Devotion.al

Tag: wisdom

  • Roads and Gates

    Psalm 113; Matthew 7:13–23; John 14:1–7 (read online ⧉)

    “I am the way, the , and the life…” is often presented in the same vein as “…the narrow gate.” Yet, “the way” isn’t the same. The Greek ὁδός (hodos) is a relatively generic term that is used to mean a wide road to a narrow road. The real gist is that it is well-used and that it connects places (often other “ways”).

    When speaks of being “…the way, the truth, and the life…” we really need to use its larger context to explain it. This is more of a “pastoral” comfort statement than a rigid “follow me or else” statement. The surrounding verses seek to soothe the anxieties of the disciples regarding their choice to follow Jesus. They needed to know they had made the right choice. In the same passage regarding being the way, Jesus tells them not to be troubled, and that the ‘s house has many rooms. Jesus reassures them that they know the way.

    It’s sad, yet understandable, how this passage became interpreted the way of exclusivity instead of compassion, , and . Often used to show that any way other than Jesus is destined for Hell, this passage is intended to show that God has grace for everyone as they do their best to accompany and follow Jesus through life.

    Rupertus Meldenius once wrote, “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.” This would seem to be the of Jesus’ words to his disciples when he talked about being the way, the truth, and the life. Oddly, enough, this leads us to Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:13–14.

    The narrowness of the gate and the difficulty of the road comes into play here. It is this passage that likely transformed a passage of grace into a passage of exclusion. However, that doesn’t mean we get to ignore this passage.It is this passage, however, that provides the boundaries of grace. Too much openness blinds us to the truth of God. This is the narrow gate. The difficult road is the urgings of the world pushing and pulling us toward “easier”, “more loving”, “more accepting” ways of . This kind of thinking is along the lines of “if it doesn’t hurt , then it’s fine.” The narrow gate and difficult road do not allow that.

    Jesus, you lived the life of a human. Give us the holy wisdom not to follow the world that does not know you. Guide us through the narrow gate and along the difficult road. We thank you for the Holy Sprit, which acts as the compass, guide, and counselor. Help, Holy , to be filled with you so that we walk in the way of life. Gracious Father, we thank you for you loving kindness that shared of yourself through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. May we honor that in our lives. Amen.

    1) What do you think of Rupertus Meldenius’ words? Do you think that they are right, or wrong? Why or why not?

    2) Why is the openness of the “way” of John 14:1–7 important when we talk about the “narrow gate” of Matthew 7:13? Which do you think is more important? Why?

    3) How can people (especially the ) be united, yet provide liberty and charity?

  • A Busy In Between

    Psalm 30; Luke 11:29–32; 1 Corinthians 15:50–58; 1 Peter 3:18–22 (read online ⧉)

    This is the day the LORD has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.
    Psalm 118:24

    I believe in Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the of the Holy and born of the virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the .
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
    From the Apostle’s Creed

    Easter has happened. Cries of, “He is Risen!” and “He is Risen, Indeed!” abounded. Yet, there is a mystery between death and resurrection. Holy Saturday was a day of uneasiness, , morning, and shock, but what about Jesus? Jesus was very busy, apparently.

    Unlike those who had died and came back to life (such as, Lazarus), who knows what their time was after their death and before Jesus or the prophets brought them back to life. That is, curiously, not discussed in the Scriptures. Curiously, because such a death-defying moment must have had something . There are thoughts, of course, that their mouths were sealed from talking about, or the experience was so profound it was impossible to explain (though that one would still mean stories). It could even be that they experienced no passage of time at all, so the whole question was moot.

    Jesus, on the other hand, was certainly not quiet in that time. Peter describes him as (basically) bringing the to the dead and setting them free from the bondage of ( and) death. No rest for Jesus!

    One of the biggest arguments against Jesus and the Resurrection and the love of God is the whole concept that people were condemned to eternal separation from God before Jesus became incarnate, lived, died, buried, and resurrected. However, Peter tells us that this isn’t the case at all! The first thing Jesus did…go save some people. Jesus went to the dead people first.

    Jesus said, “Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?, He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:31–32)

    Our concept of death is not God’s. Death overhangs our lives. The entirety of the COVID crisis is the fear of death of our bodies, and also all the little deaths (e.g., physical distancing) that appear to be going along with it. Death is not something that we can overcome. Only God can do that. What happens to us when we die is one thing, what Jesus did when he died is another thing completely. However, when God chooses to die for us, to liberate us from sin and death, where might the sting of death truly be?

    Gracious God, us and guidance as we try to understand the mysteries of who you are. Allow us, Lord, to hear of your love and mercy in your Word and apply these first to our minds as we seek to read and understand. Amen.

    1) Paul’s death-defying words are inspiring, however, we have all felt the sting of death. Does Paul lie, do we misunderstand, or is there something else going on?

    2) Do you think that Jesus’ words (Matthew 22:31–32) mean that people don’t really die, or what else might it mean?

    3) What does it mean to you that Jesus first went to the dead, rather than his disciples and friends?

  • Holy Tuesday

    Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 15:1-16 (read online ⧉)

    Isaiah’s lament is that of a lover of God who cannot the hardened hearts of others. Isaiah knows what his anointed purpose is. He also is experiencing some difficulties in getting the people to to God. He has not lost hope. His hope and trust are in God, not in the people of Israel actually responding. His value is in his obedience, not his .

    Paul’s words to the Corinthians while not as heavy-hearted as Isaiah’s lament still carries in it the reality that God’s message will not always be heard. God is supposed to be the stone upon which Israel was built, so Paul described the mystery of the cross a stumbling block. The Gentiles treasured (or hoarded) wisdom and , so Paul called the mystery of the cross foolishness.

    When we begin to draw upon the true vine, the mystery of the cross becomes a stepping stone and foundation, and not a stumbling block. The mystery of the cross becomes our wisdom as we draw on God’s wisdom, rather than the world’s.

    As we all draw upon the vine, we become more “of one mind”. Our way of thinking transforms from selfishness to selflessness. That doesn’t mean we all don’t have more transforming to do, but it is by drawing on the True Vine that we can do it.

    As we become of one mind with each other, we become (ever so slowly, it seems) of one mind with Christ. We no longer have to be directed for each step, but through the transforming of the Spirit, we as Jesus would.

    1. Much of the world looks at Christianity as foolishness, if not downright dangerous. Are you able to see what they see when they look at Christianity? If not, how can you relate Christianity (and therefore the ) to them?

    2. Selflessness can without Christ. How does it do so?

    3. Can you be selfish and a ? How do you reconcile that with the growth of selflessness in the Christian?

  • You, The World, God

    Exodus 20:1–17; John 2:13–22; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; Psalm 19 (read online ⧉)

    The 10 Commandments in Exodus. The temple cleaned out with whips. The foolishness of the Cross versus signs and . All 3 passages are passionate reminders of who God is, and each tells so in different ways.

    Exodus establishes the foundations of the God-Israel (and speaks to ours, as well). The Gospel of John tells of the cleansing of the temple, removing man-made obstacles and the exposing duping of the faithful. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians encourages them that they cannot base faith on mere Greek “wisdom” and the Jewish desire for signs.

    God sets some ground rules for and loving interacting relationship with God and man. summarizes it this way, “…‘You shall the Lord your God with all your , and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” [Matthew 22:36-40]

    Through the cleansing of the Temple, Jesus cleared his Father’s house of that which distracted from worshiping God, and that which prevent right . Jesus made a point that his Father’s house has one purpose, worshiping God. He also called the leaders and merchants out on their corruption of a sacrificial law that was intended to bring people to God, while reminding them that they needed a bridge (blood) to cover their wrongs.

    Paul let Christians know that the world would never view them the same as it used to. Their interactions with the world would be strained, as they were considered fools by their beliefs. This of Jew and Gentile was confronted by the Jew and Gentile outside faith in Jesus, and how they no longer quite fit into the world they left behind.

    Much of our journey in faith can be summarized into these three areas: our relationship with God; our with in the faith; our relationships with those outside the faith. We can even look at Jesus’ life with these three facets, seeing the ebb and flow.

    At the beginning of our walk, we usually try to balance these three facets, but unlike a triangle or tripod, the three facets are not really able to be balanced. We tend to extremes in them all, bouncing from one to another. Many people have found that the best expression is the three concentric circles, starting with a small circle, which is circled by a larger one, which is circled by even a larger one.

    Of course, the question is what is the order of the circles?

    1) Going from inner to middle to outer ring, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective?

    a. God / Others in the Faith / Others in the World

    b. Others in the World / Others in the Faith / God

    2) Which one are you?

  • Look at Me! Or Not…

    Luke 18:10–14, 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (read online ⧉)

    This passage in Luke, rightfully, is often used in the church to admonish the people about how they view other Christians. This passage speaks truth to the world, no matter their beliefs. Almost every person is a Pharisee. It is part of the fallen human condition. We compare ourselves to . All too often we look to others to evaluate ourselves, whether we are looking at or failure.

    In the case of the Pharisee in the passage, he is looking at the “sinful” state of the tax collector. To the Pharisee, the tax collector was “contaminated” by being a tax collector. The Pharisee condemned the tax collector by an earthly state, not a spiritual one.

    The world will often judge us (and we judge the world) by careers, location, origin, and many other things. The list is long. The issue is, as it was for the Pharisee, is that this mentality is a barrier to our repentance and salvation. If we constantly, compare our ways to others (whether good or bad), we are focused on ourselves and others, and not God.

    Often we are blind to our ignorance. reminds us that worldly is not all that wise in comparison to God’s wisdom. What we choose to look at in another person, may not be what God is looking at, and God is the judge.

    When we focus on God’s wisdom we get something foolish to the world, God’s , , and .

    1) Do you ever compare yourself to others? If so, what areas in particular? If no, are you really sure?

    2) How does comparing ourselves to others hamper our spiritual growth?

    3) How do you boast in God? How have you heard others boast in God?

    : God to forgive you when you think too much of yourself, and when you think too little of yourself, and to you wisdom with both.

  • Wisdom Somewhere

    Proverbs 1:20–33, Proverbs 9:10, Matthew 7:7–12, James 1:5–8 (read online ⧉)

    Choose a side is the overwhelming discourse in politics and social issues these days. Without question, social media and the , in general, have made the ability to blare one’s opinion throughout the world. Regardless of one’s politics, newspapers (or news companies) seem to feel a need to make their opinion known on which candidate is the “best” choice. For example, the New York Times is currently working on its review of and interviews with all the current candidates from the Democrat Party, so that they can editorially endorse a particular candidate. For some reason, the New York Times (and other “news” organizations, regardless of apparent ideology) feels the need to declare its allegiance to a particular candidate speaks to a loss of neutrality.

    This all speaks to a long-standing culture that “leaders” or leading organizations must declare a right and wrong side. The universal (i.e., not just Generations Community Church) is struggling with this very thing. So, too, are many people within the church. We have become so polarized that everyone expects to have people declare their stance. This is understandable. This falls well within the right/wrong rules that we all need to have. It also fits our general behavior of who is “in” and who is “out”.

    F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Regardless of “intelligence” (which is subjective in many respects), this is an uncomfortable statement. By holding contradictory ideas, it makes it harder to be put into a , which makes it harder for people to relate to us, doesn’t it? It didn’t use to be this way (or at least to this level); now we have to put ourselves in a box to make it easier for to deal with us.

    People have been “wise” for years. True comes from God, yet (sadly) most people are more satisfied by human wisdom, and therein lies the problem.

    It is not that worldly wisdom is automatically bad. It is automatically deficient, as it is human not God. The passage in Matthew and James talk about Godly wisdom insofar as asking for it. Jesus’ focus (in this passage) is more on the wisdom to see and enter the of God. James is more concerned with maintaining the walk with Jesus (arguably the same thing as Jesus’ concerns). The “problem” with Godly wisdom is that it isn’t worldly wisdom. wisdom (currently) wants us to be in worldly wisdom boxes. Godly wisdom doesn’t fit in worldly wisdom boxes.

    As we interact with the world, we will often be confronted with the obvious contrasts between worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom. However, there will be times where worldly wisdom appears to be in line with Godly wisdom. This is actually when it is the most dangerous for us as followers of Christ. When worldly wisdom appears to be in line with Godly wisdom, it becomes easier to nudge us to continue to follow worldly wisdom and away from Godly wisdom. First, it seems okay, but after a while, we can find ourselves far enough from Godly wisdom that we have to reset. When we reset ourselves, we become discouraged. That is why we must continually God for God’s wisdom. We won’t, unlike Solomon, get it all at once. It is the pursuit of it that will and form us into the people of Godly wisdom.

    1) What is wisdom? Do the verses from Proverbs help or hinder your understanding of wisdom?

    2) Why is wisdom important? How does, or does it, affect intelligence and knowledge?

    3) How does James’ “double-minded” apply to intelligence and wisdom?

  • Evangelizing the Body

    Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 25:15, Isaiah 40:10–14, Matthew 12:11–21 (read online ⧉)

    The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is, “to make Christ-like disciples in all nations.” In case you’ve forgotten, though you probably haven’t, one of the tasks of Christians is to make disciples. The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is really the upon all Christians. For many years, the culture of the United States appeared to have a deep understanding of Christianity and had embraced it. The formulation of evangelism has been firmly rooted in that. Techniques such as the Romans Road and 4 Spiritual Laws were developed for that culture. If these techniques were so effective, the religious landscape of our country would be very different. It is not that they were not effective, it was just that the presentation of their effectiveness is questionable.

    The reality is that techniques that rely on a particular time, place, and culture will only be effective for a short time. The time that many were effective was relatively short. There are many, however, that still cling to these ways. Much of the reason is that they were simple and straight forward. On the front end, they also appeared effective in the short term as people “came to Christ.” Yet, over time a large proportion didn’t “stick.” This actually why evangelism in today’s world has far greater potential.

    In today’s world, the fact that we can no longer rely on techniques and “quick-strike” techniques is actually a good thing. It’s a hard thing. It’s a very hard thing. It’s still a good thing. In today’s culture, relationship is the single biggest “technique”. If we are honest with ourselves, we can look back even at the evangelism techniques and recognize that when it “stuck” a relationship was involved.

    Our two verses from Proverbs address speaking with . Contrary to Proverb 15:1, the church (generally) has been characterized (with reason) as speaking with harsh words. In our worthwhile attempt to guide/direct people to live a God-honoring life, we instead scarred and hurt them with our words. Proverbs 25:15 shows us that gentleness will win for more people over, and if our goal is to win people over to Christ, then we should follow the wisdom of Proverbs. Here is the struggle point, however, with this wisdom; there is no guarantee and it will take time. In a quick-fix world like ours, the dedication of time becomes a stumbling block to Christians living out their mission.

    Gentleness and guiding are part of the image that Isaiah is trying to portray. Isaiah shows God’s heart for people. Who are we to not follow this guidance? Carrying lambs and guiding those nursing is not quick. It requires and . This guidance and care is placed in the middle of verses talking about God’s glory and power. This tells us that power and glory go hand-in-hand with guidance and care. Of course, there is a tendency towards condescension, of which we must all be cautious.

    This view of God is then applied to by Matthew (who was quoting Isaiah). It carries on the view of God above. There is the preceding story of a “sinful” on the Sabbath. Where was the gentleness and guidance in this? There was only condemnation and condescension. The key for our thoughts on gentleness and guidance are really in Matthew 12:20. A bruised reed means the plant is already injured and hurting. One can easily break a bruised reed, rather than bandage and work to heal it. A smoldering wick means that the fire was blown out or the oil extinguished. One can more easily fully extinguish a smoldering wick rather than reigniting the flame or filling the lamp with oil.

    1) Due to many issues (both past and ongoing), evangelism needs to occur in the church, as much as outside of the church. Who is someone struggling with their or beliefs? Who can you stand next to and lift up?

    2) Many of the people that we outside of the church have been hurt by it. This can be by words or spoken actions taken. It can also be by stories told of the church. How can you work to build a bridge to those that have been hurt by us?

    3) When being confronted with a challenge to your views, especially your world view, how do you ?

  • To Be Called

    Psalm 34, Isaiah 49:1-6, 1 Corinthians 4:1-16 (read online ⧉)

    What does it mean to be called? That is a question many people themselves at various points in their lives. When we were children, the question could be, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Granted, in family businesses there could be an of “” which presents its own dangers. As we enter the teenage years, beings to become a focus (“Who am I?”). This will often take and be shaped by activities and friends. In the last decade, or so, we’ve seen a new trend, and that is “calling” children to more and more activities or to multiple seasonal versions of the same activity (often sports). Young teenagers are now being pushed to decide career paths while figuring out who they are, as certain decisions (such as the fantastic programs of Running Start, College in the Classroom, and AP courses) affect college decisions, and potentially financial-aid decisions, too. As the average lifespan increases, we are beginning to compress the childhoods that many of us treasured to resemble earlier eras. Also, as lifespans increase, career changes (not just jobs) are becoming increasingly common. That is one of the interesting pieces, as our jobs are increasingly less of our identity.

    Isaiah did not have a question of his identity to a great degree. Since he felt that he was called before he was born, it was likely that he followed seers or prophets or sages. He was probably often following priests and scribes, too. It was his identity. It was his calling. It certainly wasn’t an easy one. It might have given him resilience during his ministry, and it certainly isolated him from others. describes himself as a “manager” of the mysteries of God. It is a strange calling, but it was his.

    Do not judge yourself, or your calling, by Isaiah, Paul, or any others in the Scriptures. Evaluate your call against them for insight and . Each person in the Scriptures was unique and uniquely called, just like you.

    N.T. Wright (former bishop now educator and researcher) recently said, “…I think a lot of people feel guilty that there are some things which maybe when they were called…they thought they would be doing. And they either didn’t seem to be very good at it or they didn’t get the opportunity to do it. And I really want to say that we all have our particular gifts. And we shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact that there are some gifts that we might have thought we were going to be given in ministry or whatever, which we don’t have…I think of extreme examples of people who served God with everything that they’ve got, in a very what looks like to most of us a very bleak and obscure way. I think of Alexander Cruden, who did the great concordance couple hundred years ago. And, and he was, we would today say he was really far out on a spectrum. He was quite an unbalanced . But he needed to be like that for the very odd job that God had for him, which was producing—by hand—a concordance which served the church amazingly well for a very long time. And I possess my grandfather’s copy of cretins, concordance, and it was a great help before all the modern computerized stuff can So I really want to say if somebody has an academic bent or a bent for lexicography, or… if somebody has the real pastoral ability to spend hours working with, say, Children in Need or at risk or families that are in trouble, …that’s fine. God needs those gifts.”

    Sometimes we are blind to our gifts and/or our calling. Other times people will ask for our help and we realize that it isn’t our call, but something connected is. The question isn’t, “are you called?” The question is, “What are you doing with your calling?”

    1) Do you know what your calling is? If not, who are some mature Christians you know that could help you figure it out? If you do, how did you come to that conclusion?

    2) Do you think your calling has or will ever ?