Devotion.al

Tag: disagree

  • Community for Others

    Psalm 118:19–29; Deuteronomy 16:1–8; Philippians 2:1–11 (read online ⧉)

    The brief summary of Passover reminds the Israelites of how, as a community, they are to celebrate it. When Passover was established (Exodus 12) there was a strong community aspect to it insofar as sharing the sacrificial lamb. If a was too small, they were to with other households. Not partaking wasn’t an option. Sharing the lamb (and wasting less) was a communal support for Passover. Passover was not a single observer, but a community that observed.

    The kind of community that shared a lamb (looking out for one another for the shared observation) is the kind of community that loves one another and is of (at least in this) one mind. The kind of community where a lamb would be shared would be the kind of community where one would not feel superior to , but treat others in and compassion, looking out for their interests.

    This looking out for the interests of others is not the way of the world. Someone willing to share their lamb with another was sacrificial, and probably (sadly) was not done often, except in those very small communities where they shared the same poor circumstances.

    encourages Christians to be like insofar as looking for the welfare of others, knowing that Jesus looked to other’s welfare while some hated him, some ignored him, some didn’t know they needed him.

    1. How does this kind of community (sacrificing self for others) work when they with each other?

    2. It is important to understand that it is the Spirit in us that empowers us. Knowing that to be the case, how can you look to the interests of others?

    3. What are a number of ways that can look when dealing with and routines, and in extreme situations such as natural disasters and pandemics?

  • Blowing Smoke Into Our Own Eyes

    Isaiah 30:8–13 (read online ⧉)

    Hearing the about ourselves is often uncomfortable. We like to good stuff, but do our best to avoid that feels bad, or might cause us to look at ourselves badly. We are not alone. When Isaiah is sent to confront the Israelites with a bad report, you can imagine how well it was received.

    Who wants to be called a rebellious child, except for those who take pride in being rebelling. Rare is the person who wants to be called deceptive. Yet rebellion and deception can often be attributed to ourselves. It never feels good to confront it. The reality is that rebellion and deception often go hand-in-hand. Where we can lose a little bit of the meaning is that sometimes the deceiving is of ourselves, leading us into a or choice of rebellion. That’s where the words in Isaiah go. People didn’t want to hear the truth. They want to be lied to rather than having to deal with the truth.

    In the current separated world that is the “” States of America, there are many voices speaking out with the heart of Jesus Christ. However, even they have become blind. Whole swaths of people are challenged for a single point of politics or policy, while their own politics or policy have their own parts that are not in line with Jesus Christ. In many respects, the Israelites had it easy.

    Christians are called to love, starting with one another. Yet, what is love? How is lived out? In fact, our understanding of love may very well affect the love of Jesus Christ that comes from us. That is potentially the biggest problem of all. People can on the right (and ) way to help a person get out of poverty (for example). Their perspectives may be very different. That doesn’t mean that one is right and one is wrong. Our world is very much playing the zero-sum game. In other words, somebody loses. All too often, Jesus Christ gets lost in the mix and noise.
    The church and its people must begin to focus on Jesus Christ. That’s obvious, you may say, but it really isn’t. If you love Jesus Christ, you can’t support (some person). That’s the way things are currently going. We no longer show grace and love to those of different politics. We’ve lost our first love.

    1) Think of your least favorite politician. Can you say, I love you (their name)? Do you think Jesus can?

    2) Redemption and love flow through the . How should that affect our view of ourselves? How should that affect our views of others?

    3) Why is it important that politics can play a useful role in expanding the here on earth? What is the (ongoing) danger with that same thing?

  • No Face Value

    Genesis 20:1–18, 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 21:2, Romans 1: 18–25

    When you look at someone, can you tell they are a Christian? If you can, there are a few reasons why: (1) Pride…yours for God knows and weighs the heart; (2) Their and show ; (3) is there a 3rd one?

    In the , we are cautioned to not assume that a person is right with God. Abraham made that mistake and almost caused a man to commit adultery who was innocent. Abraham assumed Abimelech did not God. Abraham may have been right when it came to the surface. However, Abimelech listened to God.

    As a tradition, Christians have taken affirmations of at face value, for the very reason that we do not know the heart. does note in 1 Corinthians 12:3, that no one can say that Jesus is Lord without it being of the Spirit. However, in Romans 10:9, Paul also says that we are only saved if we believe in our hearts. One is an outward statement, and the Holy Spirit goes before all. The other is an inward statement that can only be between a person and God.

    There is a lot of finger-pointing in the world, and some of it involves avowed Christians (i.e., people who say they are Christians and/or follow Jesus Christ) pointing at other avowed Christians, and accusing them of apostasy (i.e., false teaching and/or walking away from the faith) or not being Christian. If we take the Scriptures seriously, then accusing another of not being a Christian because they don’t agree with us on certain issues (especially non- issues) is not in line with what the Scriptures say becomes a very dangerous road to walk.

    1) Have you ever accused (whether out loud or in your mind) another person of not being a Christian, when they state they are one?

    2) What are some good ways to engage other Christians regarding important topics on which we ?

    3) When should disagreements be brought up, and when should they be left alone?

  • Countercultural Love

    2 Samuel 1:17–27, Romans 12:9–21, Romans 13:1-10

    David had been pursued by the House of Saul for many years. Even after Saul acknowledged that David had been acting more than he, there wasn’t restoration. David was cut off from his friends (like Saul’s son, Jonathan), his first wife, his nation. He was in exile. David had been anointed to be king but was kept from the throne by an unrighteous man.

    In the political climate of today, we can easily imagine the celebrations of the other “side” (whichever one that is) celebrating the of the king and his family. In fact, it seems to have become a tradition for the last few presidents to have people asking and praying for their deaths. David was not like that with Saul.

    David could have been angry and arrogant. Instead, he mourned. He wrote a song to mourn the passing of the House of Saul. He insisted others learn it and it. He was not happy that the throne was his. He was miserable for the of the leading family. In the current political climate, do you see that happening for any politician?

    When wrote to the Christians in Rome, we have to remember that they were lower than the Jews in Roman eyes. Paul still charged them to love. Bless the persecutors? No eye for an eye? Be at peace? With them? Talk about countercultural!

    “Do not be conquered by , but conquer evil with good.”
    —Romans 12:21

    While the Roman government was certainly no friend of Christians, Paul still told them to submit. While there is an ongoing distrust of government today (been there since the founding of the country), the odd thing is, in the US the citizens choose their leaders. We are still called to pray for them as much as we may not agree with their decisions.

    This also leads back to love. If we view people with whom we as anything other than people for whom Christ died, we have a problem. When we behave or believe that we cannot be wrong, we have removed God from the throne of our heart and put ourselves back on it. Back to the way our hearts were before we found salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

    1) There is a strong human need for an enemy…an other. When have you been tempted (or succumbed) to treat another with whom you disagree as an enemy? What if they are family or ?

    2) We are called to be of one mind with Christ. How does treating a Christian as an enemy make a person of one mind with Christ?

    3) One of the greatest tools of the enemy is . How can you oppose this tool with the heart of Jesus?

  • A Clean Tongue

    Colossians 3:1–11

    ‘s list of idolatrous tendencies to be put to seems pretty straightforward. Sexual immorality is (basically) sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Impurity continues the sexual theme, but it is less specific. Lust is lust. desire is not the actual sexual immoral , but its very thought. If fact almost all of these are sex. Except for greed. It seems strange to throw greed (or covetousness) into this, but we can recognize that all of these are selfish things that hurt, oppress, or steal from .

    It’s the next words that become interesting. Anger is more of the always angry person (i.e., temperament), rather than being angry (though do not sin in your anger, Ephesians 4:26–27). Wrath is more akin to jealous anger so as to diminish others. Malice is seeking to do harm (physically or verbally). Slander is speaking badly of others so as to diminish their reputation. Do not lie to one another. All of these seem pretty simple. It’s the one that was skipped that is very tricky as the culture changes around us.

    Filthy language. From a perspective, and even a few cultural decades, filthy language seemed pretty clear cut. However, as the culture changes, so too does our awareness of “filthy”. Obscene is still pretty straightforward. However, aischrologia (the Greek word used here) also means culturally inappropriate. And, this dear framily should cause us to pause.

    Regardless of how one feels about much of the discourse in general society, there are certain words that are not so culturally appropriate and even more when considering the context. In fact, there are many words and phrases that are no longer appropriate. The list is rather long, and it regularly changes. Instead of being offended by our words being taken as offensive, the better tactic is to work and not speaking in a way that offends.

    Now, this does not mean silence the . This does mean that your choice of words “tells” another person how much you value them. If you willingly speak words or phrases that are no longer culturally acceptable, then others will cease to value your words.

    This often becomes a cultural battle of they shouldn’t be “snowflakes” or “super-sensitive”. Yet, we are to answer for our witness. While many may agree or disagree with your perspective of others, it’s ‘ perspective of them that should matter most.

    1. Can you think of a time recently where you thought of others less because they were hurt by a common word or phrase? What do Paul’s words tell you about that?
    2. There appears to be an increase of verbal sensitivity, on the one hand, yet an increase in uncivil discourse. How do you think Paul’s words and Jesus’ perspective should inform your to both?
    3. Regarding obscene/filthy language, much of the culture no longer finds it so. How do you think Paul’s words apply in that case?

  • Attending Well

    Deuteronomy 30:15–20, Acts 4:5–22

    If someone were to give us a about being given the way to life or death, there would likely be an automatic naysayer . This is the case when the “way” is exercise, healthy eating (including the latest fads), life philosophy. In the context, we understand the Jesus is that “way”. To many of us who have heard and believed, this is obvious.

    Yet, there are many in the church and the world that when they hear something along the lines of, “See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity,” they turn off. You, too, might have that exact same response. It’s an understandable response because we see the saying it, and we know humans. They don’t really understand the “way”. How can they, they’re only human.

    The way of life and prosperity is empowered by the attention to the . Man cannot do it alone. Man needs to be in humble partnership with God, letting God lead. The importance of humility cannot be overstated. If we were to take, for example. prosperity to its extreme, we all understand that it is an issue. Really, the that was given was that Israel would have enough.

    Yet, to have even enough, they would have to walk in harmony with God. That is often the hard part. The leaders of the Jews were so strongly focused on the right checkboxes that they could no longer see the way. With the disciples, we also see a transformation of the promise. The prosperity was not of this world (except, one hopes, in ).

    The other darker transformation of the promise is that the way often leads to adversity and death. The disciples experienced both, as do many Christians around the world today.

    1) What do you think about the promise changing? Do you agree, or ? Why?

    2) Financial prosperity has often been used to judge God’s and a person’s faithfulness. What is your take on that?

  • Waiting to See

    Daniel 7:13-14, Luke 24:44-53, Ephesians 4:1-16

    The Book of Daniel contains many prophetic writings. Often the prophet themselves may not know what exactly the words mean. Christians, by-and-large, don’t much on these verses in Daniel have to do with . It seems pretty obvious, but we can often deceive ourselves when it comes to prophesy (think the Book of Revelation). However, with our understanding (and belief) about Jesus, this passage in Daniel seems to us only applicable to Jesus. Just think about that. Daniel was given a of the that in no way matched his understanding of God, yet here it was.

    Even with Jesus, experiencing his , death, and , the disciples had to have Jesus open their minds so that they could understand Scripture, including the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. It wasn’t easy. God had to open their minds. The disciples lived with God during his time on Earth, and their minds still had to be open. What does that tell us about ourselves?

    Jesus commands them to stay in Jerusalem until they are “empowered.” Yes, we know what that means, but did they? Jesus then blesses them and ascends to Heaven. And off they go to the ? How many people would go to someplace different, rather than stay at their “great” experience? They had someplace to go, for they had something to declare.

    The experience, the declaration, the way of life. Through the grace of Christ, it is to that we are called to live.

    1) Do you ever wonder what people in the Bible thought about the events that they were living? Do you give them more credit (or less) than they are due?

    2) The Holy had not yet come, yet the disciples’ minds were opened to an understanding of Scripture. What does that tell us and our understanding of Scripture?

    3) More waiting. The at the Temple may have just been the outlet for the waiting. What do you do as an outlet when waiting for God?

  • Ruling Tradition

    Psalm 79, Romans 15:1–13, 1 Corinthians 8:1–13, Galatians 2:11–15

    Yesterday we talked about rules. Today we’re going to talk about rules.
    One of the first rules of is to build up one another. We have all done this well. We have all done this horribly. Another rule is to live in harmony with each other. Yet another is to accept one another. These rules are incredibly important when we disagree (see Thursday’s, 23 May, devotional). Doing all of these well is hard, and it is well doing.

    One thing that always ends up with some kind of tension is and misunderstanding. When discusses food offered to idols, his perspective is it’s fine, since they aren’t real idols anyways. The meat was sold at a discount since it was “used” at pagan temples to “feed” their gods. Paul was saying it was food. He was supporting the practice, except that there were new or struggling or misunderstanding members of the who saw the buying and eating of this meat as participating in and agreeing with . Paul didn’t agree with them, yet still instructed the more mature believers to avoid the cheap food so that those struggling wouldn’t succumb to the old ways.

    Paul is not shy in taking on fellow leaders, like Peter, who quickly yield to tribal (i.e., Jewish) pressure to not be contaminated by . What makes this even more interesting in regards to tradition, it was Peter who led the charge against it. Even the leaders fall back into old habits.

    1) What is the difference between traditions and rules?

    2) How do they function differently in your ? How about your life?

    3) How do we confuse rules and traditions with our faith?