CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY

Christ the King Sunday marks the end of the church year.  We examine Holy Scripture knowing that Jesus is our Messiah-king.  Next Sunday will be the first Sunday in Advent, which is the beginning of a new church year. 

For thousands of years, people were very aware of what a king was—they lived their lives under one for their entire lives.  We Americans have been freed from the burdens of a ruling king for about 250 years.  We know what one is, and find it easy to say that Jesus is our king.  But do we really know what that means?  Before we begin our study, let’s reflect on this whole concept of kings and kingdoms.

A king:

• Is a ruler with unquestionable authority.
• He is not chosen—it is a birthright
• He does what he wants, and asks no one for permission
• Obedience to the king is not an option, it is obligatory

A good king:

• Is just, and cares for his subjects 
• He can be trusted to look out for his subjects’ best interests
• Is a comfort and a treasure to his subjects
• Loyalty and obedience come easily

A bad king:

• Is selfish and cares little for justice or fairness
• Is an awful tyrant—a dictator
• Life is a misery under the rule of a bad king
• Loyalty is expected from all, and it is enforced with a heavy hand

JEREMIAH 23:1-6

THE BACKGROUND

Jeremiah lived during a very troubled time.  He lived during a time when a series of bad kings ruled in Israel and Judah.  He witnessed the wealthy and powerful neglecting or abusing the poor and powerless for their own gain.  He also saw the strength of the Babylonian army building, and knocking at Judah’s door.  He realized that God was about to take corrective action, and upset Judah’s apple cart.  God sent him to proclaim this message.  He was the bearer of some bad news.

THE DETAIL

• The proclamation begins with the word “woe”.  This is not going to be good!  This message is not directed to sheep farmers, but to the spiritual and political “shepherds” of Judah.  Verse 2 makes this clear.  Judah was a not a democracy.  It was a theocracy.  The court prophets were supposed to advise the king on God’s will for the people. But the if king had his own agenda, and if prophets wanted to remain in his court, they told the king what he wanted to hear.  The transgressions of these “shepherds” are detailed in chapter 22. They took advantage of the poor and powerless to line their own pockets with gold.  (vv. 1-2)
• God has had enough!  He is going to take matters into His own hands, and shepherd his flock Himself. He will gather up His people, and care for them.  He will give them a Good Shepherd, someone who will care for them.  (vv. 3-4)
• God then promises to restore the reign of the Davidic line, appointing a king who will rule righteously over everyone.  (vv. 5-6)

THE TAKEAWAY

Here begins the promise of a Messiah to God’s people.  They are about to experience much anguish at the hands of the Babylonians.  But God’s promise is that this is not the end, but a new beginning.  That all the corrupt and unjust kings that have been ruling their land are going to be replaced by one chosen by God himself. 

Christians have long seen Jesus as this promised one, the Messiah; our king.
 

COLOSSIANS 1:11-20

THE BACKGROUND

Immediately after Paul’s letter of greeting to the church in Colossae, he jumps into some heavy statements about the essence of Jesus. 

THE DETAIL

• This section begins by Paul wishing them to be made strong—ready to endure the hardship that they will surely face because of their faith.  (v. 11)
• They should “joyfully give thanks” to God for the inheritance [of life and faith] they received. He calls them all “saints of the light”. “The Light” is a reference to their devotion to Jesus as their savior-king.  (v. 12)
• He goes on to say that God has rescued us from “The Power of Darkness”, and transferred them to the kingdom of his Son.  The darkness here could refer to several things.  It could be the Roman Empire or to one of the religious orders of the day, either the pagan beliefs of the gentile Christians or the pushback from the Hebrew Christians. Regardless of which Paul meant, this is a strong statement.  If Paul is referring to Roman Empire, this is a treasonous statement.  If it refers to the Jewish authorities, the statement would be blasphemy.  That is punishable by death.  (v. 13)
• Next comes a description of Jesus and life in his kingdom:
  • We have redemption and forgiveness of sins (v. 14)
  • He was present at the creation of our world (vv. 15-16a)
  • Jesus actually created the kings and lords of our world, and they are all subject to him. (v. 16b)
  • Everything is subject to him.  Not only that, but he is the glue that holds it all together.  (v. 17)
  • Now, we switch from politics to the church.  He is not only the head of our church, but the first human to be raised from the dead to eternal life.  (v. 18)
  • Through His son—there is no longer a discrepancy between His expectations of us and our sinful actions.  He has reconciled the difference between God’s expectations and our actions.  (vv. 19-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

This not only clearly describes our Jesus, but it describes the ideal righteous king promised in Jeremiah 23.  
 

LUKE 23:33-43

THE BACKGROUND

In today’s gospel, we fast-forward to the crucifixion, and focus on the verbal exchange between the three men hanging on their crosses.  Earlier this year, we studied his trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.  Today, we will focus on the words which relate to Jesus’ kingship.

THE DETAIL

• The first verse sets the scene.  Three are being crucified, with Jesus in the middle.  (v. 33)
• True to the nature of Jesus and his Father, he prays for his Father to forgive his perpetrators for crucifying him.  [This alone could be a whole sermon!]  Then, the soldiers cast lots for the clothes they had stripped off those being crucified. See Psalm 22:18.  (v. 34)
• He is mocked by the crowd and by the soldiers.  The soldiers unwittingly call him “The King of the Jews”, which is what Pilate had written on the sign hung above his head.  (vv. 35-38)
• One of the criminals even joined the crowd with his mocking Jesus.  (v. 39)
• The other criminal, however, recognized Jesus for who he really was.  He asks Jesus to remember him when he reigns in his kingdom. Jesus, of course, recognizes the man’s faith, and assures him of his salvation.  (vv. 40-43)

THE TAKEAWAY

Many on that day either recognized Jesus as their true king, or proclaimed him as such through their ignorant mocking.  Let us also proclaim Jesus as our king!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In the passage from Jeremiah, God promises us a king who is righteous—one whose actions are just and right. We are promised a good king.

In Colossians, we see the attributes of Jesus.  He truly is our righteous king.

Let us join the second criminal being crucified with Jesus, and put our trust, faith, and loyalty with him.

MALACHI 4:1-2A

THE BACKGROUND

The end is near!  The church year, that is.  Advent marks the beginning of the church year, and that is only two Sundays away.  But this was also Malachi’s message.  He called for God’s people to change their ways, because the day of the Lord was at hand. He spoke of the return of Elijah, to call God’s people to repentance.  Christians would identify John the Baptist as the new Elijah. Let’s take a look at this very short passage.

THE DETAIL

• We are warned, through Malachi, that God is about to take action.  This action is likened to a fire; a fire which burns all the evildoers. (v. 1)
• The good news is that those who revere God’s name will be spared.  We should not fear this day—we will leap like caves from the stall. (v. 2a)

THE TAKEAWAY

Just a few weeks ago, we learned that God loves the humble heart.  What is the opposite of humility?  One answer could be arrogance.  In fact, Proverbs 16:5 states that “All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the Lord.”  This passage from Malachi also tells us that if we love the Lord, we need not fear God’s actions in the final days.  We can put our trust in Him, knowing that He will save us.  In the meantime, let’s not be arrogant.  Let’s be humble.

2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-13

THE BACKGROUND

Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica is a sort of follow-up note to the first letter. It addresses one issue specifically. This church was especially keen on Jesus’ return.  In fact, some were preaching that he had already returned!  (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2.)  It appears that some were so convinced of this that they quit their jobs, knowing that the end was near.  This letter was written to urge them not to be deceived by false teachers, but to keep working, and be patient.   

THE DETAIL

• This is the beginning of Paul’s advice not to those who had quit working because the end was near, but to the people who knew them.  He says to keep away from them; isolate yourselves from them, and keep working. (v. 6a)
• He then reminds them of the example he and his team gave them, while they lived and preached among them.  Even though Paul and his crew had the right to ask for pay without working, they chose to hold down jobs.  This was to give them a good example of the Godly life.  All those who are able to work, should work.  (vv. 6b-11)
• So, while we wait for Jesus’ return, we should keep working, and not be weary in our waiting for his coming.  (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

A long time ago, I would organize whitewater rafting trips for my friends.  We would all go, and have a good time rafting and camping together. Oftentimes, they would invite their friends to tag along.  One friend of a friend really wanted to go rafting with us, but declined.  He said that he expected Jesus’ second coming to happen before our camping weekend.  It was not worth making those plans.  We all had a great time, except for him, since he stayed home, waiting.  That was 30 years ago.

Many modern day preachers owe their success to preaching an end times message that is connected to current events.  Paul and Malachi tell us to keep our noses to the grindstone.  They tell us to beware of teachers with sensational claims.  Instead, we should keep the faith, and keep working. It will happen when it will happen. We can put our trust in Him, knowing that we are saved.  This will happen whether Jesus comes here first or we go there first.  Our job is to remain faithful, and keep working until that day comes. 

LUKE 21:5:19

THE BACKGROUND

In this part of Luke’s narrative, Jesus and his apostles have entered the holy city of Jerusalem. Here, they will celebrate the Passover meal, and Jesus will complete his earthly mission. 

THE DETAIL

• As this passage begins, they were in the temple that Herod had restored.  It was a beautiful place with gold-plated doors, white marble, and beautiful tapestries from Persia.  These country bumpkin Galileans were appropriately in awe.  (v. 5)
• Jesus tells them to take a good look because it won’t be long before it will all be destroyed. (v. 6)
• They all respond with a typical question—WHEN? We now know that it occurred about 35 years later.  (V. 7)
• Jesus doesn’t give them the date.  Instead, he turns this question into a teaching moment.  He tells them to beware of people who will say that the end is near, and that they claim to be the returned Jesus.  Jesus says to ignore these people.  (v. 8)
• Jesus then says that a lot of bad stuff is going to happen first.  (vv. 9-11)
• He then switched from timing, and talked about what would happen to them.  “…they will come and get all of you, and persecute you… because of my name.”  (v. 12)
• He assures us that he (through the Holy Spirit) will give us the strength, the words, and the wisdom, when we have an opportunity to testify. (vv. 13-15)
• Worse yet, we might even be betrayed by friends and family for being followers of Jesus. (vv. 16-17)
• But Jesus assures us that if we have strength (endurance), we will be saved.  (vv.  18-19)

THE TAKEAWAY

It is appropriate for Jesus to talk like this at this point in his life journey.  After all, he is about to be tried, tortured, and crucified for his obedience to the Father.  Those who follow him will encounter resistance from their families and friends, as well as those in authority.  We, too, can sometimes suffer for our faith in Jesus.  We need to focus our energy on strengthening our faith, and let God work out His plan to his own timetable. 

This week's readings are all about the same topic-- God knows more than we do.  We should not trouble ourselves over why things are the way they are.  That's God's business.  Our task is to live by the teachings of Jesus, and let God take care of the whys.

JOB 19:23-27

THE BACKGROUND

The book of Job is a unique book.  It is considered a book of wisdom, but comes to us in the form of a story.  Here is a brief summary of the whole book.

God is having a discussion with a divine council, including someone referred to as “the satan”. God is bragging about the faith of his mortal servant Job.  The satan challenges God on Job’s faithfulness, claiming that he is only trying to gain God’s favor.  He claims that if God takes away the favor, and the faithfulness will disappear.  God is intrigued, and accepts the challenge. One by one, Job’s blessings disappear—first his wealth, then his family, and finally his health.  Several “friends” visit Job, and offer advice on why Job’s life is in the trash heap.  (They speak the wisdom part of the story.)  Nothing satisfies Job.  He is still an outcast.  This goes on for about 30 chapters.  Finally, God responds.  He doesn’t tell them why He did what He did.  Instead, He gives them a long scolding, saying basically that He is God, and knows everything.  You are mortals, and your wisdom stinks!  Job is faithful throughout the whole ordeal.  God restores Job’s health, wealth, and blesses him with a new family.

Our passage comes from the middle of this story.  Job cries out with a lament.

THE DETAIL

• He is suffering and is an outcast.  He would like someone to write this down somewhere, in a book, or engraved on a rock with an iron pen.  (vv. 23-24)
• He knows that God will vindicate him in the end.  In other words, in spite of his calamity, Job’s faith is rock solid.  The satan was totally wrong.  Note: Verse 25 uses the word vindicator.  This can also be translated “redeemer”.  Many believe this is the source for the popular hymn “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”.  (vv. 25-27)

THE TAKEAWAY

People come up with all sorts of reasons why bad things happen to good people.  They are often wrong.  God’s answer is clear—we’ll never know for sure.  The reasons why are God’s business, not ours.  Our task is to remain faithful, and wait for God’s vindication.

We often talk about the patience of Job.  I suggest we focus on his steadfast faithfulness instead.  The man loses everything, and yet puts his trust in his God. 

2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-5

THE BACKGROUD

Paul had been preaching and teaching in Thessalonica, and had moved on.  Others came after him.  They got this church all worked up about the end times.  They claimed that Jesus had already returned.  Paul writes to set them straight.

THE DETAIL

• The first lines in this letter get straight to the point.  Don’t be quickly shaken.  Don’t be deceived.  (vv. 1-3a)
• He reassures them that more things will occur first, before Jesus takes his seat in God’s temple.  (vv. 3b-4)
• He almost scolds them, telling them to remember his teaching (rather than the false teaching they learned from others).  (v. 5)

THE TAKEAWAY

Things haven’t changed much.  We recently had a popular preacher predict the Rapture would take place about a month ago. Nothing happened!  Preachers manipulate Holy Scripture this way and that, and we are left to sort things out.  This is not an easy task!  Our job is to remain faithful and patient, like Job.  Quit trying to figure out the details and the timing.  Remain faithful.  God will send Jesus in His own time.

LUKE 20:27-38

THE BACKGROUND

Last week, we mentioned that there were four special groups of believers that existed within the Hebrew community.  They were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.  Some believe that Jesus’ family might have belonged to the Pharisee sect.  In today’s reading the Sadducees confront Jesus with what they think will stump him.

THE DETAIL

• Luke tells us that the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, and that they approached Jesus.  (v. 27)
•  They fabricate a hypothetical case based upon the Law of Moses.  The law states that if a man dies, his brother must marry his widow.  (This was a good thing, since women were always the ward of a man, back then.  If this didn’t occur, the widow would either resort to begging or prostitution.)  (v. 28)
• Here’s where their story gets wild.  The man has seven brothers.  One by one, they marry the widow and die.  She marries the next, and he dies.  She works her way through all eight men, and finally dies herself.  (vv. 29-32)
• Here’s their clincher.  In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Remember, they don’t believe in the resurrection.  The concept was absurd to them.  They were just trying to stump Jesus.  (v. 33)
• It doesn’t faze Jesus in the least.  He starts by saying that in the resurrection, things are different—there is no such thing as being married.  (v. 34)
• He adds a log to the fire by saying that because the people in the story believe in the resurrection (unlike you guys),  they will be like angels and children of God!  (v. 36)
• Another log is added to the fire!  Jesus points to the story of  Moses and the burning bush.  Since Moses speaks of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jesus tells the Sadducees that all of them must be alive, since God is not a God of the dead, but the living.  (vv. 37-38)

THE TAKEAWAY

I love it when a bunch of know-it-alls tries to stump Jesus, and get put in their place.  But that’s not the God lesson I take from this passage.  Jesus makes it clear that life in heaven (or the resurrection, as they call it) is different than life here on earth.  There is, for one thing, no need to be married to another.  I’ll bet that there are many ways that heaven is a different place and experience than living here.  We don’t get the details; we have to wait and see.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What do you think heaven will be like?  What if you discover that you’re wrong?

JEREMIAH 31:31-34

THE BACKGROUND

Last week, we thoroughly discussed the situation in Judah.  Through Jeremiah, God tells His people that He is fed up.  It is time to take action.  It is nicely summarized for us in Jeremiah 30:14b.

“I have dealt you the blow of an enemy; the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are so numerous.”

But right in the middle of Jeremiah’s gloom and doom prophecy, there is a change of tone.  Chapters 30 and 31 are called The Book of Consolation. In ancient times, when conquering armies carried people into exile, they never returned to their homes.  They faded away, assimilating into the culture of the victors.  Here, God offers a glimmer of hope.  He will not forsake His people.

THE DETAIL

• God tells His people that the day will come when he makes a new covenant with His people. A covenant was the Old Testament equivalent of a binding contract.  (v. 31)
• The new covenant will be different.  This time, it will be written on their hearts.  It is interesting that God’s anger surfaces here, right in the middle of this promise.  Yes, He is definitely angry with His beloved people.  (vv. 32-33a)
• In the latter part of verse 33, He sheds His anger, and His love shines through—“I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
• Verse 34a indicates that their relationship will be so close, so tight, that we won’t even need to teach one another about God; we will all just know Him. 
• The second half of verse 34 is the key verse.  God will not only forgive our sins, but He will forget them!

THE TAKEAWAY

To “forgive and forget” is one of those catch phrases that we use, but also abuse.  Oftentimes, we forgive, but we do not forget.  In this passage, God tells us that when He forgives us of our sins, not only are they wiped clean, but He forgets them!  If we were to go to the pearly gates, and bring up one of the sins that have burdened our hearts all those years, Saint Peter would say “Hmm, I have no record of that.”  
 

ROMANS 3:19-28

THE BACKGROUND

At the time when Paul wrote this letter to the churches in Rome.  They consisted of two ethnic groups.  There were ethnic Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah.  There were also many Gentile (Greek, and other non-Jews) Christians in this church.  Some worshipped together in the same church.  There was, of course, a degree of tension between the two groups. The main question that is being addressed by Paul is how the Law (of Moses) interacts with the “Righteousness of God” as presented in the gift of His son. Or, how the New Covenant compared to the Old Covenant.

I would like to define two words, to help with our understanding of the text:

1. “Justified” is a legal term, which means to be absolved of a crime.  In this context, Paul is talking about the forgiveness of sins.
2. “Righteousness” means “right actions”.  Therefore, the righteousness of God refers to the loving actions that God does for us, the people he loves.

THE DETAIL

• The passage starts out talking about those “under the law”, or the non-Christian Jews who put their trust in obeying the Laws of Moses.  The law silences them, because it makes them aware of their failure. They are accountable to God for their actions.  And we all know that “no human will be justified in His sight”.  (vv. 19-20)
• But now*, God takes action—He performs a righteous act. This act has been mentioned by the prophets in times past.  But now*, God has chosen to disclose it.  (v. 21)
• This righteous act is the gift of His son for all who believe.  God’s gracious love alone does this.   (v. 22a)
• It doesn’t matter if you are an ethnic Jew, a Gentile, black or white, or an Asian Christian; there is no distinction.  (v. 22b)
• There is no distinction, because we have all sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. We cannot justify ourselves by obeying the Law, or any church rules.  (v. 23)
• Instead, our justification comes as a free gift from God!  Why is this?  Because He has shown His love for us by sacrificing His only son as an offering for our sins.  All we do to receive this free gift is to believe in Jesus.  What a deal!  (vv. 24-25)
• Why would God do such a thing?  It was to prove to us that He is righteous, and does this good act to prove it to us. (v. 26)
• So, we’ve got no business bragging about being a Christian.  God gets all the bragging rights.  All we did was take the free gift!  (v. 27)
• We are free from the Law.  Our sin-crime is absolved because of our faith in Jesus, and not by our actions. (v. 28)

* Paul means “now that Jesus died for our sins”. 

God’s loving grace is clearly evident in this passage.  We need to know that we cannot save ourselves by obeying the Law of God.  The Law was provided as a mirror, so that we can recognize the ways in which we do not measure up to God’s expectations.  But our salvation comes to us as a free gift from God. We must simply believe in Jesus to receive it.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Does that mean that we are off the hook for obeying the Law, and don’t have to do good things?  Of course not!  God still has expectations of us.  He wants us to show our love for Him in our actions.  He expects us to love and forgive one other.  These actions are not things we do to earn “God Brownie Points”.   They are actions we take to show our love and gratitude to the righteous God who saved us in the first place.

JOHN 8:31-36

THE BACKGROUND

At this point in John’s narrative, Jesus is zig-zagging between Jerusalem and Galilee.  Along the way, he does and says enough to agitate some of the devout Jews we call Pharisees.  Other Jews, like his apostles and many other disciples, believe in him.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is addressing the Jews who have chosen to believe in him.  He says something that he knows will challenge their thinking. He says that if they are truly his disciples, they will know the truth. Not only that, but this truth will set them free.  (vv. 31-32)
• These disciples are taken aback.  They live in a time where about a third of the population was slaves.  But they were Jews, and not slaves to anybody—ever! (Apparently, they had forgotten about Egypt and Babylon.)  They had taken the bait that Jesus had laid out for them. (v. 33)
• Here is the teaching moment that Jesus was waiting for.  He tells them that if they are sinners (which we all are), t35-36)hen they are in slavery to their sins!  (v. 34)
• They could be freed, sold, or retained, solely at the discretion of the heir.  (vv. 35-36)

THE TAKEAWAY

Many of us have some bad habits.  (May we call them sins?) These habit-sins are nearly impossible to break.  Some of us carry the burden of past sins with us our whole lives.  Jesus tells us that the only way to free ourselves is to put our trust in him, placing our sins at the foot of his cross.

JEREMIAH 14:7-10, 19-22

THE BACKGROUND

It seemed like a good and simple plan.  God created our world.  Then, he created us.  He gave us some guidelines for living our lives.  He did all this so we could be in a loving relationship with him.  The people of God in Jeremiah’s time claimed to love Him, but did not show it in their daily lives.  I did a quick scan of chapters 1-13.  Several verses popped out, showing the situation:

Jer. 3:1  If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her?  Would not such a land be greatly polluted? “You have played the whore with many lovers, and would you return to me?” says the Lord.

Jer. 3:19-20  I thought how I would set you among my children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful heritage of all the nations.  And I thought you would call me My Father, and would not turn from following me.  Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the Lord.

Jer. 7:8-10   Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!”— only to go on doing all these abominations?

The book of Jeremiah is not a happy book.  Last week, we studied how God listens to our prayers, and is willing to change his mind to lovingly grant our petitions.  In today’s reading, God is fed up.  He is tired of seeing His people run off and do anything else but be in a loving relationship with Him.  He has turned a deaf ear to their pleas.

THE DETAIL

• This reading begins with a confession by the people that they have sinned against God.  The word “apostasy” means the act of refusing to follow God’s path.  (v. 7)
• The people call out to God.  They beg Him not to be a stranger, and not forsake them. (vv. 8-9)
• God acknowledges their philandering ways. “They love to wander.”  Don’t we all know someone who is like this in their marital relationship?  Don’t they always come back, begging for mercy, and professing undying love, only to repeat the cycle?  God does not accept their empty words.  He’s fed up. It’s time to take action,  (v. 10)
• In the next verses, God uses the word “we” to refer to Himself.  We Christians quickly to jump to the conclusion that He is referring to the Holy Trinity.  But this was written hundreds of years before Jesus and before the concept of the Holy Trinity was formulated.  God was using what is called the “Majestic Plural”.  Kings and queens use “we” instead of “I”, when making proclamations. It seems weird to us, but it was a common practice.  When God uses the Majestic Plural, he is ascending to his throne to make a proclamation. Verse 19 is full of “we” and “us” referring to our Lord as our king. 
• The dialogue shifts back to the people in verse 20, so the “we” here is the wayward people of God, begging for forgiveness once again.  In the end, God says no.  It’s too late.  It is time to do something about it.  (vv. 20-22)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sometimes, things go haywire, in the world of computers. The first thing you should try, when you have a problem is to turn the computer off, and restart it.  We call it hitting the reset button.  Quite often, that is all it takes.  I like to say that when God created the Flood in Noah’s time, he was hitting the reset button.  Things had gotten bad on earth, and He wanted to start over.  In Jeremiah’s time, things had gotten out of control again.  It was time for God to hit the reset button, and send His people into exile.

Fortunately for us, God has taken a new direction. Since then, He decided to send His only Son to us, to clarify the Law of Moses, teach us The Way, and die for our sins. There will be no more reset buttons, at least until Jesus’ second coming! 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

So, as far as we know for sure, God doesn’t use the Reset Button anymore.  Do you think we might be due for one, if He still does?

2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, 16-18

THE BACKGROUND

Paul is concluding his letter to his beloved friend Timothy.  Paul is writing this from a Roman prison cell.  Increasingly, it appears that he will not survive imprisonment this time, and will be put to death soon.

THE DETAIL

• Paul calls himself a libation—a sacrificial drink-offering.  He knows that his time has come.  He offers his life’s work as a sacrifice to God. (v. 6)
• He lists his accomplishments three ways in verse 7.  Let’s look at each separately.  He has:
  • Fought the good fight. Being an evangelist in Paul’s time was a constant struggle.  Because of his work, he had been beaten, imprisoned, and thrown out of towns.
  • Finished the race. His work is complete.  He does not say “won”, but finished.  There is still much work to be done, but it must be left for others like Timothy to do.  For us, to do, also.
  • Kept the faith. Paul has stuck to the basics of the faith.  While other evangelists of his day have strayed into the weeds with their preaching, Paul has remained true to the teachings of our Lord. 
• Having thus summarized his life’s work, he is ready for his crown.  Not only does he get one, but all those who long for Jesus’ reappearing.  (v. 8)
• In the second paragraph, Paul appears to be talking about the first hearing he had, due to his current imprisonment. Even though no one came to support him, it did not matter—the Lord stood by him the whole time.  He vows to continue putting his trust in the Lord, focusing on the promise of Jesus.  (vv. 16-18)

THE TAKEAWAY

We, too, are called to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.  We can finish the race, trusting in the promises of Jesus.
 

LUKE 18:9-14

THE BACKGROUND

In the following parable, Jesus contrasts the attitudes of two people.  In order to gain the full impact of the message, it is good for us to understand how society in Jesus’ time regarded these two figures.

• A tax collector was local person, who was a government employee.  In other words, he would be a local Jew, employed by the Roman government.  His job was to exact taxes for Rome from the local Jewish populous.  Often, they would exact more than required, and keep the difference for themselves.  They were considered dishonest and traitors to the Jewish community. 
• We often have a distorted perception of Pharisees.  Because they clashed so many times with Jesus, we think of them as the villains of the story.  In some ways, they were the villains.  But in fact, Pharisees were considered the cream of the crop, religiously speaking. In Jesus’ time, there were several special religious sects, for those who wished to set themselves apart from the common religious community—Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. All three followed a stricter faith walk than the average lover of God.  Some theologians even suspect that Jesus came from a Pharisee family.  This might explain why Jesus was extra critical of their ways.  He knew all too well the pitfalls of that faith-walk.  He had insider information.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus notices that some of those around him “trusted in their righteousness [we would say self-righteous], and regarded others with contempt”.  They had an attitude problem.  Jesus tells them this parable to challenge their thoughts and actions.  (v. 9)
• So, as the story goes, a tax collector and a Pharisee come to the temple to pray.  (v. 10)
• The Pharisee prays first.  He has worked hard in his faith-walk.  He is proud of his accomplishments.  “Other people” have not worked as hard.  He is confident that he has pleased God with his hard work.  (vv. 11-12)
• The tax collector, on the other hand, is keenly aware of his failure to live up to God’s expectations.  He stands “far off” in the back of the temple.  He displays penitent body language, and pleads for God’s mercy.  He knows that he is a sinner.  (v. 13)
• Then, Jesus turns conventional thinking on its ear. He says that that sinful, traitor-of-a-tax-collector is the one to go home forgiven (“justified”), not the holy man! (v. 14a)
• Jesus summarizes why this is.  It’s all about attitude.  Humility is to be treasured.  If you want to exalt yourself, you can expect to be humbled by God.  (v. 14b)

THE TAKEAWAY

I have heard people say things like “I’ve been a Lutheran my whole life”, or “I’m Baptist to the bone!”  God knows what is in our hearts.  He is looking for us to walk humbly, rather than proudly.  Paul tells us that only God has the bragging rights to our salvation.  All we did was take the free gift. 

2 KINGS 5:1-17c

THE BACKGROUND

This is a story about a miracle that the prophet Elisha performed in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (aka Samaria).  It is also a story about pride and humility.

Note: The selection to be read in church omits verses 4-6.  I have included the whole story here, to provide the whole picture.

THE DETAIL

• Naaman was the head of the military in the army of the Aramites.  Aram was situated just north of Samaria.  It’s capital was Damascus.  Naaman was not only a great warrior, but he was a “great man”.  The Hebrew word translated as “great” in this translation could also be translated as “influential”.  The good news was that this man, who was a great warrior and influential, was highly respected by the king of Aram.  The bad news is that he had leprosy.  Leprosy was a contagious, incurable disease.  A cure for this disease was only discovered in the mid-1940’s. People suffering from it experienced crippling of the hands and feet, paralysis, and blindness.  Because it was so contagious, there were laws which excluded its victims from normal society.  (v. 1) 
• The Aramites went to war, off and on, against the Northern Kingdom.  On one of these battles, a Samaritan girl had been taken captive, and became the handmaiden (a slave) to Naaman’s wife.  This slave girl knew of Elisha, and believed that he could heal Naaman’s leprosy.  She mentioned him to Naaman’s wife., who must have then mentioned it to Naaman.  (vv. 2-3)
• Naaman is desperate to be cured of this shameful disease, so he goes to the king, and tells him. The king offers to write a letter to the king of Samaria.  In order to hide his shame, Naaman heads south with a mammoth amount of money, as well as ten fancy suits of clothes.  (vv. 4-5)
• Naaman first went to the king of Israel with the letter.  The king freaked out, tearing his garment.  (This is a universal sign of extreme despair.  It is done when grieving, when someone blasphemed against God, etc.)  In the king’s case, it was his way of saying “How can you expect me to cure someone of leprosy?” He was also afraid that Naaman’s king was trying to start a fight.  (vv. 6-7)
• Elisha, on the other hand, tells the king—“Why did you tear your clothes?  Send him to me, so I can show him the power of our God.” (v. 8)
• So, Naaman proceeded to Elisha’s house, dressed in his finest, riding in a war chariot pulled by war horses, and bringing a treasure chest full of money.  All of this was intended to impress Elisha into doing something for this foreigner.  But Elisha was not impressed.  He doesn’t even come out to see Naaman.  Instead, he sent a servant out to tell him what to do.  What an insult!  (vv. 9-10)
• Naaman is visibly upset.  He has not only been upstaged by Elisha, but he was told to simply wash in the river! He wants nothing to do with it, and leaves in a rage.  (vv. 11-12)
• His servants convince him to do as he was instructed.  In humility, he goes to the river and washes seven times, as instructed. It works!  (vv. 13-14)
• He returns to Elisha, praising the God of Israel.  And he gave him the present of money.  (v. 15)

THE TAKEAWAY

This story prepares us for understanding the gospel lesson for the day.  Also, verses 9-10 show me that Naaman was a very proud man.  He had preconceived notions about what would happen, based on his pride.  Naaman had to first learn to be humble before he could approach the man of God for healing. The same holds true for us.  It is impossible to approach God without humility.

2 TIMOTHY 2:8-15

THE BACKGROUND

Paul continues to give Timothy (and us) some very useful device, in spite of the fact that Paul is chained and in a Roman prison.

THE DETAIL

• In verses 8 & 9, Paul instructs Timothy to remember something.  And in eight short words, Paul explains why he is not ashamed to be in chains in a Roman prison.  The words below in bold type are the words.  Each has my explanation.  Paul says that Jesus is:
  1. Christ—the Anointed One.  He is the Messiah, in spite of his shameful death.
  2. Raised from the dead—His resurrection is the proof positive we need to put our trust in him.
  3. Descendant of David—He is our king.  The promised rule of the Davidic line has been restored.
• Paul says it is for this reason that he suffers—to bring the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus to all.  (v. 10)
• What follows is either a summary of his teachings or an old Christian hymn.  Either way, it encourages us to be faithful, even in the face of suffering or embarrassment.  (vv. 11-13)
• We are reminded that when we Christians argue amongst ourselves, not only do we accomplish nothing, but we spoil the name of Jesus to those [non-believers?] who might be listening.  We come off as hypocrites, since we are not showing love for one another.  (v. 14)
• Paul closes with words of encouragement.  Don’t be ashamed, but present yourself with confidence, as you are approved by God himself. Good advice for us as well!  (v. 15)

THE TAKEAWAY

Paul’s eight words say it all.  The problem we Christians have is that we can’t keep it that simple.  We need to wrangle with one another, discussing the finer points of prayer, number of sacraments, what a proper baptism is and isn’t, when to baptize, etc.  We fail to realize how foolish we look to non-believers.  In one breath we say “love your neighbor”, and in the next we argue with our brothers and sisters over details.  Yet, we all agree on those eight words.  Let’s get along!
 

LUKE 17:11-19

THE BACKGROUND

Several lessons can be gleaned from today’s Gospel.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is headed to Jerusalem.  This will be a one-way trip.  At the time of this story, he was in the border area between Galilee and Samaria. While the Jews tolerate Gentiles, they hate Samaritans.  Oddly, Samaritans worship the God Yahweh, but have somewhat different traditions than Judean Jews.  I guess their “wrangling” over details went ballistic at some point in time.  (v. 11)
• Ten lepers approach him, but they kept their distance.  This was required by Mosaic Law.  After all, lepers were highly contagious.  (v. 12)
• They call Jesus “Master”, which was normally a title for Jesus that only his disciples used. I take it as an expression of humble admiration and faith.  They ask for mercy.  (v. 13)
• Jesus healed them on the spot, and told them to show themselves to the priest.  This was according to the instruction from the Torah—if you were cleansed from leprosy, a priest needed to examine you.  If he deemed you clean, you could re-enter society.  If not, you were still an outcast, and could not touch or come in contact with anyone.  (v. 14)
• One of the ten was so elated at being cured, that he returned to Jesus, shouting praises to God.  “And he was a Samaritan.”  (vv. 15-16)
• Jesus is quick to point out that this “foreigner” was the only one of the ten to return and praise him.  He sent him on his way.  (vv. 17-19)

THE TAKEAWAY

This story holds several lessons for us.  First, for many of the onlookers, they would be reminded of Elisha’s miracle healing. It might tell them that Jesus is no ordinary itinerant preacher.  Second, Jesus’ promise of saving grace is not reserved for “God’s Chosen People”, but is for everyone, including this despised Samaritan.  Third, we should remain humble and thankful when receiving God’s healing grace, acting like the one in ten.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When it comes to living our lives under God’s grace, are we like the Samaritan leper or like Naaman? Are we puffed up and proud, or humble and thankful for God’s loving grace?

HABAKKUK 1:1-4, 2:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

We know very little about the prophet Habakkuk, other than that he was a prophet to Judah during the first stages of Judah’s downfall to Babylon.  The first two chapters of the book are a dialogue with God.  The third is a psalm-like prayer.

THE DETAIL

• The first chapter, which is exemplified in verses 1-4, seems to challenge God with the question “Why, God, are you allowing these brutal Babylonian pagans to conquer your chosen people.  As bad as we are, we are certainly more righteous than they are.”  In verse 4, the “wicked” are the Babylonians, and the “righteous” are the Judeans.  Habakkuk simply cannot figure God out.   Habakkuk asks why would God allow this to happen?
• The second paragraph, from the second chapter, has Habakkuk shrugging, and taking his place on the ramparts.  (More on ramparts in the Takeaway.)  In faith, he will await God’s answer.  And God does just that.  God tells Habakkuk to write down the holy vision, and make it understandable even to a runner.  (vv. 1-2)
• The vision calls for the people to be patient.  God will make things right, but it will take time.  Just wait for it.  (v. 3)
• In the final verse, “the proud” are the Babylonians—their spirit is not right in them. “The righteous” are the Judeans.  God’s chosen people are told to live lives of patient faithfulness.  (v. 4)

THE TAKEAWAY

A years ago, I had the privilege of walking on the ramparts of an old castle in France.  From the ramparts, the outer walls of the castle, I had a clear view of the surrounding countryside.  It is a beautiful place to go, especially when you are in prayer. Or in Habakkuk’s case waiting for an answer to prayer.

We all know and believe that God answers prayer.  But we often want immediate answers.  God answers in his own time, and calls on us to be patient and faithful. 

2 TIMOTHY 1:1-14

THE BACKGROUND

Paul wrote this while a prisoner in Rome.  His hopes of being released are fading fast.  In spite of this, Paul has words of strength and encouragement for Timothy.  Timothy’s family is mentioned in verse five.  Timothy’s father was a Jew who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah.   His mother and grandmother were Gentiles who had accepted Jesus as their savior.

THE DETAIL

• In spite of Paul’s impending death, he is upbeat and positive.  He writes of the “promise of life”.  He is referring, of course, not to life on earth, but eternal life. (vv. 1-2)
• Paul is thankful for Timothy and his family, who have been pillars of the church.  Paul would love to see him again, but probably knows that this will not happen.  Perhaps this is the reason for the tears.  (vv. 3-5)
• He reminds Timothy (and us) that through the Holy Spirit, we have the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.  That’s quite a combination!  We’ll see why we need all three in the next verses.  (vv. 6-7)
• Timothy is encouraged to not be ashamed to stand up for Jesus or Paul.  We sing a song about standing up for Jesus.  It’s a fun and happy song.  But back in Timothy and Paul’s day, Jesus was considered by many to be nothing more than a criminal who was executed by the Roman authorities. And now Paul is in jail and will surely die there.  Both facts offer a lot of opportunity for embarrassment and shame.  But Paul reminds Timothy of God’s grace—the loving grace that the Father had by sacrificing His only son for us.  This is something to be proud of.  (vv. 8-10)
• Paul goes on to say that this is why he preached the gospel, and is why he is suffering for it. He encourages Timothy to have the love, power, and self-discipline (remember verse 7?) to do the same.  I love the beginning of verse 14—“Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit…”  (vv. 11-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

We are blessed to live in a land where all are free to worship and practice our faith as we chose. We need to be committed to preserving this right for all people of faith, not just to those who believe as we do. Nobody should have to suffer for their faith like Paul and so many Christians of his day did. 

FOOD FOR THOUHT

What is the “good treasure” that is mentioned in verse 14?  (Hint:  see verses 8-10) 

How do we guard it?  (See below.)
 

LUKE 17:5-10

THE BACKGROUND

In the four verses just ahead of today’s reading, Jesus warns his followers of being a stumbling block to other’s faith, and of being willing to forgive others, even if they do it repeatedly.

THE DETAIL

• In response to all the above, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. Obviously, they recognized the need for more faith for the challenges that lay ahead.  (v. 5)
• Next, Jesus tells them a parable.  He uses the example of a slave/servant and his master.  I’ll try to explain this in the Takeaway.

THE TAKEAWAY

There was a TV series that my wife and I loved, called Downton Abbey.  It was about an English aristocratic family, their social circle, and the lives of the servants.  We also watched a program called “The Making of Downton Abbey”.  It was explained that it was not proper for the family to thank the servants each time they did a task to serve them.  If the family did this, they’d be thanking everybody all day long.  After all, it was the servants’ job to do what they did.  No thanks was required or expected.  We modern Americans are not accustomed to this, so Jesus’ parable might seem odd. Maybe knowing how servants and masters interact, we might better understand his parable. 

By telling this peculiar parable, I think Jesus is telling them that it is not how much faith you have, but about the quality or strength of we have.  Strength of faith comes from doing.  It comes from teaching, healing, feeding, picking up those who stumble and from forgiving.  It’s like spiritually pumping iron!  But if you think about it, this is simply our job as Christians.  We should not be looking for thanks, praise, or even for heavenly “brownie points”.  It is simply what we should be doing as lovers of God, servants of our Lord. When you get to that point, you’ve got a strong faith.