apocalyptical

Epistle for September 10, 2023

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Romans 13:8-14
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Paul articulates the same royal law of love (James 2:8) taught by Jesus and later by his brother James. Jesus declares that all the law and the prophets are fulfilled in the commandments to love God and love one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

Here, Paul focuses exclusively on the horizontal expression of the law of love that deals with human relationships. Interestingly, he argues that the Christian should be free of any sense of indebtedness except the debt of love:

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

This is part of a larger discussion of Christian responsibility. Paul insists that the grace-filled life of the Christian means true liberty from legalism — but in contrast, he does acknowledge that freedom must be exercised responsibly. In relation to governing authorities, paying taxes, honor and respect to those in authority, Paul says this:

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake (Romans 13:5).

Thus the Christian, though free, is still to live as a responsible and conscientious citizen of the city or nation in which he or she may find themselves.

Paul’s next discussion of the law of love in relation to the Mosaic law is interesting. We are reminded that he has presented a very nuanced view of the Mosaic law throughout the theological portion of Romans, arguing that the law is holy and just and good but also arguing that the law itself has no power to save us, nor can anyone except Jesus perfectly fulfill the law.

But the Christian who has been saved by grace through faith, and filled with the Spirit of Christ, is also empowered to love. And all of the Mosaic law, including the Ten Commandments are fulfilled in the law of love:

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

It is important to note that this law regarding love of neighbor is an Old Testament law from Leviticus 19:18. Paul has never repudiated the law and the prophets, only their false interpretations. Note also that the four commandments Paul specifically cites from the Decalogue relate to our horizontal relationships with other human beings.

And there is an urgency to his exhortations about how Christians are to live. His view of time is eschatological. One doesn’t know when time will end, so it is imperative to live well:

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near.

Paul is not engaging in any apocalyptical speculation so rampant today. He is simply stating the obvious — that every day one is closer to the end of the age. And that day is nearer today than it was yesterday. This is a call to wakefulness and awareness, because, as Jesus teaches:

Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes… Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come (Matthew 24:42,44).

In light of this awareness, that the day is near, Paul exhorts us:

Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

His imagery contrasts night and day, with darkness suggesting behavior that is associated with night-time revels (drunkenness and sexual debauchery) as well as interpersonal conflict (strife and jealousy). And light becomes a palpable thing — the armor of light that we are to put on clothes us with protection. Indeed, he extends the metaphor, that we are to put on Christ — like the light, Christ is to envelop us.

And Paul reminds us of a metaphor that prevails throughout Scripture — we are to walk properly, as in the day. The imagery of walking with God, and walking in God’s ways, is scattered throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. And it is readily apparent that walking is far easier in the light than in darkness! We are to:

walk in the light, as he (God) is in the light (1 John 1:7).

We also see the contrast of flesh and spirit, and are reminded of Paul’s earlier declaration:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:5-6).

Making provision for the flesh and its lusts leads to death; the Spirit leads to life and peace.

APPLY:

The law of love is at the heart of Christian ethical teaching. The New Testament appropriation of this principle insists that it sums up all the law and the prophets. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Jesus or Paul or James are negating the Old Testament law, but that love is the foundation for obedience to the law.

Do we go to church out of duty, or because we love God? Do we tithe because it is a rule, or because it is a measured means of expressing our love? Do we visit the sick or feed the hungry because we were told to do so, or because we care? The answer is pretty clear — we do these things, and obey the principles of the law not because they are legalisms, but because they offer guidance in loving God and neighbor.

Augustine of Hippo once said:

Once for all, then, a short precept is given you: Love, and do what you will… let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good (Augustine’s Homily 7 on 1 John 4:4-12).

There is an irrefutable logic here:

If you love, you won’t commit adultery, which damages entire families, not just the two people involved.
If you love, you won’t murder — the ultimate unloving act.
If you love, you won’t steal — depriving someone else of the right to their own property is a selfish, unloving thing to do.
If you love, you won’t covet — covetousness is the inner root of dissatisfaction that leads to envy and jealousy and lust and disharmony with others and ourselves.

It is impossible to think of an instance when love fails to fulfill the proper regard between God and ourselves, between ourselves and others, and within our own mind and soul.

The Apostle John sums it up this way:

We love him, because he (God) first loved us (1 John 4:19).

When we love, we become most like God.

RESPOND:

Many years ago when I was in college I had a roommate who had been recently saved. He was zealous in his church attendance and in his witnessing to others. But I remember one time having a conversation with him about the love commandments of Jesus, and the commandments of love that permeate all the Scriptures.

He seemed completely puzzled. This conversation was at least ten years prior to Tina Turner’s troubling song, “What’s love got to do with it?” But that seemed to be his attitude — what’s love got to do with being a Christian?

I was every bit as puzzled by his attitude as he was by mine. Christianity without love is like walking in the total darkness of night. Christianity without love is like living in the world of Fight Club instead of a loving family. Christianity without love makes religion into a set of rules instead of a Spirit-led walk with God guided by the principle of love.

When we forget to love as God has loved us, we forget that we too have been those unlovely and unlovable selfish broken creatures for whom Christ died:

But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Our Lord, your command to love is inspiring, but impossible without your love living and working in and through us. May we walk in your light and bring others into your light as well. Amen.

 PHOTOS:
"Romans 13:12" by ~Pawsitive~Candie_N is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for November 20, 2022

Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Jeremiah 23:5 [World English Bible]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jeremiah uses a familiar metaphor for the spiritual and political leaders of Judah — shepherds and their flocks. He draws a sharp contrast between the inadequate shepherds that now lead Judah and those shepherds whom God will raise up to care for the nation. The corrupt shepherds aren’t merely the spiritual leaders, such as priests, but those who have administrative and political responsibilities as well.

Jeremiah accuses these shepherds, who are responsible for feeding the flock, of scattering and driving the flock away and not visiting them. This last accusation, that they haven’t visited suggests a lack of connection and community, and even a lack of empathy.

To round out his warning to these shepherds of Woe, Jeremiah says that because they have not visited the flock, the Lord warns:

behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, says Yahweh.

This verse illustrates an important principle of reciprocity in the Scriptures. Evil behavior brings evil consequences. We see this again and again in Scripture:

Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him (Proverbs 26:27).

And:

Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (Galatians 6:7-8).

But then Jeremiah’s oracle takes a very positive and hopeful turn:

I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

This verse provides historical context. It seems apparent that this prophesy of Jeremiah comes some time after the first siege of Jerusalem by Babylon’s armies in 598 B.C. After Jerusalem was surrendered by Jehoiachin, there was the first of two deportations. At this time, though, Jerusalem was spared the total destruction that would occur in 587 B.C.

But Jeremiah sees that God will return a remnant of the exiles home again — and uses the same metaphor as earlier, that they are scattered like sheep and will be gathered together once more:

I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says Yahweh.

These shepherds will be good priests and rulers who will make sure the flock is cared for.

However, Jeremiah’s attention turns toward an even more ideal ruler. He makes reference to a future day:

Behold, the days come….

This seems to be more eschatological than the reference to the plural shepherds, because he speaks of the descendant of David, who is a messianic figure:

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

The reign of the righteous Branch of David, or of Jesse, is a prophecy that has been made by other prophets (Isaiah 11:1; Zechariah 3:8, 6:12). These prophecies derive from Yahweh’s direct promise to David that he would have a dynasty forever:

Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

The Messianic nature of this descendant of David is made clear in the next verse:

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.

This exalted name — Yahweh our righteousness — suggests a Messiah whose character is intimately related to the righteousness of God himself.

APPLY:

Who are the shepherds today? Are they pastors, bishops, teachers, mayors, governors, senators? What are their responsibilities to the flocks they serve?

Jeremiah gives us insight — shepherds are to unite their flocks, not scatter them or drive them away; they are to connect with their flocks; they are to feed them, not merely by meeting their physical needs, but spiritual needs.

But even good shepherds are no substitute for the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Jeremiah’s prophecy has been read for 2000 years as the prophecy of The Messiah, Jesus. Only Jesus, as revealed in the New Testament, who feeds the hungry, heals the sick, comforts the hopeless; who has been raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, could possibly be the king who reigns with wisdom and justice and righteousness, and who brings salvation.

Only Jesus is the rightful Son of David, according to the genealogies of both Matthew and Luke (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:31); and he is referred to repeatedly in the New Testament as the son of David.

Moreover, only Jesus can possibly fulfill the criteria implied by such a lofty title as Yahweh our righteousness. Jesus is referred to in the New Testament as the “sinless one” (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). And he is God in the flesh! (John 1:1,14; Colossians 1:13-16). Only such a Christ can be our Lord and King, and the Lord our righteousness.

RESPOND:

[A Note from Celeste:
Tom originally wrote this Bible study in 2016. He passed away in 2018.
Since the lectionary cycles every 3 years, I am able to re-post his studies on the lectionary Scriptures with the current year’s dates.
It seems as though not much has changed in the political climate of our country and denomination since Tom wrote this.]

The United States recently completed one of the ugliest and most controversial elections in memory.

And my own denomination seems to be on the verge of schism, with bishops and pastors trying desperately to reach compromise that seems unlikely.

I feel helpless to do anything — but that doesn’t keep me from joining in with family and friends in constant discussion of all of these things.

But after I have talked and debated and discussed and speculated, I usually come around to the same conclusion — ultimately, the only real solution will come when Jeremiah’s prophecy comes to pass:

Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

This is not an evasion of our human responsibility to govern and take care of the flocks. Human shepherds are placed in positions of leadership so that they may do the very best they can to be wise, just and righteous leaders. But the only ultimate solution to all of our human problems and needs is found in the King who will reign over his Kingdom forever. And while we must be faithful in our work in the world today, we also pray earnestly for Christ’s return.

Lord, my responsibilities are relatively small, but I pray that you may make me a good shepherd. And I also pray for the reign of the Son of David, who will bring wisdom, justice and righteousness forever and ever. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“New Life at the Arboretum” by Mr. TinDC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for November 13, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 65:17-25
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

When a book has been around as long as the Bible, there are bound to be plenty of arguments about its origins, its purpose, and even its authorship. That is certainly true of one of the major books of prophecy in the Old Testament — Isaiah. The traditional view is that Isaiah was written by one man, who beheld the vision of Yahweh in the temple in the year that King Uzziah died.

Many modern scholars, however, note that the oracles of Isaiah appear to span centuries — from around 740 B.C., to the time of Cyrus the Persian king in 549 B.C., and after the return of the Jews from exile after 537 B.C. If so, they argue, Isaiah would have been very old — or that the book of Isaiah was perhaps actually written by at least three different people.

My opinion on this subject is at the end of this blog in the “Response” section.

What is more important here is the theme of Isaiah 65. This is a chapter of immense hope and lyrical beauty. On one hand, Isaiah is addressing the community of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from exile in Persia around 537 B.C., and who find themselves in discouraging and demoralizing circumstances. On the other hand, Isaiah is speaking a timeless word to all who hope in God.

God promises:

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth…

This is an apocalyptical passage, that foresees a new creation to replace this world. This passage seems to be alluded to in 2 Peter 3:13, and Revelation 21:1-2:

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.

These are clearly apocalyptical passages that link New Testament eschatology to Old Testament prophecies.

A word of comfort comes for those who may remember the horrors of siege and war, and the humiliation of exile and bondage:

the former things will not be remembered,
nor come into mind.

A central point for the new heavens and new earth will be Jerusalem, which will be a delight, where:

the voice of weeping and the voice of crying
will be heard in her no more.

There are several other malignancies that will be no more as well. Infant mortality and premature death of the aged will be no more, and life spans increased (verse 20) — for people who had seen too much of death, this was surely a welcome promise.

Their property, homes and vineyards would not be occupied and enjoyed by others. Moreover:

the days of my people will be like the days of a tree,
and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands.

Their work and their families would be blessed by God, with the promise of descendants who would see peace and prosperity:

They will not labor in vain,
nor give birth for calamity;
for they are the offspring of Yahweh’s blessed,
and their descendants with them.

Perhaps even more significantly, Yahweh would anticipate their prayers before they reach out to him:

It will happen that, before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

And in Isaiah’s vision, even the creatures of the natural world will be in harmony with one another. Natural enemies will coexist in peace:

“The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
Dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,”
says Yahweh.

It is easy to see why Isaiah’s vision is applied by New Testament authors to the end of days when Christ returns.

APPLY:

Ultimately the People of God are focused much more on the future than on the past. We have held before us the vision of new heavens and a new earth that will overshadow the disappointments and defeats of the past. In fact, we will be able to forget those sad memories:

the former things will not be remembered,
nor come into mind.

Isaiah’s prophecy is obviously speaking to people in a particular context, who have experienced high infant mortality and short, miserable lives, and whose houses and lands have been appropriated by invaders. This is a reminder to us that God’s promises are not merely “abstract” and “spiritual.” God is the creator of the world that we enjoy, and he called it good in Genesis 1.

This vision even extends to the natural order. We may think of the painting by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), the Quaker artist and religious minister who painted “The Peaceable Kingdom” depicting oxen and lions and sheep and wolves and leopards and human infants all coexisting together — not to mention Native Americans and Europeans in harmony in the background! But we also may see the promise that St. Paul envisions in Romans 8:19-21:

For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

All creation will be restored, along with the human order, when the new heavens and new earth are revealed.

RESPOND:

Does it matter whether the book of Isaiah was written by one author or by three? When I was a fairly new graduate from seminary, where I’d learned some of these theories, I admit it bothered me. And then one evening after a Bible study I mentioned my concern to a high school English teacher. She fired back at me, “Do we really care whether Shakespeare wrote all of his masterpieces or not?”

What she was alluding to was the argument among Shakespeare scholars that he couldn’t possibly have had the breadth and depth of knowledge about so many things to have written all the works attributed to him. But would it make any difference if Christopher Marlowe or John Webster or Edward de Vere, or even Queen Elizabeth wrote some of the plays?

If someone could prove that a single man named Isaiah wrote all 66 chapters of his book, would it detract from the fact that Isaiah’s book has been called a “Fifth Gospel” because it points to the coming and ministry of Christ more than any other book in the Old Testament?

Well, I’ll admit that it would bother me a little. Partly because such views begin with a presupposition that the Isaiah living in the 8th century in Jerusalem couldn’t possibly have known about the exile of Judah in Babylon, or the rise of Cyrus the Persian who allowed the Jews to return to Judah in 538 B.C.

But if we believe that the Scriptures are inspired by God, why is it not possible that God revealed these future events even to Isaiah centuries before they occurred? If we remove the supernatural element from the Scriptures — well, we don’t have much left, do we?

I would argue that no one knows for sure. As Paul says:

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Lord, thank you for the vision of the “Peaceable Kingdom.” That vision of hope transcends all doubts and questions and disappointments we may have in this uncertain world. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“The Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks is in the Public Domain.

Gospel for August 14, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:49-56
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

How different is this Jesus from the Sunday School version that we gravitate toward! True, he has taught and modeled love and forgiveness and healing and hope. But the teaching of Jesus in our Gospel reading for this week reveals the prophetic side of Jesus — the realist who is warning his disciples about the inevitable divisions that will occur because of his ministry.

His warnings are dire, and they seem to hearken back to his cousin John the Baptist’s denunciations early in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus says:

I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!

John had forecast this prior to his arrest and execution, when he held forth at the Jordan River:

I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. 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 granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Luke 3:16-17).

It doesn’t seem much of a stretch to imagine that Jesus is remembering John’s prophecy, and is calling attention to it. What is this fire? According to John’s proclamation, it is associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

If John is a transitional character from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the prophet Malachi probably is one of the several voices that forecasts John. In Malachi 3, he speaks of the Messenger who will come to prepare the way of the Lord. And then he says this of the day of the Lord’s coming:

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness (Malachi 3:2-3).

Clearly, from a prophetic perspective the fire comes as a source of purification — and that is one thing that Jesus will accomplish through his death. His baptism is not a mere ritual — it is nothing less than crucifixion.

But even more troubling than his desire that the fire may be kindled is his prediction of conflict. He hasn’t come to bring peace, but division. His gospel is not a “do-it-yourself” improvement project. His teachings, and his life death and resurrection require a radical choice to follow him. And that means a break with the status quo.

Even families will be divided:

From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:

father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

To some extent, Jesus has faced this division even in his own household. On one occasion, his own family was seeking “face time” with him:

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:19-21).

To be sure, his mother was with him in the end when he was nailed to the cross, and after the resurrection; and his brother James became not only a believer but the first leader of the church in Jerusalem. But his message is quite clear — his true family consists of those who are radically committed to fulfilling the gospel message. And as we see throughout the Gospels, the disciples who truly follow Jesus are willing to give up land, careers and family.

Jesus also warns the crowds that they must be astute about discerning the events that are unfolding around them. While we might be tempted to interpret his statement along apocalyptic lines, the truth may be more immediate. Tensions are rising between himself and the authorities in Jerusalem that he knows will end in his own crucifixion. He is telling them that if they can forecast the weather, they should be able to see what is about to happen to him:

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

It seems clear from the context that he is advising the crowds to interpret the present time in which they are living. What they will witness when he arrives in Jerusalem will kindle a fire that will purify the world!

APPLY:

It is okay to admit that there are some things that Jesus says that trouble us. He meant to trouble us, in order to bring us to repentance and discipleship.

But Jesus isn’t necessarily gentle and meek — at least not in the modern interpretation of those words. He yearns for the fire to be kindled. Even if we believe that this fire represents the work of the Holy Spirit, we cannot escape the fact that the work of the Holy Spirit will only be commenced through his own death and resurrection.

Besides, fire does purify. But it also destroys. We remember what Paul says to the Corinthian church. He tells them that the only foundation on which he builds the church is Jesus Christ. But then he goes on:

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

What the fire doesn’t destroy will be tempered and purified.

So, we are called upon to decide — will we follow him, or will we turn away?

RESPOND:

[Note from Celeste: Tom wrote this post in August, 2016. 2022 is not an election year, but our denomination is still facing the possibility of schism.]

We are in an election year. And my own denomination is facing the possibility of schism. Someone has said, “you can’t be a centrist anymore. You can’t stay on the fence. You will have to decide. ”

I believe that the Scriptures are clear concerning the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and the call to discipleship and holiness. I don’t believe that there is any equivocation about right and wrong.

Still, it is up to each generation to read and apply the Scriptures to our lives and our circumstances in our present time.

Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian from the 20th century, was once quoted in Time magazine:

“[Barth] recalls that 40 years ago he advised young theologians ‘to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.'” (Time, May 31, 1963).

Granted, fewer and fewer people read newspapers anymore, but the meaning is still the same — be aware of the world around you and current events as well as the Scriptures.

Let me be clear — I don’t interpret this to mean that current events and the Bible are equal. The Bible is the timeless Word of God. But I do believe that the Bible intersects every era of history, and challenges each generation to discipleship.

I also don’t believe that it is healthy or helpful to try to read the signs of the times concerning the Second Coming of Christ. While I believe with all my heart in the return of Christ at the end of the age, I think there is ample evidence in Scripture that we are not to waste our time and energy with speculation and apocalypticism.

Instead, we are to be ready and faithful in our own time by applying the teachings of Scripture to our own lives and to the world around us, as we seek to evangelize the world, make disciples, feed the hungry, care for the poor, visit the sick.

Lord, sometimes your words comfort me — and sometimes your words trouble me. I know it is not up to you to accommodate me — it is up to me to conform to your Word. Help me to understand your Word, and then to follow it. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Luke 12 verse 49" uses this photo:
"Fire" by Al Bee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license./pre>

Gospel for August 7, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:32-40
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This short passage is a word of encouragement to Jesus’ disciples. He knows that it won’t be long before he is arrested and crucified. He is also looking beyond his own death and resurrection to his return at the end of the age.

But he also knows that his followers will experience persecution, adversity and even martyrdom — these things will begin the moment he is arrested, and they will continue until the moment he returns.

So he says to them:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

This is a statement of faith — but it is a faith grounded in certainty. Jesus knows the Father, and knows his Father’s love for his little flock. The kingdom is promised, and will come.

However, there is a cost to following Jesus, and he does not refrain from telling them what his followers must do — he tells them not to be attached to their possessions, but to sell them and give to the poor. There is a reasonable logic to this — if his followers have been promised the kingdom, why do they need to focus on the wealth of this life? Their priority is the kingdom of God, not earthly treasure:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus turns his attention to the anticipation of the end of the age. He counsels preparation. In a lovely metaphor, he says:

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.

The image of a wedding banquet is a common metaphor in Scripture for the heavenly feast that God prepares at the end of time. So the return of the master from the wedding banquet is eschatological. Having the lamps lit is likely a reminder that they are to be conscientious and expectant as they await his return.

And then there is an astonishing reversal. When the master returns to his house, he will serve the slaves instead of the slaves serving him!

Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

And finally, in another startling metaphor, he speaks of being prepared for his return by comparing himself to a thief!

But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

His point is important to remember — no one knows when the Son of Man will come, so his followers must be ready at all times.

His word about the end of the age is one of both comfort and caution. He assures his little flock that it is God’s pleasure to give them the kingdom. However, he is also cautioning them that they must always be prepared to let go of this world in order to be ready for the next.

APPLY:

When it comes to the Second Coming of Christ, there are some themes that are persistent in the New Testament:

God’s pleasure is to include us in his kingdom.
If we are to be invested in God’s kingdom, it means that we must become somewhat divested from the present age.
We must be prepared at all times, because we cannot predict when Christ will return.

The certainty is that Christ will come at the end of the age. The Biblical record on that doctrine is too insistent to ignore. But it is also certain that no one knows when.

RESPOND:

As I get older, I am more and more aware that there is more time behind me than there is ahead of me. I have long believed in the doctrine of the Second Coming, but I have never been one to become obsessed with Hal Lindsey or other apocalyptical speculators.

However, I am aware that one way or the other, life as I know it will be altered!

So a passage like this gives me both comfort and caution. The promise is that it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. I need not fear the future at all, no matter who is elected, or what happens in the Middle East, or with the European Union, or in my own life.

On the other hand, I am reminded that this world is temporary — so I need to practice a certain level of detachment from its pleasures and treasures. It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with the good things God has made. It is just that they are not to be my greatest good, or my ultimate goal. For example, wealth should be a means to an end toward helping the poor.

A word that we don’t hear much anymore is renunciation — letting go of those things that tend to hold on to us. We need to reset our priorities:

Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Lord, how I long for your coming! When I consider the complications and conflicts in this world, I know that the Son of Man is the only one who can solve our problems. At the same time, I also know that I have a responsibility in the meantime — to minister to others, to be prepared for your coming by living the life you’ve called me to live. Give me the power to live a prepared life so I’m ready for your coming. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Luke 12:32-3" by Baptist Union of Great Britain is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Epistle for September 6, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Romans 13:8-14
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake (Romans 13:5).

Thus the Christian, though free, is still to live as a responsible and conscientious citizen of the city or nation in which he or she may find themselves.

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

And there is an urgency to his exhortations about how Christians are to live. His view of time is eschatological. One doesn’t know when time will end, so it is imperative to live well:

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near.

Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes…. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come (Matthew 24:42,44).

In light of this awareness, that the day is near, Paul exhorts us:

Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

His imagery contrasts night and day, with darkness suggesting behavior that is associated with night-time revels (drunkeness and sexual debauchery) as well as interpersonal conflict (strife and jealousy). And light becomes a palpable thing — the armor of light that we are to put on clothes us with protection. Indeed, he extends the metaphor, that we are to put on Christ — like the light, Christ is to envelop us.

walk in the light, as he (God) is in the light (1 John 1:7).

We also see the contrast of flesh and spirit, and are reminded of Paul’s earlier declaration:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:5-6).

Making provision for the flesh and its lusts leads to death; the Spirit leads to life and peace.

APPLY:

Augustine of Hippo once said:

Once for all, then, a short precept is given you: Love, and do what you will….let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good (Augustine’s Homily 7 on 1 John 4:4-12).

There is an irrefutable logic here:

If you love, you won’t commit adultery, which damages entire families, not just the two people involved.
If you love, you won’t murder — the ultimate unloving act.
If you love, you won’t steal — depriving someone else of the right to their own property is a selfish, unloving thing to do.
If you love, you won’t covet — covetousness is the inner root of dissatisfaction that leads to envy and jealousy and lust and disharmony with others and ourselves.

It is impossible to think of an instance when love fails to fulfill the proper regard between God and ourselves, between ourselves and others, and within our own mind and soul.

The Apostle John sums it up this way:

We love him, because he (God) first loved us (1 John 4:19).

When we love, we become most like God.

RESPOND:

When we forget to love as God has loved us, we forget that we too have been those unlovely and unlovable selfish broken creatures for whom Christ died:

But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Our Lord, your command to love is inspiring, but impossible without your love living and working in and through us. May we walk in your light and bring others into your light as well. Amen.

 PHOTOS:
"'Put on the Armor of Light' ~ Romans 13:12" by Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for November 24, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

To round out his warning to these shepherds of Woe, Jeremiah says that because they have not visited the flock, the Lord warns:

behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, says Yahweh.

This verse illustrates an important principle of reciprocity in the Scriptures. Evil behavior brings evil consequences. We see this again and again in Scripture:

Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him (Proverbs 26:27).

And:

Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (Galatians 6:7-8).

But then Jeremiah’s oracle takes a very positive and hopeful turn:

I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

But Jeremiah sees that God will return a remnant of the exiles home again — and uses the same metaphor as earlier, that they are scattered like sheep and will be gathered together once more:

I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says Yahweh.

These shepherds will be good priests and rulers who will make sure the flock is cared for.

However, Jeremiah’s attention turns toward an even more ideal ruler. He makes reference to a future day:

Behold, the days come….

This seems to be more eschatological than the reference to the plural shepherds, because he speaks of the descendant of David, who is a messianic figure:

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

The Messianic nature of this descendant of David is made clear in the next verse:

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.

This exalted name — Yahweh our righteousness — suggests a Messiah whose character is intimately related to the righteousness of God himself.

APPLY:

Who are the shepherds today? Are they pastors, bishops, teachers, mayors, governors, senators? What are their responsibilities to the flocks they serve?

But even good shepherds are no substitute for the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Only Jesus is the rightful Son of David, according to the genealogies of both Matthew and Luke (Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:31); and he is referred to repeatedly in the New Testament as the son of David.

RESPOND:

[A Note from Celeste:
Tom originally wrote this Bible study in 2016. He passed away last year.
Since the lectionary cycles every 3 years, I am able to re-post his studies on the lectionary Scriptures with the current year’s dates.
It seems as though not much as changed in the political climate of our country and denomination since Tom wrote this.]

The United States recently completed one of the ugliest and most controversial elections in memory.

And my own denomination seems to be on the verge of schism, with bishops and pastors trying desperately to reach compromise that seems unlikely.

I feel helpless to do anything — but that doesn’t keep me from joining in with family and friends in constant discussion of all of these things.

Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

PHOTOS:
“New Life at the Arboretum” by Mr. TinDC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for November 17, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 65:17-25
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

My opinion on this subject is at the end of this blog in the “Response” section.

What is more important here is the theme of Isaiah 66. This is a chapter of immense hope and lyrical beauty. On one hand, Isaiah is addressing the community of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from exile in Persia around 537 B.C., and who find themselves in discouraging and demoralizing circumstances. On the other hand, Isaiah is speaking a timeless word to all who hope in God.

God promises:

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth….

This is an apocalyptical passage, that foresees a new creation to replace this world. This passage seems to be alluded to in 2 Peter 3:13, and Revelation 21:1-2:

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.

These are clearly apocalyptical passages that link New Testament eschatology to Old Testament prophecies.

A word of comfort comes for those who may remember the horrors of siege and war, and the humiliation of exile and bondage:

the former things will not be remembered,
nor come into mind.

A central point for the new heavens and new earth will be Jerusalem, which will be a delight, where

the voice of weeping and the voice of crying
will be heard in her no more.

Their property, homes and vineyards would not be occupied and enjoyed by others. Moreover:

the days of my people will be like the days of a tree,
and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands.

Their work and their families would be blessed by God, with the promise of descendants who would see peace and prosperity:

They will not labor in vain,
nor give birth for calamity;
for they are the offspring of Yahweh’s blessed,
and their descendants with them.

Perhaps even more significantly, Yahweh would anticipate their prayers before they reach out to him:

It will happen that, before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

And in Isaiah’s vision, even the creatures of the natural world will be in harmony with one another. Natural enemies will coexist in peace:

“The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
Dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,”
says Yahweh.

It is easy to see why Isaiah’s vision is applied by New Testament authors to the end of days when Christ returns.

APPLY:

the former things will not be remembered,
nor come into mind.

This vision even extends to the natural order. We may think of the painting by Edward Hicks (1780-1849) , the Quaker artist and religious minister who painted “The Peaceable Kingdom” depicting oxen and lions and sheep and wolves and leopards and human infants all coexisting together — not to mention Native Americans and Europeans in harmony in the background! But we also may see the promise that St. Paul envisions in Romans 8:19-21:

For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

All creation will be restored, along with the human order, when the new heavens and new earth are revealed.

RESPOND:

I would argue that no one knows for sure. As Paul says:

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Lord, thank you for the vision of the “Peaceable Kingdom.” That vision of hope transcends all doubts and questions and disappointments we may have in this uncertain world. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“The Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks is in the Public Domain.

Gospel for August 18, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:49-56
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

How different is this Jesus from the Sunday School version that we gravitate toward! True, he has taught and modeled love and forgiveness and healing and hope. But the teaching of Jesus in our Gospel reading for the week reveals the prophetic side of Jesus; the realist who is warning his disciples about the inevitable divisions that will occur because of his ministry.

His warnings are dire, and they seem to hearken back to his cousin John the Baptist’s denunciations early in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus says:

I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!

John had forecast this prior to his arrest and execution, when he held forth at the Jordan River:

I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. 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 granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Luke 3:16-17).

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness (Malachi 3:2-3).

Even families will be divided:

From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:

father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

To some extent, Jesus has faced this division even in his own household. On one occasion, his own family was seeking “face time” with him:

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:19-21).

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

APPLY:

It is okay to admit that there are some things that Jesus says that trouble us. He meant to trouble us, in order to bring us to repentance and discipleship.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

What the fire doesn’t destroy will be tempered and purified.

So, we are called upon to decide — will we follow him, or will we turn away?

RESPOND:

[Note from Celeste: Tom wrote this post in August, 2016. 2019 is not an election year, but our denomination is still facing the possibility of schism.]

Still, it is up to each generation to read and apply the Scriptures to our lives and our circumstances in our present time.

Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian from the 20th century, was once quoted in Time magazine:

“[Barth] recalls that 40 years ago he advised young theologians ‘to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.'” (Time, May 31, 1963).

Granted, fewer and fewer people read newspapers anymore, but the meaning is still the same — be aware of the world around you and current events as well as the Scriptures.

PHOTOS:
"Luke 12 verse 49" uses this photo:
"Fire" by Al Bee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license./pre>

Gospel for August 11, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:32-40
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

So he says to them:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

This is a statement of faith — but it is a faith grounded in certainty. Jesus knows the Father, and knows his Father’s love for his little flock. The kingdom is promised, and will come.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus turns his attention to the anticipation of the end of the age. He counsels preparation. In a lovely metaphor, he says:

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.

And then there is an astonishing reversal. When the master returns to his house, he will serve the slaves instead of the slaves serving him!

Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

And finally, in another startling metaphor, he speaks of being prepared for his return by comparing himself to a thief!

But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

His point is important to remember — no one knows when the Son of Man will come, so his followers must be ready at all times.

APPLY:

When it comes to the Second Coming of Christ, there are some themes that are persistent in the New Testament:

God’s pleasure is to include us in his kingdom.
If we are to be invested in God’s kingdom, it means that we must become somewhat divested from the present age.
We must be prepared at all times, because we cannot predict when Christ will return.

The certainty is that Christ will come at the end of the age. The Biblical record on that doctrine is too insistent to ignore. But it is also certain that no one knows when.

RESPOND:

However, I am aware that one way or the other, life as I know it will be altered!

A word that we don’t hear much anymore is renunciation — letting go of those things that tend to hold on to us. We need to reset our priorities:

Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

PHOTOS:
"Luke 12:32-3" by Baptist Union of Great Britain is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.