Gospel for July 12, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

One of Jesus’ favored methods of teaching is to tell stories — parables, that draw analogies between ordinary things (farming, baking bread, business transactions, fishing) and the things of God.  We will focus on Jesus’ parables over the next three weeks, from Matthew 13.  The lectionary editors have declined to include Jesus’ own rationale for telling parables, from Matthew 13:10-17, and from Matthew 13:34-35.

In these deleted passages, the disciples ask Jesus why he speaks in parables.  His answer is that those who follow him will understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven; and those who don’t follow will become even more obtuse and more resistant  to comprehension.  Jesus sees himself fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah 6:9-10 and Psalm 78:2 — and he blesses those who do have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

As Jesus begins to teach, he is sitting on the beach, but as the crowds push toward him he climbs into a fishing boat and speaks from this nautical pulpit to the crowd on the shore.

He tells the story of a farmer who goes out to sow seed.  When the farmer sowed seed, he reached into a bag and scattered it widely on the field.  This explains why some seed falls on the road, some on the rocks, some among the thorns, and some falls on good, fertile soil.  The seed on the road is eaten by birds, the seed on rocky soil can’t put down good roots and dies quickly under withering sun, the seeds in the thorns can’t compete and are choked out, and the seed in good soil has a good yield.

And Jesus then says, somewhat cryptically,

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

As we’ve seen, those who follow Jesus and seek to understand will be granted understanding — those who are resistant just won’t get it.   The benefit of staying close to Jesus means that the disciples hear his interpretation of the parable so they can understand it.

In his interpretation, Jesus does draw some direct parallels that seem allegorical.  The seed represents the word of the Kingdom. We are reminded that the central message from the beginning has been the present and soon-to-come Kingdom of God.  After his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, he begins his ministry like this:

Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”…. Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people (Matthew 4:17, 23).

However, for those who hear the word of the Kingdom and don’t understand it — the evil one (represented by the birds), snatches it away.

The rocky ground is the heart of one who hears the word and receives it with joy, and even follows — for awhile.  But this hearer is shallow, and has no root — and when persecution comes, they have no endurance.

The thorny soil is the heart that is too easily distracted by worldly concerns and the deceitfulness of riches.  Thick weeds overwhelm the good seed of the word.

The good ground is the person who:

hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

APPLY:  

This is a parable for both the sower of the seed and the receiver of the seed — the evangelist/preacher and the disciple (who are often the same thing).

The evangelist is to spread the seed liberally — preach and teach and share the word of the Kingdom with everyone that we possibly can.  It is not up to us to determine who is ‘worthy’ to hear the word.  Our job is to share it as widely as possible.

However, soul-care suggests that we must also be aware of the challenges faced by those who hear the word.

• The hard heart of the impenetrable roadside soil is vulnerable to the pecking of the evil one.
• The shallow heart of the rocky soil needs to deepen the roots so that the seed can grow.
• The weedy, thorny heart is distracted by too many other concerns to thrive.

Are these “types” of people who are merely hopeless, or is this a diagnostic tool that Jesus offers so that we identify where people are and help them become receptive? I’d like to think that the latter is true — because in a sense each of these compromised soils describes me at certain points in my own life! At times I have been hard-hearted, and shallow, and distracted by other concerns — and I am grateful that the sower of the seed has been persistent.

And then, there are the fertile soils that produce some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. Here we have a realistic picture of ministry and the church.  Some ‘soils’ are simply more productive than others.  This should never be a source of envy for those who don’t produce the same results as those who produce one hundred times as much.  Rather, we should celebrate the success of others, and rejoice that we are able to participate in this kingdom work with our own measure of effectiveness.

RESPOND: 

Gardening and yard work have helped me appreciate this parable more than ever.  Weeds and thorns seem to flourish, and the flowers and shrubs I like are compromised.  I have a semi-circle of monkey grass that is infested with poison ivy!

What I have learned about yard work is that it is a matter of constant maintenance and attention.   Granted, this is not really the point of Jesus’ parable of the seed and the soils.  He is explaining why some hearts are receptive and others are not. However, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, where he uses another agricultural metaphor:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.  I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you (John 15:1-7).

The farmer is very active in soul-care — he prunes the fruitless branch.  And we also need to take notice of this — he also prunes the branches that do bear fruit, so that they may bear more fruit.  This is a well-known technique among vine keepers.  And, as one preacher has said, when the cutting is happening, the vine doesn’t know the difference between being cut off and merely being pruned!  Pruning can be painful. Our job is to remain attached to the vine, which is Jesus!

Lord, I confess that there have been times that I have been like the roadside soil, or the rocky ground, or the thorny earth, and I have either not understood, or I have been shallow, or I have been easily distracted by the world.  Please forgive me, and plant the seed of your word in the soil of my life that has been cleared, prepared, and weeded so that I can be fruitful.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"Four corners" by Scripture Union is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic  license.

Epistle for July 12, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Romans 8:1-11
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The eighth chapter of Romans has been called the Mt. Everest of the Himalayan Mountains of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.  Paul sums up several aspects of his theology — relating to the law, the atoning work of Christ, and the empowering work of the Spirit.

First, the Apostle delivers great news for those who have been oppressed by sin, and have sought refuge in Christ by faith:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

His language is not merely the language of judicial acquittal, as though legal charges had merely been dropped against the guilty.  His language here is dynamic — those who belong to Christ are now in Christ Jesus. They are united to Christ, and dwell in him as Christ dwells in them.

There is, however, a caveat — Paul qualifies this astounding claim by clarifying that there is no condemnation for those who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Paul uses the ancient Scriptural metaphor of walking to illustrate the spiritual journey.  The walk is a lifestyle, a way of life.  Those who walk according to the flesh are living a lifestyle of moral corruption and decay that leads to death.  Paul defines the flesh earlier in his letter:

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring out fruit to death (Romans 7:5).

In contrast, those who walk according to the Spirit are living in Christ and walking toward life.

Paul continues to develop this contrast by comparing the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus with the law of sin and of death. 

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.  For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(CLICK HERE to read last week’s SOAR lectionary Bible study for the Epistle reading. In the “Observe” section, you will find a brief summary of different categories of the term law as used by Paul.)

There are two, and perhaps even three, radically different kinds of law here. There is:

• The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This is the law of God that transcends all other law.  Through this law, which is written on the heart (cf Jeremiah 31:33), the Holy Spirit overcomes the power of the law of sin and of death — and appropriates the life-giving resurrection of Jesus in the daily life of the believer.
• The law of sin and of death, which has twisted all of God’s good gifts into perverted caricatures of God’s original intention, and is the mind of the flesh which is hostile to God.
• The ordinance of the law, which we might call the Mosaic Law — though good and holy and just in itself, it is impossible for human beings to keep perfectly. However, Jesus fulfills this law vicariously on behalf of human beings. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes this possible.

Jesus has fulfilled this law first by living the perfect, holy life that we are unable to live (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21).  And second, Jesus fulfills this law by offering himself as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf.  God sent:

his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Paul continues to explore this contrast between those who live with their minds set on the things of the flesh and those who live according to the Spirit. Here are the consequences:

For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.

Spiritual death is in contrast to life and peace; and hostility toward God is expressed by the mind of the flesh which refuses to be subject to God’s law.  Does Paul mean here the law of Moses, or the moral law which is universally revealed in the natural law, or does he mean the law of the Spirit?

One thing is clear — though the Christian is free from the ritualistic legalisms of the Mosaic law, the Christian is never free from the moral law.  And it is also clear that the mind of the flesh can’t fulfill that law, but the mind of the Spirit can because it is the Spirit of God who fulfills the law in the life of the believer.

Another issue that these contrasts reveal concerns relationship with God:

Those who are in the flesh can’t please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

Paul couldn’t be more clear — there is no ground for relationship between those in flesh and with God.  And the only way that there can be relationship with God is if the Spirit of God dwells in the believer.  This reminds us that the law of the Spirit works not from the outside/in, with external legalisms.  Instead, the law of the Spirit works from the inside, transforming the believer into the likeness of Christ.

And Paul is uncompromising about the identity of the believer.  The criterion for determining whether one belongs to God is whether the Spirit of Christ dwells in the believer:

But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

However, there is one problem that Paul must address — even “Spirit-filled” Christians still grow old and die.  If they are filled with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (these terms are synonymous in a Trinitarian sense — the Spirit is in relationship with both the Father and the Son; and the Son and the Spirit are equal with the Father), why do Christians die?  Here is Paul’s answer:

If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Paul is alluding to the reality that there is a “now” and a “not yet” in terms of eschatology.  Yes, if the Spirit of Christ dwells in the believer, they are alive because of the righteousness imputed by Christ.  Yet, they still die until the final resurrection.  Then, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise the believers.

APPLY:  

In Paul’s Christian anthropology, at least in this passage, there are two kinds of people — those who walk according to the flesh, and those who walk according to the Spirit. 

To walk according to the flesh is to have one’s mind focused on the goals and objectives of a dying world.  These are folks who have shackled themselves to a way of life that follows the law of sin and of death, and ends in self-destruction.

It may be argued that what we see at work here is indeed a law — the law of cause and effect.  Focusing and following those things that take one away from God lead to death.  These aren’t merely the behaviors that are easily condemned — fornication, adultery, addiction — they are also behaviors that we often find praised in this culture — greed, arrogance, even the kind of gossip that we love to hear on the “tell-all” t.v. shows.  There are consequences to such a lifestyle, as Paul says elsewhere:

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. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8).

And here is the irony — all of us once walked according to the flesh, according to Paul’s anthropology.  Through the sacrificial death of Christ, God condemned sin in the flesh, and has made us free from the law of sin and of death. 

And the new law under which we live our lives is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, by which we are set free.  We have the mind of the Spirit, which is the mind of life and peace.  Even more amazing than that freedom is the reality that here and now the Spirit of God dwells in us — and we need not fear death because at the resurrection the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will raise us as well!

RESPOND: 

Years ago, my wife and I took a long drive down to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida for our honeymoon.  It was a very long drive, so we decided that whoever wasn’t driving would read aloud to keep the driver awake.  We chose a book that — believe it or not — I had never read:  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

I had read some of Lewis’s other works — Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters — and had found them extremely helpful in my Christian life.  But I had dismissed The Chronicles of Narnia as books directed toward children.

I soon discovered how wrong I was.  Although not strictly a Christian allegory, it was very evident that the multi-volume set was permeated with Christian symbolism and meaning.  Aslan, the noble lion of Narnia, is obviously a Christ-figure.  The White Witch’s icy grip on Narnia is a parallel with the one whom Jesus calls the prince of this world, i.e., Satan (cf. John 12:31; 16:11).  And when the four Pevensy children find themselves transported from war-time England to the magical land of Narnia, it is Edmund who finds himself enthralled and then imprisoned by Jadis the White Witch. 

This leads us to the Deep Magic of Narnia — which we might say is parallel to the law of sin and of death.  Edmund has sold himself into the hands of the White Witch, and according to the Deep Magic, he must be slaughtered on the Stone Table.  But there is a Deeper Magic that Aslan knows.  He explains to the Pevensy sisters, Susan and Lucy:

“Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”

All of that is to say that when I read these words on that long drive, I saw the Deeper Magic of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus  that sets us free from the law of sin and of death.  Jesus fulfills all the laws in himself in his life, death and resurrection, and then comes to dwell in us through his Spirit.

And that is no fairytale!

Lord, the Law of your Spirit has set us free, and you dwell in our lives that we may have life and peace and resurrection.  Fill us with your Spirit so that we may live your life and bring others into a new relationship with you.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

"Romans 8- 11" by Leonard J Matthews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for July 12, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 119:105-112
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Psalm 119 is unique in the Hebrew hymnal known as the Psalms. Psalm 119 is not only the longest chapter in the Book of Psalms, it is also the longest chapter in the entire Bible!

Psalm 119 is also an example of acrostic verse in the Hebrew Bible, meaning that each stanza begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Acrostic patterns also occur in four of the five songs of Lamentations, in Proverbs 31, and in Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 119, and 145.

The central theme of this longest Psalm is the supreme importance of the law and the commandments of God.  The section we consider this week begins with the Hebrew letter nun. 

The Psalmist begins very positively by addressing Yahweh and affirming:

Your word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light for my path.
I have sworn, and have confirmed it,
that I will obey your righteous ordinances.

The Psalmist has confidence that Yahweh’s word — particularly his commandments — provide guidance for his life.  The metaphor of lamp and light provide the vivid image of a path in the darkness illumined by God’s light.

However, the tone of the Psalm quickly shifts and becomes a lament or complaint.

I am afflicted very much.
Revive me, Yahweh, according to your word.

The Psalmist is asking that Yahweh keep his promises, revealed in his commandments.  He is turning to the ordinances and law of God in his time of crisis:

 Accept, I beg you, the willing offerings of my mouth.
Yahweh, teach me your ordinances.
My soul is continually in my hand,
yet I won’t forget your law.

The Psalmist’s complaints become a little more clear as he identifies the source of his distress — while maintaining his loyalty to God’s law:

The wicked have laid a snare for me,
yet I haven’t gone astray from your precepts.

This stanza ends on a soaring note of faith and hope:

I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
I have set my heart to perform your statutes forever,
even to the end.

This section of Psalm 119 affirms the Psalmist’s confidence in the laws, commandments and ordinances of God as his sure defense even in the face of his enemies.

APPLY:  

God’s word — including the law, the prophets, the writings and the testaments — is our lamp and light  even in a dark and dangerous world.

There are two things that are true of the Biblical world view:

• The Bible is realistic about the existence of evil in this fallen world.
• The Bible offers a vision of hope, even in the face of this evil.

Like the Psalmist, we do well as we walk the sometimes darkened paths of this world to follow the word of God as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  God’s righteous ordinances, law, precepts, and statutes  provide the living principles by which we can live.

RESPOND: 

Back in 1986, when I was still quite new to ministry, Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith wrote a song that they performed beautifully.  It is a paraphrase of Psalm 119:105-112.  In part, the song voices some of the same themes articulated in the Psalm:

Thy Word
Is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path

When I feel afraid
Think I’ve lost my way
Still You’re there
Right beside me

Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near
Please be near me to the end.

This is the universal prayer of Christians everywhere and at all times — that searching the Scriptures and obeying its precepts brings guidance, assistance, and deliverance.

John Wesley (1703-1791) wrote in the Preface to his published Sermons on Several Occasions:

I want to know one thing, — the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way: For this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]. Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone: Only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read? Does anything appear dark or intricate? I lift up my heart to the Father of Lights: — “Lord, is it not thy word, ‘If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God?’ Thou ‘givest liberally, and upbraidest not.’ Thou hast said; ‘If any be willing to do thy will, he shall know.’ I am willing to do, let me know, thy will.” I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remains, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God; and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak. And what I thus learn, that I teach.

This is the prayer of every Christian — to know God’s truths through the Scriptures, and then to follow those truths.

Lord, I pray following the model of the Psalmist — may your word be a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Amen.

PHOTOS:

"Psalm 119: Thy Word Is A Lamp Unto My Feet" by Michael Carter is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for July 12, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 25:19-34
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The generational torch is passed from Abraham to Isaac, and then to Isaac’s sons, Jacob and Esau:

This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.

However, in this family history, there is a crisis.  Rebekah was barren.  Given the promises of Yahweh to Abraham, that his descendants would be as many as the stars, this is serious.   But when Isaac intercedes with Yahweh, Rebekah finally conceives twenty years after their marriage, when Isaac is sixty.

Not only does she conceive, she is carrying twins!  But hers is a very difficult pregnancy.  Perhaps this is a premonition of the sibling rivalry that is to come:

The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is so, why do I live?”

We are told that she goes to inquire of Yahweh — we aren’t told how or where she goes. But she does receive an answer, in the form of a prophecy:

Yahweh said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb.
Two peoples will be separated from your body.
The one people will be stronger than the other people.
The elder will serve the younger.”

These twins aren’t merely brothers who fuss the way brothers often do. They represent two nations — Esau becomes the ancestor of the Edomites, and Jacob will come to be known as Israel. And though Esau is the first-born, he will be overshadowed by Jacob.

Though they are twins, the two brothers couldn’t be more different.  Obviously, they are fraternal twins, not identical.  When Esau was born, he was covered with red hair.  And the wrestling match that began in Rebekah’s womb continues even as the boys are born:

After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob.

Their extreme differences grew as they grew.  Esau grows up to be a robust and skillful hunter who loves the outdoors.  He was his father’s favorite because he brought him venison.  Rebekah was partial to her Jacob.  We get a picture of him as a contemplative man:

Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

The tension between the two brothers intensifies one day when Esau has been out in the field.  Perhaps he has been unsuccessful in a hunt, or he’s been working in the fields — he’s famished.  Jacob has been boiling a stew of lentils, and Esau asks for a bowl.  Jacob seizes the opportunity to take advantage of his older brother’s plight. (As an aside, the Biblical writer suggests that this red stew becomes the basis for Esau’s nickname Edom, or Red — although we might speculate that the fuzzy red hair that covered him at his birth might have something to do with it! Perhaps Esau was a redhead).

Jacob slyly says to Esau, in just the taunting way a brother might:

 “First, sell me your birthright.”

The birthright is the right of primogeniture ­— the right of the first born son.  This is the right of inheritance Jacob is asking for!

The repartee between the two could have been playful, but not between these two brothers.  Esau is short-sighted, and perhaps a little naive about his brother’s intentions:

Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”

Jacob reveals just how earnest he is — he withholds the stew until Esau swears to him first.  In a culture where a man’s word is a contract, this is no light thing.

Esau swears, and gets his bowl of stew and some bread — and we are told:

He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

APPLY:  

At its heart, this is a story that most of us can understand.  It is a family story.  A childless couple yearning for children.  A troubled pregnancy.  The sibling rivalry of two brothers who couldn’t be more different.

It is in and through such families that God chooses to work — to answer prayers, and make promises of a legacy to come, and even to fulfill his plans in spite of the character flaws of such brothers as Jacob and Esau.

What is refreshing about the Biblical record is its realism and honesty.  Isaac and Rebekah remind us of yearning couples that we know.  Jacob and Esau remind us of feuding brothers.  This reminds us that God works through families, and through people, just like ourselves!

RESPOND: 

Some years ago I took a course on Family Systems Theory.  I found it fascinating.  It was based on the theories of Dr. Murray Bowen.  He believed that human interactions are based on interlocking systems that reduplicate the traits of family interactions — whether they are biological families, clubs, churches, military platoons, or even larger political systems.

In the story of Jacob and Esau, I can identify some of the principles of Family Systems Theory that occurred long before Dr. Bowen’s theories.  One of those concepts is triangling — this is what happens when two members of a family seek to resolve the tensions they may have with one another by shifting their focus to a third member of the family.   The tension between Jacob and Esau is exacerbated by the enmeshment they experience from their parents — Jacob enmeshed by his mother Rebekah, and Esau enmeshed by his father Isaac.  These are triangles that interlock — and eventually result in what Bowen might call emotional cutoff ­— when Jacob is forced to leave his home altogether.  But — that’s another story for another Bible study.

The point is that the Biblical stories are our stories.  And the fulfillment toward which history moves is, at its heart, the story of becoming God’s family.

Lord, our families are dysfunctional — but you work out your plans and purposes within even our dysfunctional families.  And we look forward to the consummation of your kingdom — which is described as the ‘wedding supper of the Lamb.’  In heaven we will experience the perfection of your family.  Thank you! Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Esau and Jacob” by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari is in the public domain.

Gospel for July 12, 2015

A striking marble sculpture by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj of the Head of St John the Baptist. The sculpture, made in 2006, is in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome. Photo & description by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Mark 6:14-29

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

CLICK HERE FOR .PDF FILE TO PRINT WITHOUT PICTURES

OBSERVE:

In this passage, the prophet and the king collide.  Religion and politics intersect.  Moral authority and worldly power are in conflict.

The passage begins by informing us about John the Baptist’s fate.  Of course we have met this dynamic and charismatic prophet at the very beginning of Mark’s Gospel, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; and at Jesus’ request, he has inaugurated Jesus’ ministry by baptizing Jesus himself.

But as we say in the South, “he quite preachin’ and went to meddlin'” when he began to address a moral wrong in the palace of King Herod himself.

The passage begins by describing Herod’s intense  interest in the ministry of Jesus — who is coming to his attention after Herod has executed John.  Speculation and rumors are wild — some believe that Jesus is Elijah, others that he is a prophet, like the Hebrew prophets of old.  But Herod is convinced that the only person capable of performing the miracles that are attributed to Jesus is one man:  “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

Then Mark describes the circumstances that led to John’s execution.  John, in his prophetic role, had publically denounced the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Herodias had divorced Herod’s own brother, Philip, and married Herod.

Some background is necessary to make sense of this.  Let’s let the Reformation Study Bible clarify this:  “Herodias was a daughter of Aristobulus, one of the sons of Herod the Great. Other sons of Herod the Great included Herod Antipas and Herod Philip (by different wives). After marrying her half-uncle Herod Philip, Herodias left him for an adulterous relationship with his brother, Herod Antipas. Such were the loose morals, typical of the Herodian dynasty, against which John the Baptist preached.”

John’s problem with the marriage of Herod to Herodias is that it was clearly incestous, and not permitted by Mosaic Law (cf. Leviticus 18:16, 20).  As the head of state in Galilee and Perea, ruling over the Jewish people, he was violating Jewish religious law.  Obviously, to John the Baptist, the head of state had a moral obligation to set an example and live a moral life.

Curiously, King Herod found this eccentric preacher admirable! One can only imagine Queen Herodias nagging Herod and trying to persuade him to execute the Prophet. She was personally offended at his moralizing.  And yet,  Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. Still, he has John arrested and imprisoned.

We may be reminded of another member of the House of Herod who will come  many years later, when the Apostle Paul is arrested and must defend himself before the Roman Procurator Festus, and King Agrippa and his sister/wife Bernice — Herod Agrippa II was the son of Agrippa I and  great-grandson of Herod the Great, and Bernice was the oldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I, Agrippa’s own sister! So this will not be the last time a holy man will have to confront the royal house of the Herods! (Acts 25-25).  And like Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa finds the man of God to be strangely compelling.

However, Herod’s attempts to protect John the Baptist are thwarted when his wife Herodias finds his “Achilles Heel.”  Is it lust, or merely indulgence of his niece/daughter Salome? What we know is that Herod makes a rash vow when Salome dances before Herod and his dinner guests.

Was he serious in offering up to half my kingdom?  If so, how intense must the hatred of Herodias have been for John the Baptist, when she tells her daughter to say “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

For the sake of his pride, Herod will not revoke his oath, although he was greatly distressed. John is beheaded, the first martyr of the New Testament.

Mark’s Gospel further adds  John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

This is significant because John was a powerful voice for God, preparing the way for the Messiah at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8).  John’s death forecasts the cross of Jesus; and the need for the followers of John to now begin to follow Jesus.

 

APPLY:  

In American culture, the relationship between religion and politics is complicated.  Many cite the First Amendment of the Constitution as justification for a “wall of separation” between church and state — as Thomas Jefferson once wrote in a letter to Baptist pastors.

However, on issues of morality, does the church not have a moral imperative to speak?  Do pastors not have an obligation to speak on issues they deem to have moral implications?

The answer throughout American history has been unequivocally clear.  American Christians have spoken out on issues of slavery, civil rights, women’s rights, child labor, abortion, the environment, homosexuality.

Whatever the President, the Congress, or the Supreme Court may do is one thing.  What Christians must do is dictated by a Higher Law.  Christians cannot avoid the tough call on moral issues that are decided by our representatives and our judges.

In our country, however, freedom of speech is guaranteed by the same First Amendment that separates church and state.  Dissent does not result in state-sponsored martyrdom!

The same can’t be said for Christians who speak up for their faith in many places around the world: Indonesia, the Middle East, Africa, for example.

The bottom line is that Christians must be prepared to “speak truth to power” on moral issues, even if there are consequences.  However, I am quick to add that we must always speak  the truth in love, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:15.

RESPOND: 

Speaking out about the moral issues of our day, especially when our elected officials or our appointed judiciary or our culture seem to be trending away from our own values, can be difficult.

We do well to remember that John found it not only difficult.  He found it to be fatal.

If we are clear in our own minds about two things, we should be ok.  As I cited above — speak the truth in love.  If our speech is grounded in the Holy Scriptures as we understand them, and if we always season our speech with love rather than condemnation or judgment, we will at least maintain a healthy balance.

But speak we must if we are to be faithful in this our time.

Lord, clarify my thoughts so that I speak according to your will and not spout my own fallible opinions. But at the same time, give me the courage to speak the truth in love about the moral issues of our day.  Even if it means being unpopular.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Decollation” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Epistle for July 12, 2015

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 1:3-14

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OBSERVE:

Ephesians has been called “The Queen of the Epistles” because of its lofty themes and profound depths.  The passage under consideration is permeated with Trinitarian language, and explores the plans of the Almighty from the for those who are chosen to be adopted as his children.  These plans have been conceived from before time began, and extend to the end of time itself.

Paul — for I believe Ephesians to have been written by Paul in opposition to some contemporary scholars —  begins with a kind of doxology to God:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  This sentence sets the tone for the kind of cosmic scope of this opening passage, and  emphasizes the lavish love of God for his creatures for the sake of Christ.

Paul begins to outline the eternal plan of  God in verse 4 by describing the eternal nature of God’s strategy: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Paul then explores the plan of salvation, that has been in God’s mind from the beginning:  God has ordained that for the sake of his Son, Jesus Christ, and through redemption by his blood  those who have been predestined to adoption as sons should receive the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Paul asserts that  God has  made known to us the mystery of his will —  in other words this plan, conceived from the very beginning, has now been disclosed to the apostles.

The ultimate purpose of the plan is not merely salvation in the present time (although it does include that), but it is eschatological. By that I mean it has to do with God’s ultimate plan for the world: to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Paul returns to the topic of predestination, that is,  that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  Please note that Paul says we, the first person plural.

For immediately following verse 12, the point of view changes: And you also were included.   He begins to address you, second person plural.  Who is we, and who is you?  Up until now, has he been speaking of himself and the apostles?  the Jews who had accepted Christ as Messiah?  And is he now speaking to the Ephesians and other Gentiles who are to be grafted in to the tree (cf. Romans 11:11-25)?  I would deduce, based on Ephesians 2:11 that  you definitely refers to the Ephesians specifically, and Gentiles in particular:  Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth. . .

Notice how he describes the new relationship of these Gentiles with God: you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

There are three steps necessary for the Gentiles to be included in these promises: hearing the message of truth; believing in Christ; and being marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.

The whole Trinity is involved in this saving activity of God — the initiation of the Father, the redemptive death and forgiveness of sins through Christ, and the seal and guarantee of the Holy Spirit.

The ultimate purpose of this plan, including all who are adopted as God’s children,  and who have believed in his gospel, both Jews and Gentiles,  is this: the praise of his glory.

APPLY:  

This single passage would require pages, and books, and volumes to explore adequately. But I will make a stab at lifting up some of the themes that leap out at me.

First, salvation is no afterthought.  God the Father  has planned for the saving death of God the Son, the seal of assurance through God the Holy Spirit, our adoption as his children, with all the inheritance of the riches of every spiritual blessing in Christ. In God’s immense and profound love, he has purposed this all along.

This is profound and deeply inspiring.  And yet,  parts of this passage have always troubled me, namely the emphasis of Ephesians on predestination: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

I see three at least three questions we have to consider:

1) Does this mean that God has predestined all to salvation, as some popular preachers would suggest?  That seems to contradict other parts of scripture that make clear that though all are loved by God, not all choose to love God.  And God will not compel them to serve him in heaven, because God loves them too much to coerce their love in return.

2) Or does it mean that God has chosen some for  salvation and others, in theological terms, for reprobation? In other words, that God has already chosen some for salvation and some for damnation, and there ain’t nothin’ anybody can do about it? Again, this seems to contradict scripture.  The simplest example of God’s original will  is  John 3:16: For God so loved the world . . . And another good example, just for good measure: God is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

3)  Or is Paul using the term predestination in a way that some  later theologians have misinterpreted?  Here is an insight that others wiser than I may have already figured out.  In the first verses of Ephesians 1:3-12, Paul uses the first person plural we and us, exclusively. And he declares In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

And then he abruptly changes the perspective to second person plural:  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. 

What’s the difference? Perhaps in the first twelve verses, Paul is speaking of himself and the other apostles, and specifically the Jewish Christians.  They are, after all, the chosen people. The promises to Israel, according to Romans, have not been revoked: Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!  Amen (Romans 9:4-5).

To be clear, Paul doesn’t necessarily believe that all Israel will be saved: For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel (Romans 9:6).  And  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

But for the purposes of figuring out what Paul means by those predestined, when he says we in Ephesians, perhaps he means that the plan of God from the beginning meant that Christ would come first for the Jews, and then the plan of salvation would be extended to the Gentiles as well: remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13).

How have the Gentiles been included in the covenant? you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

He is also very careful to point out that there is no longer Jew or Gentile in Christ — the dividing wall of separation has been knocked down.  And he also points out that the Jew and the Gentile come to Christ with the same need and in the same way.  Jew and Gentile alike have been dead in their trespasses, and have succumbed to  gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:3-5).

So, to review, predestination seems to me to preview God’s plan of salvation for all who believe, and specifically through the agency of Israel, through Israel’s salvation history,  to whom were revealed the scriptures, and through whom the Messiah came to the world. But there is still a response required by all when the message of truth is heard and responded to in faith.

RESPOND: 

My epiphany concerning this tough theological issue — predestination vs. free will — will certainly not satisfy everybody. But it resolves for me how I can read Ephesians 1 not as an exclusive passage that suggests that only those who are predestined can be saved, but as a promise of hope for all who come to faith in Christ.

This is obviously one of the most controversial issues in Biblical theology.  My own answer is this: God has a wonderful plan for all of us.  And all who believe in the message of truth revealed in Christ Jesus, and sealed through the Holy Spirit, shall be saved.

Lord, I do not presume to understand the depths of the mysteries of your will and your plan. But I rest in the grace that you have revealed in Christ Jesus, and sealed through your Holy Spirit, that I might be saved.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

Psalm Reading for July 12, 2015

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 24

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OBSERVE:

This Psalm of David is entitled Entrance into the Temple.  But what exactly is the Temple to which the Psalm refers?  Is the Temple that which is built by human hands, or the Temple of the created order, or the hearts of the worshippers?

The Psalm is divided into three essential units.  In the first section, the Psalm relates to the Lord as Creator and Owner of all things (verses 1-2).  The second section describes the moral and spiritual qualities necessary for the human worshipper to enter into God’s presence (verses 3-6).  The third unit is an exhortation to the personified gates of the city that they be opened  that the King of glory may come in (verses 7-10).

The first section provides a divine perspective.  God’s reign and presence are not limited to a dwelling place in the Temple or seated in the ark of the covenant.  His reign is universal, as is his Lordship: The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.  God’s claim to the title as Ruler and Owner of all is quite simple — he is the Creator of all: for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.

The second section asks the vital question, Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?  Interestingly, the Psalmist does not offer the conventional answer — the Priests and Levites.  No, those who are qualified to climb this holy hill are not qualified by their titles or lineage, but by their character: Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.

They shall be vindicated and blessed by the God of their salvation. And perhaps the most significant quality required of those who are deemed worthy of climbing the ascent to the Temple Mount and standing in the presence of the Lord is their spiritual hunger: Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.  

The third section personifies the ancient doors of Jerusalem,  as the Psalmist exhorts these gates to lift up their heads.  But even more significantly, the Psalmist justifies the purpose of opening these presumably long closed gates — the Lord and Sovereign of all the earth, and the one whom those of clean hands and pure hearts are seeking, is preparing to enter!

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.

APPLY:  

There are three dimensions to this Psalm that lift us to true worship.

First, we are reminded that the Lord is God, the Creator and owner of the universe that he has created — and we are not!  This provides a sound theological foundation for our perspective.  We own nothing at all — God is the owner of everything.  So, we worship the Lord as the one from whom all things flow.

Second, we are reminded that worship is never casual and careless.  The qualifications for entering into the presence of God require clean hands and pure hearts.  This is a moral imperative, that we enter worship only after scrupulous self-examination and repentance.  From a Christian perspective, we know that there is none of us who is worthy to come into the presence of God, except through the redemptive blood of Christ and his grace.  But his grace both pardons and cleanses us:  If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Moreover, we are reminded that our response to the grace of God is to seek him with all our hearts.  God acts and we react in response to his gracious initiative toward us.  But by seeking him we find him who is already seeking us.  Jesus says  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).

Finally, we ask ourselves, where is the Temple into which God awaits entrance?  For us, is it not ourselves, the people of God? As Paul tells us:  Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst  (1 Corinthians 3:16)?  We are to open the doors of our lives that the King of glory may come in.

RESPOND: 

Recognizing that God is Lord over heavens and earth is vital.  However, when that truth becomes real in our hearts, we begin to recognize the vast chasm between ourselves and God.  He is The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

How can we possibly come in to his presence, and offer appropriate worship?  Only when, through his grace, we have been cleansed and made suitable:

who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.

It is this quest, to know and worship the King of glory, that drives me to seek the face of the God of Jacob.  

Our Lord, purify my hands and my heart, that I may suitably worship and glorify you!  I seek you with all my heart, though I so often fall short.  Grant that I may see your glory!  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
The photo used in "Psalm 24:3-4":  "Figures ascend the Manaslu Glacier on their summit push" by Mark Horrell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for July 12, 2015

In this stained glass window in the church of Vasperviller we see King David dancing before the ark of the Covenant under the disapproving gaze of his wife Michal.

Start with Scripture:

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

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OBSERVE:

The Ark of the Covenant is to the people of Israel what the Declaration of Independence, or the American flag,  or some other evocative symbol might be to a citizen of the United States.  It is also a highly spiritual symbol, as a cross or an altar might be to a Christian.  the Ark combines the sense of identity that defines Israel as a nation along with a profound identification with Israel’s God.

This is suggested by the description of the Ark, which is called by the Name,  the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. As the very Name of the Lord is holy and discloses God’s nature, so the Ark signifies God’s very presence among his people.

It should be obvious that David wants to have this highly significant symbol of Israel in his capital, where it will lend legitimacy to his reign as king of the United Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

The Ark had been somewhat mobile since it was first built in answer to the Lord’s specifications under Moses at least two centuries earlier.  It had been carried throughout the wilderness; it had been instrumental in stopping the waters of the Jordan River so Joshua could lead the Israelites into the Land of Promise; it had been used, and misused, as a battle totem; it had been captured by the Philistines, and promptly returned when it brought on plagues; it had resided in Bethel, Shiloh, Beth Shemesh, and Kiriath Jearim, where it had dwelt for twenty years.

The Ark tended to bring blessing to those who honored it, and disaster to those who treated it casually or irreverently.

So now David wishes to bring it to his new capital in Jerusalem with great fanfare.  However, his methods, though certainly well-intentioned, are incompatible with the  Lord’s original instructions to Moses. The ark is set on a cart and escorted by the sons of Abinadab — this may be the first error.  Some suggest they are not Levites, and are not sanctioned to have charge of the ark.  Second, they place the ark on a cart, rather than having it carried by Levites as the Law of Moses prescribed.

The verses that are deleted in our lectionary reading describe the fateful events that ensue.  When the oxen pulling the cart stumble, the ark shifts and Uzzah, one of Abinadab’s sons, reacts naturally — he reaches out his hand to steady the ark, and almost literally explodes!  David’s reaction is at first angry — and then fearful.  This ark isn’t to be trifled with!

So, David sends the ark on a detour to the household of Obed-Edom the Gittite.  It should be noted that Obed-Edom likely was not an Israelite; and yet the Lord blessed him for the three months the ark stayed among his family.

When David sees that Obed-Edom has been blessed because he has treated the ark with reverence, in contrast to the household of Abinadab, David resolves to try again.

This time he is anxious to do everything right:  it is carried rather than carted — we presume by Levites this time!  A sacrifice is made to the Lord six steps into the sojourn, and then at the end of the journey.  And David himself Wearing a linen ephod . . .was dancing before the Lord with all his might,  while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Presumably, this ecstatic celebration of the Lord’s presence is met with approval by the Lord, as the ark takes its place of honor inside the tent that David has had pitched for it — again, presumably according to the prescriptions in the Law of Moses this time!

Even the whole crowd of Israelites, we are told, rejoice with David: and he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. Obviously a festive day of worship and praise and feasting and celebration!

However, there is at least one person not impressed in the least — David’s wife Michal, the princess daughter of King Saul.  In her mind,  as she watched David, stripped to the waist , leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.  In her haughty, royal mind, David has demeaned himself this day, and sullied the dignity of the crown.

APPLY:  

How are we to appropriately worship the Lord with honor and reverence?  This is a question that seems to have serious consequences.

Without entering into the lists of  the “worship wars,” and taking sides with the “traditionalists” or the “contemporary praise and worship” group, I think it can be safely said that worship should always keep the holiness of God before the people.

We may play organs or guitars or sing acapella, but the primary purpose is not spectacle or convenience or any human centered, individualistic goal.  The primary purpose of worship is for the people of God to acknowledge and honor God.

Having said that, the notions of decorum and “dignity” that some might project onto worship are blown up by the example of David, dancing before the Lord with all his might, accompanied with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

While there is certainly a time for quiet, reflective “reverence,” reverence may also be expressed with dancing, shouting and loud music!

What has no place in worship is the kind of self-consciousness exhibited by Michal, that makes of worship a social enterprise rather than a God-centered enterprise.  David’s unselfconsciousness suggests that his heart is totally focused on God!

RESPOND: 

I’m lucky.  I cherish all manifestations of worship.  I love the serenity of Benedictine monks singing Gregorian chants; the excitement of  Pentecostal worship; the profound depth of a Greek Orthodox liturgy; and the joy of a praise band.  So long as God is truly worshipped and glorified, I am at home in any Christian worship service.

May my worship of you be according to your design, not a projection of my own narcissistic need-fulfillment; and may I forget myself completely as I focus only on you! Amen!

PHOTOS:
"Eglise de Vasperviller, vitrail de l'arbre généalogique du Christ" photographed by LaurPhil is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.