Tag: others

A Movement: Of Priest and Temple
1 Peter 2:1–12

We, self-included, often focus on “…But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:9). This is a very Protestant focus. However, it is not solely one, as both the Roman Catholic church and Eastern Orthodox also focus on it.

Much of the focus is from the “pulpit”. In other words, the pastor/priest is talking to the believers listening that they, too, are part of the priesthood of all believers. Hence, why the second half of verse 9 is as important as the first half, “…that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”

There is a reason for the “priesthood of all believers.” It is to be the priesthood for the world. In a number of Christian traditions, the pastor/priest has a certain role, and that is to equip the priesthood of all believers to “…proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

What is helpful here is to go back a few verses to “…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV)

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are a temple to God. With Peter’s words, too, we come away with this strange duality. We are both temple and priest. Yes, it is symbolism.

On the other hand, for a people far more reverent and religious than ours, this is significant.

As a temple, first, we are to be clean. Unless your house, for example, is miraculous, you have to clean it regularly. We “track” the world into our physical house. Whether it’s sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, or something more, we must clean our homes.

How much more so do we track the world into ourselves, a temple of God? So, therefore, we must clean ourselves as befitting a temple of God. There are plenty of ways that clean the temple. Personally, I have found the practice of Bible reading, prayer, and small group (in my case, 3 other guys spread across the country) to be the best cleansing (doesn’t make it easy). You may find other practices to be better. Just make sure the cleaning gets done regularly.

This isn’t just an “inside” job, either. The outside aspect of the temple is important, too. The world sees the outside of the temple. The peculiarity of being the temple is that we are very aware of the crevices that aren’t clean on the inside. If we focus too much on the inside, however, the outside is a mess. However, if we (like so many of us do) focus too much on the outside, the temple comes crumbling down, for the internal structure cannot hold up the facade (or false front) shown to the world, and we then dishonor God by our fallen temple.

This is not about tattoos, piercings, dyed hair, or something like that. This is about how we treat others, care for others, or even love others. This is about the behaviors we allow ourselves to do, and allow others to do. As the culture has made us all too aware, we have not done a particularly good job regarding the behaviors of others.

Nor can we forget about being “the priest”. You may have experienced this, too, where someone says that all they need to do is worship God in their car or online or even at church and that’s all that matters. It’s as if the priestly aspect of worshipping God with song is the “goal” of being a priest.

If we were to look at one of the tasks of priests (the ones in the temple), we could draw that conclusion. Except…they weren’t the only priests. The majority of priests (from an Old Testament point of view) didn’t work at the temple. They were among the people.

Much of the Christian view has been twisted (with significant reason) to view that the entirety of the priestly class was the leadership that as described in the New Testament that followed and harassed and challenged Jesus. Yet, while the Scribes and the Pharisees were the loud obnoxious ones we read about, we know that they weren’t the only ones out there (think of John the Baptist’s dad).

The priestly act isn’t only the roles and tasks at temple that need doing. It is the healing and guiding of the world. With even a little bit of introspection, we know that we need the power of, and to be changed by, God to do either of those well.

※Reflection※
- What does it mean for you to be a priest?
- What are some of the ways that you are a temple to and of God?
- How does you being a priest affect your understanding of also being a temple?
※Prayer※

God, grant us the lamp of love that never grows dim,
that it may shine in us and warm our hearts,
giving light to others through our love for them,
by its brightness provide a vision of the holy city where the true and inextinguishable light of Jesus Christ our Lord shines. Amen.
— a modified prayer of Columbanus
2021-10-29
Blazing a Way

Nehemiah 9:1-31

“It’s not our fault!”

That is proclaimed so much by so many about slavery, racism, poverty, etcetera…and they’re right. Yet, here we have the example of the Jews. It was the fault of their ancestors. However, their ancestors were dead.

All things new

Often, you cannot figure out the right way without figuring out the wrong way. Confessing the wrongdoing of one’s predecessors isn’t taking responsibility for it (i.e., guilt and shame for what they did). So what? Now is the time to forge a new path. Granted, the Jews of Nehemiah’s time were the descendants of those who rebelled against God. Yet, at least I can see a recognition that this confession is also a warning to themselves that this could befall them, too.

This passage in Nehemiah really causes me to pause and think about today in the US with our laser focus on our individuality. Perhaps our personal confession is too much about ourselves and not enough about others.

Ours to Confess

In the Lutheran tradition (especially during Lent), the following is spoken by the church body:

Most merciful God,
we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.
We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.

Our Forging

We are being forged. It sounds impressive until you recognized the forging process. Tossed in a hot furnace until you’re so hot that you almost melt. Put onto a hard surface and hit with a hammer, and maybe bent with tongs. If that’s not enough, you might be tossed back into the furnace and brought back out, and hit/bent some more. Then you’re tossed into a vat of oil or water to cool off. If you come out warped, enjoy the next trip through the furnace.

I’m not sure about you, but somehow that sounds kind of like now (and the previous couple of years).

Forging Expectations

As a white, middle-class, middle-aged male, I could be threatened by the riots, the challenges to my faith, the challenges to the church, the challenges to “my” culture. I might even feel threatened (or insulted) that people think that their understanding of each of these things actually represents who I am.

Or, I follow the example of Nehemiah and the Jews. I could confess that those who went before weren’t perfect, made mistakes, and even did things I believe are wrong. I’m not taking their guilt upon my shoulders, for that is not mine to bear.

However, leaving the wrongs things wrong just because they’re someone else’s fault is…wrong. And, because we are called to love others…it is often sin.

Sin, From a Certain Point of View

As someone from the Wesleyan theological family, the Lutheran confession of being in bondage to sin is irksome. It rubs me the wrong way. It superficially violates much of our understanding of being freed through Christ and can be seen to conflict with Entire Sanctification (aka, Christian Perfection).

We are in bondage to sin. Yes, I said it. Yet, it may not be our sin that we are in bondage to, but the sin of others. I am kind of “wrecked” (in a good way) with this. It transforms (in hopefully a Christ-like way) my thinking in regards to the concept of institutionalized racism and even the gap between wealthy and poor.

We are the church. Being free to follow and fulfill the love of Christ is our holy calling.

2021-08-25
Veiling Mystery
Psalm 111; Isaiah 25:6–10a; Mark 6:35–44

The veil has long existed as a physical reminder of mystery. The truly veiled bride becomes a mystery (again) as she walks down the aisle toward an anxious and waiting groom. Modern weddings have pretty much eschewed the bridal veil. The bride may have a nominal veil, but it serves no purpose but to fulfill a clothing tradition, as it does not mask the bride as she walks down the aisle. Even when we think we know what is behind the veil, there is this mystery of “what if” behind the veil that still attracts us.

The veil mentioned in Isaiah is a mystery in and of itself. Some translations leave it as a “shroud” or “veil”. Others name it a “burial shroud” due to its Hebrew root being “tight wrapping”. However, a “tight wrapping” can also be interpreted as “swaddling clothes” (i.e., for an infant).

The veil stuck in the middle of a feast and the destruction of death definitely puts some additional ambiguity in there (Hey, it’s a mystery!). Christian commentators will often invoke the “death of death” in this. They may be right.

However, at least some of the Jewish commentators put this in the middle of something completely different. Depending on how certain words are translated, this passage isn’t a positive message to non-Jews. According to Rashi, the whole feast is actually a trap, where the feast appears to be fine food and wine, but is actually the leftovers and the dregs (the debris left in the bottom after wine is aged), and that the nations (granted, that attack the Jews) will be destroyed.

Talk about a complete 180° turn! To Rashi’s understanding, the wrapping (the “veil”) is more of the vision that there is no escape from punishment. It is actually mind-blowing to read completely different understandings of Hebrew from people who were often trained to think the same way about Hebrew.

This apparent contradiction is one joy I have in the Scriptures, and why I’ve loved writing these devotionals. How can there be two completely different understandings of both the Hebrew and the interpretation?

First, of course, are the presuppositions. From a Jewish perspective, Isaiah is all about the immediate punishment of the Jews for their sins, and the subsequent punishment of those that afflicted and assaulted the Jews for their sins (on top of attacking the People of God). So, we should not diminish or dismiss their understanding. In fact, it can actually deepen our understanding.

One of the biggest lessons to learn from the Scriptures is the surface lessons and the deeper ones. Much of Isaiah does indeed lend itself to both (as do much of the prophetic works). The nations that attacked the Jews? Yep, they received their punishment, and they could not escape. The temptation of the land trapped them (the Romans has somewhat of the same problem generations later).

On the other hand, the coming of Jesus did not overturn the traditional understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus’ coming transform the understanding. A Jew who does not believe Jesus is the Messiah, Lord, and Savior will not have their understanding of these words transformed.

Just as we who have come to know Jesus have been transformed, so too have the Scriptures. Not literally, for Jesus is the Word, but in understanding. When the Word in the flesh came, the Scriptures gained new light, and humanity was gifted a transformed understanding of who God really is.

※Reflection※
- What are some “veils of mystery” that you can think of? What impact do they have in your life?
- How do both understandings of these verses in Isaiah inform you about God?
- Why is transformation such an important concept when it comes to the Old Testament and our reading and understanding of the Scriptures?
※Prayer※

Lord, you have and are the words of eternal life. Transform our hearts to hunger for your Word, that we can bear your Word into the world, and be a light to one another. Amen.

※ A Post Script ※

As I’ve communicated before, God has released (directed?) me to something new and unknown (a mystery). This is the last daily devotional. I thank you for journeying with me through the Scriptures. As I delve into what God has in store, expect to still hear from me, just in a different way than devotions have been done. I pray that God will continue to bless your walk with Jesus and that you find those Christian companions who will continue to deepen your faith and understanding. -Pastor Ian
2021-07-28
Your Contentment
Psalm 111; Genesis 18:1–15; Philippians 4:10–20

One of the harder things about being a Christian is that God often doesn’t give our heart’s desires. We describe God as good, loving, giving, and many other positive traits. Yet, the giving (or lack thereof) often gets in the way of our understanding of God’s goodness, loving, and giving nature.

Abraham and Sarah are the case in point. Do we really think that Abraham and Sarah haven’t been praying and pleading for a child up until now? Of course not! By this point, though, all common sense of being able to have a child has been fulfilled. Perhaps (though the Bible doesn’t say) Sarah had already completed menopause. What hope, from a human perspective, could there be?

Yet, Abraham didn’t stop himself from having God at the center of his life (which also doesn’t mean that he stopped making mistakes). We have all known people, perhaps even ourselves, who longed for a child of their own but may have had a long road of sadness and heartbreak. Some may have ended up with children of their own. Some may have adopted. Others may have chosen to invest in the children of others.

Contentedness, however, is something altogether different…maybe.

Paul was content. His heart was focused on something different, and that’s okay. There is often a focus on Paul’s content that is not in line with…Paul’s content. Paul’s focus was his testimony and the Christian communities he left behind. He was content that he had done his best, and content in his place in God’s plan.

It is possible to be content while striving for something. Even Paul continued to strive for the mission and dealt with the heartache for his distant communities as they struggled.

There is another way to view “content”, accepting circumstances with an open and loving heart. It includes trusting God. This understanding of content allows recognition that not everything is as it should be, so that there is room for improvement. This could also be understood as not allowing the circumstances to poison your heart against God or others.

※Reflection※
- How have you understood content in the context of a Christian life? How does the world understand content?
- How do we often allow circumstances to poison our hearts against God?
- What has been (or is) the biggest issue in your life that caused (or causes) struggles in your content?
※Prayer※

As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. Amen. (Psalm 17:15, NIV)
2021-07-26
Let ‘Em Fight
Psalm 145:10–18; 2 Kings 3:4–20; Colossians 3:12–17

It can be hard to be rid of wounds. Many physical ones heal with scars, though the deeper body ones may not heal well. For most of us, the emotional and spiritual wounds are the ones with deep and lasting effects. These are the ones that can hold us back; they can also be the ones that drive us forward. When our loved ones are wounded, often our response is heightened due to our desire to protect them and our subsequent failure to do so. We, then, may react toward them in ways that may seem unwise or over the top.

Elisha’s response to Joram (or Jehoram) may have been a bit harsh. Elisha was the spiritual son of Elijah as the inheritor of the prophetic position. Joram was the son of Ahab. Elijah and Ahab had a poor relationship. Horrible relationship might be more appropriate. Elijah lived much of his life in fear of Ahab. That likely deeply affected Elisha’s response to Joram. Even prophetic people are human.

Although it often seems impossible to live beyond our pains or the pains of our loved ones, we are still called to do it. Will we fail? More often than not. Yet, often it is only through the striving to move beyond the pain that we can begin to heal and gain new perspectives.

We bring our hurts with us everywhere we go, including church. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people leave a church (or the church or the faith) is because people at church hurt them. The reality is that the church proportionally contains as many hurt people as the world…100%. How we deal with the hurts should be what separates Christian behavior from the world’s behavior.

We should be honest…Christian behavior in this regard is often worse than the world’s. The world has put systems into place to mitigate some of it. It still misses a lot of it. Across the denominational landscape (i.e., in no way limited to a single tradition or denomination), the church has done a horrible job. Whether it is the burying and hiding of failures or the annihilation of the failed, the church has left a large body count in its wake.

Paul’s words to the Colossians aren’t just to a “church”, it is to individuals. One of the biggest mistakes we in/of the church make is thinking in institutional terms, rather than individual terms. This is very peculiar as the primary Western expression of Christianity is all about individual salvation, individual sin (for repentance and salvation). Yet, we are quick to move to an institutional framework when it (even just) might require us to deal with the failures of another.

There is a huge piece of personal responsibility. There is a huge piece of institutional responsibility. Institutions are made of individuals, so it still comes down to individuals. How we are formed by each other and the Scriptures will play a significant part of how we deal with things. Though, the hardest part is not running away every time, and yet—after doing the hard work—there is a time to leave.

The peace of one body is hard to achieve. Paul commends sing psalms and worship songs to one another. That “to” is interesting. Our worship songs are “to” God (as they should be as reflections of praise, adoration, and thanksgiving). It would be nice to know which songs and psalms Paul meant. It does mean though that we are to work on one another in the love of Christ. It also means, that we are to allow ourselves to be worked on, which often means our pains and hurts come out. What we do with ours and those of others may well reflect how much we really let the Holy Spirit renovate our hearts.

※Reflection※
- What worship songs (of any era) or psalms would you think of to sing to others to help form them in the image of Christ?
- When it comes to conflict how do you deal with it at home, at work, extended family, socially, at church? How do you respond when you witness conflict at each of these places?
- How do Paul’s words affect your responses, or your future responses, to conflict?
※Prayer※

Lord, we wrestle with one another, often out of pain. Blessed Healer, heal our hearts so that we do not hurt the hearts of others.
2021-07-23
Burning Call
Psalm 145:10–18; 1 Kings 19:19–21; Colossians 1:9–14

One of the issues that has come up in the last year in church-ish circles is the ordination of women. Saddleback took a bold step and ordained women which went against the predominant grain of their partner body (SBC). There was an unexpected explosion in certain circles against Beth Moore. Along with misogynistic proclamations and male misconduct issues in the SBC, Moore left that body that she had grown up in.

One of the claims against women being ordained are some contextually misused verses and the traditions of the Israelites. The Church of the Nazarene has ordained women since its founding, but over the years has struggled to fulfill that promise. It’s on the right track, but there is work to be done, still.

There is often a wringing of hands in Christian Complementarianism (where only men can be leaders/pastors/elders) circles that there aren’t enough faithful men to fulfill empty roles. The Roman Catholic church, on top of its complementarian issues also requires celibacy, is also experiencing this problem. Some churches in both groups are finding creative ways around their limitations, but the reality is that there aren’t the faithful men needed.

For me, there were two transformative experiences in this regard. The first was experiencing the preaching of Dr. Nina Gunter. Any person with any spiritual sense and without theological blinders could experience her spirit-led preaching. The second was during my “Discovery” weekend of my pastoral journey, where I had to preach to my peers, senior pastor, and District Superintendent. I preached from Luke 19:38–40, where Jesus was told to rebuke his disciples. He responded, then the rocks will cry out. When I was praying over the words to preach, it came to me; God will not wait for us to proclaim God’s glory.

In other words, in the tradition of the Church of the Nazarene (and our sibling Holiness denominations) already assumed there were faithful women (and, yes, there are deeper theological reasons). I came to realize that complementarianism may actually already have its answer. If the men won’t rise, perhaps the women will (see Judges 4:4–9). Not the most Nazarene answer, at the time, but it resonated with my heart (and its implications went far beyond the ordination of women).

Faithfully responding to God has long been an issue. It goes beyond gender. It goes beyond status. It goes beyond wealth. It is a reflection of sin.

To understand, Elisha was, at minimum, plowing in a community, where people worked fields together (theirs and each others’). Some commentators believe that Elisha owned (or was the son of the owner of) all the oxen. That would be 24 oxen, so that would have been a lot of wealth (kind of like having 24 Jaguar cars). Elisha (and/or his family) owning 2 seems much more likely. That would still put him (in modern terms) in a very comfortable middle class.

Then some famous guy comes and puts his mantle (Elijah’s symbol of the prophetic office) on Elisha’s shoulders. Elisha understands that Elijah is declaring him the heir of the prophetic office, which was an unusual example in the Scriptures. Elisha’s response was (basically), “let me show respect and love to my parents.” Done. Then Elisha burns the equipment required for a yoke of oxen, then kills same oxen for a celebration.

Elisha opening, publically, severs himself from his old life. That is a lot of money to just be burning. It’s a great party, but there is no financial way of coming back from it easily. It’s similar to “burning the ships”. Hernán Cortés was famously said to have done this (he really just sank them) to keep his men from trying to return home or mutiny (there is a lot more to the story, and much of it not so positive). Elisha did it for himself.

One of the challenges that the Western Church faces is trying to return. This isn’t just buildings (So, let’s not burn them or just sell them). Actually, it’s more of a way of thinking. Looking back for guidance and encouragement? Yes. Looking back for the plan to navigate this new world? No.

You, too, have a call on your life. You, too, have oxen to burn and ships to sink.

※Reflection※
- What items/events/fears of your past or present are keeping you from living an on fire life for God? (Yes, that is a question worth asking daily)
- If there was one “thing” in your life that would indicate that your are moving on, what would it be?
- Why are we so attracted to stories like that of Cortés or Elisaha, but don’t put it into practice? What other cultural icons (generic or specific) are similar to Cortés and Elisha?
※Prayer※

Lord, there is no question that we are called to live for you. Let our lives be the bonfires that bring people into your light. Amen.
2021-07-22
The Shepherd’s Care
Psalm 100; 2 Samuel 5:1–12; Luke 15:1–7

In case you haven’t noticed, the theme for the week (Thursday through today, plus tomorrow) is sheep. Almost all the Scriptures reference sheep in some form or another. Without question, the sheep are the People of God. Even in Luke, Jesus is still using the sheep as a term for the Jews. As Christians, we understand that we have been adopted into the family of the all-loving God (though some of us are more dysfunctional than others).

We might question being thought of as livestock, especially if you’ve had any experience with Soylent Green, Twilight Zone’s To Serve Man, Silence of the Lambs, Cloud Atlas, Make Room! Make Room! or Tender is the Flesh, or any of the real-life stories such as the Donner Party or Jeffrey Dahmer. While we have dystopian stories and real-life stories of people eating people, there is another type of eating of man that occurs, and that is the spiritual and emotional destruction that we often visit upon one another.

Despite the philosophy and dreamings of the Ayn Rands of the world, no human being can become fully human without being loved and cared for. This is the heart of the why the imagery of livestock. Not that God looks at us as livestock, but in the same way that humans look at their sheep and goats…unable to see the bigger picture. We cannot see the God-sized picture. The sheep and the goats could barely think beyond the grass in front of them. The sheep and goats had to rely on the shepherd.

The shepherd kept them safe. The shepherd cared for them individually. The shepherd knew them by name.

Take that concept into the elders of Israel coming to David and saying that he was their shepherd. Now, to be fair, most of them were probably not all that thrilled with David, at that point. Most of them had chosen to follow Saul, who was now dead at the hands of the Philistines. They initially rejected David’s kingship, but then came to him.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve been twisted into a cynical person. Perhaps, like me, you wonder if these leaders were conveying a slightly different message than, “you’re our shepherd.” Perhaps they were really saying, “we’re Israelites, too. Don’t take it out on us.”These verses in Samuel seemed more of the perspective to justify or solidify David’s kingship. For it was not until Hiram of Tyre acknowledged David that we see that David perceived that the kingship was his.

What is also interesting is that despite the leaders’ cynical statement (at least from my perspective), there was still truth. David was their shepherd. Verse 12 then ends with, “…Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingship was held in great honor for the sake of his people Israel.” And therein lies the underlying truth. It is for the people. It is for the herd. It is for the sheep.

As we come to the New Testament, with Jesus as a descendent of the Davidic line, this shepherd and sheep motif takes on a completely different role. Jesus knows each of us by name, even those who hate or avoid him. He knows everyone by name. Jesus is the True Shepherd.

※Reflection※
- From our (particularly) modern perspective, how is it bad to be a sheep? From a Christological perspective, how is it good to be a sheep?
- How and/or why do you think being a sheep went from positive to negative?
- What lesson can we learn from the motives of David and the elders (regarding being sheep and shepherd) in comparison to the Truth of Jesus being the shepherd?
※Prayer※

Lord, we like sheep have gone astray time and time again. Guide us into the Truth and Love of your embrace. Amen.
2021-07-21
Undivide
Psalm 23; Jeremiah 23:1–6; Ephesians 2:11–22; Mark 6:30–34, 53–56

The words from Jeremiah were primarily aimed at the priests and religious leaders. They are hard words for we clergy, as they should be. Yet, they are no longer words solely for the clergy. As a part of the priesthood of believers, they are for you, too. It might seem odd though as you may not be aware of even having a flock.

First, of course, is your family. However, for Christians, it expands far beyond the family. In fact, focusing too much on the family may blind us to our flock. Our flock may consist of coworkers, neighbors, even the staff of the restaurants you patronage.

The flock of your care is much like the Ephesians that Paul wrote to. He noted that at one point they were alien to the faith and alien to God. They were not in relationship with the Creator of the universe. In the current era, we need Jesus to break down the barrier of hatred that has been building up between the church and the world. This is not to say that we have to crucify Christ once more. It does signify the importance of the sacrifice, and just how important this wall is, along with our responsibility to tear down as far as is in our power and capability.

Our ability to work through this is similar to how Jesus saw the people who surrounded him. They had no shepherd. The world is much the same. Hence the tossing to and fro between this idea and that one.

We cannot be the True Shepherd, but we can lead people to Him.

One of the biggest ways is to be the healer. The world needs a lot of healing. The division of politics is a big one. Yet, there is the reckoning with the failures and (yes) sins of those that went before us. There are many things that need to be healed, and many of them are not on the evening news or the 24-hour news channels because they are not dramatically bad.

It is the little things in everyday lives that build up into large wounds that need healing. We see the big ones, but the reality is that the big ones were usually built on a bunch of little ones. Whether they were wounds in everyday life or wounds made in the church, it doesn’t matter. Because of who the husband of the church is (Jesus), we the church have the ability, perspective, and responsibility to heal the world.

※Reflection※
- Why do you think each person of the church is called to be a shepherd?
- Why is important for us to recognize our responsibility to help to heal the world?
- What is one wound that you have that you see in the world, too? How might you help the world heal that wound? Would help others through that wound help your own healing?
※Prayer※

Lord, we hear the voice of you, Our Shepherd. May we obediently follow your voice and your will. Amen.
2021-07-18
Kick or Lift
Psalm 23; Jeremiah 12:1–13; Luke 18:35–43

Understanding that we don’t know the whys and wherefores of life is one step. Accepting it is another. Then the biggest step is not blaming God. Often blaming God is the easiest as it means we have no responsibility. It also means we have no control, so we are “spared”.Yet, deep down inside we feel the disconnect. That’s why we, even in our modern enlightened era are constantly trying to find the next “right” leader (and leaders). We strive against our hopes and fears that the next one will be the “right” one.

Jeremiah summarizes all of these emotions with his anguished words to God. Jeremiah acknowledges that he (just like us) has no place to judge God. That doesn’t mean that Jeremiah doesn’t want to understand (just like us).

Although it is not stated, God seems to respond starting with verse 5, asking Jeremiah how long he will strive against all that is coming. Then the verses continue about an inheritance that has been abandoned because of the betrayal it had committed. There is no joy in God’s words. There is heartbreak.

A decision was made to turn against God; to go their own way.If they had been the blind man, calling for the mercy of God and meaning it. All things would have changed. The blind man was persistent in the face of contrary opinion. He asked for mercy. He received mercy. Jesus said it was his faith.

If the inheritors had begged in faith for such mercy, they, too, could have been healed.

※Reflection※
- Where in your life do you identify with Jeremiah?
- Have you had any experience in your life similar to God’s response in Jeremiah?
- Have you experienced or witnessed a similar movement of faith, grace, and healing as the blind man?
※Prayer※

God, we don’t see all the pieces. We know by faith that you are moving in the world. Help us to see your moving and the ability to share it with others. Amen.
2021-07-17
Good Fire. Bad Fire.
Psalm 142; Amos 5:1–9; Acts 21:27–39

Depending on who you talk to, the ability to make fire may be the most important invention of humanity. It kept creatures of the night away. It allowed the cooking of food, purification of water, and it kept people warm. Fire was used as a tool to burn forests to encourage grazing lands for food source animals such as bison and deer.

As time moved along, humanity’s ability to harness fire grew. Humanity learned to melt metal. Then it learned to purify metal through more fire. Then there were things like glass and steam-powered. All through fire. Even in today’s metal smelting industries, fire is one of the key pieces of refining and purification.

In the Scriptures, fire performs primarily two kinds of cleansing. The most destructive is the burning away of everything. We might call it “scorched earth”. The other type is purification. This is where high heat is held for a sustained time to draw out the impurities within.

In the context of Amos, the fire could be either form. Despite the ultimatum nature of Amos’ words, there is still a measure of choice and optimism. “Seek me.” Those simple words and simple actions were what God was looking for. Note that it wasn’t even follow. Just seek.

Thus, the fire could be different, depending on whether the Israelites sought God, or chose not to. One path would lead to a (proverbial) cleansing fire that burned everything away, both good and bad. In hopes, like the aftereffect of a forest fire, new healthy growth would take its place. Should the Israelites choose to seek God, there would still be a fire, and it would still hurt, but there would be purification.

Sometimes only purification is needed. Sometimes a clean slate is needed. The same can be said about our lives. The same can be said about our actions.

Sometimes we think we’re doing one when we’re doing the others. Sometimes we just want to watch things burn. Fires of prophecy can take many forms. Many people have claimed that we have been seeing exactly that over the last few years.

Except what is at the end?

In Jerusalem, people made assumptions about Paul and stirred people up. The Jews of Jerusalem made no thoughtful inquiry. They jumped to conclusions and became the fire. Others joined, probably many ignorantly, and the fire grew.

So, out came the firefighters. The Roman soldiers were commissioned to deal with out-of-control people. Often they did it through bloodshed. The Romans also made assumptions. An Egyptian? This is madness!

It doesn’t take a stretch to see “those” people making “those” mistakes and stupid decisions, and starting a proverbial fire. We’ve seen such similar things ourselves. The Jews and Romans couldn’t blame the internet or social media, though. We try, but history shows that even in the first century the flames of presumption, assumption, and ignorance can still overtake people. It only takes a spark.

※Reflection※
- What “fires” have you experienced, and how were they fires?
- How might the fires of madness (Acts) resemble refining fires and cleansing fires?
- Why is fear present in each of these types of fires?
- What is the most Christ-like way to deal with each type of fire?
※Prayer※

God, the promise of Pentecost is in the flames. Lord, may we be on fire for you. Amen.
2021-07-12