Psalm 23
2 Kings 6
Sermon for North Hill Adventist Church, May 1, 2010.
Aram was making war on Israel. It was a low-grade, on-going conflict. Skirmishes across the border. Raids against small towns.
The king of Aram hoped to find some way to make a decisive strike against the Israeli army that would change the balance of power. He began setting ambushes that he hoped would take out a major portion of the Israeli army. But it never worked. Aram’s spies would work out the patterns of Israeli troop movements or they would get inside information about some specific plan of the Israeli army. Based on this information, the king of Aram would set up an ambush. And wait. And wait. And nothing. The Israeli army never walked into one of his ambushes.
After months of this, the king of Aram began to suspect the Israelis had planted a spy in his own inner circle. The constant failure of every single plan could not be mere coincidence. Something fishy was going on. The king summoned all his officers.
When they were all gathered, the king had them stand in a large semicircle. At first, he said nothing. He just stared. Slowly looking around the group, staring each man in the eye. Tension in the room rose. Something big was up. The king was mad. Somebody’s head was going to roll. Finally, the king spoke. “Who is the traitor? Someone in this circle is passing secrets to the Israelis. Who?” Again, he stared around the circle. Drilling holes with his eyes in the face of each of his lieutenants.
The silence was terrifying.
Finally one of the officers spoke up. “Sir, the traitor is not in this circle. None of us is on Israel’s side. It’s the prophet Elisha. He tells the king of Israel the words you say in your bedroom.”
The officer’s claim was not far fetched. The king knew the story of Naaman–the Aramean general who had been cured of leprosy by the prophet. The king had probably heard other stories that circulated in the bazaars of Damascus. Elisha had caused an iron ax head to float up from the bottom of the Jordan river. He resurrected a boy who died of sun stroke. Elisha multiplied a handful of food to provide a meal for a hundred men. He had engineered the destruction of an entire Moabite army. No priest or magician in ancient time had demonstrated more power than Elisha. So yes, it was believable the prophet might be able to supernaturally listen in on the king’s war planning councils.
The king had only one option: He had to get Elisha.
His spies had a new mission. Forget the Israeli army. Find Elisha. It wasn’t hard to do. Elisha did not hide. He was not an Osama bin Laden hiding in a cave. He was not even a president Ahmedinajab, carefully shielded from the public by security forces. He moved around the country doing God’s work. Touching people.
The spies reported back to the king: Elisha is in the village of Dothan.
The king immediately dispatched a strong force of horsemen and chariots to capture the prophet and bring him back to Damascus.
(This part of the story is curious to me. If the king really believed that Elisha could listen in on his bedroom conversations, how could he imagine that he would be able to capture Elisha? The king was obviously determined. He was going to leave no strategy untried. He wanted money. Subjugating Israel and making them pay taxes was the most obvious short cut to wealth. Sometimes the lure of money leads us to make some rather foolish moves.)
So the Aramean special forces arrived outside Dothan late in the night and surrounded the city.
The next morning early Elisha’s servant went up on the roof. From there he immediately saw the village was surrounded. He raced back down to tell Elisha. The prophet and servant went back up to the roof. Sure enough. The city was surrounded.
The servant is desperate with fear. “Master, what are we going to do?”
Elisha just laughs. “Calm down. Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
The servant doesn’t get it. Dothan is not a city. It is not a royal garrison. There are only a few men in town. There are no military units stationed in the city. Who is Elisha thinking of when he says, “We have more on our side than they have on their side.”?
The servant must have expressed his doubt because the Elisha asks God to let his servant in on the secret. “O Lord,” Elisha prays, “open his eyes so he can see.”
God did as Elisha asked and opened the servant’s eyes. Suddenly he saw a vast army of horses and flaming chariots riding in the sky above the hills surrounding Dothan. Compared to these chariots in the sky the Aramean force did, indeed, look rather puny.
As the prophet and the servant watched, the Arameans began advancing on the village.
Elisha left his roof and walked to the gate of the village. There he prayed again. “Lord, strike these men with blindness.”
Again, God did as Elisha asked. The entire unit went blind. Instantly!
Elisha walked out to their commander and offered his help. “You’re on the wrong road.” he told them. “This is the wrong city. Follow me and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.”
What could they do? They were blind. They were in enemy territory. So they followed this helpful stranger. The entire force riding blindly behind their leader, whose horse was being led by an old man.
Elisha led them into the city of Samaria, the capital of Israel. It was a strongly fortified city, with a resident force of soldiers. Elisha and his entourage passed through the gates and kept going until they were in the heart of the city. Perhaps on a parade ground or square. Then, once the Israeli army had its archers and other soldiers in place around the Arameans, and the king of Israel was standing beside the prophet, Elisha prayed again.
“Lord, open their eyes.”
Again God did as Elisha asked and restored sight to the blind soldiers.
I would really like to see this in a movie. Can you imagine the look on the faces? The Arameans know they are toast. They’re dead. They’re looking right at the points of arrows that are aimed straight at them. The Israeli soldiers are dreaming of revenge. It’s finally their time to get even. They can hardly wait for the command to slaughter the Arameans. They’re staring down the shaft of their arrows right in the faces of their enemies.
The king of Israel is no different from his men. “Shall I slay them, my father?” he says to Elisha. “Shall I slay them?”
“No!” Elisha snaps. “Would you kill soldiers you captured with your own sword or bow?” If it would be wrong to slaughter prisoners you captured in a hard fought battle, how much more immoral would it be to slaughter soldiers who were handed over to you by God? Then Elisha gave him instructions for destroying the Aramean enemies.
“Set food and water before them. Then send them home to their master.”
One way to destroy and enemy is to make him a friend. It worked on this occasion.
Elisha was no shrinking violet. Several chapters earlier there is an account of a war between Israel and Moab. Israel got into a terrible predicament and in desperation the king sought Elisha’s counsel. Elisha rescued him from his predicament and gave directions for a strategy that resulted in the complete virtual annihilation of the Moabite army.
Near the beginning of his ministry when a group of young thugs was mocking him as God’s representative, Elisha cursed them. Immediately two mother bears came out of the woods and mauled forty two of the trouble makers.
When his servant Gehazi used his position as Elisha’s assistant to fraudulently enrich himself, Elisha cursed him with leprosy.
Elisha was not a softy. He was not blind to human evil. He was not unwilling to take stern action when necessary. So his counsel in this case is even more attention grabbing.
“Do not harm these soldiers God has given into your hand. Feed them and send them home.”
The king of Israel did as Elisha said. He prepared a great feast for the Aramean special forces. Then sent them home.
The story ends with these words, “So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.”
How do you get rid of enemies? One way, a very common human approach, is to annihilate them. God’s way, at least his preferred way, is to turn them into friends.
John 3:17 says, God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And it is important to understand that John always uses “the world” to describe humanity in its rebellious, lost state. God did not send Jesus to condemn sinners and gossips and wife-beaters and tax cheats and greedy bankers and lazy drug addicts. God sent his son to save sinners. To save people like you and me.
That was Jesus mission. That was God’s mission in the Old Testament.
The most famous Philistine in the Bible is Goliath. How does his story end? David takes him down and chops off his head.
There is another Philistine, King Abimelech. When Isaac faced starvation because of a famine, King Abimelech gave him sanctuary. Later Abimelech entered into a treaty with Isaac, because, Abimeleh said, “We see clearly the Lord is with you . . . and you are blessed by the Lord.” (Genesis 26)
So are Philistines the bad guys or the good guys?
What about the Canaanites?
Rahab was a prostitute in the Canaanite city of Jericho. The people of Jericho were so wicked God decreed the annihilation of the entire population. To emphasize: Rahab was a prostitute in a city that was so evil it was consigned to destruction. If you were looking for an example of someone who was beyond hope and help morally speaking, Rahab would be exhibit A. Except she wasn’t beyond hope and help. She was already a closet believer even while running her business in Jericho. Because of her hidden faith, she hid two Jewish spies who came into the city. As a reward, she was saved. And her entire clan. And all her friends. Anyone who was in her house during the invasion was saved.
Before the battle for Jericho began Joshua, the Jewish general, gave the two spies the specific assignment to make sure Rahab and all the people in her house were protected. Rahab and company joined the Jewish people. Rahab herself was honored by God as one of the ancestors of Jesus.
So are Canaanites the bad guys or good guys?
To bring the story bad to Israel and Aram in the days of Elisha:
Naaman was the commander of the Aramean army. He also had leprosy. Through an amazing run of events he met the prophet Elisha and was cured. And was converted. He returned to Damascus a worshiper of the God of Israel.
Elisha understood that the greatest triumph in the war with the forces of evil was not the destruction of people but their salvation.
That is still true today.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called the children of God.” Our membership in God’s family is most evident when we are busy making peace.
Elisha was the most powerful miracle worker in all of Bible history other than Jesus himself. His most dramatic miracles led to the conversion of Israel’s enemies.
What are you doing about your enemies? How much energy are you putting into praying for their conversion? What have you done to reach out to win their heart? What plans have you made to seek their well-being?
Some people, I presume Christians, have launched a Facebook page praying for President Obama’s death.
Those who are involved in this project risk hearing the words of Jesus: “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.”
I read an article this week about someone who was tired of the negativity of the Tea Party movement. She wished she could somehow create something new where people would not define themselves by what they were against. She hoped to gather people together to talk about policy instead of simply thinking the problem was “those people.”
So she organized a gathering and called it “The Coffee Party.” When she opened the floor for discussion, she was dismayed to discover that the people at her gathering were just as negative as the people who went to Tea Parties. They were just negative in a different direction. The people at her party talked as though the answer to all their problems was to get rid of the Tea Party people.
Whether our fundamental political stance tends to be “right” or “left,” we depart from Christian principles when we allow ourselves to imagine the answer to the problems in our nation could be found in “getting rid of those people.” Getting rid of people is not God’s preferred solution to problems. When we understand our goal as winning hearts, it will change our rhetoric. It may even change our own hearts.
The story of Elisha and the Arameans reminds us that getting rid of people is not God’s preferred way of making the world a better place. God’s goal is winning hearts. Even the hearts of Philistines, Canaanites and Arameans. Even the hearts of the avowed enemies of his people.
There is another vital lesson in the story of Elisha and the Aramean special forces. When the servant looked out from the roof on that morning he was filled with terror. And because he was filled with terror, he naturally was consumed with concern for his own well being. What is going to happen to us? What is going to happen to me?
These would have been the only relevant questions if the situation was truly what it looked like as he was standing there on the roof. He and Elisha were on their own. They were in a small village with no army, utterly at the (non-existent) mercy of overwhelming, hostile forces. That’s what it looked like.
Sometimes this is the way our situation appears. Bills are piling up and there are no job ofers coming in. The diagnosis is incurable cancer. We’ve been served unjust divorce papers and we have no resources to fight back. The national debt keeps mushrooming and we have no way to slow it down. Congress keeps voting for things we oppose. The country is headed in directions we think are fatal to our well-being and we are helpless to reverse it.
Hopeless.
Is that the way it appears to you?
May I say this gently and with respect? If the situation appears hopeless to you, it is because you are partially blind. You are like the servant on Elisha’s roof. The troubles you see are probably real enough. However, they are not the entire story. Above the evident reality is a larger, harder, tougher, sturdier reality.
God reigns.
Don’t give up. Do not despair. Do not fear. Even in this life God is active and creates sweet futures we cannot see. More importantly, we believe our lives are headed beyond this world. In that future world even the genuinely tragic and evil events of this world will be somehow reworked into elements of a grand, magnificent story. I don’t pretend to know how this is so. I just stand with the church in declaring it is so.
When it comes to evildoers, there are really only two potential futures for them. Either they will allow Elisha to lead them into the city of God where they will be turned into friends of God. Or they will be destroyed. God prefers the first. He likes making friends.
So at least for this morning, relax. Celebrate the truth that evil is temporary. God and his friends are forever. Your enemies are targets of God’s scheming to win their hearts. And so are you.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Taskforce Pastor Opening
North Hill Adventist Fellowship in Edgewood, WA (that's my church) is looking for someone to serve as a young adult pastor.
This is a Taskforce position so the pay is minimal.
Position is open to men and women. We would hope for a minimum of a nine-month contract.
If you know someone who might be interested in this position, would you please pass this info along to them?
If you are interested email me at johntmclarty@gmail.com. Cell: 253-350-1211.
This is a Taskforce position so the pay is minimal.
Position is open to men and women. We would hope for a minimum of a nine-month contract.
If you know someone who might be interested in this position, would you please pass this info along to them?
If you are interested email me at johntmclarty@gmail.com. Cell: 253-350-1211.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Quit Fearing Already!
(Yes, there is a hidden political message here, though the primary application is in our personal lives. I will be interested to see if it is something that even conservatives can affirm.)
Do Not Fear. This is a major theme in the Bible.
Do not be afraid.
The basis for our fearlessness is the presence, power and promise of God. Bad stuff happens. Evil powers exist and are active. Still we do not fear because God is greater than all those things. At the heart of the Christian message is the assurance that we do not need to be afraid -- of anything.
If you are watching a lot of news and it is making you do a lot of worrying, I suggest you substitute Bible reading for news watching. There is no need to know the latest scandals, the latest threats to American liberty, prosperity, health and political clout. (If you are not an American, please excuse the American-centric nature of my writing.) Unless you are actively involved in writing and calling your legislators or are giving money and support to other groups that are working for the improvement of society. But if all your watching and reading does is increase your worry, then your watching and reading that fuels worry is contrary to one of the central themes of Jesus message: Do not fear.
Beware Babylon
Growing up I heard evangelists talk a lot about Babylon based on the book of Revelation. Babylon was the capital of the great, evil empire. Babylon was going to attack God’s people. Babylon would impose the Mark of the Beast. Babylon seemed invincible. It was really scary . . . until I paid attention to Revelation 17. In verse 13 a great coalition of forces under the leadership of Babylon is said to have one purpose: making war against the Lamb. This is followed immediately by news that "the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lords of lords and King of kings–and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Some people get caught up in trying to figure out just what human religious and political systems will be dominate the the evil empire at the end. It doesn't really matter. The point of Revelation is not to give us inside political information. The point of Revelation is to assure us that when the forces of evil have done their damnedest, they lose. Babylon sinks. Jerusalem triumphs.
Babylon can conspire, persecute, impose economic sanctions, employ the power of demons. Doesn't matter. In the end, Babylon loses. So DO NOT FEAR.
A prophet came to our congregation a few years ago and told us explicitly that George Bush was going to bring in the Mark of the Beast during his presidency. It didn’t happen. Now some people think President Obama will bring on the Mark of the Beast. The reality: Whether Republicans are in power or Democrats, whether the nations is controlled by fascists or communists or capitalists or socialists or libertarians or ordinary citizens doing their best to manage a difficult and complex world, ultimately the Lamb wins. And when the Lamb wins, so do his people, all of them.
So DO NOT FEAR.
A Gospel Story
At the end of a long day of preaching and teaching Jesus' disciples hustled him away from the crowd into a boat. They set off across the Sea of Galilee trailed by other people in other boats.
A furious squall blew up. Waves began breaking over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care if we all drown?”
Jesus got up, ordered the wind and waves to be still, then Jesus turned to his disciples and asked, “What’s up with all this fear? Do you still have no faith?”
It’s a preposterous question. Waves and wind had mocked their courage, their skill and their strength. They thought they were going to die. Still Jesus challenged them: What’s up with all this fear?
Jesus asks us the same question.
What are you worried about?
Your kids?
Your retirement savings (or lack thereof)?
Taxes?
Your health?
Your own inability to manage your life?
Your marriage?
Your job?
These seem like reasonable fears. Trouble in these areas of life feels really threatening.
Still Jesus asks, “What’s up with all this fear?”
If you are riding with King Jesus, you are riding to victory. If you are sailing with Captain Jesus, you aren’t going to sink. Fear is unnecessary. Understandable, yes. But unnecessary.
Before Jesus was born, Zacharias prophesied about the work of his son John and Jesus the Messiah who was to follow:
Central to Jesus ministry was a plan to enable us to serve God in holiness and righteousness WITHOUT FEAR.
The deeper we enter into the spiritual life of Jesus, the less we will allow fear to dominate us. We will still sail into storms. Waves may still swamp our boats. Wind may nearly overpower us. Still we have no reason to fear.
There’s an old hymn about this experience of the disciples and Jesus in the storm. It’s titled, “Master, the Tempest Is Raging.”
If you are in the boat with Jesus, you don’t have to worry about the storm, any storm. Jesus’ boat is not going down.
This message of Do Not Be Afraid is given with full awareness that we live in dangerous world. In New Testament times, some Christians went to jail--not a pleasant experience! Hebrews 13:3
Some were frequently ill and could not be cured with prayer. 1 Timothy 5:23.
Some were poor and had to depend on others for their rent and food. Acts 6.
Christians died. 1Thess. 4; 1 Tim. 5:11
Some were rejected by their families.
Christians do not dodge all trouble. But as we ride into battle, as we sail into storms, we have no need to fear. In fact, we ought to cultivate a FEAR-FREE attitude. For some Christians that would mean changing what you read and watch. Don't read books that make you afraid, even if they are full of Bible verses. It is a misuse of the Bible. Don't watch or listen to media that tends to increase your worry or fearfulness. Don’t expose yourself voluntarily to content that hypes fear.
So how should we live in the face of the daunting difficulties we face in our personal lives and the great issues confronting the global human community?
1. God has given us a job to do. So we can pour ourselves into our job. We are called to represent God with our words and our work. We are supposed to be busy about our Father’s business. Do what you can, where you can to make this world a better place. Be active, not passive.
2. Remember God has kept the really big job for himself. He will defeat evil. He will bring in everlasting righteousness. He will ultimately create a new heaven and a new earth. So don't imagine you are doing God's job. Focus on yours. God is not made helpless by all the stuff going on in this world. He rides through the storm with us and some day--soon, we hope--He will stand and say, Peace. Be Still. And there will be peace. It will be still. And sweet forever.
So QUIT FEARING ALREADY!
Do Not Fear. This is a major theme in the Bible.
The Lord is my light and my salvation–
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life–
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1-2
So do not fear for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me.” Hebrews 13:5-6.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18.
Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Do not be afraid.
The basis for our fearlessness is the presence, power and promise of God. Bad stuff happens. Evil powers exist and are active. Still we do not fear because God is greater than all those things. At the heart of the Christian message is the assurance that we do not need to be afraid -- of anything.
If you are watching a lot of news and it is making you do a lot of worrying, I suggest you substitute Bible reading for news watching. There is no need to know the latest scandals, the latest threats to American liberty, prosperity, health and political clout. (If you are not an American, please excuse the American-centric nature of my writing.) Unless you are actively involved in writing and calling your legislators or are giving money and support to other groups that are working for the improvement of society. But if all your watching and reading does is increase your worry, then your watching and reading that fuels worry is contrary to one of the central themes of Jesus message: Do not fear.
Beware Babylon
Growing up I heard evangelists talk a lot about Babylon based on the book of Revelation. Babylon was the capital of the great, evil empire. Babylon was going to attack God’s people. Babylon would impose the Mark of the Beast. Babylon seemed invincible. It was really scary . . . until I paid attention to Revelation 17. In verse 13 a great coalition of forces under the leadership of Babylon is said to have one purpose: making war against the Lamb. This is followed immediately by news that "the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lords of lords and King of kings–and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Some people get caught up in trying to figure out just what human religious and political systems will be dominate the the evil empire at the end. It doesn't really matter. The point of Revelation is not to give us inside political information. The point of Revelation is to assure us that when the forces of evil have done their damnedest, they lose. Babylon sinks. Jerusalem triumphs.
Babylon can conspire, persecute, impose economic sanctions, employ the power of demons. Doesn't matter. In the end, Babylon loses. So DO NOT FEAR.
A prophet came to our congregation a few years ago and told us explicitly that George Bush was going to bring in the Mark of the Beast during his presidency. It didn’t happen. Now some people think President Obama will bring on the Mark of the Beast. The reality: Whether Republicans are in power or Democrats, whether the nations is controlled by fascists or communists or capitalists or socialists or libertarians or ordinary citizens doing their best to manage a difficult and complex world, ultimately the Lamb wins. And when the Lamb wins, so do his people, all of them.
So DO NOT FEAR.
A Gospel Story
At the end of a long day of preaching and teaching Jesus' disciples hustled him away from the crowd into a boat. They set off across the Sea of Galilee trailed by other people in other boats.
A furious squall blew up. Waves began breaking over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care if we all drown?”
Jesus got up, ordered the wind and waves to be still, then Jesus turned to his disciples and asked, “What’s up with all this fear? Do you still have no faith?”
It’s a preposterous question. Waves and wind had mocked their courage, their skill and their strength. They thought they were going to die. Still Jesus challenged them: What’s up with all this fear?
Jesus asks us the same question.
What are you worried about?
Your kids?
Your retirement savings (or lack thereof)?
Taxes?
Your health?
Your own inability to manage your life?
Your marriage?
Your job?
These seem like reasonable fears. Trouble in these areas of life feels really threatening.
Still Jesus asks, “What’s up with all this fear?”
If you are riding with King Jesus, you are riding to victory. If you are sailing with Captain Jesus, you aren’t going to sink. Fear is unnecessary. Understandable, yes. But unnecessary.
Before Jesus was born, Zacharias prophesied about the work of his son John and Jesus the Messiah who was to follow:
God has raised up a champion for us . . .
To rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness all our days.
Luke 1:74-75.
Central to Jesus ministry was a plan to enable us to serve God in holiness and righteousness WITHOUT FEAR.
The deeper we enter into the spiritual life of Jesus, the less we will allow fear to dominate us. We will still sail into storms. Waves may still swamp our boats. Wind may nearly overpower us. Still we have no reason to fear.
There’s an old hymn about this experience of the disciples and Jesus in the storm. It’s titled, “Master, the Tempest Is Raging.”
Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o'ershadow with blackness,
No shelter or help is nigh;
Carest Thou not that we perish?
How canst Thou lie asleep,
When each moment so madly is threatening
A grave in the angry deep?
Refrain:
The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, peace, be still!
If you are in the boat with Jesus, you don’t have to worry about the storm, any storm. Jesus’ boat is not going down.
This message of Do Not Be Afraid is given with full awareness that we live in dangerous world. In New Testament times, some Christians went to jail--not a pleasant experience! Hebrews 13:3
Some were frequently ill and could not be cured with prayer. 1 Timothy 5:23.
Some were poor and had to depend on others for their rent and food. Acts 6.
Christians died. 1Thess. 4; 1 Tim. 5:11
Some were rejected by their families.
Christians do not dodge all trouble. But as we ride into battle, as we sail into storms, we have no need to fear. In fact, we ought to cultivate a FEAR-FREE attitude. For some Christians that would mean changing what you read and watch. Don't read books that make you afraid, even if they are full of Bible verses. It is a misuse of the Bible. Don't watch or listen to media that tends to increase your worry or fearfulness. Don’t expose yourself voluntarily to content that hypes fear.
So how should we live in the face of the daunting difficulties we face in our personal lives and the great issues confronting the global human community?
1. God has given us a job to do. So we can pour ourselves into our job. We are called to represent God with our words and our work. We are supposed to be busy about our Father’s business. Do what you can, where you can to make this world a better place. Be active, not passive.
2. Remember God has kept the really big job for himself. He will defeat evil. He will bring in everlasting righteousness. He will ultimately create a new heaven and a new earth. So don't imagine you are doing God's job. Focus on yours. God is not made helpless by all the stuff going on in this world. He rides through the storm with us and some day--soon, we hope--He will stand and say, Peace. Be Still. And there will be peace. It will be still. And sweet forever.
So QUIT FEARING ALREADY!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Toxic Errors in Glenn Beck’s Nine Principles
(This is a revision of the original post. Same ideas, hopefully better language.)
A while back, Glenn Beck invited visitors to his web site who agreed with at least seven of his Nine Principles to send him a photo of themselves. He wanted to create a giant collage portraying massive support for these principles. I would like to send my picture as a witness against two of his Nine.
In number 4 Beck writes, “My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.” He is right that government is not the ultimate (final, beyond appeal) authority. In confronting inappropriate government authority, Christians have long pointed to the words of Jesus, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s.” and Peter’s words, “We ought to obey God rather than man.” Christians have long resisted the notion that government is “the ultimate authority.” The Bible clearly supports the idea that government has real, legitimate authority. However, it is not ultimate.
Beck is dangerously wrong when he declares,“my spouse and I are the ultimate authority.” When parents beat their children and claim they have the right and responsibility to do so because of the authority given them by God, we reject their claim. Our rejection of their claim is a denial that parents are “the ultimate authority.” I could multiply examples of cases where parental authority should not be regarded as ultimate: a drug addict mother pimping her daughter, parents allowing or insisting on female genital mutilation for their daughters, dads who introduce their sons to prostitutes. Parents have real authority, legitimate, God-given authority, but it is not ultimate. Including the claim that “my spouse and I are the ultimate authority” in a list of Nine [Fundamental] Principles gives support to the minority of parents who are inclined to abuse their authority.
Parents are not ultimate authorities. Husbands are not ultimate authorities. Wives are not ultimate authorities. The government is not the ultimate authority. The church is not the ultimate authority. Rather all of these have a proper, limited authority. Holy, healthy life comes when all of these various authorities operate in balance. Elevating any single authority to the role of “ultimate authority” is dangerous.
Beck’s principle number nine states: “The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.” This principle (which is actually two distinct ideas) is toxic to individuals who embrace it and toxic to communities where these individuals live.
First, “government works for me.” The self-centeredness in this statement is obvious. Spiritual and social health is impossible without a regard for others. If Beck had written “government works for us” or “for all the people” or something like that, I would be less critical. But “government works for me!” I live on a hobby farm with eight horses. My property borders a creek. There are rules about what I can do with my manure because of the proximity of the creek. Those rules are not for my protection. They are for the protection of the people downstream. If the creek downstream is polluted with my manure that does not hurt me. However, it would hurt the people downstream. Of course, I benefit from government restricting what my upstream neighbors do with their manure, chemicals and trash. The point is making the statement “government works for me” a bedrock principle of life will distort how I understand both my privileges and responsibilities.
“I do not answer to the government, the government answers to me.” Here Beck argues that accountability flows only one way. Since government is the effective form of social cooperation in civilized societies, writing that “I do not answer to the government” is synonymous with writing “I do not answer to others.” Or “I do not answer to the community.” We cannot correct putative government overreaching by setting up as a principle of life the dictum, “I don’t answer to the government.” Government and the governed bear mutual and reciprocal obligations.
The authority of the government is not above challenge. It is not ultimate. However, government has legitimate authority. And if we acknowledge this, we must acknowledge that each of us as individuals is answerable to the government. And the government is answerable to all of us citizens.
These principles–Numbers 4 and 9–if taken just as they are written are a description of the criminal mind. Nobody tells me what to do. I answer to no one but myself. People who live like this are described in Scott Peck’s book, People of the Lie. They are truly evil.
A while back, Glenn Beck invited visitors to his web site who agreed with at least seven of his Nine Principles to send him a photo of themselves. He wanted to create a giant collage portraying massive support for these principles. I would like to send my picture as a witness against two of his Nine.
In number 4 Beck writes, “My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.” He is right that government is not the ultimate (final, beyond appeal) authority. In confronting inappropriate government authority, Christians have long pointed to the words of Jesus, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s.” and Peter’s words, “We ought to obey God rather than man.” Christians have long resisted the notion that government is “the ultimate authority.” The Bible clearly supports the idea that government has real, legitimate authority. However, it is not ultimate.
Beck is dangerously wrong when he declares,“my spouse and I are the ultimate authority.” When parents beat their children and claim they have the right and responsibility to do so because of the authority given them by God, we reject their claim. Our rejection of their claim is a denial that parents are “the ultimate authority.” I could multiply examples of cases where parental authority should not be regarded as ultimate: a drug addict mother pimping her daughter, parents allowing or insisting on female genital mutilation for their daughters, dads who introduce their sons to prostitutes. Parents have real authority, legitimate, God-given authority, but it is not ultimate. Including the claim that “my spouse and I are the ultimate authority” in a list of Nine [Fundamental] Principles gives support to the minority of parents who are inclined to abuse their authority.
Parents are not ultimate authorities. Husbands are not ultimate authorities. Wives are not ultimate authorities. The government is not the ultimate authority. The church is not the ultimate authority. Rather all of these have a proper, limited authority. Holy, healthy life comes when all of these various authorities operate in balance. Elevating any single authority to the role of “ultimate authority” is dangerous.
Beck’s principle number nine states: “The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.” This principle (which is actually two distinct ideas) is toxic to individuals who embrace it and toxic to communities where these individuals live.
First, “government works for me.” The self-centeredness in this statement is obvious. Spiritual and social health is impossible without a regard for others. If Beck had written “government works for us” or “for all the people” or something like that, I would be less critical. But “government works for me!” I live on a hobby farm with eight horses. My property borders a creek. There are rules about what I can do with my manure because of the proximity of the creek. Those rules are not for my protection. They are for the protection of the people downstream. If the creek downstream is polluted with my manure that does not hurt me. However, it would hurt the people downstream. Of course, I benefit from government restricting what my upstream neighbors do with their manure, chemicals and trash. The point is making the statement “government works for me” a bedrock principle of life will distort how I understand both my privileges and responsibilities.
“I do not answer to the government, the government answers to me.” Here Beck argues that accountability flows only one way. Since government is the effective form of social cooperation in civilized societies, writing that “I do not answer to the government” is synonymous with writing “I do not answer to others.” Or “I do not answer to the community.” We cannot correct putative government overreaching by setting up as a principle of life the dictum, “I don’t answer to the government.” Government and the governed bear mutual and reciprocal obligations.
The authority of the government is not above challenge. It is not ultimate. However, government has legitimate authority. And if we acknowledge this, we must acknowledge that each of us as individuals is answerable to the government. And the government is answerable to all of us citizens.
These principles–Numbers 4 and 9–if taken just as they are written are a description of the criminal mind. Nobody tells me what to do. I answer to no one but myself. People who live like this are described in Scott Peck’s book, People of the Lie. They are truly evil.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Social Justice
Duh!!!!!!!
While it is true that people can distort the real meaning of any set of words, "Social justice" are not bad words. Micah 6:8 reads, "He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Glenn Beck's unnuanced attack on "social justice" is at best irresponsible.
Of course, Christians will not all agree on just what government policies and social mores are most conducive to achieving a just society. However, Christians do not disagree that it is our duty to do what is in our power to foster justice, social well-being, prosperity, health, equality.
So, yes, I'm a social justice Christian.
(Thanks to Ryan Bell, pastor of the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church, for calling us to speak up in response to Glenn Beck's intemperate, inflammatory rhetoric.)
While it is true that people can distort the real meaning of any set of words, "Social justice" are not bad words. Micah 6:8 reads, "He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Glenn Beck's unnuanced attack on "social justice" is at best irresponsible.
Of course, Christians will not all agree on just what government policies and social mores are most conducive to achieving a just society. However, Christians do not disagree that it is our duty to do what is in our power to foster justice, social well-being, prosperity, health, equality.
So, yes, I'm a social justice Christian.
(Thanks to Ryan Bell, pastor of the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church, for calling us to speak up in response to Glenn Beck's intemperate, inflammatory rhetoric.)
Good and Angry
Do you ever get good and angry? Jesus did.
One such incident is described in Mark 3:1-6
Notice: Jesus got angry. Then what? What happened because Jesus got mad? The man with a withered hand was healed.
Jesus is not the only character in this story to get angry. The Pharisees also got angry. What did their anger lead to? They conspired with the Herodians to kill Jesus.
Jesus got mad and a man got healed. The Pharisees got mad and a man got killed. Jesus got good and angry. The Pharisees got just plain, old, rotten angry. Two pictures of anger. When we get angry is our anger closer to Jesus' or to the Pharisees' anger management? Does my anger lead to life or to death? Does my anger lead to healing or to deeper hostility?
* * * *
A long time ago when the kids were little we went to an ice cream shop. A friend of ours from New York, Kevin, was with us. Our youngest, Shelley, had a famously difficult time making up her mind. By the time she finally decided she wanted a cone I was getting impatient. I asked if she wanted me to get her a dish just in case she needed it. No, she insisted, she did not want a dish. She wanted just a cone.
We carried our ice cream to an outdoor table and sat in the warm evening enjoying our ice cream . . . for a few minutes. Then Shelley began whining that her ice cream was dripping. I got mad. I began scolding her for not agreeing to get a dish to start with while we were at the counter. There was a long line now. I didn’t think it was practical to get a dish now. I told her to hurry up and eat her ice cream before it all melted. She protested. I scolded. She whimpered. I scolded.
My anger did not cause her to eat her ice cream faster. It did not slow down the melting. It did not reduce the tension at the table.
A minute later, Kevin, got up without a word. Stepped over to the counter, butted in line, asked for and received a dish and returned in time to catch Shelley’s ice cream before catastrophe struck.
I had allowed my anger to turn me into a critic.
I don’t know if Kevin was also angry. It would have been reasonable. He was watching a grown man, a preacher, a writer of religious books act like a jerk toward his daughter. Whatever emotion Kevin experienced, instead of allowing it to turn him into a critic, he allowed it to push him into action. He got a dish. In the process he cured my anger, made Shelley happy, improved the quality of life for the rest of the family and other people at nearby tables.
He got good and angry.
What about you? Do you get “Good and Angry” or just plain, old, rotten angry?
There is a lot of talk these days about anger in American society. It's everywhere. On talk radio, on TV, among groups of friends talking about what they don't like in the nation.
I am troubled by how much of the anger floating around is somehow linked to the name of Jesus.
In just the last couple of weeks, several Catholic leaders have gotten angry because of public criticism of a church system that appeared to work harder at sheltering pedophile adults than it did to heal victims. These church leaders’ anger is misplaced.
I am reminded of Jesus' anger pictured in Matthew 23. He voiced strong anger at the religious leaders for their failure to take care of the people under their influence. Jesus himself criticized the religious system when it protected itself instead of the people God called it to serve.
We ought to get angry when we see little people abused and damaged by those in power. If we are going to get “good and angry” our anger should be directed into action to protect and restore, to heal and help. Good anger can motivate us toward good action.
One of the most glaring recent examples of plain, old rotten anger dressed up in Christian clothes is the Hutaree, a so-called Christian militia.
At the top of the home page on their web site is a quotation from Jesus: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. At the bottom of the home page is this mission statement: "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive"
What actually do? Apparently instead of preparing to lay down their lives for others they were making plans like the Pharisees of old, to take life. According to the United States Attorney's Office, the Hutaree allegedly planned "to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral".
I don't think we should quickly dismiss the Hutaree as just "nut cases." Their plans to kill, to create mayhem is the natural outgrowth of cultivating plain, old, rotten anger. They are angry at President Obama, at the political parties, at Congress. If you get angry enough there's no telling what you'll do. Jesus warned us that anger is the mother of murder.
Anger is powerful. It can move us strongly to cooperate with Jesus in spreading hope, healing and happiness. Or, if we are not careful, it can move us to cooperate with the kingdom of darkness in spreading hate, resentment and bitterness. This kind of anger carried to its logical conclusion becomes the source of murder. It’s what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5, when he said that getting angry was like murdering someone.
God calls us to something better.
Where is your anger taking you?
Is your anger moving you to cooperate with Jesus in advancing his kingdom by helping people? Encouraging people? Healing people?
Or is your anger just plain, old, life-wrecking anger.
May God help us to be good and angry, motivated to bring relief to pain, hope to the hopeless, help to all within our reach.
One such incident is described in Mark 3:1-6
Jesus entered the synagogue, where there was a man with a withered hand. The people (read: Pharisees, officials, guardians of religious tradition) watched him to see whether he would heal the man on the Sabbath, which would give them an excuse to accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." Then Jesus asked the people, "What does our law teach regarding the Sabbath: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. Jesus looked around at the crowd with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodians about how to get Jesus killed.
Notice: Jesus got angry. Then what? What happened because Jesus got mad? The man with a withered hand was healed.
Jesus is not the only character in this story to get angry. The Pharisees also got angry. What did their anger lead to? They conspired with the Herodians to kill Jesus.
Jesus got mad and a man got healed. The Pharisees got mad and a man got killed. Jesus got good and angry. The Pharisees got just plain, old, rotten angry. Two pictures of anger. When we get angry is our anger closer to Jesus' or to the Pharisees' anger management? Does my anger lead to life or to death? Does my anger lead to healing or to deeper hostility?
* * * *
A long time ago when the kids were little we went to an ice cream shop. A friend of ours from New York, Kevin, was with us. Our youngest, Shelley, had a famously difficult time making up her mind. By the time she finally decided she wanted a cone I was getting impatient. I asked if she wanted me to get her a dish just in case she needed it. No, she insisted, she did not want a dish. She wanted just a cone.
We carried our ice cream to an outdoor table and sat in the warm evening enjoying our ice cream . . . for a few minutes. Then Shelley began whining that her ice cream was dripping. I got mad. I began scolding her for not agreeing to get a dish to start with while we were at the counter. There was a long line now. I didn’t think it was practical to get a dish now. I told her to hurry up and eat her ice cream before it all melted. She protested. I scolded. She whimpered. I scolded.
My anger did not cause her to eat her ice cream faster. It did not slow down the melting. It did not reduce the tension at the table.
A minute later, Kevin, got up without a word. Stepped over to the counter, butted in line, asked for and received a dish and returned in time to catch Shelley’s ice cream before catastrophe struck.
I had allowed my anger to turn me into a critic.
I don’t know if Kevin was also angry. It would have been reasonable. He was watching a grown man, a preacher, a writer of religious books act like a jerk toward his daughter. Whatever emotion Kevin experienced, instead of allowing it to turn him into a critic, he allowed it to push him into action. He got a dish. In the process he cured my anger, made Shelley happy, improved the quality of life for the rest of the family and other people at nearby tables.
He got good and angry.
What about you? Do you get “Good and Angry” or just plain, old, rotten angry?
There is a lot of talk these days about anger in American society. It's everywhere. On talk radio, on TV, among groups of friends talking about what they don't like in the nation.
I am troubled by how much of the anger floating around is somehow linked to the name of Jesus.
In just the last couple of weeks, several Catholic leaders have gotten angry because of public criticism of a church system that appeared to work harder at sheltering pedophile adults than it did to heal victims. These church leaders’ anger is misplaced.
I am reminded of Jesus' anger pictured in Matthew 23. He voiced strong anger at the religious leaders for their failure to take care of the people under their influence. Jesus himself criticized the religious system when it protected itself instead of the people God called it to serve.
We ought to get angry when we see little people abused and damaged by those in power. If we are going to get “good and angry” our anger should be directed into action to protect and restore, to heal and help. Good anger can motivate us toward good action.
One of the most glaring recent examples of plain, old rotten anger dressed up in Christian clothes is the Hutaree, a so-called Christian militia.
At the top of the home page on their web site is a quotation from Jesus: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. At the bottom of the home page is this mission statement: "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive"
What actually do? Apparently instead of preparing to lay down their lives for others they were making plans like the Pharisees of old, to take life. According to the United States Attorney's Office, the Hutaree allegedly planned "to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral".
I don't think we should quickly dismiss the Hutaree as just "nut cases." Their plans to kill, to create mayhem is the natural outgrowth of cultivating plain, old, rotten anger. They are angry at President Obama, at the political parties, at Congress. If you get angry enough there's no telling what you'll do. Jesus warned us that anger is the mother of murder.
Anger is powerful. It can move us strongly to cooperate with Jesus in spreading hope, healing and happiness. Or, if we are not careful, it can move us to cooperate with the kingdom of darkness in spreading hate, resentment and bitterness. This kind of anger carried to its logical conclusion becomes the source of murder. It’s what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5, when he said that getting angry was like murdering someone.
God calls us to something better.
Where is your anger taking you?
Is your anger moving you to cooperate with Jesus in advancing his kingdom by helping people? Encouraging people? Healing people?
Or is your anger just plain, old, life-wrecking anger.
May God help us to be good and angry, motivated to bring relief to pain, hope to the hopeless, help to all within our reach.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Enough!
The first two chapters of the Bible tell the story of creation. Beginning with nothing or with dark cold chaos over the course of a week, God creates light, the sky, the continents, plants, birds, bugs, fish and land animals. Last of all God creates people.
He then steps back, surveys everything he has made and announces, “It’s good, very good.”
Then he announces he’s taking tomorrow off. He rests for 24 hours. It was the first Sabbath.
The Creator of the universe takes a day off. He quits doing what he was doing. Not because it was bad or he was tired. He just quits. He’s done enough. He’s finished.
He gives us the pattern of a six days/one day as a guide for our lives.
Whatever it is you’re doing to put your stamp on the world, six days is long enough to do it. After six days stop. Quit. Cease and desist. Halt. Take a break.
Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.
You could argue that God quit too soon. After God quit creating Adam and Eve screwed up. They ate from the forbidden tree. They got into trouble. Maybe if God had worked a little longer on the garden, he could have fixed it would have been safe for Adam and Eve. Maybe he should have built a fence around the tree. Maybe he should have put up some warning signs: Beware, Toxic Tree Ahead. Caution: The fruit on the tree you are looking at is known to cause death and destruction.
We demur from this suggestion that God could have created a “better” environment. The freedom to screw up was designed into creation by God. This freedom was essential to the full development of humans. Which highlights one of the central lessons of the Sabbath. On Sabbath God quit shaping the world. He quit his work of dominating the chaos. He had done enough. His “enough” included room for Adam and Eve to screw up.
In fact, God’s perfect creation included the opportunity for all humans to screw up. If Adam and Eve had never paid the slightest attention to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the tree would have still been there for Cain and Abel and Seth and their grandkids and great grand kids. God’s perfect creation included freedom for people to act contrary to his wisdom and desire.
When we keep the Sabbath, we are joining God in self-limiting our drive to dominate the world. We acknowledge that no matter how wise and powerful we are, there is a time to hold back. There is a time to quit trying to shape the world according to our wisdom or desires.
We have six days to be busy. Six days to fix things, shape things, order things, dominate things. Our activity to make a better world is in line with the creative intention of God. Then Sabbath comes and we join God in stepping back and letting the world be as it is. The perfect world is not a world that is perfectly lined up with our desires and our ideas of how things ought to be. Even in a perfect world, (maybe I should say, especially in a perfect world) we do not control everything.
We see a similar lesson in the Sabbath Jesus spent in Joseph’s tomb.
Once Jesus began his ministry at age 30, he worked non-stop. He worked so intensely he and his disciples scarcely had time to eat. He was so busy, his mother and brothers decided to do an intervention. They went to see him intending to compel him to come home with them and get some needed rest.
Of course, they were unsuccessful. Jesus did not go home with them. He kept preaching. And healing. And feeding crowds. And casting out demons. And teaching. And spending nights in prayer. And calming storms. He was a whirlwind of activity.
Then he quit.
He allowed himself to be arrested and killed.
Then he spent a Sabbath doing nothing. NOTHING. At least that’s the way the gospels tell it. They describe his death and burial. Then fade to black. NOTHING. The next words in the story are, “After the Sabbath . . .”
On that climactic Sabbath, Jesus did nothing.
How dare he? There were still sick people who needed healing. Demons still stalked the land. Hunger was not yet eradicated. How could Jesus just quit?
If you don’t know the story well you might argue that he didn’t really quit. He was interrupted. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests interrupted his work. But in the gospel of Matthew Jesus emphatically takes responsibility for his own arrest. After Peter whips out his sword to fend off the arresting mob, Jesus tells him to put his sword away. Then Jesus says, “Don’t you realize I could call on my Father for twelve armies of angels and he would immediately send them?”
So Jesus ends his ministry. Jesus stops. He spends an entire day doing nothing.
Resurrection morning was coming. Jesus was going to begin engaging the world in a whole new way. He was going to continue working to shape the world, to dominate the world through his disciples. But for that crucial Sabbath, Jesus did nothing.
Even if you are the Divine Son of God, Savior of the World, the Messiah, there comes a time to quit, to hold back exercising your power.
Many of the saints here at North Hill work in what are called “the helping professions.” Teachers, dentists, counselors, nurses, doctors, social workers, chaplains, hygenists. Your work is never done. Tooth aches don’t always happen during office hours. Birth and death and sickness do not observe the clock or the calendar. The needs of students do not end with the closing bell at school.
What business do you have taking a day off, taking a vacation? You are joining Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Sabbath becomes a time to recognize that my entire life and all of my energies are not enough to fix the world. Sabbath even reminds me that my wisdom and desires are not sufficient to form a perfect world. God calls us to be engaged, to exercise a measure of dominance, to use our influence and intellect to shape the world. And then every week to quit.
Even if you are not in what is called a “helping profession,” there is no end of work. Work that others need you to do. Work that you need to do to provide for yourself and your family.
We are appropriately busy. Then we quit. We keep Sabbath, celebrating our connection with the Creator and Redeemer of the universe.
The Christian church exists because Jesus did not stay in the grave. Death was not the end of his ministry or the end of his story. Jesus rose. His resurrection is celebrated every spring by most Christian churches (on different dates). Because Jesus rose we are gathered here as disciples. We are called to carry forward his ministry, to continue his work of healing, teaching, preaching, baptizing. We are called to the pursuit of holiness. This should be the dominant form of our lives. We called to be busy.
Then every week, we are invited to quit. What we have done is enough. For now. For this week. We can stop. We ought to stop. Quit. Do nothing.
You have enough money–for now. You have good enough grades–for now. You have done enough to teach and influence your children–for now.
You have read enough books. You have done enough community service. You have become holy enough, good enough.–for now.
Even though Jesus was only 33 years old, had never written a book, never gotten married, never experienced old age, never faced the challenges of raising children . . . he had done enough. And he rested. So may we.
Resurrection morning is coming. There will be a new call to be busy for God. But for now, quit. Take a rest. Bask in the smile and favor of God. He will call you again to work, but for today. Rest. Enjoy. Be at peace.
He then steps back, surveys everything he has made and announces, “It’s good, very good.”
Then he announces he’s taking tomorrow off. He rests for 24 hours. It was the first Sabbath.
The Creator of the universe takes a day off. He quits doing what he was doing. Not because it was bad or he was tired. He just quits. He’s done enough. He’s finished.
He gives us the pattern of a six days/one day as a guide for our lives.
Whatever it is you’re doing to put your stamp on the world, six days is long enough to do it. After six days stop. Quit. Cease and desist. Halt. Take a break.
Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.
You could argue that God quit too soon. After God quit creating Adam and Eve screwed up. They ate from the forbidden tree. They got into trouble. Maybe if God had worked a little longer on the garden, he could have fixed it would have been safe for Adam and Eve. Maybe he should have built a fence around the tree. Maybe he should have put up some warning signs: Beware, Toxic Tree Ahead. Caution: The fruit on the tree you are looking at is known to cause death and destruction.
We demur from this suggestion that God could have created a “better” environment. The freedom to screw up was designed into creation by God. This freedom was essential to the full development of humans. Which highlights one of the central lessons of the Sabbath. On Sabbath God quit shaping the world. He quit his work of dominating the chaos. He had done enough. His “enough” included room for Adam and Eve to screw up.
In fact, God’s perfect creation included the opportunity for all humans to screw up. If Adam and Eve had never paid the slightest attention to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the tree would have still been there for Cain and Abel and Seth and their grandkids and great grand kids. God’s perfect creation included freedom for people to act contrary to his wisdom and desire.
When we keep the Sabbath, we are joining God in self-limiting our drive to dominate the world. We acknowledge that no matter how wise and powerful we are, there is a time to hold back. There is a time to quit trying to shape the world according to our wisdom or desires.
We have six days to be busy. Six days to fix things, shape things, order things, dominate things. Our activity to make a better world is in line with the creative intention of God. Then Sabbath comes and we join God in stepping back and letting the world be as it is. The perfect world is not a world that is perfectly lined up with our desires and our ideas of how things ought to be. Even in a perfect world, (maybe I should say, especially in a perfect world) we do not control everything.
We see a similar lesson in the Sabbath Jesus spent in Joseph’s tomb.
Once Jesus began his ministry at age 30, he worked non-stop. He worked so intensely he and his disciples scarcely had time to eat. He was so busy, his mother and brothers decided to do an intervention. They went to see him intending to compel him to come home with them and get some needed rest.
Of course, they were unsuccessful. Jesus did not go home with them. He kept preaching. And healing. And feeding crowds. And casting out demons. And teaching. And spending nights in prayer. And calming storms. He was a whirlwind of activity.
Then he quit.
He allowed himself to be arrested and killed.
Then he spent a Sabbath doing nothing. NOTHING. At least that’s the way the gospels tell it. They describe his death and burial. Then fade to black. NOTHING. The next words in the story are, “After the Sabbath . . .”
On that climactic Sabbath, Jesus did nothing.
How dare he? There were still sick people who needed healing. Demons still stalked the land. Hunger was not yet eradicated. How could Jesus just quit?
If you don’t know the story well you might argue that he didn’t really quit. He was interrupted. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests interrupted his work. But in the gospel of Matthew Jesus emphatically takes responsibility for his own arrest. After Peter whips out his sword to fend off the arresting mob, Jesus tells him to put his sword away. Then Jesus says, “Don’t you realize I could call on my Father for twelve armies of angels and he would immediately send them?”
So Jesus ends his ministry. Jesus stops. He spends an entire day doing nothing.
Resurrection morning was coming. Jesus was going to begin engaging the world in a whole new way. He was going to continue working to shape the world, to dominate the world through his disciples. But for that crucial Sabbath, Jesus did nothing.
Even if you are the Divine Son of God, Savior of the World, the Messiah, there comes a time to quit, to hold back exercising your power.
Many of the saints here at North Hill work in what are called “the helping professions.” Teachers, dentists, counselors, nurses, doctors, social workers, chaplains, hygenists. Your work is never done. Tooth aches don’t always happen during office hours. Birth and death and sickness do not observe the clock or the calendar. The needs of students do not end with the closing bell at school.
What business do you have taking a day off, taking a vacation? You are joining Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Sabbath becomes a time to recognize that my entire life and all of my energies are not enough to fix the world. Sabbath even reminds me that my wisdom and desires are not sufficient to form a perfect world. God calls us to be engaged, to exercise a measure of dominance, to use our influence and intellect to shape the world. And then every week to quit.
Even if you are not in what is called a “helping profession,” there is no end of work. Work that others need you to do. Work that you need to do to provide for yourself and your family.
We are appropriately busy. Then we quit. We keep Sabbath, celebrating our connection with the Creator and Redeemer of the universe.
The Christian church exists because Jesus did not stay in the grave. Death was not the end of his ministry or the end of his story. Jesus rose. His resurrection is celebrated every spring by most Christian churches (on different dates). Because Jesus rose we are gathered here as disciples. We are called to carry forward his ministry, to continue his work of healing, teaching, preaching, baptizing. We are called to the pursuit of holiness. This should be the dominant form of our lives. We called to be busy.
Then every week, we are invited to quit. What we have done is enough. For now. For this week. We can stop. We ought to stop. Quit. Do nothing.
You have enough money–for now. You have good enough grades–for now. You have done enough to teach and influence your children–for now.
You have read enough books. You have done enough community service. You have become holy enough, good enough.–for now.
Even though Jesus was only 33 years old, had never written a book, never gotten married, never experienced old age, never faced the challenges of raising children . . . he had done enough. And he rested. So may we.
Resurrection morning is coming. There will be a new call to be busy for God. But for now, quit. Take a rest. Bask in the smile and favor of God. He will call you again to work, but for today. Rest. Enjoy. Be at peace.
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