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 an absolute monarch
• 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!  But this message is not directed at the agricultural community.  No.  It is directed at the spiritual and political “shepherds” of Judah.  Judah was a theocracy—the leaders were supposed to execute God’s will to His chosen people.  Theoretically, the court prophets were there to advise the king on God’s will for the people. But the king had his own agenda, and if a prophet wanted to remain in his court, he told the king what he wanted to hear.  The transgressions of these “shepherds” are detailed in chapter 22.  Suffice it to say that they took advantage of the poor and powerless to line their own pockets with gold.  God has had enough!  (vv. 1-2)
• God is going to take matters into His own hands, and shepherd his flock Himself.  He will gather them up, and care for them.  He will give them a Good Shepherd, who will care for them.  (vv. 3-4)
• God then promises to restore the reign of the Davidic line, raising up 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.  Paul paints a very clear picture of who Jesus really was.

THE DETAIL

• This section begins by Paul wishing them to be made strong—ready to endure the hardship that they will surely faced 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 refers either to the Roman Empire or to the religious order of the day. Either way, this is a strong statement. If Paul is referring to Roman Empire, this is a treasonous statement.  If it refers to the Jewish authorities, it is “merely” blasphemy, which 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)
  • And God really likes the end result.  Through His son, He has reconciled our checking account—there is no longer a discrepancy between His expectations of us and our sinful 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 right-acting king.

Shall we join the second criminal being crucified with Jesus, and put our trust, faith, and loyalty with him? Jesus truly is our king!

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.

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 to those who knew people who had quit working because the end was near.  He says to keep away from them; isolate yourself from them, and keep working. (v. 6a)
• He then reminds them of the example they 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 the end of the world to come before our camping weekend, so 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.  Chapter 22 is the beginning of this part of the story we call the Passion Narrative.  Jesus has some last words to say to his apostles.

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. (It occurred about 35 years later!) (v. 6)
• They all respond with a typical question—WHEN???  (V. 7)
• Jesus doesn’t give them the date, but turns this question into a teaching moment instead. 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)
• Worse yet, “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. 

DANIEL 7:1-3, 15-18

THE BACKGROUND

In modern times, many bible teachers like to use this book as a prediction of future times.  I do not ascribe to this crystal ball theology.  I have been taught that God speaks to His people in times of need.  He provides them with the strength and wisdom they require to get them through a difficult time.  When I read the bible, I try to keep this in mind.  This is why I try to understand what was happening to God’s people when His Word first came to them.  I strive to find this meaning, which was (and still is) God’s intent for His people. At the time that the book of Daniel was written, His people’s faith was being challenged.  The government was forcing them to worship other gods.  God steps in and speaks through his prophet. Let’s find out what God said.  In Daniel’s time, dreams were considered to be windows to divine thought or intent.  Dreams were a message from God, and needed to be interpreted.

THE DETAIL

• In this story, the prophet Daniel has a troubling dream, which he writes down.  The details of this dream are spared us; they are the omitted verses 4-14.  Look them up, if you wish.  Basically, four beasts come up out of the sea, each one different than the other. It is important to note that to the writer and his audience, the sea was an ugly chaotic place.  Beasts that came out of the sea were not a good thing. (vv. 1-3)
• This dream and these four beasts rattled Daniel.  He was scared.  (v. 15)
• Apparently, in the dream there were attendants.  Daniel approaches one of them for an explanation.  (v. 16)
• The attendant explains that the beasts are evil kings that come and go, but in the end, the “holy ones of the Most High” will reign forever.  (vv. 17-18)

THE TAKEAWAY

Bible historians can identify the kings alluded to in these verses and the ones that follow.  (Yes, the gory story goes on.)  At the time this was written, horrible fates awaited those who refused to denounce their faith and adopt the religion of these evil kings.  But the point is clear.  Evil rulers will come and go.  Our job is to remain faithful to the Most High God.  In the end, a righteous ruler will prevail [Jesus], and rule the earth forever.  Whether you believe this book in its historical context or that it is a book predicting the end times, the message is clear.  Keep the faith!  Resist evil! God will triumph in the end.
 

EPHESIANS 1:11-23

THE BACKGROUND

Many believe that this letter to the church in Ephesus was intended for a wider audience.   This is good. It means that it is intended for you and me as well.  Today’s passage starts out in the middle of chapter 1.  Some key verses to grasp are verses three through five, which help us understand today’s passage:

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,…”

So, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, including adopting us as His children.

THE DETAIL

• As God’s children, we have received an inheritance.  We receive this precious gift so that we “might live for the praise of his glory.”  We’ll discuss the hope that is mentioned when we look at verse 18.  (vv. 11-12)
• Next, we are reminded of how we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit in our baptism. This is when we pledged to become one of God’s own people, and follow Him.  (vv. 13-14)
• The Spirit must have been doing some fantastic work in Ephesus, because their reputation was well-known.  Nevertheless, the writer offers prayers to God for their continued growth in wisdom and the revealing of God’s will for them in their place.  (vv. 15-17)
• When the Holy Spirit opens our hearts, we can gain a clearer understanding of the hope of the resurrection.  This is the inheritance we receive.  Just as our brother Jesus was resurrected, we too shall be resurrected, according to our adoption by God.  (v. 18)
• It is this power that God used when he raised Jesus from the dead, and placed him at His right side.  From there Jesus will rule the earth until that day when he returns to rule here on earth. (vv. 19-23)

THE TAKEAWAY

It takes a lot of ability and power to raise someone from the dead.  If fact, I know of only one instance—the resurrection of God’s Son Jesus. As adopted sons and daughters of God, we inherit this precious gift as well.  Praise be to God our Father!  
 

LUKE 6:20-31

THE BACKGROUND

This passage comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain.  Matthew’s gospel contains a details account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  In some ways they differ, but in many ways these sermons are similar.  Each gospel only includes one of these sermons.  It is my hunch that Jesus did not speak these things only twice, but spoke variations of these messages wherever he traveled.  After all, one of his missions on earth was to write the Law (of love) on our hearts, as we read in last week’s Old Testament lesson.  So, what is Jesus telling us about the way God values things?  In this sermon, he contrasts woes with blessings.  When you read this sermon, look for all the ways that God’s wisdom differs from ours. 

THE DETAIL

• When Jesus looks up, he sees the crowd who came to be healed, the disciples (followers) who came to learn, and the apostles who dedicated their lives to continuing Jesus’ work after he was gone.  Jesus directs this sermon to the followers who came to learn.  (v. 20a)
• Jesus begins by saying that poor people are “blessed”, or happy.  (v. 20b)
• Jesus next says that hungry people are “blessed”.  (v. 21a)
• You are also blessed, if you weep.  (v. 21b)
• You are blessed if people hate, exclude, revile and/or defame you “on account of the Son of Man.”  (v. 22)
• If we suffer in these ways, we should rejoice and leap for joy, because this is how the famous prophets were also treated.  (v. 23)
• Now come the “woes”. They are for those who: are rich, have full bellies, laughing, are spoken well of.  Jesus basically says that they have received their reward. (vv. 24-26)
• The second paragraph is Jesus’ (and God the Father’s) instruction for how we should respond. I’ve made a table of them, and included a list of human wisdom as a contrast.

THE TAKEAWAY

As you can readily see, God’s wisdom is pretty much the opposite of human wisdom.  As Christians, we are the adopted children of God.  We are inheritors to the promise.  Jesus begins this last paragraph with “But I say to you that listen…”  That sounds more like a commandment than a suggestion.  As children of God, we need to reorder our thinking from human ways to God’s ways.  It won’t be easy, but this is what we are expected to do.

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.

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.”  
 

NOTE: The readings are in an unconventional order, since the best Good News comes from the second reading, from Romans.

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), then they are in slavery to their sins!  (v. 34)
• Next, he says something which was a well-known fact.  In his day, slaves had no rights of inheritance.  Only the master’s son could inherit the master’s wealth.  So, if the son decided to free a slave, it would be effective immediately. (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.  Others carry the burden of past sins with them their whole lives.  Sure, we often forgive, and have been forgiven, but we do not forget.  We carry the scars with us forever.  When we lay all these at the foot of the cross, they are forgiven.  And not only that, God forgets them.  We should forget them, too.

ROMANS 3:19-28

THE BACKGROUND

At the time when Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome, it consisted of two ethnic groups. There were ethnic Jews who believed in Jesus.  There were also many Gentile (Greek) Christians in this church.  They all worshipped together.  There was, of course, a degree of tension between the two. The main question that is being addressed here is how the Law (of Moses) interacts with the “Righteousness of God” as presented in the gift of His son. 

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.
2. “Righteousness” means “right actions”.  Therefore, the righteousness of God refers to the right actions that God does for the people he loves.

THE DETAIL

• The passage starts out talking about those “under the law”, or the non-Christian Jews. 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 right act is nothing less than the gift of His son for all who believe.  (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)

THE TAKEAWAY

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 back to the righteous God who saved us in the first place.

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

We no longer worship the Canaanite god named Baal. But many other things threaten to crowd God out of the #1 spot in our lives.  What other “gods” interfere with our relationship with our Lord?

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 others 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, they were a local Jew, employed by the Roman government, whose job it was to exact taxes from the local Jewish populous. Often, they would exact more than required, and keep the difference for themselves.  They were considered dishonest 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, and regarded others with contempt”.  They had an attitude problem.  Jesus tells them this parable to challenge their thoughts and actions. (v. 9)
• So, 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 the 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 and treasures our hearts.  He is looking for us to walk humbly, rather than proudly.

GENESIS 32:22-31

THE BACKGROUND

After The Flood, God chose to work through one faithful man, Abraham.  Abraham’s son Isaac begat the twins Esau and Jacob.  Their stories fill the latter pages of the book of Genesis, beginning around chapter 25 and continuing on past today’s reading.  This family and their stories are full of deception and the lust for power.  Jacob in particular was eager to be the top dog of the family, even though Esau was the firstborn.  As firstborn child, Esau is entitled to inherit all of Isaac’s property.  But while they were still in their mother’s womb, God told their mother Rebekah

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other;
    the elder shall serve the younger.”  Gen 25:23

So, right from the start, Jacob was destined and blessed by God to be the leader of the family.  But Jacob, through many power moves, strove to guarantee this position nevertheless.  Today’s story is just one example of Jacob’s struggle for power.

THE DETAIL

• Jacob, his family, servants, and livestock are all fleeing for their lives.  Jacob has tricked his brother-in-law, and is fearful of reprisal.  They are headed towards the home of Esau, who is angry about Jacob tricking him out of his birthright.  Upon reaching the Jabbok river, he sends everybody across the river, and he stays behind.  (vv. 22-23)
• During the night, Jacob dreams that he is wrestling with a man.  Or is it not a dream?  As they wrestle, Jacob becomes aware that this is no ordinary man, but God himself. In the course of the struggle, God dislocates Jacob’s hip.  Unfazed, Jacob wants to know God’s name.  God does not respond.  Jacob won’t release God until He gives Jacob a blessing!  (vv. 24-26)
• God renames Jacob; he is now to be called Israel.  Naming will be discussed in The Takeaway.  Jacob asks for God’s name.  God doesn’t answer this question, but blesses Jacob.  (vv. 27-29)
• According to tradition, seeing God’s face brings certain death.  Yet, Jacob saw God’s face as he wrestled with Him.  In honor of this event, he named the place “Peniel”, which means “face of God”.  Penuel is an alternate spelling of Peniel.  Jacob/Israel now walks with a limp, because of his God-encounter.  (vv. 30-31)

THE TAKEAWAY

In Hebrew, the name “Jacob” means “heel-grabber”.  At his birth, Jacob was clutching his brother’s heel.  Even at birth, the power struggle had already begun!  God renames Jacob “Israel”, which means “wrestles with God”.  Naming or renaming something is a sign of ownership.  Adam named all the animals in the Garden of Eden as a sign of his dominance over them.  When we bring a rescue pet home from a shelter, we often name it, even if it had been given a name at the shelter.  Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, and Saul as Paul.  It is a way of signifying the beginning of a new relationship.  In spite of Jacob’s incessant power-grabbing actions, God lives up to the promises he made to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham. He wrestles with and blesses this less than honorable man.  He wants to be in relationship with Jacob, in spite of Jacob’s behavior.

Even though we are less than perfect beings, God wants to be in relationship with us, too.  God continues to send the Holy Spirit to us, to wrestle with us in matters of faith.  Wrestling with God is OK, as long as we are faithful.  Just keep in mind that something might get thrown out of joint in the process.
 

2 TIMOTHY 3:14-4:5

THE BACKGROUND

This is the second to last week that we will study the letters of Paul written to his beloved follower Timothy.  In the first part of chapter 3, Paul talks of a host of deceitful preachers who are leading Christians astray.  A good conclusion is given just ahead of today’s reading, in verse 13:

But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 

THE DETAIL

• Paul turns the discussion away from those people, and focuses on Timothy.  This is excellent advice for all of us today.  Paul tells Timothy (and us) to get back to basics. Remember the teachings that Paul gave Timothy.  He summarizes them in last week’s reading in 10 words: 

Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David…

• He encourages us to use Holy Scripture as our reference point.  (vv. 16-17)
• Next, in verses 1-2, comes a directive from Paul that is so serious, that he calls upon the name of Jesus.  We are urged to:
  • Proclaim the message
  • Be persistent, convince, rebuke, and encourage [others]
  • Be patient in teaching
• We are cautioned to be aware that people’s “ears are itching” to hear what they want to hear, rather than what God wants them to hear.  (vv. 3-4)
• We, on the other hand, need to keep focused, doing the work of an evangelist.  (v. 5)

THE TAKEAWAY

Most workshops have some sort of reference point.  It is called a benchmark.  Sometimes, it is a yardstick that is attached to the bench.  It is a place where one goes, to ensure that their work measures up. Holy Scripture is our benchmark. We must still distinguish between the bible users and the bible abusers.  That is not easy.  But if we use Paul’s basic 10 word benchmark, it is a good start.

LUKE 18:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus has just given his disciples a glimpse of the end times.  He has also told them that the kingdom of God is already amongst them. They must have been a little perplexed, because he tells them this parable.

THE DETAIL

• Oftentimes, to understand why Jesus told a certain parable, we must dig around and read the verses preceding it.  Then, we must figure out what it means.  Here in verse one, the work is done for us.  (v. 1)
• Jesus paints the picture of a judge who is corrupt—one who does not respect the justice laid down in the Law of Moses, nor does he respect justice for the people’s sake. (v. 2)
• A widow comes to him, seeking justice.  In that patriarchal society, widows had no influence, power, or authority.  Society was supposed to grant widows an extra measure of compassion and charity.  Her chances of getting either of these from this corrupt judge were pretty slim.  (v. 3)
• But she was persistent, and kept on pleading here case.  In the end, she received the justice she came for, merely because she had worn this judge down!  (vv. 4-5)
• Jesus brings the story home.  How much more will our God who loves us listen to our prayers than this widow to the judge?  God will answer our prayers, especially those prayers that are said “day and night”. (vv. 6-8)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that a mere mortal like I can persuade God to see things my way. Yet, here is God the Son telling me to go ahead; pray night and day, and God may be persuaded. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

God is able to be swayed by our prayers.  Could this be one sign of his love of us?

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 them here, to avoid confusion.

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 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 goes to the king of Samaria with the letter.  The king freaks out!  How can you expect someone to cure leprosy?  He tears his garment as an outward sign of his internal agony.  He’s also afraid that Naaman’s king is trying to start a fight. (vv. 6-7)

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• Elisha, on the other hand, tells the king—“Why did you do that?  Send him to me, so I can show him the power of our God.”  (v. 8)
• So, Naaman proceeds to Elisha’s house, dressed to the nines, riding in a war chariot pulled by war horses, and bringing a treasure chest full of money.  All of this is intended to impress Elisha into doing something for this foreigner.  But Elisha is not impressed.  He doesn’t even come out to see Naaman.  Instead, he sends 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

I believe that 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.  The Messiah.
  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 other teachings, or an old Christian hymn which 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, that not only do we accomplish nothing, but we taint the name of Jesus to those [non-believers?] who might be listening.  (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

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers.  I believe that this miracle was to demonstrate to others that his spiritual prowess was on a par with Elisha’s.  But other dynamics are also at work here. 

THE DETAIL

• Jesus is headed to Jerusalem, which will be is a one-way trip.  But at the time of this story, he is 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 at a distance.  As lepers, this was required by Mosaic Law.  After all, they 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.  They ask for mercy.  (v. 13)
• Jesus heals them on the spot, and tells them to show themselves to the priest.  This was 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 sends the former leper on his way.  (vv. 17-19)

THE TAKEAWAY

This story, and the story of the good Samaritan, makes it clear that Jesus’ promise of saving grace is not reserved for “God’s Chosen People”, but for everyone; it is for the most despised group of people you can think of.  Even this despised Samaritan.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Why is it, then, that if a foul-smelling homeless person steps into the back pew of our church, we are disgusted, and can’t wait for them to leave?