Tag: hope

Living In the Tension of Life (Isaiah 54:1-13)

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

Shout for joy, O barren one who has borne no children;
    burst into song and shout,
    you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
    than the children of the one who is married, says the Lord.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
    and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
    and your descendants will possess nations
    and will settle desolate towns.

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
    do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace,
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
    and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband;
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
    like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
    says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
    I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
    says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:
    Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
    would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
    and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
    I am about to set your stones in antimony
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
    your gates of jewels,
    and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
    and great shall be the prosperity of your children. (New Revised Standard Version)

Judgment and Grace

Throughout all of the Old Testament prophets, there is a consistent theme within each of them of both judgment and grace.

People continually wax and wane in their faithfulness to God. However, the Lord does not change in being faithful to divine promises and keeping the divine covenant toward Israel.

Judgment comes in order to set things right, and provides justice for oppressed and underprivileged people. The judgment, however, only lasts for a while; whereas grace is continually operative.

Today’s text is one of grace. In the movement and rhythm of God’s judgment and grace, these verses return to the call for celebration and joy in response to divine mercy.

The metaphor of the barren woman refers to the years the city of Jerusalem sat in ruins because of divine judgment. Yet, it will not remain this way. The prophet assures the people that Jerusalem will grow once again. The city will spread out and increase, like a mother with many children.

There is no need for fear, because the Lord is not only the Creator and Maker; God is also Jerusalem’s redeemer and husband. The metaphor is meant to convey the attention and intimacy that God shows to people through divine grace.

Reconciliation and Restoration

Even though the city was like a wife forsaken by her husband, reconciliation is initiated by God through compassion and steadfast love. The Lord will honor the covenant, and not completely toss the people away, never to be seen again.

The Lord scatters; and the Lord gathers. The Lord gives; and the Lord takes away. The Lord extends judgment; and the Lord shows mercy. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The word “abandon” is not even in God’s lexicon. The Lord is unfamiliar with the concept. There may be natural disasters, terrible diseases, and dilapidated places, but none of these can ever separate us from God’s steadfast immovable love.

Restoration is happening. No matter how bad things get – and things can get awfully bad – nothing can stop the divine band wagon of restoration from coming into town and changing everything.

Renewal and restoration may not happen today, or tomorrow; yet, it is happening, sooner or later. Nothing and no one can stand against the right, good, and just purposes of the almighty and everlasting God.

Redemption and Hope

In Christianity, this hope is focused in the birth of the Christ child. Redemption and new life is a reality in Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the reason for the Christian’s joy and celebration in this season.

On one end of our rubber-band like tension in this present life are the disappointments, brokenness, suffering, and pain we experience. At the other end, is the promise of future glory that is yet to come.

All believers, and every church, lives in this tension between the already and the not yet. We live in an in-between time, an awkward liminal space, that makes hope a sheer necessity in order to make it through the Christian life.

“There is a birth from before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fulness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece, and a coming before all eyes, still in the future.”

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386, C.E.)

The biblical writers, along with the early church fathers and mothers, understood the sacred tension of life:

Without any doubt, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was revealed in flesh,
    vindicated in spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among gentiles,
    believed in throughout the world,
        taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16, NRSV)

The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21, NRSV)

Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility, so that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Delivery and Deliverance (Isaiah 66:7-11)

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

Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.
Who has heard of such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
    she delivered her children.
Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
    says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
    says your God.

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her—
that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
    from her glorious bosom. (New Revised Standard Version)

Conception. Happiness. Wondering. Uncomfortable. Preparation. Pain. More pain. Delivery. Exhaustion. Joy. Celebration. New life. Bringing children into this world is a process. And its hard work.

Feeding. Pooping. Sleeping. Exhaustion. More feeding. Lots more pooping. Thank God, more sleeping. Still exhausted. So, when does the mother ever get to eat, go to the bathroom by herself, and sleep? Maybe tomorrow, or maybe in another life….

Despite all of this, there are still words which keep mothers (and fathers) going: Satisfaction. Delight. Awe. Praise. Love. Hope. Faith. Yes, faith. Lots of faith. So much faith that it’s as if the parent puts all their weight on it, and leans into it, perhaps more out of sheer necessity than anything else.

The Christian season of Advent has been growing over the past weeks. It is now large and very ready for Christmas Day and the celebration of the Christmas season (the 12 days from December 25 to the Day of Epiphany on January 6).

But we aren’t quite there yet. There is still the anticipation of birth. The Christ child is coming.

It’s quite something to imagine that God would be so humble as to become humiliated. What a wonder it is, that there is such a thing as an incarnation, that Jesus entered this world as both a human baby and a divine king.

God came to this world for us, on our behalf, to redeem, renew, and restore lost humanity. That’s a lot of love. If you think about it, the mother’s incredible love had to come from somewhere.

Love is what sustains the world. So, love must be nurtured. The feelings of it are not always there within us.

Yet, if we will continually seek to maintain the godliness which is love inside of us, we can find ourselves being little incarnations of Jesus walking about this earth providing succor, without any withholding or hatred.

To love is to love. Without conditions. To love a friend but hate an enemy is to cancel out the love. It must be all love, or it isn’t love, at all.

The person, group, organization, institution, community, or church in a miserable and wretched state is in need of restoration. That is, they are in a great need of receiving love and giving love.

If they have responsibilities toward others, and have been neglectful, they must come to the breast of God. And those who did not receive their due justice and fair recompense must also come.

Advent is more than a season in the year to recognize. And Christ’s incarnation is much more than a doctrine to believe. Advent and incarnation are powerful realities which we must live into.

The good news of this season is that God intervenes effectively to do good for those who are faithful. It’s a newness as sudden and as wonderful as the birth of a baby. The Lord does away with barrenness and hopelessness, and brings new life.

It is this good news that brings out joy. Where once there was mourning and sadness, there is now satisfaction, comfort, and consolation. God is the One who brings it about.

Therefore, it is helpful to remember and recall the words of Jesus to his disciples:

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:20-22, NRSV)

The joy and celebration of this first advent will lead to a second advent, the return of Christ. The peace and satisfaction we may enjoy now is only here in part. The fullness of peace will be ushered in at the end of time.

This is the sort of tension that we must continually maintain, holding together in both hands our sorrow and joy, disappointment and hope, hardship and love, at the same time, all the time, until that day when there is not only a delivery, but a deliverance from all evil.

Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past.
You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel.
You have challenged us in the words of the prophets.
You have shown us in Jesus what you are really like.

Lord God, we adore you because you still come to us now.
You come to us through other people and their love and concern for us.
You come to us through people who need our help.
You come to us as we worship you with others.

Lord God, we adore you because you will come to us at the end.
You will be with us at the hour of death.
You will still reign supreme when all human institutions fail.
You will still be God when our history has run its course.

We welcome you, the God who comes.
Come to us now in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Prepared, For the Lord Is Coming (Luke 1:5-17)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
The Angel Appearing to Zechariah, by William Blake, 1800

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 

Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. 

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (New Revised Standard Version)

We have the story of John the Baptist in the New Testament Gospels. In today’s Gospel lesson, we have the events surrounding his conception.

John’s birth story and life’s narrative are deeply rooted in Old Testament promises of deliverance and divine connection.

John’s ministry was one of preparing people for the Lord. John was, in many ways, the prophet Elijah who was to come, as Jesus said about him:

As they were coming down the mountain [of Transfiguration], Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things, but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:9-13, NRSV)

Just as John’s story only has meaning because of Israel’s history, so the story of Jesus is deeply connected to the Old Testament, as well. Jesus is very much related to Israel’s God.

Furthermore, the coming salvation that the Gospel writer Luke wrote about is not only for the glory of Israel; it will also be a revelation of light available to Gentiles.

So it ought to be no surprise to the reader that the angelic birth announcement of John is reminiscent of similar messages in the Old Testament about the coming of a special child. (Genesis 16:7-13; 17:1-22; Judges 13:3-20)

John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, appear in the narrative as solid citizens of Israel, reminiscent of ancient heroes like Abraham and Sarah. And much like their faithful ancestors, Zechariah and Elizabeth are told they will have a child in their old age.

Elizabeth having been barren all her life is no problem or issue for God. The Lord had done it before; and would do it again.

And the child to come, John, will resemble Old Testament heroes, especially the prophet Elijah. (Malachi 4:5-6)

The visitation to the old couple was a message designed to be lifted up for the entire world: The Lord is coming! Be prepared!

All of us find ourselves getting on in years. Certainly, I do, as a father and grandfather. Yet, at any age, even younger persons feel this. We grow as people. We move on from being a baby to a toddler to an adolescent, a teenager, a young adult, middle-aged, older, geriatric.

We continually age. Hopefully, with the aging process comes a bit of wisdom.

I’d like to think that old Zechariah and Elizabeth had learned enough wisdom over their life’s journey to embrace both the meaning and mystery of that life.

I believe they had a sense of what is, and had an acceptance of it. Yet, at the same time, they had a sense of hope and of what could be. And that’s because they knew something of God’s promises.

Not everything will remain as it presently is. All will change. Acceptance entails knowing this, that all things will be different. And this helps open us to all the possibilities of prayers rooted in ancient promises.

The angel told Zechariah that his prayer had been heard. We aren’t told exactly what Zechariah had prayed. But it seems it was a rather “pregnant” prayer, full of asking for a child of his own, as well as a Messiah to come, and an Elijah to come.

In that sense, Zechariah’s very full prayer was answered magnanimously.

Now, in the spirit of old Zechariah and Elizabeth, we have our own opportunity to offer an advent prayer. We have the privilege of hearing the message.

The Lord is coming. Be prepared.

“Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21, NRSV)

Gracious God, guard our hearts and minds by the power of Christ Jesus. Speak to our anxieties with the peace that passes understanding and let our gentleness and joy be a sign of Christ’s gracious presence.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

From Adversaries to Allies (Isaiah 19:18-25)

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

In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. 

So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” (New International Version)

Yahweh is so much more than an ancient local Israelite deity. This is the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth. God is the Lord of the universe, and Israel is not just a sliver of land in the Middle East.

As such, all peoples belong to God. And God is concerned for all the nations. In the ancient world, the Lord was even concerned for places like Egypt and Assyria – two nations which historically treated Israel with contempt and oppression.

The Lord God, Yahweh, as the prophet Isaiah stated, will be revealed to the Egyptians, so that they, too, will worship the Lord with sacrifices and offerings. They will revere God with a monument to Yahweh’s saving power.

The Egyptians will make religious vows and fulfill them. And there will also be relations with Assyria. Israel will exist alongside – and literally geographically in the middle – the powers of Egypt and Assyria. And Israel will serve as a blessing between them.

In other words, God will choose to bless, bringing both religious and political balance and peace. It is rather extraordinary that the Lord speaks of Egypt as “my people” and Assyria as “my handiwork.” God’s vision is always much larger than our own puny human sight or imagination.

In a biblical book filled with sad visions of judgment and God’s wrath, today’s Old Testament lesson is a beautiful vision of hope and peace. This, my friends, is what can be! It doesn’t have to be a pipe dream that various peoples who are historical enemies of one another can walk together in the peace and wholeness of God’s blessing. This is no impossible, although it appears highly improbable.

It takes little effort to hold onto hate and enmity; but it takes a great deal of energy to work on peacemaking, and loving those who have harmed others so terribly.

The fact of the matter is that Yahweh responds to every people who cry out in their oppression – even those who were once oppressors themselves.

That is called “grace,” and it is why grace is so scandalous, because a lot of folks don’t want to see grace extended to those they dislike, hate, and even want dead.

God will do for other nations what God did for Israel, in delivering them from their harsh slavery. The Lord’s ears hear everyone on the earth, and not just some people.

All of the hard-hearted resistance of the past, personified so stubbornly in the Pharaoh who would not let go of Israel, is remarkably overcome and reversed.

This is how it always seems to operate throughout history, including today. People cry out and are delivered, then worship the God who granted them grace and freedom. We very often come to believe because we were in some sort of awful trouble, which caused us to cry out and acknowledge the God who saves.

God both strikes and heals, attacks and helps. God moves people from rancorous relationships to robust reconciliation.

People, however, are not passive in any of this process. Those who are already blessed and enjoy God must relinquish any sort of exclusive thoughts or practices and be willing to share their identity and privilege with others who were once enemies.

Unity, harmony, wholeness, and a true ecumenical spirit and vision will bring people together. The benefits are wonderful, yet let it also be acknowledged that reconciliation and relationships require giving up any sense of being better than the other, or holding on to primacy of positions and power.

Stated positively, it means that we embrace a diversity of people, including them in every way possible, because we discern them as being equals, and not so different from me.

God has other chosen people besides me and you. Can you accept that?

“Egypt comes home to its true self only as Israel opens its sense of privilege to its adversaries.”

Walter Brueggemann

The Lord opposes the arrogant and proud, but gives grace to the humble. God will gladly deliver and welcome all peoples.

If we have the spiritual eyes to see, we will notice and observe that the world is God’s chosen people.

O God, hear our humble prayer, so that we may serve you in holiness and faith, giving voice to your divine presence among us until the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.