Category: Year B

Jesus Is Better (Hebrews 7:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Abraham meets Melchizedek, 13th century mosaic, Basilica di San Marco, Venice, Italy

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness;” then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor. (New International Version)

We all become discouraged at various times in our lives; it’s part of being human. Chronic discouragement, however, can turn into a resignation to one’s apparent fate. It can cause us to give up.

That is where the Jewish Christians were, both spiritually and emotionally, in the New Testament Book of Hebrews. As Jews, they were living in a pagan Gentile world which did not appreciate their religious and cultural differences. As Christians, they lived with isolation from their Jewish families who did not understand their faith commitment to Christ and the Church.

It’s one thing to become discouraged. It’s another thing altogether to never have your situation change. Day after day, the Jewish Christians faced hardship, even persecution. So, over time, their faith and resolve to serve Jesus began weakening. They were in danger of reneging on their cherished beliefs and way of life.

This is why the author of Hebrews stepped in to address the situation. He wanted to encourage the struggling believers to not give up, to persevere in their faith. In order to do that, the Christians would need to fix their eyes on Jesus.

Instead of returning to Judaism, the Jewish Christians were encouraged to see how Jesus is superior to every important person in history, and better than the legal and sacrificial systems that they came from.

In chapter 7 of Hebrews, the author is continuing an argument that Jesus is better than the high priest Aaron (Hebrews 4:14-10:18). Part of that argument was to highlight the significance of an ancient king, Melchizedek, who was both a king and a priest of the Most High God.

The line of reasoning goes like this:

  • Melchizedek was a king and a priest in the time of Abraham.
  • Abraham acknowledged Melchizedek as such, and recognized his greatness and authority.
  • Therefore, Melchizedek is superior to the founder and patriarch of Jewish faith, Abraham.
  • Jesus is both a king and a priest, like Melchizedek.
  • Aaron is a priest, not a king.
  • Jesus is superior to Aaron; Aaron’s ministry was temporary, and Christ’s reign is permanent.

Specifically, regarding the lesson today, the argument is this:

  • Descendants of Levi were priests in Israel.
  • Levi was the ancestor of Aaron, the original Levitical high priest.
  • Abraham was the great grandfather of Levi.
  • Abraham was patriarch, and therefore, greater than Levi.
  • Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.

And so, the author of Hebrews was making this argument:

Jesus is a priest and king, like Melchizedek. Therefore, Jesus is superior to Abraham, Levi, Aaron, and all of the Levitical priests.

The Book of Hebrews insists that Jesus is greater than all other Jewish persons in history; and is superior to the old Levitical sacrificial system. Every Levitical priest lived and died. Jesus lived and died and rose from death. Therefore, Christ’s priesthood is still in existence. It is permanent.

From the New Testament perspective, Christ’s death and resurrection has replaced the Levitical priesthood as a new and better system of order. It’s new and better because, whereas the Levitical priests offered sacrifices day after day, Christ offered himself, once for all. The Cross of Christ was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices.

This spiritual reality, presented to the Jewish Christians in the ancient world, was meant to encourage them to hold fast in their commitment to Jesus.

We now have the privilege of coming to God without any spiritual hurdles to jump or obstacles to overcome, because Jesus made it possible.

God is available to us at all times, without having to offer a sacrifice in order to enter God’s presence, because the curtain of the temple has been torn in two.

Christ Jesus has finished the sacrificial work, and made it possible for every believer to come to God by faith alone.

So, don’t give up. Be encouraged with Jesus, the Savior and Sovereign of the universe, the Sustainer and Helper in a time of need, and the great King and High Priest who lives even now to intercede for us.

Hebrews is a somewhat long book in the New Testament of the Bible, encompassing thirteen chapters in all. It’s contents may sometimes seem dense and/or confusing. Yet, if you read through it, in one sitting, I believe you will come away encouraged and motivated to persevere and keep going.

Be patient, my friend. The situations which are now discouraging you will not last. And there is a King and High Priest who will last forever, and who has your back through all of the icky sticky circumstances of your life.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit; that we may know you and make you known; and through your Spirit, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

Living Without Answers (Job 41:12-34)

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

“I will not keep silent concerning its limbs
    or its mighty strength or its splendid frame.
Who can strip off its outer garment?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of mail?
Who can open the doors of its face?
    There is terror all around its teeth.
Its back is made of shields in rows,
    shut up closely as with a seal.
One is so near to another
    that no air can come between them.
They are joined one to another;
    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
Its sneezes flash forth light,
    and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
From its mouth go flaming torches;
    sparks of fire leap out.
Out of its nostrils comes smoke,
    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
Its breath kindles coals,
    and a flame comes out of its mouth.
In its neck abides strength,
    and terror dances before it.
The folds of its flesh cling together;
    it is firmly cast and immovable.
Its heart is as hard as stone,
    as hard as the lower millstone.
When it raises itself up the gods are afraid;
    at the crashing they are beside themselves.
Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail,
    nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
It counts iron as straw
    and bronze as rotten wood.
The arrow cannot make it flee;
    slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff.
Clubs are counted as chaff;
    it laughs at the rattle of javelins.
Its underparts are like sharp potsherds;
    it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
It makes the deep boil like a pot;
    it makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
It leaves a shining wake behind it;
    one would think the deep to be white-haired.
On earth it has no equal,
    a creature without fear.
It surveys everything that is lofty;
    it is king over all that are proud.” (New Revised Standard Version)

In a long anticipated response, God finally spoke to Job with his companions present. And it was nothing like anyone expected.

Today’s Old Testament lesson continues God’s questioning of Job, and talking of the great Leviathan – a large and uncontrollable creature.

Trying to figure out exactly what Leviathan is or was (e.g. a dragon, a dinosaur, or some dang demon) is not the point of having this chapter in Holy Scripture.

We can become obsessed with having our questions answered, everything neatly categorized and understood, every problem and mystery solved to our satisfaction.

If the Book of Job teaches us anything, it is that there are questions for which there are no answers this side of heaven. There are problems which we humans cannot logically and scientifically solve.

Ironically, we discover the presence of God through God’s absence; and hear the voice of God through God’s silence.

Any encounter we may have with God will typically shatter any preconceived notions about divinity. Any experience with God shall prevent us from packaging up an answer with some nice pretty paper and bows, as if we were enjoying a delightful Christmas at home.

Facing God is much more like coming face to face with who you really are, and what motivations and intentions are really in your heart. It’s more like Halloween than Christmas. It’s staring at a scary monstrous Leviathan, and not a bright jolly Santa Claus.

Coming to grips with our fears and anxieties, struggles and weaknesses, mortality and vulnerability, is the real sort of encounter people have with God. It’s not so much that God is scary; it’s we who are scary.

It’s scary what people will sometimes do in order to try and get answers to their questions. And it is equally scary what we will do to avoid the questions asked of us.

We don’t like hearing there are some things which are unanswerable. Yet, the mystery of God is real, which means that we are never going to know about everything we want to understand.

And we also don’t like being questioned. But what can you do, whenever you cannot move, and God begins peppering you with his own questions?

We would like to justify and vindicate ourselves – even rationalize our words and actions, if that’s what it takes. Yet, it is God alone who has the power to absolve and exonerate, to bring justice while in the teeth of injustice.

Furthermore, such justification comes in God’s own timing, not ours. Again, this is one of those realities which is far above us, for which we have only a very limited perspective on.

As we move ever closer to the end of the Book of Job, Job’s quest for answers and vindication hasn’t come, at least yet. We, along with Job, must handover the entire affair thoroughly to God in complete trust – without insisting that God say or do what I want God to say or do.

Living by faith is the only real option we have. All other options leave us in an existential angst, sliding toward nihilism.

Anyone who believes they can govern the world better than God, better brace themselves for some serious questioning.

There is not a person on this earth, including myself, that I would trust to run it for ten minutes. Because within ten seconds the world would be burning.

I don’t want that world.

I want a world with God – because I wholeheartedly believe that grace is the real and true operative force on this earth.

The grace of God allows us to see the divine without having to have our puny questions answered. Grace reassures us that we are not lost, that God sees and knows what is happening, and will do something about it.

So therefore, I can rest assured that everything is held in the sinewy strong arms of God. And no person, no monster, no Leviathan, is outside of God’s ability to effect justice and righteousness in the world.

It may take some time to realize complete and total justice, but God has given me enough faith to rest in mystery, and to live with uncertainty.

May it be so, to the glory of God.

Creator of the world, we pray

That you, with steadfast love, would keep

Your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight,

From fears and terrors of the night;

Tread underfoot our deadly foe

That we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, we ask your will to be done

Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;

And Holy Spirit, by whose breath

Our souls are raised to life from death. Amen.

You Can’t Leverage a Leviathan (Job 41:1-11)

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

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook
    or press down its tongue with a cord?
Can you put a rope in its nose
    or pierce its jaw with a hook?
Will it make many supplications to you?
    Will it speak soft words to you?
Will it make a covenant with you
    to be taken as your servant forever?
Will you play with it as with a bird
    or put it on a leash for your young women?
Will traders bargain over it?
    Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Can you fill its skin with harpoons
    or its head with fishing spears?
Lay hands on it;
    think of the battle; you will not do it again!
Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed;
    one is overwhelmed even at the sight of it.
No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up.
    Who can stand before it?
Who can confront it and be safe?
    —under the whole heaven, who?” (New Revised Standard Version)

Just as “Behemoth” is an English transliteration of the Hebrew word (Job 40:15), so is the word “Leviathan” (לִוְיָתָן). The reason for merely transliterating the words is that we don’t really know what sort of creatures they are with any certainty.

Yet, what we do know, is that both of them are strong and ferocious creatures, described by God as beyond the control of humans. They cannot be domesticated, or serve as pets. That’s because no human could ever hunt or capture one of them. Just to look at a Leviathan would cause a person to flee in fear.

The biblical character of Job had been through a lot. Back in the beginning of the Book of Job, he is described as a man who is upright and blameless. Because of this, Satan entered the picture, going to God and accusing Job of only being faithful because he was blessed. So, God allowed Satan to afflict Job, but not kill him.

Yet, Job knew nothing about this celestial conversation. All he knew was that he lost everything and everyone he cared about. On top of it all, Job experienced painful sores which left his health ravaged and his body unable to do much of anything.

Job’s three “friends” came to comfort him. But they did just the opposite by arguing with him and accusing him of secret sinning. All Job wanted was some vindication, some answers to his questions, and some sort of sense to all the senseless suffering.

After long speeches of both Job and his companions, God’s agonizing silence was finally broken. For several chapters (Job 38-41) God gives no answers, but instead, asks his own questions. The gist of God’s confrontational response comes down to this:

You are wondering about things that are way above your ability to know and understand. But what you need to know is that life consists in relationships, in dialogue and interaction with me, and especially with honesty and vulnerability which goes along with those relations.

Life cannot be boiled down to a nice, neat system of good people getting good stuff, and bad people getting bad stuff. Yell at me, and rage at me, if you must. Then you will be honest, real, and relating to me. But I have no tolerance for anyone who tries to be Me, and thinks they know how things actually are, and how they work.

There is no “The Universe For Dummies” by God on the way things operate in the universe. That’s because it cannot be dumbed-down enough for any human to grasp. All we have is relational interaction and connection.

We can’t even figure out what in the world creatures like Behemoth and Leviathan are, let alone understand how to deal with them. Methinks that despair has a much more prominent place for us humans than we realize. But that is a bigger discussion than Behemoth, and so, is for another time.

It could be that God talking of Leviathan – this big uncontrollable and unpredictable creature – is one way of helping us come to grips with our divine/human relationship.

You and I have absolutely no control over God. It’s not remotely possible, at all. And if nobody can domesticate, let alone capture, a Leviathan, then there is no possibility of ever using God as a personal pet for our own purposes.

Far too many of us humans, demand God to show up and explain himself; or we do all sorts of genuflections and pray volumes of words to try and leverage God into answering us and giving us what we want. But there is no leveraging a Leviathan.

Precious few persons on this earth simply let God be God; and choose to focus on being a real, vulnerable human who needs and wants God. Such persons do not try and capture God, because they have already been captured by God.

We are all at the mercy of God, and in no way can manipulate or cajole God toward our agenda for how we think things ought to go. We might as well try and catch a Leviathan.

Humanity does not hold onto God; God holds onto us. God is not obliged to serve us and do our bidding; but we are very much obliged to God in service and fidelity.

God, I believe, rightly seems perturbed by all of longwinded speeches, only because he was being treated as some sort of divine vending machine who dispenses the proper candy bar with an obligatory monetary oblation.

Do we actually believe that we can do a sort of spiritual credit card slide, and get a belly full of goodies? If you want good from God, then do good and be a good person, right?…

Um, no. Frankly, that kind of spirituality irks God. Good people sometimes get bad stuff. And that reality bothers some of us humans to no end.

There is a reason for all that occurs, but it’s way above our human pay grade to know and understand what it’s really all about. So, treat God as God, as the Sovereign of the universe, as the Holy One whom we must relate to in truth, honesty, realness, and vulnerability.

This is another day, O Lord. I don’t really know what it will bring forth. Regardless, make me ready for whatever this day may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and please give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

There Is a Behemoth In the Room (Job 40:1-24)

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

And the Lord said to Job:

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
    Anyone who argues with God must respond.”

Then Job answered the Lord:

“See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
    I lay my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken once, and I will not answer,
    twice but will proceed no further.”

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

“Gird up your loins like a man;
    I will question you, and you declare to me.
Will you even put me in the wrong?
    Will you condemn me that you may be justified?
Have you an arm like God,
    and can you thunder with a voice like his?

“Deck yourself with majesty and dignity;
    clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
Pour out the overflowing of your anger,
    and look on all who are proud and humble them.
Look on all who are proud and bring them low;
    tread down the wicked where they stand.
Hide them all in the dust together;
    bind their faces in the world below.
Then I will also acknowledge to you
    that your own right hand can give you victory.

“Look at Behemoth,
    which I made just as I made you;
    it eats grass like an ox.
Its strength is in its loins
    and its power in the muscles of its belly.
It makes its tail stiff like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are knit together.
Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs like bars of iron.

“It is the first of the great acts of God;
    only its Maker can approach it with the sword.
For the mountains yield food for it
    where all the wild animals play.
Under the lotus plants it lies,
    in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh.
The lotus trees cover it for shade;
    the willows of the wadi surround it.
Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened;
    it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth.
Can one take it with hooks
    or pierce its nose with a snare? (New Revised Standard Version)

At various times throughout my life, and the life of my dear family, we have been referred to by others as “the family of Job.” Believe me, it’s not really a moniker you’d like to have.

It can be good to know that there are others who see you and affirm your undeserved suffering. Yet, suffering is not something I have ever asked for or wanted.

Suffering is like an uninvited guest who crashes life’s party. And there is no bouncer I can turn to in order to get this unwanted behemoth out of my life.

Speaking of behemoths, it just so happens that “Behemoth” is mentioned by God in today’s Old Testament lesson.

The word “behemoth” is simply an English transliteration (bəhēmōṯ) of the Hebrew word (בְּהֵמוֹת). This is because nobody really knows what the Behemoth is, or was.

This, however, didn’t stop some English translations from interpreting Behemoth, e.g. “hippopotamus” in the Contemporary English Version; and, the Easy-to-Read Version uses “behemoth” but inserts the footnote that “This might be a hippopotamus, a rhinoceros, or possibly an elephant.”

Whatever Behemoth actually was, it was very big and strong. And the fact that God can have one as a pet is meant to speak of how immense and powerful God is.

A big old Behemoth is something we may be awe-inspired by, or even admire from afar. But I don’t think any of us would want one in our living room, especially if the Behemoth is bigger than the room.

But that’s exactly where I too often find myself. I come home, and there is this great big behemoth that I cannot get around nor ignore. I have to deal with it.

The Behemoth makes me realize that I am rather puny and weak; I am therefore very limited in how I can deal with it. Compared to this Behemoth, I am nothing. My human limitations come annoyingly to the forefront as a pathetic display of ineffectiveness.

And that is precisely what I don’t like. I absolutely despise being limited. I keep holding to the ridiculous notion that in any and every situation, I feel that I should be able to handle it. I should be the smartest person in the room. I ought to be the best person for the job. I should be up to whatever job is in front of me.

I can easily “should” myself to death, believing that because I look like Clark Kent, I am really Superman. But the truth is that I am vulnerable, limited, and don’t have all the answers.

I have no problem whatsoever affirming God’s power, size, and ability. I have plenty of faith to believe that God’s plans and purposes will be accomplished in this world. And I have all kinds of trust that God is good for divine promises made.

But I have some serious problems with my own limitations. I hate having a lack of knowledge, awareness, and strength. I despise not being able to help. I want nothing to do with what my late aged parents described as “being a burden to my family.”

Yet, here I am. A human, with all the weaknesses, limitations, and ignorance that goes with it.

And this is the core of my problem: I cannot help God, be more like Jesus, and have the strength of the Holy Spirit. In other words, I am not God. I’m about as close to being like God as both ends of the universe are.

As big as that huge Behemoth is in my life – which for me, is actually my insipid and frustrating limitations – God is infinitely bigger than the biggest Behemoth there ever was.

It turns out that my not wanting to submit to anything but God, is really a lack of submission to God. The Lord wants to use my wife, my children, my colleagues, my neighbors, and even people I don’t know and/or don’t like to help me in my limitations.

When God shows up, it usually isn’t in a dramatic whirlwind; God typically comes in the form of the person right in front of me.

Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, you have no limits. Yet, I am quite limited. My body cannot do everything. My mind cannot know all things. My ability to feel and express emotion is too often suppressed and purposely limited. And my spirit is too often limited to the three dimensions of my physical existence. Help, Lord; I need you.

May your divine grace and peace surround me and fill me, so that even when I am weak in body, I am strong in faith. Help me to accept my human limitations, as well as help from others; and to embrace and pursue my spiritual possibilities; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.