Exodus 24. 12-18 NIV courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”
15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Got to admit, this is tough passage to comment on. First a technical note of interest. In v16 'and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai' the word 'settled' comes from the same Hebrew root as 'dwell'. That is, the LORD dwelt on the mountain, giving a stronger sense of God's presence with Moses. There is also a link between the root for 'dwell' and the word for tabernacle, the tent in which God was to dwell with the people of Israel.
This short note only increases the atmosphere of worship in this text. Certainly one went up a mountain to worship God. Everyone understood that God lived in the heavens (above our heads) and so if you climbed a very high mountain you could get closer to God. So you see the origin of worshipping on the 'high places'.
Israel was familiar with God's presence through fire and cloud from their escape from Egypt. The Israelites were separated from the Egyptians following them by 'a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.' So then, God was with them.
Second technical note. Notice that the LORD is spelled out with all capital letters. In the original Hebrew this word would have been YHWH - the name of God. Faithful Jews would not speak the name of God aloud, and so when they encountered this word in the reading, they would substitute adonai - or 'lord.' But of course, this was not just any 'lord' but the divine name, so the word was captialized to indicate that to all readers. This capital spelling of LORD is called the tetragramathon (I am looking up the spelling of that one). However, you will notice this capitalization of LORD throughout the Old Testament.
Just two thoughts so far on this Exodus text. To journey with God is arduous and full of unexpected twists and turns. There is glory and there is fire. God's power both sustains and burns away that which is counter God's desires. Both glory and fire are powerful and can overwhelm. We are never to lose sight of the enormous gap between us and the divine; we are to stand in God's presence with humility and fear. For mortals, it will be much like being in a cloud, surrounded by glory and aware of the power of fire in the near vicinity.
Not exactly the teddy bear God that too many folk envision. This passage is a good reminder of that.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Don't worry, be happy.....or is that trusting?
Matthew 6.24-34 (NIV) Do Not Worry thank you to www.biblegateway.com for the text
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
"Money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money" those are the easy to remember lyrics to an outrageous song sung by Liza Minelli in the film edition of Cabaret. (don't know if they were in the original stage show).
That's what this is all about my friends. Jesus knows how crazy we get about money - getting it, multiplying it, saving it, securing it, etc. etc. It was no different then - if you are going to get caught worshipping a god other than the Father of Jesus, you have a good chance of being found worshipping money. In this world, money is god - because it represents power and status and access and protection.
But Jesus is teaching about an entirely different world - a kingdom not of this world. Jesus is the first pioneer in this kingdom of God, and in this kingdom you are called to trust in the king - the divine Father, the creator of all life and all that is good. Without a doubt this is an 'immoderate, risky, extreme' proposition and calls for an absolute confidence in God (which even the best of us manage only a portion of the time).
Power comes through God in Jesus and the Spirit - who have the ultimate power of eternity. [What good does it do you to save your life and lose your soul?] Status comes through baptism into the Jesus who loved you first. Access comes through calling on Jesus' name. Protection can only be found in God's divine care, not in swords or law or money.
When we are focused on money, we worry. When we realize that all things are in God's hands, there is less need for worry. Notice I didn't say, less need for using our skills at planning or organizing. Notice I didn't say, less need for going to work. But, for heaven's sake, and ultimately for yours, let it rest and trust in God.
When we are chasing after money we are running away from God's divine care through Jesus. That money will pull us in the opposite direction of Jesus' kingdom every time. Freed from the worry of gathering more we can give in to a wholehearted pursuit of God.
Jesus is calling on his disciples to be resolute; to commit to God's kingdom with full measure. Jesus wants our eyes on God - I call that righteousness. Not all of us will end up 'rich' in stuff., but certainly nNone of us will be immune from the adversity of this world.
Now, just an aside. There are some among us who are amazingly talented at making money. They work hard, they make good decisions, and their entrepreneurial skills benefit their employees, community and many around them. The money that comes to them gives them pleasure - but so does the ability to share that money with many in need. It's not about how much money you do - or do not have. It's about your heart....and no one can judge that accurately but God.
.
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
"Money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money" those are the easy to remember lyrics to an outrageous song sung by Liza Minelli in the film edition of Cabaret. (don't know if they were in the original stage show).
That's what this is all about my friends. Jesus knows how crazy we get about money - getting it, multiplying it, saving it, securing it, etc. etc. It was no different then - if you are going to get caught worshipping a god other than the Father of Jesus, you have a good chance of being found worshipping money. In this world, money is god - because it represents power and status and access and protection.
But Jesus is teaching about an entirely different world - a kingdom not of this world. Jesus is the first pioneer in this kingdom of God, and in this kingdom you are called to trust in the king - the divine Father, the creator of all life and all that is good. Without a doubt this is an 'immoderate, risky, extreme' proposition and calls for an absolute confidence in God (which even the best of us manage only a portion of the time).
Power comes through God in Jesus and the Spirit - who have the ultimate power of eternity. [What good does it do you to save your life and lose your soul?] Status comes through baptism into the Jesus who loved you first. Access comes through calling on Jesus' name. Protection can only be found in God's divine care, not in swords or law or money.
When we are focused on money, we worry. When we realize that all things are in God's hands, there is less need for worry. Notice I didn't say, less need for using our skills at planning or organizing. Notice I didn't say, less need for going to work. But, for heaven's sake, and ultimately for yours, let it rest and trust in God.
When we are chasing after money we are running away from God's divine care through Jesus. That money will pull us in the opposite direction of Jesus' kingdom every time. Freed from the worry of gathering more we can give in to a wholehearted pursuit of God.
Jesus is calling on his disciples to be resolute; to commit to God's kingdom with full measure. Jesus wants our eyes on God - I call that righteousness. Not all of us will end up 'rich' in stuff., but certainly nNone of us will be immune from the adversity of this world.
Now, just an aside. There are some among us who are amazingly talented at making money. They work hard, they make good decisions, and their entrepreneurial skills benefit their employees, community and many around them. The money that comes to them gives them pleasure - but so does the ability to share that money with many in need. It's not about how much money you do - or do not have. It's about your heart....and no one can judge that accurately but God.
.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tithe or Tax?
Deuteronomy 26.1-11 thanks to www.biblegateway.com for the text
When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.” Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.
Tithe or Tax.....
I gave some thought to shortening this lesson to just the first two verses so I could focus on the command to give a tenth (tithe) at the altar of your first fruits. (First fruits are just that, the first apples from the tree before you bake that first apple pie. The first money of your paycheck before you pay the cable bill).
But in preparing for today's reflection, I realized that if I focus only on the amount to give I might as well be talking about a God tax. Ten percent would be your tax bracket in God's kingdom. (in contrast to the 15% in the IRS kingdom).
And I didn't want to go there.
Because I don't think of it as a tax. It is not intended as a tax. It is an offering. Freely offered. Offering a tithe of your first fruits is a self-discipline, a thanksgiving, and a reminder of the relationship you have with God.....which is why the rest of the verses are necessary. Those verses tell the story. They frame this offering in the wonderful history of God's grace to the people of Israel.
It is the story that marks who we are and whose we are. You have probably said something similar in your home. "In this house we .....don't hit our sister, don't throw the ball inside, remember to call grandma on her birthday.....etc, etc. 'In this house" is your way of marking out who you are and what it means to belong to your family. "In this house....we give thanks before meals, we take care of our neighbors, we worship each week, we read the Bible at dinner....."
Why? Well, we've all used the 'because I said so' response, but in this case we want to honor the God who has graciously provided for us. So our answer might be, because God has given these gifts to me and now I give them to God's work. Or, Jesus told us to care for others. Or, when we give to others, we become more hospitible to strangers and better stewards of the bounty of our lives.
That is what is being said here. "In this house....in God's house.....we acknowledge the amazing gifts of God by setting aside one tenth of the bounty of our hands to give back. Why? Because this God created us, called us out of slavery, led us to a promised land. This is our God and we want to live in God's house."
Why a tenth? I have no idea. It's both a starting point and, for some, an accomplishment. When giving a gift, tell the story and then you begin to live the story and grow into a whole new way of seeing the world.
When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.” Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.
Tithe or Tax.....
I gave some thought to shortening this lesson to just the first two verses so I could focus on the command to give a tenth (tithe) at the altar of your first fruits. (First fruits are just that, the first apples from the tree before you bake that first apple pie. The first money of your paycheck before you pay the cable bill).
But in preparing for today's reflection, I realized that if I focus only on the amount to give I might as well be talking about a God tax. Ten percent would be your tax bracket in God's kingdom. (in contrast to the 15% in the IRS kingdom).
And I didn't want to go there.
Because I don't think of it as a tax. It is not intended as a tax. It is an offering. Freely offered. Offering a tithe of your first fruits is a self-discipline, a thanksgiving, and a reminder of the relationship you have with God.....which is why the rest of the verses are necessary. Those verses tell the story. They frame this offering in the wonderful history of God's grace to the people of Israel.
It is the story that marks who we are and whose we are. You have probably said something similar in your home. "In this house we .....don't hit our sister, don't throw the ball inside, remember to call grandma on her birthday.....etc, etc. 'In this house" is your way of marking out who you are and what it means to belong to your family. "In this house....we give thanks before meals, we take care of our neighbors, we worship each week, we read the Bible at dinner....."
Why? Well, we've all used the 'because I said so' response, but in this case we want to honor the God who has graciously provided for us. So our answer might be, because God has given these gifts to me and now I give them to God's work. Or, Jesus told us to care for others. Or, when we give to others, we become more hospitible to strangers and better stewards of the bounty of our lives.
That is what is being said here. "In this house....in God's house.....we acknowledge the amazing gifts of God by setting aside one tenth of the bounty of our hands to give back. Why? Because this God created us, called us out of slavery, led us to a promised land. This is our God and we want to live in God's house."
Why a tenth? I have no idea. It's both a starting point and, for some, an accomplishment. When giving a gift, tell the story and then you begin to live the story and grow into a whole new way of seeing the world.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A blind, toothless nation...........
Matthew 5:38-48
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (NIV ©2010) thank you to www.biblegateway.com
Here is the same passage from Eugene Peterson's The Message (c.2003)"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if some takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more it-for-tat stuff. Live generously."
Live generously. Live the servant life. There are few other passages which so succinctly capture the contrast between the kingdom in which we live and the kingdom of God which Jesus invites us into. At exactly the moment when this world is pushing all your buttons; when you are at the end of your rope; when, in fact, someone has taken advantage of you.....then you are called to live generously, to live the servant life, to be change makers, to make a difference in our own small way.
Living generously....what does that look like? I think there is a great deal of joy in living generously. I can hear a person say 'If I had more, I could be generous' but I don't believe that generosity is born out of an abundance of resources. Rather, generosity is the ability to always look at the resources you have as abundant! It is not about what it will take to make you happy; it's about being happy with the what you have.
Living generously may have something to do with living in the Spirit. The Spirit provides us with the power, the energy and the motive to be a part of the nurturing and growth of others.
Now, if you look at the commentaries they will also point out the possibility that this generous life will embarrass, maybe even humiliate, the oppressors. Can you imagine someone with only two garments to their name, a cloak and a tunic, being asked to give over their cloak as a pledge for a loan (Why would someone that poor be receiving a loan instead of a gift?) and when this oppressive request is made (for the cloak was also their blanket at night) they strip off their tunic, stand buck naked in the courtroom and say, "OK, if that's what you need, here it is."
Now let's look at the second part of the lesson
NIV translation verses43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Message 43-48
"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."
Jesus' teaching goes on. This is what the new kingdom looks like: love your enemies, live generously, begin the change. Mahatma Ghandi was once quoted as saying that the only result of an eye for an eye was an entire world that was blind. What is needed for a new community to be created? How will people be brought into a transformational relationship with the God of Sinai if nothing changes? How will we be transformed from the old to the new unless we take up the struggle of wrestling with Jesus' new way of living in him?
To quote one commentator, "We could, in our worship, pray vehemently for the passing of the old order and quietly live our lives the rest of the week, or we could pray vehemently for the passing of the old order and plant the seeds of the new by the living of our lives the rest of the week."
This is a radical call to live the life of servants of God, agents in the birthing of God's kingdom here among us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings down a flood of blessing from God, 'the implications of God's love gush forth so relentlessly that they cut the ground out from under our feet.' We might prefer to have God's blessings some at a more leisurely pace so we can fit them into the orderly frames of our lives, but God will be God and Jesus is the Savior.
One last question -
When we are told that God rains on the just and the unjust, how often do we think that in the eyes of others, we are the unjust ones?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Am I my brother's keeper?
Leviticus 19:9-18 (New International Version, ©2010) thank you to www.biblegateway.com
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
11 “‘Do not steal.
“‘Do not lie.
“‘Do not deceive one another.
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.
14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.
17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
The quote which I've used as a title comes from the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4). Cain and Abel are the two sons of Adam and Eve according to the story and when it appears that God has favored Abel over Cain he reacts in jealousy and kills his brother. God calls Cain to count asking about Abel. Cain replies with "Am I my brother's keeper?" God is not happy, saying, "What have you done? Listen, your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!"
What a powerful image we have been given in this story.....'your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground'....a good image for us to hold in our minds as we consider this passage from Leviticus.
Leviticus is about the Law - the rule of how to live so to maintain a healthy and righteous relationship with God. It is an interesting read; you'll be amazed at the number of subjects which are covered and the values which are assigned to property and people! Grasping the structure and philosophy that undergirds the laws in Leviticus will help you get a better handle on the Old Testament. (I especially note this since too many folks only know Leviticus because of the holiness codes which have been prominent in debates regarding human sexuality.)
Sooooooo, let's put together the story of Cain and Abel and these reminders that our neighbors are significant people in God's eyes. In a culture where tribal affiliation provided the most important identity and largest obligations, to be directed to care for the neighbor with justice and equity expanded the moral obligations of people of faith. Failing to act with justice is not a hidden thing, the blood of our brothers cries out from the ground - and God hears those cries.
Many will say....Charity begins at home. [Of course, it is important that these folks are sure engage in some charity outside their front door.] I would say that charity (an interesting word that includes the ideas of generosity, love, gift) is learned at home for the sake of the world-the same world in which we too have to live. Some folk singing group had a song which said, "don't muddy the waters. Some day you may have to drink it."
Of course, for God who calls us into this divine relationship, everyone is our brother, everyone is family, everyone is our tribe - the tribe of the forgiven, called ones. If our expectation is an impartial, loving, inclusive God, then we need to carry the same expectation of our own faith lives in God. As we have been given, so we give to others.
In this type of arrangement, charity is an obligation. It is an integral part of who we are as people of faith. Even when we aren't feeling particularly charitable, we are called to give back, to lift up, to care for the 'other.' Even when our charity is minimal, we set aside a portion for others. Our offerings in worship, our charitable giving outside worship, and the manner in which we conduct our lives is not optional - it is a reflection of our life in Christ.
I heard a definition of stewardship once: stewardship is everything you do after you are baptized (come into the faith life). Everything. It is what the faith life is about.
What do you think?
And yes, we are our brother's keepers, just in case that wasn't clear.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Oh no, it's the divorce text
Matthew 5.27-37 NIV thank you to http://www.biblegateway.com/ for this copy of the scripture
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Oh dear............this scripture generally causes upset.
No one wants to hear that they are broken. No one wants to hear that somehow in the living of their lives they have gotten it wrong. No one wants to carry a share of blame for something in which they see themselves as the victim. In America, failure is a source of shame, not a pathway to repentance and growth.
Yet all of us know the following things: We are not perfect. We have learned more from our failures than from our successes. Regardless of our desire or hard work, things go wrong and we have caused some of those things. We have been hurt and we have hurt other people.
I start the discussion here because this particular passage of scripture has amazing power to strike deep within us, and we respond in anger. I am not speaking about the passage on making oaths, or even on the passage about adultery. It is the passage on divorce that claims its victims every time it is read.
A little background. In the nation of Israel, a husband could simply send a wife away. Reject her, refuse her entry into his tent - which left her without any family to protect her and any means of support. Her family was not always able or willing to take her back in. Moses insisted that the men write out a certificate of divorce which legally frees the woman. This certificate of divorce was seen as an improvement in the system, and a kind of protection for the woman.
Jesus acknowledges that this ruling by Moses was intended to improve what was an unjust system which rejected both the woman and the responsibility that had been taken on in the marriage contract. This was a bandaid fix to a portion of human relations that had failed. But it was never what God intended for the world.
God's kingdom turns the kingdom we know upside down. Folks are committed to one another both in intimate relationships and in broader social ones. You don't need to swear an oath, just do what you promised to do. Your sexual desires are appropriate only within a commitment not to bring hurt to others (both the wife and the lover).
Remember how in Genesis 1 God was busy creating the world continually bringing order to the chaos that exists. God separated the night from the day. God separated the water from the dry land. Again and again, God creates right order; that 'God established' order is maintained by everything /everyone staying in its right place. This 'right order' perspective affects many areas in the life of Israel including its moral code.
We have to admit that adultery and divorce fracture the orderly system of marriage and family. Many of us know it because we have experienced it. It is that experience that makes this passage so painful for some - because divorce is painful. So, yes, Jesus is saying that divorce is not a part of God's plan, and those who divorce are broken people. In the same manner, those who speak harshly to others, those who repeat gossip, those who cheat on their taxes, those who don't pay their workers a fair wage.....all of these behaviors and activities are signs of our brokenness.
Which is why Jesus is here among us and teaching us a better way. We will never accomplish perfection on our own; Jesus has come to lead us - even carry us - to a place where God's glory will cover our brokenness, make us whole.
Not everyone wants to live in that place of wholeness. Some folks perfer the darkness to the light. Jesus is just pointing out that there is a better place, a better way in him.
A last note on this week's text: my opinion. When we look around in our society, I believe the teaching on adultery is more important. Our societal casualness about our sexual lives and their consequences eat at the foundation of intimacy that glues a marriage together, creates family where none was intended, and devalues the gift that each individual is. It is sad and too many children are paying a high price for our sexual freedom.
Blessings.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
You've got to walk the walk
Matthew 5:21-37 the Gospel reading for 2/13 NIV
Matthew 5.21-26 Murder - today's conversation 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
a thank you to www.biblegateway.com for this printing of the scripture
I am dividing this week's conversation into two parts because each part has a significant statement to make. This way we can give our attention to this part before we get into adultery and divorce!
"You have heard it said.......but I tell you" This phrase reinforces the teaching authority intended in the Sermon on the Mount. Using a familiar and long standing technique of the teaching rabbis, Jesus begins to explain his perspective on the Law. As any rabbi taught, he would build on the foundation of the teachings of other rabbis. (Like our legal system where lawyers cite previous decisions by the court when they make an argument.)
Jesus says, "You have heard it said.....but I tell you"and then goes on to give a new interpretation or meaning to ancient teachings. If you look back several verses (to last week's text) you'll find Jesus asserting that he has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Now he begins to give specific examples of what that looks like.
Take murder for instance. It is easy to see that Jesus has expanded the understanding of the command 'You shall not murder.' Murder, where you actually take the life of another human, is the beginning of understanding what God desires according to Jesus' teaching. In addition, if you are angry with a brother (sister)* or insult (such as 'you fool') your brother (sister) you have broken the intent and desire of God expressed in this commandment. We might express this as murdering the spirit of another with our words and anger.
Jesus takes it further! If you are on your way to offer a gift / sacrifice to God and remember that you and a brother are having an argument, go fix the argument before you present yourself to God. Get yourself straight with your brother before you offer anything to God.
To paraphrase The Working Preacher (http://www.theworkingpreacher.com/) resentment, alienation or estrangement from others prevents me from even giving gifts to God. There is no private relationship with God. Therefore, we cannot build 'easy truces' - what Bonhoeffer might have called 'cheap grace' where we are unwilling to do the necessary work of repentance yet very willing to accept forgiveness. In fact, in these situations, we are simply forgiving ourselves, not turning in righteousness to God.
Jesus calls us to cultivate a particular orientation - to have our inside and outside mesh - to be totally oriented toward love - to be filled with kingdom righteousness. Or one could say, you have to do more than just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
Our connection to the rest of the world is a critical element in our relationship with God. As members of the kingdom of God we are charged with contributing to that kingdom of light and life. Note this passage in 1 John 4.20
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
a thank you to www.biblegateway.com for this printing of the scripture
I am dividing this week's conversation into two parts because each part has a significant statement to make. This way we can give our attention to this part before we get into adultery and divorce!
"You have heard it said.......but I tell you" This phrase reinforces the teaching authority intended in the Sermon on the Mount. Using a familiar and long standing technique of the teaching rabbis, Jesus begins to explain his perspective on the Law. As any rabbi taught, he would build on the foundation of the teachings of other rabbis. (Like our legal system where lawyers cite previous decisions by the court when they make an argument.)
Jesus says, "You have heard it said.....but I tell you"and then goes on to give a new interpretation or meaning to ancient teachings. If you look back several verses (to last week's text) you'll find Jesus asserting that he has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Now he begins to give specific examples of what that looks like.
Take murder for instance. It is easy to see that Jesus has expanded the understanding of the command 'You shall not murder.' Murder, where you actually take the life of another human, is the beginning of understanding what God desires according to Jesus' teaching. In addition, if you are angry with a brother (sister)* or insult (such as 'you fool') your brother (sister) you have broken the intent and desire of God expressed in this commandment. We might express this as murdering the spirit of another with our words and anger.
Jesus takes it further! If you are on your way to offer a gift / sacrifice to God and remember that you and a brother are having an argument, go fix the argument before you present yourself to God. Get yourself straight with your brother before you offer anything to God.
To paraphrase The Working Preacher (http://www.theworkingpreacher.com/) resentment, alienation or estrangement from others prevents me from even giving gifts to God. There is no private relationship with God. Therefore, we cannot build 'easy truces' - what Bonhoeffer might have called 'cheap grace' where we are unwilling to do the necessary work of repentance yet very willing to accept forgiveness. In fact, in these situations, we are simply forgiving ourselves, not turning in righteousness to God.
Jesus calls us to cultivate a particular orientation - to have our inside and outside mesh - to be totally oriented toward love - to be filled with kingdom righteousness. Or one could say, you have to do more than just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
Our connection to the rest of the world is a critical element in our relationship with God. As members of the kingdom of God we are charged with contributing to that kingdom of light and life. Note this passage in 1 John 4.20
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother
and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Our life in Christ is of a whole cloth with our life in this world.
Of course, this leads to the accurate reflection: then how can we fulfill the commandments? How can we possibly be righteous before God? or 'Come on, man, you've got to be kidding me!' What is your response?
What are the roles of confession, penance and charity in this understanding of our relationship with God?
How does this help your understanding of a 'life lived in Christ?'
Do you better understand how it is that Jesus 'fulfills' the Law?
** a technical footnote. The NRSV translation of the scriptures is intentionally 'inclusive.' That is, where in Greek the word for brothers appears and it is clear that the crowd receiving the word is mixed with men and women, the NRSV will translate it as 'brothers and sisters.' There is no reason to expect that Jesus is speaking of only biological family when these terms are used, although one might argue that with this particular perspective on the scriptures, Jesus looks at all people as family.
and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Our life in Christ is of a whole cloth with our life in this world.
Of course, this leads to the accurate reflection: then how can we fulfill the commandments? How can we possibly be righteous before God? or 'Come on, man, you've got to be kidding me!' What is your response?
What are the roles of confession, penance and charity in this understanding of our relationship with God?
How does this help your understanding of a 'life lived in Christ?'
Do you better understand how it is that Jesus 'fulfills' the Law?
** a technical footnote. The NRSV translation of the scriptures is intentionally 'inclusive.' That is, where in Greek the word for brothers appears and it is clear that the crowd receiving the word is mixed with men and women, the NRSV will translate it as 'brothers and sisters.' There is no reason to expect that Jesus is speaking of only biological family when these terms are used, although one might argue that with this particular perspective on the scriptures, Jesus looks at all people as family.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Choose life
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (New International Version, ©2010)
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
a thank you to www.biblegateway.com for this copy of the scripture
Life and prosperity, death and destruction v15
Life and death, blessings and curses v19
It is these two doublets which make this passage familiar to many Bible readers. Structurally, a doublet is intended to be read as a whole. That is, we only comprehend the fullness of the meaning intended by holding both parts together. The repetition adds to the meaning, nuances it.
Life is presented here as more than the simple act of breathing. It includes prosperity and blessings.
Death is more than the cessation of a heart beat; it includes destruction and curses.
Therefore in the midst of life, we can be shadowed by death in the destruction and curses we experience in our living. We can taste death, experience death long before we are six feet under. While we are dying, we can experience blessings in our relationships with God.
At this point in Deuteronomy (the name means the Second -deutero- giving of the Law - nomos.) In this book Moses recaps all that YHWH has taught before Israel enters the promised land. Moses is summing things up for the people and possibly for himself. (His death occurs in chapter 34).
This passage is one of those summaries. Choose life - be obedient to your God, walk in the commandments - and you will continue to experience the prosperity of your land. Choose death - turn away from your God, live in unrighteousness - and you will lose your land. Thus, Moses connects the possession of the land with the behavior of the people.
TECHNICAL NOTES: Skip this if you have no interest.
It is believed by biblical scholars that Deuteronomy was edited to its final form after Israels return from exile in about 450 BC. You can imagine that the people of Israel when they were sitting in Babylon and other countries in exile would raise the question of why they had lost the land that God had promised to them and their ancestors. This promise is key. Did they lose the land because YHWH was a weak God and unable to deliver on the promise, or did they lose the land because of their behavior. (there may have been other options but we'll keep it simple). This passage clearly points to a consensus answer that Israel lost the land because of their failure to choose YHWH - to choose life. It was Israel's fault, not YHWH's.
Here are some thoughts for pondering.
Choosing God: Are humans able to do this on their own, or are we only able to choose for God because God first chose for us? Remember YHWH telling Moses, "You will be my people and I will be your God" Is 'human choosing' really only choosing to walk away from this relationship with God?
Are we able to choose life? Are we able always and faithfully to choose the righteous way, to turn away from the path of destruction? Is it possible that humans want to choose life, but can't all the time? Think about Adam and Eve in the garden.
God has gifted us with life. Does God desire that we live in that life......or demand that we live in that life? Could it be both?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Who's out? Who's in?....that is the question
With all this talk about Jesus' alternative kingdom, you might rightly ask (as did the Jews of Jesus' time) whether this Jesus is intended to replace the history, promises, covenants, even the relationship between the people of Israel and God.
That is, when Jesus says he is doing a new thing, is he telling us that he is abolishing what came before? Are the Jews out and the new believers, later called Christians, in?
This is an important question and since we do not know the mind of God, we only see dimly in Jesus and the inspired Word of God, it does not have a clear answer. How you answer this question impacts your relationships with our Jewish neighbors (historically Christians have not done a particularly good job of that). Are Jews called children of God, covenant people, recipients of God's promises? Or, has Jesus 'superseded' the old relationship, put it out to pasture, erased its validity?
No matter how you answer those questions, new questions are raised. If Jews continue to be called children of Israel with God's promises valid, then what is the benefit of Jesus? What do we do with such passages as "unless a man be born again of water and the spirit" or "I am the way, the truth and life; no one comes to the Father but through me" ? How do we speak of salvation (even in its broader understanding as wholeness, completeness in God) separate from the person of Jesus? Isn't the person of Jesus the whole point?
But then, if you answer the other way, disenfranchising the Jews (who have the position of being 'the chosen people') then what good are Jesus' promises to us? Can we rely on them? What if something else is coming beyond Jesus? Of course, folks who take this position (and a lot of others as well) hold Jesus to be the ultimate revelation of God this side of God's kingdom. But it does raise some questions.
You can see then, that your answer also impacts your theological construction of who God is and how God acts in this world.
Having said all that Jesus teaches early in his ministry in Matthew that he has come not to abolish the Law (which is shorthand for Israel's relationship with God) but to fulfill it. Now that word fulfill is not all that clear, but in the Greek it gives a sense of satiation - like being full after a meal. Jesus has done it all; all that needs to be done according to the Law is now accomplished in Jesus.
It is helpful to remember in these discussions that Jesus was an observant Jew, he followed the holy days, he was probably circumcised and bar mitzvahed (notice the trips to Jerusalem in his childhood according to Luke) and he was always found in the synagogues. His ministry was grounded in the tradition and faith of Israel and it was upon this faith that he was shining a light.
The light was to bring additional understanding but also to bring the so-called pious to confession and repentance, thus his statement regarding righteousness in the last verse of the reading.
Is this passage meant to separate and disenfranchise......or is it meant to expand the tradition of God's relationship with God's creatures? How can we preach Jesus without disrespecting God's long covenant with Israel as the chosen people?
That should keep you thinking for a while. It has me. Peace.
That is, when Jesus says he is doing a new thing, is he telling us that he is abolishing what came before? Are the Jews out and the new believers, later called Christians, in?
This is an important question and since we do not know the mind of God, we only see dimly in Jesus and the inspired Word of God, it does not have a clear answer. How you answer this question impacts your relationships with our Jewish neighbors (historically Christians have not done a particularly good job of that). Are Jews called children of God, covenant people, recipients of God's promises? Or, has Jesus 'superseded' the old relationship, put it out to pasture, erased its validity?
No matter how you answer those questions, new questions are raised. If Jews continue to be called children of Israel with God's promises valid, then what is the benefit of Jesus? What do we do with such passages as "unless a man be born again of water and the spirit" or "I am the way, the truth and life; no one comes to the Father but through me" ? How do we speak of salvation (even in its broader understanding as wholeness, completeness in God) separate from the person of Jesus? Isn't the person of Jesus the whole point?
But then, if you answer the other way, disenfranchising the Jews (who have the position of being 'the chosen people') then what good are Jesus' promises to us? Can we rely on them? What if something else is coming beyond Jesus? Of course, folks who take this position (and a lot of others as well) hold Jesus to be the ultimate revelation of God this side of God's kingdom. But it does raise some questions.
You can see then, that your answer also impacts your theological construction of who God is and how God acts in this world.
Having said all that Jesus teaches early in his ministry in Matthew that he has come not to abolish the Law (which is shorthand for Israel's relationship with God) but to fulfill it. Now that word fulfill is not all that clear, but in the Greek it gives a sense of satiation - like being full after a meal. Jesus has done it all; all that needs to be done according to the Law is now accomplished in Jesus.
It is helpful to remember in these discussions that Jesus was an observant Jew, he followed the holy days, he was probably circumcised and bar mitzvahed (notice the trips to Jerusalem in his childhood according to Luke) and he was always found in the synagogues. His ministry was grounded in the tradition and faith of Israel and it was upon this faith that he was shining a light.
The light was to bring additional understanding but also to bring the so-called pious to confession and repentance, thus his statement regarding righteousness in the last verse of the reading.
Is this passage meant to separate and disenfranchise......or is it meant to expand the tradition of God's relationship with God's creatures? How can we preach Jesus without disrespecting God's long covenant with Israel as the chosen people?
That should keep you thinking for a while. It has me. Peace.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Never Too Much Salt Mt. 5.13-20
Matthew 5:13-21 Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven
With the Federal goverment's new dietary guidelines out reminding us to eat less salt, this text reminds us that when it comes to being called into the work of God, there can never be too much salt!
Notice at the very beginning of this portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he tells us, "You ARE the salt of the earth". Now the commentators will point out that the 'of' can be translated 'from' because Greek prepositions are funny, but I want you to notice the ARE. (Did I make that obvious enough?)
You ARE the salt....not, you will become, or you might be one day, or if you get it right you are the salt, but right now, in this settting as his disciples, you ARE the salt of the earth. Jesus had a large crowd listening to him, but you will notice that his words arer directed to his disciples, the ones who are following and learning from him.
Now he wants them to understand they have a role in this alternative kingdom that Jesus is ushering in, and it has to do with salt and light. God calls everyone into the kingdom, but these disciples have responded and now they have work to do as the called ones. By their very presence alone (as faithful followers of the Jesus way) they are to give taste to the world around them - a little piquant, beyond the ordinary, toward something bright and desireable.
They are to be the light by which others can see their way to follow this Jesus as well. Notice, the light we bring is not our sinless shining, but the light of Jesus that shines through us ...in our words, our deeds, our breathing in and breathing out.
How do we do this? By living in Jesus, living as Jesus in the midst of the crazy world that oppresses us. We are the thousand points of light (to use GHW Bush's phrase) but we are lit from inside by the power of the Spirit and the grace of Jesus. So don't go translating that WWJD bracelet into thinking you are Jesus, you are the light. No, but you bring the light.......or you don't. You either add to the light or you choose the darkness.
I will stop here - the next part on fulfilling the law is good for another day - but think about how to link this idea with the Isaiah rant about fasting. What is Isaiah calling us to do.....and how much does it resemble Jesus' call to be salt and light?
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