From Infertility to Laughter (Genesis 21:1-7)

On June 15, 2023May 23, 2023 By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

The Lord was attentive to Sarah just as he had said, and the Lord carried out just what he had promised her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, at the very time God had told him. Abraham named his son—the one Sarah bore him—Isaac. Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old just as God had commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah said, “God has given me laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.” She said, “Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? But now I’ve given birth to a son when he was old!” (Common English Bible)

Abram and Sarai had settled into an uncomfortable comfortableness. They lived in Ur of the Chaldees, childless and past child bearing years. I’m sure they expected to live out the rest of their days in the land they had grown up in.

But then, God shook up things. The Lord comes along and calls the two of them to leave their familiar country and go to a new land. Along with the calling came a promise of making them the progenitors of a great nation. And the heir would come from their own biological bodies.

It did not all happen at once. And there were lots of questions. Each time Abraham brought up the issue, God simply restated the promise (Genesis 13:16, 15:2-5, 17:5-6). Abraham and Sarah were (understandably) at some points impatient and took matters into their own hands – which is how we get Ishmael, a son from Sarah’s servant Hagar (Genesis 16).

After Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, God informed Abraham that his heir will be born from Sarah – which (again understandably) evoked laughter. It was downright far-fetched to imagine a 100-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman giving birth to a baby.

It turns out that infertility, even with an old woman, can be surmounted by God. So, anyone settling into an uncomfortable comfortableness may need to switch to a comfortable uncomfortableness of knowing that nothing is impossible with God – which is, of course, what the angel said to a young Mary about becoming pregnant without having been with a man. (Luke 1:26-38)

Plenty of couples today struggle to conceive – even with the availability of infertility treatments and assistive reproductive technologies. And some families still walk away without a child, and instead come away with thousands of dollars of debt.

I am heartened that Abraham kept bringing up Sarah’s infertility issue to God. And the Lord was never silent about it, but remained adamant that the divine promise would come from the two of them together.

Individual Christians and churches tend to shy away from conversations about infertility. Yet, it’s something for which many people need spiritual and emotional support. Fertile couples may feel awkward talking to infertile couples, but it is very much needed. God didn’t remain silent, so let’s not keep quiet either.

It’s okay to talk about the struggles of infertility. Sometimes we need to name it as an experience of suffering seen and known by God. Many couples need to experience the presence of God and know God is with them in their struggle. For, indeed, God cares about the feelings of women experiencing infertility.

For many families with children, they have the luxury of discussing infertility as a theological issue. And they may offer easy solutions of prayer, or to simply ask for a miracle (as if the barren woman hadn’t already done that a thousand times). Yet, for females longing to carry a child full term, this is a very real problem which involves the whole person – and not only cerebral arguments.

It’s important that the stories and experiences of those who live with the pain and disappointment of infertility are heard by us, and what’s more, honored and lifted up. Women experiencing infertility need our support, and not our silence.

The Lord was attentive to Sarah. We can be attentive to the Sarah’s around us. The following are some ways we can do just that:

1. Validate their feelings

Many women with infertility do not share their struggles with family or friends. This secrecy may lead to feelings of depression, anxiety or low self-worth. Asking open-ended questions like, “How can I best support you?” or, “What can I do for you during this time?” shows that you want to understand their situation and are willing to have helpful dialogue.

2. Ask, don’t assume

Constantly trying to figure out if someone is pregnant can be upsetting for a person with infertility. Just give them grace and space to talk. If you want to know something, ask. But never try to pull information out of another person.

3. Don’t minimize their situation

Statements such as, “It will happen soon enough” minimize the pain and sorrow a couple may be experiencing. And being overly positive about a situation does not help. Acknowledging the uncertainty is more helpful than giving a false sense of hope.

4. Don’t compare

Every person’s journey with infertility is different. Comparing someone’s situation with someone else’s can create stress and make them feel as if they’re doing something wrong.

Avoid statements such as:

“I know a friend who…”
“Have you tried…”
“Maybe you should just…”
“Relax. All that stress is causing your infertility.”
“Why don’t you just adopt?”

5. Be thoughtful

If you have kids of your own, don’t complain. Things like lack of sleep from caring for a newborn can be painful reminders of what your infertile friend has not been able to have. Yet, that doesn’t mean avoiding your own situation. Be honest and real, but be thoughtful and sensitive. Let another be part of your life, while at the same time, asking about theirs.

6. Be involved

People don’t like to be excluded from knowing details about your experience with kids and want to be invited to important occasions. Let them decide what they want and can do.

If we learn to cry with others in their wondering and discouragement, we will be able to laugh with them when joy abounds. Just ask Sarah.

God of Life,
You fill what is empty,
You make abundant what is scarce,
You bring to bloom what is barren.

We ask your presence and care for all those who seek to be parents. Bless them with the conception, healthy delivery and joyful rearing of children made in your image and likeness. Dwell with them and console them as they wait for the gifts given in your good time.

With Sarah and Abraham, we are bold to pray. Amen.

Let Mercy Be Our Guide (Matthew 12:1-8)

On June 14, 2023May 22, 2023 By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (New International Version)

I’ll just say it plainly: We people are quick to judge. All of us have been on the end of someone judging us for something we did or said; and also all of us have played the judge, telling someone they aren’t right, when we really don’t know what’s going on or don’t have the full picture.

In today’s Gospel lesson, the Pharisees take issue with Christ’s disciples doing something unlawful (that is, unbiblical). Since the Pharisees chose to respond to the situation using the ground of Scripture, Jesus responded to them on Scriptural grounds.

Jesus went back to the Bible, with three pointed biblical retorts: “Haven’t you read?” “Haven’t you read in the Law?” and “If you had known what these words mean….”

David and His Companions

The first example of Jesus, in reply to the Pharisees’ issue with the disciples picking heads of grain on the Sabbath, was to lift up David and his men. They had the audacity to waltz into the holy place, take the sacred Bread of the Presence, and proceed to eat it. And it was all done above board.

In a usual circumstance, it would be unlawful for anyone other than a priest to eat the bread. However, under unusual circumstances or extreme situations, it is very much permitted for the priest(s) to give the bread to others. This gets at the spirit and intent of the Law, not just the letter of it.

If we are unable to practice biblical injunctions with both knowledgeable skill and practical art, then we are failing to keep the Law. In other words, meeting the very real needs of people is a high priority – which is a major point of divine commands to begin with.

Priests on Sabbath Duty

The Pharisees had a problem with the disciples “working” on the Sabbath day. Rather than quibble about whether they were working by sowing and reaping, or not, Jesus went to the example and reality that the priests of God “work” on the Sabbath day – an argument which every Christian Pastor knows all too well, since we do a great deal of work on our Sunday of “rest.”

Jesus is merely making a simple observation that priestly work is done on the Sabbath without any guilt, sin, or shame behind it. In fact, it’s expected. Just as the priests are squeaky clean, then so are Christ’s disciples.

Christ brings it closer to his main point – that if the temple and all the ritual laws can validate Sabbath work – then it follows that Jesus has the freedom to “work” on the Sabbath because he is actually Lord of the Sabbath. It’s an argument from the lesser to the greater. If the temple is important, and Christ is greater than the temple, then there ought to be no constraints to Messiah’s work in this world.

If You Only Knew Your Bible

The lynchpin and hinge point of all Christ’s words hangs on the revealed biblical heart of God toward the very situation in which the disciples were in the field getting some heads of wheat. And it is the verse drawn from the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

Again, the point of the Law, the aim of the biblical commands, is not self-sacrifice. It isn’t about going without eating because you would need to work in order to prepare food. Rather, it is having a big heart directed toward the needs of humanity. Human willpower, self-discipline, and right theology don’t mean much, at all, next to the weightier matters of empathy, compassion, and relational connection.

Religious duty is just that. But spiritual care which seeks to bring heartfelt compassion, responsible love, and social justice to a community is the sort of divine work that God is looking for in God’s people. Anything less than that is only hollow legalism.

So, instead of ignoring the Law, Jesus was actually upholding and fulfilling God’s Law. Christ was keeping the spirit, heart, and intent of divine instructions – even though it may have looked otherwise to a particular group of people.

Sabbath and the Reformation

In the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin understood this meaning, that the Sabbath is made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath, and that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. Therefore, we are to observe the Lord’s Day (Sunday) in an intentionally non-legalistic way:

“The Lord’s Day was not established for us to hallow it before all others, that is, to count it more holy. For this is the prerogative of God alone, who has honored all days equally (Romans 14:15). But it was established for the church to gather for prayers and praises of God, for hearing the Word, for the use of the sacraments.”
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 1, Chapter 14)

Let mercy, not judgment nor sacrifice, be our interpretive guide through the whole of Holy Scripture and the Christian life, to the glory of God. Amen.

Final Exhortations on the Christian Life (Hebrews 13:1-16)

On June 13, 2023May 20, 2023 By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because 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 mere mortals do to me?”

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (New International Version)

Whenever I read this final chapter in the New Testament book of Hebrews, it gives me the feel of a parent blurting out a bunch of loving exhortations before the kids leave.

Throughout this incredible letter to a group of struggling Jewish Christians, the author of Hebrews offered a mix of pastoral encouragement along with pointed spiritual warnings. Now, after doing his best to demonstrate that Jesus is worth holding on to, the author exhorts the people with several practical instructions to help focus them for a life of guidance and direction in the ways of Christianity.

Keep on Loving Each Other

Love is the distinguishing characteristic of a Christian. A group of people can only persevere if they encourage one another daily with a combination of cheerleading and rebuke. The big idea is that everyone must hold each other accountable for living the Christian life.

Show Hospitality to Strangers

The word for hospitality literally means “love of stranger.” It’s the opposite of xenophobia (fear of the other). Hospitality is an expression of love for Christ in meeting the needs of people we don’t even know. Why do it? One good reason is that they just might be angels.

Remember Prisoners and Mistreated Persons

In the ancient world, there was no state-supported prison system. Incarcerated persons were completely dependent upon the mercy of their family and friends for food and relational connection. In the case of those who were truly alone, the church extended needed benevolence to them. Otherwise, prisoners would languish and eventually die.

Furthermore, we are to be observant of those who endure suffering from mistreatment. Why? Because the believers were in that position, too. Instead of “looking out for number one,” the church was to engage the community and not be isolated from its needs.

Honor the Institution of Marriage

God cares about how we honor our commitments. Ideally, couples are to keep their relationship pure without adulterating themselves with others. They submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. And they keep their promises to each other, no matter what circumstances they find themselves in.

In God’s economy, there’s no such thing as “free love” in the sense that we can have multiple partners without any sort of consequence or fallout. Friends with benefits is a misnomer. Random sex is oxymoronic. And casual lovers are in huge denial. There is a high cost to it all.

Don’t Love Money

This, of course, is a tricky one. We need money. Everyone must use money. But the love of money sets us on a dark path from which few are able to return. The best way (and really the only way) of avoiding the money pit is to be content with what you have.

Gratitude and thanksgiving has the power to grant us a happy life, even though it may be a very simple one. The only permanent things in the universe are relationships – everything else will burn.

Remember Your Leaders

Recall those persons who were good examples in both their speech and action. And imitate their faith. I wonder how many of us could say that to another person – to mimic our own life. If you’re like me, one of the things which stick out to you about respected leaders in your life, is their passion and desire in living for Christ. And, like Jesus, they were never fickle, but were always consistent and unwavering in their commitments.

Don’t Be Carried Away by Different Teachings

The basic message of the gospel has not changed: There is still good news of great joy for all who believe, because Jesus has taken care of the sin issue once for all through his singular sacrifice. And Jesus will sustain us by means of the Holy Spirit graciously given us. There’s no need to look elsewhere for our needs to be met.

Bear Christ’s Disgrace

Go to Jesus outside the camp – or in other words – live a holy life. Live into the words and ways of Christ. In doing so, we will actually end up being ridiculed, even abused. In concluding the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised that living a holy life of humility, righteousness, mercy, purity and peacemaking will result in persecution. (Matthew 5:10-12)

So, why live this way? Because it is the path to our eternal inheritance. The broad road leads to destruction, but the narrow way of holiness brings us to eternal life.

Continually Offer to God a Sacrifice of Praise

Praise comes from a heart full of gratitude for deliverance from sin, death, and hell – for salvation from all the guilt and shame of things done and things left undone. Praise is our sacrifice, not animals. In a world where many people want followers of Jesus to keep their mouths shut, those devoted to Christ find themselves incessantly chattering about Jesus because of their union with him.

Be Benevolent

Part of offering a sacrifice of praise is using our time and resources for the benefit of blessing the church and the world. We aren’t simply consumers who receive salvation and blessing from God; we are also producers who thoughtfully and compassionately give of our gifts, talents, time, and money for those in need of grace and love.

Conclusion

Why are we to obey these various exhortations from the author of Hebrews? Because we were purchased at a price – the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And as a result of receiving such a grace from God, the believer willingly gives themselves to becoming holy, serving faithfully, and offering compassionate spiritual care in the name of Christ.

For love is always the true litmus test of every genuine follower of Jesus, and the thing which gives motivation and shape to each exhortation.

Amen. May it be so, to the glory of God.

Delight in God’s Word (Psalm 119:41-48)

On June 12, 2023May 18, 2023 By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Lord, give me your unfailing love,
    the salvation that you promised me.
Then I can answer those who taunt me,
    for I trust in your word.
Do not snatch your word of truth from me,
    for your regulations are my only hope.
I will keep on obeying your instructions
    forever and ever.
I will walk in freedom,
    for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
I will speak to kings about your laws,
    and I will not be ashamed.
How I delight in your commands!
    How I love them!
I honor and love your commands.
    I meditate on your decrees. (New Living Translation)

Christians often refer to the Bible as “God’s Word.” By that reference is meant that God has graciously given a self-revelation to us through the Holy Scriptures.

The Jewish people refer to the first five books of the Old Testament as the Law of the Lord or the Torah. They understand God as a great, high and holy Being, who graciously accommodates and communicates to us on our level by giving the Law.

Just as a parent coos and babbles and speaks in a very different way to a baby in a crib, so God speaks to us in a manner that we can understand divine care, concern, and love for us. Just as an infant cannot understand an adult conversation taking place, so God is a divine being well above our comprehension. We have no ability to understand anything God says unless the Lord graciously and lovingly bends down to speak to us on our level.

God’s Law, the Torah, was the curriculum for Israel’s religious instruction. The Law of the Lord is meant to be a behavior pattern, to be embodied in the lives of God’s people through both teachers and parents who learn God’s Word and, in turn, pass it along to others. Both those within the faith, such as children, and those outside of the faith, such as aliens or immigrants, can have a guide for how to live in the world.

God’s Law is an extension of God’s grace. And we can gratefully accept the grace of God expressed in God’s Word. We have the opportunity to ingest it, eat it, reflect on it, and dwell with it, in order to know God and be the sort of people God who can bless the world.

There are several Hebrew language words that come from the root word of Law, or Torah. A teacher is a “moreh.” A parent is a “horeh.” Parents and teachers are to be living guides in the way of God’s Word. What’s more, the Hebrew word for teaching is “yarah.”

So, in other words, the moreh’s and the horeh’s are to yarah the Torah. Parents and teachers are to point and lead others into the ways of the Lord. And how do they do this?…

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, NIV)

God’s Law (God’s Word) is to be as familiar to us as our back door; it is to be in front of us all the time. We might put a modern spin on the Deuteronomy passage to help us understand our privilege when it comes to God’s Word:

Attention, Church! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love God with all that is in you; love God with all you’ve got!

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.

In order to do this, talk about God’s Word at home when you are eating supper together, and when you are working or playing with each other.

Start your day with God’s Word when you get up, and end your day with God’s Word when you go to bed at night. Put God’s Word on your refrigerator, and your car’s dashboard; have it on your smartphones, and let it be available to you anywhere, anytime. Use every opportunity you have to incessantly chatter about God’s Holy Word.

Someone may say, “That’s pretty radical – I don’t need to do all that!” Then I would say you are missing out on living a blessed life, because people are blessed when they walk according to God’s Word and keep God’s Law in front of them, seeking God with all their heart.

Eleanor Turnbull, a veteran missionary to Haiti, collected and translated some simple but powerful prayers of the Christians who live in the Haitian mountains. Here are four prayers that they pray every day – and take note of their high view of God, and their longing to know God’s Word:

“Our Great Physician, Your word is like alcohol. When poured on an infected wound, it burns and stings, but only then can it kill germs. If it doesn’t burn, it doesn’t do any good.”
“Father, we are all hungry baby birds this morning. Our heart-mouths are gaping wide, waiting for you to fill us.”
“Father, a cold wind seems to have chilled us. Wrap us in the blanket of your Word and warm us up.”
“Lord, we find your Word like cabbage. As we pull down the leaves, we get closer to the heart. And as we get closer to the heart, it is sweeter.”

Let’s not be so busy, pre-occupied, or worried that we push God’s Word to the margins of our lives as only something for our discretionary time.

Instead, let’s commit ourselves, like the psalmist, to learning and loving God’s commands and decrees.

Let’s be intentional about connecting with the God who has so graciously given us a guide for grateful living.

Let’s lay solid plans to catechize people into the basics of faith and holy living.

May your efforts both honor God and build up Christ’s Church. Amen.

Rev. Tim Ehrhardt

Category: Daily Bible Reading Blog

From Infertility to Laughter (Genesis 21:1-7)