Category: Christian Spirituality Blog

Let Go (Exodus 11:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)

So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country. (New International Version)

It takes a lot for the status quo to die, to let go of something that has been relied on for centuries. In the case of ancient Egypt, it took the deaths of every Egyptian first born son.

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. The vast Egyptian Empire was literally built on the backs of Jews. After so long, their cry about being in bondage was heard by God – who sent Moses to deliver them. But Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, was not about to let go of this large labor force.

So, a series of 10 plagues came upon the Egyptians from God. Today’s Old Testament lesson is the tenth and final plague – the one most devastating to Egypt. Although Pharaoh was determined to keep the Israelites in bondage, not even mighty Egypt could keep it’s grip on the people when God was determined to free them and bring them to the Promised Land.

God graciously informed Moses that this was the final plague. After nine others, and hearing Pharaoh say he would let the people go multiple times, it must have been a relief to hear that this would not keep going any longer.

Moses and Aaron debating with Pharaoh, by He Qi

What’s more, the Lord added that not only would Pharaoh finally change and not hinder the people from leaving, but also that they should ask the Egyptians for what they needed when going. Indeed, the people of Egypt became so eager to have the Israelites away from them that they would give them anything to get them out.

The Israelites had worked hard and labored intensely for hundreds of years without any compensation. Now, they would leave the world of slavery and receive the riches of Egypt from which they were defrauded. Whereas Pharaoh’s heart became exceedingly hard, the Egyptians hearts became disposed to give – even though it was to be rid of the Israelites once and for all.

And so, God would deliver the Jews from their bondage and enrich them with many needed possessions, as if they were carrying away plunder from an enemy. The Lord both frees and empowers; God delivers from one situation and enables for another. When God closes a door, then another door is opened.

Indeed, the first will be last, and the last shall be first. In God’s upside-down kingdom, the oppressors eventually become the oppressed, and the poor become rich.

With this last and final plague, there would be no next generation to rise up and take back the Israelites into slavery again. A distinction was made between the first born of the Egyptians and the Israelites. Only the Egyptians experienced the awful deaths of so many.

After four centuries of keeping the Jews enslaved, maybe the Egyptians thought it would always be this way. Perhaps they even believed what they were doing was perfectly acceptable and right. So, when Moses comes along, speaking on behalf of God to Pharaoh, the great king of the empire thought things will not change; the Israelites ought to always be in subservience to Egyptians.

Why is it so hard to let go? Why do people keep holding on, even when it costs them nearly everything?

Whenever we cannot envision a different world or an alternative to what we are currently experiencing, then we hold on – even if it hurts to keep grasping it. Just because there was no divine judgment in hundreds of years, does not mean that God was okay with the situation in ancient Egypt. So, when the Egyptians experienced the judgment, it was absolutely devastating.

If ever we need to control other people in order to realize or maintain our own happiness or contentment, then we are in a very unhealthy place and need immediate help – before the providence of God steps in and pries that control from your clenched fists.

Conversely, if we have been in a place of oppression for a long time, it will not last forever. God sees the injustice. And God hears the cries which are uttered to heaven. A time is coming when all things will be made right.

Also, there are various sorts of traumas that people have endured. Sometimes, people don’t want to talk about any of it, and never do. But eventually, it overwhelms them. Without help, they will be in bondage. None of us can change on our own. We need others. Not everyone is going to harm us or shame us. There are people that God is ready to use in order to extend hope, healing, wholeness, and help. We should let them in, and keep the slave masters out.

Gracious and merciful God, help us to overcome the menace of evil in this world, and to be a part of freeing those weighed down with sinful oppression to realize a future of health and hope.

From famine and war, deliver us.

From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of others, deliver us.

From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.

From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.

Accept our cry on behalf of the sufferings of all humanity, and of entire societies of people.

Empower us by your Spirit to resist evil in all its insidious manifestations.

May the saving grace and the redemption of Jesus put a stop to cruel bondage everywhere; and may hope be kindled in every heart. Amen.

Beautiful Feet (Romans 10:15b-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”

Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”

But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.” (New International Version)

“Beautiful” is not a typical description of anybody’s feet. That’s because feet are kind of gross. Feet stink. They get dirty and itchy; they’re often calloused and downright nasty looking. And no one comments that their feet feel good. People’s feet rarely feel that way.

It seems to me that feet are an apt metaphor for the bringing of salvation, of good news.

The Christian good news is this: There is salvation – forgiveness of sins – through Jesus Christ; and it is accessed by faith.

“Salvation” is a term which perhaps gets overused by Christians to the point that it becomes misunderstood and/or taken for granted. When that happens, it only becomes “meh” news and is no longer good news. For some, it’s a bit like feet – they’re there, but they hurt too much. We don’t think much about our feet until the corns, the bunions, or the toenails bother us. There’s a “meh” relationship to the foot.

In Christianity, the triune God has conspired within himself to bring us salvation. The good news is that God the Father has mercifully sent God the Son for the rescue of the entire world from sin, death, and hell; and Father and Son have further sent God the Holy Spirit to help us respond and live by faith.

Even back in the Old Testament, with the prophet Isaiah, such a merciful deliverance was predicted. Isaiah’s description of the life and rejection of the Suffering Servant wondered if faith would happen in response to salvation. Would they really see it as “good” news? Can feet really be beautiful?

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1, NIV)

The Apostle Paul, knowing a thing or two about suffering, walking a lot of missionary miles with his feet, was confident that, indeed, faith is awakened in the hearing of the message. The message is good news, and it will be received. Good news has to be proclaimed before it can take hold.

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17, NRSV)

Good news has to be announced up-close and personal. It takes getting on our two feet, walking across the street, across the room, or across the world to bring it. That’s because salvation is relational. The message of salvation is there amongst people; it has always been deep within them, as those created in the image and likeness of God.

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth
    and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4, NRSV)

In the book of Romans, we see Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians together in one church. Historically, the Jews were God’s people – the insiders – and the Gentiles were not a people, the outsiders. Now the Gentiles are included and are no longer outsiders. Not all the insiders were okay with this situation.

In the Old Testament, Moses predicted insider Israel’s overall response to this situation of feet walking amongst the Gentiles and announcing the good news of salvation.

They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God;
    they have provoked my anger with their useless idols.
Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people;
    I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles. (Deuteronomy 32:21, NLT)

The prophet Isaiah also spoke of Gentile inclusion into God’s saving activity; and the Jewish response to salvation for them:

I was ready to respond to those who didn’t ask.
    I was ready to be found by those who didn’t look for me.
I said, “I’m here! I’m here!” to a nation
    that didn’t call on my name.
I extended my hands all day
    to a rebellious people
        walking in a way that isn’t good,
        following their own plans.” (Isaiah 65:1-2, CEB)

This in no way is meant to be hard on ancient Israelites and the Jewish people. It is really a commentary on including others who are different, what God thinks about it, and the challenge this poses to those holding onto the status quo.

Throughout all of biblical history, into the past two thousand years of church history, and even today, those who consider themselves as God’s people, the insiders, tend to be blinded by the privileges bestowed on them by a gracious God. And they usually think of only one thing: To preserve their status and their spiritual monopoly by excluding others who are different.

It is a hardening of the heart – or maybe the calloused feet – that does not want to recognize that certain persons and people groups can be saved and included as God’s people alongside the rest.

Fortunately, the Apostle Paul, a Jewish Christian, longed for all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of God. He himself wanted to know Christ and “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:19)

Salvation is neither attained through strict observance of the rules, nor by being a good or nice person. It is graciously given by the God who came and whose feet walked amongst us. Deliverance comes through an acceptance by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us – including people who others might consider as outsiders or unworthy of it.

From my vantage point, the feet that bring a gracious message of good news for all are truly beautiful.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we give you humble thanks for your goodness and steadfast love to all kinds of people. We thank you especially for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days. Amen.

How to Handle Criticism (2 Corinthians 12:11-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment
A mosaic of the Apostle Paul in St Isaac’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

Well, now I’ve done it! I’ve made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it’s not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I’m a nobody, a nothing, I wasn’t second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you’re so taken with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. Did you get less of me or of God than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less responsibility for my upkeep. Well, I’m sorry. Forgive me for depriving you.

Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But don’t worry about it; you won’t have to put yourselves out. I’ll be no more of a bother to you this time than on the other visits. I have no interest in what you have—only in you. Children shouldn’t have to look out for their parents; parents look out for the children. I’d be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I’m loved?

And why is it that I keep coming across these whiffs of gossip about how my self-support was a front behind which I worked an elaborate scam? Where’s the evidence? Did I cheat or trick you through anyone I sent? I asked Titus to visit, and sent some brothers along. Did they swindle you out of anything? And haven’t we always been just as aboveboard, just as honest?

I hope you don’t think that all along we’ve been making our defense before you, the jury. You’re not the jury; God is the jury—God revealed in Christ—and we make our case before him. And we’ve gone to all the trouble of supporting ourselves so that we won’t be in the way or get in the way of your growing up.

I do admit that I have fears that when I come you’ll disappoint me and I’ll disappoint you, and in frustration with each other everything will fall to pieces—quarrels, jealousy, flaring tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and general bedlam. I don’t look forward to a second humiliation by God among you, compounded by hot tears over that crowd that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways, who refuse to turn away from the pigsty of evil, sexual disorder, and indecency in which they wallow. (The Message)

Apostle Paul by Ivan Filichev

Criticism is hard to take. It’s even tougher when the criticism is off because you have been misinterpreted or misunderstood. And it’s more difficult to deal with criticism whenever you know you’ve done your best and accomplished good things. There are people who ought to have your back, but instead they do just the opposite and throw you under the bus.

This was the situation with the Apostle Paul. He had spent a good deal of time in the city of Corinth proclaiming the good news of Jesus and establishing a church. It was a rough ministry, filled with plenty of relational drama. (Acts 18:1-18)

Perhaps then, it is no surprise that as the church developed and grew, the people gathered themselves into special interest groups according to both their class and their affinity for particular preachers. Add to this the reality that many of the new Christians continued to embrace some of their old unhealthy practices, and you have the makings of a contentious and critical group of people. (1 Corinthians 1:10-12; 3:1-4; 11:17-22)

It is oddly surreal for Paul to have to defend himself – especially since he put so much ministry effort and wise exhortation into their church and their spiritual lives. Yet here he is needing to remind the Corinthians of his abilities, what he has done, and his credentials as a legitimate Apostle.

The following are some ways I observe how the Apostle Paul dealt with criticism:

  1. Accepting that criticism is going to happen. Paul knew that his life as an Apostle was on full display for all to see and evaluate. He did not always get things right. No one does. Yet Paul was on target about most things. He rarely got stuck on any one leadership decision. And he never let criticism, pushback, or even persecution deter him from his missionary purpose.
  2. Evaluating all things according to Christian standards. The farther people are from the problem, the less context and understanding they have. That’s why Paul planned to see them face to face. The story the Corinthians were telling themselves was inaccurate – filled with perceived motives and false conjectures about Paul and his ministry. Paul stayed focused on the gospel and the values it espouses.
  3. Keeping shame out of the conversation. We all naturally feel defensive when attacked, especially if it feels unjust, exaggerated, or inaccurate. And we may want to shame people into feeling guilt and becoming repentant. But any defensiveness on our part will only fuel people’s derision.
  4. Being transparent and vulnerable. Paul told them how he felt without making it a guilt trip. He was even sarcastic, at times. Maybe it seems counterintuitive, but more transparency works in our favor, and not against it. People get frustrated, hurt, angry, and confused about what we do and say. Our job isn’t to determine whether those feelings are legitimate or not, but instead to demonstrate empathy and concern. Doing anything that conveys dismissiveness risks making people feel like you’re gaslighting them.
  5. Acting on the problem. Paul doubled down on his commitment to transmitting Christian core values, and ensuring that a culture of Christian ethics reached every corner of the church.

It doesn’t feel good to get criticized, especially when it seems unwarranted. If we can stay focused on caring about our values and other people, we will likely handle it well. Because it’s not a matter of if we get criticized, but when.

Almighty and everlasting God, help me to have no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth, but only words which are good, gracious, and edifying. And I pray for Christ’s Church everywhere, that all of our conversations will influence others for good and build up one another in the faith, through Jesus our Lord, in the strength of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Whoever Is Not with Me Is Against Me (Matthew 12:22-32)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Jesus casts out the devils, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872)

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (New International Version)

Binary thinking is rife in today’s world. It is a simplified mindset in which a person sees issues in one of two opposite and mutually separate ways. In other words, binary thinking reduces complex situations into a simplified either/or view that sees everything from a good versus bad, right versus wrong, and us versus them mentality.

Engaging in binary thinking elicits a tendency towards oversimplification where groups and sides are pitted against each other. And this is precisely what the religious leaders of Christ’s day wanted.

They engaged in a logical fallacy by attributing Christ’s ability to heal and drive out demons as itself demonic. Oversimplification is when someone does not look at a circumstance or situation with any understanding, but instead assigns it either a good or bad label. In this case, the religious leaders were simply saying Jesus was doing bad work because he himself is bad, and in league with the devil.

There is a big difference between the ability to take complex issues and explain them in terms that most people can understand, and refusing to know the complexity by immediately boiling it down to a right or wrong label. The religious leaders did not seek to know and understand Jesus; and in their ignorance, they simply called Christ’s work satanic.

It could be that the religious leaders wanted to create a polarization between Christ and the people. After all, their own authority, power, and hegemony were being threatened by this upstart healer. Jesus was gaining the affection of the people, and so, the leaders perhaps felt they were losing their influence. At the least, they certainly felt jealous.

I am always impressed by the way Jesus responded to people of all kinds. Christ generally entered the world of those in front of him and handled matters according to the way they thought and did things. In the case of the religious leaders, Jesus entered into their binary thinking world and took them on from that point of view.

Christ argued logically from the leaders’ own illogic. If black and white thinking is what they understood, then Jesus gave them that in a way they would grasp it. Jesus counters the accusations by simply stating that Satan undoing his own work is ridiculous. If Satan is wanting more and more control over people (like the religious leaders want!) then there is no way he is going to give Christ the power to set them free from that control.

Therefore, in binary terms the leaders could understand, Jesus declared that whoever is not with him is against him; whoever is not gathering with him is actually scattering. The tables are turned. Jesus is doing good work, of which the religious leaders are calling bad. Thus, they are bad.

And Jesus was not finished with them quite yet. He further stated a grim warning, aimed directly at the leaders. By seeing up close and personal the work of God’s Spirit, then declaring that work to be the devil’s doing, you cannot be forgiven.

What’s more, not only are such people not forgiven, but they also cannot be forgiven – because they have cut themselves off from the very power that could forgive them. Once a person declares in their binary thinking that the only remaining source of life is poisoned, then they just condemned themselves to death.

Cutting off oneself from God altogether cannot possibly bring forgiveness and grace to that same self. If we are mad at God and rage at him, we are still engaging and communicating with him – we are not cut off. Any sort of communication with God is still having some sort of connection with the divine. But if we sever the connection altogether, then there is not a way to receive any grace.

So, if we are concerned about committing the unpardonable sin, we most certainly have not – because we still are seeking connection with God. Hell is the place of separation from God – the very place where people who want nothing to do with God are. It isn’t that God put them there; they put themselves there.

Let us not, therefore, pit people against each other, but instead, foster relational connections, wholeness, integrity, and a just spirit of right relationships. We need not condemn others or assign to them demonic labels. If they truly are condemned, they have already done so to themselves.

O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask that you mercifully hear our prayers and spare all those who confess their sins to you; and may they be absolved by your gracious pardon of their guilty conscience and of any shameful deeds, through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.