Here is the text for your conveniences. Comments and questions follow.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I
OK, I know that Fast and Furious is the title of a movie about stealing cars, right?
But it's a great title for this passage from Isaiah where the prophet is truly put out with those who are fasting in Israel. Although we Lutherans do not commonly encourage fasting, it is an ancient spiritual discipline intended to help focus one's thoughts and attention outside your own personal needs (hunger) and look toward God as your strength and your neighbors as folks in need. Since I am fasting to prepare for a colonoscopy, I'll try to keep that in mind. :)
Isaiah is complaining that the folks are fasting in order to get God's attention, and positive response. It is an act of piety - a religious ritual that marks those whose primary focus is God, and yet Isaiah rejects it. Why?
Yet Isaiah says, 'Fasting won't erase the truth of your day-to-day life.' The people of Israel were busy oppressing their workers, quarrelling and fighting, etc, while fasting in order to convince themselves, God and/or others that they were righteous. v. 3-5 [Now we might compare this to writing a big check in order to convince God/ourselves/others we deserve God's grace and we are righteous.]
Isaiah makes it clear: 'You want to look righteous? Take your bread and feed the hungry. Open your home to the homeless. Clothe the naked. Reconcile with your famlies." v6-8.
When you participate in God's divine plan for the world; when you become a moral agent in this lifetime, well, the glory of God will follow you. It will simply break out like light at dawn. You will experience healing and wholeness while all the time God has your back.
Then God will hear you when you cry out.
So, let's start with some easy questions: What about fasting? Does fasting from food help our fasting from oppression? Has anyone out there tried it? Share your experience.
Isaiah claims that we are to fast oppression and feed the hungry becasue we are God's people and that is God's divine plan. At some level, that kind of behavior will become more natural as we continue to seek God's face and live in the divine flow. (it's not all that easy since the prophets spend a great deal of time reminding us about it). Does this description or explanation make sense to you? How do non-believers respond to this?
That should get us started. More tomorrow.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Radically Different - an update
As I read through yesterday's post I am sure something got lost in the transmission. Looks like part of a sentence was deleted.
The beatitudes speak to folks who find themselves on the bottom of this world - economically, socially, religiously, etc. These are the people that this world assess as losers, not worth counting, unimportant. Jesus tells them that in God's eyes they are favored, especially loved, and are important in this new world that Jesus inaugurates. This is the justice of God - the justice that Micah speaks of in chapter 6.
How can God's favor make a difference in a life that is suffering: grief, poverty, abuse?
The beatitudes speak to folks who find themselves on the bottom of this world - economically, socially, religiously, etc. These are the people that this world assess as losers, not worth counting, unimportant. Jesus tells them that in God's eyes they are favored, especially loved, and are important in this new world that Jesus inaugurates. This is the justice of God - the justice that Micah speaks of in chapter 6.
How can God's favor make a difference in a life that is suffering: grief, poverty, abuse?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Radically Different - Update II
It just took a day for me to find another viewpoint on the Beatitudes. This comes via Fred Craddock, a nationally known preacher, in an article in Christian Century.
Craddock insists that the Blessed of the beatitudes should not be translated happy. The implication of these statements is not that the folks that find themselves in these situations are not happy, and not expected to be. Rather, these biblical statements point to these folks (the poor, the pure in heart, etc) as being particularly favored by God. God especially favors these folks who - and here is the critical point - these folks who the whole world assess However, this long and demanding portion of teaching begins with GRACE, God's favor for those we consider weak.
So this week begins with grace and God's favor. Not a bad beginning for the week.
Craddock insists that the Blessed of the beatitudes should not be translated happy. The implication of these statements is not that the folks that find themselves in these situations are not happy, and not expected to be. Rather, these biblical statements point to these folks (the poor, the pure in heart, etc) as being particularly favored by God. God especially favors these folks who - and here is the critical point - these folks who the whole world assess However, this long and demanding portion of teaching begins with GRACE, God's favor for those we consider weak.
So this week begins with grace and God's favor. Not a bad beginning for the week.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Radically Different II - Sermon on the Mount
Be prepared to be challenged by these familiar words from Matthew, the teaching gospel. The Sermon on the Mount covers chapters 5-7 in Matthew and is just one of several 'teaching passages' in this gospel. For many, the only biblical texts that they have memorized (beyond the 23rd psalm) are passages from Matthew.
Jesus goes up on a hill (above the people, and where the people can sit at his feet); he sits down (this is a teaching position common in that day, a position of authority). The disciples came to him - as students would gather round their teacher to listen to his teaching.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
This is a BEATITUDE: a statement of blessing. Not blessing to come. Blessing that you are already are experiencing. Therefore these familiar passages are often translated "happy" instead of 'blessed' a less common word in our vernacular. As you read or listen to these familiar passages, note that the verb tense changes. Verses 3 and 10 indicate that the kingdom of heaven IS theirs, now.
In verses 4-9, the verb tense is future. Now, in English we would be inclined to introduce an element of chance into the future tense. We have a tendency to mentally translate 'will' as 'may'. But in the Greek, this is a special kind of 'future tense construction' that tells us THIS WILL HAPPEN. So in v 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." we might say, 'You who mourn, be on the lookout for comfort, for it is coming your way.'
What kind of world is this?
A world where the poor own the kingdom
.... where the sorrowful are comforted
.... where the meek inherit the kingdom
.... where those who seek justice & right will find it everywhere
.... where those who give mercy will receive mercy
.... where the pure in heart (not fake, no guile) will see God
.... where those who seek peace will be recognized as God's children.
And this world is not far off in the distance, but now, here in the person of Jesus, and for us, for all who follow Jesus, call him into their midst, and behave as disciples.
Here is the really tough one. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against youfalsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you." v 11-12
That will draw you up short, right? Even if I re-phrase as, 'When people are persecuting you for my name, be assured that you are doing just what the prophets did, that you are really involved in bringing God's vision for this world into being. Your reward will carry over into the life to come.'
Still, most of us would not be interested in this kind of rejoicing.
TWO THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
NUMBER ONE: Assuming that Jesus' radically different world comes into being, what is our part in it? What does this vision of kingdom (clearly very different from any kingdom that folks then or now are familiar with) mean for me and my life? What exactly would have to change in order for this kingdom to come into being?
I suspect the answer to that last question is, "Everything" Everything must change for the Kingdom of God to come into full being. Everything, and everyone, and every interaction between us.
NUMBER TWO: Which leads to an interpretive dilemma around the Sermon on the Mount. What do we do with it? Do we take it literally? Do we take it metaphorically? Does Jesus really intend for us to act this way, or as he says in v. 48 'be perfect therefore as your Father in heaven is perfect"?
I suspect the answer to that last question is, "Yes." Jesus is teaching a total commitment to God's vision for those who wish to not only live in God's kingdom, but to be a part of bringing that kingdom into the reality of others.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer took the beatitudes literally. He wrote a book about it called "The Cost of Discipleship." One of Bonhoeffer's famous quotes from that book is "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." The church today rarely markets itself as the place where being committed will cost you your life. Yet that message is all over the gospels. The Beatitudes challenge us to consider how we are called, and what would need to change for us.
Combine this with the message from Micah and we have a thundering call for the followers of Jesus to be involved in bringing justice and light into the whole world, and to change whatever they need to change in order to make that happen. We are blessed with Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit will always be there to give us the power, but it's a tough call all the same.
What do you think?
Jesus goes up on a hill (above the people, and where the people can sit at his feet); he sits down (this is a teaching position common in that day, a position of authority). The disciples came to him - as students would gather round their teacher to listen to his teaching.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
This is a BEATITUDE: a statement of blessing. Not blessing to come. Blessing that you are already are experiencing. Therefore these familiar passages are often translated "happy" instead of 'blessed' a less common word in our vernacular. As you read or listen to these familiar passages, note that the verb tense changes. Verses 3 and 10 indicate that the kingdom of heaven IS theirs, now.
In verses 4-9, the verb tense is future. Now, in English we would be inclined to introduce an element of chance into the future tense. We have a tendency to mentally translate 'will' as 'may'. But in the Greek, this is a special kind of 'future tense construction' that tells us THIS WILL HAPPEN. So in v 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." we might say, 'You who mourn, be on the lookout for comfort, for it is coming your way.'
What kind of world is this?
A world where the poor own the kingdom
.... where the sorrowful are comforted
.... where the meek inherit the kingdom
.... where those who seek justice & right will find it everywhere
.... where those who give mercy will receive mercy
.... where the pure in heart (not fake, no guile) will see God
.... where those who seek peace will be recognized as God's children.
And this world is not far off in the distance, but now, here in the person of Jesus, and for us, for all who follow Jesus, call him into their midst, and behave as disciples.
Here is the really tough one. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against youfalsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you." v 11-12
That will draw you up short, right? Even if I re-phrase as, 'When people are persecuting you for my name, be assured that you are doing just what the prophets did, that you are really involved in bringing God's vision for this world into being. Your reward will carry over into the life to come.'
Still, most of us would not be interested in this kind of rejoicing.
TWO THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
NUMBER ONE: Assuming that Jesus' radically different world comes into being, what is our part in it? What does this vision of kingdom (clearly very different from any kingdom that folks then or now are familiar with) mean for me and my life? What exactly would have to change in order for this kingdom to come into being?
I suspect the answer to that last question is, "Everything" Everything must change for the Kingdom of God to come into full being. Everything, and everyone, and every interaction between us.
NUMBER TWO: Which leads to an interpretive dilemma around the Sermon on the Mount. What do we do with it? Do we take it literally? Do we take it metaphorically? Does Jesus really intend for us to act this way, or as he says in v. 48 'be perfect therefore as your Father in heaven is perfect"?
I suspect the answer to that last question is, "Yes." Jesus is teaching a total commitment to God's vision for those who wish to not only live in God's kingdom, but to be a part of bringing that kingdom into the reality of others.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer took the beatitudes literally. He wrote a book about it called "The Cost of Discipleship." One of Bonhoeffer's famous quotes from that book is "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." The church today rarely markets itself as the place where being committed will cost you your life. Yet that message is all over the gospels. The Beatitudes challenge us to consider how we are called, and what would need to change for us.
Combine this with the message from Micah and we have a thundering call for the followers of Jesus to be involved in bringing justice and light into the whole world, and to change whatever they need to change in order to make that happen. We are blessed with Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit will always be there to give us the power, but it's a tough call all the same.
What do you think?
Radically Different I - Micah
This week we have two familiar texts as the lessons for our Sunday worship. Each of these texts reflect to us a world which is radically different world from what we know and experience daily, thus giving us an insight into God's vision and hope and ultimate goal for all the cosmos.
MICAH 6.1-8 - if you are looking for the punchline, scroll down to VERSE 8.
BACKGROUND: Like all prophets, Micah's message throughout the book includes both judgment and hope, or destruction and resurrection. Micah prophesied during a time of great unrest when both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel were under threat of occupation. Eventually the northern kingdom fell and the peoples were scattered to the winds (often called the ten lost tribes of Israel).
Micah's judgment was focused on the leadership who too often told the people all would be well (the economy was going great guns so of course they were in the right!) who ignored their behavior, and who took YHWH's benevolence for granted (Don't worry, we have God on our side.) Yet righteous living included both the ritual of Israel and the living of an ethical life, especially in the care of the most vulnerable (often phrased "the widows and orphans").
ENTERING THE TEXT: This should help us enter the text in chapter 6. In verses 1-5 God brings a complaint before God's people: What I have done (besides rescue you from Egypt, give you Moses, Miriam and Aaron as a gift). 'Look around you, God says, remind each other of the times when I saved your.......life.'
Now the verses shift to the listener's response. Verses 6-7 are spoken by the believer. 'Oh dear, if God is really that upset with me, what can I do to repair this relationship? Should I bring abundant sacrifices (thousands of rams, rivers of oil)? Should I offer up my first born?' [Note: there continues to be discussion regarding how prevalent child sacrifice was in Israel during this historical period. When we hear 'offer my first born' we should not immediately take it as a metaphor, but rather consider that it meant something much more drastic.]
Verse 8 makes a shift again, as if the prophet is now speaking to the believer on the behalf of God. This kind of shift in speaker is quite common in the prophets and so it is helpful to read closely and several times to get a sense of the rhythm of who is speaking when.
VERSE 8: The prophet says: "What does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."
Here is the new vision. Here is the new world. When God's people follow this simple path {simple, not easy} then a new world will be created bit by bit. THIS God, wants believers to act THIS way, because it will lead to a new world where justice is the number one priority, kindness is how we interact with one another and humility before the great creator is our SOP. (standard operating procedure). Side note: the emphasis on THIS God is important. There were other gods actively worshipped by other nations at that time. Not all gods had the same vision for tomorrow.
Justice is more than civil peace where folks are jailed for robbery. Justice is about economics: the distribution of goods, the fairness of the market, the protection of each family's ability to provide for itself. Justice is about social interaction: who goes to the front of the line, whose concerns are ignored, who is considered less valuable to the whole. Justice is about education: who gets what resources. No one person, because they can breathe, is to be discounted; no one person is to be elevated simply because of race, income, property, geographic location, gender, education. In fact those with the most gifts are expected to use those gifts to care for those without. You may earn a large salary, but it is intended to be a tool to give back, to give away to those who need the help.
How do you do it? Kindly. Enough said.
What is your relationship with God? Humble. Because we don't know it all; we don't understand it all; and ultimately we aren't in charge. Our generosity towards those in need is our responsibility, not a star on our resume, because in the end we will all stand before God .....and who will be blameless.
This powerful text works as a judgment on all God's followers, a reminder of the path we are called to follow, and a reassurance that God continues to seek relationship with us.....God keeps sending us notes on how to go about making this radical new kingdom. It provides both a guideline for the individual and a mission statement for the whole body of believers.
MICAH 6.1-8 - if you are looking for the punchline, scroll down to VERSE 8.
BACKGROUND: Like all prophets, Micah's message throughout the book includes both judgment and hope, or destruction and resurrection. Micah prophesied during a time of great unrest when both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel were under threat of occupation. Eventually the northern kingdom fell and the peoples were scattered to the winds (often called the ten lost tribes of Israel).
Micah's judgment was focused on the leadership who too often told the people all would be well (the economy was going great guns so of course they were in the right!) who ignored their behavior, and who took YHWH's benevolence for granted (Don't worry, we have God on our side.) Yet righteous living included both the ritual of Israel and the living of an ethical life, especially in the care of the most vulnerable (often phrased "the widows and orphans").
ENTERING THE TEXT: This should help us enter the text in chapter 6. In verses 1-5 God brings a complaint before God's people: What I have done (besides rescue you from Egypt, give you Moses, Miriam and Aaron as a gift). 'Look around you, God says, remind each other of the times when I saved your.......life.'
Now the verses shift to the listener's response. Verses 6-7 are spoken by the believer. 'Oh dear, if God is really that upset with me, what can I do to repair this relationship? Should I bring abundant sacrifices (thousands of rams, rivers of oil)? Should I offer up my first born?' [Note: there continues to be discussion regarding how prevalent child sacrifice was in Israel during this historical period. When we hear 'offer my first born' we should not immediately take it as a metaphor, but rather consider that it meant something much more drastic.]
Verse 8 makes a shift again, as if the prophet is now speaking to the believer on the behalf of God. This kind of shift in speaker is quite common in the prophets and so it is helpful to read closely and several times to get a sense of the rhythm of who is speaking when.
VERSE 8: The prophet says: "What does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."
Here is the new vision. Here is the new world. When God's people follow this simple path {simple, not easy} then a new world will be created bit by bit. THIS God, wants believers to act THIS way, because it will lead to a new world where justice is the number one priority, kindness is how we interact with one another and humility before the great creator is our SOP. (standard operating procedure). Side note: the emphasis on THIS God is important. There were other gods actively worshipped by other nations at that time. Not all gods had the same vision for tomorrow.
Justice is more than civil peace where folks are jailed for robbery. Justice is about economics: the distribution of goods, the fairness of the market, the protection of each family's ability to provide for itself. Justice is about social interaction: who goes to the front of the line, whose concerns are ignored, who is considered less valuable to the whole. Justice is about education: who gets what resources. No one person, because they can breathe, is to be discounted; no one person is to be elevated simply because of race, income, property, geographic location, gender, education. In fact those with the most gifts are expected to use those gifts to care for those without. You may earn a large salary, but it is intended to be a tool to give back, to give away to those who need the help.
How do you do it? Kindly. Enough said.
What is your relationship with God? Humble. Because we don't know it all; we don't understand it all; and ultimately we aren't in charge. Our generosity towards those in need is our responsibility, not a star on our resume, because in the end we will all stand before God .....and who will be blameless.
This powerful text works as a judgment on all God's followers, a reminder of the path we are called to follow, and a reassurance that God continues to seek relationship with us.....God keeps sending us notes on how to go about making this radical new kingdom. It provides both a guideline for the individual and a mission statement for the whole body of believers.
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