Tag: light

Money Change

Luke 7:36–8:3; Luke 24:1–12 (read online ⧉)

In Jesus’ day, women held a “lesser” societal role. It’s not that they held no role. In Roman culture, women’s roles were actually in somewhat of a cultural disarray as “free” marriage was opposed by Augustus Caesar who wanted a “traditional” male-dominant marriage. Marriage differed between “noble” and “common” people, too.

In Jewish culture, women did have a lesser role, but today rabbinical tradition holds to matrilineal which is estimated to have begun in Jesus’ lifetime! In other words, “the fathers” that were held in apparent esteem, would no longer be the “line”.

This means that in the time of Jesus’ ministry, there was likely a lot of turmoil regarding women’s roles in both Roman and Jewish societies. Having named (versus anonymous) women listed as Jesus’ followers could either have been a cultural shock or no great surprise.

Currently, the general consensus has been that the women’s presence with Jesus would have been a shocking thing. Yet, even the words of the Sadducees and Pharisees don’t mention the women as followers. In the first of today’s verses, the scandalous (“sinner”) woman was pointed to. Jesus was questioned for pardoning her sins. Her presence didn’t seem overly surprising.

As Jesus continues his story of the debtor, the gender is irrelevant to God’s grace and mercy. We go from hair being used to wipe feet, a parable of the debtors (money), then the jump to the financing of the mission of Jesus. We learn that women appeared to be the financial backers (or at least the mentioned ones) of the mission. Judas Iscariot may have “held” the purse strings (John 12:6), but he obviously was not the fundraiser.

These women had all had (apparently) miraculous healing encounters with Jesus, so they supported Jesus’ ministry. Joanna is culturally the most interesting, as her husband was Herod’s household manager. In some respects, her presence may have caused some to be more hesitant when it came to dealing with Jesus, for who knew what Joanna could have had happen. Perhaps not in reality, but people will invent large stories in their fear, to justify their inaction.

According to Luke, Mary Magdalene and Joanna were two of the women (Mary at the grave of Jesus on the Day of Resurrection. That these two women showed up, which means that they viewed Jesus as family, for they were taking on the role of family caring for the dead.

The transformation of these 2 women, in particular, is a good lesson. Jesus saved them. They responded in gratitude (giving) and following (discipleship). Then they became family (possibly sanctification). What their role was after that is, sadly, unclear. It may not matter in the end. That they allowed Jesus to continue to upend their life is what matters.

※Prayer※

God of our transformation, help us to have hearts of peace as you upend our lives. May our lives be continually transformed so that they can display your light. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Other than COVID-19 itself and the general upending of all our lives, what is the biggest thing being challenged and changed in your life?

2) How have you experienced the Holy Spirit initiate, transform, and sustain life change?

2020-06-25
Rescuers & Yachts

Ezekiel 33:1–16; Matthew 14:22–34; Colossians 4:2–6 (read online ⧉)

When sailing ships were still the primary transportation across the oceans, John was lost overboard during a storm. Before his friends (the crew) could rescue him, they lost sight of him in the storm. By providence, there was another ship nearby that did see him and was able to rescue him. John was very grateful that the ship was nearby.

Many days later, John was eating at a local pub, and started telling his story of his rescue. One of his listeners spoke up after John’s tale and said that he, too, had a similar tale. Will, for that was his name, started talking to John, and they became friends.

More time passed. John and Will had gathered a number of people around them, and they formed a rescue society, whose purpose was to be the nearby boat to save people in the storms.

They saved many people over the years. Their society grew. They gathered more and more to share their camaraderie. Other people joined just to hear the tales of rescue. Then, as John, Will, and others got older, the warmth of the fire and camaraderie kept them indoors. Soon after, the gatherings became focused on boats. Their rescue society, over time, transformed from rescue society to yacht club.

Some have said that the true legacy of yacht clubs is not the wealth, but the rescues they forgot about.

“Making people fully functioning followers of Christ,” and “Encounter, Connect, Serve” are the 2 common phrases (or mission statements) at Generations Community church. Then there is the “framily” (friends who are like family), too. Your church (if it isn’t Generations) may have similar mission statements or values. Something along these lines is quite common among American churches.

It’s not that these are bad. They really should be second.

We have been rescued. Have we forgotten? We are called to be the ones who help to rescue those who are lost at sea. All too often, however, we are comfortable at the yacht club.

Framily is great. Encounter (-ing God), Connect (-ing with God and Others), Serve (the World) are good, too. Becoming fully functioning followers of Christ (sanctification) is great! However, if we only keep it to ourselves, is it really all that great?

The world doesn’t need more people hiding behind their walls. The world needs the light of Jesus Christ.

These few words cannot contain the responsibility that each of us must and should feel. This does not mean to be annoying or aggressive. It means be asking and praying for the right conversation to occur, and even many conversations over time. It means being grace-filled in our conversations with others, just as Jesus Christ poured grace over and into us.

Paul’s words tell to season our conversations with the salt that is Jesus Christ. Be the light.

2020-06-16
NIMBY

Zechariah 7:8–12; Matthew 4:25–5:13; Luke 10:25–29 (read online ⧉)

Pentecost was only 2 days ago. We should be being filled with the Holy Spirit eager to do God’s will and speak with God’s voice. With what has been happening, however, God’s voice may indeed be being spoken. It is being drowned out with violence, anger, hatred, grief, mourning, apathy.

It is easy for many to cast aside those who are destroying places. There are many among them that are truly those who seek to stir up trouble. On the other hand, there are many among them that feel that the only way they will be listened to is through destruction. While many might decry that, the reality is that destruction is what sells.

The Word that God gave Zechariah, “…make fair decisions…show faithful love…show compassion…” We honestly fail at all of these, perhaps even on a daily basis. Due to cultural conditioning what is fair or faithful or compassion may be drastically different person to person. It wouldn’t seem so, yet it is.

The observation that God delivered to Zechariah is a warning to us all, “[they] turned a stubborn shoulder…closed their ears…hearts like a rock…”

If we read the Beatitudes in the light of Zechariah, they can take on the perspective of blessed are and blessings of. In other words, being blessed is not enough. We must also bless others. As we read the Beatitudes, we cannot just think of ourselves. We must also think of that which we are to do for others.

This is, sadly, why the “expert in the law” asked a simple question, “who is my neighbor?” It is a simple question. It is also a simple answer. The answer isn’t, “my neighbor is…” The answer is, “I am a neighbor by…”

※Moravian prayer※

Savior, with you we know good and evil. Help us do what we know as good and avoid evil, for with you, good will prevail. In your name we pray. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Everyone you see on television and the internet is your neighbor. How will you be their neighbor?

2) Why do we not want to be neighbors to others?

3) What is the difference between being a Christian and being a neighbor?

2020-06-02
Only the Beginning

Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; Romans 8:18–24 (read online ⧉)

We have lost a lot in the modern age. One of the things is awareness of the land. In the current COVID-19 situation, we may be regaining some of that, as prices go up with agricultural workers being unavailable due to illness.

The health of the land was deeply tied to the health of its people. We’ve seen some strange perspectives of that with both environmental activists and blind corporate juggernauts.

For many the environmental ties to a flourishing people are obvious. To others, not so much. In the era of Jesus and even today, when nature has severe weather, agriculture often takes the brunt of it. In Paul’s age, they were very much aware of that, especially as there were a series of famines. Thus the land needing healing was quite obvious to any person.

The land was tied to prosperity. An unhealthy land made for unhealthy people. It was also the case, which was Joel’s point, that an unhealthy people made for an unhealthy land. Paul noted that it was just humanity that longed for a Savior…the rest of Creation longed for it, too.

Pentecost wouldn’t seem to have much to do with that, yet, it is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit of the people of God, that would be the new shepherds to heal the land. Justice and mercy were not just to be attributes of God, they were to be attributes of his people.

The land isn’t just the physical land and the animals, it is the heart of the people in it, too. The land, our land, is very sick. It is not just COVID-19, it is something far deeper and even more ill. There is an illness that is infecting the souls of the people of our nation and even the people of the Body of Christ.

We may not be able to fix it all, and we certainly cannot heal it all. We can be the messengers of love, grace, and mercy. In so doing, as we guard our words and actions, we will be different than the world that seeks to attack and destroy others.

The love of Jesus Christ cannot back down, and the Body of Christ cannot just let the vileness that pervades continue to build and lash out. We are not called to lash out as the world. We are to say that Christ died for them to heal their pain. We can only walk them on the journey.

※ Prayer [BCPOnline] ※

O God, who on Pentecost taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

※ Afterward ※

Questions seem superfluous. The recent death of George Floyd has taken an anxiety-ridden world and launched chaos. The rise of mayhem and violence will not heal or reconcile. It will only harden hearts. We are called to be the church for such times as this. How we can and will respond in this and in all such, we can only pray that we bring honor and glory to God.

2020-06-01
Handling Truth

Psalm 110; Matthew 22:41–46; John 1:1–18 (read online ⧉)

John calls Jesus the Word. In his phrasing, it wasn’t just any word or words. Jesus was (is) the actual physical embodiment of God’s words. It’s…strange. It’s…incomprehensible. It’s…impossible. It’s…faith.

When Jesus speaks, we’re to listen. That can sometimes be hard. In fact, a lot of people throughout history have had a hard time listening to Jesus.

Today, we hear a lot of people say, “I like Jesus just fine, I just don’t like his followers.” There is some truth in that, as we followers are broken just like everyone else.

However, often that phrase (or a similar one) is used to shut down the conversation. Many Christians will try to stop the conversation there and try to defend themselves (and/or other Christians). Just like that, the conversation has changed.

This is not to say such people are purposely manipulating things for that. It’s just that when we are defending/protecting our deeper selves, we will do things we don’t think of ourselves capable of.

On the contrary, people such as the Pharisees were very methodical in their approach. They didn’t like Jesus’ followers. Of course, it seems their reasoning was either they (His followers) were being deceived, or because they (the Pharisees) weren’t the ones being followed. They went for Jesus to draw his followers away.

In this particular story, Jesus (the Word) was attacking or questioning the Word. Yes, we could say he was questioning the interpretation. In fact, that is a great point. However, there are Christians today who refute questions like Jesus’ because they challenge the Word.

This is not a small thing. People question the Scriptures (the human undertaking of the Word) to this day. In Jesus’ time, it was actually part of the rabbinical school of thought. Not only did they not think it was dishonorable, but the rhetorical questioning and answers were also part of how Jews understood the faith.

If Jesus felt comfortable questioning himself (yes, this is a stretch, but a fun one), then why do we freeze when the Word is questioned? When someone says, “I like Jesus, but…” Let’s agree that we like Jesus, too. Then let’s talk about Jesus. We establish common ground (we like Jesus). Then we can talk about Jesus.

This doesn’t mean, sadly, that the person is about to be saved. Not by a long shot. What it does mean is that we can learn about what they think is great about Jesus, and what they know about Jesus. The conversation may last years. Jesus and the Word can handle it.

※ Prayer ※
God, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Thank you for giving it to me to learn your story and of your desire and love for me. Grant me the wisdom and courage to share your word with others, especially those who do not know you yet. Amen.

※ Questions ※
1) Do you think you have to defend God’s Word? Why or why not?
2) How do/would you defend all the translations that we have of the Bible?
3) What is your understanding of why we (the Church at large) consider the 66 books of the Bible as the True scriptures, and not others?

2020-05-20
Silence is Not Always Golden

Deuteronomy 5:1–31; Matthew 26:57–62; Acts 6:8–15 (read online ⧉)

Perjury is a crime. Knowingly providing false witness under oath is a criminal offense, as it should be. Knowing our system, however, perhaps the penalty is not severe enough. People speak “white lies” thinking they are doing the right thing (again, in a court case). People speak blatant falsehoods to change the results.

Depending on the falsehood can result in a guilty man being freed and an innocent man being sent to death. One of the other oldest legal codes—Hammurabi’s Code—sets the penalty for such perjury as death.

There is no question that bearing false witness was a sin according to God. Yet, in the 2 instances that we read today—Jesus and Stephen—that “minor” sin, that could easily be blotted out with a “minor” sacrifice, resulted in the death of innocent men.

Matthew and Luke (the author of Acts) make it a point to state that the witnesses are knowingly bearing false witness. Was this an incidental miscarriage of justice, or was this a systemic one? While we really can draw too firm a conclusion, this is an indication that justice and truth were often not met.

We often wonder why we have so many laws, and then we read stories like this (and these are not that unique in human history). There were the false witnesses. Those who either paid or otherwise recruited the false witnesses. There were those who were the “lawyers”. Then there were those who were the leaders of this travesty.

All were party to it. All had culpability in it. By the letter of “the Law”, only those who were “actual” witnesses would be “guilty”. This would also assume that those who knew they were guilty actually did something about it. Of course, they didn’t for they achieved their goals.

We all struggle with those who lie. It is that which empowers the lies that is the greater issue. With no culture of lying, lying becomes rare. A culture that disgraces the truth encourages lying. A power structure that encourages lying creates a culture that sends innocent people to death or punishment.

This is also a culture that ceases to honor God. Instead, it uses God to strengthen the perception of itself, so that no one will struggle or oppose it. God becomes a word—a tool—and the relationship that the word is supposed to represent dies.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, as we walk through this life, counsel our hearts and tongues to speak truth and to be truth-seekers. Guide our hearts and minds to bring the light of Jesus’ Truth into our lives and the lives of others. May all that we do bring honor and glory to you, oh, God. Amen.

Questions

1) Why is it important to talk about more than just the lier? How does its relative importance to the commandment of false witness mean for you?

2) What do you think other tribunals in front of these people were like for day-to-day things?

3) How can and will you encourage a culture of truth?

2020-05-07
Mind Killer

Psalm 23; 2 Chronicles 6:28–33 (read online ⧉)

Of the devotionals written so far, this the 54th one around fear. That is greater than 10%. Fear is a monster. It is a consuming monster, and the world is being consumed by it.

In the great science fiction saga, Dune, Frank Herbert (the author) had his primary religiousesque order, the Bene Gesserit, recite the following in times of fear:

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Now, this is certainly not to extol Herbert’s religious perspectives, and there are many Christians who object to the Litany Against Fear. The biggest objection involves reading into it something which isn’t there. Herbert’s blending of Catholicism and Islam, plus Stoic and Arabic cultures (plus, Spartan) makes for a mosaic that is valuable when not taken to an extreme.

I must not fear. How about #ITrustGod? Trust in God drives out fear.

Fear is the mind-killer. Think about mobs both physical and social. Fear drives out rational thought.

Fear is the little-death…a coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man only one.

…that brings total obliteration. Fear can often override our very identities. When driven by fear, we are more prone to do things (horde) that would not normally do.

I will face my fear. People will often deny their fears. Fears are often hidden pains. Chemical dependency, people dependency, depression, anxiety, anger, fight-or-flight all can come from fear. However, facing it means not be brave, it means understanding it.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me. We must choose to not identify ourselves by our fear. Fear is an emotion. It is our emotion. It, in and of itself, isn’t us.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Back to facing our fears. Once we know the source and cause of our fear, it is no longer unknown. It becomes…less scary. We become less afraid, and less likely to be triggered into fear.*

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. This ties back to the beginning. If we allow fear to control us, we become the fear bearers. However, once we acknowledge and identify the fear, we remain and the light that is Christ remains in us, lighting our souls against the fears of the world.

Psalm 23 could well be the “Christian” version of the Litany Against Fear if we allow it to be. The Truth in Psalm 23 is that #ITrustGod. It is only when we truly operated from a place of trust in God that fear has no power.

When Solomon said his public prayer to God, pestilence and starvation and many other horrible things were “common”. Solomon’s prayer was against the common deadly things of the world. Let us be glad that these are not so common for us. On the other hand, while there are other illnesses just as deadly (or more so) than COVID-19 in the world, for some strange reason (and there are plenty of—fear-filled—conspiracy theories) this one has taken the world by storm…a storm of fear.

This is not to say let’s not abide by the authorities, it is a call for us to be bringers of hope. However, for us to be bringers of hope, we need to abolish the fear inside of us.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, you call upon us to trust you and not fear. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, guide us to be the brave example of your Son, Jesus Christ. Blessed Trinity, ignite the spark of our hearts to be the light of hope to the world. Amen.

Questions

1) What do you fear right now? Why? Is it anything you can really do anything about?

2) Why does COVID-19 seem to outweigh the fears of cancer and the flu?

3) Why does knowing who you are (your identity) help you stand firm in the face of fear?

*Now, the inner eye concept is one of the big objections from Western Christians (Eastern Christians much less so). There is an aura of New Age cultism and other non-Christian religions that use the “inner eye” wording. However, the mysticism aspect isn’t that alien to Christianity (not by a long shot). What you do with it, and where you go with it is something else entirely. This is not to condone the wording, but to look beyond it.

2020-05-01
Holy Night

29 April 2020 Devotional

Genesis 1:1–19; Genesis 22:17–18; Psalm 134 (read online ⧉)

I try to settle, but I just pass through
A rain dog, gypsy
A wandering Jew
All those homes were not ours
Then I slept one night
In Abraham’s field
And dreamt there was no moon
The night he died
Counting stars
from The Orphan by the Newsboys

One of the interesting conflicts in the Scriptures is the human tendency to fear the dark (because of bad people and wild animals). Yet, on the other hand, God did not make the dark to be bad. God called it good.

We want to conquer the darkness. As our cities become fuller (or at least were pre-COVID), the “light pollution” was significant. If Abraham was, for example, a homeless person in Seattle, there would be very few stars to count. It wouldn’t be much of a promise.

If you’ve had any experience away from cities, you’ll understand the magnificence of God’s night sky as created. If you’ve been someplace really remote on a moonless night (i.e., “new moon”), it is even more spectacular.

As the “church” aged, the simplicity of day=good and night=bad developed into a theology that worship happened in the day, especially in the morning to go with the day or morning star (the sun being a symbol of Jesus). Modern churches did develop night worship to a degree, but it has been far and away diminished in comparison to daytime worship.

The psalmist’s very short homage to the night workers at the House of God brings to point the many people behind the scenes of churches, schools, hospitals, and many institutions that do not get the recognition for they are behind the scenes. The night workers at the House of God were not any less important than the ones assigned in the day. It was just that they were not as visible. Did they get the accolades? Probably not. Did they fulfill their calling? Yes. Without them, worship couldn’t happen during the day. The night was just as essential to daytime worship as those who were there during the day.

There is one thing that the night can bring us that day often doesn’t…stillness. Under the night sky, there is often a greater willingness to just sit (or lay down) and stare at the jewels that God placed in the heavens. In that place of stillness and of sparkling jewels, God can speak in that still small voice…and we might actually hear.

Prayer

Father God, through the Word, Jesus, you made the moon and the stars, and all the heavenly bodies. Help us to recognize your glory and love in them. May your Holy Spirit guide us today to stop and just gaze in wonder at what you have made. Amen.

Questions

1) What do you think of when gazing at the stars? What is the strongest memory you have of the night sky?

2) Who are some of the people behind the scenes that you can think of, that glorify God by their humble and hidden service?

3) We often call on people to be humble. On the other hand, there is often this desire to have a superstar leader who is charismatic and often needs some lessons in humility. How do we get to this point?

2020-04-29
Blessings and Returnings

Jeremiah 29:4–9; Daniel 2:24–30; 1 Peter 2:11–17 (read online ⧉)

The American experiment has certainly had its interesting times. During extreme times there have been many attempts to do something dramatic to “fix” things. The Civil War was an extreme act that appeared to be a moral response to a injustice. The FDR administration attempted grandiose programs in an attempt to recover an economy in shambles. Today we have Federal, State, County, and City governments doing all sorts of things in an attempt to protect the populace from COVID-19.

As people become frustrated, whether being stuck at home, not going to work, watching things not succeeding or improving (or the perception thereof), or politicians making (human) missteps, we are seeing, hearing, and even experiencing strong reactions against a lot actions taken. In a healthy democratic republic, people speaking out in an informed way is helpful and can help build up and improve the country. However, it would seem that our democratic republic is not all that healthy. Certainly, people of most of the political parties (not just the top 2) are saying something to that effect. Your social media stream might even be filled with them, too.

As Christians, we are to put aside our “rights”. Or, perhaps, it is better said, we ought to look to the Scriptures before we declare our “rights” as Americans. Of course, they don’t necessarily conflict, at least not always.

As the Israelites went into exile, God did not say oppose your (oppressive) government. God said to work for its success. That doesn’t mean don’t seek change, but that their responsibility was to everyone else, too, not just this oppressive regime. There is also the truth that it was only after they “did their time” in captivity would the way back to the Promised Land be available to them. Their ability to go back was based on their ability to survive now. Their ability to thrive (not just survive) in their new circumstances was based upon their pursuit of the well-being of Babylon.

Daniel was another case. He too was captive. He too was taken away. He was trained and educated to be an advisor to the ruler, and become a lower-tier ruler himself (along with his 3 companions). He was put into a place where he could have influenced the downfall of leaders. It’s not as if others didn’t have those plans. He chose not to. He followed the plan God had called him to, and it probably wasn’t easy. Did he try to lessen the load of his fellow Israelites, get this…the Bible doesn’t say. Perhaps that wasn’t Daniel’s purpose. Perhaps his purpose was to be a faithful witness of and to God, and in so doing pursuing the best for Babylon and its people.

Peter’s words to the Christians in the diaspora weren’t much different. The Roman government was much the same as the Babylonian one, especially from a Jewish standpoint. What did he tell them? Submit to them! Peter’s words might even be harder than then ones from Jeremiah. Submit! Not all the people that Peter wrote to were outside Roman circles, some of them were true Roman citizens, which was no small thing. The message was the same, though.

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we accepted that any citizenship we had on earth was superseded by the one in Heaven. As such, our concerns are to be first of Heaven, then of earth. That is not to say, however, that we are not to seek the success of the kingdoms of earth, it’s just that our standing on earth is secondary. There is an implied issue in Jeremiah’s words, if you become too comfortable in the place you are, you will not return to the Promised Land. The story of the return was indeed part of that. Only some retained their citizenship as the People of God. They returned. Those that surrendered their citizenship remained in Babylon.

God, as we walk through these times, help keep our eyes on you and our citizenship in Heaven. Help that motivate our actions and responses to the world. Amen.

1) What are you doing to help your community thrive in the midst of COVID-19?

2) What does it mean for you to work for the success of earthly kingdoms while keeping your eye and heart on your citizenship in Heaven?

3) How do we balance the submission to earthly authorities with the call to be salt and light? How is it different in a democratic republic (like the USA) versus an authoritarian regime?

2020-04-23
Die to Resurrect

Psalm 98; Micah 7:7–9, 18–20; 1 Timothy 6:11–20 (read online ⧉)

Micah’s unwavering loyalty and trust in God can be hard to swallow for many. Micah believes that he can wait for and trust in God.

What is fascinating with Micah’s words is that he admonishes his enemy who is gloating over Micah’s fallen state. Micah doesn’t defend himself. In fact, he openly and forthrightly acknowledges that he has sinned against God. What a fantastic pattern that we should all follow! When we hide our sins in the dark, they can fester and rot deep within us. Yet, when we shine the light on them, they cease to rot. The consequences may be awful and shameful, but the light cleanses them.

Micah owned his transgressions. Micah owned the consequences.

Micah believed that God would redeem and rescue him. He had decided to wait upon God’s timing for his restoration. That is often courageous for us when we are in the midst of trials and tribulations. Micah was in the middle of them, too.

The redemptive expectation that Micah had of God was immense. He understood that God’s grace and mercy were beyond comprehension. In addition to his own redemption, he looked to the redemption of his people…of God’s people. Micah understood that the people were far off from God. Micah also understood that God’s faithful and unfailing love was always waiting to Resurrect the repentant heart.

While the Jews had the Law to define the particulars of their holy calling, gentiles (non-Jews) still had the Imago Dei (the Image of God) in them telling them deep down what they were doing was not in line with the Creator of the universe, even when they didn’t understand. Hence that is why Paul talks to Timothy about fleeing from much of what is common to the temptation of humankind. Timothy was both Greek and Jew (thus dirty to both “sides” of the family). He probably has some awareness of the Jewish Law, but he would have also been quite familiar with what was common (and considered acceptable) in Greek/Roman circles.

Thus Paul was calling Timothy to something greater than either bloodline or culture. He was calling Timothy to Jesus Christ. When Paul recalls Timothy’s “good” confession. Instead of confession, a better (and longer) way of saying it would be a strong, firm, public declaration of allegiance. Timothy had (effectively) declared that Jesus Christ was more important than all of that, and Paul was holding him to it. Timothy, as the “successor” to Paul and a leader in his own right, was to hold on tight to what he “confessed” he believed, and to not let others draw him away.

Paul reminded Timothy that all that was going on now was in preparation and was before the age to come, the age of Resurrection. The underlying truth being that if Timothy let go of the faith in the here and now, the age of Resurrection might very well not come to him.

Timothy may not have had the depths of pain that Micah did, though it’s likely that his heart was broken at the (martyr’s) death of Paul and other Christians. For Timothy, the Resurrection life held hope in the midst of pain. The Resurrection life that Micah was expect was, without question, different in scope than Timothy was expecting. Both, however, were dependent upon a relationship with God.

God, may we continue to place our sins and failures before you in hopeful expectation, not to avoid the consequences of our actions, but to restore and maintain right relationship with you. May your father’s heart continue to be gracious to us. May the sacrifice of you, Jesus, continue to remind us of the cost, drawing us closer to you through the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1) How do you balance the fear of and concern for punishing or consequences with hope and faith with God?

2) The life of a Christian is full of many little deaths. What is the latest death that you have experienced that has drawn you (or is drawing you) closer to God?

3) There is an old saying that a coward dies a thousand deaths, and a hero only one. What is the difference between that and the deaths that a Christian experiences?

2020-04-15