Feb 4

Gospel for February 4, 2024

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Mark 1:29-39
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The ministry of Jesus is now in full swing. Mark is describing the busy pace of an itinerant preacher/healer who will travel from town to town with the Gospel. The pace is quick, and the most common adverb Mark uses is immediately.

Jesus does not neglect the needs and concerns of those closest to him. Peter’s mother-in-law is sick from a fever — no sooner does Jesus heal her than she is up cooking for him!

We catch an early glimpse of what is called the Messianic Secret in Mark’s Gospel. As Jesus begins to cast out demons, they identify him as the Messiah and Jesus instantly silences them. This presages the coming battle between Jesus and the demons, as they recognize his authority. But it is premature for him to mount the frontal assault that is to come later. Therefore, his identity will be revealed more gradually to the disciples, as they must discover him more clearly for themselves.

And then, suddenly in the midst of all of this busy action, Jesus slips away for solitude and prayer! The disciples go looking for him because he seems to have disappeared. When they do find him, they are a little reproachful:

“Everyone is looking for you!”

It seems that even when he seeks solitude, the demands of ministry catch up with him.

And then, perhaps because he has prayed about his next step in ministry, and in response to their demand, he announces that they are to leave Capernaum and widen the work:

“Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

Jesus can never be localized or fixed in one spot for very long. His has an itinerant ministry that will eventually take him throughout Galilee and Judea, and even to the Gentile enclaves in the region of the Decapolis north of Galilee.

And notice that he continues to offer his ministry in the synagogues. Jesus is a Jewish Messiah offering the Good News first to his own people.

APPLY:

The rhythms of Christian work can be demanding. Engaging in preaching, teaching, healing, and casting out evil spirits can keep a committed Christian very busy. There must be a time of retreat and solitude to regroup and to pray. Only then does one have the spiritual resources to offer good news in the busy seasons of Christian work.

As we follow Christ, we must see his example as our guide — begin our work of healing with relationships that are close to us (perhaps even mothers-in-law!), and then respond to the needs of those who are within our sphere of influence. Don’t try to argue with the “evil spirits” of discouragement and distraction. Silence them through prayer and action. Go where God sends us.

RESPOND:

Although my ministry is minuscule in comparison to the ministry of Jesus as described in the Gospel of Mark, I can identify with the sometimes frantic pace. It is easy to see how the demons might take advantage of stress and fatigue, or even attempt to flatter me with titles and false self-importance.

I must set aside seasons for solitude, and return to God in prayer. Even then, the demands of ministry may come by means of a cell phone call. That balance of action and quiet must be maintained.

Our Lord, as I look to the example of Christ, help me to find that balance between busy ministry and quiet solitude. If I am only engaged in frantic ministry, how can I have any spiritual depth to offer? But if I am only withdrawn into quiet solitude, how can I fulfill your command to preach the Gospel to all creatures? Help me to find space for both. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Balance” uses the following photo:
“Pixabay item number 4171996” by manfredrichter.

Epistle for February 4, 2024

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage turns in the direction of autobiography. Paul begins chapter 9 a little on the defensive:

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

His tone and the content of this portion of the letter suggest that he is getting criticism from some of the Corinthians. It may be that some were suggesting he wasn’t as eloquent a speaker as Apollos; some may have questioned his authority and credentials as an apostle because he wasn’t one of the original twelve disciples and didn’t encounter Jesus until after the resurrection. But he is clear that he is an apostle — if only because he was the first to preach the Gospel to them, and because he established them as a church in Corinth.

One other important backdrop for this passage — in this chapter he has established the premise that there is nothing wrong with an apostle or preacher receiving financial remuneration for their preaching:

Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

Having established his “rights” and “authority” as an apostle, he then makes it clear that he does not cash in on those rights. Although there is nothing wrong with receiving financial support for ministry, he preaches the Gospel and ministers in Christ’s name because he must. He has a divine call.

His reward is simply the opportunity to preach the Gospel free of charge. He asserts he is discharging a trust from God.

Here then is the paradox. Paul is compelled to preach, yet receives no compensation for it; he is obligated to God, but he is free from human entanglements. His only real accountability is to God. Therefore, he is free to submit himself as a slave to all!

The purpose of this submission is that he might win others to Christ. Since he belongs ultimately to God, he can be radically free to meet other people where they are — he can meet the Jews on their terms, those under the law as one who has been under the law, to those not under the law as one who is free from the law. All of this is for one purpose only:

I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

He is radically free from entanglements so that he may be radically submitted to God.

APPLY:

This passage compels us to think through our motivation as Christians and our motivation for ministry. Do we believe in Christ because of the abundant rewards that are promised, or because of the inherent truth of the Gospel? Do we offer ministry for the sake of Christ or for our own sake?

If at heart our compulsion to serve Christ is for his sake and not our own, we have begun to understand where Paul is coming from.

We are reminded that if we truly belong to Christ, then we are truly free. In our relationships with others we are therefore liberated to be completely unselfconscious. If we don’t depend on anyone else but Christ, and if all of our affirmation comes from Christ, we are truly liberated to be his ambassadors with all whom we meet.

And, since Christ’s love for others transcends their status, class or race, we are also free to meet people where they are in order that we might win them to Christ.

RESPOND:

This passage tugs at my conscience. Am I a Christian because of the promises that are given in the Scripture for blessing and eternal life, or because I have truly encountered the truth of the risen Christ? Do I preach the Gospel because I am truly compelled, and woe is to me, if I don’t preach the Good News, or because I am a paid professional minister? What are my motivations?

And am I so thoroughly grounded in my relationship with Christ and in my convictions that I can meet other people of different beliefs, values, and lifestyles where they are and help them to move toward Christ? Can I distinguish between what is essential to the heart of the Gospel, and offer that freely, while tolerating the values of others that do not affect the heart of faith?

How do I live out Paul’s declaration:

I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

How do I stand firm in the faith, and yet remain flexible enough to meet people where they are? One example — in this era of exploding social media, when I now have the means available to communicate with people all around the world in an instant, I must avoid the temptation to sarcasm and rudeness toward those who profess disbelief, and meet their sometimes scalding disbelief with loving reasonableness. As Paul says in Ephesians 4:15 I must begin by:

speaking truth in love.

Lord, I do feel a compulsion to share the Gospel because I believe it is true and because it has penetrated my own life. May I be so firmly submitted to you that I am free to share with others; and may I be able to meet them where they are knowing that you accept and love them for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Psalm Reading for February 4, 2024

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is a Psalm of praise to the Lord. The scope of the Psalm extends from the historical situation of the Jewish exiles, to the bounty of God’s creation, to the stars themselves. The worshippers are called to see God at work in history and in nature.

The Psalm begins with a simple declaration:

Praise Yah,
for it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.

From this declaration flows an outpouring of praise. We may deduce that this is a post-exilic Psalm because the Psalmist speaks of God building up Jerusalem and gathering the exiles. According to some sources, the temple was rebuilt by the returning exiles by 515 B.C., and Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the wall surrounding Jerusalem around 445 B.C.

But the scope of the Psalmist’s focus is more cosmic than that. Like Isaiah 40:26, he describes the intimate knowledge that God has of even the innumerable stars in the heavens:

He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by their names.

God is majestic, his understanding is limitless; and he is also concerned about righteousness. There are consequences for wickedness. God is not a remote, indifferent deity — he is concerned about justice.

And when this Psalmist describes the provision of rain, grass, the cattle and the ravens, there seems to be an acute awareness of the interdependence of the natural world, what we would describe in our time as “ecosystems” that balance one another.

Finally, the Psalmist offers a strong poetic image of what pleases God. What pleases him are not those things that impress human beings — the strength of the horse or the legs that swiftly carry the warrior into battle — no, what pleases God is grounded in the relationship that he cultivates with us:

Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his loving kindness.

APPLY:

The breadth and scope of this Psalm is impressive — from the praise of God for returning the exiles to their ruined city and rebuilding it; to the vault of the heavens with its countless stars; to the providence of God in the delicate balance of nature, as the rains cause the grass to grow which provides food for cattle and ravens; to the joy that God finds in relationship with us!

To read this Psalm devotionally is to experience the peace that we have in a God who rights wrongs, who has created all things, and who provides for his creatures through the natural processes he has set in motion.

And most astounding of all, he takes more pleasure in having a relationship with us than in all the powerful things he has created.

RESPOND:

All of the remarkable works of God evoke a response of praise from me. But to think that God is most pleased when I approach him with reverential fear and awe, and when I put my hope in his unfailing love — that is humbling and exalting at the same time.

The all-powerful God delights in having a relationship with me! THAT is incredible! How can I not praise him for that!?

Lord, when I consider all the works that you have done, in history and in nature, I am awestruck. But to think that you delight most of all when we worship you and place our hope in your love — that is beyond description. If we can’t praise you when that reality begins to dawn on us, then have mercy on our apathy and ignorance! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 147” by Cathy Fongjoyo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for February 4, 2024

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 40:21-31
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Many scholars believe that Isaiah 40 is the beginning of the second part of the Book of Isaiah, written, by Second Isaiah. They suggest that First Isaiah (chapters 1 to 39) was written by the historical prophet in the 8th century, whose ministry is described in 2 Kings 19 to 20, and 2 Chronicles 26 and 32. His context was the royal city of Jerusalem and its struggle against the rising imperialism of Assyria. Second Isaiah, they say, was written after the people of Jerusalem had been conquered and exiled by the Babylonian empire in 587 B.C. (For more insight into this debate concerning the authorship of Isaiah, click here to read my SOAR post from December 31, 2023.

If these words are not written by the original Isaiah, it seems obvious that these words are influenced by him. Some would suggest that the writer was a member of the School of Isaiah, one of his students perhaps.

Putting that debate aside, the literary setting of this passage seems to be a kind of debate, like a courtroom — the prophet is interrogating his audience:

Haven’t you known?
Haven’t you heard, yet?
Haven’t you been told from the beginning?
Haven’t you understood from the foundations of the earth?

What is it that he thinks they should understand? That the God of Israel is Lord over all creation; he is no mere idol; he is not a construct of the human mind or human hands.

This majestic passage describes the Lord’s enthronement above the earth and the perspective that the people are like insects in comparison. Not only has he the power to create and to sweep away all that he has made, his power over all political systems of human beings is absolute.

He invites the reader to consider all that God has created:

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Some scholars suggest that this description of the circle of the earth implies the ancient understanding that the earth is indeed a globe. The metaphors that Isaiah uses strain to capture the immensity of Yahweh — the vastness of the fabric of space is stretched out like a curtain. Curiously, modern physicists use this same metaphor of the fabric of space-time to describe the cosmos.

The prophet asks again,

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard, yet?

He answers his own question by describing the eternal and transcendent nature of God as Creator.

And unlike mortals, God never grows weary or requires rest. Those who depend upon him find their strength renewed in him.

These are words of comfort to anyone who believes in the transcendent, all-powerful creator of the universe — and especially for a people who have been humbled and live as conquered people in exile, these are words of soaring hope and promise.

APPLY:

Whatever we may think of the historical background behind this soaring passage, we can find profound inspiration here.

We are reminded by this ancient text that God is not a construct of our minds or imaginations — he is the Creator and Lord over all creation. All kingdoms and political systems will one day be swept away and replaced by his eternal reign.

It may be understandable that we might become apathetic or cynical or simply weary in the face of our own time and culture. That we might become discouraged about ever seeing a change in the world. But Isaiah reminds us that God never grows weary — and if we hope in him alone we will renew our strength. We will soar on wings like eagles… run and not grow weary… walk and not be faint.

RESPOND:

I can sometimes become so discouraged by the direction of our world, morally, politically, economically; and when I wonder if I’ve had any impact at all, I sometimes just want to give up. But then I go outside and look at the stars and consider what my God has created. Or I go for a hike and see the cathedral of nature. Then I realize that in comparison to his transcendence, all these things that fret me are temporary.

And when I turn to him in faith and hope, I feel a sense of renewal when I remember that:

The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint.
He isn’t weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.

Then, despite more than 60 years of my life and the encroaching cynicism of this age, my strength is renewed.

It is not lost on me that these Lectionary Bible studies that I attempt are formatted in what I call the “SOAR” method. As we read the Scriptures and apply them to our lives, may we SOAR as well!

Our Lord, words fail me as I consider your creative power and the scope of your knowledge and transcendence. I can’t do anything but echo the powerful words of Scripture! As I wait upon you, and hope in you, I pray that you will renew my strength that I may soar like an eagle, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. Amen.

Gospel for February 4, 2018

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Mark 1:29-39
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus does not neglect the needs and concerns of those closest to him. Peter’s mother-in-law is sick from a fever – no sooner does Jesus heal her than she is up cooking for him!

“Everyone is looking for you!”

It seems that even when he seeks solitude, the demands of ministry catch up with him.

And then, perhaps because he has prayed about his next step in ministry, and in response to their demand, he announces that they are to leave Capernaum and widen the work:

“Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

Jesus can never be localized or fixed in one spot for very long. His is an itinerant ministry that will eventually take him throughout Galilee and Judea, and even to the Gentile enclaves in the region of the Decapolis north of Galilee.

And notice that he continues to offer his ministry in the synagogues. Jesus is a Jewish Messiah offering the Good News first to his own people.

APPLY:

As we follow Christ, we must see his example as our guide — begin our work of healing with relationships that are close to us (perhaps even mother-in-laws!), and then respond to the needs of those who are within our sphere of influence. Don’t try to argue with the “evil spirits” of discouragement and distraction. Silence them through prayer and action. Go where God sends us.

RESPOND:

I must set aside seasons for solitude, and return to God in prayer. Even then, the demands of ministry may come by means of a cell phone call. That balance of action and quiet must be maintained.

PHOTOS:
“Balance” uses the following photo:
“Balancing Act” by mpauliks is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Epistle for February 4, 2018

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage turns in the direction of autobiography. Paul begins chapter 9 a little on the defensive:

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

His tone and the content of this portion of the letter suggest that he is getting criticism from some of the Corinthians. It may be that some were suggesting he wasn’t as eloquent a speaker as Apollos; some may have questioned his authority and credentials as an apostle because he wasn’t one of the original twelve disciples, and didn’t encounter Jesus until after the resurrection. But he is clear that he is an apostle – if only because he was the first to preach the Gospel to them, and because he established them as a church in Corinth.

Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

His reward is simply the opportunity to preach the Gospel free of charge – he asserts he is discharging a trust from God.

Here then is the paradox: he is compelled to preach, yet receives no compensation for it; he is obligated to God, but he is free from human entanglements. His only real accountability is to God. Therefore, he is free to submit himself as a slave to all!

I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

He is radically free from entanglements so that he may be radically submitted to God.

APPLY:

If at heart our compulsion to serve Christ is for his sake and not our own, we have begun to understand where Paul is coming from.

We are reminded that if we truly belong to Christ, then we are truly free. In our relationships with others we are therefore liberated to be completely unselfconscious. If we don’t depend on any one else but Christ, and if all of our affirmation comes from Christ, we are truly liberated to be his ambassadors with all whom we meet.

And, since Christ’s love for others transcends their status, class or race, we are also free to meet people where they are in order that we might win them to Christ.

RESPOND:

How do I live out Paul’s declaration:

I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

speaking truth in love.

Psalm Reading for February 4, 2018

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The Psalm begins with a simple declaration:

Praise Yah,
for it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.

But the scope of the Psalmist’s focus is more cosmic than that. Like Isaiah 40:26, he describes the intimate knowledge that God has of even the innumerable stars in the heavens:

He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by their names.

God is majestic, his understanding is limitless; and he is also concerned about righteousness. There are consequences for wickedness. God is not a remote, indifferent deity – he is concerned about justice.

Finally, the Psalmist offers a strong poetic image of what pleases God. What pleases him are not those things that impress human beings – the strength of the horse or the legs that swiftly carry the warrior into battle — no, what pleases God is grounded in the relationship that he cultivates with us:

Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his loving kindness.

APPLY:

The breadth and scope of this Psalm is impressive – from the praise of God for returning the exiles to their ruined city and rebuilding it; to the vault of the heavens with its countless stars; to the providence of God in the delicate balance of nature, as the rains cause the grass to grow which provides food for cattle and ravens; to the joy that God finds in relationship with us!

And most astounding of all, he takes more pleasure in having a relationship with us than in all the powerful things he has created.

RESPOND:

The all-powerful God delights in having a relationship with me! THAT is incredible! How can I not praise him for that!?

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 147” by Cathy Fongjoyo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for February 4, 2018

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 40:21-31
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Putting that debate aside, the literary setting of this passage seems to be a kind of debate, like a courtroom – the prophet is interrogating his audience:

Haven’t you known?
Haven’t you heard, yet?
Haven’t you been told from the beginning?
Haven’t you understood from the foundations of the earth?

What is it that he thinks they should understand? That the God of Israel is Lord over all creation; he is no mere idol; he is not a construct of the human mind or human hands.

He invites the reader to consider all that God has created:

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Some scholars suggest that this description of the circle of the earth implies the ancient understanding that the earth is indeed a globe. The metaphors that Isaiah uses strain to capture the immensity of Yahweh —the vastness of the fabric of space is stretched out like a curtain. Curiously, modern physicists use this same metaphor of the fabric of space-time to describe the cosmos.

The prophet asks again,

Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard, yet?

He answers his own question by describing the eternal and transcendent nature of God as Creator.

And unlike mortals, God never grows weary or requires rest. Those who depend upon him find their strength renewed in him.

These are words of comfort to anyone who believes in the transcendent, all-powerful creator of the universe – and especially for a people who have been humbled and live as conquered people in exile, these are words of soaring hope and promise.

APPLY:

Whatever we may think of the historical background behind this soaring passage, we can find profound inspiration here.

We are reminded by this ancient text that God is not a construct of our minds or imaginations – he is the Creator and Lord over all creation. All kingdoms and political systems will one day be swept away and replaced by his eternal reign.

It may be understandable that we might become apathetic or cynical or simply weary in the face of our own time and culture. That we might become discouraged about ever seeing a change in the world. But Isaiah reminds us that God never grows weary – and if we hope in him alone we will renew our strength. We will soar on wings like eagles . . . run and not grow weary . . . walk and not be faint.

RESPOND:

And when I turn to him in faith and hope, I feel a sense of renewal when I remember that:

The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint.
He isn’t weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.

Then, despite more than 60 years of my life and the encroaching cynicism of this age, my strength is renewed.

It is not lost on me that the name of these Bible studies that I attempt are styled the “SOAR” method. As we read the scriptures and apply them to our lives, may we SOAR as well!

Our Lord, words fail me as I consider your creative power and the scope of your knowledge and transcendence. I can’t do anything but echo the powerful words of scripture! As I wait upon you, and hope in you, I pray that you will renew my strength that I may soar like an eagle, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. Amen.