7 February 2017 - apex worshiper

 [ Today's Readings ]

So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
This seems so well meaning it is almost hard to disagree at first. The elders have these traditions because, originally, of a desire to be pure before God. It is almost as if they asked the disciples of Jesus why they don't say grace before meals. But now, even if the original intent was good, the question has become an occasion of comparison and judgment rather than something done for God. Mere externalities can't make up for hearts that are far from God.

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

It is easy to run to the externals when we see our hearts full of greed and selfishness.

Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.

These more fundamental things must be given priority. We see that family is central to the hiearchy of creation.

God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it."

Man is the pinnacle of creation. His role is to steward it and return it as an offering to God. Relationship is at the very peak of the hierarchy. Love defines relationship rightly lived. Anything that detracts from this should be shunned. Anything that promotes it should be encouraged.

Work is important. The desire for purity is important. But these must be lived in reference to how they impact our relationship with God and one another. God gives us the Sabbath to help us understand how our relationship with him takes precedence over any actions we take on our part.

So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

God has truly made us little less than the angels. In giving us rule over the work of his hands he entrusts us with unimaginable riches. Yet to truly steward them rightly we must keep our eyes fixed on God himself.

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

 

6 February 2017 - order up

 

 [ Today's Readings ]

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Sickness and disease are not part of God's plan. Creation is designed to be well-ordered. There is meant to be ease between the creature and his environment not disease. Yet we live in a world tainted by sin and the effects of sin. We begin to accept that the world as it is now is what it always was and every shall be. Our strategies for thriving turn from a future of hope to making the best of what we have. We lose trust in God when creation itself seems so arbitrarily set against us.

God is the creator of the world. It is not something that exists independently from his will and pleasure. Sin damages this link. It introduces chaos and disorder. But even now, without God's will, creation would simply disappear. What does this mean for us who live here? It means that we should hope for the day when all of creation is restored by God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (see Romans 8:20:21).

It takes a deeper faith to encounter sickness and not simply run from creation entirely. We might prefer a more purely intellectual or spiritual reality. But this reality is from God and he has plans to make it new again. It means that we can't simply ignore the sick and tell them of a hope for a distant future. We can't ignore the abuse of the planet. We recognize that these are just goods for which we should work and labor.

Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God brings light to creation.

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Jesus brings a still greater light to his people. God's breath, the Holy Spirit is present in the beginning over the waters as a mighty wind. Jesus gives the Spirit to live in us. He is not separating us from creation by doing so. Instead he is making us the first members of a new creation which will one day restore all things. Let us rejoice to imagine so great a hope as this.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.

 

5 February 2017 - on the turning away

[ Today's Readings ]

The world is dark lately isn't it? There is so much fear and hate out there. We bemoan this fact. We bemoan the violence and aggression. We regret the lack of mutual understanding. It seems entirely independent of ourselves. It is like watching a horror movie or a train wreck.

Yet the darkness of the world is not a problem from which we can excuse ourselves. We are meant to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Are people hungry? We are called to share our bread. Are they homeless? We are called to shelter them. Are they naked? We must clothe them. Or do we simply turn our backs on them as if they are just part of the darkness that is out there and not our problem? We cannot, perhaps, help every individual in every problem. But if we help the individuals we can help we make a genuine difference. We become a true light in the darkness.

if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

We become quickly overwhelmed trying to face the darkness on our own. When we speak life into the darkness we cannot do it with persuasive or clever human wisdom. Instead we need the Holy Spirit to show us where and how we can make a difference so that we are not trying to shine our own light into the world but rather showing forth the power and the light of God.

He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

4 February 2017 - the great shepherd of the sheep

[ Today's Readings ]

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Jesus wants to give us shepherds after his own heart (see Jeremiah 3:15). He doesn't not want to see us troubled, lost, and alone. He gives us leaders to teach and sanctify us.

Obey your leaders and defer to them,
for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account

We are not to seek teachers after our own preference. We must not accumulate for ourselves teachers to suit our own passion (see Second Timothy 4:3). It is true that some, even some within the Church, teach falsehood and lies that are opposed to the Gospel. These must be avoided. But once we find a shepherd who is trying his best to follow divine revelation as understood by the Church we do well to submit to him. We do well not to critique him because of this or that reason but to trust that God is working through him to shepherd us.

Say we find ourselves with a teacher on whom it is hard to focus because he does not have an exciting presentation. Maybe part of what we are called to learn is compassionate attentiveness.

Perhaps we find ourselves with a teacher who doesn't convey the truth with the clarity we would like. Or on the contrary, perhaps we find a teacher who is too abrupt about preaching the truth and risks alienating his congregation. Let us learn the lessons of humility and boldness that he teaches by his actions. Both lessons have value and may be just what we need.

If things need nuance for those whom we know and those for whom we have responsibility we can convey this to them. For the rest, we must entrust them to the great shepherd of the sheep, knowing that he is able to furnish them and all of us with all that is good so that together we can do his will. 

Our shepherd is so good.

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.

It is only right to praise him.

Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

3 February 2017 - whom then shall i fear?

 [ Today's Readings ]

The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
Do we do things we regret? Isn't it often for the sake of appearances that we over-promise ourselves? Maybe we're afraid and trying to mask that fear with the adulation of others. Maybe we don't truly believe that we are safe and loved. When what we do stems from confidence in God it manifests as brotherly love and hospitality, care for prisoners, for the ill-treated, and respect and honor for marriage as God designed it. When what we do stems from fear that is where violence and terror begin to creep into the world. Jesus constantly reminds us that in him we need not fear.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?

These three lines are in particular are good to speak out loud. They are good to speak especially in times of fear and doubt. They prove that the fear is a lie and that our trust in God is the deeper truth.

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?

This is important, because when the LORD needs to correct us we often fear that it means we are not loved. Perhaps this is part of Herod's issue with John.

John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

But as we recently saw, God corrects and disciplines us exactly because he loves us. There is nothing to fear in his discipline. Trusting in him we can open ourselves to his will for us more and more so that he can transform us into the people he wants us to be.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.

 

2 February 2017 - the LORD whom you seek

[ Today's Readings ] 

Simeon finds in Jesus the LORD whom he seeks and the messenger of the covenant whom he desires.

He finds him even though he appears as a mere infant. He finds him even though he is brought to the temple for a purification which unites him with sinners as he becomes "like his brothers and sisters in every way". He is consecrated to the LORD just as he is later baptized even though he is sinless and has no need of repentance.  Most people wouldn't have the eyes to see what Simeon sees.

Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.

As Christians we are called to have eyes like Simeon who can recognize Jesus. Even when he is hidden from the world he is still the light of the world. Even though the people don't recognize the light he is still the true light which enlightens everyone. He purifies us and makes us able to see him, for it is the pure of heart who have eyes to see.

For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.

When we see him we ought to do as Phanuel does and give thanks to God, speaking about the child to all who are awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Whether they know it or not, the whole world is waiting for this true deliverance.

Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.

1 Feburary 2017 - no disciples without discipline

[ Today's Readings ]

Endure your trials as "discipline";

Our trials are not arbitrary. God permits us to endure them as discipline. The trouble, of course, is that we hate discipline.

God treats you as his sons.

We need to remember that discipline stems from authority that actually cares about us. Aside from God we only experience this imperfectly. Even the best intentioned parents and bosses occasionally fail to act selflessly. Yet even then we can see that they are typically acting out of concern for us.

When we remember that trials come to us because God loves us enough to want us to grow they become easier to endure.
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

Occasionally we do experience the LORD's discipline as the love and concern it truly is. But, as we probably did with our parents, we quickly forget. We often begin to think that our parents simply don't want us to be happy and can imagine no other motives for their discipline. We begin to take for granted the compassion and love they have for us because we get used to it.

Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."

There is a risk that we think we know Jesus perfectly while he still has lessons yet to teach us. When we think we know him completely we cannot endure the discipline he has for us. Discipline so often addresses blind spots that we have. We need to let ourselves believe that Jesus still knows us better than we know ourselves. If we get so used to him as to think we already understand him completely we won't be willing to accept his revelations about how we need to change. Fortunately, if we miss the lesson we get to keep repeating it until we get it. He wants us to understand that trials are about the love he has for us. He wants us to rely on him to overcome them. Our lack of faith is what limits his power to work.

So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

If that lack of faith stems from us being used to Jesus and disdaining his discipline he continues to offer his trials as new experiences of his love for us and our need for that love.
But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.