The First Sunday in Lent

My father always told me that there is a time and a place for everything. The season of Lent is observed in many churches. It is a time that is set aside to reflect on our sinful nature: how we have fallen short of God’s expectations of us. Just as Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness, we will pursue this subject for 40 days (not including Sundays). Some will also fast.  The purpose is to sharpen one’s spiritual focus, and draw nearer to God.  Let’s begin our Lenten journey.

GENESIS 2:15-17, 3:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

We join Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden for the famous event— The Fall. Most preachers and teachers will pick this story apart in fine detail, like eating fried chicken off the bone. They will pick those bones clean. I prefer to stand back and look at the big picture, and ask the question: “What is the main thing that God wants me to learn from this story?”

THE DETAIL

• God puts Adam in the Garden of Eden, and gives them only one rule— don’t eat the fruit of one tree. (vv. 15-17)
• Time passes. Enter, the beautiful Eve. The “serpent” starts messing with her mind, filling her with notions of wisdom. He convinces her to eat the fruit. (vv. 1-5)
• She eats the fruit, and gives some to Adam. The serpent was right! Their eyes were opened, and they became aware of their nakedness. They go to the mall and by some clothes. (vv. 6-7)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sorry about the mall comment. Sometimes my sense of humor steps in.

You know the rest of the story. But this is enough of the story for the God Lesson for today. In Genesis 1 we learn that God made us, “and it was good”. This is one of the God Lessons in Genesis 1. We are God’s creation, and we are good.  But here in Genesis 2, we read about a big exception.  We see human weakness in action. For me, the God Lesson here is this: If we were given paradise and only one rule, we would break that rule. Do you doubt me?  If you see a sign that reads “Wet Paint”, and you’re a normal human being, you wonder how old the sign is, and if the paint is still wet. We want to touch it. God created us good, but we’re not perfect. We are created good (Genesis 1), but we are also drawn to do the very thing that we should not do (Genesis 2). Without God’s help, we are a hopeless mess. 

Welcome to the season of Lent!

ROMANS 5:12-19

THE BACKGROUND

Paul wrote this letter to the Christian church in Rome. That church consisted of an odd mix of both Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews. The first three chapters paint a broad-brushed perspective of various types of people, pointing out how they have fallen short of God’s expectations (sinned). In chapter 2, Paul turns on his audience, and says “and what about you…?” Do you think you are any better? He drives the point home in 3:23– “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

THE DETAIL

• Paul reminds the reader of Adam’s fall, which was today’s first lesson. (v. 12)
• Paul explains that even though the law didn’t come until Moses, mankind’s attraction to sinful behavior was already in place. (vv. 13-14)
• Paul now contrasts “the free gift” (of salvation through Christ) with “the trespass” (The Fall). The sin of one man (Adam) caused death. But our sins have been justified* through the free gift offered by one man (Jesus).
• The next three verses repeat one another, contrasting the two in different words. I believe Paul does this to drive an important point home.  He’s saying that Adam gave us death, but faith in Jesus gives us life! (vv. 17-19)

THE TAKEAWAY

While it is very important for us to reflect on our sinfulness.  We should never forget that Jesus is our lifeline.  His free gift to us is forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How many times does Paul say the “free gift” in this passage?

*This word is best understood like this: If you kill a person in self-defense, you have still killed someone, haven‘t you? But in a court of law, the judge would claim your actions “justified”. You were acting in self-defense. You are set free. Paul is saying that Jesus’ death on the cross has “justified” all our sinful acts. We are forgiven. We are set free.
 

MATTHEW 4:1-11

THE BACKGROUND

This is the famous story of Jesus temptation by the devil. He has just been baptized, and is about to begin his Father’s work.  Rather than to pick apart the story in infinite detail, let’s stand back and look for the God Lesson for us.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus has been fasting in the desert for nearly six weeks, and is very hungry. (vv. 1-2)
• In three very different ways, Jesus is tempted to abuse his divine power. One is to feed his hunger (a), one is to prove his divinity (b), and one is to use his divine power to gain political power (c). In each case, Jesus triumphs over the temptation by recalling his Father’s words. (a) Deut. 8:3, (b) Deut 6:16, (c) Deut 6:13.  Through it all, he remains focused on his divine mission to remain a humble servant to his Father, and do what he was sent to do. (vv. 3-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

I take great comfort in this story. It tells me that Jesus was human. He was tempted to do things that he knew he shouldn’t. I’ll even bet that during his 30+ years on this earth he was tempted more times than just these three times. But with this story, I see that he remained dedicated to his Father’s mission. He will walk in our shoes, liver his life as an example for us to follow, heal us, teach us and love us enough to die on the cross for us.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When you are tempted to do something that is not according to God’s will, how do you respond?  Do you seek God’s wisdom in Holy Scripture, or do you use “human wisdom”?

ISAIAH 49:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

In the central portion of the book of Isaiah are found four “Servant Songs”.  Last week’s first lesson was the first of the four.  This week’s first lesson is the second of these songs.  The third and fourth are found in Is. 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:1-12, if you are interested in looking them up.  In between the first and second song, a lot happens.  In chapter 45, God announces that he has appointed the Persian king Cyrus as the liberator of His People.  In chapter 47, Babylon is defeated and humiliated.  In 48:20, captive Israel is told to flee Babylon, and go home.  The songs describe a person who will lead them on the way of rebuilding.  The big question is who this servant might be.  I will provide three answers in the takeaway, all of which are valid.

THE DETAIL

• The Servant calls for our attention.  The Servant claims that he was called to be God’s servant, even before he was born. (v. 1)
• The Lord gave him the skills needed to do the job.  God names him “Israel”, or His chosen people.  (vv. 2-4)
• But The Servant is frustrated.  Things do not go smoothly.  He is frustrated.  (v. 4)
• God gives The Servant a pep talk, reminding him that God chose him for this task even before he was even born.  (v. 5)
• Then, God ups the ante.  The Servant is not to save only Israel, but the whole world!  (Remember the meaning of “the nations” from last week?)  (v. 6)
• God concludes the pep talk by telling The Servant that kings and princes will bow before him, because God has chosen him. (v. 7)
   

THE TAKEAWAY

So, who was this Servant? We never get his name.  Maybe that was intentional.  I see three possible answers.

1. To the liberated people of Israel, this Servant represented the one who would lead them home and guide them in the rebuilding of their homeland.  I believe that no one was named to this role because the role needed to be filled by many people.  It could be a standard by which all leaders would be compared.  This standard could be applied to anybody who did the Lord’s work.
2. To Christians, going all the way back to the very early days, these Servant Songs were applied to the life of Jesus. Jesus, being God’s son on earth, would most certainly aim to live up to these standards set by His Father.  It was his nature and mission to present us all with a perfect model of these attributes. 
3. These standards can also apply to us today.  We are God’s Servants in this time and place. These are God’s expectations of our behavior, as we serve Him where we live.  We are called by Him to do this work.  When we do so, we shall be “honored in the sight of the Lord, and God will become our strength”.  (Verse 5, slightly paraphrased.)

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

This is the introduction section of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.  It is chock full of God actions.  Keep in mind that God’s grace is “God’s love, freely given”.  The word “called” appears repeatedly.  The calling in all cases is done by God.

THE DETAIL

• This letter follows the classic form of Paul’s letters.  Paul and Sosthenes are the authors of this letter.  Paul reminds them that God has called him to be an apostle of Christ.  (v. 1)
• They are sending this letter to the church in Corinth, who are also called to be saints* by God. This is a remarkable statement. The church in Corinth was not comprised of fulfilled Jews.  They were outsiders—Gentiles.  Paul, who is a fulfilled Jew, states that God calls everyone.  God’s love is for the whole world.  (v. 2a)
• This letter is also intended for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord”, namely you and me.     (v. 2b) 
• Next comes the customary greeting from God through Paul.  (v. 3)
• Paul also thanks God for bestowing His grace on this church.  (v. 4)
• God’s grace has been lavished on them (and us) in many ways—through speech, knowledge and “spiritual gifts”.  (vv. 5-7)
• He assures us that Jesus will strengthen us to the end, and that [because of Jesus dying on the cross] we will be held blameless on Judgement Day.  We are finally reminded that we have all been called into fellowship with Jesus, so God will be faithful to us.  (vv. 8-9)

* When Paus uses the word “saints”, he is referring to all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. The practice of canonizing saints did not begin until several centuries later. 

THE TAKEAWAY

This passage is rich in God-actions!  As we will see in the weeks ahead, the church in Corinth was far from perfect.  Yet, God lavishly blesses them with His love. This is good for us to understand, since we, too, are not perfect.  But God blesses us, warts and all!  We must always remind ourselves that we are all called to be God’s saints.  As saints, we are in fellowship with Jesus, and God will be faithful to us. Thanks be to God!

JOHN 1:29-43

THE BACKGROUND

The gospel of John begins with a very short introduction to John the Baptist’s mission.  The scene shifts quickly to John being questioned by the religious authorities.  John makes it clear that he is merely the one announcing the coming of someone greater than he.  Then, Jesus comes on the scene.  It should be noted that John also had disciples—people who followed him to learn his teachings.

THE DETAIL

• When John sees Jesus approaching, he tells his disciples “Here is the Lamb of God…”! (v. 29)
• John gives them his testimony, including the telling of Jesus’ baptism.  (vv. 30-34)
• The next day, Jesus walked by John and two of John’s disciples.  John again calls Jesus the Lamb of God.  (vv. 35-36)
• Those two disciples of John left John, and followed Jesus.  (v. 37)
• Jesus asked them what they wanted.  Oddly, they answer by asking where he was staying.  Jesus invites them to tag along, and see for themselves.  (vv. 38-39)
• One of the two was named Andrew.  Andrew went & got his brother Simon, saying “We have found the Messiah!”. When Andrew presented his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus gave Simon a new name, straightaway.  He called him Rock.  (Aramaic: Cephas;  Greek: Petra; English: Peter, or Rock)  I like to say that Jesus called him “Rocky”.  Am I wrong???  (vv. 40-42)

THE TAKEAWAY

It’s good to know why Jesus renamed Simon.   In Holy Scripture where people or animals are named or renamed, it indicates a bond; it is the start of a new relationship.  When Adam names the creatures in the Garden of Eden, it indicates that they are under his care.  We do this, too.  We always name a pet as soon as we bring it home, even if it had a different name before. Sometimes, we give nicknames to our friends, children or grandchildren.  These indicate that there is a special relationship between them and us. This is what Jesus is doing with Simon Peter.

Jesus gets many titles in this passage.

• John the Baptist calls him the Lamb of God, as in the lamb sacrificed for the Passover act. The blood of the lamb saves the lives of the believers who have the blood smeared across their doorways.
• John the Baptist also clearly calls Jesus the Son of God (v. 34)
• The two disciples of John the Baptist address him as “Rabbi”.  Yes Jesus came to teach us many things.
• Finally, Andrew calls Jesus the Messiah.  God’s anointed one.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is, of course, all these titles and more.  What do you call him?

MICAH 6:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

The kings of Judah had a team of court prophets.  Often, were yes-men, telling the king what he wanted to hear.  As a prophet, Micah was an outsider.  If there had been a private club in Jerusalem for prophets, Micah would not be allowed to be a member.  What set Micah apart from the rest was that like Isaiah and Hosea, he spoke for God’s Will. This was contrary to what the king and God’s people wanted to hear.  Today’s first lesson is the essence of his message to God’s people, both then and now.

THE DETAIL

• Micah presents his message in the form of a courtroom scene.  God has a complaint against His people.  He is calling the mountains and hills to be the jury.  God is going to present his case to His people. (vv. 1-2)
• God is obviously not happy with His people.  Have you ever had a parent complain to you, saying “What have I done, that I deserve this sort of behavior from you?”  (v. 3)
• God answers his own question, laying a little guilt trip on them.  He reminds them of the good things He has done for them, starting with rescuing them from slavery in Egypt.  (v. 4)
• He adds a log to the fire.  He reminds them of how their enemy King Balak called on the diviner Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam blessed them instead.  [Numbers 2] God further reminds them of how H                e led and protected them as they left their encampment in Shittim, crossed the Jordan River, and defeated the Canaanites at the city of Gilgal.  This would be the first city to fall to the Israelites as they take possession of the Promised Land.  [Joshua 3-4]  (v. 6)
• God’s people plead guilty to the charges.  They ask what their sentence should be.  They suggest a fancier, more intense form of worship.  (vv. 6-7)
• The people are reminded that God has already told them what to do.  It is not about quality of worship, but quality of life-actions.  It’s simple (but not easy)-- 
  • Do justice
  • Love kindness
  • Walk humbly

THE TAKEAWAY

It is easy to say “I love the Lord!”  But it is much more difficult to walk the walk in our daily actions.  This is not to say that God doesn’t appreciate quality worship.  But if the worship isn’t backed up by a humble heart and righteous acts of faith, then our worship becomes a hollow, hypocritical act.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

THE BACKGROUND

This is a continuation of last week’s second lesson.  You may recall that Paul contrasted the eloquence of certain preachers who had come after him with the “foolishness of the cross”. 

THE DETAIL

• The cross on which Jesus was crucified was the worst form of a death sentence.  Romans had several other ways of doing this, but this was the slowest, most painful, and publicly humiliating.  To a non-believer, worshipping the cross seemed like a foolish activity.  (v. 18)
• Paul takes a pot-shot at wisdom and eloquence in the following verses.  He contrasts God’s wisdom with mankind’s wisdom.    (vv. 19-25)
• He then turns to the reader, holding up a mirror.  He reminds them that God has called them to be the wise, even though they were ordinary people.  This is the wisdom of God in action.  (vv. 26-27)
• Why would God do this?  For one reason, God likes to turn things upside down, as we will see in the gospel lesson.  He loves to challenge our thinking.  He does this so we will have no bragging rights; God gets all the credit, not us. (vv. 28-29)
• Last week, Paul told us to forget about all our divisions.  Forget about aligning yourself with Cephas, Apollo; or being Lutheran, Baptist, or Methodist.  It is all about God— we should boast only in the Lord, and what the Lord has done for us.  (vv. 30-31)

THE TAKEAWAY

These are powerful words, both then and now.  How easy it is to ignore these words.  God wants us to focus on our commonality, rather than our differences. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Back then, worshipping someone who was executed by crucifixion might seem to be foolish to many. What other aspects of Jesus’ life point to the foolishness of human wisdom, as compared to God’s?  Consider these.  1.  God’s very son was born to the household of a small-town carpenter, rather than somebody important.  2. God chose to have His son born in a stable rather than a palace.  Were these accidental occurrences, or part of God’s plan?  Why?
 

MATTHEW 5:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

I view today’s gospel lesson as the sort of kick-off or inaugural address of Jesus’ ministry. Chapters one through four give us the background to the life of Jesus.  Chapter three concludes with the baptism of Jesus.  Chapter four transitions from the work of John the Baptist to the work of Jesus.  The first of Jesus’ disciples are called.  Now, it’s time to get down to the business of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. In the verses just before today’s reading, we find Jesus teaching in the synagogues around the region of Galilee, proclaiming the good news, and healing the sick.  He is starting to draw a crowd.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus takes his disciples up a mountainside to teach them.  He is laying the foundation of what he intends to be an do in the years ahead.  Was he speaking these words to the crowd or just the disciples?  It is not clear.  (vv. 1-2)
• He teaches them what we now call The Beatitudes.  According to Webster, beatitude is “a state of utmost bliss”. Older translations use the word “blessed”, while newer ones use “happy”.  Both are an accurate translation of the word used in the original Greek.  Jesus tells us that we are blessed-happy when we are:
  • Poor in spirit
  • Mournful
  • Meek
  • Hunger and thirst
  • Need mercy
  • Pure in heart
  • Making peace
  • Being persecuted
  • Are being reviled
• Jesus tells us that if we are these, we should rejoice and be glad!  (I’m not so sure about that…)  The reason for our rejoicing is that God’s holy prophets also experienced these things, so we are in good company.  (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

I don’t know about you, but this does not look like a “Happy List” to me!  In my life, I have come to learn that the list above are not the things that make me happy—quite the opposite. I am not alone.  I have had good Christians try to explain to me that “meekness is not weakness”.  I’m sorry, but I believe it is exactly that—meekness is weakness, and God’s heart goes out to the meek.  So, what is God’s point?  I believe that one reason He sent His son to us was to tell us what matters most to Him; what His priorities are.  This list from Jesus and his Father tells me that His way is not our way.  As adopted children of God, and heirs to the Kingdom, it is our duty to ascribe to God’s priorities rather than our own.  If we are experiencing any of these things, we can rest in the comfort that God loves us, and has blessed us.  If we those around us are experiencing these things, we should love and comfort them as a reflection of God’s love.  It is what God’s children do. 

ISAIAH 42:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

These words of Isaiah were written during exile. They present an unnamed servant of God. The attributes are given to this servant that are unusual for a prophet or king.  Over the centuries, Christians have felt that this passage points to God’s #1 servant, Jesus.  While this certainly is a valid argument, it does not explain what it meant to people for the 500 years between the writing of these words and Jesus.  Let’s look at what the passage says.

THE DETAIL

• Right off the bat, the first verse sounds a lot like verse 17 in today’s gospel lesson.  God is delighted with this servant of His.  God’s Spirit will rest on him, and he will serve the nations.  More on “the nations” in The Takeaway.  (v. 1)
• This servant is not your ordinary leader. This servant is soft-spoken; he is gentle.  Yet, his influence reverberates far and wide.  People will listen to him, even way out there on the coast.  (vv. 2-4)
• Now, God gives His servant his marching orders. He is to be a covenant or promise to the people.  He is to free people from their chains, and open their eyes.  (vv. 5-8)
• God says all this will happen exclusively to His chosen servant.   (v. 9)

THE TAKEAWAY

God presents us with a role model; with the type of behavior that He would value in someone who is His servant.  Jesus, being God’s son, came to earth to give us an example of this behavior.  But we, too, are God’s servants in this time and place.  As such, we should also strive to emulate these traits.  We should act with gentle authority.  We should work to free the unfortunate from their burdens, and open their eyes to the love of God through our actions. 

When “the nations” appears in the bible, it is a reference to the rest of the world.  It means “out there”, those “other people”.  He is talking not just about the Hebrews, but about us Gentiles, too.  God is telling His people through Isaiah that His vision is for all peoples to know and love Him.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How well do verses 1-4 describe Jesus?  How well do they describe you?

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

During Jesus’ time, the People of God were a closed society.  The Hebrew people kept to themselves, except for whatever they were forced to do by the occupying Romans.  Jesus’ ministry, with a few exceptions, was focused primarily on the Jewish community. In the early years of the church, all of the believers were Jewish Christians.  This is about to change.  In the first part of chapter 10 (not included in today’s reading), God sends Peter a dream, sanctifying all food, even non-Kosher foods. 

God also sends a messenger to Peter.  The messenger is from the household of Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army.  Cornelius is a “God-lover”—a Gentile who loves Yahweh, but has not converted to Judaism. God prompts Cornelius to have a messenger go and fetch Peter. 

As soon as Peter finishes the dream, there’s a knock on the door.  It is Cornelius’ messenger.  Peter follows, and meets Cornelius.  It is clear to Peter that he has been called to preach the gospel to this Roman Gentile soldier!

THE DETAIL

• Peter’s first words are loaded with meaning—“I truly understand that God shows not partiality…”  It is clear to Peter that the Good News of Jesus is not just for His Chosen People, but for “…every nation…” (vv. 34-35)
• Peter goes on to explain the life and ministry of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection.  (vv. 36-41)
• He tells them that their mission is to “tell the people… that Jesus is the one…”, and that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins…”  Everyone. Even an officer in the Roman army. (vv. 42-43)

THE TAKEAWAY

The season of Epiphany began on January 6th. Epiphany marks the coming of the wise men “from the East” to worship Jesus.  These men, as well as Cornelius, are not Hebrews.  They signal the coming of a new age; God sent his son for all nations, including Gentiles like you and me.  In the words of Isaiah, “… the former things have come to pass, and new things I [God] now declare..”  (Is. 42:9)

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THE BACKGROUND

After the story of the visiting of the wise men, and the aftermath of their visit, the gospel of Matthew fast-forwards to John the Baptist’s work.  We join this scene, to find that Jesus has come to seek John out.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus comes to John to be baptized.  John tells Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing him! He’s right, you know.  (vv. 13-14)
• But Jesus wants to do this “to fulfill all righteousness”.  This is a confusing phrase.  Apparently, John got it, but I didn’t at first.  I had to think about the words.
  • To “fulfill” indicates the completion of something that was planned or foretold. 
  • “Righteousness” can mean two things.  It can mean adherence to the law, but it can also mean a right action.

“Fulfilling all righteousness” now means to me that Jesus had planned to do this.  It also means that Jesus felt that baptism was a “right action”, or a good thing for people to do.  He wanted baptism to be part of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus.  (vv. 15-16a)

• So Jesus was baptized by John.  Then things got wild.  God, Father and Spirit, appeared to bless the event.  The words spoken by God are very close to the first verse in today’s passage from Isaiah.  Yes, Jesus’ baptism most certainly was part of God’s plan.  (vv. 16b-17)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus’ life was one big example of living a godly life.  I believe that he was leading by example when he was baptized by John.  Did Jesus need to repent?  Of course not!  But I believe that he wanted to make it known that repentance and baptism are good and righteous actions for us all. 

Since I am going to be away for several weeks, I have prepared reflections for all the Sundays from January 11 - February 15.  Please scroll down to find the appropriate entry.

ISAIAH 9:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday is again from Isaiah.  This passage is quoted in today’s Gospel reading.  But this prophecy had a very poignant meaning for the time at which it was given; God’s people needed to hear what God’s expectations were of them. Interestingly, God’s expectations are the same for us.  The nations to the north of Judah were conspiring against it.  In chapter 7, God promises a king who would be “Emmanuel”, or “God with us”.  Today’s lesson talks about the time when this promised king will rule. 

THE DETAIL

• God promises that the gloomy days will be gone, and glorious times are coming.  Their relationships with the nations to the north (Naphtali and Zebulun) will be restored. There will be a time of peace and cooperation.  (v. 1)
• The people of the north (just mentioned) are not Jewish—they’re Gentiles.  They walk in darkness, because they do not know the Lord.  But in this new glorious time being foretold, the light of God will also shine on them.  (v. 2)
• This verse is addressed to the people of Judah. God is telling them that they will be the ones to bring this light to the people of darkness, the Gentiles. (v. 3)
• Finally, God reminds them that the people who lived in darkness are under a great burden.  God’s people will relieve them of this burden.  That’s a good thing!  (v. 4)
   

THE TAKEAWAY

The king of Judah ignored God’s advice and prophecy, and messed things up.  But those are just the details of the story.  God’s message to His people was that He wants His people to share His love with “the nations” (everybody).  In this time and place, we are God’s people.  We are the ones who share the Good News with those around us.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18

THE BACKGROUND

We’re still in chapter one of Paul’s first letter to the church of Corinth, but look at this—he has already jumped into one of the big problems with that church.  What might that problem be?

THE DETAIL

• Paul pleads with this church to get rid of the divisions that exist between them.  They are quarreling amongst themselves.  (vv. 10-11)
• At the heart of the problem is that they have grouped up into factions.  It appears that the division might be over who baptized each member.  (v. 12)
• Here’s a starter hint at where Paul’s coming from—it’s about Jesus.  More to follow.  (v. 13)
• As an aside, Paul tries to isolate himself from the foray.  He’s not sure, but he doesn’t think he baptized many in Corinth.  He seems to say “Don’t blame me!”  (vv. 14-16)
• Here’s another aside.  Apparently some preachers were more polished or eloquent speakers than Paul.  People must have been aligning with these fancy preachers.  (v. 17)
• Here’s the heart of the matter.  Paul’s message was and always will be about Christ crucified. Revering the cross might seem foolish to some.  After all, it was the equivalent of a hangman’s noose or the electric chair. It was a means of executing criminals. But to people of faith, the cross represents the power of God.  (v. 18)

THE TAKEAWAY

We are all guilty of this problem.  We like to think that our denomination is far superior to all those other ones.  Paul grabs us by the shoulders and says “Stop it!!!”  We are all washed in the Blood of the Lamb.  All our divisions are nonsense.  We need to love one another.
 

MATTHEW 4:12-23

THE BACKGROUND

This scene from the Gospel of Matthew is about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  He has just recently been baptized by John, and has called his first disciples.

THE DETAIL

• News comes to him that John the Baptist has been arrested by Herod.  Essentially, this signals the end of John’s ministry, and the beginning of Jesus’ mission. Jesus heads back to his home country, the northern region of Judea called Galilee.  (v. 12)
• He moves from his home town, and settles in Capernaum. It is about 30 miles to the northeast of Nazareth.  Capernaum is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  It is also the northern edge of the country of Judea. Immediately to the north are the Gentile lands of Zebulun and Naphtali.  (v. 13)
• Matthew quotes Isaiah 9.  He reminds his Jewish readers of the prophecy of Isaiah.  (vv. 14-16)
• Thus begins the work of Jesus.  The message is clear.  Scripture has now been fulfilled.  Jesus is the light that has dawned.  Jesus is here to preach not only to the people of Judea, but to those nasty foreigners to the north, too.  The light is for “the nations”.  The light is for the whole world.

THE TAKEAWAY

Matthew was quick to recognize that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.  Jesus is the Light of the World!  We are Jesus’ servants in this time and place.  We, too, must shine the Gospel Light.  Jesus came for everyone, just as God told his people through Isaiah. 

ISAIAH 58:1-9a

THE BACKGROUND

This section from the writings of Isaiah was written around the time of the Israelites return from exile. The people of God are struggling to establish a better relationship with God in the hopes that they will never again need to return to a state of exile.  One of the practices they engaged in was fasting.  While some modern Christian groups still practice this, many do not.  Allow me to explain fasting, at least from my perspective.

Fasting is the practice of restricting one’s diet in order to sharpen spiritual focus.  By fasting, many seek to improve their relationship with God.  Some believe that the simple act of fasting wins them favor with their Lord.  Others, like me, don’t believe that I can win “Divine Brownie Points” by fasting; I fast to remind myself of God’s grace and His sacrifice of His son for my sins.  Every time I desire whatever I have chosen for my fast, it is a call to prayer.  In my church, we often fast during the upcoming season of Lent.  For the people of Isaiah, according to verse 3, they were trying to get God’s attention.

THE DETAIL

• God is speaking in the first paragraph.  He tells his prophet to shout out and proclaim the message which follows.  Proclaim this message to His people, because it is clear that they want to have a better relationship with Him.  (vv. 1-2)
• Now, Isaiah quotes the people.  They question God about why he appears to be unresponsive to their fasting and other religious actions.  (v. 3a)
• God’s response is swift and to the point.  Their religious fervor does not carry over into their everyday lives.  They claim to love the Lord, but then they act with injustice to their neighbor.  (vv. 3a-4)
• In verse 5, God is almost mocking them.  He seems to say “You call THIS a fast???” (v. 5)
• Now, God tells them what a good fast really is.  (vv. 6-7)
• The rest of the passage, and even beyond the verses listed, are a series of “if-then clauses”.  Remember that they  conditional clauses—“if you do this, I will do that”.  For example, a parent might say to a child “If you clean your room, I’ll take you to get an ice cream cone.”  God is telling his people that if they focus on sincere fasting, especially the type that God has listed here, that they will truly win God’s favor.  They will be acting like His people, and they will be blessed. 

THE TAKEAWAY

In the past, I have given up drinking wine, my favorite beverage, for Lent.  This does help me to keep in sharper spiritual focus—not because I’m sober.  I don’t drink that much.  But, what God is telling me in this passage is that a better fast is doing more for others. That is more difficult, isn’t it? 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

If you were to fast, to sharpen your spiritual focus, what would you chose for a fast?

1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

In last week’s second lesson, we learned that Paul was criticizing the eloquent preachers who had been working the crowd in Corinth.  They were filling their minds with fancy thoughts, giving them many false pearls of wisdom.  These preachers were also putting down Paul’s preaching, and placing themselves above him. In today’s passage, Paul challenges their eloquently concocted teachings.  He tells the reader to keep it simple.   

THE DETAIL

• In the first paragraph, Paul tells the reader that he intentionally kept his preaching simple.  He did not need to make it complicated, because the truth is very simple-- Jesus died on the cross for us. Paul let the power of the Holy Spirit be the main preacher, not eloquent speeches steeped in wisdom. He finalizes this paragraph, by contrasting human wisdom with the power of God. (vv. 1-5)
• Paul tells us that for Christians, the only wisdom that counts is God’s wisdom, not human wisdom. The only one who truly knows God’s wisdom is the Holy Spirit. (vv. 6-11)
• Paul concludes it nicely here.  We have received God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit. (v.12)
• In verse 14, which follows this passage, Paul says They, “the unspiritual” do not receive the Holy Spirit, and are not able to understand.

THE TAKEAWAY

We know from Paul’s other writings that he is capable of complex, theological thought. In fact, sometimes it is so complex that it will make your head spin.  But here, he gets to the heart of the matter—it is not about us. It is about Christ crucified. (v.2b)

It is human nature to overanalyze everything.  Because our religious convictions are so strong, our conclusions often separate us from other believers.  Often, we become like these divisive preachers in Corinth. It is good to remember that it is simply Christ crucified.                                                                       

MATTHEW 5:13-20

THE BACKGROUND

This passage is the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  This follows the Beatitudes we studied last week.

THE DETAIL

• In this first paragraph, Jesus encourages his listeners to not let their spirituality fade. He likens it to seasonings for food. We all know that herbs and spices in our pantry lose their kick over time, and need to be replaced.  And we now have a fun little song about not keeping our little gospel light under a basket.  Jesus is encouraging us to keep our faith sharp and active.  (vv. 13-16)
• In the second paragraph, Jesus talks about keeping the law.  What he says is a little puzzling, given his subsequent actions. We’ll discuss that in the takeaway. But here, Jesus states that he did not come to eliminate any of the many Laws of Moses; he came to fulfill them. Many use this statement to defend the need for Christians to comply with (most of) the laws of Old Testament. (vv. 17-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

Many of the older members of the churches I have attended have an attitude.  When asked to help with a church project, they have told me that they “used to do” this and that, but now they don’t.  They think that they can retire from serving God.  Here, Jesus tells us to never retire from doing the Lord’s work. 

It is interesting that Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.  If I look at Jesus’ actions, I see many cases where he directly violated the Law of Moses, especially the one about working on the Sabbath.  But we must remember that the Number One Law is the Law of Love.  Loving God and one another overrides the rest.  In  every case where Jesus breaks a Law of Moses, it is done for the love of others.