Sunday, December 27, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Thankful Sheep; Psalm 100
To listen, click here.
We took time during the sermon, approximately 3 minutes, to do the exercise described.
Monday, November 23, 2015
When, Where, and How is the Kingdom?; II Samuel 23:1-7, Ps. 132, John 18:33-38a, Rev. 1:4-8
On Christ the King Sunday, we celebrate that Christ is King, that is in the present tense. Christ is King! Not Christ will be King. If Christ is King, where is the Kingdom, when is the Kingdom, and how is the Kingdom?
Obviously, Christ is the King. But we often forget that, don’t we? Campaign season, ISIS. In 1981 after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, Father Paul Washington, rector of the Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia rose to the pulpit. He said, “I attended a banquet last week and the speaker declared that with the election of President our destiny is now in the hands of a madman.” Many in the congregation nodded in assent and waited for the good rector to elaborate on his thesis, and elaborate he did, but not on the so-called “madness” of Reagan. Instead, the word he chose to focus on was “destiny”. “It is a repudiation of the resurrection,” thundered Father Washington, his voice rising, “to suggest that my destiny is in the hands of anyone other than the risen Christ!” We do forget, where our destiny lies, don’t we? We do forget Christ is King. We give in to fear and the promises of men instead of the sure promises of our God. In our II Samuel passage, David describes what a godly king is like—just, ruling in the fear of God. And if one is so, one is like the light of morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, tender grass out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Then we get to verse 5—there are two different translations for the first part of this verse: the majority translations: “Truly, is my house not so with God, for He has made with me an everlasting covenant.” The Textus Receptus, King James, “Although this is not so with God, yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant.” Both are valid translations of the Hebrew text. Obviously, the King James reading makes sense. David was far from an ideal king. He ignored justice often, yet God did make an everlasting covenant with the house of David. Our Psalm confirms that in verse 11: "The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: 'One of your own descendants I will place on your throne.'" But good translation theory says that the more difficult reading is probably the most correct reading. Certainly, the reading “Is not my house so with God,” is more difficult. When we think of David, the answer is, “No! Your house is a mess!” Even though we acknowledge that David tried hard to follow God, just as many of us do, he and we still fail miserably. But God is still gracious to us. But David says at the beginning of this passage that he is speaking as an oracle. He is speaking the words of God. And perhaps this description of this ideal king goes far beyond David. I believe it does. The ideal is King is Christ. He is the one who rules justly, He rules in the fear of God—in the position of God, in the name of God. If the covenant had been made to David, David and his descendants did a poor job of keeping the covenant. By their actions, they forfeited the promise of the covenant. But the everlasting covenant was made with Christ. Christ is the only King who lives and rules fully and completely the decree, power & will of Yahweh. It is Christ’s salvation that will increase. It is Christ’s reign that is ordered and secure. The New Testament tells us that all the promises belong to, are in, the Seed, which is Christ. He is the everlasting King of the line of David. Though promises were made to Abraham and to David, these promises were about Christ to Christ. If we understand this, then we can be at peace with whatever translation we use. Even Psalm 132:10 says, “For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject Your Anointed One.” The Anointed is Christ and by the time we get to the end of the psalm, verses 17-18, it is obvious that Christ is the King being talked about.
Where is Christ’s kingdom? In our gospel lesson, Jesus tells Pilate, “Yes, I am King, but My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus goes on to say that His cause is to bear witness to the truth and that everyone who is of the truth hears Jesus’s voice. And Pilate asks that profound question, “What is truth?” The truth is Jesus. He said before, “I am the Way, the Truth, and Life.” Christ’s subjects are those who are on the side of truth. They follow Jesus. Our Revelation passage says that Jesus’s subjects have been freed from their sins by His blood. They are a kingdom of priests serving God. Psalm 132 says that Christ’s Kingdom is located on Mt. Zion. That is where the Lord dwells. The Kingdom is made of priests because the Lord dwells in a temple. David had set out to build this temple but was not permitted to do so by God. Though David was passionate about it, he wouldn’t rest until he found the habitation of the Lord, this was not his job. His son Solomon built a temple. But that temple has long since been destroyed. So where is the kingdom? Where are his priests? Mount Zion is not simply a mountain in Jerusalem. As Bernhard Anderson writes, “Mt. Zion is a symbol whose meaning transcends the politics of David and the geography of Palestine.” It is a “thin place,” a place where earth and heaven meet. It is called in Revelation, the New Jerusalem, the mother of us all. The source of His Kingdom is from above. It is from God. But it is not just above for Jesus declared that the Kingdom is here. The Kingdom of Christ is wherever Christ is, and Christ is everywhere.
When is Christ’s kingdom? Christ’s kingdom is not limited to time & space. It is eternal. Christ is King forever. We don’t have to wait for the kingdom to come. The kingdom is now. It is all around us. Christ IS king—present tense, therefore His kingdom is.
How is Christ’s kingdom? Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, but it is in this world. Someone said that Christ’s kingdom is a KIN-DOM. Christ’s kingdom is a people, just like Revelation says. The real habitation of the Lord is within His people. It is among us and within us. We represent the kingdom, because we are the kin-dom. We are the priests and servants of God. Our job is to worship and as we worship, we witness to Truth to the world. We witness of this greater reality. Someone said, “The kingdom of God is a condition. Its symptoms are love, justice, and peace.” “If we call ourselves people of the kingdom,” says Kathryn Huey, “then our total allegiance, loyalty, love and devotion must be given to Christ. This kind of love is the opposite of idolatry.” It is this kind of devotion that counters fear.
Truly Jesus is all we need for everything comes from Him, everything good is in Him. He is the giver of grace and peace. As Ray Jones, of our office of Evangelism and Church Growth, said to live fully in Christ’s kingdom is to “have all [one’s eggs] in the Jesus basket.” Are all your eggs in the Jesus basket, or are you trusting something or someone else besides Jesus? One cannot remain neutral in the presence of Jesus. Pilate tried and was left empty and rejected. Though he made friends with Herod, the Jews didn’t love him anymore. He didn’t gain any kudos with his Roman superiors. And he did not embrace the kingdom of Christ. Our Revelation passage says that when Christ returns, every eye will see Him, whom we have pierced. And all the people groups on earth will mourn because of Him. Will this be a last opportunity for repentance? Perhaps, but it is far better to trust in Jesus while it is still called today. How is Christ’s kingdom really now when this world seems so messed up, and Christ’s kingdom is described as perfect? Time and space are not eternal things. Christ’s kingdom is. We enter eternity when we believe in Christ in us and us in Christ. It helps to realize from our John passage, that Christ declares that He is king even as He is about to be crucified. His crucifixion did not change nor negate His kingship. Rather, it created an opportunity for the kingdom to expand and only become more visible. The final chapter is written. The evils of this world cannot thwart the kingdom of our Lord. Though we do not yet see the kingdom in full, it is here. Scripture says that all things have been placed under Christ’s feet. Though we do not yet see all things under Him, we see Jesus. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We still await to see all things put under Christ’s feet. We await for Christ’s return, which is why we have Advent as a time of preparation for Christ’s return. The ascended Christ is the ruling Christ, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. When Christ returns, His kingship and kingdom will be evident to all. Realizing the glory of the King, the splendor of His kingdom, we long for home while we serve as those ambassadors in a foreign land. We too must be in this world but not of it. The truth of Christ’s reign is always knowable for those who have ears to hear, to those who would belong to the Truth.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Bread of Peace; Acts 27:1-38
Our Scripture passage is appropriate on this Worldwide Communion/ Peacemaking Sunday with a hurricane that just passed by. Paul shares a fellowship meal with his shipmates in the middle of a storm. This meal is a peacemaking meal.
Paul is finally on his way to Rome. The ship makes it to the port of Fair Havens, which wasn’t really fair in the winter time, but Paul advises the crew to winter there as he is now an experienced traveler and has already been shipwrecked a time of two as we read in II Cor. 11:25. But the crew, wanting to make their money, wants to press on. Not long out, they run into a severe nor’easter, and the crew does their best to save the ship.
This ship battles the storm for 2 weeks. In that time, no one has had a normal meal. It’s been catch as catch can as even Luke and perhaps others of Paul’s traveling companions and the other prisoners are pulled in to help with the ship. Paul gives a little “I told you so” speech, but then he tells them to have courage because he has been reassured that no lives will be lost. He has heard from an angel who reassures Paul that he will get to Rome, not only that, but all who are sailing with him will be saved, though the ship will not. Still things looked so bleak that some of the crew thinks of abandoning ship, but Paul warns the centurion Julius, who orders the dinghy to be cut away so no one can escape.
Just before daybreak on this 14th night, Paul encourages everyone to stop and eat because they will need all their strength to get through what comes next. The crew knows that they must try to run the ship aground safely. They all take time to eat their fill before dumping the rest of the food overboard.
It’s not just the angel given message that conveys peace to the crew, but there is something transcendent in the meal itself. Taking time to eat says that it’s okay to slow down. Things are going to be okay. It is a moment to ignore the storms around and focus on what is before you, the food and the fellowship. God’s presence is offered in the meal, not in the same way as in the Eucharist, as explained in the children’s message, but it is still there because God is always present. And in the hospitality of sharing a meal, God’s presence is emphasized. This meal wasn’t the Lord’s Supper, and no one was converted by it, but this was a time of calm in the midst of the storm and gave the people strength to do what they needed.
Though Communion is only for the family of faith, the bread of peace can be offered to anyone. It is a means by which we exhibit the kingdom of heaven to the world. People may not immediately if ever turn to Jesus because of our peacemaking efforts and hospitality, but this does not diminish the importance of these efforts. In peacemaking, which includes hospitality and fellowship we are not only being obedient to Christ, but we are blessed along with the recipients, as the presence of Christ is made known to us all. And we in turn learn to see Christ through those we serve.
Jim and I have just finished listening to this audio book, Rosaria Champagne Butterfield’s “Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ.” Dr. Butterfield is a home-school mom and Presbyterian pastor’s wife. They are members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of America, a denomination that does not ordain women and only sings a capella psalms in worship. Before coming to know Christ, Dr. Butterfield was a professor of English and LGBT studies at Syracuse University. She lived in a series of lesbian relationships for 10 years. It was a Reformed Presbyterian Pastor and his wife that led her to Christ by showing gracious hospitality, listening, asking probing questions, and modeling Christ likeness. This pastor and wife invited Rosaria to their home, and in turn she reciprocated. They shared peace making meals, and eventually, Rosaria came to know the Prince of Peace. In this book, Rosaria shares how she and her husband have continued this tradition of peacemaking hospitality in their home by opening their home weekly for prayer and peacemaking meals. Sure, they invite believing neighbors over, but they make lots of room for any neighbor, even initiating conversations and opportunities for community and shared fellowship.
I don’t know that Paul would have gone out of his way to preach to a bunch of sailors. I don’t know that the sailors would have ever cared about Paul or Paul’s God. But this storm gave them opportunity to interact, and it gave Paul and opportunity to show kindness and concern while pointing pagan sailors and Roman guards to the God who is more powerful than any storm and yet is loving and merciful. It wasn’t even Paul’s bread. It was the food on the ship, food that was available, but it was offered with the peace of Christ.
I do not believe we can ever go wrong by being compassionate and hospitable, for this is the Jesus way. Again, I think of our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. In contrast to ISIS, who says convert or die, the Christians welcome anyone, and many Muslims are turning to Christ because believers are responding with love, as opposed to hate or indifference. For truth to be received, one must have “ears to hear.” We never stop speaking truth, but peacemaking and hospitality are tools that allow people to hear truth. Simple acts of kindness demonstrate the gospel, and pave the way for the gospel to be heard. Take time to listen to see what needs you might be able to meet. Paul had been observing everything before he offered this bread of peace. He knew the men hadn’t taken a break in 14 days. He knew they were exhausted, hungry and frightened. Sometimes it is the real storms, like we are having, that gives us opportunities to interact with our neighbors, like cleaning up debris, lending help with a chainsaw, providing help when things are damaged or destroyed, just like Paul and his companions pitched in with helping to keep the ship from breaking apart. In working together, Paul got to know the crew a little better. In working with our neighbors, we get to know them a little more as well. But there are other storms that touch us—some are not as obvious as others, but if we take time to listen and watch, we can see the needs in those around us.
Pray for eyes to see the needs around you. Paul was able to offer peace because he had peace himself. He had stayed close to the Lord and had heard a word from the Lord through an angel. Paul could encourage others because he knew the plan of God. Even though God will not give us all the details, God can and does reveal God’s purposes to us when we are seeking God and God’s will. We cannot give what we do not have. If we do not have peace, we cannot give peace. If we do not have joy, we cannot give joy. We need to be constantly filled with Holy Spirit so that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit. We need to empty ourselves so that we can be filled with God and let God’s love overflow in us. The Communion Table is a place where we come to be filled. It is here we find strength and power to be the voice, hands, eyes, ears, feet, and heart of Jesus to the world. We receive peace, through the forgiveness of our sins, and we can offer peace to others.
What might you do to offer the bread of peace? How can you be more hospitable in your words and actions? To whom do you need to be more compassionate? How might you find opportunities to show grace to your neighbor?
Sunday, September 20, 2015
When Things Look Bleak; Psalm 77
To listen, click here.
Here are links to the songs referenced in this sermon.
From Up Here by the Wayside
Just Be Held by Casting Crowns
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Monday, August 31, 2015
Fallen & Exalted: Life Beyond Babylon; Psalm 75, Rev. 18
Suggested reading: Esther, Isaiah 65:17-25
To listen, click here.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Teach Us to Pray; Daniel 9:1-19, Matt. 6:5-15
We always have much for which to be thankful. The prayer that Jesus gives us here in Matthew is the one we call The Lord's Prayer, but maybe it should be called the "Disciples' Prayer" because it is the one Jesus taught us to pray. His greatest prayer that He prayed on our behalf is perhaps the one recorded in John 17, the true "Lord's Prayer." Jesus taught the prayer recorded here in Matthew at a request from the disciples as He was teaching about prayer. They asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," and this is what He taught them.
Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” Devote is to “give constant attention to, to persevere.” Prayer here refers to intercessory, petitionary prayer, but praise and thanksgiving also ought to be a large part of prayer as well as listening to God, and we see this in Colossians as well as elsewhere in Scripture. Floyd Filson describes prayer as “reverent worship, the expression of adoration, gratitude, praise, petition, and dedication.” We are to keep at it, to persevere in prayer. And because it is easy to become discouraged when our prayers aren’t quickly answered, we are to keep awake with thanksgiving. Our hearts must be awake if our prayers are to have value. Thanksgiving helps keep our hearts awake. Thanksgiving reminds us of what God has done in the past as well as what God is doing right now.
There is a difference between perseverance in prayer and the vain repetitions that Jesus criticizes in our Matthew passage. Jesus himself persevered in prayer, praying all night long, and praying repeatedly for his disciples. He tells the parable of the unjust judge, praising the woman’s perseverance, and reminding us that a just God hears and works for us more than an unjust judge for a widow. In contrast, Greeks would say the names of the gods in various ways, hoping to come across the right invocation for their prayers to be heard. Certainly, there are many titles for our God. In our Experiencing God Bible study, we are given a huge list of Biblical names and titles for God, and that list is not comprehensive! Certainly, we can use these many names to praise our Lord, and should, but we don’t have to worry about trying to guess the right name to get God’s attention, because although we address God in different ways, we pray in one name, the name of Jesus. Neither the number of words nor the right combination of words adds value to our prayers; rather, it is our heart attitude and our persistence in praying.
The title for God that Jesus emphasizes here is “Father”, specifically, “Our Father,” which reminds us of the corporate nature of prayer. Father is close and personal, and the “our” reminds us that though God is personal, we belong to a body. Even in private prayer, we remember that we are not flying solo. Now, Jesus does encourage private prayer, telling us to go into an inner room where we can shut the door. He criticizes the hypocrites, who pray to get attention. The Jewish practice of prayer for the day was that the Shema was said in the morning upon waking and in the evening. Then, at 9:00am, Noon, and 3:00pm, the Shemoneh Esreh (18 Benedictions) were recited. If at all possible, these were to be said in the temple, but if you couldn’t make it, then you were to pray toward the temple. The hypocrites would purposely not go to the temple, but pray in the highly trafficked areas of town, so that they could be seen praying. If they had really been religious, they would have been in the Temple, because corporate prayer is also important. But prayers offered for human attention and praise of one’s self have no spiritual worth. True prayer is offered in humility. We need both private and public prayer. Both are found and encouraged in Scripture. Daniel’s intercessory prayer that we read this morning was private. Ezra’s and Solomon’s prayers were public. Our Father is close, but the “which art in heaven” reminds us that God is also transcendent. He is the unknowable God who makes Himself known.
The next 3 petitions go together. Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. The phrase “in earth as it is in heaven” applies to all three. “Hallowed be Thy Name” is to pray, “May we respond in reverent worship, grateful faith and acceptance of how You have revealed Yourself and Your promises.” The “in earth” is important. It isn’t just praying for these petitions to happen soon as the fullness of the kingdom of God is made visible on earth; it is to pray that God’s name is hallowed, God’s will is done, and God’s kingdom comes even in the now. God desires for us to hallow His Name, do His will, and live out His kingdom now, until it is made fully visible at Christ’s return. Remember that Jesus was bodily present with His disciples when He taught this prayer. Jesus prayed for the kingdom constantly and lived it, even though He did not come as King at His first coming. Whenever God’s will is done, God’s kingdom comes. We live the kingdom, when we do the will of God. To persist in praying this prayer is to remember to continuously submit ourselves to God’s will and rule in our lives.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” The word translated “daily” is only used in context of the Lord’s Prayer as recorded by Matthew and Luke. This word was coined by the gospel writers. It appears nowhere else except in once instance in any other literature in the tally of a list of produce. The only other time it was used is when some of the Aramean manuscripts of 2 Maccabees was translated into Greek. There it is used to refer to the shewbread in the temple 3 times. Because of the rare use of the word, it is difficult to translate. There have been many different translations of the phrase from the time of the early church fathers. One of the most literal translations is “Give us the bread necessary for our existence.” What is the bread necessary for our existence? Some say it is bread for the coming day. Some say that the coming day refers to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, flowing from the prior two petitions, “Your kingdom come; Your will be done.” Others say it is asking for what is only sufficient, recognizing that the Lord never gives something until it is needed. This is a truth I certainly need to remember when I start to think out of scarcity, instead of recognizing that our God is the God of abundance, and that our God is an “on-time” God. Note too that this is plural prayer, not an individual one. “Give us this day our daily bread.” I think all of these options are worthy of our consideration, so as we pray this petition, we might want to pause and think about the various options and about which option fits our petition and need in that moment we pray it.
The next petition is “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Debts is a more accurate translation than “trespasses,” which is made popular by the Book of Common Prayer. Luke uses the word “sins” in his version of Jesus’s prayer. I think the Catholic Church uses “sins”. Every failure to obey God puts us hopelessly in debt. But God forgives us. Unforgiveness doesn’t nullify that God forgave us at the cross, but it does harden us from understanding the depths of that forgiveness and prevents us from receiving that forgiveness. An example is the parable of the unforgiving servant. He really didn’t understand what his master had done for him, and therefore, did not extend forgiveness of a seemingly much lesser debt to his own servant. The unforgiving servant didn’t realize the weight of his debt. An unforgiving spirit interrupts our communion with God. God waits upon our confession and expects us to forgive because we have been forgiven. If we realize the debt from which we have been bailed out, then we will forgive. In verses 14-15, the word here is “trespasses.” “Trespass” is a falling to one side—a deviation from truth or righteousness. Not to forgive is an insult to God. Jesus warns us in these verses that we will never really know what it means to be forgiven if we do not forgive.
“And lead us not into temptation,”—The word “into” goes with the verb. The verb itself means to “lead inward”. In other words, temptation comes when we are too inwardly focused. It doesn’t come from the outside. Elsewhere it says in Scripture that we are tempted “when we are drawn away by our own lusts and enticed.” In this petition we are asking God to save us from ourselves. The petition continues, “but deliver us from the Evil One.” The mind is the arena where the “evil one” operates.
The concluding phrase isn’t original to the text. It isn’t found in any manuscripts prior to the 2nd century. It’s left out of Luke’s gospel. It is probably a scribal addition of benediction and praise. But it certainly is true that the glorious, powerful, kingdom belongs to God.
Hopefully, you can see how this is a model prayer. I also hope that as we pray this prayer shortly, that you will really pray it, not just repeat it, but think about the meaning and power of the words. Are you really submitting yourself to God’s will, and do you want to? Are you seeking God for what is necessary? Do you recognize the depth of God’s forgiveness, and is there someone you need to forgive? Do you recognize the potential for evil within yourself? May we persevere in our prayers, knowing that God’s answers and God’s timing are always right.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Safe on the High Rock; Psalm 61, Matthew 7:24-29, I Corinthians 3:10-15
See also Romans 6, Matthew 5-7, and Rom. 8:35-38
To listen, click here.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Under the Banner of Truth; I Chron. 18:3-13, Psalm 60, III John
The parallel passage for I Chron. 18 is II Sam. 8:3-14. You may also want to see I Kings 11:15-16.
Notice too how in the historic passages, David took the spoils--gold, silver, and bronze--and dedicated them to the Lord. He did not take them for himself or his men. Even though David was not commissioned to build the temple, he collected the materials for the building of the temple. David gives God the glory for his victories. Are our offerings glorifying to God? Do they appropriately represent the victories god has given us? (Note: Though we can never repay God, nor should we try, we can know if we are offering God something worthy or giving God second rate. God's people were judged for not giving to God of their best. Their offering did not reflect what God had done for them. They kept the best for themselves and refused to share.) Remember that generosity is one of the marks of a true disciple.
To listen to sermon, click here.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Do Not Fret; Psalm 37
Today’s psalm has been a favorite of mine since middle school. It has helped me over the years through bouts of depression. It was interesting to find that my co-leader in Celebrate Recovery had the same favorite psalm for some of the same reasons. Twice the psalmist tells us “Do not fret,” but this isn’t just about general anxiety; it is more specific. “Do not fret because of evildoers.” We are not supposed to be worried and upset at the seeming triumph of evil. Instead, 5 times the psalmist tells us to trust in or wait upon the Lord.
To fret is more than just worry or anxiety. It is to become enraged because of allowing worry and anxiety to fester. Dr. Kenneth Bailey often speaks of the need to re-purpose anger into grace. This is the way of God. It is demonstrated by God in the way God deals with God’s people in Exodus and in the prophets. It is the way of Jesus. Jesus turned anger into grace when He turned away from the Pharisees in favor of the company of sinners. Joseph re-purposed anger into grace when he provided for his brothers and fathers. David re-purposed anger into grace when he spared Saul’s life and married Abigail. Sometimes you can genuinely “stick it to the man” by re-purposing your anger into grace by helping other or working for justice. The Bible calls this “heaping coals on your enemy’s head”. Instead of retaliation and retribution, you can take choose a path of integrity, justice, and generosity.
Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm that contrasts the righteous and the wicked, even more specifically--the wealthy wicked and the poor righteous. It calls us to be among the righteous. Like many wisdom psalms, it is an acrostic, where each verse begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The source of wisdom is always the Lord and we are to follow the Way of Wisdom, which is Christ. The psalm lists characteristics of the righteous person often using body imagery--a mouth that speaks wisdom, a tongue of justice, a heart that receives God’s law (i.e. Someone who is willing to be taught by God), secure feet (i.e. Knowing where your foundation is). The righteous are characterized by generosity and goodness and are motivated by God’s Spirit and guided by God’s law. The righteous are people of integrity whose future is forever. They live upright and faithfully in this life. In contrast the wicked are described as having a future that is cut off, they are broken, they will come to an end. The wicked will wither while the righteous will prosper.
How you live is more important that what you have. The wicked often achieve success through evil schemes, stepping on others on their way up to the top, misusing resources for selfish gain, or running a business unethically.
Another reason we ought not envy the prosperity of the wicked is because you never know what is going on inside them. There are a lot of folks who seem to have it together on the outside whose lives are falling apart and empty on the inside. There are a lot of miserable people out there. No it is not the case for everyone; not even the wicked. But we must be careful not to make blanket assumptions and hasty judgments. Don’t sell out to wickedness out of envy.
Some of you may know verse 4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” “Delight yourself in the Lord” means to pamper yourself in the Lord. When I think of pampering myself, I think of going to the spa to get a massage. Some of you ladies may think of getting your nails done. Some of you men may think of going out on the golf course. Pampering implies enjoyment and relaxation. What if we enjoyed being with God and looked forward to it as much as playing golf or going to the spa. And what’s great is that it doesn’t cost money, nor do you have to wait a long time to do so, though it may take some intentional planning. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, God gives us what our hearts really desire.
The inheritance that this world offers, that which the wicked seem to have is only a temporary inheritance. The inheritance of the righteous is an eternal inheritance. Instead of being envious in regard to what we don’t have, we are called to be generous with what we do have. Verse 21 contrasts the wicked, who do not return what they borrow, with the righteous, who show mercy and give. Giving helps us realize and appreciate what we do have. It is a joyful act of worship. How do you feel on 2¢-a-meal Sundays, which is coming up next week, by the way? Or when it comes to raising money for ministries like the Pregnancy Center? You have shown yourselves to be generous, and I think we are generous because we are excited about these ministries, and we enjoy being a part of them.
Verses 25-26 are difficult. If David never saw poor people, then he was spending too much time in his palaces. Of course righteous people have had to beg bread and have even starved to death. The answer is that these verses are communal. The righteous community has enough to provide for those in need. If there is a need that we do not meet, then we are at fault. However, we are not held accountable for meeting the needs that we do not know about. There was a man in my first church with whom I had a lot of shared values when it comes to social and economic justice. However, he worked hard to promote social justice through changing the government, whereas I believe it is the calling and responsibility of the people of God to bring justice. Look at the top schools, hospitals, children’s homes and welfare programs of this country. Most were started by churches, and many of the highest quality ones are still run by religious non-profits backed by churches. This is the work of the kingdom of God, and it will always be far more effective than any human government agency.
As for the righteous being hungry, even in this condition, the righteous truly are never forsaken by God. Jim and I are reading Tom Doyle’s newest book Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It’s Not Safe to Believe. The stories in the book show God’s people at points of real need in their lives, but never do they express feeling forsaken by God. And it is often through the righteous community that their needs are met, and indeed, these believers in need are also some of the most selfless, generous people you will ever meet. They hold loosely to the things of this world in exchange for an eternal inheritance, and they delight themselves in God’s presence and in doing God’s kingdom work in this world. Suffering is not in vain and is pretty much a given in this life. It can help us better understand our relationship with God and may even be used to deepen our relationship with God. It may be used to help another person on their spiritual journey. We may never know the why of suffering, but we can know that God doesn’t abandon us or waste our hurts. This psalm is about educational instruction in regard to righteousness as opposed to being a philosophical treatise on the problem of evil. No, life is not fair, but our God is a God of justice, and even more than that, our God is merciful!
Despite what is going on around us, God’s justice is certain. The blessedness of the righteous is a given. They are greatly honored. The psalm says the meek will inherit the land, which is probably what Jesus quotes in the beatitudes. Isaiah 65 is another passage where future economic justice and prosperity is promised for God’s people. We are sojourners here, but we are to make the most of our time in the way we live our lives.
Monday, June 1, 2015
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Sunday, March 22, 2015
Will You Commit?; Psalm 31, Luke 23:44-46, II Timothy 3:1-7
Discipleship without cost is not discipleship. To listen, click here.
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