30 November 2013 - come after me
Come after me
In one way or another Jesus is calling us to come after him. He may not make us fishers of men in the same sense that he does Peter and Andrew. However, as John Paul the Great reminds us in Redemptoris Missio, we are all called to mission in one way or another. He writes, "Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission”. And by the nature of this call we must let this new priority displace any other priorities in our lives no matter how essential they seem.
At once they left their nets and followed him.
This is because on the one hand evangelization is something beautiful. It is the sharing of new and abundant life. It is the only true source of peace and of joy.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
On the other hand it is also essential. This blessing remains locked away or at best obscured if it is not proclaimed.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
The world desperately needs the refreshment that only God's law can supply. We need the joy and enlightenment that it brings.
These words are indeed "Spirit and life". We must ask with Peter, "To whom shall we go? You alone have the words of everlasting life." If we realize with the psalmist that these words really are sweeter "than honey from the comb" this will not be a chore for us. We must treasure of the Word of God as Jeremiah does.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,
When we do we are ready to respond with all that we are.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
29 November 2013 - budding interest
29 November 2013 - budding interest
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
There is urgency here. There is imminence.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
There is also timelessness. There is the unchanging.
What holds these two ideas together? What is the word which outlasts heaven and earth which is also present to this generation in the midst of trials and persecutions?
This is the nature of the incarnation. The timeless word enters our circumstances. We are like "the fig tree and all other trees." He frees us from our protective buds. He bursts them open and causes the winter of our trials to give way to summer.
The Kingdom of God is near because the king does not leave us to face dire circumstances on our own. He comes as a baby in the incarnation. He comes at the end of time as judge. But even in daily life he comes to strengthen us and deliver us. He calls for perseverance but he himself gives us the strength to press on.
The circumstances we face can be quite bad, like the four beasts which Daniel sees. Just when he thinks he has seen the worst of it in the Babylonians, the Medes, and the Persians, the fourth beast of Alexander's Greece rears its ugly head. We are tempted to regard such power as ultimate. Yet it can't compare to the true king.
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven at the end of time to finally subjugate all earthly authority to himself. But he comes into our daily lives to give us victory over the powers of darkness which oppress us. We need to realize how much greater this king is than the circumstances we face. We need to watch for and be attentive to his coming. We will not pass away until these things have taken place. We can count on the one whose words will not pass away.
With all creation, let us render "glory and eternal praise to him!"
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
There is urgency here. There is imminence.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”
There is also timelessness. There is the unchanging.
What holds these two ideas together? What is the word which outlasts heaven and earth which is also present to this generation in the midst of trials and persecutions?
This is the nature of the incarnation. The timeless word enters our circumstances. We are like "the fig tree and all other trees." He frees us from our protective buds. He bursts them open and causes the winter of our trials to give way to summer.
The Kingdom of God is near because the king does not leave us to face dire circumstances on our own. He comes as a baby in the incarnation. He comes at the end of time as judge. But even in daily life he comes to strengthen us and deliver us. He calls for perseverance but he himself gives us the strength to press on.
The circumstances we face can be quite bad, like the four beasts which Daniel sees. Just when he thinks he has seen the worst of it in the Babylonians, the Medes, and the Persians, the fourth beast of Alexander's Greece rears its ugly head. We are tempted to regard such power as ultimate. Yet it can't compare to the true king.
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven at the end of time to finally subjugate all earthly authority to himself. But he comes into our daily lives to give us victory over the powers of darkness which oppress us. We need to realize how much greater this king is than the circumstances we face. We need to watch for and be attentive to his coming. We will not pass away until these things have taken place. We can count on the one whose words will not pass away.
With all creation, let us render "glory and eternal praise to him!"
Thursday, November 28, 2013
28 November 2013 - lion down on the job
28 November 2013 - lion down on the job
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
We know that we can't survive thirty days without addressing petitions to God. But when threatened with the den of lions how steadfast are we? When the world conspires to make us obey itself rather than God do we give in? Will we, for instance, abandon our religious freedoms when the government insists? When told not to pray, are we silent? When told to provide contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization, do we do so? In our day both the demand and the punishment is more subtle but it is not fundamentally different.
We must say to the world with Peter and John, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge" (cf Act. 4:19). Let us learn from Daniel who knows what is right in these situations.
Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
We may be tempted to point fingers. But ultimately, we see a system at work, over and above the intentions of any one man.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
And so he is cast into the lion's den. But these seemingly insurmountable circumstances are allowed to occur to make God's deliverance more manifest.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Because all this happens first people notice what they may otherwise miss or undervalue. Whether they are complicit in throwing the devout to the lions, whether they trample Jerusalem under foot, or whether they are those who flee to the mountains with the LORD's remnant, no one now misses the LORD's coming and his salvation.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
This is why we read yesterday that we secure our lives by our perseverance. And today we read just the attitude that should characterize us as we persevere. Stand erect! Raise your heads! We go forward as those who know that our redemption is at hand.
King Darius sees this perseverance manifested in Daniel. He sees the deliverance with which it is met. And he is changed.
“All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:
“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”
So let us all render "glory and eternal praise" to God, our mighty God, who saves us from the lion's mouth.
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
We know that we can't survive thirty days without addressing petitions to God. But when threatened with the den of lions how steadfast are we? When the world conspires to make us obey itself rather than God do we give in? Will we, for instance, abandon our religious freedoms when the government insists? When told not to pray, are we silent? When told to provide contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilization, do we do so? In our day both the demand and the punishment is more subtle but it is not fundamentally different.
We must say to the world with Peter and John, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge" (cf Act. 4:19). Let us learn from Daniel who knows what is right in these situations.
Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
We may be tempted to point fingers. But ultimately, we see a system at work, over and above the intentions of any one man.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
And so he is cast into the lion's den. But these seemingly insurmountable circumstances are allowed to occur to make God's deliverance more manifest.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Because all this happens first people notice what they may otherwise miss or undervalue. Whether they are complicit in throwing the devout to the lions, whether they trample Jerusalem under foot, or whether they are those who flee to the mountains with the LORD's remnant, no one now misses the LORD's coming and his salvation.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
This is why we read yesterday that we secure our lives by our perseverance. And today we read just the attitude that should characterize us as we persevere. Stand erect! Raise your heads! We go forward as those who know that our redemption is at hand.
King Darius sees this perseverance manifested in Daniel. He sees the deliverance with which it is met. And he is changed.
“All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:
“For he is the living God, enduring forever;
his Kingdom shall not be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be without end.
He is a deliverer and savior,
working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”
So let us all render "glory and eternal praise" to God, our mighty God, who saves us from the lion's mouth.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
27 November 2013 - source of wisdom
27 November 2013 - source of wisdom
There are times when following Jesus can lead to difficult circumstances:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
What are we willing to suffer because we put his name first in our lives? When we encounter suffering our first response is often to try to escape by any means we can think of. There is the real possibility that sufferings we encounter in following Jesus can cause us to fall back onto our own resources. But we must not. For at these times Jesus wants his wisdom and power to be visible in us.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
That is not to say that we aren't supposed to be prepared, exactly. The truth is what sets us free. We need to know it. We need to be near to Jesus in the power of his Spirit so that we can indeed hear him when he gives us a "wisdom in speaking". But we don't need to be prepared for every possible question. We don't need to have every possible answer. We just need to be close enough to the one who has all the answers.
Daniel is one whom God gives a "wisdom in speaking" which becomes so famous in Babylon that even King Belshazzar hears of it.
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
It is not by his own wisdom that Daniel surpasses all of the learned of Babylon. It is because the Spirit of God dwells in him. He dwells in us as well.
If we give in to preparing our defense beforehand there is the liability that we will end up defending ourselves and our lives in the flesh. If this happens we don't have the courage to speak up for Jesus in his kingdom when it his hard. Daniel, on the other hand, is bold is proclaiming what he knows to be true.
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
He knows that the truth God gives is ultimately the only source of freedom. Any freedom a human defence can purchase is short-lived. God wants to give us this same wisdom he gives Daniel. He wants us to have freedom which is based in his truth. We need to have the same degree of trust in him that Daniel does. We need to be willing to endure hatred for the name of Jesus and to nevertheless perservere.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Our God is the LORD of the sun and moon, the stars of heaven, every shower and dew, the winds, fire and heat, and cold and chill. We must therefore not fall back on worldly resources, "gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone" as though they can help us in the place of the God who makes and sustains them. We must use the resources God gives us in accordance with his purpose for them. We must not take vessels from the temple and use them to serve drinks at parties.
Our God is willing to give us "brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom." With the wisdom and the wealth that come from God let us give "glory and eternal praise to him."
There are times when following Jesus can lead to difficult circumstances:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
What are we willing to suffer because we put his name first in our lives? When we encounter suffering our first response is often to try to escape by any means we can think of. There is the real possibility that sufferings we encounter in following Jesus can cause us to fall back onto our own resources. But we must not. For at these times Jesus wants his wisdom and power to be visible in us.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
That is not to say that we aren't supposed to be prepared, exactly. The truth is what sets us free. We need to know it. We need to be near to Jesus in the power of his Spirit so that we can indeed hear him when he gives us a "wisdom in speaking". But we don't need to be prepared for every possible question. We don't need to have every possible answer. We just need to be close enough to the one who has all the answers.
Daniel is one whom God gives a "wisdom in speaking" which becomes so famous in Babylon that even King Belshazzar hears of it.
I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you,
that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
It is not by his own wisdom that Daniel surpasses all of the learned of Babylon. It is because the Spirit of God dwells in him. He dwells in us as well.
If we give in to preparing our defense beforehand there is the liability that we will end up defending ourselves and our lives in the flesh. If this happens we don't have the courage to speak up for Jesus in his kingdom when it his hard. Daniel, on the other hand, is bold is proclaiming what he knows to be true.
MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
He knows that the truth God gives is ultimately the only source of freedom. Any freedom a human defence can purchase is short-lived. God wants to give us this same wisdom he gives Daniel. He wants us to have freedom which is based in his truth. We need to have the same degree of trust in him that Daniel does. We need to be willing to endure hatred for the name of Jesus and to nevertheless perservere.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Our God is the LORD of the sun and moon, the stars of heaven, every shower and dew, the winds, fire and heat, and cold and chill. We must therefore not fall back on worldly resources, "gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone" as though they can help us in the place of the God who makes and sustains them. We must use the resources God gives us in accordance with his purpose for them. We must not take vessels from the temple and use them to serve drinks at parties.
Our God is willing to give us "brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom." With the wisdom and the wealth that come from God let us give "glory and eternal praise to him."
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
26 November 2013 - kingdom of peace
26 November 2013 - kingdom of peace
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
Is it any wonder that the people at the time of Jesus are expecting the Kingdom of God to be a military kingdom? It strikes the worldly kingdoms, breaks them to pieces, and they crumble. This sounds like a violent exercise of power.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
Yet, to what does this prophecy really refer? What is the kingdom "that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people"?
Isaiah sees these events in a more recognizable way:
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
And who exactly is it that establishes this kingdom? Isaiah tells us:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope grows. We hear of freedom from the yoke of the nations. We hear of a time of great peace, justice, and righteousness to which there is no end. When will it finally arrive?
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Yet we, with the apostles, sense something is incomplete. We understand why they ask, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (cf. Acts 1:6) They ask even though they see him risen. Perhaps they still have some expectation that the stone hewn from the mountain without hands will break the kingdoms of the earth with force.
But Jesus tells us:
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
When the supposed stability which the world pretends to supply falls short we tend think in apocalyptic terms. We imagine that the LORD is finally smashing the kingdoms with "the stone which the builders rejected". We are thereby liable to be deceived and to follow those whom we perceive to be successful in these terms.
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
But we can't assess things by our criteria of success. Even though Jesus indeed plans to definitively establish his kingdom, to destroy death, and to finally separate the sheep from the goats, we will still be deceived unless we remember that we are watching for "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." His is a Kingdom of peace not violence.
“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
The angels know this king. That is why they proclaim:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
Is it any wonder that the people at the time of Jesus are expecting the Kingdom of God to be a military kingdom? It strikes the worldly kingdoms, breaks them to pieces, and they crumble. This sounds like a violent exercise of power.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
Yet, to what does this prophecy really refer? What is the kingdom "that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people"?
Isaiah sees these events in a more recognizable way:
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
And who exactly is it that establishes this kingdom? Isaiah tells us:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope grows. We hear of freedom from the yoke of the nations. We hear of a time of great peace, justice, and righteousness to which there is no end. When will it finally arrive?
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Yet we, with the apostles, sense something is incomplete. We understand why they ask, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (cf. Acts 1:6) They ask even though they see him risen. Perhaps they still have some expectation that the stone hewn from the mountain without hands will break the kingdoms of the earth with force.
But Jesus tells us:
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
When the supposed stability which the world pretends to supply falls short we tend think in apocalyptic terms. We imagine that the LORD is finally smashing the kingdoms with "the stone which the builders rejected". We are thereby liable to be deceived and to follow those whom we perceive to be successful in these terms.
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
But we can't assess things by our criteria of success. Even though Jesus indeed plans to definitively establish his kingdom, to destroy death, and to finally separate the sheep from the goats, we will still be deceived unless we remember that we are watching for "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." His is a Kingdom of peace not violence.
“You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
The angels know this king. That is why they proclaim:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Monday, November 25, 2013
25 November 2013 - kingdom wealth
25 November 2013 - kingdom wealth
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Kingdom wealth is very different from worldly wealth. From the perspective of the world we see a "poor widow". But from the perspective of the Kingdom she gives "more than all the rest". This may even mean that she gives more than all of the supposedly wealthy people combined.
The wealthy are at risk for being very poor in the Kingdom. We aren't necessarily poor because we are wealthy. But worldly things can ensnare us. They can captivate our wills. We squander our Kingdom wealth when we choose these things instead of the higher goods of God and neighbor. Our identities come to be associated with things instead of with who we are in God. This is the trap to which the scribes succumb:
"Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets."
When we do this, instead of offering God our "whole livelihood", we find that we "devour the houses of widows" and try to make ourselves feel OK about it when we "as a pretext, receite lengthy prayers." Is this all our offerings are? Pretexts to be recklessly selfish?
Ultimately, we need to trust in God more than in our wealth. Our self-image should be based on who he is rather than a false picture of our strength. Only then can we give our "whole livelihood" to God, holding nothing back. If he is first are able to use the things of this world as though not using them (1 Cor. 7:31). We aren't be enslaved by the fear that they will be taken away. God's grace is sufficient for us (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
When we know who he is in a personal way we can rely on him more than things or status.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
This is the secret that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah know. They are able to turn down food from the royal table and thereby avoid defiling themselves because they know God will provide.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see.”
And indeed they end up looking "healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table." And not only that, God blesses them in abundance for the roll he has for them.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
This is how Kingdom wealth works. When we trust in God we always have all we need.
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Kingdom wealth is very different from worldly wealth. From the perspective of the world we see a "poor widow". But from the perspective of the Kingdom she gives "more than all the rest". This may even mean that she gives more than all of the supposedly wealthy people combined.
The wealthy are at risk for being very poor in the Kingdom. We aren't necessarily poor because we are wealthy. But worldly things can ensnare us. They can captivate our wills. We squander our Kingdom wealth when we choose these things instead of the higher goods of God and neighbor. Our identities come to be associated with things instead of with who we are in God. This is the trap to which the scribes succumb:
"Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets."
When we do this, instead of offering God our "whole livelihood", we find that we "devour the houses of widows" and try to make ourselves feel OK about it when we "as a pretext, receite lengthy prayers." Is this all our offerings are? Pretexts to be recklessly selfish?
Ultimately, we need to trust in God more than in our wealth. Our self-image should be based on who he is rather than a false picture of our strength. Only then can we give our "whole livelihood" to God, holding nothing back. If he is first are able to use the things of this world as though not using them (1 Cor. 7:31). We aren't be enslaved by the fear that they will be taken away. God's grace is sufficient for us (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
When we know who he is in a personal way we can rely on him more than things or status.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
This is the secret that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah know. They are able to turn down food from the royal table and thereby avoid defiling themselves because they know God will provide.
Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men
who eat from the royal table,
and treat your servants according to what you see.”
And indeed they end up looking "healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table." And not only that, God blesses them in abundance for the roll he has for them.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.
This is how Kingdom wealth works. When we trust in God we always have all we need.
“Blessed are you on the throne of your Kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
Sunday, November 24, 2013
24 November 2013 - christ the king
24 November 2013 - christ the king
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Can we share this vision of the penitent thief? Are we able to look at Jesus, bloodied and suffering, and still behold the King of the Jews, the King, indeed, of the entire world? Can we hear the sneering of the rulers and the soldiers and still behold the King of kings?
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
And yet he himself reconciles all things "making peace by the blood of his cross". We expect a powerful king to be elevated above suffering, above concern. But this is not what a true king is. This is not how true power is exercised. The LORD therefore tells David:
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
He is not just the "commander of Israel" but he is it's shepherd even before that. He is not to be aloof. He is to have a heart for his people.
Jesus is the one through whom all things were created. But he does not withdraw thereafter. He is the one in whom "all things hold together." He offers to hold us together even when everything is falling apart in us and in the world. In order to reunite all that is falling apart he offers his reconciliation, bought "by the blood of his cross."
We need to realize, then, that his suffering on the cross is his love for us as he holds us together and redeems us. The power of this King is to not let go even through death. He holds us together with him even unto new life on the third day. Without his embrace we have no hope in the face of death. But it is never too late to turn to him and hear him say:
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
We will be with him in Paradise if we just turn to him and ask. Therefore, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Can we share this vision of the penitent thief? Are we able to look at Jesus, bloodied and suffering, and still behold the King of the Jews, the King, indeed, of the entire world? Can we hear the sneering of the rulers and the soldiers and still behold the King of kings?
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
And yet he himself reconciles all things "making peace by the blood of his cross". We expect a powerful king to be elevated above suffering, above concern. But this is not what a true king is. This is not how true power is exercised. The LORD therefore tells David:
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
He is not just the "commander of Israel" but he is it's shepherd even before that. He is not to be aloof. He is to have a heart for his people.
Jesus is the one through whom all things were created. But he does not withdraw thereafter. He is the one in whom "all things hold together." He offers to hold us together even when everything is falling apart in us and in the world. In order to reunite all that is falling apart he offers his reconciliation, bought "by the blood of his cross."
We need to realize, then, that his suffering on the cross is his love for us as he holds us together and redeems us. The power of this King is to not let go even through death. He holds us together with him even unto new life on the third day. Without his embrace we have no hope in the face of death. But it is never too late to turn to him and hear him say:
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
We will be with him in Paradise if we just turn to him and ask. Therefore, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
Saturday, November 23, 2013
23 November 2013 - even now
23 November 2013 - even now
he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
God lives. He lives now. He lives now even for the childless widow who loses seven husbands. He lives to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at every point in their lives, even the difficult ones. Even when Abraham is called to lay down Isaac's life, and therefore all the promises and hope he has from God, even then God lives to him.
God lives to Israel even when King Antiochus is still in charge. Even when he sets up the Abomination upon the alter in Jerusalem the Most High lives. God lives to Israel even when it is pillaged of its "vessels of gold and silver" and when "the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed."
What does it mean that he lives in these times? How is that consolation for us? How is it hope?
It may seem at first to be the opposite of hope. It may seem that if God is so present in dark times that he must not care about them. What kind of God can fully know these sufferings and not act?
the dead will rise
God is present in these changing circumstances precisely to allow us to pass from them to that which is eternal and unchanging. This isn't just a gift he gives. He alone endures. Even his gifts pass away.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
Again, he alone endures.
That is why "those who are deemed worth to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead" "are the children of God". They participate in the very life of God. They share in his divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). It is precisely in this way that "they are like angels". Though wings would also be cool.
We need to open ourselves fully to the one who lives even now at this very moment. He lives right now no matter what we face. If we neglect his presence and do our own thing we will find ourselves lamenting our lives as King Antiochus does:
I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me;
and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land.”
Ultimately the "nations are sunk in the pit they have made". A pit is an absence. They sink because the truly real is in God and they neglect it. This is "the snare they set" themselves in which "their foot is caught."
But if we turn to God we have great cause to rejoice in his salvation.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
There is nothing our enemies can do against the eternal one. Sin and death appear insubstantial in his presence. They dissolve like dew in the sun.
he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
God lives. He lives now. He lives now even for the childless widow who loses seven husbands. He lives to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at every point in their lives, even the difficult ones. Even when Abraham is called to lay down Isaac's life, and therefore all the promises and hope he has from God, even then God lives to him.
God lives to Israel even when King Antiochus is still in charge. Even when he sets up the Abomination upon the alter in Jerusalem the Most High lives. God lives to Israel even when it is pillaged of its "vessels of gold and silver" and when "the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed."
What does it mean that he lives in these times? How is that consolation for us? How is it hope?
It may seem at first to be the opposite of hope. It may seem that if God is so present in dark times that he must not care about them. What kind of God can fully know these sufferings and not act?
the dead will rise
God is present in these changing circumstances precisely to allow us to pass from them to that which is eternal and unchanging. This isn't just a gift he gives. He alone endures. Even his gifts pass away.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
Again, he alone endures.
That is why "those who are deemed worth to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead" "are the children of God". They participate in the very life of God. They share in his divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). It is precisely in this way that "they are like angels". Though wings would also be cool.
We need to open ourselves fully to the one who lives even now at this very moment. He lives right now no matter what we face. If we neglect his presence and do our own thing we will find ourselves lamenting our lives as King Antiochus does:
I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me;
and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land.”
Ultimately the "nations are sunk in the pit they have made". A pit is an absence. They sink because the truly real is in God and they neglect it. This is "the snare they set" themselves in which "their foot is caught."
But if we turn to God we have great cause to rejoice in his salvation.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
There is nothing our enemies can do against the eternal one. Sin and death appear insubstantial in his presence. They dissolve like dew in the sun.
Friday, November 22, 2013
22 November 2013 - amateurs at the profound
22 November 2013 - amateurs at the profound
The temple is so important in biblical times because it is the place where out of anywhere on earth God is most present. It is the place where his shekinah glory cloud that is the visible manifestation of his presence comes to rest. It is the place where the people go to seek his forgiveness and his favor. That is why Jesus won't let it be compromised.
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
No wonder his disciples think of the verse, "Zeal for your house will consume me" (cf. Joh. 2:17).
This is why Judas and his brothers go to such lengths to rededicate the temple after it is defiled by the gentiles, as we see in the first reading. This is why the reconsecration is no small thing. There are "songs. harps, flutes, and cymbals" The people celebrate for eight days with joyful "burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance and praise." This is why it is important that even the facade of the temple reflect some of the glory of the one who dwells within "with gold crowns and shields". It is such a big deal that it becomes an annual observance.
It is their love for God "who had given them success" that so moves Judas and his brothers. It is the filial love of Jesus for his Father that makes him so zealous for the integrity of his dwelling place.
And if the temple is so important, what does that mean about Jesus? The Father dwells in Jesus in a far more perfect and complete way than the way in which he is present in the temple. What kind of zeal should we therefore have for his name? Should we be any slower to make music to our king? St. Cecilia intercedes for us. She asks God that we may have joyful songs on our lips and in our hearts to offer him.
And if Jesus is so important, should we not also honor Mary, the temple in whom he dwells for nine months? We see that the shekinah glory cloud that covers the temple also comes to cover her as the angel says to her, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (cf. Luk. 1:35). She is something even more profound than the new temple. She is the new ark of the covenant. Just as the ark is central to the old temple and the most profound place of God's presence so is Mary now where God's presence can be found in the person of Jesus.
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
Let us come to Mary our mother. Just as she reveals the presence of Jesus to Elizabeth as she carries him in her womb so too does she still reveal his presence, and therefore the presence of the entire Trinity, to us. He is the creator of heaven and earth and yet chooses to be found by us in personal and intimate ways. If our hearts aren't moved to praise the glorious name of our mighty God we should come more fully to the place where his presence is the most profound. Prayer to Jesus in the Eucharist through Mary can help us to realize his "power and might" and "grandeur and strength" that are found in him alone. He alone is "exalted as head over all."
We too are meant to be temples of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19). May we be like the people listening to Jesus in the Gospel reading who are "hanging on his words". Then when he cleanses the temples of our hearts of impurity we will not turn aside, "seeking to put him to death". We will let him have his way in us to make us into fit temples of his presence.
The temple is so important in biblical times because it is the place where out of anywhere on earth God is most present. It is the place where his shekinah glory cloud that is the visible manifestation of his presence comes to rest. It is the place where the people go to seek his forgiveness and his favor. That is why Jesus won't let it be compromised.
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
No wonder his disciples think of the verse, "Zeal for your house will consume me" (cf. Joh. 2:17).
This is why Judas and his brothers go to such lengths to rededicate the temple after it is defiled by the gentiles, as we see in the first reading. This is why the reconsecration is no small thing. There are "songs. harps, flutes, and cymbals" The people celebrate for eight days with joyful "burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance and praise." This is why it is important that even the facade of the temple reflect some of the glory of the one who dwells within "with gold crowns and shields". It is such a big deal that it becomes an annual observance.
It is their love for God "who had given them success" that so moves Judas and his brothers. It is the filial love of Jesus for his Father that makes him so zealous for the integrity of his dwelling place.
And if the temple is so important, what does that mean about Jesus? The Father dwells in Jesus in a far more perfect and complete way than the way in which he is present in the temple. What kind of zeal should we therefore have for his name? Should we be any slower to make music to our king? St. Cecilia intercedes for us. She asks God that we may have joyful songs on our lips and in our hearts to offer him.
And if Jesus is so important, should we not also honor Mary, the temple in whom he dwells for nine months? We see that the shekinah glory cloud that covers the temple also comes to cover her as the angel says to her, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (cf. Luk. 1:35). She is something even more profound than the new temple. She is the new ark of the covenant. Just as the ark is central to the old temple and the most profound place of God's presence so is Mary now where God's presence can be found in the person of Jesus.
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
Let us come to Mary our mother. Just as she reveals the presence of Jesus to Elizabeth as she carries him in her womb so too does she still reveal his presence, and therefore the presence of the entire Trinity, to us. He is the creator of heaven and earth and yet chooses to be found by us in personal and intimate ways. If our hearts aren't moved to praise the glorious name of our mighty God we should come more fully to the place where his presence is the most profound. Prayer to Jesus in the Eucharist through Mary can help us to realize his "power and might" and "grandeur and strength" that are found in him alone. He alone is "exalted as head over all."
We too are meant to be temples of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19). May we be like the people listening to Jesus in the Gospel reading who are "hanging on his words". Then when he cleanses the temples of our hearts of impurity we will not turn aside, "seeking to put him to death". We will let him have his way in us to make us into fit temples of his presence.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
21 November 2013 - return and live
21 November 2013 - return and live
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
Jesus does not delight in judgment. He does not rejoice in the death of sinners (cf. Eze. 18:23). As he weeps we hear him say, "I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live" (cf. Eze. 18:32)! His call is simple: return and live.
Jesus, make us attentive like the wise virgins with enough oil for our lamps (cf. Mat. 25:4). Jesus, do not let us be like Jerusalem which "did not recognize the time of your visitation." Help us to rejoice in your visitation. As you visit us in the circumstances of our lives let us heed your call to return to you more and more.
If we turn to Jesus we have no need to fear even when our enemies "raise a palisade" against us, when they encircle us, and when they hem us in on all sides. They may well not "leave one stone upon another" but we will have the strength to leave everything behind just as Mattathias and his sons leave "behind in the city all their possessions." No matter what pressure we face we will be steadfast:
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”
We won't be turned aside by promises of "silver and gold and many gifts." Promises of worldly honors will not sway us. We will only care about being "numbered among the King's friends" if the King about whom we speak is Jesus.
So what ultimately is this returning to God? What are the things which makes for peace? How do we do it concretely? The psalmist knows:
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”
Praising God is how our hearts return to him. This is the source of our peace. It is the first step in fulfilling our vows to him. It undergirds and sustains the whole process. It is the source of zeal. When praise of God is central to our lives we won't hesitate to cry with Mattathias:
“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
God is so amazing. He is "perfect in beauty" and "shines forth" from Zion. How can we but be zealous for him? May our hearts be moved with the psalmist to "show the saving power of God" to all who will see it.
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
Jesus does not delight in judgment. He does not rejoice in the death of sinners (cf. Eze. 18:23). As he weeps we hear him say, "I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live" (cf. Eze. 18:32)! His call is simple: return and live.
Jesus, make us attentive like the wise virgins with enough oil for our lamps (cf. Mat. 25:4). Jesus, do not let us be like Jerusalem which "did not recognize the time of your visitation." Help us to rejoice in your visitation. As you visit us in the circumstances of our lives let us heed your call to return to you more and more.
If we turn to Jesus we have no need to fear even when our enemies "raise a palisade" against us, when they encircle us, and when they hem us in on all sides. They may well not "leave one stone upon another" but we will have the strength to leave everything behind just as Mattathias and his sons leave "behind in the city all their possessions." No matter what pressure we face we will be steadfast:
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”
We won't be turned aside by promises of "silver and gold and many gifts." Promises of worldly honors will not sway us. We will only care about being "numbered among the King's friends" if the King about whom we speak is Jesus.
So what ultimately is this returning to God? What are the things which makes for peace? How do we do it concretely? The psalmist knows:
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”
Praising God is how our hearts return to him. This is the source of our peace. It is the first step in fulfilling our vows to him. It undergirds and sustains the whole process. It is the source of zeal. When praise of God is central to our lives we won't hesitate to cry with Mattathias:
“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
God is so amazing. He is "perfect in beauty" and "shines forth" from Zion. How can we but be zealous for him? May our hearts be moved with the psalmist to "show the saving power of God" to all who will see it.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
20 November 2013 - demanding the best
20 November 2013 - demanding the best
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
Because Jesus does not bring the Kingdom immediately in its fullness he gives his listeners a mission for the time until then.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
He gives us all the resources we need. We use these talents he gives us to build his Kingdom. We do so in a world together with "fellow citizens" who despise the one who gives these gifts. It isn't going to be easy. We may be reluctant to use his resources in a world where people loudly proclaim, "We do not want this man to be our king." What if they realize we're working to build the kingdom of the king they hate? Maybe we can just keep these resources out of contact with the wider world until he returns as king. Yet it isn't enough to keep these "gold coins" to ourselves.
The king we serve is able to take up what he did not lay down and harvest where he did not plant. He made the whole universe and yet "did not make them out of existing things". Because of who he is we don't need to be afraid to spend the resources he allots. We don't need to hold against him that he is a "demanding man". He demands the best for everyone because he is the one who makes all things. He demands the best for his Kingdom because he is the one who sustains and guides everything toward fulfillment. He demands the best for us because he himself is that highest good toward which we move.
We are therefore able to spend the talents he gives us in a way that the world considers not only reckless but indeed doomed to failure.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.”
Let us go forth boldly and fearlessly use the resources he gives us to build his kingdom. Even if we encounter "whips and scourges" let us bear it like the mother in the first reading, "courageously because of her hope in the Lord." We can do this if we know what she knows:
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
Because Jesus does not bring the Kingdom immediately in its fullness he gives his listeners a mission for the time until then.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
He gives us all the resources we need. We use these talents he gives us to build his Kingdom. We do so in a world together with "fellow citizens" who despise the one who gives these gifts. It isn't going to be easy. We may be reluctant to use his resources in a world where people loudly proclaim, "We do not want this man to be our king." What if they realize we're working to build the kingdom of the king they hate? Maybe we can just keep these resources out of contact with the wider world until he returns as king. Yet it isn't enough to keep these "gold coins" to ourselves.
The king we serve is able to take up what he did not lay down and harvest where he did not plant. He made the whole universe and yet "did not make them out of existing things". Because of who he is we don't need to be afraid to spend the resources he allots. We don't need to hold against him that he is a "demanding man". He demands the best for everyone because he is the one who makes all things. He demands the best for his Kingdom because he is the one who sustains and guides everything toward fulfillment. He demands the best for us because he himself is that highest good toward which we move.
We are therefore able to spend the talents he gives us in a way that the world considers not only reckless but indeed doomed to failure.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.”
Let us go forth boldly and fearlessly use the resources he gives us to build his kingdom. Even if we encounter "whips and scourges" let us bear it like the mother in the first reading, "courageously because of her hope in the Lord." We can do this if we know what she knows:
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
19 November 2013 - crowd control
19 November 2013 - crowd control
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
It is all too possible for the crowds to keep us from seeing Jesus. Many who surround him are simply interested in spectacle and entertainment. Such as these won't help those who are on the margins and who are "short in stature" to get close enough to see Jesus.
Society is all to ready to help us to fit in. They don't want us climbing any trees. They don't want us standing out. Even when conformity is sinful they are all too willing to make it easy for us.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
Stay behind the crowds, they seem to say. They tell us not to climb a tree to see if there might be some other way than the one we know. They are happy for us to continue in our sinful ways. If we have "extorted anything from anyone" it is nothing to them. They don't particularly care if we give half of our possessions to the poor. They are more interested in the status quo.
They may actually seem kind and supportive until we try to stand out and draw near to Jesus. Then we realize how desperate society is to preserve the status quo. This is self-preservation for the world as it is.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
Eleazar shows the world that it's priorities are all wrong. Death represents the ultimate failure in the conventional view. But for Eleazar it is a great victory.
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
This is how he has the strength to die "manfully" rather than to lead anyone astray. He not only refuses to do that which is wrong but prefers death even to actions which, while not wrong in themselves, might lead others astray. He makes God the non-negotiable center of his life. Because of his "devotion to him" he is able to suffer torture with joy in his soul.
This same society that is willing to help Eleazar until he insists on standing out is happy to watch the spectacle of Jesus for entertainment. They like the supernatural and the unexplained. Like Herod, they "had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign" (cf. Luk. 23:8). But when the cry to crucify goes up they won't go against it, just like Pilate.
It is all too frequently that we find ourselves in hiding in the crowd, complicit in sin. We need to be willing to stand up and even climb trees to seek Jesus, no matter how the crowds are disposed.
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
We can do this because we know that he upholds us.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
It is all too possible for the crowds to keep us from seeing Jesus. Many who surround him are simply interested in spectacle and entertainment. Such as these won't help those who are on the margins and who are "short in stature" to get close enough to see Jesus.
Society is all to ready to help us to fit in. They don't want us climbing any trees. They don't want us standing out. Even when conformity is sinful they are all too willing to make it easy for us.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
Stay behind the crowds, they seem to say. They tell us not to climb a tree to see if there might be some other way than the one we know. They are happy for us to continue in our sinful ways. If we have "extorted anything from anyone" it is nothing to them. They don't particularly care if we give half of our possessions to the poor. They are more interested in the status quo.
They may actually seem kind and supportive until we try to stand out and draw near to Jesus. Then we realize how desperate society is to preserve the status quo. This is self-preservation for the world as it is.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
Eleazar shows the world that it's priorities are all wrong. Death represents the ultimate failure in the conventional view. But for Eleazar it is a great victory.
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
This is how he has the strength to die "manfully" rather than to lead anyone astray. He not only refuses to do that which is wrong but prefers death even to actions which, while not wrong in themselves, might lead others astray. He makes God the non-negotiable center of his life. Because of his "devotion to him" he is able to suffer torture with joy in his soul.
This same society that is willing to help Eleazar until he insists on standing out is happy to watch the spectacle of Jesus for entertainment. They like the supernatural and the unexplained. Like Herod, they "had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign" (cf. Luk. 23:8). But when the cry to crucify goes up they won't go against it, just like Pilate.
It is all too frequently that we find ourselves in hiding in the crowd, complicit in sin. We need to be willing to stand up and even climb trees to seek Jesus, no matter how the crowds are disposed.
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
We can do this because we know that he upholds us.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
Monday, November 18, 2013
18 November 2013 - stand out
18 November 2013 - stand out
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
We need to cry out to Jesus. Is society trying to silence us? Are they telling us to keep it to ourselves? And do we listen?
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
There are forces set against us. The principalities and powers, the world rulers of this present darkness (cf. Eph 6:12) want to silence our cry for mercy. They tell us to conform. They say insist it is not OK to stand out. They have to keep us quiet because if we cry out the answer is quick and certain. And if Jesus restores the sight of his people society as we know it will certainly be turned on its head.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
So we need to be willing to stand out. It isn't always just hiding in our inner rooms that we cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" We sometimes must make this cry in the public square. And this certainly separates us from the masses in some ways. Do we feel like our separation from secular society is keeping us from being as happy as we can be?
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
We must not be deceived.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
We don't want to be party to "the oppression of men" or the attacks of "malicious persecutors" or "the snares of the wicked". But we will find ourselves consenting to all of these things if we forget God's law or forsake it. We must pray:
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
We must be willing to go against the grain. We must make our cry for mercy no matter what people think of it. Chesterton reminds us, “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” The alternative is to ignore his laws. Eventually we find that we "abandoned the holy covenant". We must not be silent when "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
Let us learn from the resolve of many in Israel at the time of King Antiochus who do not give in to the demands of society.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
And let us learn from the blind man who cries out to Jesus. Although he faces the initial rebuke of the people around, and although he initially finds himself standing apart from them, his actions do not thereby abandon them. His willingness to stand out even transforms the people around him.
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
We need to cry out to Jesus. Is society trying to silence us? Are they telling us to keep it to ourselves? And do we listen?
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
There are forces set against us. The principalities and powers, the world rulers of this present darkness (cf. Eph 6:12) want to silence our cry for mercy. They tell us to conform. They say insist it is not OK to stand out. They have to keep us quiet because if we cry out the answer is quick and certain. And if Jesus restores the sight of his people society as we know it will certainly be turned on its head.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
So we need to be willing to stand out. It isn't always just hiding in our inner rooms that we cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" We sometimes must make this cry in the public square. And this certainly separates us from the masses in some ways. Do we feel like our separation from secular society is keeping us from being as happy as we can be?
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
We must not be deceived.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
We don't want to be party to "the oppression of men" or the attacks of "malicious persecutors" or "the snares of the wicked". But we will find ourselves consenting to all of these things if we forget God's law or forsake it. We must pray:
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
We must be willing to go against the grain. We must make our cry for mercy no matter what people think of it. Chesterton reminds us, “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” The alternative is to ignore his laws. Eventually we find that we "abandoned the holy covenant". We must not be silent when "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
Let us learn from the resolve of many in Israel at the time of King Antiochus who do not give in to the demands of society.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
And let us learn from the blind man who cries out to Jesus. Although he faces the initial rebuke of the people around, and although he initially finds himself standing apart from them, his actions do not thereby abandon them. His willingness to stand out even transforms the people around him.
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
17 November 2013 - do not be deceived
17 November 2013 - do not be deceived
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."
We can't allow circumstances to change our resolve. Even really dramatic circumstances like "wars and insurrections" and "earthquakes, famines, and plagues" cannot be allowed to turn us aside from Christ toward cheaper but more immediate salvation.
When hard things are happening we are able to "sing joyfully before the King" because we know that the Lord is coming. And this isn't a reason to disengage from the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Just because he is coming doesn't mean we are free to ignore the struggles at hand. His nearness is meant to inspire our perseverance. Only when we persevere in his strength relying on his Spirit do we have the "wisdom in speaking" that we need. Only then will we be able to talk about the love we have for Jesus even in a hostile world. This is essential. If we shrink from our role of giving testimony the world won't be prepared for him "and the day that is coming will set them on fire."
And if our circumstances are quiet and there is nothing pressing or difficult we still must stay engaged. His coming isn't a reason to let life pass us by as if it doesn't matter because he will be here so soon. We may begin to conduct ourselves in a "disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others." We must not allow our speaking to become so unwise because we lose sight of what is important.
The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
The LORD is coming! This should inspire joy in us. It should inspire perseverance. He comes to rule the earth with justice, not to abandon it, not to forsake it. His coming is meant to be "healing rays" to set things right not a blazing oven. Let us prepare to welcome him with joy!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."
We can't allow circumstances to change our resolve. Even really dramatic circumstances like "wars and insurrections" and "earthquakes, famines, and plagues" cannot be allowed to turn us aside from Christ toward cheaper but more immediate salvation.
When hard things are happening we are able to "sing joyfully before the King" because we know that the Lord is coming. And this isn't a reason to disengage from the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Just because he is coming doesn't mean we are free to ignore the struggles at hand. His nearness is meant to inspire our perseverance. Only when we persevere in his strength relying on his Spirit do we have the "wisdom in speaking" that we need. Only then will we be able to talk about the love we have for Jesus even in a hostile world. This is essential. If we shrink from our role of giving testimony the world won't be prepared for him "and the day that is coming will set them on fire."
And if our circumstances are quiet and there is nothing pressing or difficult we still must stay engaged. His coming isn't a reason to let life pass us by as if it doesn't matter because he will be here so soon. We may begin to conduct ourselves in a "disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others." We must not allow our speaking to become so unwise because we lose sight of what is important.
The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
The LORD is coming! This should inspire joy in us. It should inspire perseverance. He comes to rule the earth with justice, not to abandon it, not to forsake it. His coming is meant to be "healing rays" to set things right not a blazing oven. Let us prepare to welcome him with joy!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
16 November 2013 - just, a little longer
16 November 2013 - just, a little longer
Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
We have to pray and not lose heart. We have to pray always. It doesn't usually make sense to us, though. We aren't dealing with a "dishonest judge". We are dealing with the one who is perfectly just. And if this is the case, shouldn't we only have to ask him for what we need once? Or perhaps not at all? He knows what we want and what we need. Surely he can grant it to us before we even ask.
But the widow is purified in her intention by her constancy. Her words to the judge are, "Render a just decision for me against my adversary." She longs for justice. But the intention is made real and perfect in her heart only as she insists on it in the face of time and disappointment. God is drawing out from her a greater and greater commitment to the justice which she wants. She isn't powerful. She can't cause this justice to be done on her own. But she can more and more fully desire to see it done. She does not become weary with requests. Even though she doesn't experience the fruits of the "just decision" for a long time she doesn't become weary. Her desire is purified of self-seeking and focused more perfectly on justice itself. And ultimately this desire for justice is vindicated.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
Ultimately his word will come to rescue his people. It may seem to us that he is slow to answer. But the deliverance he brings us perfect. The night may be "half spent" but when he comes the enemy is vanquished.
Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne
bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree.
Let us rejoice. It may seem delayed but the timing of his deliverance transforms his people. They know a joy that they otherwise never would.
For they ranged about like horses,
and bounded about like lambs,
praising you, O Lord! their deliverer.
Let us "[r]emember the marvels the Lord has done!" He "led forth his people with joy; with shouts of joy, his chosen ones" The deliverance he brings more than makes up for the apparent delay. Ultimately, the "Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). He is not an unjust judge. He is our deliverer. Let us sing his praise!
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
We have to pray and not lose heart. We have to pray always. It doesn't usually make sense to us, though. We aren't dealing with a "dishonest judge". We are dealing with the one who is perfectly just. And if this is the case, shouldn't we only have to ask him for what we need once? Or perhaps not at all? He knows what we want and what we need. Surely he can grant it to us before we even ask.
But the widow is purified in her intention by her constancy. Her words to the judge are, "Render a just decision for me against my adversary." She longs for justice. But the intention is made real and perfect in her heart only as she insists on it in the face of time and disappointment. God is drawing out from her a greater and greater commitment to the justice which she wants. She isn't powerful. She can't cause this justice to be done on her own. But she can more and more fully desire to see it done. She does not become weary with requests. Even though she doesn't experience the fruits of the "just decision" for a long time she doesn't become weary. Her desire is purified of self-seeking and focused more perfectly on justice itself. And ultimately this desire for justice is vindicated.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
Ultimately his word will come to rescue his people. It may seem to us that he is slow to answer. But the deliverance he brings us perfect. The night may be "half spent" but when he comes the enemy is vanquished.
Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne
bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree.
Let us rejoice. It may seem delayed but the timing of his deliverance transforms his people. They know a joy that they otherwise never would.
For they ranged about like horses,
and bounded about like lambs,
praising you, O Lord! their deliverer.
Let us "[r]emember the marvels the Lord has done!" He "led forth his people with joy; with shouts of joy, his chosen ones" The deliverance he brings more than makes up for the apparent delay. Ultimately, the "Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9). He is not an unjust judge. He is our deliverer. Let us sing his praise!
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Friday, November 15, 2013
15 November 2013 - missin' the rescue mission
15 November 2013 - missin' the rescue mission
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
In the Gospel reading today we see a few examples of folks trying to preserve their lives. The people in the days of Noah insist on "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark". In this insistence on preserving their lives as they know them the miss the one opportunity to be rescued from impending doom: the ark. The inhabitants of Sodom miss their chance to flee for the same reason. They are too invested in the way things have always been. Even Lot's wife cannot fully detach from the past and ends up as a pillar of salt.
In the same way, Jesus warns us to be ready to let go of the circumstances in which we find ourselves so that he can deliver us to something better.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
But LORD, didn't you give us the circumstances we now enjoy? Indeed you did. Yet they are not absolute. They are meant to give way to things still greater and more lasting. They are "the perishable" which is meant to be "clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality" (cf 1 Cor. 15:54). This is true of circumstances both large and small. It can be something as simple as leaving a prayer group we have long attended for a new bible study to which we feel called. We can't let comfort and complacency block our opportunities for growth.
It can be all to easy to become comfortable and complacent. The liability we face is to be too busy with the created things to pay due attention to the eternal things.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But all of these things are ending. They do not last. In a sense they are a sinking ship and we are refusing to look to a lifeboat. We "seek God and wish to find him" but refuse to look beyond our circumstances. Created things are indeed impressive. They are so beautiful and display such power that peoples of the past have "thought them gods". We sometimes treat them as gods ourselves.
But we must move from "studying the works" to be able to "discern the artisan". The creation proclaims the creator:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
If we lift our eyes to the source, stability, and summit of all things we won't miss the rescue he sends for us. The vultures will not feast on us. Let us join the heavens and firmament in proclaiming the glory of the God who saves us.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
In the Gospel reading today we see a few examples of folks trying to preserve their lives. The people in the days of Noah insist on "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark". In this insistence on preserving their lives as they know them the miss the one opportunity to be rescued from impending doom: the ark. The inhabitants of Sodom miss their chance to flee for the same reason. They are too invested in the way things have always been. Even Lot's wife cannot fully detach from the past and ends up as a pillar of salt.
In the same way, Jesus warns us to be ready to let go of the circumstances in which we find ourselves so that he can deliver us to something better.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
But LORD, didn't you give us the circumstances we now enjoy? Indeed you did. Yet they are not absolute. They are meant to give way to things still greater and more lasting. They are "the perishable" which is meant to be "clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality" (cf 1 Cor. 15:54). This is true of circumstances both large and small. It can be something as simple as leaving a prayer group we have long attended for a new bible study to which we feel called. We can't let comfort and complacency block our opportunities for growth.
It can be all to easy to become comfortable and complacent. The liability we face is to be too busy with the created things to pay due attention to the eternal things.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But all of these things are ending. They do not last. In a sense they are a sinking ship and we are refusing to look to a lifeboat. We "seek God and wish to find him" but refuse to look beyond our circumstances. Created things are indeed impressive. They are so beautiful and display such power that peoples of the past have "thought them gods". We sometimes treat them as gods ourselves.
But we must move from "studying the works" to be able to "discern the artisan". The creation proclaims the creator:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
If we lift our eyes to the source, stability, and summit of all things we won't miss the rescue he sends for us. The vultures will not feast on us. Let us join the heavens and firmament in proclaiming the glory of the God who saves us.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
14 November 2013 - wisdom, live and in person
14 November 2013 - wisdom, live and in person
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
The Kingdom isn't primarily an external structure that we can see. It isn't a form of government or something like that. It isn't a social structure. It isn't a building or a crown. It isn't even an ideology. It isn't a methodology. The Kingdom is something closer to us. It is something more real It is something which is more alive than any static and lifeless structure.
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.
The Kingdom is wherever Jesus is. We tend to think of governments and nations and social institutions as outlasting particular individuals. And this may well be true in the case of normal individuals. Even a young nation like the USA outlasts its presidents, both good and bad. But Jesus is the one whose "word is for ever". His truth is the stability of all that truly lasts.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
His word is the source of wisdom "passing into holy souls from age to age". Wisdom is the gift his word imparts. It is his very presence. It is "an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty". He wants to give this gift to all people because "there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with wisdom."
Let us "long to see one of the days of the Son of Man". But even before he "lights up the sky from one side to the other" his wisdom and his Spirit are here. The Kingdom is breaking into our world even now in the lives of all who are open to his gift and his presence. Let us listen to his word and so be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom. As he fills us with his presence may we long more and for the fulfillment of his presence on the day of the Son of Man.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
The Kingdom isn't primarily an external structure that we can see. It isn't a form of government or something like that. It isn't a social structure. It isn't a building or a crown. It isn't even an ideology. It isn't a methodology. The Kingdom is something closer to us. It is something more real It is something which is more alive than any static and lifeless structure.
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.
The Kingdom is wherever Jesus is. We tend to think of governments and nations and social institutions as outlasting particular individuals. And this may well be true in the case of normal individuals. Even a young nation like the USA outlasts its presidents, both good and bad. But Jesus is the one whose "word is for ever". His truth is the stability of all that truly lasts.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
His word is the source of wisdom "passing into holy souls from age to age". Wisdom is the gift his word imparts. It is his very presence. It is "an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty". He wants to give this gift to all people because "there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with wisdom."
Let us "long to see one of the days of the Son of Man". But even before he "lights up the sky from one side to the other" his wisdom and his Spirit are here. The Kingdom is breaking into our world even now in the lives of all who are open to his gift and his presence. Let us listen to his word and so be filled with the Spirit of Wisdom. As he fills us with his presence may we long more and for the fulfillment of his presence on the day of the Son of Man.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
13 November 2013 - desire therefore my words
13 November 2013 - desire therefore my words
Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed.
How well can we get through this day if we don't spend any time with his words? Fortunately we are spending some time with them right now. And yet, don't we pass most of our lives without reference to his words? Isn't the word of God a compartmentalized novelty in our lives rather than something that informs everything we do. Are our judgment and wisdom really drawn from his word? Is his word so close that we "will have a ready response" when we need one? Do actual verses of Scripture give us strength in adversity? Do specific words of his inform our most difficult decisions?
One "ready response" that his wisdom teaches us is thanksgiving.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
This leper displays the wisdom he receives from God. He is the first to perceive God's healing action within him. He is the first to return to give thanks. He penetrates deeper than the surface meaning of the words of Jesus. With the other lepers he hears, "Go show yourselves to the priests." But only he is transformed enough by his encounter with the one who speaks to know that giving thanks must come first. Those words, "show yourselves to the priests", are not spoken in isolation in which they should be dissected and analyzed. They are spoken by the one to whom all praise and thanksgiving is due.
Because of this, desiring his words will raise our hearts to even desiring his will.
Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.
We come to realize that our judgments are partial and so we come to trust in the one who is impartial. We come to trust the one who defends "the lowly and the fatherless", who does justice to "the afflicted and the destitute", and who rescues "the lowly and the poor" from "the hand of the wicked."
May we all experience the healing word of Jesus. And when we experience it let us return and give thanks.
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
12 November 2013 - prophetically unprofitable
12 November 2013 - prophetically unprofitable
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
We are all called to work as servants in the fields of the kingdom and to help with the sheep in some capacity. Even those of us that aren't called to be watch over the sheep as ordained ministers are still called to care for our brothers and sisters. And this work can be tiring. It draws on all we are and then some. This is one reason such work can be so fulfilling. But as laboring makes us tired we may mistakenly believe that we are doing the work under our own strength. We may mistakenly believe that we are earning something which our master then owes us. For example, those among us who are called to serve at the LORD's table cannot excuse themselves because they have been so busy tending to the sheep. Whatever works to which the LORD calls us are a great privilege for us. We have trouble seeing any kind of work as a privilege but it is exactly that. The LORD himself works in the creation of the world. He allows us in his mercy to assist in the world's renewal in Jesus Christ. There is great dignity in this. Even though we work it is fully his gift that we do so.
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
Is he grateful for the gift he gives us? Of course not. We must be grateful to him. We are his unprofitable servants. Yet without earning anything we nevertheless receive great profit ourselves.
When we do grow tired we should remember that he does call us not only to share in his work but also to enter into his rest eventually. (cf. Heb. 4:10). This is always his plan for us. He shares his work and his rest with us not because we deserve them but because of the plan he has because of the unchanging love with which he loves us.
God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.
The work we do (or rather that he does in us) purifies us. We surrender ourselves as "sacrificial offerings" and are united to him. We are "found worthy" of him as our true worth is revealed like "gold in the furnace". We shine at the time of our visitation because he shines within us. We are united with him as he allows us to share in his work. Even though the fields and the sheep have made us tired we find that we do not collapse because our souls "are in the hand of God". The world sees us working and assumes that we will collapse and that will be the end of the matter. They do not realize that after this momentary hardship we "shall abide with him in love" forever.
We must approach the LORD as little children. We should have no sense of having earned anything by our merits. Instead we look to our loving Father who gives us every good thing in his goodness.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
We are all called to work as servants in the fields of the kingdom and to help with the sheep in some capacity. Even those of us that aren't called to be watch over the sheep as ordained ministers are still called to care for our brothers and sisters. And this work can be tiring. It draws on all we are and then some. This is one reason such work can be so fulfilling. But as laboring makes us tired we may mistakenly believe that we are doing the work under our own strength. We may mistakenly believe that we are earning something which our master then owes us. For example, those among us who are called to serve at the LORD's table cannot excuse themselves because they have been so busy tending to the sheep. Whatever works to which the LORD calls us are a great privilege for us. We have trouble seeing any kind of work as a privilege but it is exactly that. The LORD himself works in the creation of the world. He allows us in his mercy to assist in the world's renewal in Jesus Christ. There is great dignity in this. Even though we work it is fully his gift that we do so.
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
Is he grateful for the gift he gives us? Of course not. We must be grateful to him. We are his unprofitable servants. Yet without earning anything we nevertheless receive great profit ourselves.
When we do grow tired we should remember that he does call us not only to share in his work but also to enter into his rest eventually. (cf. Heb. 4:10). This is always his plan for us. He shares his work and his rest with us not because we deserve them but because of the plan he has because of the unchanging love with which he loves us.
God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.
The work we do (or rather that he does in us) purifies us. We surrender ourselves as "sacrificial offerings" and are united to him. We are "found worthy" of him as our true worth is revealed like "gold in the furnace". We shine at the time of our visitation because he shines within us. We are united with him as he allows us to share in his work. Even though the fields and the sheep have made us tired we find that we do not collapse because our souls "are in the hand of God". The world sees us working and assumes that we will collapse and that will be the end of the matter. They do not realize that after this momentary hardship we "shall abide with him in love" forever.
We must approach the LORD as little children. We should have no sense of having earned anything by our merits. Instead we look to our loving Father who gives us every good thing in his goodness.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Monday, November 11, 2013
11 November 2013 - wisdom to the simple
11 November 2013 - wisdom to the simple
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
We realize with the apostles that our faith isn't what it should be. We know that we fall short. We sometimes even "cause one of these little ones to sin." We therefore doubt God's power to produce holiness in us. We cling to unforgiveness even when our brothers repent. We recognize a pattern of behavior in them and assume that this time will be no different than the last six times they repented. We therefore doubt God's power to produce holiness in them.
It turns out that our faith is big and strong only in the abstract. When turned to the situations of our daily lives it isn't much at all. We think about things from a worldly perspective and assume that the future must follow the same laws we see in the past. There is no room for resurrection in this view.
We need to think about things from a wisdom perspective instead of a worldly perspective.
Wisdom sees the world first from the perspective of who God is and only second in terms of circumstance. Wisdom and faith go hand in hand. We trust in him and so we trust in his perspective more than our own. Only faith can transform us so that wisdom can dwell in our hearts.
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
We then find ourselves free from the limits of our own perspectives. We see mulberry bushes walking toward the see en masse.
When we doubt ourselves we must still believe in God. We can do this because even in the worst situations where we run away from him we ultimately never leave his presence.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
This is why the wisdom of his Spirit is so trustworthy. Our perspective is limited but he misses nothing.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
He alone, therefore, can guide us "along the everlasting way."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
We realize with the apostles that our faith isn't what it should be. We know that we fall short. We sometimes even "cause one of these little ones to sin." We therefore doubt God's power to produce holiness in us. We cling to unforgiveness even when our brothers repent. We recognize a pattern of behavior in them and assume that this time will be no different than the last six times they repented. We therefore doubt God's power to produce holiness in them.
It turns out that our faith is big and strong only in the abstract. When turned to the situations of our daily lives it isn't much at all. We think about things from a worldly perspective and assume that the future must follow the same laws we see in the past. There is no room for resurrection in this view.
We need to think about things from a wisdom perspective instead of a worldly perspective.
Wisdom sees the world first from the perspective of who God is and only second in terms of circumstance. Wisdom and faith go hand in hand. We trust in him and so we trust in his perspective more than our own. Only faith can transform us so that wisdom can dwell in our hearts.
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
We then find ourselves free from the limits of our own perspectives. We see mulberry bushes walking toward the see en masse.
When we doubt ourselves we must still believe in God. We can do this because even in the worst situations where we run away from him we ultimately never leave his presence.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
This is why the wisdom of his Spirit is so trustworthy. Our perspective is limited but he misses nothing.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.
He alone, therefore, can guide us "along the everlasting way."
Sunday, November 10, 2013
10 November 2013 - desiring heaven
10 November 2013 - desiring heaven
As Christians we are called to seek the kingdom of God first before all things (cf. Mat. 6:33). But this can only happen by his grace. Otherwise we will easily be overwhelmed by the temporary, the transient, and the immediate. We need Jesus to encourage our "hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word."
This is the secret the Maccabees brothers know. They are aware of the "everlasting encouragement" God has in store for them. God gives them courage (encouragement) by this hope that empowers them to let go of even the most fundamental things of this world for the kingdom.
"You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying."
It is like how Abraham is able to offer Isaac to God. "He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol" (cf. Heb. 11:19).
The lesson of both offerings, Isaac and the lives of the brothers, is the same: "without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" [emphasis mine].
Only for those with this kind of faith can we understand how they "were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection" (cf. Heb 11:35).
The Sadducee lack this kind of faith. They are focused still on worldly paradigms of fulfillment. The seven brothers that die in their example do not understand the hope for which the Maccabees brothers die. But there is greater fulfillment in store than anything we know thus far [emphasis mine]:
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
We have to look behind these earthly fulfillments that surround us. They pass and ultimately do not satisfy. We need heaven to be in our hearts or how will we pursue it? We need to realize that we are still a little like the Sadducees, pursuing fulfillment here on earth. Then we can open ourselves to faith in God's promise of "everlasting encouragement" which he himself fulfills:
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
He "is not God of the dead, but of the living" and so our hope too must be fixed on that which is eternally living and not on that which dies.
As Christians we are called to seek the kingdom of God first before all things (cf. Mat. 6:33). But this can only happen by his grace. Otherwise we will easily be overwhelmed by the temporary, the transient, and the immediate. We need Jesus to encourage our "hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word."
This is the secret the Maccabees brothers know. They are aware of the "everlasting encouragement" God has in store for them. God gives them courage (encouragement) by this hope that empowers them to let go of even the most fundamental things of this world for the kingdom.
"You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying."
It is like how Abraham is able to offer Isaac to God. "He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol" (cf. Heb. 11:19).
The lesson of both offerings, Isaac and the lives of the brothers, is the same: "without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" [emphasis mine].
Only for those with this kind of faith can we understand how they "were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection" (cf. Heb 11:35).
The Sadducee lack this kind of faith. They are focused still on worldly paradigms of fulfillment. The seven brothers that die in their example do not understand the hope for which the Maccabees brothers die. But there is greater fulfillment in store than anything we know thus far [emphasis mine]:
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
We have to look behind these earthly fulfillments that surround us. They pass and ultimately do not satisfy. We need heaven to be in our hearts or how will we pursue it? We need to realize that we are still a little like the Sadducees, pursuing fulfillment here on earth. Then we can open ourselves to faith in God's promise of "everlasting encouragement" which he himself fulfills:
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
He "is not God of the dead, but of the living" and so our hope too must be fixed on that which is eternally living and not on that which dies.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
9 November 2013 - zeal for his house
9 November 2013 - zeal for his house
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
We ourselves "are God's Building" and "the Spirit of God dwells in us." We must allow use of this building only according to the purpose for which it is made. We must stay consistent which the foundation which is here, "namely, Jesus Christ." We are the "temple of God" and therefore holy. We must not "destroy God's temple" or allow the "money-changers" and those who sell "sheep, oxen, and doves" to have any place in our hearts. These sellers and money-changers put the religious at the service of the worldly. Their priorities are backwards. Jesus can't tolerate this in the physical temple.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
If he cares this much for the physical temple which is but a sign of things to come how much more are the words of Scripture true about the temples of our hearts:
Zeal for your house will consume me.
We let him cleanse in his zeal or we put ourselves at great risk.
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
He has big plans for us. If we were destined to be normal buildings the stakes would not be so high. But we are destined to be the dwelling places of God in the Spirit (cf. Eph 2:22). Light has no fellowship with darkness (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14). Without holiness no one may see God (cf. Heb 12:14) and his shekinah glory cloud will not rest upon us.
But streams of living water flow from deep within him who believes (cf. Joh 7:38). Such a one is open to the zealous cleansing of the LORD, even if it takes a cord of whips to separate him from the things to which he should not cling. Purified, he becomes the temple into which God always intends to transform him. He then shares in the blessings of God's presence.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
This river gladdens to city of God. It flows from the temple which God himself builds and in which to dwell. If rely on him completely as "our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress" we not only rejoice to drink of this stream but we ourselves become its source. This only works if God and not money-changers and sellers are at the center:
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
We ourselves "are God's Building" and "the Spirit of God dwells in us." We must allow use of this building only according to the purpose for which it is made. We must stay consistent which the foundation which is here, "namely, Jesus Christ." We are the "temple of God" and therefore holy. We must not "destroy God's temple" or allow the "money-changers" and those who sell "sheep, oxen, and doves" to have any place in our hearts. These sellers and money-changers put the religious at the service of the worldly. Their priorities are backwards. Jesus can't tolerate this in the physical temple.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
If he cares this much for the physical temple which is but a sign of things to come how much more are the words of Scripture true about the temples of our hearts:
Zeal for your house will consume me.
We let him cleanse in his zeal or we put ourselves at great risk.
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
He has big plans for us. If we were destined to be normal buildings the stakes would not be so high. But we are destined to be the dwelling places of God in the Spirit (cf. Eph 2:22). Light has no fellowship with darkness (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14). Without holiness no one may see God (cf. Heb 12:14) and his shekinah glory cloud will not rest upon us.
But streams of living water flow from deep within him who believes (cf. Joh 7:38). Such a one is open to the zealous cleansing of the LORD, even if it takes a cord of whips to separate him from the things to which he should not cling. Purified, he becomes the temple into which God always intends to transform him. He then shares in the blessings of God's presence.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
This river gladdens to city of God. It flows from the temple which God himself builds and in which to dwell. If rely on him completely as "our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress" we not only rejoice to drink of this stream but we ourselves become its source. This only works if God and not money-changers and sellers are at the center:
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
Friday, November 8, 2013
8 November 2013 - bragging rightly
8 November 2013 - bragging rightly
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
What has Christ accomplished through us? The "power of the Spirit of God" is at work within us! "The LORD has made his salvation known" in each of our lives. The first of the "signs and wonders" we see is the new life he freely gives us. We experience a freedom and joy we are unable to achieve on our own. We are made a part of an acceptable offering "sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
It is not only OK to brag about what Jesus has done in us it is encouraged. It isn't boasting about ourselves or what we have done. It is the opposite. Even though our lives come up as the specific case in point it is nevertheless boasting of the cross of Christ (cf. Gal. 6:14). Paul reminds us that we are "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge" not to feed our pride but to help us understand what God does in us and encourage us to be even more open to the grace of God.
It is through the faithful testimony of his followers that the "Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power." This is the new song we must sing. But if we are to sing joyfully we must realize more and more the greatness his victory and the salvation he makes known. We must realize how urgently it is needed.
The dishonest steward faces being "removed from the stewardship" he is given because he squanders his masters resources. He knows what this means and responds with the ardor and urgency for which the situation calls. If even a dishonest steward can understand a dire situation, why can't we? Many in the world are squandering the gifts and graces of the master. They take for granted the cross of Jesus by denial or by lukewarmness. Losing this stewardship is the greatest danger anyone can face. None of us can eek out survival by our own strength or by begging. We all need the master's grace. We need to respond with the appropriate urgency when we see graces wasted. Only if we do will God's salvation be seen by "[a]ll the ends of the earth".
How do we respond to this urgency? We open ourselves to be continually "sanctified by the Holy Spirit" and boast in "what Christ has accomplished through" us. We open ourselves to the "signs and wonders" he wants to do in order that the Gospel of Christ may be proclaimed.
Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.
We must come to grips with urgency of this situation so that everyone can see and understand. We want to hear the words of the psalmist fulfilled:
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
What has Christ accomplished through us? The "power of the Spirit of God" is at work within us! "The LORD has made his salvation known" in each of our lives. The first of the "signs and wonders" we see is the new life he freely gives us. We experience a freedom and joy we are unable to achieve on our own. We are made a part of an acceptable offering "sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
It is not only OK to brag about what Jesus has done in us it is encouraged. It isn't boasting about ourselves or what we have done. It is the opposite. Even though our lives come up as the specific case in point it is nevertheless boasting of the cross of Christ (cf. Gal. 6:14). Paul reminds us that we are "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge" not to feed our pride but to help us understand what God does in us and encourage us to be even more open to the grace of God.
It is through the faithful testimony of his followers that the "Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power." This is the new song we must sing. But if we are to sing joyfully we must realize more and more the greatness his victory and the salvation he makes known. We must realize how urgently it is needed.
The dishonest steward faces being "removed from the stewardship" he is given because he squanders his masters resources. He knows what this means and responds with the ardor and urgency for which the situation calls. If even a dishonest steward can understand a dire situation, why can't we? Many in the world are squandering the gifts and graces of the master. They take for granted the cross of Jesus by denial or by lukewarmness. Losing this stewardship is the greatest danger anyone can face. None of us can eek out survival by our own strength or by begging. We all need the master's grace. We need to respond with the appropriate urgency when we see graces wasted. Only if we do will God's salvation be seen by "[a]ll the ends of the earth".
How do we respond to this urgency? We open ourselves to be continually "sanctified by the Holy Spirit" and boast in "what Christ has accomplished through" us. We open ourselves to the "signs and wonders" he wants to do in order that the Gospel of Christ may be proclaimed.
Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.
We must come to grips with urgency of this situation so that everyone can see and understand. We want to hear the words of the psalmist fulfilled:
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
7 November 2013 - rejoicing among the angels
7 November 2013 - rejoicing among the angels
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
For the Pharisees there is no alternative but to complain. They are pursuing righteousness with their own strength. They are trying hard to hate sin. But because it is by there own effort they have no choice but to compare their effort to others. Pride is inevitable. They can't hate the sin and love the sinner. Indeed, if the Pharisee is distinguished from the sinner only by his exercise of will doesn't it make sense, in a twisted way, to hate the sinner? This is a temptation we all face. But we are not separated from sinners in this way. We are all sinners. We will all stand before God's judgment. And our only hope is his mercy.
Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written:
As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.
Fortunately for us, Jesus comes to seek and to save the lost (cf. Luk. 19:10). As he brings the lost home let us rejoice with him. We all have a tenancy to wander and become lost even those who are not lost presently. We all rely on the care of our shepherd. Even those who seemingly never actually become lost are safe in the sheepfold only because Jesus watches them so closely. None of us is stronger than another in any significant way. None of us needs the care of the Good Shepherd any less.
We need to realize that the lost are worth the effort it takes to find. We should be grateful that we have a savior who is so tenacious as to sweep the whole house for one lost coin. He does not abandon us to the darkness. All of heaven rejoices to see us found in a way that we don't even seem to deserve. We need to have the same heart for the lost that heaven does. Anything else ultimately turns out to be self-hatred as well.
On the one hand knowing that we are all sinners, potentially or actually, should make us humble. On the other, the heart of the shepherd should inspire in us fearless confidence.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
We can be stouthearted and have courage because it the LORD on whom we wait. Because of who he is and the heart he has for us we hope to "see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
For the Pharisees there is no alternative but to complain. They are pursuing righteousness with their own strength. They are trying hard to hate sin. But because it is by there own effort they have no choice but to compare their effort to others. Pride is inevitable. They can't hate the sin and love the sinner. Indeed, if the Pharisee is distinguished from the sinner only by his exercise of will doesn't it make sense, in a twisted way, to hate the sinner? This is a temptation we all face. But we are not separated from sinners in this way. We are all sinners. We will all stand before God's judgment. And our only hope is his mercy.
Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written:
As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.
Fortunately for us, Jesus comes to seek and to save the lost (cf. Luk. 19:10). As he brings the lost home let us rejoice with him. We all have a tenancy to wander and become lost even those who are not lost presently. We all rely on the care of our shepherd. Even those who seemingly never actually become lost are safe in the sheepfold only because Jesus watches them so closely. None of us is stronger than another in any significant way. None of us needs the care of the Good Shepherd any less.
We need to realize that the lost are worth the effort it takes to find. We should be grateful that we have a savior who is so tenacious as to sweep the whole house for one lost coin. He does not abandon us to the darkness. All of heaven rejoices to see us found in a way that we don't even seem to deserve. We need to have the same heart for the lost that heaven does. Anything else ultimately turns out to be self-hatred as well.
On the one hand knowing that we are all sinners, potentially or actually, should make us humble. On the other, the heart of the shepherd should inspire in us fearless confidence.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
We can be stouthearted and have courage because it the LORD on whom we wait. Because of who he is and the heart he has for us we hope to "see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
6 November 2013 - priorities of disciples
6 November 2013 - priorities of disciples
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
What does it mean to carry our cross? This tends to be just a pious expression for us but it is replete with meaning. Carrying the cross means that we can't put anything before following Jesus. We can't put family first much less possessions. We must "hate" our families and "renounce" our possessions relative to Jesus.
Jesus gives testimony to the truth. Because he does so must embrace the disgrace and pain of the cross. We give testimony to him. Even if we are hated or insulted for his sake we must continue to carry the cross. Indeed if we are hated for him we are blessed indeed (cf. Luk. 6:22).
So what does this have to do with building a tower or going to war? The cross forces us to come to terms with the inadequacy of our resources. We die to self. Our old self is crucified with Christ (cf. Gal. 2:20). The victory in battle is the resurrection. The completed tower is found only in his kingdom. Our resources are insufficient. We can't even lay the foundation on our own.
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
This is why "no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11). All else is shifting sand (cf. Mat 7:26-27).
We are called to realize how completely overwhelming this task is if we try to do it under our own power. We only have ten thousand troops. The enemy has twenty thousand. And yet this overwhelming task is also simple. It is even frustratingly simple when we realize how often we fail. All the things that are asked of us
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
But if we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, if we come to him as his disciples and embrace his cross we find that the burden is easy and the yoke is light (cf. Mat. 11:30). We find rest for our souls. We find blessings not only for ourselves but for all who dwell in darkness.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
What does it mean to carry our cross? This tends to be just a pious expression for us but it is replete with meaning. Carrying the cross means that we can't put anything before following Jesus. We can't put family first much less possessions. We must "hate" our families and "renounce" our possessions relative to Jesus.
Jesus gives testimony to the truth. Because he does so must embrace the disgrace and pain of the cross. We give testimony to him. Even if we are hated or insulted for his sake we must continue to carry the cross. Indeed if we are hated for him we are blessed indeed (cf. Luk. 6:22).
So what does this have to do with building a tower or going to war? The cross forces us to come to terms with the inadequacy of our resources. We die to self. Our old self is crucified with Christ (cf. Gal. 2:20). The victory in battle is the resurrection. The completed tower is found only in his kingdom. Our resources are insufficient. We can't even lay the foundation on our own.
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
This is why "no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11). All else is shifting sand (cf. Mat 7:26-27).
We are called to realize how completely overwhelming this task is if we try to do it under our own power. We only have ten thousand troops. The enemy has twenty thousand. And yet this overwhelming task is also simple. It is even frustratingly simple when we realize how often we fail. All the things that are asked of us
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
But if we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, if we come to him as his disciples and embrace his cross we find that the burden is easy and the yoke is light (cf. Mat. 11:30). We find rest for our souls. We find blessings not only for ourselves but for all who dwell in darkness.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
5 November 2013 - dining companions
5 November 2013 - dining companions
We hear Jesus say, "Come, everything is now ready." The time for his banquet is now.
And yet we have other things to do.
"I ask you, consider me excused."
Of course the great dinner sounds appealing but there are just these pressing matters which we need to take care of first. We don't really recognize the significance of the meal to which we have been invited. But the "one who will dine in the kingdom" is blessed indeed. Jesus seeks those who realize this:
'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled,
the blind and the lame.’
The poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame more fully appreciate the generosity of Jesus in giving this banquet. They are not busy with illusions of worldly self-sufficiency. They aren't distracted. They know their state of dependence.
What about us? We aren't poor or crippled. Are we excluded from this feast?
‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
Jesus has an abundance he wants to give. But now if we want to join him we will need to do so in solidarity with the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. They will be our dining companions. They show us how to hear and accept the invitation Jesus offers for they do so ahead of us. They teach us the frivolty of worldly pursuits. They teach us to put aside distractions. We are often busy with things to great and sublime for us. But the other guests at this feast teach us to quiet our souls and hear the invitation without distraction.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.
This is what happens when we "[l]et love be sincere." We must have empathy toward the joyful and the sorrowful. We need to associate with the lowly and even bless those who curse us. This sincere love is how we come together as "one Body in Christ and individually parts" of it. It teaches us to use the gifts we have been given selflessly to build up this body. Even though the guests at the feast of the lamb are poor we find in these gifts riches in abundance.
Since we have found our peace in the LORD let us hope in him both now and forever. May we receive the fervent spirit to serve him tirelessly.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
We hear Jesus say, "Come, everything is now ready." The time for his banquet is now.
And yet we have other things to do.
"I ask you, consider me excused."
Of course the great dinner sounds appealing but there are just these pressing matters which we need to take care of first. We don't really recognize the significance of the meal to which we have been invited. But the "one who will dine in the kingdom" is blessed indeed. Jesus seeks those who realize this:
'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled,
the blind and the lame.’
The poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame more fully appreciate the generosity of Jesus in giving this banquet. They are not busy with illusions of worldly self-sufficiency. They aren't distracted. They know their state of dependence.
What about us? We aren't poor or crippled. Are we excluded from this feast?
‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
Jesus has an abundance he wants to give. But now if we want to join him we will need to do so in solidarity with the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. They will be our dining companions. They show us how to hear and accept the invitation Jesus offers for they do so ahead of us. They teach us the frivolty of worldly pursuits. They teach us to put aside distractions. We are often busy with things to great and sublime for us. But the other guests at this feast teach us to quiet our souls and hear the invitation without distraction.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,
so is my soul within me.
This is what happens when we "[l]et love be sincere." We must have empathy toward the joyful and the sorrowful. We need to associate with the lowly and even bless those who curse us. This sincere love is how we come together as "one Body in Christ and individually parts" of it. It teaches us to use the gifts we have been given selflessly to build up this body. Even though the guests at the feast of the lamb are poor we find in these gifts riches in abundance.
Since we have found our peace in the LORD let us hope in him both now and forever. May we receive the fervent spirit to serve him tirelessly.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Monday, November 4, 2013
4 November 2013 - irrevocable
4 November 2013 - irrevocable
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
We often try to give God advice. We think we have a unique perspective which he hasn't considered. After all, why does God allow all this disobedience? We are told that there is some kind of greater good that he brings out of it. We imagine that if we were in charge we could run a world with no disobedience and therefore with no suffering or pain. But he prefers this world as we find it to the stale and static world where we have no choice but to obey. He doesn't just want us to fall toward him like inanimate things pulled by gravity (even if we would sometimes prefer that). God zealously protects every degree of freedom he gives to his creatures that we may respond with the full love that he desires of us. Only in this response can we find the meaning of our existence. All else is empty vanity.
God can even bring mercy from the disobedience of large numbers of people.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
We all need his mercy but we don't all realize it. Indeed, we seldom realize it fully. He sometimes pours out his mercy extravagantly on others so that we can more fully desire it for ourselves. This is one reason that he allows the disobedience of the vast majority of the Jews (except for a "remnant") in response to his self-revelation in Jesus Christ. They have gifts and a call which are "irrevocable" and yet they don't have all that God intends for them. They have just enough to become complacent. But God does not settle for less than the full blessings he intends for them. The blessings he pours out on us will ultimately bring mercy to them as well. As he often does, God's particular blessing of one group is designed to bring blessing to all.
Let's just admit that his plan is better than our plans:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
Jesus is inviting us all to the banquet for which we will never be able to repay him. After all, "from him and through him and for him are all things." No one has ever "given him anything that he may be repaid". He wants us to be transformed by this unmerited mercy he pours on us. We are not meant to keep his blessings for ourselves, but rather to give them to those are are unable to repay. In doing so our hearts become more and more like his own.
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
The LORD hears us and so we must hear others when they cry. All who "love his name shall inhabit" the "cities of Judah" which he rebuilds. Zion is saved, not because of our resources, but because of the protection of his saving help. Let us proclaim loudly and prophetically:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
We often try to give God advice. We think we have a unique perspective which he hasn't considered. After all, why does God allow all this disobedience? We are told that there is some kind of greater good that he brings out of it. We imagine that if we were in charge we could run a world with no disobedience and therefore with no suffering or pain. But he prefers this world as we find it to the stale and static world where we have no choice but to obey. He doesn't just want us to fall toward him like inanimate things pulled by gravity (even if we would sometimes prefer that). God zealously protects every degree of freedom he gives to his creatures that we may respond with the full love that he desires of us. Only in this response can we find the meaning of our existence. All else is empty vanity.
God can even bring mercy from the disobedience of large numbers of people.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.
We all need his mercy but we don't all realize it. Indeed, we seldom realize it fully. He sometimes pours out his mercy extravagantly on others so that we can more fully desire it for ourselves. This is one reason that he allows the disobedience of the vast majority of the Jews (except for a "remnant") in response to his self-revelation in Jesus Christ. They have gifts and a call which are "irrevocable" and yet they don't have all that God intends for them. They have just enough to become complacent. But God does not settle for less than the full blessings he intends for them. The blessings he pours out on us will ultimately bring mercy to them as well. As he often does, God's particular blessing of one group is designed to bring blessing to all.
Let's just admit that his plan is better than our plans:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
Jesus is inviting us all to the banquet for which we will never be able to repay him. After all, "from him and through him and for him are all things." No one has ever "given him anything that he may be repaid". He wants us to be transformed by this unmerited mercy he pours on us. We are not meant to keep his blessings for ourselves, but rather to give them to those are are unable to repay. In doing so our hearts become more and more like his own.
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
The LORD hears us and so we must hear others when they cry. All who "love his name shall inhabit" the "cities of Judah" which he rebuilds. Zion is saved, not because of our resources, but because of the protection of his saving help. Let us proclaim loudly and prophetically:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
3 November 2013 - all things that are
3 November 2013 - all things that are
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
Why is this a problem for them? Perhaps they think that Jesus should prioritize telling Zacchaeus his sins and telling him to repent. It probably makes them uneasy that Jesus establishes a relationship of love without so much as mentioning the faults, faults which Zacchaeus himself later admits. Isn't this exactly the type of criticism that Pope Francis also gets? But sometimes we think ourselves above making such judgments. We are happy to see Jesus stay with Zacchaeus. Yet there is still something in us that prefers to make justice a prerequisite of mercy. And the reason is simple. Justice is easier. It doesn't require us to be vulnerable. It is black and white and includes a very concrete game plan.
Indeed we fine ourselves to be part of the crowd who prevent Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus, even if unintentionally. But Jesus knows there are those who want to see him and waits to call the sinners who climb above the crowds. He longs to stay with them. They aren't satisfied with the results of living in sin and Jesus knows it. He can see that they are ready to receive him with joy if he gives them the chance.
We see sin and let our hatred of it keep distance between us and people God loves. But God loves sinners even while they sin. He sustains them with his "imperishable spirit" even while they are yet sinners (cf. Rom. 5:8).
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
His priority is love, justice follows after. That is why he is willing to "rebuke offenders little by little" rather than all at once. Without exception we all need his help to be made "worthy of his calling" that Jesus may:
powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him
Ultimately, we don't deserve to have Jesus come under our roof. No one does. But still Jesus says to us, "I must stay at your house." He says must. We need to let our barriers fall so that Jesus can enter every house he wants to enter. Justice is not neglected. Neither does it predominate. In fact, something much better than mere justice eventually results:
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over."
This is what it means for salvation to come to our houses. The Son of Man has little interest in the actual possessions and money. Those things will be accounted for, but his purpose is "to seek and to save what was lost."
Watching Jesus bring salvation to the house of Zacchaeus we recognize the truth of the words of the psalmist:
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
Why is this a problem for them? Perhaps they think that Jesus should prioritize telling Zacchaeus his sins and telling him to repent. It probably makes them uneasy that Jesus establishes a relationship of love without so much as mentioning the faults, faults which Zacchaeus himself later admits. Isn't this exactly the type of criticism that Pope Francis also gets? But sometimes we think ourselves above making such judgments. We are happy to see Jesus stay with Zacchaeus. Yet there is still something in us that prefers to make justice a prerequisite of mercy. And the reason is simple. Justice is easier. It doesn't require us to be vulnerable. It is black and white and includes a very concrete game plan.
Indeed we fine ourselves to be part of the crowd who prevent Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus, even if unintentionally. But Jesus knows there are those who want to see him and waits to call the sinners who climb above the crowds. He longs to stay with them. They aren't satisfied with the results of living in sin and Jesus knows it. He can see that they are ready to receive him with joy if he gives them the chance.
We see sin and let our hatred of it keep distance between us and people God loves. But God loves sinners even while they sin. He sustains them with his "imperishable spirit" even while they are yet sinners (cf. Rom. 5:8).
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
His priority is love, justice follows after. That is why he is willing to "rebuke offenders little by little" rather than all at once. Without exception we all need his help to be made "worthy of his calling" that Jesus may:
powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him
Ultimately, we don't deserve to have Jesus come under our roof. No one does. But still Jesus says to us, "I must stay at your house." He says must. We need to let our barriers fall so that Jesus can enter every house he wants to enter. Justice is not neglected. Neither does it predominate. In fact, something much better than mere justice eventually results:
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over."
This is what it means for salvation to come to our houses. The Son of Man has little interest in the actual possessions and money. Those things will be accounted for, but his purpose is "to seek and to save what was lost."
Watching Jesus bring salvation to the house of Zacchaeus we recognize the truth of the words of the psalmist:
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
2 November 2013 - separation anxiety
2 November 2013 - separation anxiety
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
The gates are wide open. Let us come before him with confidence. We will not slip from his hands.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
Even death, the ultimate separation, does not loosen his grip on us in the slightest.
but that I should raise it on the last day.
The Father wills that Jesus not lose any of us. And the Father wills that he go to the cross to save us. Even there he holds us in his love. Even in suffering so great that any other person would turn inward in selfish attempts at escapism and distraction he embraces us. Because he does not let go of us even our death can be united to his. We already anticipate this union with our baptism.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
Because he does not lose anyone the Father gives him we can be assured that he carries us through death to newness of life. This is a newness that we begin to taste and anticipate as gift even before we participate in it fully. His death frees us from sin. It will one day free us from all corruption. We will be like Christ who "raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him."
We're talking about realities that are for the most part unseen. They break through when Christians show joy and purpose in the midst of hopelessness and suffering. But this is easily written off by the foolish who only look to the external and the material:
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But we sometimes think this way too, don't we? We sometimes let the external and the material dominate our view and forget about the newness of life within. Even if "before men, indeed they be punished" we know about the hope of immortality. We know that "they shall be greatly blessed because God tried them and found them worthy of himself." So let us not be foolish. Let us remember that since they have died with Christ they shall also live with him.
The valley may be dark indeed. But only the foolish doubt that there is a sun whenever it is obscured by clouds. As Samwise says, "in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow." It may be all we can see right now but even so all we need to know is that the Lord is our shepherd. There is nothing to fear. He leads us, protects us with his rod and staff, and calls us onward to our destiny.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
The gates are wide open. Let us come before him with confidence. We will not slip from his hands.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
Even death, the ultimate separation, does not loosen his grip on us in the slightest.
but that I should raise it on the last day.
The Father wills that Jesus not lose any of us. And the Father wills that he go to the cross to save us. Even there he holds us in his love. Even in suffering so great that any other person would turn inward in selfish attempts at escapism and distraction he embraces us. Because he does not let go of us even our death can be united to his. We already anticipate this union with our baptism.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
Because he does not lose anyone the Father gives him we can be assured that he carries us through death to newness of life. This is a newness that we begin to taste and anticipate as gift even before we participate in it fully. His death frees us from sin. It will one day free us from all corruption. We will be like Christ who "raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him."
We're talking about realities that are for the most part unseen. They break through when Christians show joy and purpose in the midst of hopelessness and suffering. But this is easily written off by the foolish who only look to the external and the material:
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But we sometimes think this way too, don't we? We sometimes let the external and the material dominate our view and forget about the newness of life within. Even if "before men, indeed they be punished" we know about the hope of immortality. We know that "they shall be greatly blessed because God tried them and found them worthy of himself." So let us not be foolish. Let us remember that since they have died with Christ they shall also live with him.
The valley may be dark indeed. But only the foolish doubt that there is a sun whenever it is obscured by clouds. As Samwise says, "in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow." It may be all we can see right now but even so all we need to know is that the Lord is our shepherd. There is nothing to fear. He leads us, protects us with his rod and staff, and calls us onward to our destiny.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Friday, November 1, 2013
1 November 2013 - only saints in heaven
1 November 2013 - only saints in heaven
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
Note what the passage does not say. Those who hands are still a little sinful, whose hearts are still somewhat dirty, and who have not purged their hearts of vain desire among those who can ascend the LORD's mountain and stand before him. There are only saints in heaven! That means that this, hopefully, is the feast of our future selves!
But isn't it too lofty to imagine that we'll ever rid ourselves of all vain desire, all sin, and all impurity? Can we imagine ourselves shoulder to shoulder with Augustine and Francis? It is too lofty to imagine this as something we will do. But it is not something we will do by our own power.. It is a gift to which we must be open. Where do these white robes of purity come from? They are brighter than any fuller can dye them (cf. Mar. 9:3). They are not the result of our efforts:
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
In his great love he not only cleanses us, he also makes us his children.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
And though we've recently heard that the way is narrow and the gate is small that leads here and that those who find it are few, nevertheless in the end we find they are too many to count.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
It turns out God really does desire all to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. It should be no surprise that the number of the elect is so large that no one can even count. This is feasible because we don't have to affect this change in ourselves in our own. It can only happen in such and overwhelming and superabundant way because it is the power of God. It is the Blood of the Lamb which makes us pure. Salvation comes from God and the Lamb. Ours is simply to respond with praise:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Only the Blood of the Lamb can transform our mourning into comfort. Only the Lamb can truly satisfy our hunger with his body and blood. He himself empowers us to be merciful, pure, and peaceful so that we can stand before God as his children and gaze upon him. And as he enables us to see him we are in turn transformed:
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
No matter how much we suffer if it is for the Kingdom the reward will be immeasurably greater than the sacrifice.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Therefore let it be said of us as well, "this is the people that longs to see your face."
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
Note what the passage does not say. Those who hands are still a little sinful, whose hearts are still somewhat dirty, and who have not purged their hearts of vain desire among those who can ascend the LORD's mountain and stand before him. There are only saints in heaven! That means that this, hopefully, is the feast of our future selves!
But isn't it too lofty to imagine that we'll ever rid ourselves of all vain desire, all sin, and all impurity? Can we imagine ourselves shoulder to shoulder with Augustine and Francis? It is too lofty to imagine this as something we will do. But it is not something we will do by our own power.. It is a gift to which we must be open. Where do these white robes of purity come from? They are brighter than any fuller can dye them (cf. Mar. 9:3). They are not the result of our efforts:
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
In his great love he not only cleanses us, he also makes us his children.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
And though we've recently heard that the way is narrow and the gate is small that leads here and that those who find it are few, nevertheless in the end we find they are too many to count.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
It turns out God really does desire all to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. It should be no surprise that the number of the elect is so large that no one can even count. This is feasible because we don't have to affect this change in ourselves in our own. It can only happen in such and overwhelming and superabundant way because it is the power of God. It is the Blood of the Lamb which makes us pure. Salvation comes from God and the Lamb. Ours is simply to respond with praise:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Only the Blood of the Lamb can transform our mourning into comfort. Only the Lamb can truly satisfy our hunger with his body and blood. He himself empowers us to be merciful, pure, and peaceful so that we can stand before God as his children and gaze upon him. And as he enables us to see him we are in turn transformed:
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
No matter how much we suffer if it is for the Kingdom the reward will be immeasurably greater than the sacrifice.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Therefore let it be said of us as well, "this is the people that longs to see your face."
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