Gospel for Feb. 22, 2015

“Baptism and Temptation of Christ” by Paolo Veronese is in Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Mark 1: 9-15

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This excerpt illustrates the economy of Mark’s Gospel.  The baptism and affirmation of Jesus by the Father; the ordeal and temptation of Jesus; and the inauguration of his ministry along with the essentials of his message are all summarized in just a few verses.

The simplicity of Mark is one of the reasons that many scholars believe that it was written earlier than the others, on the theory that later retellings are usually elaborated upon over time.

The arc of this account leads from the heights of Jesus’ initiation into ministry through baptism, to the depths of his testing by Satan,  to his mission as he announces that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;  repent, and believe in the good news.”

God affirms his Sonship; Satan tests it; and Jesus confirms it in his ministry.

APPLY:  

“The Temptation of Christ by the Devil” by Félix Joseph Barrias is in Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is a passage selected specifically for Lent, so we move quickly from the triumphant moment of affirmation in the baptism of Jesus to his temptation.

It is interesting that Mark says the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. This language implies that the ordeal in the wilderness for forty days is almost a kind of “boot camp” for Jesus, preparing him for the rigors of his ministry that await.

Although he has no human company in the wilderness, Jesus is never quite alone.  The Spirit has driven him; Satan tempts him; he is with the wild beasts; and finally, seemingly when the ordeal is completed, the angels wait on him.  The sense is that this is no ordinary man – he is in touch with supernatural as well as natural forces that surround him.

He also seems to begin his ministry as though on cue.  Mark suggests that Jesus doesn’t start his ministry in Galilee until after John is arrested.  A transition has been made.  A baton has been passed.  John has fulfilled his purpose in baptizing Jesus; now Jesus must inaugurate the kingdom of God.

And this is where Jesus begins to impact us: “The time is fulfilled – not merely the chronos, which in Greek is a  measure of  chronological time, but the kairos – the “decisive, critical moment.”   The kingdom of God has come near – the time is fulfilled because the reign of God has come near.  The reign of God is near because the King has arrived!  As a result of his presence, we are made aware of our need to respond:  repent, and believe in the good news.”

RESPOND: 

“Christ in the Desert” by Ivan Kramskoi is in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

As Lent begins, I am made aware that in the baptism and the temptation of Jesus I find my awareness of sin and my hope for salvation.

Jesus’ baptism reminds me that despite his inherent nature as the Son of God, he identifies with me in my sin.  His holiness makes me aware of my unholiness and my need to repent.  And in his victory over temptation, he makes me aware of his power over sin.  Because his kingdom has drawn near, I can  believe in the good news!  Sin and Satan have already been defeated, at the very beginning of the story!

Lord, I do repent of my sin.  I thank you for suffering on my behalf, the righteous for the unrighteous.  Not only did you suffer on the cross on my behalf, but also in the battle with Satan in the wilderness and throughout your ministry. Your time has been fulfilled, your kingdom has drawn near, and I believe in your good news!  Amen.  

PHOTOS:

"Baptism and Temptation of Christ" by Paolo Veronese is in the public domain.
"The Temptation of Christ by the Devil" by Félix Joseph Barrias is in the public domain.
"Christ in the Desert" by Ivan Kramskoi is in the public domain.

Epistle for Feb. 22, 2015

Duccio’s “Decent to Hell” is located in the Museum of Siena cathedral.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

1 Peter 3: 18-22

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is both fascinating and difficult.

Peter proclaims the essential message of the Gospel: that Christ died for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous; and that he was made alive in the Spirit. So far so good.

But then he embarks on a line of reasoning that is difficult to interpret.  That having been made alive, Christ went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – specifically to those who were disobedient in the days of Noah! These would be those who had drowned while Noah and his family were in the ark.

Here, Peter becomes a little difficult to follow, to be honest.  Is he saying that after the resurrection, Jesus then went to the imprisoned spirits? Or is he suggesting that Jesus did this between his crucifixion and resurrection? Is this the basis for the doctrine of the “harrowing of hell,” and the line included in the traditional Apostles’ Creed: “he descended into hell”?

Peter doesn’t linger on this long enough to give us an answer.  He moves on to consider those who are saved, speaking of the eight persons who were saved on Noah’s ark.  He uses this example as a metaphor for baptism.  Just as the ark saved Noah’s family, so baptism cleanses the conscience of believers from sin.

Ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus follows a heavenward trajectory – where Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father  with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

APPLY:  

“Descent into Hell,” icon from the Ferapontov Monastery, by Dionisius.

The “descent into hell,” also known as the “harrowing of hell,” is a much debated doctrine in Christian history.  Some argue that evidence for it is scant; others find tremendous comfort in the idea that Jesus went to the souls who were in hell.

There are other passages that are cited to justify this doctrine:

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 (John 5:25 NIV).

And Ephesians 4:7-10   

Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”  (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) (NRSV)

And then there is what Peter himself adds in 1 Peter 4:6

For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. (NIV)

This is where the most cautious Biblical expositor begins to venture into speculation.  Did Jesus descend into hell between his death and resurrection?  If so, what was his purpose? To proclaim judgment on the imprisoned souls, or to actually release some of them from hell? If so, would this provide some comfort to those who worry about those who died prior to the coming of Christ, without the opportunity to be saved?

This is one of those issues to which I have to say honestly “I don’t know.”

This I do know: that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him.  However, when and where Jesus may meet those “sheep that are not of his fold” is well above my paygrade.

RESPOND: 

“The Harrowing of Hell” was painted by a follower of Hieronymus Bosch.

I find it safer to stress the essential doctrines of the faith – that Jesus died for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous; that he was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

However, I do admit I find some comfort and hope in the doctrine of the “harrowing of hell.”  It is a wonderful thought that Jesus’ love and grace is so determined that he is willing to descend into the very maw of hell to search for and to rescue those who might have had the inclination to turn toward him had they had the opportunity.

It would complete the trajectory: the God who empties himself of all but love, who leaves his throne to become a human being, descends down, down, down – not only to walk on the earth as a Jewish carpenter, but then to descend as low as he could possibly go, into the realm of the devil himself to rescue souls;  and then returns again – ascending up, up, up to the very highest level possible at the very right hand of the Father.  There is something symmetrical about that.  But even more, there is something hopeful for those who seem to us to be absolutely lost.

Your ways are unsearchable, and your plan of salvation beyond human comprehension.  Thank you for revealing to me what I need to know for the sake of salvation and discipleship. Give the grace and the light to walk by what I do  know!  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
 Duccio's “Decent to Hell” is in the public domain.
 Dionisius' "Decent into Hell" is in the public domain.
 “The Harrowing of Hell” is in the public domain.

Psalm Reading for Feb. 22, 2015

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 25: 1-10

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is another acrostic Psalm, that begins each new verse with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  (Click here for Psalm 111, the Psalm/Psalter reading for Feb. 1) Unfortunately this poetic device is lost in the English translation.

In the first seven verses, the Psalm is an address to God in the second person – In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you.  This conveys the sense of a personal, heart-felt prayer.  And then in verse 8, the Psalm shifts to the third person, as though the Psalmist has begun to  address a human audience.

It is called a Psalm of David, and one can certainly see aspects of David’s character and biography in these verses.

He begins with a declaration that he puts all of his trust and hope in God (verses 1-3).  Interestingly, his concern is that he not be shamed, or triumphed over by his enemies. His prayer is that shame will instead ricochet back against those who have betrayed him!  This is an honest, gut-felt prayer – not stained-glass piety.

In verses 4-5, the Psalmist prays for guidance and sound teaching in the paths of God.  This prayer is grounded in his belief that God is his Savior.

Then there is an interesting reversal in verses 6-7.  While he asks God to remember his mercy and love from of old, on the other hand he begs God not to remember the sins of his own youth.  He is asking for God’s “selective memory”: remember mercy and love, but forget human failures.  One could certainly imagine David praying such a prayer, as he remembers his violent nature and indiscretions as a younger man.

Finally, in the “third person” section, the Psalmist extols the characteristics of God.  God is good and upright, loving and faithful, as he instructs sinner, guides the humble,  and honors those who keep his covenant.

APPLY:  

All of the needs of a sound, Godly life are addressed in this Psalm: trust, guidance and teaching, and forgiveness of sin grounded in the mercy and love of God.

It can be said that the fountainhead of the Godly life is trust in God – Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.  This theme prevails throughout the scriptures from Genesis to the New Testament.

And the Godly life requires guidance and teaching in order that we may live according to God’s will.  The image of the Psalmist reminds us that life is a journey, and we need a Guide: teach me your paths.

But there is also honesty and transparency here: we have sinned, and continue to rely on God’s mercy and love.  The New Testament word for this is grace. 

The Godly life, then, is a process, a journey – not an accomplished fact.  We continue to trust, to follow, and to seek grace.

RESPOND: 

This Psalm actually has very personal meaning for me.  So many Psalms have been put to music in the English language, but this is one of the first I ever learned after I became a committed Christian at 19.

When I went with a mission team to Puebla, Mexico as a college student, I taught the rest of the team members this Psalm.  It became our theme song.

And the Psalm is every bit as relevant to me now, if not more so, in my 59th year.

Our Lord, may I place all of my trust in you.  Please guide my path at every stage of my life.  And as the Psalmist prays, “remember not the sins of my youth.”  And one more thing:  keep me from sin as I grow older!  Amen. 

 

 

The rock photos were adapted and used as backgrounds: "Rock Texture 1" by Jiko-Stock.

The record photo used as a background: "45 rpm record" by Paul Sherman has been released into public domain.

Old Testament for Feb. 22, 2015

Start with Scripture:

Genesis 9:8-17

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Everyone who has ever gone to Sunday School knows the story of Noah’s Ark, and God’s righteous judgment on the violence and wickedness of the human race.  As children we tend to focus more on the building of the boat and the collection of the animals.  We write cute musicals about “100% Chance of Rain.”

But there are deeper issues that this passage addresses.

One is God’s justice.  God is a holy God, and takes it as his prerogative to destroy what he has created when and if his creation rebels against righteousness.  Like it or not, that is a part of the Biblical story.

Second, is the biblical notion of remnant  that recurs throughout scripture.  Even when there seems no one who is turned toward God, God can find someone whom he can use to keep his mission going.  Noah and his small family are the small remnant who keep the human race viable.

The third is the covenant.  God is willing to enter into agreement with creation, with nations, with a family, with an individual.  He makes promises and he keeps them.  In this case, the promise is that he will never again destroy the world with a flood; his “signature,” if you will, is the rainbow – a beautiful reminder of his promise.

This covenant is not a covenant only with humanity – it is a covenant with all living creatures.  The fact that God made provision to even preserve a remnant of the animals indicates that he has an abiding love of his creation.

APPLY:  

Liberals, conservatives, and secularists like to argue about stories like Noah’s Ark – some describing the story as an antiquated Mesopotamian fable; some making every effort to actually find the literal Ark on the top of Mount Ararat; some scoffing that such an account is scientifically impossible.

I don’t know how to resolve such arguments, but it seems to me that they all miss the point.  The story of Noah’s Ark, and especially this passage, tells me a lot about God.

God is just – he will only tolerate wickedness for so long before there are consequences.

God is also loving – he saves the remnant of the animals and the human family of Noah so he can start over again.  This is an example of God’s grace.

And he is willing to be in relationship not just with us as human beings, but with all living things as well. The covenant here is with all  creatures.

We should think twice about the rapid extinction rate that seems to be afflicting many species in the world.  If the story of Noah is true, God loves all of his creatures!

RESPOND: 

This passage makes me think about my relationship to God’s creation.  My awareness has been raised that global warming is a fact, that coral reefs are dying, as are many species around the world.

Although people debate whether human beings are causing this warming, I’m convinced in my own mind that we do have an influence on the ecosystems around us.

But what am I doing about it?  Recycling cans and plastics and paper is a good thing, but is it enough?

This passage makes me keenly aware that, as the great old hymn says, “This is my Father’s world.”  Though we humans have been given dominion over this world,  that dominion also includes careful stewardship – not using up every resource as though there is no tomorrow.

Lord, I acknowledge your justice, but I plead for your grace and mercy – for me and for my struggling planet.  Bring us to the point of global repentance so that we can recognize that this is YOUR world that you have given us to care for.  Help us to do so responsibly.  Amen. 

The photo used as a background: "Rain 2" by Suika is licensed under CC BY 2.0