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Devotion.al

Tag: power

  • Being Someone for Someone

    Daniel 5:1–31, Isaiah 6:1–10

    Belshazzar didn’t learn from the stories of Nebuchadnezzer.

    Yesterday, we read about how Nebuchadnezzer didn’t really seem to learn the lessons that were in front of his face. On the other hand, there seem to have been a few things that he respected, one of them being the holy things from God’s temple. It is very interesting to recognize that. As the story of the Return unfolds, we learn that Nebuchadnezzer had an itemized inventory of the items from the temple. In his own (wrong) way he honored the God of the people he had captured.

    Belshazzar learned nothing, and understood nothing. Nor, does it seem, that he cared. Some scholars have declared the story of Belshazzar to be a fictional tale due to a couple of issues. The first is being King. He wasn’t. His father was by sitting in the royal seat, but his father was not a descendant of Nebuchadnezzer. Except, melek [meh·lek] is also used as royal. Belshazzar was also the guy-in-charge when dad left. So, “King” perhaps not, but Belshazzar’s behavior does remind me of an unruly spoiled child who threw a party when the parents were out. Another poke at the story, is that Nebuchadnezzer was called Belshazzar’s father. Yet, if you read other parts of the Old Testament, this isn’t necessarily a genetic parent statement, but a statement of a lineage of power. Regardless, though, Belshazzar messed up, and a big disembodied hand came and wrote on the wall.

    Belshazzar is not unique to the world, or to scripture. Far too many people dismiss God, because they cannot perceive God, they think. Instead, like Belshazzar and his courtiers, they worship gods of metals, whether it be homes, cars, gold, phones, computers, etc.
    Isaiah provides the counterpoint to such. While he had a mystical experience, his heart was already pre-oriented to God. Visions such as he had could be understood because of that. On the other hand, people who turn away from God have an experience and no transformation.

    1) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be a Daniel to them?

    2) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be Isaiah for them?

    3) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be Jesus to them?

  • Pedestals

    Daniel 4:28–37, John 6:25-35

    Nebuchadnezzar is an interesting study in faith, belief, unbelief, wrong belief, and pride. Nebuchadnezzar had been confronted by God’s might, majesty, and power multiple times during his reign. One would have thought that he might have learned something. However, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have to learn multiple times. As Nebuchadnezzar’s story ends at the end of chapter 4, it would be nice to conclude that Nebuchadnezzar learned. However, the Bible doesn’t say, and history (including even the history in Daniel) would imply that he didn’t.
    Nebuchadnezzar was in the middle of a culture with many Gods. As much as he was in power, he would have still had to consider the faith of the populace. Turning over their religion would not have gone well, and would have likely caused unrest. Other jealous and powerful people would have leveraged the unrest and potentially created a rebellion.

    We can see similar tensions in our own politics. It has only been in the last few years that politicians feel that it is culturally acceptable to not say they are a Christian. While there is a balance of power in our system, it wasn’t that long ago that politicians either toed the “Christian” line (of at least saying they were Christian) or did not succeed (by and large).

    Often in Nebuchadnezzar’s era, kings were what were perceived has making the country flourish, be bountiful, and be powerful. They were put on pedestals they hadn’t earned. Often they become proud. God made sure that Nebuchadnezzar’s pride took a hit.

    Sometimes God-fearing people get put on a pedestal, too. In this passage in John, Jesus has to correct the people that it was God the Father who gave the manna, not Moses. Imagine that! People had become confused enough that they thought a man completed and act of God (and for 40 years, at that).

    From what we know about Moses, he would not have accepted any part of God’s action. He often took a reconciling role between God and the people. By the time of Jesus, Moses had become a great mythical godlike super-man. Moses would not have been pleased.

    1) Why do we have a tendency to esteem people beyond their roles and capabilities (i.e., put on a pedestal)?

    2) How does putting a person on a pedestal endanger that person?

    3) How does putting a person on a pedestal endanger our personal and spiritual growth?

  • Perfect Perfectionism

    Matthew 5:43–48, 2 Corinthians 12:1–10

    Perfection. There are many well-meaning people that say perfection is the enemy of progress, profit, completion, excellence, or that perfection is the disease of a nation or a disguise of insecurity. Generally, however, it is not perfection that is the issue but perfectionism. This is where all the energy to accomplish something is put into making sure that it is perfect. Sorry, we’re human. Perfectionism needs to die. Perfection, on the other hand, needs to be lifted up.

    When Jesus talks about being perfect like the our Heavenly Father is perfect, it is the goal, in the same way that it is the goal to be perfect parent. It is the goal, not that we will ever achieve it on this side of life. There is the reality that you cannot hit what you are not aiming at, and balancing that against being too overwhelmed at not hitting the mark.

    Perfectionism, a trap that many people (Christian and not) fall into. Perfectionism is a performance evaluation, and often not a very good one. Perfectionism can also be the trap (or escape) keeping you from even trying in the first place (i.e., “It won’t be perfect, so why try.”).

    In the context of Jesus’ words, that perfection is lived out in love.

    Paul’s understanding of perfect seems to be slightly different, and it is. Perfection (God’s power being made perfect in weakness) has more the meaning of being fully expressed. How is God’s power being fully expressed in God’s weakness? Paul’ humbling due to the thorn. What the thorn actually is doesn’t really matter. The thorn forces Paul to be a lot more humble in his behavior (according to him). He brags about someone else and not himself.

    This is an aspect of Jesus’ “be perfect” in that Paul is loving (by building up) this other person, and also loving in his humble yet firm approach with the Corinthians. There isn’t a dictatorial admonishment here, but the loving reproach of a father to his children. Did Paul “perfectly” live out live, probably not. Did he strive to? Absolutely.

    1) What is your “gut” response to Jesus’ call to be perfect? Why?

    2) What is your “gut” response to God’s power being made perfect through Paul’s affliction? Why?

    3) Do you see a difference between perfection and perfectionism? What are the similarities? Why do you think these two terms get confused?

  • Inherting Legacy

    Genesis 47:18–26, Acts 4:34–5:11

    In the United States, land has long represented freedom, self-reliance, hope, and self-determination (on one hand), slavery, clearances, eviction, theft, and deceit (on the other hand. How can such divergent perspectives be? Well, for many Native Americans the initial immigration of Europeans may have not been a disaster, but what occurred especially after the Civil War (or the War Between the States) was often cruel and morally questionable (at best). For those trying to escape the crowded East Coast and the memories of the recent war and slavery, it was something to seek.

    Even today land is essential. While in the United States the land and the buildings (for example) are part of the value, in places like Japan, the land is the only thing that matter (for cultural reasons). Land has long been a symbol of power. It also is a symbol of life. It can also represent family roots.

    When the people of Egypt sell their land and themselves to Pharoah, they are surrendering their lives and that which allowed them to live. They had surrendered their future, their children’s future, and even their grandchildren’s future. In all likelihood, they sold themselves into bonded servitude to pay off the debt they took on to survive. It isn’t clear how long this servitude was to last. Theoretically, it was until the debt was paid off, however, as both the land and the people were sold, we can assume that it would take a while to pay off the debt. How the land would have been purchased back is something else. It would have been a process and a slow one. One’s only hope would be the dim one that one’s children would be free of the debt.

    With all the comes to mind in these situations, how people viewed themselves, their (lack of) freedom, or their hope (if any), is anyone’s guess. We can conclude that in desperate times that people surrendered their freedom and the one thing (land) that would allow them to continue to be free.

    Land is still pretty important. As we watch property values skyrocket, we are all very much aware of it. As more people move in, rural areas that were once affordable are no longer so. If someone were to just sell their property and give it to the framily (i.e., the church friends and family of Generations Community Church), we would all be grateful, but we would also be a bit confused. If that same person were to sell that property and only give the proceeds to those in need in the church, we would be a bit more understanding, but it would be unusual. This is not a moral judgment, but a recognition of just how strange the First Century Church was. It broke all the traditions.

    Tie this back to culture. The land was the family’s legacy and inheritance. Selling it was done only in desperation. Yet, here we are talking about exactly that. While Barnabas is called out in Acts (yes, Ananias and Sapphira are too), the implication is not that Barnabas’ act was unique, but it does imply that it was a significant sale. One of the differences that we can infer (easily) is that Barnabas did it to take care of his church family, while Ananias and Sapphira did it for acclaim. Both land sales took care of the church family, but the hearts of the sales were completely different.

    1) What relationship, reflections, and feelings do you have in regards to owning land (not necessarily buildings)?

    2) How desperate would you be to sell yourself, your property, and your foreseeable future to someone? How desperate must the Egyptians have been?

    3) What does Barnabas’ action tell you about who he viewed as family? What does that tell you about the First Century Church?

  • Blessings and Love

    Ecclesiastes 4:4–8, Ecclesiastes 5:8–17, Luke 12:13–21
    “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” —John Wesley

    Money and all that it can get a person is what drives so much. The worst aspects of capitalism are very visible, and rightly so. The media (capitalistic endeavors) are quick to question many with money. However, not all are questioned equally. Even as certain capitalistic practices are in the spotlight, still others are being hidden or ignored. Capitalism, despite being the current target, isn’t the only one with severe gaps of power.

    The wisdom of Ecclesiastes warns that those that pursue money/wealth/power may find themselves to be very lonely people, without companion, children or grandchildren. In this day and age, people consciously make that decision. When Ecclesiastes was written, this was really a huge insult and failure. The family was the primary social group. If you didn’t have a family and seemed to have chosen a path to not have one, you were letting down your parents, ancestors, and tribe. For such people, the value of all the work, all that life working, is lost in an instant. Despite all the wisdom, including secular and other religions, a shiny coin (proverbially) will lead people down a path away from people and God. They miss a lot of the Very Good Life. Very Good Life involves people. Of course, people also can be painful to live with. So, money often becomes a substitute relationship, for it doesn’t emotionally hurt you.

    When Jesus speaks to the man about his inheritance, it is not a matter of justice, but a matter of wealth. Obviously, there were some family issues that needed to be resolved. The inheritance was just a sign of the problem. The man had confused gain (wealth) with something completely different. This is why Jesus talks about the landowner who had had a successful crop. The landowner’s first response wasn’t, “Praise God!” It was, “horde more!” It is not that great crops and riches are bad, it is where they fit into our relationship with God and people. In verse 20, Jesus says, “…whose will they be?” The echo of Ecclesiastes is there. “No one you cared for will receive it,” could be said, “because you cared for no one other than yourself.”

    1) Have you ever made a decision of money or power or influence over people? If you say no, then you might want to reconsider (we all do it to some degree). If yes, what was that decision? Did you evaluate the decision based on people or something else?

    2) Throughout history, there have been people who have had no companion to love. How do you see yourself in such people? Do you know anyone like this? How can you love them?

    3) How do you balance God’s blessings (including those you worked for) in comparison to seeking more?

  • Avoiding Shaping

    Psalm 103, 2 Peter 1:3–11, 1 John 1:5–2:2

    Have you ever whittled, shaping a piece of wood cut-by-cut, flick-by-flick, putting something into life that was only in your mind?

    While God does not use a knife to whittle on us, through others and life’s trials God does shape us. Sometimes it is to bring something new and good out of us that we didn’t know we had. Other times God removes things and we don’t like it. It doesn’t happen all at once. Part of who we are is our flaws, personality traits, and our unredeemed nature. As we work with God, these are changed and transformed into something new.
    Peter reminds us that God’s divine power (i.e., not our efforts) gives us everything we need. We have to be willing sharing that power. It sounds strange. Share God’s power. However, if we look at human nature, humanity often will avoid that as it seeks its own way through its own power. Peter gives us the blueprint of adding to our faith. With this adding, there is a bit-by-bit transformation. There is an end goal, and it is to be fruitful. When we speak about our transformation it is so that we are able to add to God’s kingdom.

    Sometimes (okay, maybe every day), we have to do a self-check on what we’ve done and not done. Sometimes we can not love others as ourselves. Sometimes we don’t love God first. It is all part of our human condition. As we are “added to” (per Peter) every day, we hope that we will be improved. However, we all know that there will be missteps, mistakes, and sins. While God gives us the power to avoid sinning, sometimes we lack the wisdom and maturity to not misstep or make mistakes. We do not have to be down on ourselves or be too harsh on ourselves. John tells us to have a life of confession. We need to confess our sins. Does it fix everything? No. It does, however, remind us where the true orientation of our heart needs to be.

    1) Why do you think Peter uses “adding to” when he talks about the path of holiness he is laying out?

    2) What does it mean to you that you share God’s power?

    3) How does confession help to bring us to the Very Good Life?

  • Resurrecting Perspective

    Matthew 28:1–8, 1 Corinthians 15:12–23

    HE IS RISEN!

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3–4

    The cross is the threshold between the fallen life and the Kingdom life. Once we have accepted all that comes with the cross, we step across the threshold. In many ways, we are now in a long state of waiting, yet…He is Risen!

    We have the ending. We know the ending. Yet, we wait.

    The wait between crossing the threshold and our own resurrection experience can be mere moments (e.g., deathbed salvation) or a really long time (e.g., a child’s salvation until they die). It is not just this day and age that looks at this wait as a very long time. When Paul was writing, they were expecting the end to come soon. Much of what Paul wrote was with the (short) end in mind. There was soon a need to revise their expectations.

    Today we still have people who claim the end of the world and Christ’s return is imminent. To God, it is imminent. It is just that God’s time frame is a bit longer than ours. Just like in simpler things (jobs, children, saving), we can get a bit impatient. Many people’s bodies and hearts hurt to such a degree that they would accelerate Christ’s return. Yet, to do so is to deny our responsibility in the waiting.

    We are called to walk with the world. They are waiting, too. They are just not aware of what they are waiting for. Just as we get impatient with waiting, so do they. The difference is the power of Christ in us. The power and hope of the resurrection may often be the only things that differentiate us from others. The power and hope of the resurrection may be the only thing that can keep us patient and maintain a positive outlook in this life. The power and hope of the resurrection call to those who wait, but know not what they are waiting for.

    1) Does the resurrection really affect how you view this life and the lives of others? If so, how? If not, should it?

    2) For the last few generations, the church has used the stick of Hell and the carrot of eternal life to call people into a life with Christ. How does this work with and against the power and hope of the Resurrection?

    3) Why is it important to understand that Kingdom life is now, rather than past or future? How does the Resurrection empower the Kingdom life?

  • Maundy Thursday

    Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Mark 14:12–52, Ephesians 5:15–21

    Many churches observe Maundy Thursday through a communal recreation of the Last Supper (or the First Communion). It is an especially poignant time to do it, as the shadow of Good Friday sits right there…waiting.

    John 13–18:27 is a much longer version of Maundy Thursday, and well worth reading. Luke and Matthew have their pieces of the story to tell, as well. The differing pieces are always an interesting thing to ponder.

    Instead of the usual Last Supper and foot washing, there is a piece that is often—but not always—overlooked: the singing of hymns. Matthew and John both mention singing of hymns (like Mark). It was part of the ritual. The tradition that evolved was that Psalms 115-118 (sometimes Psalm 114, too) were sung during Passover. These are songs of triumph and God’s glory. Psalm 117 even talks about the “cup of salvation,” which makes it quite appropriate for Maundy Thursday (or any communion service).

    Do you sing at meals? Most people probably don’t. If you have teenagers or young children, the thought of having any meal be longer feels like a headache. Yet, there is something to this that we should think on. It isn’t customary to sing at every meal, but how about symbolically important ones? While Passover does not have the same weight for most Christians as those of Jewish descent, it still should be very significant in our religious observances.

    The power of Passover and Maundy Thursday is that as much as humanity had a part in it, God was the star. There are huge and powerful things that happen on Passover and Maundy Thursday, the response of the faithful should be awe, amazement, and a whole lot of singing.

    1) Have you ever been to a Maundy Thursday service? If so, what were your takeaways from the experience? If not, why might it be powerful to wash the feet of others, have your feet washed, and to experience communion?

    2) Singing is often part of many worship services. Why do you think that is? Have you have been to a service where there is no singing? If so, do you know why, and what was your reaction?

    3) It is not coincidental that Maundy Thursday is a Passover meal. Why do you think it’s important? What is different between the two?

  • Whys of Betrayal

    Psalm 55, 2 Samuel 16:15–17:10, John 13:21-32

    Betrayal. It’s not that we expect our enemies or adversaries to “play” fair, but our friends? Co-workers? Family?

    It’s hard. It hurts. We often feel absolutely powerless in the midst of it. Then we feel angry. All very human.

    The psalmist (probably not David, but maybe) goes through the woes of life. Things are not going well for the psalmist. The dark pit of despair, sorrow, and anguish. Those who have lost a very dear loved one and those that suffer with severe depression (or other similar conditions) know this place far too well. The human part of us flees for shelter. For many it is anger. For others it can be many other things, with many of them being unhealthy. Sadly, when caught in the pit, and feeling powerless, these hurting people hurt those they can, not because they want to, but because of a perverse need to. This is not to call them evil, but to call it what it is, a sign of a fallen world, filled with sin.

    When Absalom overthrow’s his father, David, two of his father’s counselors come to him. Hushai deceitfully tells Absalom that he (Hushai) serves the king, whoever the king is. This is interesting as this should be exactly the words of Ahithophel, for this is the heart of Ahithophel. He seeks to advise the king, whoever the king is. Both are betrayers on the surface. One betrays the son to help the father (the rightful ruler) regain the throne. The other cares little, it seems, for who is on the throne, as long as he has power and influence over the one who sits on the throne. Sometimes, when there is a role reversal (like being de-throned), it can seem betrayal when a person keeps their position in the new power structure (like Ahithophel). To that person it may not seem betrayal, but the right thing, such as supporting the organization, and not the person. Often, betrayal is not straightforward.

    Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was not straightforward. From a Wesleyan perspective, Judas always had a choice. He made the wrong wrong one. Is this where we say, “thank you, God, for Judas’ betrayal?” Sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Yet, Judas’ betrayal seemed to be a key ingredient to the cross. Half a year’s wages to betray a friend? If asked, how many of you would look at your paycheck and say, “sure, I’ll betray a friend for half of a year’s pay.” None of us (hopefully). Yet, sadly, we betray each other for far less.

    Rumors, pride, envy, greed can all lead to betrayal, if they are not outright betrayal. What about that lie (white or not)? Is that betrayal? How about that thing you did that nobody knows about? Is that betrayal? When we look at Judas, we had better be sure we don’t say, “I would have never betrayed my friend like that.” Sure. Maybe. Take out the “…like that,” and rethink your response.

    1) Judas’ betrayal seems so easy to see, yet we won’t see our betrayal’s of others. Is this another case of judging others?

    2) We often justify betrayal based on, “the bigger picture” or “protecting” someone. Does that really make it okay to betray others?

    3) If we evaluate our behaviors, betrayal is something we try to avoid acknowledging. Why do you think that is?

  • Holy Monday

    Ecclesiastes 8:8–15, Psalm 51, Mark 11:12–18

    When the writer of Ecclesiastes notes that no one has authority over the wind, he had no concept of the wind power generation farms we have. We may have harnessed the wind to provide power for us, but we have no authority over it. We put the wind farms where the wind goes. We don’t build our wind farms and tell the wind where to go. The writer of Ecclesiastes, though, is really referring to the rich and powerful who act as if they have all the control and power. Often we play right into the hands of the powerful, just as the powerful do for each other. As the writer of Ecclesiastes notes, the rich and powerful people go in and out of the temple with people praising them. Because of how the rich and powerful got there, all their praise and worship is worth absolutely nothing.

    The Psalmist speaks to the reality of this empty praise when he writes about God not wanting sacrifice or burnt offerings, but humble people. The rich and powerful praised on their way back from the temple were (generally) not there for worship.

    When Jesus comes and clears the temple, the rich and powerful have set up a system that keeps people from praising God as prescribed. Think of tourist traps. The burger might cost $15 there, but $6 at home. That is what is going on in the temple. When Jesus accuses the priests and moneychangers of being thieves, it is because they have added on a huge cost that negatively affected people. They filled the temple courts with something that didn’t belong.

    Are you expecting or planning something that doesn’t belong in the courts of the house of God?
    1) People leave (or go to) churches for reasons that often have nothing to do with God. Have you ever done so?

    2) What things do you think should be cleared out of church? Now, is it because it actually is a barrier between people and God, or is it because it is something that you are not familiar or comfortable with?

    3) Do you think the powerful learned anything from Jesus’ actions in the temple? Why or why not?