rome wanted a census taken for taxation purposes, Joseph and Mary headed off to Bethlehem. When they finally arrived, there was no room for them, so Mary’s baby was born without an address. Jesus began his fleshly life among the animals because humans had no place for him. Nothing sentimental about that.
The Christmas story raises a central question of the gospel. John the Baptist put it this way, “Are you the one?” (cf. Matthew 11:3). How can this be the saviour of the world? How can someone born in such conditions be Israel’s Lord? The supreme ruler of the universe lays in a feed trough. What kind of beginning is this? Philippians 2 tells us that this humble birth was only the beginning of his humiliation (5-8).
Jesus embraced the grit and grime of human life. Nothing sentimental. But can we believe that this is the Christ? Jesus never assumed that we would easily come by such faith. When he talked about his second coming, he asked, “Will I find faith on earth?”
If we do believe, does it matter? Yes, says James, “faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). What deeds accompany faith? “Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked” (2:15-17). Paul concurs, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). Loving amidst the grit and grime of life on earth, Christianity refuses sentimentality.
The gospels tell us that with Jesus, the kingdom of God arrived on earth. For us, kingdoms are associated with power people and fancy palaces. But not the kingdom of Jesus. It still advances on this earth through the small acts of love and kindness. His kingdom is still difficult to find, to see. This fits with the famous definition of faith, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
This understanding of faith presses us on towards the end of history. Jesus summarized it this way, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13). The universe with its billions of galaxies glittering with stars, he brought into existence. Our Lord created all things visible and invisible; in him and through him and for him all things were made (Colossians 1:16). He is the consummation and end of all things. When the curtain falls on cosmic history, Jesus will be there full of glory as the Omega, the end of all things.
Until that time, Jesus’ disciples reject sentimentality. We get into the trenches of the grit and grime of the world with our Lord. The Christmas story is told to underscore that following Jesus is the way of humility, of grit and grime, not sentimentality.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (Luke 2:1-4)
Jesus would be born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Royal King who would sit on the throne of David. But first he and his family would be subjects, and not of the Kingdom of God.
The Romans taxed subject peoples. And the way of determining that tax was through a census. That means of course that for non-Roman citizens—mere subjects who would be taxed by their overlords—a census was a fairly unwelcome thing that led to a lot of political tension and unrest, much like the tax itself. It also led to a lot of upheaval as people had to organize themselves according to the dictates of the bureaucracy that intended to count them.
In Joseph and Mary’s case, that meant a move to Bethlehem. It didn’t matter that Mary was pregnant or about to give birth. It didn’t matter whether there was room for them in Bethlehem or not. Nothing personal or humane mattered at all. They were just marginal, inanimate pawns being moved around the chess board by the powerful whims of an emperor leagues away.
And yet, despite that emperor and his whims, God was at work anyway. Even though this subjugation of the Jews by the Romans was unfair and the tax and the means used to assess it were unjust—even though it was impersonal and inhumane—even still, God used it for his purposes. Bent it toward his will.
Everyone knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of the house and line of David. So how did a young girl in Nazareth get the nod to become the mother of the Saviour, and that even before she was technically married to a descendant of David? Well, through the movements of kings and emperors, through the work of righteous men like Joseph and angel messengers, God worked out his plan.
His boy would be born in Bethlehem, sure enough. Joseph had to go there. The emperor had said. He would bring Mary with him and he would adopt her child, making Jesus, born in the town of David, an adopted son of the house and line of David as well. Human impossibilities and corrupt systems bent all together to the will of God who in Jesus would redeem them both.
Today as we watch our lives again be shaped and restricted by forces outside of our control—a viral force of nature and a powerful government—may you remember that God can and does still work through such things. Though forces may be outside of our control, they are never outside of his.
Take heart and hope: for our King of Kings, Jesus of Nazareth was born, not in Nazareth, but in Bethlehem of David. A testament to God’s Sovereign ability to knit his work his will through even the strongest forces of our world.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1a from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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What does it mean to listen for and to the voice of God? What does it means to look for and see his hand at work? What does it mean to respond to him when you do see and hear those things?
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What are some examples in our churches and world of what happens when we no longer listen and watch for God?
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What was the situation in Israel? What about in Israel’s priesthood? How did sight and hearing play into the core questions at stake?
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What two opposite interpretations come from the idea of the lamp of the Lord having not yet gone out? Does that give any hope to you in our world today?
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What was different about Samuel, and what impact did that have?
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How might you seek to listen and watch for Jesus this week? When you do see his work or hear his voice, how might you respond?
‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace’ (Luke 1:76-79).
His whole life Zechariah had known “the word of the Lord”. He had heard it spoken at the table and in the synagogue and at the temple. And he himself had spoken it countless times to God’s people as they gathered at the temple, in the synagogue and possibly at his own table. Those same people had sought him out in his home and in the streets to impart to them the wisdom of ‘the word of the Lord’ so that they could live righteously before the Lord.
And then he was silenced. Nine months.
In that silence, a lifetime of scriptures, prayed until they were lodged in his bones, collided with the new word of God spoken by the angel Gabriel. When Zechariah finally opened his mouth that Word of God tumbled out, filling the air, being heard by family and friends gathered for the name day of his son, the son of his old age. Gathered from various places in the Old Testament, every phrase he uttered familiar, and yet, filled with new meaning.
In those nine months of silence, it was not just Zechariah’s home that was being filled with new life. His heart too was being soaked with new life, the dawning of spiritual light. Yes, light. As Zechariah looks at the child in his arms and the swelling of Mary’s womb, he recognizes the fulfillment of Isaiah’s word from God that ‘light was dawning.’
And his son was charged to be the herald of that light. This son of his old age would prepare the way for the Lord. His son would have the privilege of bring the knowledge of salvation. That salvation would come, not by the overthrowing of political tyrants, but by the forgiveness of sins. Light would dawn first in the hearts of women and men and children and youth; they would experience the tender mercy of God in their own hearts. God would shine his light in the darkness of the human heart, and it would be beautiful, every time.
This God-sent king, whom Zechariah’s son would announce, rules by being like the morning sun. His way of life and his path to peace is not a matter of coercion or the controlling use of power. It is a matter of character. That is why it begins with the forgiveness of sins, reconciling us with God. Though entry into it takes but a moment, salvation is not a momentary affair. It is a lifelong journey of the heart, a journey guided by our allegiance to the Morning Star, who not only goes before us but shows us that the way to reflect God is to refract his character in ever-growing ways.
For nine months Zechariah was silent. In that silence, he discovered that life is not found in our power or in our ability to “take control.” Rather, it in following the one who is in control. Salvation is a matter of the heart and following the one who is the source of light. It is not found in convincing people of their sinfulness, but in pointing them to the light, the Prince of Peace. The only road to righteousness and peace, even for a righteous man like Zechariah, is to be prepared to see the light and follow it.
Among all the lights that decorate our homes and neighbourhoods, we often lose sight of the true light of Christmas. Jesus is not gone, he has not been taken out of Christmas, he is waiting quietly for us to notice him so that he can dawn in our hearts anew and fill us with his light of peace.
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:67-75)
For three months, Mary had stayed with Zechariah and Elizabeth as Elizabeth entered the late stages of her pregnancy. Was Mary still there when John was born? Was she still there when Zechariah sang? Maybe. I’d like to think so. Luke doesn’t say for sure, but the timelines he gives us certainly leave the question open! (see 1:36,56)
Even if Mary wasn’t there anymore: Zechariah was still full of quiet ponderings from when she was. He had had nine months to ponder the meaning of John’s coming birth. He’d had three months to ponder the meaning of Mary’s news of her child to be named Jesus.
Zechariah the priest knew his scriptures. And now he had a window into the secret, silent workings of God through these parallel pregnancies changing the world within his own house. He of course heard what Mary and Elizabeth thought of it as they talked and prayed it through. I’m sure he interacted with them too through his raised eyebrows, smiles, and nods. But Zechariah himself could only talk it over with God in the silence of his own heart and mind.
In that silence, a lifetime of scriptures prayed, lived, and lodged in his bones collided with this new, life-giving work of God in the wee humble community of his home. What did it all mean? A grace of God named John to prepare the way of the Lord, followed by an heir to the throne of David to be called by a name meaning “The Lord Saves.”
In the silence, Zechariah’s world and theology were transformed by this new work of God. It was objectively the same scriptures he had always known, but given this new work of God that he now subjectively experienced: those same scriptures resonated now with a different tune, but admittedly one that rang with a truer harmony.
Zechariah erupts into Spirit-breathed, scripture-bathed prophecy that could easily be mistaken for any number of Psalms. And it is a prophecy not so much about his own son John, as it is about Mary’s son Jesus—the one who would be the salvation of Israel, the end of all fear, the redemption of relationship, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the long promises of God, kept.
God is sovereign. He does new things. Good things. With Zechariah, will we be silent enough and humble enough for long enough to listen, learn, and have our worlds transformed in light of the work of God? If so: songs of joy like these, are ours.
Zechariah wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. (Luke 1:63-64).
We left Zechariah speechless at the temple. When the birth of John was announced to him, he could not believe it, so the Lord gave him a sign for reflection: He would be unable to speak until all was fulfilled. Then he would know that God does what God says. Our text picks up the story some nine months later. Much has changed.
Zechariah has changed. As a righteous man, he has learned from his mistake. Through the pain of the discipline, he emerges a stronger man of God. He testifies to God’s grace. Those who are arrogant, thinking they know it all, have no need for God or for instruction. Zechariah is not one of those.
Our advent reflections tend to focus on the women: Mary and Elizabeth. But Zechariah has much to teach us about our faith. He is portrayed as a mature and pious man who still has much to learn about trusting God. He is a spiritual man who discovers we can never coast on past spirituality.
Often, we are tempted to put our spiritual well-being on cruise control. Christians can get to a place where they do not expect anything new from God, no new calling, no new spiritual insights, no more maturation. It is a joy to see an elderly saint who lives in expectation of knowing the Lord more fully and serving Him more deeply. What an encouragement such a person is to a younger saint. How thrilling to meet those who see their walk with God as a challenge and that the thrill of divine involvement in life has not waned. It causes one to desire to keep on keeping on.
Zechariah reveals that even good old saints can still grow up and learn to walk in deeper trust with God. That simple lesson comes to the fore in his naming his child John even though others want to name him something else. The whole family and the whole neighbourhood have come for the event. As Luke tells the story, they have taken charge. They want the boy named after his father. But Elizabeth objects. However, but she is just a batty old woman. That is not the way we do things around here. So, they turn to the boy’s father, the whole crowd of them, “Zechariah, junior, right?”
Nope.
His whole family (and his in-laws) and his whole village are standing in his way. But Zechariah will walk where God tells him to walk. The pressure of custom will not become a reason to disobey God. Peer pressure and the attitudes of the world can often make us act in ways that differ from where God would take us. Whether in values, entertainment, or the way we do business, the world’s ways are not God’s ways. Zechariah has learned to hear God and not the custom of the world.
During the months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, while God’s promise was slowly coming to pass, Zechariah was learning that God makes good on his promise in his own timing and in his own way. He has learned this lesson, and his obedience becomes public, “His name is John” which means, “graced by God.” Zechariah has been graced by God.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. (Luke 1:51-56)
So, here in Mary’s song lies a dangerous heart-of-the-Gospel thread that ought to rightly make us uncomfortable.
It is a thread that runs throughout the Bible. It perhaps begins in the story of Cain and Able as God asks Cain the question “where is your brother Able?” “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain replies. “Yes, you are,” God’s response seems to say.
In the Old Testament, this idea is enshrined in law. “Love your neighbour as yourself” says Leviticus 19:18. And many other laws go on to spell out the implications in defence of the place and the cause of the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the foreigners. You are your brother’s keeper. Your sister’s too.
But sin is pervasive. The poor and marginalized are continually used and abused by the rich and powerful, even as Able was slain by his brother. And so in the course of time, after Hannah gives birth to Samuel and dedicates him to the Lord, she sings not such a different song than Mary will. A song that declares the great reversals that the Lord’s justice will bring. The warriors are broken, but the weak are made strong; the full starve and the hungry are filled; “The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.”
That’s a song that echoes not only with Mary’s song, but with Jesus’ own oft’ repeated refrain: “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.”
Why should this make us uncomfortable? Because we are the first. We are the rich.
Gathered with thousands of other Christians from around the world at the last meeting of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, this became for me, again, a palpable reality. The cries for justice from the delegates from the Global South against us in North who have built, on their backs, the luxuries of our anything-at-the-click-of-a-button, all consuming consumerist society. It all still flows from the historic power differential of colonial rule and exploitation. I didn’t personally do any of that colonizing or enslaving, of course, but I have participated and benefitted from the same arrangements that keep us rich and them poor. And confronted with my brothers and sisters in Christ from those long-marginalized countries who confront me about why I’m not doing something to reverse this unjust reality: I’m inclined to run and hide, as many of us are when confronted with things closer to home, like Canada’s treatment of indigenous people and their children.
But even if I don’t do anything about it, Mary’s song reminds me that God will. I am the rich one that will be sent away empty. Maybe the proud one and the ruling one sometimes too—the one who needs to be scattered and brought down for justice to be done, for the poor to be released from their bondage to the needs of my lifestyle, and the resources of the Creation to be liberated from the over-asking of my consumption. Does that mean I won’t have a place in God’s heaven? No. But perhaps I won’t be the one who gets a crown.
Of course, we don’t have to wait for God to bring this judgement on our own heads. We can already begin to live like he’s called us, even now. To humble ourselves. To sell our possessions and give to the poor, even spending ourselves on behalf of the poor: time, talents, and treasures. Indeed: the call is actually nothing less than to die to ourselves, trusting God fully with everything: not just with our souls, but also with our identity, our status, security, and wealth. Our very lives. Is this not what we’re actually praying when we ask for God’s will to be done and for his kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven: a radical justice that levels out the blessings of Creation so that everyone has enough? A New Creation and a New Humanity that keeps boundaries, brothers, and sisters in mutual love and dignity under the just rule of Jesus?
Sounds radical, doesn’t it? Jaques Ellul, writing just after WWII, was convinced that nothing short of a radical shift in Christians’ lifestyle would actually be able to crack through the walls of our culture and create a true, missionary encounter within our own society.
Things to ponder. If you’d like to listen to Mary’s song as you do so, here’s a link to an excellent rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7fTuH_0agE
“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation” (Luke 1:46-50).
Later, Jesus would say, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them”. Maybe, this little gathering of aged Elizabeth, silent Zechariah, and young Mary was the seed of that declaration. How often would young Jesus have asked Mary to tell him about those angel visitations that heralded his coming? How did the telling of the story shift and grow as Mary pondered these things in her heart, responding to the questions her young son must have asked her?
How did Jesus receive this story which must have shaped his self-understanding? Of Mary hurrying through the hills of Galilee and Judah. Of that Spirit-powered baby kick. Of speechless Zechariah not able to give a proper blessing to the assembled congregation. Of Mary, receiving that first gospel beatitude from Elizabeth, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45).
How, as she sat at Elizabeth’s table drinking tea and eating hot bread, the realization erupted in song, “God is here, God is at work.” She was not crazy; God is doing what God does. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary, if ever there were “two or three are gathered in his name” it was there, pondering together the wondrous mystery God had them involved in.
And so, Mary sings. God was mindful of her humble state, aware of her and her low place in society. She could have been just one more nameless, faceless peasant girl from an unnoticed little village. But God noticed her, called her by name and gave her the most unique place in the history of all mothers. What can she do but sing!
She invites us all to take God at his word and be amazed at his involvement with the details of our lives. God owes us nothing; but we who have trusted Christ owe him everything. As the child leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, so should our hearts leap in us as we consider the many blessings we receive. God does what he says, and he has promised us much.
Mary invites us to expect a reversal of fortune and a deliverance. Whatever our lot in this sinful and fallen world now, those who fear God can expect vindication. For all those who are marginalised by the world. For all those who are left to fend for themselves, without any security for tomorrow. To these Mary sings and says, “There is hope. Look what God has done for me: a poor unknown young girl from an unknown town from a forgotten family of King David, God has visited me.”
And that is how God works. And Jesus showed this over and over: just ask the widow of Nain, whose son he raised from the dead; just ask Mary the prostitute; just ask the lepers; just ask the blind and the deaf; just ask.... To all like these Mary says, “Don’t give up hope. Put your trust in God. Put your trust in Jesus.
His promise is that he will lift up the humble and pull down the arrogant and the proud. As these two or three (Zechariah not having much to say) talked, Mary recognized that through the son that was growing in her womb, God would bring peace to the world. This peace would only come when the arrogant were removed from their thrones.
Mary’s song is one of hope. Of faith. This is what God is doing through Jesus. In church language, it’s called the Magnificat. Find some versions and listen, again and again. Let the words fill you with hope and inspire your faith. The good news of Christmas is that during a great darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome the light. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was and is an eternal flam
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 9 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
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What is shame? How does it effect our living?
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How does it hinder our relationship with God?
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Is human sin and shame the main story of the Bible? If not, what is?
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How did Daniel come to pray his prayer? What drove his passion?
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What is the opposite of shame? How does it enter our world?
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If our shame has been covered, how should we then live?
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:39-45)
Upon receiving the news that she would give birth to the Son of God, Mary packed her bags and hurried to Elizabeth’s house. Ever catch that? She hurried! And very, very strangely, there is no indication that anyone went with her on this journey. What on earth is an unmarried girl doing running through the hills of Judea all alone in the ancient times of the Bible? That’s a three-day journey on foot through hills filled with robbers like the ones from Jesus’ later parable of the Good Samaritan. No wonder she hurried.
But even if she traveled in a more culturally appropriate way—like, not alone—there is probably more to her sense of hurry than just the danger in the hills.
She had just heard that she was favoured by God, that God was with her, and that God had chosen her to bring life into the world that would bring all God’s promises of life to the whole world. Somehow or other, she managed to say yes to all that. But as Pastor Michael noted yesterday, it was not so much a yes of “I understand and I’m ready” as a yes of “I will trust and follow even though I don’t have it all figured out.” Then the angel left her and just like that, it was all over. What a surprising and confusing revelation!
Heart pounding and face flush with excitement, confusion, or maybe just adrenaline, Mary packs her bags and hurries out to the only words that did make sense to her in the whole thing: her relative Elizabeth. Old, wise, faithful Elizabeth. If there was any peace be found to calm her pounding heart and nerves and make it all real, surely it would be found in the home of Elizabeth.
Ever wonder why God chooses two people that happen to be related to one another? Why didn’t God choose women who were perfect strangers to each other to be the mothers of John and Jesus? No answer is given, but I think he did it to honour their humanity.
God not only chose to need Mary’s willing participation, care, and nurture to birth and nurse his cosmic salvation plan to life, but He also chose to create a context within which Mary herself could be cared for and nurtured within a human community of those who could sympathize and understand these strange, supernatural happenings together with her.
I mean, come on: Zechariah had been struck speechless and post-menopausal Elizabeth was in her third trimester. Nothing made sense in their house either. What better people to put on a pot of tea and welcome this confused, pregnant-out-of-wedlock teenager than them?
And indeed, upon Mary’s arrival and through a Spirit-powered baby kick, Elizabeth bursts into that same kind of wonderfully odd and exuberant act-of-God-talk that reassured Mary that she wasn’t crazy. This was a work of God after all. She had heard it right. She could exhale now and drink it all in. This was a time for joy and singing…
God was knitting together home and hospitality, a loving context of grace within which His grace could be birthed into the world. This Advent, remember that the nurturing gift of human community and hospitality—as simple as an understanding conversation over coffee or tea—is precisely the context within which God births His promised gift of life into this world.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:34-38).
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony highlighted that Mary was receptive, “ready to hear and attend to the voice of God…But she is not well prepared to be so unquestioningly received by God. This is what greatly troubled her. That she is favoured, and that God is with her: that’s what gave her pause and sent her mind reeling.”
Among the various ways to reflect on this angel visitation, continuing with Mary’s response may be the most beneficial. Even though the events that take place with her are unique, her attitudes and response are held up within the narrative as exemplary and worthy of praise.
Let us appreciate that she is honored by God not because of her own merit or because she has done anything, but simply because she is the chosen vessel for this display of God’s grace. This is a beautiful thing. God choose her simply because. She reflects the person whom God unexpectedly chooses to use, bringing no outstanding credentials to the task and living on the edge of the nation. She brings nothing on her résumé.
Many of us live with this nagging sense that we are unusable, our résumés too thin. God will have none of that. He created us! Though we may be marred and broken by sin, we are never beyond repair. Nor are we ever beyond use for his purposes. We may ask, “How will this be" that salvation will work around all the obstacles of sin, ignorance, and defiance that I place in its path? "How will this be" that God troubles with so wretched, self-centred, inconsistent, and spiritually impoverished person as me? God simple responds, “Watch me!”
Like Mary we may initially resist when God comes calling. But we are invited to move from fright to willingness. Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” She is not saying, “It’s so clear now! I get it!” nor “I love this plan and I’m excited to be part of it.” She is saying, “It doesn’t all make sense to me, but I will pursue, I will follow.”
This is an important space for us to occupy. Some of us will make no move toward Jesus unless it all comes together for us—rationally, emotionally, and personally. It is either rapturous joy in God or nothing at all. But often we can only do what Mary does—submit and trust despite the fears and reservations. That gives us a foothold for moving forward.
Mary’s response reveals her character. “Let it be to me as you have said” (38). This was no simple matter. She is being asked to bear a child as a virgin without being married. In joining God and his redemption plan, she will probably become the object of much doubt and ridicule. But Mary knows she is God’s servant, so she will allow God to work through her as he wills. He can place her in whatever difficult circumstances he desires, for she knows that God is with her.
The apostle Paul invites us to make this our permanent posture towards God. To the Galatians, he wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (5:25). We do not, in fact, we cannot know where the Spirit may lead us. When we cannot see how God can use us, God says, “Watch me!” When we do not know where we need to go, God says, “Trust me!”
Take time this Advent to sit with Mary. See her move from “What on earth” to “Alright Lord, I will trust you.” And let the Spirit lead you on the same journey.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:29-33)
Mary was troubled. Not at the angel’s appearance, but at his words. What a strange thing. The words Mary is responding to were part of our text yesterday. These words from the angel: “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you!” These are the words that made Mary greatly troubled.
But Mary’s reaction is strange, not just because these were actually quite nice words, but also because usually people are frightened by the sight of the angel, not the content of the angel’s speech. Most folks cannot hear what the angel has to say until after they are reassured about the angel’s frightening appearance. But not with Mary: there is an odd receptivity in her from the start. Her eyes are open and ready, and so are her ears. She is ready to hear and attend to the voice of God.
But she is not well prepared to be so unquestioningly received by God. This is what greatly troubles her. That she is favoured and that God is with her: that’s what gives her pause and sends her mind reeling.
I think many of us can relate. We are content to think of ourselves as naught more than lowly servants, certainly no one to be paid attention to. Some of us consider ourselves to be lowly, sinful worms: unworthy of God’s attention. Still others of us consider ourselves to be a bit on the outside. Rebels with a few questionable habits, activities, and places we hang out. Folks who like to have fun and not take life too seriously: certainly not of the pious, inner-circle sort.
What a shocking surprise then when an angel shows up at some random time in the middle of the week to say: “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you!” Can you imagine? What if he just popped in on you at work? At school? In the living room watching a movie? At the pub playing or listening to some live music?
And yet, those are exactly the sorts of words that God does speak to us at just the oddest of times. Through the work of Mary’s newly announced son, Jesus, we have now all become daughters and sons of God. So the Lord is with us. He does favour us highly: even loves us. Unconditionally. Black sheep and white sheep, the shame-filled and the drifters: all of us he loves just the same.
Mary would have to be told a second time for it to sink in though. And if attentive Mary needed to hear it twice, then I’m sure we do too. Maybe three times even. “Do not be afraid; you have found favor with God.”
I don’t know if you noticed it, but all the saving promises of Jesus have already begun slowly seeping into the story. “The Lord is with you” the angel says. Why, in these words Mary has already receive the promise of Immanuel, “God with us.” And finding favour with God—in these words, Mary has already received the promised chosen-ness soon to be realized for us all in Jesus’ work.
Slowly the good news of the gospel has begun seeping into the story: not just in future promises, but also in Mary’s lived reality. I hope this good news also interrupts you today and begins seeping into your story in just that way: in the midst of whatever you’re doing, as you hear and know that these words are also for you. “You who are highly favoured—the Lord is with you!”
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:26-28).
Last week, we met Zechariah in the holy place in the temple in the city of Jerusalem. That was the centre of Jewish religion and culture. Everybody who was anybody, eventually found their way to Jerusalem and its temple. Elizabeth and Zechariah are introduced with their pedigree, title upon title. That is where we expect good things to come from. That is the kind of place we expect God to go to announce his coming redemption.
However, the initial visit of the angel Gabriel only introduced the herald of salvation, the one whom we know as John the Baptist. How can God improve on Zechariah and Elizabeth, both righteous and both descendants of Aaron? To which greater place can Gabriel go to announce the Saviour?
The second part of Luke’s story can hardly be more different. The contrast is extreme. Gabriel is now sent to the obscure village of Nazareth of Galilee. If ever there was a place that was no place, it was Nazareth of Galilee. Isaiah had described it as a “land of deep darkness” and its people as “walking in darkness” (9:2).
Zechariah is immediately named, and his status given, but not this second recipient of angelic visitation. This person is introduced as a virgin pledged to be married. Understand what this means, her parents have arranged for her to be married. She is in that between stage, between her father’s house and her husband’s house. We are not given her name until we recognize that she is nobody from nowhere. A person without status. When she walks the dusty streets of Nazareth, nobody notices and no one of importance greets her.
This humble setting of the Saviour’s birth reveals the nature of God’s plan and the character of God’s heart. God loves those who are humble in spirit. Even his Son, as the King of Israel, the Promised One of all time, is born of a humble, country maiden. This humility is an attitude that we as his children should possess.
We might expect great things from God and anticipate that he will work through the great in society. But God shows his greatness by working with anyone on the street who is willing to be used by him. Spiritual greatness is not a matter of social class, monetary clout, or degreed background. Spiritual value is a function of the heart. God’s approach stands in contrast to the type of credentials our world looks for and honors. Externals count for little with him; other issues matter much more.
When God’s promises are ripe, they keep bursting into new fulfilments that no one can manage. She was nobody, this Mary. She was from the land of darkness–Nazareth of Galilee. She was Mary Nobody from Nowhere. Yet, the angel greets her, “Hello, favoured one, the Lord is with you.”
God’s Son, the forever king, came to the world by the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary Nobody from Nowhere. God’s Son still comes to the world by the power of the Holy Spirit through the church. He never calls us to greatness. Instead, as Paul wrote, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:21-25)
The people begin to get restless, realizing that the old priest is taking longer than usual. Is something wrong? Should someone go in and check on him? Is that even allowed?
The people were waiting for Zechariah, because he was supposed to come back out to them at the end of this worship service and bless them. So: where was he? Why hadn’t he come? Everyone knows the blessing is the most meaningful part of the whole service for those worshiping: it’s one of those places where God’s grace is given and spoken directly to us.
When Zechariah eventually did emerge, however, he had no blessing to give. He could not “say to the Israelites” the blessing that God had commanded the priests to say. He couldn’t say anything, in fact. He was lifting his hands, but not in blessing. What was the old man up to?
It was not angry signs that he made with his hands: there must have been something on his face and the way that he gestured that communicated some strange mix of awestruck joy. Because the people clued in immediately: even though Zechariah could not use his words to tell them he had seen a vision, the people understood it from him all the same.
And even though Zechariah could not bless the people, I wonder if they were more profoundly blessed all the same that day than they had been in a long time. Because here, before them, stood living proof that God had shown up among them that day. Living proof that not only could God act in their lives: but he had! Right there! They may not have known what exactly it was God was up to because, well, Zechariah just couldn’t say, but they knew that God had somehow acted to silence the old priest. And in Zechariah’s silence: God’s own word spoke volumes. “Behold: I am with you” that silence must have said.
As Zechariah returned home, the journey remained silent. No one would know for quite some time what God had announced to the old priest in the temple that day. Elizabeth did indeed conceive, but kept to herself in seclusion for a few months, probably to weigh out if she could really take this pregnancy to be real and true and lasting and believe that God had indeed given her such a gift and enabled her to carry that gift to term and birth that gift to life.
In the silence of Zechariah’s loss of speech, I’m sure those two did a lot of smiling. Slowly Elizabeth’s trust and hope grew. “The Lord has done this for me,” she finally whispered one day.
The Lord’s blessing came to Elizabeth and to his people in such delightfully unexpected ways. And, I think that’s actually more often how God’s blessing comes. Have you ever experienced God’s blessing in an unexpected place or way? Take out that memory again, turn it around and savour it in a few moments of silence before God.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Kings 16:29-17:24 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
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If things are good in life, is it always a sign of God’s blessing of life? What about when things aren’t so good?
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What was good in Israel during the days of Ahab and Omri? What wasn’t?
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What’s good in our society today? What isn’t? What are the costs, values, temptations, and alternate gods that vie for first place in our life and society?
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In what ways did God reveal himself to be a God of life to Elijah and the widow at Zarephath?
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In what way might you live the life that God, in Christ, has given and continues to give to you? How might you pray for and embody his kingdom values through your week?
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (Luke 1:18-20).
There is something marvellous about how Luke tells this story. Clearly, these are extremely significant events. God sends out his angels to ensure that we understand just how crucial these things are. Yet, it also clear that, despite the lack of human cooperation, God is enjoying himself. It is good for our faith to know this.
Preachers tend to be hard on doubters like Zechariah and Thomas. But the truth is, many, if not most, of us Christians have found ourselves in a spiritual place like Zechariah’s. Let’s consider his life for a moment. He and Elizabeth are introduced as righteous, observing the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
Let’s not be cynical about this description but read it in light of Psalm 42, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?” (2). Through the long years of their lives, they had desired to be faithful to God. As a priest, Zechariah would have counselled many in the ways of righteousness and encouraged the faith of many doubters.
Often, this couple would have prayed that God fulfill that essential creational and covenantal blessing of human fruitfulness. One can imagine, as so often happens in our own lives, these prayers, once fervent, had become listless. Prayers, once uttered in expectant faith, were now shrouded in doubt. Zechariah means “the Lord remembers”, Elizabeth, “my God is an absolutely faithful God.” But, as month after month went by with always the same disappointment, it was difficult to remember.
Sure, Sarai was ancient when she had conceived. But in those days, God was in the habit of dropping in for afternoon tea. And now, well, no one had heard from him in about 400 years. Things are different.
Isn’t that how we end up in doubt as well? What have you prayed for month after month, year after year? Some of you for a child. Others for the return of one. Or for a job that is meaningful? Financial security? Peace in your home? At first, we thirst for God. But as his silence stretches through the years, our faith, like an elastic, either stretches till it breaks or becomes old and brittle with no stretch at all. We doubt. And our ears cannot hear God. We certainly do not expect anything from him anymore.
We understand Zechariah. And this is where God gets cheeky. When the old priest says, “I am an old man”, the angel replies, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. My “I” trumps your “I” old man. And then (I paraphrase), “You appear to need some time to ‘remember that God is faithful’. Your voice will be silent, so you can hear God’s.”
Sure, there is rebuke in what Gabriel says. But also humour and irony, and the gospel. Despite Zechariah’s doubt, God’s plan will carry on. Be silent and think on it. Just be quiet for awhile and watch God work.
As Advent begins, Gabriel speaks, challenging the cynicism and despair under our mask of piety with the bold assertion that no matter how dry and barren our world (or our soul) may feel today, salvation is in the works.
Zechariah was old and full of doubts, yet God used him. This priest no longer expected a blessing from God, let alone salvation for Israel. With a twinkle in his eye, the Lord says, ‘Watch me!’ To those of us who struggle with doubt, Gabriel says, God will have his way ... and it will be good and full of joy.
When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:12-17)
An ordinary day at the temple worship service. Folks are going through the motions of talking to God, like they usually do. Usually: nothing much happens. No one really expects anything to happen. Or if they do, they expect it to come slowly through small and subtle shifts.
Over long years of ordinary faithfulness: how many prayers had been prayed here at this Temple? Over those same long, ordinary years of faithfulness, how many prayers had Zechariah prayed? Even without many high expectations or mountaintop experiences of answered prayer: they all kept praying anyway. Kept talking with God. Kept asking, seeking, and knocking. Prayers, like incense, continued to rise to heaven.
They asked for small, ordinary personal things like daily bread, a good day at work, the words to say the next time they met their neighbour. They asked for hard, intimate things like healing, reconciliation within their divided families, for children who had walked away from the faith, or for new life to come out of barrenness and death. Sometimes they asked for the really big things too: for God to save their people, their country, their land. Their prayers, like incense, continued to rise to heaven.
Usually: nothing much happens aside from the slow, small, and patient work of God. But on this rare day, something big really did. The angel appeared next to the alter of incense, that embodiment of the prayers of God’s people, assured this frightened old man who suddenly stood in the presence of glory that he was ok, and then spoke incredible words. “Your prayer has been heard,” the angel said.
The small personal prayers had been heard for joy and delight to enter into their small and ordinary days. The hard prayers had been heard for life being birthed out of barrenness, and for reconciliation in families, and for wayward children to come home to God. Even the really big prayers of turning the nation back to it’s Lord and God had been heard.
God would answer all these prayers in the gift of John, whose name means “gift” or “grace of God”. A small baby to be born into Zechariah and Elizabeth’s small and homely family. A small dose of healing and redemption to be injected into the hardened and hopeless hearts of Israel. It would not be complete healing or redemption. But, the many prayers of God’s people and even particularly of old Zechariah, had been heard. The grace of God was coming, and with it, rejoicing.
It doesn’t always seem like our prayers are heard, but every now and then the thin veneer separating earth and heaven is pealed back and we remember that in big ways or small, through slow means or sudden: the grace of God is still at work.
So, as Pastor Michael encouraged yesterday, so I encourage you again today: as you go about the ordinary events of the day—accompany them with prayer. Let those prayers rise like incense. And keep your eyes expectantly peeled, because God’s gifts of grace still pop up in unexpected places bringing joy and delight today.
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense (Luke 1:8-11).
There had been many ordinary priestly days for Zechariah. Twice each year he travelled to the temple to fulfill his duties as a priest before God, a week each time. How many years had it been? How many trips had he made? He had lost count. Every day was ordinary.
In those days, Israel had priests a plenty. So many in fact, that some never got to do that one thing all those ordinary priests wanted to do. Three times each day, the Israelites gathered in the temple courts to pray. The first and third were accompanied with the morning and afternoon incense-offering. A priest would be chosen by lot for each occasion; you could only be chosen once. There were so many priests that some never got chosen. Some died, never having poured the incense on the altar fire.
On this day, which began with ordinary priestly duties, Zechariah was chosen to pour the incense on the altar. Finally, after all these years, God had chosen him. This was the most important moment in his life. The other priests helped him prepare the spice and bring it into the holy place. Then, once the others had retreated leaving him alone and the temple president had given the single, Zechariah poured the incense.
Outside, the praying people waited. When they saw the white smoke from the incense rising up to God, they bowed down, spread out their hands in silent prayer and for three holy minutes there was silence in the centre of this bustling city. And the people waited. They waited for the chosen priest to come out and bless them for the night. They waited. They got restless…he wasn’t coming, something was a miss.
If only they had known. For Zechariah, the ordinary was no longer. God had come. This old priest tarried long because inside the temple an angel stood between the altar and the candlesticks.
This is how the story of Christ’s birth begins. In the days when Herod, the godless, was king, Israel’s God shows up. He briefly interrupted the very ordinary events of Jewish life. While the people were doing what they did every day, twice a day, God’s angel appears. God still had need of old Zechariah. It is time for salvation, and God needs Zechariah.
While our visits from God may not be as dramatic as Zechariah’s, they are just as personal. The act of our piety may have become empty rituals. We may be filled with cynicism and despair not at all convinced that God cares. Luke boldly asserts no matter how dry and barren our world (or our soul) may feel today, salvation is in the works.
Yesterday, Pastor Anthony spoke of death coming into our lives in many forms. Today’s text offers us the hope of the gospel. There was nothing unusual about that day when God showed up. Zechariah, the other priests, and the whole crowd gathered outside were doing very ordinary things when the angel appeared. This text invites us to open our eyes, to look up, to expect God to come with the words of life.
Today (or tomorrow) as you go about the ordinary events of the day, accompany them with prayer. Let them rise like the white smoke from the altar of incense. And live with expectation. God is still in the business of showing up. He is still working out his salvation. Watch for it.
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:5-7)
One of the most significant threads of Old Testament Israel gets picked up here by Luke in the opening verses of his Gospel. It is an early and important indication of why Jesus came. And, perhaps surprisingly: it isn’t about sin. It’s about death.
When we think of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we think: salvation from sin. But the Gospel is bigger and richer than that. Throughout the Old Testament, and especially through the early books, the major threat is not sin, but death.
The Creational blessing and command given by God to humanity in Genesis 1 is “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” This Creational, life-generating fruitfulness humanity has been entrusted with is immediately placed under threat, however.
Adam and Eve are not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if they do, they will die, and indeed death becomes their punishment. Through them, death becomes a threat to the command and design of Creation: not only for human life, but for plant and animal life as well. The ground is cursed. Animals die to make skins for the man and woman.
Death remains a threat throughout the Old Testament account. God promises Abraham that he will make him fruitful and multiply his descendants until they become a great nation. It’s a promise of Creation’s intent, fulfilled. But this time God himself takes the reigns as he offers his promise to Abraham. But Sarah is barren, and both of them are very old. Death looms over the narrative as an ever-present threat.
The same goes for Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph, the Israelites under the threat of Pharoah, and Israel again under the threat of the wilderness. Constantly again and again death hangs over the stories of the Old Testament, reminding us again and again that if it were not for the grace of God intervening in promise, redemption, and life: death would surely be our end.
There’s another thread here too, though. In some of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, like Proverbs, there is a cut and dried ethic: if you’re righteous, you’ll be blessed. If you’re wicked, you’ll be cursed. But it’s not always so cut and dried (as other wisdom books, like Job and Ecclesiastes, recognize). What about the Zechariahs and Elizabeths of the world? They were both upright and righteous people: so why had they not been blessed? Why were they not fruitful?
Our story is set right smack in the middle of these Old Testament troubles: death looms over righteous people who did everything right. They long for the life and blessing from the Lord they were Created to have and to bring. It’s not a question of sin: they are blameless. It’s about death. Death has come for them anyway: stealing away their fertility and their youth.
I can think of so many of our own stories that death looms over in just this way, undeserved. Miscarriages, infertility, separations, illness, accidents, addictions, and death itself as loved ones are taken from us. Before we can rejoice, first Luke invites us to sit in the ash heap with the Old Testament people of God and cry out with them: How long, O Lord? How long?
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).
It is Advent: the season when we Christians look back at Jesus first coming to increase our longing for Christ’s return. Here at Wilderness Wonderings, we have chosen to spend this season in Luke’s account of Jesus birth. If you want to read ahead, we will finish just prior to his circumcision.
So today, we get to enjoy Luke’s introduction. At first glance, you may not have found these words worthy of a devotional. Let me attempt to change your mind.
Even though we have only circumstantial evidence (and not much at that), let us assume that Luke wrote this gospel. Like him, I have done my research. This introduction mimics those written by people who had a track record of offering reliable information. Luke had taken the time to read manuscripts already written about Jesus and to listen to and interview those who had spent significant time with him.
It was time for such an account because many of the eyewitnesses were dying. The events of Jesus ministry were receding into history. Also, Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans. With its destruction, the Jewish nation was no more. Further, despite Judaism’s demise, persecution against Christians, and Jesus not returning as expected, the church was flourishing, having begun as a Jewish thing, she was comprised increasingly of Gentiles.
All of this needed an explanation, a story. There were questions that needed answering. And Luke meant to provide them. He writes to Theophilus. Again, we do not know who this is. The name means: friend of God. Common consensus is that he was not a Jew; he was of Gentile birth, but he was a God-fearer (think of Simon who carried Jesus’ cross and the Ethiopian whom Philip baptized).
So, we have a convert to Judaism who became a follower of Jesus. Then he saw Israel destroyed. Jesus had said he was coming back, but he wasn’t back. Theophilus has a right to be a bit confused and concerned that he has been hoodwinked. But if it is all true, then how is he to live in this mess? To reassure folks asking such questions, Luke writes.
Just as a horror film will have eerie music in the background to identify the nature of the scene, so this preface tells us what kind of story we are reading—an authentic portrait of Jesus. Luke constructs a grand doorway into his gospel. He invites us to come in and make ourselves at home. Here we will find security, a solid basis for lasting faith. This is our Jesus, this is our story, and it is not over yet.
And in answer to the question, how shall we live in this story, how does being part of this story shape our lives, Luke answers, “with joy.” The angels that appear in the story tell us that Jesus came to bring joy, and Mary sings, ‘my spirit rejoices’.
So, we invite you to make yourself at home in Luke 1:1-2:20, so that our hearts may be rekindled with the joy of the Lord.
An Advent Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Exodus 1 and 3:7-8a from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- What evidence is there of God’s presence and blessing in this opening chapter of Exodus?
2. What is the difference between God’s way of life and Pharaoh’s way of death?
3. What forms of oppression do you see today? What ways of death do you experience?
4. What do you glean from the example of the named Hebrew midwives about following in God’s ways of life?
5. In what way might you live in the “fear of the Lord” in your life this week? In what ways might you turn your longings into prayer? In what ways might you trust God despite what your eyes can see?
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:1, 8, 9a)
This is another text that has been rattling around in my head over the past few months. I think because I get the strong sense that the Sovereign Lord is on the move in our world today, despite the fact that it feels like all else may be crumbling.
That was precisely the context of Isaiah’s call to ministry. King Uzziah (also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21), had reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years at the time of his death. He was the only King that many people had ever known, much like Queen Elizabeth is for many of us in the commonwealth today. And as her death will be the symbolic, yet definitive end of an era, so King Uzziah’s death would have been in Judah.
During Uzziah’s reign over Judah, the Kingdom of Assyria began to rise in power in the East even as political unrest plagued the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The cold winds of change had begun to blow through the kingdoms of the world, even though Uzziah’s presence kept a sense of stability in the land. Not long after Uzziah’s death, Assyria would strike: conquering and exiling the Kingdom of Israel.
So it was at this shift of the epoch when all the old institutions began to crumble and give way that Isaiah sees his vision. But the vision he sees is not necessarily what the astute philosopher or political scientist of the day would have seen.
In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah does not see civilization crumbling around him: he sees the Lord. High and exalted, still seated on his throne: the temple scarcely large enough to hold his royal presence and garments.
Lowly Isaiah steps into the presence of the true King of all the Earth, gripped with fear and suddenly aware of his impurity and sheer ineptitude. But with fire from the alter he was cleansed and made ready to stand in the King’s presence.
Then boomed forth the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send?” “Here am I. Send me!” replied Isaiah. “Go…” came the response.
In these days of much weariness and swirling anxieties when it feels like the world we once knew might be giving way: these words come to each one of us to remind us: the Lord Almighty is still on the throne--and we are firstly citizens of His Kingdom, not of Canada or any other country. Though the mountains fall into the heart of the sea: our God remains our refuge and strength.
And our Triune God still calls out to his people, saying: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Will you respond today? Will you go on this royal mission as an ambassador of Christ? Will you go out as sheep among wolves—shrewd as snakes and gentle as doves to minister to your nation, neighbours, co-workers, and friends in His name?
Advent begins this Sunday. As we journey through this season longing for the return of our King: I pray you too will catch an Isaiah vision of Jesus on His throne and that you too will hear the Spirit-breathed call to go in His name.
Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past (Deuteronomy 32:7).
This will be my last devotion on Deuteronomy. There are a few chapters left, but next Monday, here on Wilderness Wanderings, we will begin an Advent series called, “Rejoice! the Lord has Come!” So, let’s finish with Moses’ farewell song to Israel, focussing on verse 7.
Highschool history class may not be every one’s cup of tea. Yet, history has much to teach us about life in the present. It is important for God’s people to know their history.
Four times in Deuteronomy Moses tells Israel to remember that once they were slaves (5:15; 16:12; 24:18; 24:22). Like many of us, they had selective memories and Moses knew it would be easy to forget where they came from. Israel was probably tempted to forget their shameful past. It was easier to turn their heads and ignore who they were. But remembering would teach Israel who they were.
Equally important, God’s people needed to know their history to know their God. Deuteronomy 5:15 says, "And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm."
Of course, telling this story makes for a great history lesson; Moses, the shepherd confronts Pharoah of Egypt; there are plagues; a nighttime escape, Israel caught between the roaring army and the roaring water. Hardly boring stuff. And of course, some one is going to ask, “how did they manage?” And then the storyteller gets to talk about Israel’s God, strong and mighty.
So, what are some of the lessons Israel was meant to learn?
First, they had no power of their own to free themselves from Egypt. They were caught in Egypt like a rat in a trap. Egypt was attempting to destroy Israel. And Israel was helpless to do anything about is.
Second, she was rescued. God had rescued her. God was great, strong, and mighty. Without God, Israel would be nothing, still enslaved in Egypt or already destroyed. God had heard her call for help and rescued her.
Like Moses, Jesus calls us to know our history. That is why he commanded us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. By establishing this meal on the night of the Passover, Jesus caused Israel’s deliverance from Egypt to colour our understanding of our own deliverance from sin and evil. The parallels are quite clear in Colossians 2, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (cf. 13-15).
Why do we need to remember this? First, like Israel, we need to know our God and knowing him to continue worshipping him and him alone. The whole point of Deuteronomy is the fear that Israel will find other gods to worship. As we approach Advent, this is something to consider: which God of Advent will we worship? I think there are several choices.
Second, like Israel, we need to remember who we are. We are people who were helpless to redeem ourselves, but God has redeemed us. Like Israel, we are must never treat people like Egypt treated Israel. We must treat others like God treats us!
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
I’m not quite sure why, but this phrase from Jesus has been rattling around in my head often these past few weeks. He spoke it to his disciples who he was sending out on mission.
As we ponder how to enter into our everyday world as those who don’t just work, study, volunteer, or live in it, but who actually minister in the name of Jesus to it—these words of Jesus remain potent.
Firstly, we are sent. We don’t go following Jesus in our daily lives because we necessarily want to go about our daily chores in his name. We go because Jesus Himself has sent us. “I am sending you,” he says. And so we go with the label of “Christian” stamped across our foreheads whether we want it there or not. People just discover in due course that we’re Christians. Somehow they always find out. And then we remember: despite our attempts to conceal it, we cannot get away from this identity. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. It is who we are. And in fact, it is exactly what Jesus has sent us to be and do in our daily lives: that is, to live our lives as open witnesses to him. “I am sending you,” he says.
How is he sending us? As sheep. We don’t go out into the world in wolf-like worldly ways: with violence, force, coercion or control. We don’t arm-twist anyone into the Kingdom. Nor do we try to force or cajole the society around us into giving us our way on things. No. Our Lord is the lamb, and we follow him in this by humbling ourselves in a way befitting of sheep. We go about our Jesus business in Jesus’ way: quietly, gently, trustingly, and also perhaps somewhat stubbornly.
Because we are also called here to be shrewd as snakes. Not to be poisonous like snakes and not to go out strangling or biting like snakes: but to be wise, cunning, and intelligent like snakes. Shrewd.
But we are called to that snake-shrewdness in a way that remains innocent and pure, like a white dove. Smart, without overstepping boundaries. Wise, without puffing ourselves up. Sharp-eyed in a way that remains at the same time good-hearted, loving, and encouraging. We are called to use the tools of the Kingdom with sharp-witted clarity and prudence, but to never use anything beyond those tools whether in real life or online. Violence, abuse, control, slander, put-downs, coarse talk, gossip, fraud, lies—even the white kind—are all out of bounds. Our snake-shrewd wisdom begins in the fear of the sinless Lord. The only means available to us to achieve shrewd kingdom ends are innocent kingdom means. So that we might be like doves.
This mission Jesus sends us on invites us deeper and deeper into the heart of things. On the one hand to know with shrewd clarity how deep the misery of our world is, what liability we hold for it, and what privilege and power we wield to address it. On the other hand, to let Jesus purify our heart and motivations even as we surrender our every action to him so that we might be found innocent in all things, as he was.
Now maybe those are lofty words, but I think they impact every one of our lives. The emails I write, the conversations I have, the way I act in the grocery store, what I post online, and the way I carry out my work all falls under the scope of Jesus’ command and commission. Every one of you is a priest presiding over the parish of your everyday world. Go to that work like Jesus’ kind of sheep: shrewd as snakes, innocent as doves.
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
Many of you will have heard the words of our text in one form or another before. In several variations, they are repeated throughout the end of Deuteronomy and recur in Joshua 1. They act as a book end here, because in the early chapters God tells Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua.
This is the first transition of leadership that Israel is experiencing. They have spent 40 years in the desert under Moses’ leadership, they are on the brink of entering the promised land, but Moses is not going with them. One can imagine that many of the Israelites wondered if Joshua was up to the task, and we know that Joshua was no where near sure that he was. And who would blame him?
As such, these words have often been used in the Christian church to commission new leaders. I have used them as a text for installation services for new elders and deacons. They are fitting for such occasions and should continue to be used to encourage all who are taking on leadership roles within the Christian community. Also, it is good to refer to them whenever Christians are going through strenuous days, such as during a pandemic.
The key words in the commissioning are “be strong and courageous” (7). They are not meant merely for a psychological boost. They are based on two great truths. First, the existence of Israel and now the church proves the faithfulness of God. God promised to give them this land. God has invested His reputation in the future of this people and so ultimately, responsibility for them rests on Him. Recall that Moses used this fact to effectively intercede for Israel when God threatened to abandon them (cf. 9:26-29).
Jesus launched the church on this foundation. To Peter he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). This is the first time the word church is found in the English translations of the Bible. Every participant in the church needs to remember this promise. The very fact that the church exists 2000 years later demonstrates Jesus keeping his word.
Secondly, Christian leaders can count on the unfailing presence of God. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (8). According to Matthew Jesus finished his earthly ministry with these words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (28:20). In John 20, Jesus disciples are afraid. Three times Jesus shows up and says, “Peace be with you” (19,21,26).
With these words at the end of his ministry, Jesus is inviting his disciples to remember the transition between Moses and Joshua. Like Joshua took over from Moses, and Elisha from Elijah, they are to take over from him. But there is one big difference, Moses died, Elijah went off to heaven, and Jesus is going there too, but he will be coming back through the Holy Spirit. He will be with them to the very end. He has kept his word from then to now. We can be sure he will keep it till he returns.
So Christian, even if you do not have a leadership role in the church, “Be strong and courageous”. Jesus calls you to be his disciple in the classroom, in the kitchen and laundry room, in the office, on the job site, and on the playground. Be strong and courageous, he is with you.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. (Hebrews 3:12-14)
Last week Friday, we talked about the choice between life and death that Moses set before the people. A life of obedience or death in disobedience. The writer of Hebrews reflects on Israel’s history, recognizing that many chose the path of disobedience. Today, we can make a different choice.
Our choice though is not quite as stark as the one set before the Israelites. Why not? Because God now assumes our disobedience and so meets us in our sin with the mercy, grace, and forgiveness in Christ necessary to enable a new life of obedience in us.
This is a work of God in Christ through the Spirit from beginning to end.
Even so, we still have a part to play as we seek to get in on it and walk out our following of Jesus in a life obediently submitted to his ways.
The choice comes to us daily. Every day that is called “today” is a new, fresh opportunity to choose to respond to Christ in obedience. Every “today” is a new and fresh opportunity to daily take up our cross and follow him.
Perhaps you haven’t chosen to walk out any sort of obedient faithfulness in the last days, weeks, or even months. Or, maybe your obedience has been characterized by a series of fits and starts. Doesn’t matter. Because God’s grace does not meet you in the past. So there’s no need to wallow in guilt. Nor does God’s grace meet you in the future. To put off the decision is just procrastination.
No: God’s grace meets you TODAY. Now. In the present. The only moment that you have in which you can ever respond to God in faithfulness is this one. Right here. Right now. Today.
No matter how many days of unfaithfulness have piled up behind you: only one day matters. Today.
So, today, choose life. Choose to follow Jesus. And when tomorrow becomes today: choose it again. Do it on the next today too. And even if you miss a day, don’t worry: a new today is coming with fresh mercies new every morning. Any and every fresh new day that we call today is an opportunity for a new and fresh decision to follow Jesus.
Encourage one another therefore, on every today as long as it is called today. Because today is the day to follow Jesus.
This podcast contains the scripture and sermon from our worship service at Immanuel.
Before that a special presentation by Raul & Adrianna Herrera from Nicaragua. Our congregation supports them in their work with Resonate Global Missions.
You can find a link to the whole service on our website (Immanuelministries.ca).
No Dive In Questions Today
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. (Deuteronomy 30:15-16.
The whole book of Deuteronomy has been heading towards these verses. There is nothing new here. But Moses draws all the themes of the book into this critical choice which Israel must make. Will she choose life or death? Will it be prosperity or destruction? Today, we must make that same choice.
Understand that the choice comes in the context of God’s grace and promises. It is set before Israel with the assurance that God’s redemptive purposes on this earth will be accomplished. In the first part of the chapter, Moses speaks about what will happen after judgement. If Israel disobeys and she is banished to the furthest places of the earth, God will still follow his people there, win them back and circumcise their hearts so that they will love him totally with heart and soul, and live (6). With that background he sets the choice before them. Each generation must choose whether they will participate in that great work. Will it be life or death?
For Israel, the choice is about her continuing prosperity in the land God is giving her. Yet the choice is expressed in the singular, thus presenting the whole matter as an intensely personal choice—a choice that matters more than any other in life. Its about Israel as a nation, but each member of the nation is called to choose. Life or death?
Let us flesh out this choice a little more. It is believing that God will give Israel the land and cause her to flourish in the land, it is trusting that obedience to God’s commands brings life and freedom, it is believing that through Israel God will bless all the nations of the world and redeem the entire earth.
It is vital that we Christians have this Old Testament context when we invite others to believe in Jesus. So often, we speak about conversion as a purely spiritual thing, such as getting forgiven for our sins. This is, of course, very much part of it. But there is so much more. Recall that Matthew ends his gospel with these words of Jesus, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (28:28-20).
An invitation to follow Jesus includes all of this. It is being immersed in the love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so that we are set free to finally obey him in the here and now. Jesus did not come to remove us from this earth, but rather, to settle us in it as his people. As he himself said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meek, that his how Moses is described in Numbers 12:3. To be meek is to quietly and consistently follow Jesus; to do Jesus things the way Jesus does them. He has authority over heaven, yes, but also over the earth. And his promise is to be with us to the very end. Blessed are the meek. Wherever the meek go, blessing goes with them.
What will you choose, life or death? Life is loving God, walking in his ways and keeping his commands. But life, in the end, is not found in the law itself, but in the God who gave it; for ultimately, the LORD is your life (19). Following Jesus is life. What will you choose?
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
We are chosen by God the King to be his priests. That’s not just a calling for your pastors: it’s yours too. I think that’s part of what our devotion yesterday was getting at. Israel was set as a city on a hill to be visible to the nations. And not just visible, but to be a nation of priests among the nations that constantly pointed to their God. And, as the statements on judgement that we heard from Deuteronomy suggested: even when Israel was unfaithful, their plight in exile would still stand as a testament to the Lord.
Today in the Christian church, we still stand as a priests among the nations when we are faithful to that calling. But even when we are unfaithful, we still testify to the Lord. How? Well, not primarily by facing judgement anymore, but rather by receiving God’s mercy in Christ.
It was mentioned yesterday, but many are disillusioned with the church these days. It’s hard to find good stories in the news or on social media. Not because they aren’t there, mind you, but because that’s not what tends to go viral. All the same, it colours our impression.
But what causes us to be disillusioned, I think, is less about the brokenness of the church and more about our expectations of what the church should be. We expect it should be an approximation of Jesus Himself and His Kingdom come. But, rarely does the church measure up to those high ideals of perfection. Nor can it, actually, on this side of eternity.
The reason is that the church is a gathering of recovering sinners who can gather, not because they’ve mended all their ways, but because they have received mercy. And the sure promise of the Bible is that we will continue to sin and find ourselves in need of mercy until Christ comes again. Amen: Come Lord Jesus, Come.
But we have received mercy. We do receive it. Every time. Christ forgives us again, and again. That the church should continue to be loved by God anyway when the whole society calls out “Crucify” or “Cancel,” well that too is a testament to the overwhelming unconditional love and compassion of our God.
And, having received mercy: the church does respond. We don’t do it perfectly, but we do minister as priests to one another when we have compassion on, pray for, or forgive one another. We do minister as priests to our neighbours when we give them the grace of borrowing our tools or help them with a project. We do minister as priests when we seek God’s glory in our work through good governance, sound accounting, excellent care, wise interventions, well-built and wired buildings, and faithful service.
Through God’s grace and mercy to us in Christ, the church is not in the end a bad news story about sin. It is a story about a people who have received mercy and have been transformed by it to become those priests who transform the communities in which they live and the places where the work, volunteer, and study. So you priests: you are seen, known, loved, and forgiven—let the light of Christ’s transforming mercy shine through you today!
All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?” And they will hear the answer, “It’s because the people living there have broken the covenant of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 29:24-25).
“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” God established Israel as a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. This principle runs from the Old Testament into the New. Like Israel, the church is a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
In Deuteronomy 4, Moses shows Israel’s publicity in a positive light. Israel, obeying the laws and commands of God, will cause the nations to say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (6). In Psalm 67, this publicity becomes a prayer for God’s blessing upon Israel. It is not a selfish prayer. His people desire that the nations will sing God’s praise and He will rule the nations with justice and shalom. As Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
This is the positive side of God’s people being on display. There is also a negative possibility. That is where are text lands. Israel, and the church, can become “an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations” because of the judgments that befall them (us) in their (our) disobedience. It was easy for the nations to see this because Israel was a nation. In the end, her disobedience caused her to be banished from the land of promise and exiled in Babylon.
Because the church lives as scattered communities, God’s judgement may not be as easy to discern. Yet, I wonder if Paul was thinking about texts such as ours when he wrote, “Whoever eats and drinks must recognize the body of Christ. If they don’t, judgment will come upon them. That is why many of you are weak and sick. That is why a number of you have fallen asleep. We should think more carefully about what we are doing. Then we would not be found guilty for this. When the Lord judges us in this way, he corrects us” (1 Corinthians 11:29-32).
Deuteronomy is structured around this framework of Israel’s publicity. It was her mission, as it is now the church’s mission; we are God’s priesthood among the nations. The very name of God is invested in our fulfillment of that mission. Success will make God’s name known as a matter of admiration; failure will drag his name to the depths of profanity.
Ezekiel saw and felt this keenly, standing amidst the smoldering wreckage after the judgment had fallen. But Ezekiel also sees the seeds of hope, for God will always act for the vindication of his own name (Ezek. 36:16-36); Israel will be rebuilt. This is our hope. After judgement will come restoration. God’s name will be vindicated.
Many Christians are discouraged by the church. Lots have left because so many churchgoers act in ungodly ways. We have seen the public disgrace of many church leaders. We may wonder if there is any hope for the church.
If you wonder, remember that God’s judgement is not primarily destructive but redemptive, purifying. When the prophets of Israel warned of God’s coming judgement, there was always that seed of hope. God would preserve a remnant. Jesus, who took our disobedience onto himself, also said, “I will build my church.” That is our hope. Let’s hang on to it as the Spirit leads us in the way of obedience.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)
These verses come at the end of Paul’s great chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13, which means that we hardly read it seriously. We pass it on to our children to memorize or read it at weddings because it talks about love a lot. Because love is mushy and subjective. It makes us uncomfortable. When we want to get down to brass tacks, we crack open Romans or Ephesians. We don’t go to the love part.
And, fair enough. Sometimes the word “love” is used rather simplistically, like a slogan. “Choose love, not hate,” we say. Which—in this abstract form—means precisely nothing. The people who chant and shout love act a lot like the folks who are supposedly perpetrating the hate. Just as much anger, slander, fear, exclusion, and even violence. Love as an abstract concept gets us nowhere.
But that’s not how 1 Corinthians 13 comes to us. It comes to us embedded in a context and among a group of people: the climactic center of the worship wars in Corinth where the church was deeply divided. How do you live out the reconciliation you already have in Christ in worship, around the Lord’s Supper Table, and when you’re fighting about gifts, abilities, and who controls the direction of the church? You love each other, that’s how.
I find these words at the end of 1 Corinthians 13 to be one of the best descriptions of heaven and of our Christian longing. To see Jesus, face to face. To know Him fully even as we are fully known by Him. And to see and know each other in the same way: fully and face to face. What a surprising joy! That we can be seen and known fully for everything we are and aren’t: and still be loved fully all the same! But that is the promise: this place of deep belonging and fellowship that lies at the fulfillment of our hopes and at the end of our faith; that deep and lasting place of loving, embodied, relationship in its truest and purest form. Beyond faith and hope: love remains.
For now, we only see a dim reflection, as through a mirror, or a glass in the older translations. I think of the screens of our devices that tell us all the terrible things going on in the world and church and bring us the disembodied fellowship of text on screens or voice alone in Discord or heads in boxes across Zoom and Facetime. What a poor reflection.
Embodied fellowship is what we were created for. It’s what we long for. The world of face to face. Of knowing fully even as we are fully known. Sure, we can’t get to that depth of fullness on this side of eternity even when we do come together, but it is the direction our entire, embodied-resurrection faith leans. That’s why we’re called to gather as Christians. Not because the church is great, but because we need the practice.
Learning how to see and know another and love them all the same. Jesus did it for us. Will you come together to love one another in just that same way? It is, to quote Paul, “the most excellent way” through our present difficulties and divisions.
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).
Since I made the rules for our journey through Deuteronomy, I also get to break them. We are staying with the same text as my last edition of Wilderness Wanderings. More specifically, these words, “the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”
Moses does not define what this looks like. It’s a safe assumption that part of the deal is that other nations would look up to Israel; that she would shine in such a way that people will be drawn to her, to her values and to her God.
It seems to me that when Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world”, he was echoing our text. And like Moses, he is telling us that our capacity to be the light of the world is directly connected to our faithfulness to God.
Paul unpacks this further when he says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16).
In these devotions and in our preaching, both Pastor Anthony and I have lamented the current state of the church. There appears to be more darkness that light. It’s a fair conclusion if we only read the headlines, whether they be secular or Christian.
But then I went on tour with Renita, visiting several of our church members in their workplaces. We heard stories of what it looks like to live as a Christian in the marketplace, how Christ’s kindness and love leak out of us in the most unexpected ways. I saw “the church” being the church outside of the church building. It was good.
Then I remembered that in our long history, the church often initiated schools and hospitals. In Canada today, for every grocery store there are four organizations providing food for the hungry, many of them connected to a church. The light shines.
Soon after Jesus tells his disciples that we are the light of the world, he tells us three times not to show off our piety in front of others (Matthew 6:1-17). God will reveal our good deeds when the time is right. The nature of godly work is to do it quietly where it go unnoticed. Maybe that is why the writer of Hebrews gives us this encouragement, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25).
It is difficult to stay the course that is narrow and challenging when we go it alone. We need companions and encouragers along the way. Do we need to put more emphasis on that in our church life?
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 15 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:15b-16)
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Our devotion yesterday mentioned the letter of Ephesians, grace, and the gift of already being a part of God’s people. A gift we have only to receive and live congruently out of to find ourselves in touch with God’s blessing. Well: I feel like I have been living in this gift and these texts this past week, and even though it might mean a slightly longer devotion today, I would love to share the story with you so that you too can be encouraged.
Wednesday afternoon, a group of Calvin Seminary students gathered in Hamilton to see what “CRC ministry” looks like here. I was able to serve as one of the organizers and tour guides for their time. And, rather than show them around a church building to see the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and GEMS closet, we took them on a tour of TrueCity to see the gift that it is to be a part of the reconciled family of God.
We started at 541 where they got their food, bought their buttons, and listened in to a young Anglican in roughly the same spot in the ordination track as they are. “What keeps a place like 541 running?” it was asked. “It couldn’t happen without the support, community, and patronage of folks and churches in the TrueCity network” came the reply. This place wouldn’t be here without the churches working together for the good of the city.
Next we came to New Hope Bikes, a ministry that has expanded and generated a deep and broad community and hub of activity. Tammy greeted us there, talked about how this ministry grew from the prayerful presence of the church and Asset Based Community Development principles incubated at Diaconal Ministries Canada. “Is there a TrueCity thread running through this place?” “Most of our board members, supporters, and funding partners are people from the TrueCity network” was the reply.
Then we visited Indwell at the Perkins Centre where New Hope meets. Again, CRC incubation (by Immanuelites especially early on) of a ministry that’s now deeply supported, staffed, and integrated in Hamilton within the TrueCity Network. An example of which is the three or four TrueCity churches that have Indwell projects integrated into their buildings or will soon.
Then we visited GOHOP, the new monastic prayer movement in Hamilton where not a few of our Young Adults and Redeemer Students have done internships or taken shifts with the prayer teams and where I myself get spiritual direction. They were the ones who began praying for the churches and pastors in Hamilton a few years before TrueCity sprang up, and they have been the prayerful anchor for the movement ever since. Never does a TrueCity Conference happen without the churches coming together in GOHOP facilitated 24/7 prayer stretching for a week or two after.
I had to leave before Katie shared about Open Homes Hamilton and all the newcomer support that happens here, also through places like the Micah House, but that too is a TrueCity network story through and through. A thing that may never have existed if the churches weren’t together for the good of the city.
The hostility between our churches and denominations has been put to death in the cross of Christ here in Hamilton as we live together in this one new humanity of the church. And together with all these TrueCity saints, I have begun to grasp a little more fully how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. I think by the end of our tour, our visiting seminarians did too.
When the church lives in the “unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” that was forged between us through the cross of Christ—a whole city can be transformed. Structurally, physically, relationally.
It’s happened, friends. It is happening. And whether you knew it or not: you’re already a part of it! In these ways and so many more.
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).
Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. I hope you will all take time to thank God for the freedom we have in this country and to ponder the cost of this freedom. I would encourage you to wonder if there is an erosion of freedoms in the so-called free world. Since this is not a cultural or political reflection, that is all I will say on that topic.
Let us turn to Deuteronomy 28 which the New International Version has divided into two sections: “Blessings for Obedience” and “Curses for Disobedience.” These subtitles make it appear as if blessings and curses are simply opposites. Such a division also suggests that our relationship with God is basically ‘quid pro quo’. If we obey God, we get all the blessings we can imagine.
Some versions of the “Prosperity Gospel” give the impression that the material blessings in this chapter will come pouring out of the heavenly slot machine if we press the right behavior buttons. Has that worked out for you? Real life tells us that this is not the way it works. And the Bible does not lay things out that neatly.
Clearly, if the curses happen, they will come as deserved punishment for Israel’s disobedience. But there is no corresponding sense in which the blessings can be earned as a reward for obedience. The whole thrust of Deuteronomy protests this idea. Israel is bluntly warned to make no equations between military or material success and her own merits (8:17; 9:4-6).
Rather, God’s blessing on God’s people is already there in the very fact that they are God’s people. It is intrinsic to the promise made to Abraham and to the covenant relationship. The blessing of God always initiates His relationship with the world. It is the way grace works. God’s blessing is here to be enjoyed.
But here is the caveat: this grace and blessing can only be enjoyed by living in God’s way in the land God is giving them. Obedience, therefore, like faith, is the road we travel to experience God’s grace and blessing, not how we come to deserve them. Its like a gift. To enjoy it, one must unwrap it and use it in the way it is designed. If you leave it wrapped, you cannot enjoy it. Also, if you try to make a model car fly, you will crash and destroy it.
In Christ, the church’s relationship with God is essentially the same as Israel’s. We find it all over the book of Ephesians. It begins, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (1:3-4). And later, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (4:32).
We do not need to earn God’s grace. Its already ours. We get to unpack it and explore all its dimensions. So, are you living within the grace God has given you? Are you using it well? Are you loving as you have been loved? What is one thing can you do today to live more fully in the grace God has given you?
“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.” (Joshua 23:6)
As I listened in to our devotion from yesterday, two things came to mind. The invitation to remember, and the invitation keep the balance between work and grace. Both of these are themes that flow throughout the biblical narrative.
The word remember shows up over 200 times in our bibles, and the allusion to memories, stories, and the ancient paths occur many times more. Our verse from today comes at the end of Joshua’s life and ministry where he calls the Israelites together to remember everything that the Lord has done for them and to remember also the law and covenant they have promised to keep.
And as we enter into the New Testament, we find Jesus calling the church to the same. Whenever you eat the bread or drink the cup, he says, “do this in remembrance of me.” And again: “the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
So, remembering is necessary. But at the same time, memory alone is not sufficient. We also have to live this law, this story, and this identity that God has both given and reminded us of. For that, we need to walk with balance. We must “turn neither to the right nor to the left,” but rather keep to the wise middle of covenantal obedience. This theme also runs throughout the Bible.
In the wisdom book of Ecclesiastes we find these words:
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
In the New Testament we find this same tension held in balance with word pairs like “law and grace,” “grace and truth,” “faith and works.” Jesus’ own incarnation keeps this balance perfectly between divine perfection and human limitation. It is his example we are called to imitate, his way in which we are called to walk. As we find male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and free all reconciled together in Him.
In days of much polarization in society between those on the right and on the left: perhaps the church, remembering and following its Lord, is called neither to the right, nor to the left, but simply to hold the tension-laden space of the middle. This middle space is a place where all the extremes still exist in all their colour and vitality, but rather than tearing each other apart in a zero-sum game: in the Christian middle, these extremes are reconciled together in Christ.
I think of this particularly in light of the human sexuality conversation happening in the churches across the Western world, including our own. In a recent Banner article online, a CRC pastor who sits on one of the extremes in this conversation was quoted as saying: “Synod needs to make a decision, ‘all in’ on one side or the other. Trying to make everyone happy has not worked. One side is in serious error. If we try to make everyone happy, no one will be happy.”
It makes me wonder: is holding the tension in the messy middle where no one is happy really such a bad thing? That seems to me to be exactly the place where God is doing his best work of reconciling all the extremes together in Christ as we remember and believe, walking out the meaning of His cross in confession, forgiveness, and loving one another well when it really counts.
This middle place is the place where grace and truth walk together. Where justice and peace kiss. Where we find the Jesus life by walking out the Jesus truth through the narrow middle of the Jesus way. It is indeed good to grasp the one without letting go of the other as we seek to walk faithfully, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you (Deuteronomy 27:1-3).
As Moses prepares to take his leave of Israel (he will soon die), he stresses the covenant relationship between God and his people. He continually emphasizes that Israel must keep her side of the covenant: faithful living, obedience to Lord’s law. Because we live post-resurrection and post-protestant reformation, I think it is valuable for us to pay particular attention to the end of the Book of Deuteronomy.
The resurrection of Jesus changed the dynamics of God’s relationship with his people. Paul sums it up in Ephesians 2: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (8-9). There is ample evidence of God’s grace and capacity to forgive in the Old Testament, but in Christ God removed the barrier of sin that can stand between us and God. Paul writes, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
The clarion call of the Protestant Reformation was that grace sustains and nourishes our relationship with God, removing all barriers between covenant partners. As we love to sing, “we stand forgiven at the cross.” This is, of course, the great teaching of the New Testament which reverberated throughout Christendom during and after the reformation.
Yet, it is possible that the way in which we (preachers mostly) have communicated this wondrous truth has made Christians indifferent to faithful covenant partnership with God. It is possible that in rightly decrying ‘works righteousness’ Christians have developed a ‘laissez faire’ attitude towards God. Since God does all the work, why should we care about the way that we live? Why should we make an effort to respond to him?
Rarely, does anyone put it this bluntly, but the privilege of the devotion writer is to embellish. As we finish with Deuteronomy, we will encounter significant material dealing with blessings and curses. Moses is very concerned that Israel keeps the law. Under the guidance of the Spirit, he instructs Israel to create this stone monument to the law.
For us, such monuments are simply historical markers. But for Israel, it was meant to continually call her to keep covenant with God. Yet, here is the interesting thing. Moses instructs them to cover the stones in plaster and inscribe the law on the plaster. This was much easier that chiselling the law into the rocks and was easier to read. But the plaster would not last, it would fall off the rock. None of the writers I consulted knew why Israel was to inscribe the law on a surface that would disintegrate.
I wonder if it was so that Israel would need to re-establish the monument every few years. Was it in the hope that doing this would cause Israel to regularly renew her covenant with God? Joshua 8 records Israel setting up these stones and the writing of the law on them. After that, there is no record of Mount Ebal in the scriptures. There is no record that Israel ever put-up new plaster and rewrote the law. I wonder if we would have.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)
You may have heard in the news about COP26 these past few weeks. It's a United Nations climate change summit that happens every year for the past 26 years. As many nations in the world as can come together do come together to talk about climate change and the ways that they each, and together, can address these challenges.
Many of you will remember the Paris climate change conference called COP21, where a number of countries came together to sign the Paris Climate Change Agreement. And now at COP26, those same countries come back to update their commitments to keeping climate change and the warming of the globe at or below the target of 1.5 degrees of warming.
It's a tall order and one that seems well beyond our little daily lives. This is the world that's coming together to talk about these things and countries are the only ones who can come and participate in this “Conference Of the Parties” called COP26. So what role do we have?
Well, from the very beginning of the book of Genesis, it makes clear that our work is as stewards of God's creation. We hear that in the first chapter of Genesis as we are we are told that we are made in the image of God and are commanded to rule, to steward the land. But, we hear it, I think, more particularly in these words from Genesis 2:15.
First, we find that the Lord God took the man and put him in a particular place: the Garden of Eden. So, we're not just those who wander the world and make these high flying, abstract commitments, but we are people who live in a particular place in a particular time with particular work that we do. We are to understand this place where we are put as God's gift to us. It is the garden within which we carry out our ruling and stewarding work for God's creation. God has placed me right here in Hamilton, and perhaps he's taken you and put you in Caledonia, or Brantford, or somewhere else in Hamilton. But that is our garden: the place we work out our stewardship of the earth.
The person was put in the garden in order to do two things. To work it and take care of it. The word for work and take care of are words that are pictures, pictures with deep resonance throughout the Old Testament. One of these words is the word for observe, or keep, like we're commanded to keep and observe the Torah: the commands of God. The other word is a word that's often used for worship in the Bible.
And so these words give the sense that we have an almost priestly duty here, not just to work the ground and take care of it, but really to serve it as an act of worship. We are to serve as priests for the ground and for the earth.
So the question: how are you serving as a priest in the place--your garden--where God has put you? Not just serving as a priest before God and among your neighbors, but also to and for the creation? Do you actions bring healing and redemption to the ground you walk?
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 15 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Dive In Questions
- When you read Revelation, do you look for the large picture or the small details?
- Where does theme of judgement begin in Revelation? What has caused you to cry ‘how long’? What do you do in response? What does John call us to do?
- What is the context for judgement? Why does that matter?
- Where do these visions take place? Why does this matter? How does it change how we view judgement? Why does God come in judgement?
You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands (Deuteronomy 26:17-18).
Aspects of God’s covenant with Israel are woven throughout this chapter of Deuteronomy. Now, covenant is not a common word these days, but lays at the heart of the biblical story, so there is value in recovering it from time to time.
In the ancient world, when a small and weak nation was being threatened with extinction by a larger people, it would sometimes ask an even stronger king to come to its aid. With this request she would establish a covenant with the powerful nation. Essentially the smaller people would promise to pay taxes in exchange for protection. Quid pro quo.
God’s covenant with Israel is modelled on this common practice among ancient peoples. There are several books comparing these human covenants with God’s relationship with Israel. While similar, there are significant modifications in the biblical covenant, maybe most dramatic is this: God’s patience. In the human covenants, if the weaker nation neglected its obligations, the stronger would make quick work in enforcing its rights or wiping out the covenant breakers. The Bible details God’s patience with Israel’s unfaithfulness.
But there is something else in our text that strikes me as rather unique in God’s covenant. “And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised…” I doubt this kind of language is found in the ancient covenants. Israel is God’s treasured possession; a deep love lies at the heart of this divine covenant. A love demonstrated in exquisite fashion in Christ’s death on the cross.
In this chapter, Israel is to remember their beginning as a nation. God, seeing Israel abused by the Egyptians, came to rescue them. Taking them from a place of tremendous adversity, he carried them through the desert and settled them in this land ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ God still calls his church to remember what he has done for us, bringing us to the sacraments of baptism and Supper. This is also why he calls us to worship him regularly as a community of faith. We are not to forget that he has rescued us from the domain of Satan.
But the truly astonishing aspect of God’s covenant with Israel is that it is not a ‘quid pro quo’ relationship. Israel is God’s treasured possession. And Israel is to gather the first fruits of the harvest into a basket and place ‘the basket before the Lord their God and bow down before him. Then the people and the Levites and the foreigners residing among them would rejoice in all the good things the Lord their God has given to them” (cf. 26:10-11).
Biblical religion does not deal in fear or coercion or uncertainty but in joy and security. Israel is to rejoice in all the blessings God gives, to rejoice in her relationship with God; that God names her, “my treasured possession”. This joy is also expressed in further obedience. Jesus put this altogether for us in John 15 where love, joy and obedience are connected to our being the friends of God.
Whatever forces and attitudes have shaped our relationship with God up to this point in our lives, God is calling us, as he called Israel of old, into a relationship of friendship, characterized by love, joy and obedience. We are his treasured possession, and we are to rejoice in him. Enjoy your religion!
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)
Yesterday I had opportunity to participate in the Reformed Church of America's Commission on Christian Unity. That's a group that reports to their General Synod.
Many of you are likely not aware of what has been happening in the Reformed Church of America lately, but like the Christian Reformed Church, they have been immersed in really hard conversations around human sexuality.
Just this past month they had their General Synod, and at that General Synod meeting, they agreed to have a gracious separation and to allow churches that wish to leave the denomination to do so in gracious ways where they wouldn't kick or stab each other in the back as they parted ways, but rather would part in peace: recognizing the disagreements and the depth of division that remains irreconcilable at this time.
So, meeting with this Commission on Christian Unity yesterday, I was surprised and heartened to find these words from Philippians 1 being read at the beginning of the meeting. As different people reported back on how the meeting felt, they said they were also surprised at how gracious, warm, and hospitable the conversation was—how understanding everyone was, and how they were able to listen to one another. I was encouraged by that.
Our church (the CRC) will be facing this hard conversation this next summer and it's possible that there will be some splits and divisions that pop out of our church as well in due course, but these words remind me that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. The church still belongs to Christ and so do we. No matter the hard conversations or divisions that we face, Jesus will continue to preserve his church. Thanks be to God. I hope that you too are encouraged by that fact.
“Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly” (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
Let me begin with two snippets. Yesterday, there was an article in the news about minimum wage. Its going to be raised to $15 an hour, up from $14.35. The same article indicated that a living wage in Hamilton is now $17.20. Thus, currently, those making minimum wage in our city are making nearly $3 less than needed to live in this city.
I have no experience in government policy making, nor in how the living wage is calculated. However, it is easy enough to understand that even at $17.20 an hour, one will find it very difficult to live in this city.
Recently, someone asked me why ministers appear to get away with so many sins. It seemed to this woman that only sexual sins were worthy of a clergy’s status to be revoked. There were many other sins, she listed alcoholism and greed as two examples, that were serious enough for a minister to be removed from office.
These two snippets came to mind as I read through Deuteronomy 25. Its full of laws that ensured that the Israelites would live well in the land. God’s people were to live with the profound reality that each person was created in the image of God, each was significant. And their society could only flourish if everyone was able to participate in that flourishing.
Out text is about honesty in business, in buying and selling. The people were to keep their greed in check; they were to be more concerned with treating people well than with turning a profit. Honest dealings with each other would keep God’s blessings flowing.
Dishonesty, says our text, is something God detests. Some of the older English translations read, ‘its an abomination.’ We might ask, “Is it really such a big deal?” Well, God seems to think so. Dishonest business dealings are pared with sexual perversion and idolatry, as abominations. So, it’s a pretty big deal. As a pastor, the elders have asked me to help them confront people who have committed sexual sins and idolatry, but never on issues of economic injustice. Trust me, such sins were being committed. Why do we not take them as seriously?
I recognize that we live in a very different context than Israel. But the fact that more and more people are being left out of economic success ought to trouble God’s people. If it is within our sphere of influence to ensure that people are paid enough to live, we need to make sure that happens. If we have access to the wheels of politics, we need to use those avenues.
Many of us may not have access to levers that reshape injustices in our culture. But all of us have the capacity to pray to the God of heaven and earth who is deeply invested in these issues. We sometimes say, ‘at least we can pray.’ But that denies what prayer is. It is not a matter of last resort. It is the tool that we all have, and it is a mighty tool. Take some time to pray through the Lord’s prayer from the perspective of today’s text. As you pray, think about economic issues in the world today, and the injustices many people face. Pray that God will bring his kingdom of shalom in those places.
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)
The text from yesterday’s devotion on leaving fallen wheat for gleaners from Deuteronomy, and others like it, is exactly the backdrop that Jesus had in mind when he spoke this parable.
In it, a common problem occurs: a rich man is blessed with an abundant harvest, far in excess of what he needs. The same happened to many of us through this COVID season as our bank accounts and portfolios went surprisingly and significantly up. So, the rich man asks the obvious question: “What shall I do?”
And he decides to do what many of us have done: he does some home renovations. “I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones,” he says, “and then I’ll say to myself, ‘Self, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years, Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” Again, we do the same. We think to ourselves, if I can’t store my surplus cash in a cruise or foreign vacation right now, I guess I’ll have to store it in my home renovation instead so that I have a fine place built for many years to come. The point in any case, is to arrive, and take life easy.
The sharp words from Jesus indicate his thoughts on the matter, though: “Fool! This very night your life is demanded from you,” he says, “Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
Ouch. So is Jesus against wealth, vacations, and home renos? Not per se. In this parable Jesus emphasises the words “I,” my,” and “self.” The rich man is all alone and quite content that way: he never discusses with nor thinks of anyone else: not God, and not his neighbours either. It’s a conversation with just me, myself, and I. His wealth has isolated him from community.
But according to the law—wealth is communal. Firstly, land is not owned. It is an inheritance given by God in trust—but the land can be lost due to mismanagement—the land can “spit you out.” So wealth is merely a trusteeship, and therefore has firstly to do with the God who has granted the trust.
Secondly, land is held in trust for the sake of the community, not just for the person whose name happens to be on the deed. If you’ve been given a trust, you had better make sure that payments continue to flow to the proper recipients. In this case: those without homes, land, or money. The Biblical conviction is that the bellies of the poor is best place to store your surplus grain.
This is about more than generosity and giving. It is a question of lifestyle. Will you curtail your lifestyle for the sake of your neighbour in a tent? Would you forgo a trip or a bigger house, skip a night out or refrain from toys and entertainment for them? If not: then in what sense do you love your neighbour as you love yourself?
The wisdom of the world says that we should act like the rich barn builder. Jesus says that’s foolish, and offers a wisdom in response that looks foolish to the rest of the world. The Christian goal is not about building assets to a nice retirement full of travel and leisure or even keeping up with the Jones’. No, you must keep a lifestyle that is humble enough to be able to truly love God first, and your neighbour as yourself. Never does Jesus draw a line to say what that lifestyle is, but if your wealth is a barrier to either of those things, then it may be time to distribute the trust.
“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands” (Deuteronomy 24:19).
This chapter of Deuteronomy is filled with miscellaneous laws, like soup made from leftovers in one’s refrigerator. Without a unifying theme and rooted Israelite life, we are tempted to toss them aside like unwanted Halloween candy.
Determining what to do with such a list of laws is complicated with various proposals on offer. Our text, rooted in an agricultural setting, is foreign to our urban context. However, if we lift the cover just slightly, we might find something of value here.
Some laws are written as principles, others as applications of a principle. I suggest that our text is a mixture of these two. So let us examine it for a moment. Israelite farmers harvested grain this way: first, the reapers would go through the field with some form of scythe leaving the grain laying on the ground; they were followed by those who gathered the fallen stalks and tied them into sheaves; later the sheaves would be carried to the threshing floor.
Both those who tied the grain into sheaves and those who gathered the sheaves did not get all the grain on the initial pass. God tells the farmers not to go over the field a second time, leaving the rest to ‘the foreigner, fatherless and widows.’ Keeping this command is central to the story told in the book of Ruth. In the Hebrew, it literally says, ‘leave it behind for it belongs to the foreigner, fatherless and widows.”
Who are the foreigners, fatherless and widows? They are those without land. The landless had no income. Remember that the land is God’s gift to Israel for their flourishing. Those without land cannot flourish. If the Israelites will be openhanded to the landless God will bless them with abundance. The application and principle are in our text.
So, how do we apply this principle to our urban context?
A two-step process is helpful. First, we must check the attitude of our hearts towards our possessions, especially our money. We can test our hearts with this question: does our stuff belong to us or to the Lord? Psalm 24 opens with these famous words, “the earth is the Lords and everything in it!” Does that include our stuff?
The second step is to examine our budget. Are we setting aside some money to help the poor? Do we support World Renew, Neighbour to Neighbour, Mission Services, etc.? The poor will not come to the fields we don’t own, but they will go to such agencies. I wonder if it would also be a good discipline for us to designate some money to give to the poor that we meet. What would it do for us if we looked someone in the eye, saying, “This is for you, may you be blessed?” Such conduct will likely help us to grow more compassionate.
Think of some other ways to practice this principle in your life. It is said that we teach the heart by practice. We become openhanded with practice. So how will you practice?
A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 12-14 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:29-32)
Yesterday, we mentioned the increasing trend sweeping our society in this late stage of the pandemic to require proof of vaccination status. Many, but not all, of those who have received the vaccine are grateful to be able to jump into full participation in filled-to-capacity venues again: it starts to feel like a sense of “normalcy” has returned, if even just a little.
But there remains a question of who gets left out and what happens to them. Those who remain unvaccinated are not a monolithic crowd. Some have had barriers to accessing the vaccine, others have medical reasons that steer them away, and still others have a healthy—and particularly among racialized groups, a well-founded—distrust of government and public institutions. I have spoken to some who remain unvaccinated at this time and have found some legitimate reasons among them for having elected this choice. So, what happens to them when they show up at the gates with naught but filthy rags to show for themselves?
The gut reaction for many of us is to say: they made their own bed, and they can lay in it. They chose not to participate with the rest of society in this communal effort of getting out of COVID, so why should society now keep a place for them? Choices have consequences. Those who chose to get vaccinated want to get back to normal, so why should that get held up by those who chose not to love their neighbours as well as the vaccinated have?
Well, again, firstly: vaccine hesitancy is not quite that simple. It cannot properly be called “just a choice,” when some people, for no fault of their own, are simply unable. But, more importantly for our purposes in this devotion today: all of us make bad choices that screw up our lives and the lives of others. All of us have deliberately chosen to sin at some point along the way: probably at multiple points. And Jesus keeps a place for us anyway. We call it grace. Jesus eats with us anyway. Forgives us anyway. And yes, is also willing to sacrifice his health, unto death, for us who have chosen to sin against him and our neighbours, anyway.
It is not the law-abiding righteous that Jesus comes for: it’s the sinners. The ones who, like tax collector Levi and Zacchaeus have chosen to think of themselves first and sin against others: those are the ones Jesus continually chooses to eat with. They are the sick ones who need the doctor. And to them: Jesus comes. Will we?
“…keep away from everything impure…Your camp must be holy, so that [the Lord] will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you” (Deuteronomy 23:9, 14).
In the Old Testament, keeping things pure was a big deal. It was not just the people of Israel, but their possessions and the camp (and later the cities) had to be kept pure. This meant that neither people nor possessions could touch anything impure. If they did, these people or things would need to undergo a purification ritual which could last days or weeks. Check out Leviticus for more details.
The big deal regarding purity was simply this: God dwelt among his people. God is pure and cannot abide impurity, so stay pure. During her journey to Canaan Israel is repeatedly warned: do not take God taken lightly; he is not to be trifled with. Israel often got herself into trouble because she did not take her God seriously. People died.
The Old Testament portrays Israel as a people who did not respect God appropriately. However, when the New Testament opens, things had changed. Israel took God so seriously people would not say the name of God aloud. Thus, when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, people refused to believe him. They could not believe that God would condescend to live among humans, as a human.
But this is central to the Christian faith. Jesus dwelt among us to purify us once for all. The writer of Hebrews puts is succinctly, “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:16). And later, “…and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:21-23).
Here is the difference between the testaments: Israel had to make herself pure so that God could dwell among her. Jesus dwells among us to purify us. Before Jesus, the responsibility for purity was on the people. In Jesus, God took on that responsibility. Therefore, John writes, “But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18).
Let us apply this profound Christian reality to our situation today. Because of vaccine passports, our society is being divided, separating out a small percentage of people, and limiting their participation in public life. I am not making a judgement on vaccine passports but stating that these passports effect our public life and intrude into church life. That is one of the dynamics of living in Canada.
My point is that our vaccination status against COVID-19 makes no difference to our status as Christians and thus as members of Christ’s church. And my fear is this: the divide between those with passports and those without can become a kind of purity test. We think we are purer than those on the other side. Such accusations can be hurled from both sides. It is this potential gulf that we must avoid. We are spiritually purified in Christ, and only in Christ.
Moreover, Christ gives each of us his Holy Spirit to be our guide on the journey of discipleship. As Christians, we journey together, but each makes a unique journey as well. Each journey goes by its own speed as the Spirit directs. Yet there are qualities that are part of each journey. Paul writes, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). More than ever, we all need to lean into these, so that we can continue walking together the COVID road.
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:8-12)
It seems so simple, to say that all you need is Jesus and that he’s at the centre of everything. In fact, it often feels too simple to say, and a bit silly to say out loud. Can Jesus really be the answer to every question? Isn’t that the Sunday School answer, and aren’t we supposed to put childish answers behind us and get to the deep adult things already?
But I must tell you: attending church meetings at classis, the denomination, or even nationally and internationally with a mix of denominations and Christian leaders: this is often exactly what I come back to as the solution for most questions of content or procedure. Participating in an in depth theological dialogue in TrueCity around human sexuality this past year, this again is exactly what I came back to. In fact, thinking about how I conduct myself, love God, and love others in any setting from the denominational politicking to the grocery store: this is what I come back to.
Yes, it really is all about Jesus.
Sometimes I come away with that notion because I’ve been deeply touched by an expression of our shared faith or have seen something of God’s work in a particular setting. But, sometimes, and admittedly this is more often the case, I come away with it because of something that went off the rails. Sometimes that something was my own poor conduct.
And so I come back again to Jesus. Sometimes for forgiveness. Sometimes in lament. Always for assurance. Are you still the Lord of the Church today? Yes? Whew. Good, cause I blew it.
Some of us hear these words from Paul about pressing on to take hold of the faith and think it’s really a work that we need to run flat out to accomplish. But, I think the emphasis is actually more on that first part of these verses—the part where Paul says he considers everything else a loss—garbage—compared to simply knowing Jesus.
Because it is Christ who first took hold of us, it’s Christ’s suffering that we participate in, and it is Christ’s resurrection power that somehow, mysteriously attains resurrection for us. Next to that, everything and anything else really can be lost. If we have Jesus and him alone, well, that’s enough.
“If you see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you and keep it until they come looking for it. Then give it back” (Deuteronomy 22:1-2).
We are back in Deuteronomy. Some time ago, I started working through this book, reflecting on a small portion of each chapter. Thanksgiving weekend prompted us to do some different things, but now, let’s return to finish what we started.
Last Monday, as Helena and I were taking our morning walk, a stranger stopped us asking if we had a cigarette. Having been informed that we did not, he asked which bus would give him and his bike a free ride down the mountain. We gave him some possibilities, uncertain of our information, never having needed this service. Later that same day, as I was walking down Mohawk Road, a lady came out of the bus stop shelter asking which bus would take her to a certain destination. Not understanding where she wanted to go, I declined to help her; graciously, I think.
As I walked on, I thought, ‘two in one day’: total strangers interrupting me to ask for things I didn’t have: cigarettes and information. But then I began to wonder about the graciousness of my responses. My words may have been gracious, but my heart didn’t feel very gracious. In fact, I felt both were interruptions. What right did they have to interrupt me? Its not that I had better things to do, but well, what right did these people have asking me for these things? But the Holy Spirit was testing the motives of my heart and found them wanting! If I had sat down for one minute with that lady in the bus stop shelter, I am sure that my phone would have found the answer she needed.
And today, we come to Deuteronomy 22: “If you see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you and keep it until they come looking for it. Then give it back.”
This is an application of the second great commandment, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31). My experiences may have been somewhat different, but close enough. My time is my own, why should I give it to others? That is the way I am wired. But Jesus wants to rewire me.
Reading this text, I remembered the old ditty from the school playground, Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers. A Google search revealed that the first written record of this idea dates all the way back to 200 BC by the Greek playwright Plautus. Could it be that Jesus and the apostles knew of this dictum and countered it? Consider what Paul wrote, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ…in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (cf. Philippians 2:1-4).
I wonder if anyone challenged our school ground values. I do not remember. It seems that the school yard ditty still finds as much resonance in my heart as Jesus’ counter move. The words of Psalm 19 lead us to better ways, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me...May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (13-14).
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. … Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (Revelation 11:1, 19)
This is an odd set of bookends to the 11th chapter of Revelation that we didn’t get to on Sunday.
The first verse or so is likely a reference to the earthly temple that John is told to go and measure. The final verse is about God’s heavenly temple of which that earthly version was only a copy. These are curious, but not unimportant references.
And what they refer to is an assurance that no matter the chaos and uncertainty that God’s people were facing, they were set apart as God’s worshiping community, which was a place ordered, measured, and secure against the uncertainty of the moment.
Not only that, but the place of worship before God was a place that had correspondence with the heavenly temple. And there, in that heavenly temple, God’s presence and promises were real. There was the Ark of the Covenant: God’s throne and mercy seat—the signs of his rule. There was thunder and earthquakes also, the signs of God’s presence.
And, because there was correspondence between earth and heaven through Jesus Christ, the earthly place of worship also became a sanctuary for God’s people. A sanctuary held secure by God’s rule and presence on earth as it is in heaven. Worship creates a little embassy of the Kingdom of God wherever two or three are gathered.
Craig Barnes has a section in his book The Pastor as Minor Poet that speaks to what’s going on here, I think. It goes like this…
He says: “A disaster is anything that makes us feel like the stars are falling down. That’s why it’s called a dis-aster. The late University of Chicago theologian Mircea Eliade claimed that all religions are centered on an axis mundi, or a sacred pole that keeps earth connected to heaven. This can be a totem pole, the center pole of the tribal hut, a temple, or the cross of the Christians. Whenever there is a disaster, no matter how personal or global in scope, people rush to their axis mundi to insure that the heavens are not collapsing on top of them.”1
So whether in the uncertainty or disasters of our present moment or in the uncertainty or disasters of John’s day, the sanctuary of our worship and the cross of Christ give a steady place to return to remind us that no, the sky is not falling. Earth and heaven remain connected and secure because God’s presence is still with us and his rule is still sure.
- Craig Barnes. Pastor as Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), p. 44.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Revelation 10-11 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
DIVE IN QUESTIONS
- If you’ve got time: feed your apocalyptic imagination by reading the following passages!
-Exodus 19:3-19 - Make sure to read the NIV footnote for verse 19! -1 Kings 17:1 - No rain but by the word of Elijah. -Psalm 29 - The God of Glory thunders (see his ‘voice’ 7x). All cry, “Glory!” -Jeremiah 5:14 - My word as fire in your mouth to devour the people as wood. -Ezekiel 37:1-14 - The breath of life enters the dry bones and they stand and live. -Daniel 12 - Angels by the river with a sealed scroll. -Zechariah 2-4 - Measuring line. Priest and King: the “two olive trees.” -Matthew 17:1-13 - Moses & Elijah with Jesus, disappear in the cloud of God’s presence.
Can you think of other passages or Biblical images that feed John’s imagination (or yours!) as he writes Revelation 10-11 or as you hear it read?
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Now over to you: are you on a journey of deconstructing your faith? Do you know others who are? Is it something you’ve heard of? What do you think it means, or what does it mean to you to do this?
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What situation that John and his hearers faced was similar? What was their situation, and in what way did John try to address it?
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What does it mean to eat the scroll?
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What kind of exercise does John recommend?
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2).
Probably one of the most common Christian prayers is the request for God’s blessing. Sometimes we might have the fleeting thought that such prayers are selfish. Its good to know then, that the Bible encourages us to pray this way. After all, some of the Bible’s most famous words are those the priests spoke over Israel, "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
God told the Israelite leaders to bless His people with these words. But have you ever wondered what they mean? When we ask God to bless us, what are we really asking for? Psalm 67 gives us a glimpse into the answer.
From Psalm 13:1 and 89:46ff we learn that when God hides his face from his people it means trouble. It's a poetic image picturing the effects of sin having full licence to do their worst. When God's face is turned towards his people then the effects of the curse are held at bay, even repelled.
The odd thing is that when God turned His face away from Jesus in the darkest hour of Jesus' life, God was turning his face fully towards us. During those darkest hours that this world has ever known, in those events that led Jesus to cry out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" this same God was pouring out his blessings upon us.
It's true that when we ask God to bless us, we are often praying from selfish motives. Richard Foster tells us that all prayers begin here. But as we continue to pray, the motivations begin to change. Real prayer changes our motivations. Rather than looking fully towards our own interests we move towards Gods.
In prayer we turn our faces towards God. As we gaze upon Him our petty motivations and desires crumble away. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we become absorbed with the great works of God.
This is where Psalm 67 leads us. God's blessings towards us serve the larger purposes of His redemptive acts in Christ. We are blessed so that others may know the great ways of God, so that they will know how great Israel's God is. God blesses us so that we can bless others.
But there is even more to it than that. The structure of the psalm suggests that verse 4 is the heart of the matter. We are blessed so that the nations will join us in glad songs of praise to our God. In the end, all nations will be gathered about the throne of God and the Lamb. To that end, God blesses us.
So, as you go off to work or school or play, consider how all the things God gives you are given as part of his purposes to redeem the world. How can you pass on the blessings God gives you? Think about it this way, God gives us buckets to collect his blessings. But the buckets are full of holes so that the blessings will flow out to other places and people. We tend to plug the holes, causing the blessings to rot in our hands.
Rather than plug the holes, let’s ask for God’s blessings and let them flow so that the world can sing God’s praise with us.
I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. (Revelation 10:10a)
What are you eating these days? What does your diet consist of?
We’ve talked the past couple days in these devotions about the prevalent trend of deconstructing one’s faith. I wonder sometimes if part of the reason this has caught on is because we have access to such a smorgasbord of information and impressions these days.
With the digital revolution, a few things happened. Firstly, we gained access to encyclopedic knowledge of almost anything. We now have the power in our pocket to “research it for ourselves” in a fast and efficient way that previous generations couldn’t.
Secondly, private space disappeared. What was once private became and continues to become public. Abuse scandals long hidden from view behind bureaucracies began emerging into public light with increasing speed, and especially in these last years since the #metoo movement. Indeed, the #metoo movement was just one of the examples of what were once private stories emerging into public space. And that’s been a good thing.
But the loss of private space has meant more. Increasingly, we live our lives publicly, and this happens, I think, largely because of and through social media. We reveal our thoughts, opinions, emotions, and intimate moments publicly with pictures, videos, and unfiltered text, feeling an increasing need and desire to document these things for public consumption. We contribute to this “public-ation” of our private affairs when we post content, but I’m interested today more in the volume of content we’re exposed to when we pick up our devices.
Because when you put all that exposure together: we are ingesting more information about everything than we ever were before. Sometimes that leaves us feeling knowledgeable, but increasingly, it leaves us feeling uncertain in the face of so much complexity. Especially when the info we get is about the abuses and sins of leaders, influencers, and institutions like the church. We no longer know who to trust. And the increasing offers of alternative beliefs, identities, and lifestyles just confuses us further.
This, I think, is what we are increasingly consuming. This is what our diet consists of. We no longer have the privilege of innocent or naïve belief. We know the stains on the church and its leaders, we know other people believe different things, and believe things differently. And: given this information overload, we feel increasingly inept at figuring out how to know or believe anything for ourselves.
So, an old school, non-digital invitation for you today. Whether you’re on a journey of deconstructing, reconstructing, or just plainly bewildered and unsure where you sit, try this: change your diet. Put the phone down, and eat your Bible instead. Better yet: share that meal others in embodied community where you can chew it over together.
We’re always ingesting and consuming something. But maybe a better diet would leave us feeling more calm, rested, and regular. John the Revelator is our patron saint for this diet. He takes the scroll of scripture and eats it. In other words, he doesn’t just read the Bible: he chews it over, swallows it, lets it nourish him and become part of his body and life. Far from leaving him in uncertainty or with canned, abstract truths, this scripture-diet brought John a vision of heaven on earth in new creation where all things are set right and made new by our Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe that’s a diet worth trying.
Jesus replied, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).
Before we return to Deuteronomy, I want to follow up on Pastor Anthony’s reflection on Deconstruction. It truly is all the buzz today. In fact, a daily email I subscribe to began yesterday’s reflection with the phrase ‘deconstructing faith’. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add my two cents to the conversation.
This will not be a ‘Debbie downer’ devotion. Let me set the stage with two personal experiences. Growing up I thought the Christian Reformed Church was ‘the church’. We had it right, everyone else had it, if not wrong, at least less right. But then, in my early 20s the denomination sort of blew up over the issues of women in ecclesiastical office and differing interpretations of Genesis 1. I discovered that we did not have it all figured out. I also saw that the church can be a dangerous community. Some people went to other churches, some quit the church altogether, their faith deconstructed by the behaviour of church members. I know that some of you still bear the wounds of those days. I was starting to deconstruct.
Then I was ordained in this wobbly denomination, having been called to my first congregation. A few years in, I sat at my desk when it hit me rather hard, “I had no idea what I was doing!” Out there was a congregation expecting me to lead them, but what did it mean to lead a congregation? Every book I read had a different take on the answer. About the same time, I preached a sermon titled, ‘Growing up into Christ’ based on Ephesians 4. Halfway through preaching the sermon I was shocked to realize that I didn’t know very much about growing up into Christ at all. I was quite deconstructed.
So, I did the most logical thing, I went back to school to study leadership and discipling. It was helpful, but it was not the solution. Every year there are still dozens of books published about how to lead the church. They all have a different slant. Books about making disciples of Jesus are probably just as numerous. These books are helpful but not the answer.
The answer that reconstructed me is in our text. “I will build my church,” says Jesus, “and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Without fail, the church is led by sinful humans who are struggling to be disciples of Jesus. It’s been 2000 years since Jesus made this claim, and the church still hasn’t got it figured out. But that is not fatal. We don’t need to get it figured out; we don’t need to get it all right. Despite us, Jesus continues to build his church.
Here is something else to think about: sometimes, maybe often, Jesus needs to deconstruct the edifice we humans call church so that he can build his church. I think that COVID is something our Lord is using to do some deconstructing. This is difficult, its painful. We lose things, things that are precious to us. But they must go so that he can build something better.
I used to worry lots about the church, especially about the congregations I served. Not so much anymore. Maybe that’s progress in discipleship. Congregations may fall apart, maybe our denomination is slated for total deconstruction. If this happens it will be very painful, I will weep. But Jesus will build his church. He does not need the Christian Reformed denomination and he doesn’t need Immanuel. And as painful as that may be for us invested in these, it is also good news.
Jesus is building his church. I don’t think that our Lord defines church in terms of incorporated congregations and denominations. Rather, when Jesus’ said, “I will build my church” he meant groups of people who believed what Peter had just confessed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16). Jesus keeps deconstructing what we try to build, so that he can construct something better. I have discovered that it doesn’t matter so much that I don’t know what I am doing, Jesus continues to build his church. That’s good news.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
Today, we’re talking about deconstruction. The term has been around in a popular form for a while, but over the last five years, and especially since COVID, it’s really taken off.
Most people or most of us, when we use the term aren’t using it like the academics. That is, to refer to the post-modern philosophical work of Jacques Derrida that sought to get behind the context and structure of texts, language, and the assumptions of the Western world.
I think more people are latching onto the term in a popular sense, to describe a journey of questioning their assumptions and beliefs in questions like this: How does one know what’s true? How do we know if there is a God? What about race, power, privilege, gender, and sexuality? How can we trust institutions, including the church, that repeatedly let us down because of things like broken promises, their defence of injustice and inequality, and these ever-present scandals of abuse?
There are a lot of doubts that arise these days stemming from just these sorts of questions. And, perhaps that’s why I’ve been hearing this term “deconstruction” around a lot more in the last few months from pretty much anyone and everyone under the age of 40.
It can feel like this is a new phenomena in the church and the Christian faith. It can feel like people are tearing down the foundations of everything that holds up their faith, world, and notions of the truth. And that’s a scary, isolating feeling.
But, I don’t think this notion of deconstructing one’s faith is necessarily a new idea. Christians have been doing it since the beginning. In the past it’s been called by names like “doubt,” or perhaps even better, “the dark night of the soul.” A time when everything in our faith seems to get stripped, or burned away, as Paul says it in 1 Corinthians. It can feel like even we ourselves might get swept away in the inferno as the walls of our beliefs and institutions collapse.
But there’s a promise hidden in this passage, and it’s been echoed by long centuries of Christian experience in those dark nights of the soul. And it’s this: that even if everything in our faith and world was constructed with shoddy forms, heretical beliefs, and abusive leaders and influencers. Even so, at the end of the deconstruction or burning away of everything we once knew and held dear: we will find that if our faith was built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, it will remain and we with it, even if it is just as one escaping through the flames.
This, I think, is what it means to cling to the cross of Christ through the dark night of one’s soul. When everything else dies away, burns up, or is taken from us we discover ourselves right there with Christ on the cross crying out: “why have you forsaken me?” But on that cross facing the death of everything we know: we are not alone. Jesus is right there, saving us.
And upon that solid foundation, the only solid foundation, we can seek to rebuild again. Deconstruction is not the end of the journey. The Christian faith is generative: it always ends in new Creation. New Construction. Life.
One last note: if you know someone that’s struggling through a journey of deconstructing their faith, pass this on to them. I’ve breezed through a really hard journey in a couple minutes in this podcast, which is obviously not how it goes in real life. It can be an agonizing season that spans years of one’s life. But I also believe that this is what pastors and the Christian community are for: to journey with one another through just these dark valleys in embodied community so that the questions of our darkness find their way into the healing light of the day. Don’t leave someone to the social media algorithms’ solutions: walk with them. And if this podcast has described your own journey at all: I’d be happy to talk and ask the hard questions with you too. Reach out. Let me know.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Phil. 4:6).
Some spiritual work needs to be done to get over the first phrase this text, "Don't be anxious about anything." It may take a lot of spiritual work.
It is helpful to note that Paul is locked in prison and the Philippians are facing stiff persecution. Neither author nor recipients are in pleasant circumstances. Yet Paul gives the instruction not to worry.
One person defined worry as "the futile, frustrating, debilitating attempt to bear the burdens of life and especially of the future, ourselves, alone." That gets to the heart of it, doesn't it?
The key behind Paul's command is the faith that God is in control. It is the reminder we need. Many of us are duped into believing that when things go bad, God has abandoned us. Paul doesn't believe that at all. He has no illusions that faith in Jesus will result in an easy life.
There is a larger perspective at work here. The universe is not here to make us happy. Rather, God is bringing all things towards an end in which His purposes are accomplished and in which He will be glorified.
This does not mean that when we have difficult things, we should ignore them or imagine that God doesn't care. Rather, Paul says, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. God does care. He holds us in His arms. He is not indifferent to our pain.
The point is that we don't walk into the future alone. We enter tomorrow in the shadow of God Himself, following the "Good Shepherd." This truth diminishes our worry and replaces it with thanksgiving.
This is not easy. And the point is not that we should get rid of our worry before we pray. Rather, we need to pray our worry. In prayer, we draw close to God, our redeemer and friend, our sovereign Lord. Prayer lists are a good thing, but they are not the main thing about prayer.
In God’s presence our anxiety is replaced with an inner peace, and we are drawn out of the confines of our small worlds and into the workings of God's Kingdom. In prayer, we stop lamenting about the crumbling of our little kingdom and become eager to see God’s great kingdom of shalom.
We cannot contrive the discipline of thanksgiving. Spending time with God gives him opportunity to adjust our lives. Our anxiety is replaced with thanksgiving for His goodness.
An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! Today we welcome guest, Renita Reed-Thomson. The text is Genesis 1:26-31, 2:15 from the New International Version of the Bible.
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So: what does it mean to be saved? I mean, we say it all the time, but what does it mean? If we’re going to be thankful for our salvation in Christ, this seems like an important question.
So what does it mean to be saved? Well: our first inclination in answering this question usually involves a pretty heady answer. We’ll offer some doctrine on the theory of the atonement, attempting to dot all the right “i’s” and cross all the right “t’s” to ensure that our answer comes down clearly as “truth.” So we’ll say Jesus died for our sins; paid the penalty for our sins for us, took the wrath of God upon himself—something like that.
But these answers are more about the mechanics of how God saved us. How God got us from being sinful people to saved people. And it must be noted that the church has spoke in terms of “theories” of the atonement, because while we know and believe that it happened—that Jesus died for us—we remain somewhat unsure of what all exactly did happen to make us right and well with God when Jesus died, was buried, rose, and ascended. So, we have theories: different pictures that the Bible offers to help us understand it, but not necessarily a clear winner that topples all the rest.
Ok, but that aside: even having laid down a good, faithful, and truthful answer about the doctrine of salvation—we still would not have really answered the question posed at the beginning, “what does it mean to be saved?”
Because a question like that is actually quite a bit more subjective. It’s a question about where God’s salvation in Christ meets us: real human people with real human problems and real particular struggles and sins.
After having been born and raised as a Christian all my life, it was finally in seminary that I discovered the answer to this question in my life—and not because of the education I was getting in theology.
I had spent much time through my younger years trying to “save myself” from the threat of divorce that had broken apart a number of marriages in my family. So I attempted to force dating relationships to work that really didn’t work, and burned myself out in the process. I realized in reflection that what I had really been seeking, was salvation. Not from some abstract concept of Sin: but from a very particular historical manifestation of Sin in my family history that I feared would swallow me up too—divorce. And I had been seeking this salvation by my own works. I was single-handedly attempting to redeem my own sin-broken family history.
But here’s the thing: I’m not the saviour. And that work is just too big for me. It burned me out. But then I remembered: I already have a Savior who saves and redeems from all our Sin and sin-broken realities, including broken-families like mine. All at once, the Word was made flesh and moved into my life. All of a sudden it clicked, and I knew what Salvation meant to me. A huge weight was lifted and joy and thanksgiving spilled right out of me.
So, if you’re going to be thankful for your salvation in Christ, this is an important question: what does it mean in your life to be saved by Jesus?
“…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
We continue with the theme of Thanksgiving. The Heidelberg Catechism can be helpful in this reflection. The question which sets the stage for the whole catechism is, "How can we live in the comfort of the gospel?" There are three things: "first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance" (Q/A 2). The rest of the catechism fleshes these three out.
Thus, a key component of the Christian life is thanksgiving. Not thanksgiving for food, work, health, or family but for our salvation. Does that ring true of our lives?
Is it possible that many of us Christians take our salvation for granted? As a church, we get involved in many good things, but do we forget that redemption is at the heart of it all? Are we not here only because God has chosen to redeem us?
So, the question comes, "How are we to thank God for such deliverance"? In part of its answer, the Catechism picks up the image of a priest. In the Old Testament, the priests took the offerings the Israelites brought to God and burnt them on the alter. But Jesus, the final priest, offered himself. The cross was his alter. In imitation of Jesus, we no longer bring things to God, we bring ourselves. Of course, some of our stuff may tag along with us. But the emphasis is on us, not our stuff.
Later, we get an explanation of how this happens. When the question is asked, “Why must Christians do good?”, the answer comes, "We do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us..." (A86).
In my opinion, this is one of the best lines in the HC. Did you notice the sequence? We do good not by trying harder, nor by memorizing the ten commandments or even the Catechism. We do good because “Christ by His Spirit is renewing us to be like himself.”
Wow! This is a wonderful summary of the Christian life: Christ by His Spirit is renewing me to be like Himself. Or as our text says, ‘we, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Someone else, that is God, is doing the building. Isn't that great? That is what the Christian life is all about.
So how do we give thanks? How do we offer ourselves as living sacrifices? By getting in step with the Spirit. We do that by reading the Scriptures and praying, thereby submitting ourselves to Christ's work in us; we do it by intentionally gathering with God's people to worship Him; we do it by offering our stuff, including our money, to God for his use.
The Bible says, "Humble yourself before Him and he will lift you up." Humility is the way to open ourselves to the Spirit's work. Humility will lead us to thanksgiving. Thanksgiving cannot be fabricated for one weekend. It’s either a core ingredient of our lives or it’s not.