Tag: grace

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.

Good vs. Evil (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)

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

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. (New Revised Standard Version)

There are two opposing forces which are operating in this world. One is the power of evil, manifested through lawlessness, selfishness, and wickedness. The other power is good, and it is seen wherever there is a concern for the common good of all people. Labors of love for all humanity and right relations with everyone are a demonstration of the peaceable fruit of righteousness existing in the world.

To put it succinctly, a spirit of merciful grace and a spirit of careless judgment both exist throughout the world.

Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

The Apostle Paul (Romans 12:9, NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church in Thessalonica because the believers there were confused. Somebody had told them that the end of the age already happened. Paul sought to set the record straight, that we are still anticipating the return of the Lord and the final judgment of all things.

The great Day of the Lord will not come until the faithless one, the person of lawlessness, the son of destruction, is revealed. Such a person opposes God and has the force of evil behind them. So, who is this person?

The person is not a single individual. Paul was helping the Thessalonian believers understand the actual situation by wrapping the abstract concept of evil into human form, so that they could visualize its reality and sinister nature. In truth, there will be lots of individual humans who manifest themselves through evil intent and actions, until the Lord’s return.

Grace is the operative power which restrains all the evil. A lot of people have questions about God and evil. Why is there so much evil? How come God doesn’t snuff it all out? Is the Lord not able to do anything? What’s going on?

Those are honest questions. And they come from a place of limited human perspective. Let’s turn this on it’s head. It’s not that God is impotent or isn’t doing anything about evil. Think of it this way: When you scoop up a bunch of sand in your hands, there are a lot of sand grains which fall to the ground. If the sand is evil, and the hands are God’s, the reality of the situation is that the Lord has most of the evil kept at bay.

In other words, if God were not involved in this world, at all, we would be living in a real dystopian society – people staying up at night to guard their homes with guns, and anxious folks attacking each other with impunity. As bad as some things are, it could be infinitely worse than it is.

The grace of God is active in restraining evil and providing believers with what they need to not only survive, but also to thrive in this world.

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4, NRSV)

A reversal occurs because of God’s grace. The wickedness which exists, especially within the human heart, is dealt with and transformed into a force for good in the world.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:3-5, NLT)

Grace is wonderful for those who believe. However, for those who are faithless, grace is inoperative – simply because the wicked consider virtues like mercy and grace as weak and useless; they have no intention of either giving or receiving such drivel.

From a certain angle, it may seem that God is harsh. The Lord hardens hearts, sends powerful delusions, and entertains mysteries which some people will never discover. Yet, from another point of view, these are all necessary divine tools in dealing with unjust humanity and their systems of oppression.

Justice and righteousness are championed by God, and therefore, injustice and unrighteousness will not be put up with by the Lord. And that is a good thing. Love not only gives, but it also protects and withholds. Evil will be dealt with according to God’s good grace and in God’s good time – and not according to a limited human perspective or any person’s impatience.

The time is short, and the time is near; everything shall not continue, as it presently is, forever. This is why the author of Hebrews exhorted people to pay attention to “Today” with a capital “T.” Today won’t be here tomorrow. Tomorrow is the Day of the Lord. So, while it’s Today, we must be responsive.

My friends, watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “Today.” If you don’t, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. (Hebrews 3:12-13, CEV)

We must encourage each other with continued faith and patience until the end of the age. We can do this. We are all in this life together, so let us keep on holding up one another and carrying each other’s burdens. In so doing, we will not be lawless, but fulfill the Law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Keep on being brave! It will bring you great rewards. Learn to be patient, so you will please God and be given what he has promised. As the Scriptures say,

“God is coming soon!
    It won’t be very long.
The people God accepts
will live because
    of their faith.
But he isn’t pleased
with anyone
    who turns back.”

We are not like those people who turn back and get destroyed. We will keep on having faith until we are saved. (Hebrews 10:35-39, CEV)

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

The Church that Makes a Difference (Matthew 16:13-20)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (New International Version)

A lot of research studies have come out in the past 20 years demonstrating that legions of adults, especially between the ages of 18-29, are leaving the Church in droves. This confirms my own anecdotal evidence over the years that about 80% of twenty-somethings drop out of church altogether. So, why are people leaving? Can anything be done about it?

Most of the studies can be boiled down to three major reasons: 

  1. The Church is irrelevant to my life and doesn’t talk about things important to me
  2. The Church is judgmental toward others not like themselves
  3. The Church is hypocritical by saying one thing and yet living another way

A good, right, and real confession of Jesus will speak a relevant word into the culture and into various generations, will proclaim the gospel of grace (not judgment), and will live what it believes.

The church that makes a difference is made up of people who confess Jesus

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus and his disciples are in the Gentile (non-Jewish) territory of Caesarea Philippi, a city 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Up to this point, the disciples encountered a lot of people and heard a lot of things said. So, Jesus asked them two questions: 

Who do people say the Son of Man is?

The disciples gave a variety of answers, which is to be expected, with some of them being a bit esoteric. John the Baptist raised from the dead is a stretch. Elijah was a man who never died, but was just taken to heaven; maybe he’s back. Maybe Jeremiah or one of the other prophets got sent back. 

When asking this question to folks today, you will also get a variety of answers as to whom Jesus is – a good teacher, a model humanitarian, a myth or a legend who didn’t really exist. A few times I have been told that Jesus was an alien from another planet. My personal favorite when I asked who Jesus, a guy answered that he was a nudist, and that if we all just took off our clothes, there would be peace in the world.

Who do you say I am?

Peter acted as the spokesperson for the group. Given the disciples’ track record of scratching their heads over nearly everything Jesus said or did, one might expect to hear another crazy answer. But Peter got it right by confessing, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” 

“Christ” is another way of saying “Messiah,” or “Savior.” It literally means, in the Greek language, “Answer.”  Peter confessed Jesus as being The Answer, the person for whom everything comes down to. Peter may not have fully understood what he was saying, but he said it.

The church that makes a difference is made up of people who have been called by God

The reason that craziness didn’t come out of Peter’s mouth is that “The Answer” was divinely revealed to him.  Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift given to us by God. 

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Jesus (Matthew 11:27, NIV)

Peter was blessed – not necessarily because of sincerity, openness, or deserving it – but because of God’s grace which revealed to him that Jesus is the “Answer.”

The Apostle Peter put himself in a position to know by obeying the voice of Jesus to follow him. It took him and the other disciples a while to “get it,” but eventually they did. And if it took years of being with Jesus for the disciples to make a right and good confession of faith, then it’s important that we have a great deal of patience for our friends and relatives.

The church that makes a difference is made up of people who call others to confess Jesus

Jesus proclaimed Peter (which means “rock”) the immovable object from which the Church would be built.  The Apostle Paul framed it this way:

You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21, NIV)

Christ is the one who builds the Church – and not me,  nor you. This reality is encouraging and comforting to me. If it was up to me to build the Church, I would screw it up so badly that it would actually be overcome by hell. But I can’t screw it up, because it’s Christ’s Church, not mine. 

So, we can move forward and storm the gates of hell, we can move and work and act and call others to confess, all with the confidence and security of knowing that Jesus is building his Church. There’s no need to worry whether we’re getting it right, or not, because we aren’t the ones in control of the project.

However, I admit what Jesus says next isn’t very comforting to me. Christ told Peter that he will give him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven,” and that whatever he binds on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever he lets loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Giving Peter the keys of the kingdom seems akin to giving an 8 year old the keys to the car and saying, “Go ahead, take it for a spin, you can drive it!” 

What are the keys of the kingdom? 

The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers. 

How does the preaching of the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? 

The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. (The Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 83, 84 )

The Church is true to its mission when it proclaims the good news of God’s grace in Christ. We possess the keys of the kingdom. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing, that is, the risks and the problems of letting people do the task of proclaiming the gospel. Yet, Christ still tossed us the keys to his Mercedes.

Conclusion

A Church that makes a difference is made up of people who confess Jesus, are called by God, and call others to confess Jesus, too. The de-churched and the disaffected want to see a Church that seeks to understand the world, to provide relevant ministry to others, and to tackle the injustice that exists everywhere.

We must use the power given us with the keys of the kingdom to bestow mercy to the weak, the oppressed, and the lost. We need to live what we believe with a passionate heart and an unashamed faith.

Together, as God’s people, we can extend the hospitality and the kindness to make a difference in the church and the world. 

May our confession of Christ shape our words and our actions. And may it give us the confidence and boldness to live as Jesus did, and to enjoy him forever. Amen.

To Forgive Is Divine (Genesis 50:15-26)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Joseph pardons his brothers, by Bacchiacca (1495-1557) http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG1219

When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?” So they approached Joseph and said, “Your father gave orders before he died, telling us, ‘This is what you should say to Joseph. “Please, forgive your brothers’ sins and misdeeds, for they did terrible things to you. Now, please forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God.”’” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

His brothers wept too, fell down in front of him, and said, “We’re here as your slaves.”

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I God? You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today. Now, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” So he put them at ease and spoke reassuringly to them.

Thus Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived 110 years and saw Ephraim’s grandchildren. The children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, were also born on Joseph’s knees. Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. God will certainly take care of you and bring you out of this land to the land he promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Joseph made Israel’s sons promise, “When God takes care of you, you must bring up my bones out of here.” Joseph died when he was 110 years old. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt. (Common English Bible)

“All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a divine way when they forgive.”

Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Criticism”

If there was anyone who had a supposed right to be bitter and unforgiving, it would be Joseph. His brothers had hated him, left him for dead, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father Jacob about him. For years, Joseph languished in servitude and prison – for no fault of his own.

And yet, Joseph was able to discern that it wasn’t his place to be the judge. At the end of his life, he had the perspective and the insight to understand that all the hardship earlier in his life was noticed by God, and then bent for good and divine purposes in the saving of many lives.

If we can keep in mind that it is God’s business to run the world, and our business to forgive others, then life will go a lot better for everyone.

Many people live discontented lives because they say to themselves, “I will not forget what you did, and I will not forgive.” Persistent thoughts of revenge only serve as a cancer that destroys the mind’s thoughts, erodes the soul, and hinders the heart’s ability to love. 

But people who practice forgiveness are much less likely to be hateful, hostile, and belligerent toward others. They are healthier and happier, and more at peace.

I’ve had many people tell me over the years, “But you don’t know what I’ve been through.” My typical response is, “You don’t know what I’ve been through, either. You may not even believe some of the things I have experienced, and some of the things that have happened to me and were said to me. So, can I tell you what I have done to forgive those who have sinned against me?”

1. When I am trying to forgive someone, I pray for them.

It’s hard to keep resenting someone and wish them ill, whenever you are praying for them on a regular basis. Joseph was the victim of his brothers’ abuse. If there was ever a dysfunctional family to grow up in, it was Joseph’s. Being sold into slavery by your own brothers and being the target of their derision would cause anyone to be upset. But, many years later, Joseph chose to forgive his brothers. He acted with their best interests at mind. He prayed for them and did not actively work against them. What’s more, he saw the hand of God in it all.

2. I write a letter of forgiveness (which I may or may not send).

In the letter I write in full detail how the person hurt me. I leave nothing out. I express exactly how it made me feel, and how it affected my life. Then, I express forgiveness and say that I will not hold the offense over their head. The following is a five-step process for forgiving others using the acrostic REACH:

Recall 

Name the hurt, and name it squarely. Don’t fudge by saying it’s not that bad, or as bad as others have experienced. Call it what it is: deceit, stealing, harassment, assault, abuse, adultery, verbal shaming, murder, etc. 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa after apartheid was based on providing full disclosure of all crimes. Those that stepped forward, giving a complete account of their actions, were offered a full pardon. 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who led the commission, was most struck by how many people wanted to hear what had happened to their loved ones from the perpetrators themselves so that they could know whom to forgive. Methinks we have much to learn from our African brothers and sisters.

Empathize

Try and see the offense from the other person’s perspective. Attempt to put yourself in the other’s shoes. This does not mean we paper over the offense; it just means we don’t demonize another as a monster. That only feeds and fuels our own lack of forgiveness. When we view others as non-human, then we feel no responsibility to forgive.

Altruistic

Choose to do the right thing and treat the other person well, not necessarily because they deserve it, but because it is within your control to extend grace. Again, this is what Joseph chose to do with his brothers. He gave them words of assurance, and promises of taking care of them and their children.

Commit

Commit to practicing forgiveness. Make the decision to do it. Don’t wait too long for your feelings to catch up to you.  

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

The Apostle Paul (Colossians 3:13, NIV)

Hold

Hold on to your forgiveness. Just because you make the decision to forgive does not mean you’ll never have to do it again. Once you have forgiven, let it be a stake in the ground in which you look back to it again and again, saying, “I forgave him/her, and I will not let the enemy of my soul keep trying to make me bitter about it all over again.” 

One of the reasons we repeat the Lord’s Prayer Sunday after Sunday in my church is to keep forgiving those who have sinned against us.

3. I talk to a trusted friend, mentor, or counselor about my effort to forgive.

Many people get stuck and have an inability to forgive because they don’t seek a wise person to help them walk through the process of forgiving. 

The easy path is to complain about the offense to someone we know who will react with the same level of disgust and spirit of revenge that we ourselves have in our hearts. But that only reinforces the bitterness. We must have someone who can offer us what we need to hear, and not only what we want to hear.

Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel, and, so, ought to be at the core of a healthy spiritual life. It is always open season on offering grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. To see all of life from a divine perspective is to forgive.

Pray like this:

Our Father who is in heaven,

uphold the holiness of your name.

Bring in your kingdom

so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.

Give us the bread we need for today.

Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you,

just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.

And don’t lead us into temptation,

but rescue us from the evil one.

If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:9-15, CEB)