Tag: injustice

Jesus the King (Mark 11:1-11)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Entry Into the City, by John August Swanson (1938-2021)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. (New International Version)

We are presently in the 12 Days of Christmas (December 25–January 5), the annual celebration of Christ’s birth on the Christian Calendar. It may seem odd that the Revised Common Lectionary daily readings have included a text associated with Palm Sunday. However, this is reminder to us that Jesus was born a king – which is why old King Herod saw a little baby as such a threat. (Matthew 2:1-18)

“Christ” is not the surname of Jesus, but instead is a title, meaning “anointed one.” In other words, in the New Testament Gospels, Jesus is referred to as an anointed king. It was broadly understood, within the religious milieu of the ancient Jews, that the Messiah (the Hebrew term for Christ) would come and beat up God’s enemies, restore God’s people to their former glory, and usher in an everlasting state of peace.

Jerusalem had a history as the royal city – the place where ancient Jewish kings lived and ruled. So, most ancient Jews made a clear connection between the Messiah, the king, returning to reign in Jerusalem. They anticipated that the City of David would once again be the seat of power, without any meddling Gentiles to complicate things.

Nativity, by John August Swanson

So, when Jesus entered Jerusalem – in what turned out to be the final week of his earthly life – many people looked upon this as a triumphal entry. He was close to ascending the ancient throne. The disciples of Jesus were waiting for this, and ready for a future of greatness and glory alongside their Rabbi.

Not only did people lay their palm fronds on the road in front of him declaring the ancient refrain, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26) but they also added an explicit reference to the days of King David stating, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!” The city was awash in the messianic hope of no longer being subject to foreign rule.

Yet we know the tragic and ironic end of the week. Jesus knew it, too, even at the time. He knew what fate awaited him by entering Jerusalem (Mark 8:31; 10:33-34). And Jesus knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was not going to be a king who gains and keeps power through military might and the bloodshed of war. Instead, only his own blood would be offered, as a sacrifice for many. The power of Love will overcome any and every earthly power.

Those with the eyes to see and the spirit to discern could understand this Jesus riding on a humble donkey instead of the proud warhorse. It made complete sense. Jesus did not enter this world with the fanfare of the rich and powerful, but quietly slipped onto the earth in a non-descript and poor Jewish family. His birth, life, and ministry, were all counter cultural. So, why not also his eventual death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification?

Yes, Jesus is a king. But no, he is not a king in any conventional sense. It is Jesus, beginning with his incredible and unexpected incarnation, who helps us reimagine what power and authority can and ought to look like.

All the trappings of control we can get so enamored about, such as wielding influence through economic wealth, social status, political power, and religious weight, all get tossed aside as mere stuffed animals compared to the real deal of moral dignity, ethical love, and compassionate justice shown to people who had absolutely no ability to either pay back Jesus or prop up a throne for him to sit upon.

Jesus is a king who gives his life for the healing of humanity – all people everywhere – including the ones we don’t much like or care about. I have no problem calling Jesus a king, just as long as we understand what sort of kingship we are actually talking about.

I serve King Jesus because he throws a monkey wrench into oppressive systems that seek to keep other people under a heavy hand of injustice. My allegiance is with Christ the Lord because he uses his prodigious authority to bring peace, light, wholeness, and integrity to all the places of the world (and the human heart) that are dark and clueless.

Today I celebrate in this Christmas season the birth of a baby who was born to die to the world and for the world. I rejoice with the angels that Christ is born in Bethlehem, the king of kings and lord of lords, the prince of peace who himself became peace so that we might live in peace.

May you discover deliverance from guilt, shame, and regret, through the One who came and was wounded for us so that we might be healed. Amen.

Peace Be Upon Us (Psalm 125)

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

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people
    from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good
    and to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways,
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
    Peace be upon Israel! (New Revised Standard Version)

I am profoundly grateful that God is a rock solid mountain who is strong. The Lord is never altered in the basic divine character of merciful grace, steadfast love, and abiding security. The main reason I so deeply appreciate this about God is that this old fallen world is awfully fickle, terribly unreliable, and forever changing.

So, to trust in God is to tether oneself to the ultimate anchor for life. Relationships come and go. People have their own agendas and listen to other people who, in turn, have their own agendas. But God’s plan is purely good, always right, and consistently just. The divine agenda has our best interests at mind.

Being linked to the Lord in faith establishes divine protection, provision, and presence. It’s as if the righteous believer has an invisible security blanket wrapped around them at all times. We are kept in the gracious arms of a loving God.

None of this, however, means that we shall never face grueling circumstances that might even feel like a hellish existence. If the Christian’s Lord Jesus had to undergo suffering before experiencing glory, then how much more do his followers need to expect the same?

Having injustice and wrongdoing in this world is one thing; but having it come from those close to you is quite another thing altogether. Again, the Lord Jesus endured wicked betrayal from Judas Iscariot, one who was within the inner circle of disciples. Yet, the heavenly Father was continually there, surrounding Jesus like the mountain chain, even though it may not have felt like it at many points, especially in the final week of Christ’s life on this earth.

God is good, all the time. Therefore, God knows who is truly good, and who is not. The Lord sees the heart, and clearly discerns the intents and motivations of each person and every group of people on this planet. And since God understands the real nature of a person’s life, the Lord is not fooled by pious sounding and slick talking persons with darkness in their hearts.

The wicked will not endure. God shall eventually lead them away. Like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, the Divine Judge will divide the righteous from the wicked. Those who think they can have a secret agenda of crookedness will find out that it’s not so secret after all.

This world, with all it’s inhabitants and systems and societies, needs peace. Sometimes, it seems to me that everyone right now in our contemporary world is upset about something; and they have the rudeness to back it up.

Nations fight nations. People groups attack other people groups. One ethnicity accuses another, and vice versa. Family members are estranged. Lawsuits abound. The judicial courts are beyond full. Unethical practices masquerade within ethical systems and thrive in the shadows. And persons are harmed – lots of them. Lives are destroyed.

I once came home from a day of interacting with patients at the hospital and said to my wife, “You could never dream up the atrocities that one person can do to another.” The short of it is that there is no harmony, no mutual understanding, and thus, no peace, no fulfillment or wholesome way of life for so many.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul once cried out concerning the muck of sin, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” He then went on to answer his own question by saying a simple phrase, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:24)

Yes, for me it’s Jesus. And, for me, that is what this very season of the year is all about. I anticipate the birth of the Christ Child, who came willingly to save us from this manure pile of a situation that is without peace. He became the Prince of Peace, so that we might have the light of life. It was the Apostle John who let us know:

The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish. (John 1:14, MSG)

Humility, meekness, righteousness, purity, mercy, love, and peace-making – yes, peacemaking – were the hallmarks of Christ’s ministry. These characteristics surrounded him like the divine mountains and shaped every word and each action of Jesus.

It is the time for peace. In fact, it’s high time for it! We have gone long enough provoking others and being provoked. There is a way – the way of peace. And for me, peace is achieved through the ultimate Peacemaker, Jesus Christ, my Lord.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:17-18, NIV)

May you find peace this season because you have discovered the Peacemaker. Peace be upon Israel, and peace to all.

Soli Deo Gloria

Struggling to Accept (Habakkuk 2:1-5)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The prophet Habakkuk cries out to God, by Unknown 19th century artist

I will stand at my guard post.
I will station myself on the wall.
I will watch to see what he will say to me
and what answer I will get to my complaint.

Then the Lord answered me,
“Write the vision.
Make it clear on tablets
so that anyone can read it quickly.
The vision will still happen at the appointed time.
It hurries toward its goal.
It won’t be a lie.
If it’s delayed, wait for it.
It will certainly happen.
It won’t be late.

“Look at the proud person. He is not right in himself.
But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness.
Also because wine is treacherous
he is arrogant and never rests.
He has a large appetite like the grave.
He is like death—never satisfied.
He gathers all the nations to himself.
He collects all the people to himself. (God’s Word Translation)

The prophet Habakkuk is unique among the prophetic books of the Old Testament. It is more an account of the prophet’s own wonderings and questions before God, than it is bringing a specific word from God to the people.

The book of Habakkuk revolves around the prophet’s queries to the Lord; the Lord’s responses; and the prophet’s struggles to wrap both his head and his heart around those answers.

Habakkuk struggled with the rampant sins of injustice and unrighteousness amongst his own people. He contended with God about how long all this was going to go on. Today’s Old Testament lesson is something of a lament – grieving the loss of justice and righteousness, and longing for God’s salvation from the nation’s troubles. Habakkuk was determination to name the evil, bring it before God, and wait with a determined spirit for a divine response.

The prophet asked a question, and waited for an answer. His complaint is an age old one. He was weary of seeing injustice day after day, of observing the arrogant and the wicked exploit the poor and the needy. He wanted to hear from God; and when the awaited response finally came, it wasn’t what Habakkuk was expecting.

Habakkuk’s first question is one that many today can relate to:

How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help,
but you will not listen?
I cry out to you, “There’s violence!”
yet you will not come to the rescue.
Why do you make me see wrongdoing?
And why do you watch wickedness? (Habakkuk 1:2-3, GW)

God answered the prophet’s question. And Habakkuk didn’t like the answer, at all:

I am going to send the Babylonians,
that fierce and reckless nation.
They will march throughout the earth
to take possession of lands that don’t belong to them. (Habakkuk 1:6, GW)

The problem with this answer, is that, even though the prophet’s own people were unjust and violent, the Babylonians were an even worse lot of people. It was nonsense to Habakkuk that God would use an evil nation to judge God’s own people. So, the prophet asked yet another question of God:

Why do you keep watching treacherous people?
Why are you silent when wicked people swallow those
who are more righteous than they are? (Habakkuk 1:13, GW)

There are many persons who freely admit they are sinful. There is a problem, however, when a person points to others whom they believe are more sinful than they are. Habakkuk, like many contemporary believers, essentially says, “Well, I’m a sinner. I’m not perfect. But I’m not like the Babylonians! They don’t even worship God! And they do a lot worse things than I do!”

If one wants divine judgment, then one must be content with whom it comes from, and how it is done. Otherwise, the person seeks to be the judge, instead of letting the Lord handle the trouble.

We all struggle with navigating the injustice of this world. People of faith will discern that they must trust the Lord by viewing God’s deliverance and actions with a big picture perspective. They remember that God has acted with faithfulness and justice in the past; and the Lord can do it again.

Believers may have to endure some dark valleys, hard circumstances, and plenty of suffering; yet they trust that God will show up. They only need to wait patiently for divine deliverance. Eventually, we all need to conclude with the prophet, after waiting and wrestling over God’s divine plan for the situation we don’t like:

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NIV)

The prophet finally accepted the words of God; and, despite the circumstances, this willingness to receive those words opened to him the possibility to take joy and confidence yet again in the Lord.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right If I surrender to His will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

The Righteous and the Wicked (Isaiah 26:7-15)

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

The path of the righteous is level;
    you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.
Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
    we wait for you;
your name and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
    in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.
But when grace is shown to the wicked,
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
    and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.
Lord, your hand is lifted high,
    but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
    let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

Lord, you establish peace for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone do we honor.
They are now dead, they live no more;
    their spirits do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;
    you wiped out all memory of them.
You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders of the land. (New International Version)

Within the Bible, there are really only two sorts of people: the righteous and the wicked. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, we are told that God attends to the needs, hopes, and prayers of the righteous; and conversely, God is opposed to the unjust practices and oppressive acts of the wicked.

The righteous are people who are attentive to God’s law and trust God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. For the righteous, God will make a way where there seems to be no way. If there’s a mountain obstructing the way of the righteous, they believe the Lord will flatten it. And if it isn’t flattened immediately, the righteous patiently wait, seeking to be obedient and full of faith, until it happens.

The world learns about life and faith and the divine through these postures of living by righteous persons. The exception to this is the wicked; they learn nothing. The wicked could see a mountain leveled before their very eyes, and refuse to see or acknowledge the power of God behind it.

All this is to say that the truly righteous persons among us stand out like a sore thumb to the prevailing wickedness of the world. Thus, the wicked would like to see them leveled, instead of a mountain. So, the wicked persons among us are committed to lies, half-truths, injustice, and even violence. They’ll use any practice that would knock down the righteous and advance the wicked person’s agenda.

Yet, in making this distinction between the two groups of people, we need to be very careful. Because whenever we group people, there is always the danger of assuming that the righteous are always righteous and the wicked always wicked – as if the righteous could never do any wrong, nor the wicked ever do anything right and just.

However, the reality is that we don’t live in a completely black and white world; there is a lot of gray. The world is far more complex than our simplistic categories of good and bad. This is why it can be so maddening to try and navigate this world each and every day.

So, when we speak of the righteous and the wicked, let’s have some clarity and understanding of the basic patterns of a person’s or a group’s life.

Biblically, the righteous are righteous – not because they are intensely moral and always actively obedient – but because the basic orientation of their lives is committed to communing and relating to the God of the universe.

And the wicked are wicked – not because they are belligerent and bullying – but because the general direction of their lives is continually bent inward to serve their own interests and ignore the Divine.

Therefore, the righteous have the foundational characteristics of yearning for God, and pursuing the Lord with all their energy. They desire a meaningful relationship with God that gives shape to their plans and purposes for living.

The righteous, as a general pattern of living, find their ultimate longings in life through belonging to God. They seek divine interventions for everything, and deeply desire the divine presence to envelop them and surround the world with love, mercy, and justice. Along with the psalmist, the righteous say:

I ask only one thing, Lord:
Let me live in your house
    every day of my life
to see how wonderful you are
    and to pray in your temple. (Psalm 27:4, CEV)

Like a deer drinking from a stream,
    I reach out to you, my God.
My soul thirsts for the living God.
    When can I go to meet with him? (Psalm 42:1-2, ERV)

As long as I have God, I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth. (Psalm 73:25, GW)

In contrast to these heartfelt longings, the wicked are dense and obtuse. They fail to see the beauty in any of this. Their end will be precisely what they have wanted throughout life: To be left alone and have space away from God altogether – which is the classic definition of hell.

But the righteous will also have their desires fulfilled, and shall experience peace and right relations forever with God.

How then shall we live?

Blessed is the person who does not
follow the advice of wicked people,
take the path of sinners,
or join the company of mockers.

Rather, he delights in the teachings of the Lord
and reflects on his teachings day and night.

He is like a tree planted beside streams—
a tree that produces fruit in season
and whose leaves do not wither.
He succeeds in everything he does.

Wicked people are not like that.
Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away.

That is why wicked people will not be able to stand in the judgment
and sinners will not be able to stand where righteous people gather.

The Lord knows the way of righteous people,
but the way of wicked people will end. Amen. (Psalm 1, GW)