Devotion.al

Tag: name

  • The Now Useful

    Philemon 1-25

    ‘s letter to Philemon is a personal letter. While Paul acknowledges the that meets in Philemon’s home, this letter is not to them. Just the greeting is political and relational: Philemon, slave and property owner; Apphia, Philemon’s wife; Archippus, a “coworker” of Paul’s from Colossae, and possibly filling the role of pastor. Archippus could possibly be not addressed, but it’s likely that Paul sought to draw Archippus into the , and it’s not wise to disregard someone that appears to have been significant to the church.

    In this letter, Paul asks Philemon to pardon his (Philemon’s) runaway slave Onesimus. Who knows why Onesimus ran away from Philemon and went to Paul. By law, Paul had to send Onesimus back to Philemon. Paul sent an advance letter to Philemon to, it seems, make for a smooth for Onesimus. Paul knew that legally Philemon could do whatever he wished with Onesimus (include having him crucified). Paul also knew that Apphia would have some sway in this, as she would have had household authority over the slaves. This all plays into Paul’s letter as he seeks to persuade Philemon to be gentle to (maybe even free?) Onesimus.

    Paul starts by identifying himself as a prisoner, placing himself socially beneath Philemon. He then puts himself as a coworker to Philemon. In this, he is saying that this letter is not coming from a superior. Paul notes that he could command, but instead chooses to appeal.

    What becomes interesting is humor that Paul puts into play. Onesimus means useful and was a common slave . Paul states that Onesimus used to be useless, but now that he is a fellow he is useful. In other words, only now that Onesimus is a Christian does he actually live up to his name. Its intent is to lighten what is a weighty letter.

    1) Have you ever had a person in authority a that really wasn’t a favor? What was that like?

    2) What do you think the was like between Philemon and Paul? Why?

    3) If a friend asked for a favor that wasn’t to your immediate advantage, would you do it? Why or why not?

  • Pagan Response

    Ezekiel 27:1–36, Ezekiel 28:20–23, Luke 10:13–16

    To understand Jesus’ “woe” statements, one needs to understand history. While Tyre and Sidon were now (in Jesus’ time) prosperous cities, their pride, pagan behavior, and anti-Israel behavior had gotten them a lot of punishment. After Ezekiel’s , the cities weren’t washed clean, but wiped-off-the-map cleansed. Because of their geography, those locations would recover (and even retain their name), but the penalty received had been severe.

    In the time of Jesus, Tyre and Sidon were still very pagan, Las Vegas and New Orleans (during Mardi Gras) pagan. Devotion to gods or God was perfunctory at best. was the ruler. Yet…
    Jesus stated that those cities would have responded (positively) to the , while the so-called devoted of Judah were apathetic or antagonistic!

    We look at our culture and often sadly proclaim that if they could just see Jesus, they would convert. Or if they joined the , everything would be fine. Or (yes, foot-stomping ahead) if only prayer and the Bible would be allowed in schools again…

    The Jews had prayer. They had the . They had “the church” (i.e., the temple and synagogues). It was all tightly integrated into their culture and their (more foot-stomping). Look where that got them! Chided and lectured by Jesus!

    1) Truly…are we all that different now than the Jews were then?

    2) Politicians—of all stripes—are rightly pulling and poking at our religious- and -strings. They see what we aren’t good at seeing…our inconsistency. They use it to bolster their . How can you the religious and faith truths from the political lies? How will you do that as each political group takes some, but not all, of the ideology for political talking points?

    3) If the world is like Tyre and Sidon, and we are like the Chorazin and Bethsaida (the unrepentant Jewish cities), what do they (the world) see that we don’t about Jesus and the Kingdom of God?

  • Denial and Grace

    Luke 23:50–24:12, John 19:38–42, Matthew 10:32–33

    Joseph of Arimathea is described differently by Luke and John. Luke describes him as good, righteous, and looking to the kingdom of God. John describes him as a secret of Jesus. On the surface, these appear to be different. And, depending on the audience, they can be very different indeed. However, Joseph’s attitude toward Jesus was fairly clear. Joseph greatly admired Jesus. He also did (to a point) follow Jesus as “the women” from Galilee were with him, indicating that he did have a place in the larger circle of disciples.

    Joseph of Arimathea was part of the Sanhedrin. The religious and civil ruling council of the Jews is the “body” that pushed for Jesus’ crucifixion. Earlier in the Gospels, it seemed that the Sanhedrin was unanimous in its thinking. Joseph of Arimathea shows that there wasn’t unanimity in Sanhedrin. Joseph was concerned, however, with his place in the Sanhedrin. John calls it out as of “the Jews”. Luke doesn’t specify that, but as Luke does only note that Joseph went to Pilate, Joseph definitely did it cautiously and did try to avoid making a scene.

    John even pulls Nicodemus into the . Nicodemus is first seen at night meeting Jesus (John 3:1–21). Next Nicodemus is seen defending (in a roundabout way) Jesus. Then we see him now bringing an amount of myrrh and aloe that was excessive (culturally). Nicodemus is still not declaring anything in the name of Jesus, but his actions show a heart turned toward Jesus.

    The actions of both men could seem to be contrary to Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:32–33. In fact, many of us might well be guilty of this. It all depends on how one defines “deny”. It could be like Peter, who denied Jesus 3 times. That’s pretty blatant, yet God’s carried Peter forward to be the first of the Church. Peter, like Joseph and Nicodemus, was afraid.

    In the world, fear drives many of our actions. Around the world, Christians are hated and hunted. Muslims that have converted to Jesus (and often in mysterious ways) hide their conversion in fear, as they are (justifiably in many cases) afraid of being killed for the family’s honor. In India, Hindu extremists target Christians regularly. There have been a number of bombings of churches recently. Are these Christians denying Christ by not proclaiming Jesus from the rooftops, street corners, family gatherings, their homes?

    Many preachers, who are in and are accustomed to religious and speech freedom, have said exactly that over the years.

    1) If you are not declaring Jesus to everyone you , especially to every family member who is not a , why not? In of Jesus words, then, what is failing to acknowledge Jesus?

    2) What is the difference, if any, between denying Jesus, and not acknowledging Jesus?

    3) When was the last time you acted like Peter, Joseph of Arimathea, or Nicodemus out of fear?

  • Enemies and Adversaries

    Rom 2:25–29, Revelation 3:7–13

    The struggle between Jew and has long been the case. Initially, there was a mix of those with good motives (e.g., preserving the “true” , protection from apostasy) and bad motives (e.g., pride, influence). Then there were those who regularly challenged the theology for various reasons.

    regularly had to oppose them to protect the fledgling churches. Oddly, we ought to be grateful, for without opposition we might not have even had the letters that we have. One could that it is because of the opposition that the church grew as it did (and many do argue that to this day). Without question, opposition forced the church to figure out what it did believe, wrestling with it over generations.

    Paul struggled to the Jewish Laws and customs from the new Christian , and due to the Jewish basis of Christianity it continued to be an issue. Yet, what was an issue of understanding became something much darker.

    In Revelation 3:9, John wrote “…synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews…” This phrasing, which was intended to illustrate the same struggle that Paul had, became a verse of hatred. It’s easy to see why. Seemingly tying the Jews to Satan is pretty inflammatory. Christians for generations vilified and demonized Jews based on verses like this and an erroneously singular focus on who was the root cause of Jesus’ crucifixion (the Jews, rather than all of us). Some interpreters are quick to point out that what is translated as Satan is satanas, a Greek take on the Aramaic/Hebrew for adversary. The question for some becomes is this a proper name (the Adversary) or a descriptive name (an adversary). The reality is that there is an adversarial toward the church, trying to skew its theology.

    The reason this odd historical piece is important is that the church, still, often resorts to adversarial/ language when discussing or interacting with those whose theology is different. We cannot behave that way, for while we were sinners (enemies of God), even before we were born, Jesus died for us. Imagine if Jesus treated us as if we were his enemy.

    1) Is there someone you have treated as an enemy, that God is calling you to ?

    2) Is there language that you have been using the frames others as the enemy or adversary? (This is beyond just not agreeing with them on something)

  • The New Healing Miracles

    2 Kings 4:18–37, 2 Kings 5:1–14, Mark 10:46–52, James 5:13–18

    We are embodied creatures. In other words, our bodies are part of our being, well-being, and attitudes. When it isn’t well, it is harder for our perspectives to be positive or good. We have to work harder, pray harder, more to be -filled when our bodies aren’t functioning.

    The Scriptures are filled with miraculous healings. The Shunammite woman’s son (who was a miracle as it was) being raised to . Naaman’s of leprosy by washing in the river. The blind man being able to see. There was so much healing going on.

    Today, however, there does not seem to be as much. There are the charlatans who “heal” in while emptying wallets. The verifiable healings are minimal (there are some). In the developing world, there are verifiable miraculous healings. Now, yes, there are miraculous healings even in the developed world. You may have experienced one yourself. However, they just are not that common.

    One could that (or lack thereof) is the reason, and there is probably in it. Science and medicine, however, have taken the place of miracles. This is not to say that miracles do not occur. It is that because of our faith in medicine, God works through that primarily.

    1) Why do you think God works through modern medicine, instead of miracles, in the developed world?

    2) When James wrote his directive regarding seeking healing many of the ailments easily dealt with today were life-threatening. What does this tell you about seeking healing?

    3) When we credit God for our healing through modern medicine, we still need to be thankful for and grateful to those who are in charge of care, especially for their work, even if they don’t see it that way. How can you do this with those charged for your care?

  • Starting at Home

    Psalm 2, Colossians 3:1–17, Acts 11:19–26

    One of the and one of the curses of being American is the freedom to decide who we are. One of the biggest struggles between immigrants and their children is the of . As much as most immigrants truly seek to join their new country, there are things that just don’t work for them. Their children walk the line between new and old, along with all the stress that goes along with that (think differences over music but over everything).

    The was that second generation, and then some. A way to think of it is the child of a Tibetan immigrant and the child of an Argentinian getting married. The strains of their parents’ cultures, plus their new adopted (American) culture, plus the different culture of their spouse. That was the church.

    The “children” of Judaism, Greece, Asia Minor, Rome were, by-and-large, no longer part of their “native” culture, and could not really be part of a “different” culture. The Followers of the Way (the name prior to ) were following a weaving and winding path between multiple cultures, nations, and languages. They lived in between. Even their identity as “Followers of the Way” was still deeply tied to Judaism, so even that was not particularly solid.

    The key to identity was made in Antioch. Only God knows who coined the term Christians. They could have been called Nazarenes, but Christians became the label. Even with a “formal” label, it still took years, and even today it seems that while the label is active, there is not a unified Christian culture. If there were a truly Christian culture, the hour on Sunday would not be the most segregated hour of the week. If there were a truly united Christian culture, Facebook, Twitter, and other places wouldn’t be in the state they are in.

    If the church were united, as Christ calls us to be, we really could be the healer for a culture and country in . Instead, we are just as miserable, angry, bitter, and pained as everyone else. We are not perfect, we just need to be better in how we treat people especially fellow Christians for it starts “at home”.

    1) As people are quick to jump on bandwagons, praying for the hurting (good), questioning violence (good), discussing freedom (good), trying to be the (good), be even quicker to pray and prior to posting. What witness are you presenting to your fellow Christian? How about the world?

    2) As the country, and world, seems to be tearing apart, we Christians are still to be Followers of the Way, winding our way between people, cultures, and perspectives. What skills and practices do you need to develop to be better walking on the Way?

    Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
    The kings of the earth take their stand,
    and the rulers conspire together
    against the LORD and his Anointed One,
    Let’s tear off their chains
    and throw their ropes off of us.
    —Psalm 2:1–3

  • Beyond A Name

    Isaiah 43:1–4, 1 Peter 1:13–23

    Do you know somebody’s ? Of course, you do. You know yours. You know the names of loved ones. You know the names of friends. You probably know the names of people that are not that close. We sometimes dismiss the importance of names. If we thought about it, though, if someone doesn’t address us by name, we wonder if they really know who we are. We wonder if they care.

    God’s words to Isaiah tell us that God knows our name. God calls us by name. The Creator knows you by name. There is a there. Once we acknowledge the relationship, then what?

    Peter reminds us what is fully responsive and reciprocating relationship with God is. Sober-minded. Some immediately attached alcohol to this. It really is about being firmly rooted in Christ, and not inclined to bounce around. Peter explains it as hope in God’s complete and utter .

    God doesn’t just us by name. God calls us into a of holiness. The 5 below are a modified version of John Wesley’s questions for . They are good for self-reflection and are best in a small trusted group of the same gender.

    1. How is it with your soul?
    2. What are your struggles and successes?
    3. Any sin to ?
    4. Anything you want to keep secret?
    5. How might the be speaking and moving in your life?

    You are called to a life of holiness. You can live it when surrendered to Christ.

  • Open and Closed

    Jeremiah 15:19–21, Mark 2:1–12, Matthew 11:20–24

    “One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in .” Romans 10:10 (CSB)
    “For everyone who calls on the of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (CSB)

    Confession and repentance resulting in salvation is a constant theme in the Scriptures. As the of Israel would wander away from God, come back, wander away, and so on, there was a perceivable and constant ebb and flow in the story.

    Confession►Repentance►Salvation

    was not one to shy away from forgiving sins. Take this story of the paralytic. He seems to have deliberately chosen words that struck at the core of how confession, repentance, and salvation all tie together. Scripture does not say that the paralytic confessed and repented. However, by his friends putting him at his feet, the man was forgiven and healed. Even more interestingly, it appears it was the of the paralytic’s friends that resulted in and forgiveness.

    Yet, we come to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, there seems to be no grace. What happened? If the paralytic man didn’t have to follow “the recipe” why should have Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum? The additional context of Tyre and Sidon gives us an idea. They were cities that were known for their pride and arrogance. Jesus was saying that Chorazin and Bethsaida were more pride-filled and arrogant. Capernaum? Let’s see…Jesus did miracles, a number of them. Yet, Capernaum refused to even with the King of the of God was right there in their midst! That’s the difference, open versus closed.

    1) Can you see the difference in your between when you have been open and when you have been closed to God?

    2) What traits—other than pride and arrogance—indicate someone being closed to God?

    3) The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum probably viewed themselves a . How can we check that we have not become like them?