Tag: wisdom

The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Mark 8:1-8)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, by Giovanni Lanfranco, c.1620

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” 

His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 

Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish, and after blessing them he ordered that these, too, should be distributed. 

They ate and were filled, and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. (New Revised Standard Version)

This was an incredible miracle by Jesus. And it was also an incredible lack of faith on the part of his disciples. Christ had already taught them an important faith lesson by feeding 5,000 people earlier. You’d think they would have gotten it right this time.

It appears that the disciples were anxious about the situation. After all, whenever we are given to anxiety within a stressful circumstance, we typically are not thinking wisely about what to do.

There simply was no evidence that the disciples were tapping into their wise minds – even though they could have. And there’s where the rub is: Do we have the wherewithal to pause, in order to connect with what and who we know?

Let’s notice in the story that Jesus did not seem at all perturbed by the disciples’ small faith. And he certainly was not hindered in any way by the meager supply of food which was on hand. So, a remedial lesson was provided.

All the food the disciples pulled together was given to Jesus. It wasn’t much for thousands of people. Seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Yet, Christ transformed it into enough to feed the entire crowd of mostly Gentiles, without depriving the disciples of their share. They collected enough to fill seven baskets large enough to hold a man.

So there’s the lesson redone and restated, but with a different twist. Whereas the earlier miracle of food was provided for mostly Jews, the feeding of the four thousand consisted of nearly all Gentiles.

Perhaps the disciples did not really want a miracle to begin with. Maybe they believed their ministry ought to be with Israel, and not the heathen nations around them. It could be that Christ’s disciples simply did not want to be in Gentile territory at all, let alone have to engage in ministry to them, up close and personal.

So, we may be dealing with something more than an issue of faith; we might be looking at plain old fashioned prejudice against another group of people. Discriminatory behavior shrinks one’s faith and makes it small – whereas including others, and seeing their inherent worth as God’s image-bearing creatures, increases our faith and helps it grow large.

Jesus had a heart big enough, a mind open enough, and more than enough ability to make the miracle of food happen. In other words, Christ wanted to do it. He had compassion on the people, regardless of the fact that they were not like him.

It could be that a lesson in prejudice was the teaching he wanted them to get a hold of.

We see in today’s story a trajectory of inclusion, that the kingdom of God is meant to be full of diverse people from every nation, race, and background. Jesus purposely went to the Decapolis, a geographical region with a lot of different people – mostly non-Jews.

The Decapolis (which means “Ten Cities”) was a group of ten Hellenistic cities. It was a center of Greek and Roman culture, in a region mostly populated by Jews and Arameans. Each city functioned as a sort of city-state which was dependent upon Rome. There was enough diversity within the Decapolis itself which seemed to prevent them from working together as an organized region.

When it comes to Christian ministry, there are often two issues going on, namely because ministry is all about working with people. One is that we may have a problem, like the disciples of old, in going to a place we’ve never been before – and really don’t ever want to go. We have particular ideas about the people who live there and what they’re like – and we’d rather not have to deal with them.

The second issue is that we may have a problem with ourselves. Unlike the first issue in which we wonder why Jesus would care about those people, the second is wondering if Jesus really cares about me.

In this, you have no problem believing that Jesus would go to the Decapolis and have compassion on the Gentiles. But you struggle with God caring for you, and that Jesus could ever use you in ministry to people like those in the Decapolis. You can think of all sorts of other people who could do the job much better than yourself.

Since you know yourself pretty well, you understand your own doubts, weaknesses, and sins; and have a hard time trusting that the Lord could or would want to involve you in any ministry.

We, of course, could read today’s Gospel lesson from either of the two issues. Yet, we probably need not make it an either/or issue; it may be more of a both/and issue.

That is, Christ’s disciples – including those past and present – likely struggle with both: We continually keep finding that we have personal prejudices which prevent us from reaching out to particular people; and we also have personal insecurities and inhibitions about God truly loving us enough to use us in effective ministry.

Within the story of Jesus feeding the four thousand, both issues can find their resolution. The fact of the matter is that Jesus cared about the people in the region of the Decapolis, and created a miracle in order to take care of them; and, Jesus used a group of men who probably were likely prejudiced, and also insecure about being used for such a ministry.

May you know that you are infinitely loved by God – and loved alongside all sorts of other people, as well, from everywhere in every place. And may you understand that God has you on this earth to be a blessing to all kinds of persons.

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

The Wealth and Wisdom of Solomon (2 Chronicles 9:29-31)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
King Solomon, by British artist Simeon Solomon, c.1874

Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, Ahijah the prophet from Shiloh, and Iddo the prophet who wrote about Jeroboam son of Nebat. After Solomon had ruled 40 years from Jerusalem, he died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam then became king. (Contemporary English Version)

The life of King Solomon can be found in the biblical books of 1 Kings (chapters 1-11) and 2 Chronicles (chapters 1-9). Solomon is also traditionally viewed as the author of three biblical books: Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Song of Songs.

Solomon was the son of Bathsheba and King David. He is most known for building the first Jerusalem Temple, as well as his immense wealth, wisdom, and numbers of wives.

Although his reign as king was marked by peace and prosperity, it fell apart after his death. Late in his life Solomon succumbed to worshiping many other gods, which the biblical editor connects with the split of the kingdom under his son Rehoboam.

King Solomon presides over the Old Testament as a sort of larger than life individual. He reigned over a united kingdom of Israel and Judah nearly a thousand years before Christ.

Coming to the throne after his father’s death, Solomon carried out a purge. He cunningly did away with his older brother Adonijah, and the commander of the army Joab. Both of them were characters only concerned with themselves and not the overall good of the kingdom. (1 Kings 2:13-46)

Once firmly ensconced in power, Solomon famously asked God for wisdom – after the Lord came to him in a dream and offered to grant the king any wish he wanted. In asking for wisdom instead of riches, glory, or long life, God was pleased to give him a great degree of discerning wisdom that no one before or since would ever have. (1 Kings 3:5-15)

The Judgment of King Solomon, by Frans Floris, c.1547

The proof of King Solomon’s wisdom came in many forms, including the rendering of justice. The biblical story is told of two women who came before the king, both claiming to be the mother of a baby. Solomon called for a sword and said the solution to the dilemma would be to cut the baby in two, and give each half to each woman.

One woman finds the solution agreeable, but the other woman protested, stating that she would give up the child rather than see the baby killed. King Solomon therefore concluded that this woman, not the other, was the child’s mother. (1 Kings 3:16-28)

King Solomon engaged in many building projects, but none more great than the Temple. To this day, Jerusalem continues as the center of Jewish prayer and worship. Indeed, Solomon’s impact is felt all these millennia later.

And then there were the wives. Lots of them. According to scripture, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (a concubine was a lesser wife who was not born of royalty or nobility). Many of his wives worshiped gods other than the Lord, which is why Solomon eventually allowed idols into the city.

A famous encounter with Solomon included the Queen of Sheba, which is a story told in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The country of Sheba, in the south of the Arabian peninsula, heard about Solomon’s renown. The queen decided to travel to Jerusalem with a large entourage in order to meet him for herself.

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, by Edward Poynter, 1890

The queen was overwhelmed with what she saw and experienced; and was so impressed with Solomon’s wisdom and wealth that she gifted him with spices, precious gems, and gold from her own country. All sorts of various Jewish stories came out of this original biblical account.

The many wives of Solomon included women from the nations God commanded the Israelites not to marry, because they would lead their husbands astray to worship foreign gods. And that is exactly what happened, even to the wisest man in the world.

Because of this, we get some different takes on Solomon’s spiritual commitment in scripture and according to tradition. On the one hand, Solomon is presented as fully devoted to God, and careful to worship the Lord and communicate divine precepts. Yet, on the other hand, the Bible doesn’t hedge from stating that Solomon committed evil in God’s sight and was not loyal like his father David.

In truth, we are all a bit of a mix of sinner and saint, showing steadfast loyalty in many ways, along with a curious bent toward indulging our desires and letting them carry us to unfaithful places.

Yet, no one can doubt King Solomon’s influence and legacy on the religious world. His writings and collection of wise sayings, along with the colorful stories, are still read and retold by Jews and Christians to this day.

The biblical text tells us that after ruling for four decades, King Solomon was laid to rest in Jerusalem. He was the last ruler of a united Jewish kingdom. Because of this, and his legendary wisdom and wealth, Solomon’s reign is remembered by many as a golden era in history.

But whatever you think about the story of Solomon’s life, his legacy of proverbial sayings and experiential truth can continue to inform and teach us. Our lives will never come close to Solomon’s material riches, but perhaps we can gain something of the immaterial blessings through his wisdom.

Almighty God, I humbly ask that You grant me wisdom to make sound choices and decisions. Open my eyes to see Your truth clearly. Give me spiritual discernment to distinguish right from wrong. Help me not rely solely on my own limited understanding, but trust in Your wisdom to guide my steps. Grant me a heart eager to gain wisdom from Your Word and wise counselors. Let Your wisdom shape my thoughts, words, and actions each day. Amen.

Developing the Skill of Wisdom (Colossians 1:9-14)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Colossians 1:9-10, by Bible Art

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (New International Version)

When I was younger, I played a lot of ping-pong. And I got good at it. In fact, during a several months stretch, back-in-the-day, I had a record of 156-2. Not bad.

That kind of record was only possible because of the two reasons that make any skill an accomplishment:

  1. Knowledge. I learned the game of ping-pong and eventually knew it inside and out.
  2. Experience. I practiced for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in developing my technique.

The sort of knowledge that Paul was talking about was more than information and intellectual understanding; he used a specific word (in the Greek language – ἐπιγινώσκω, pronounced “EPee-gi-NOS-ko) which refers to knowledge gained by experience.

In English, we need to put two words together in order to communicate Paul’s concept: experiential knowledge – an understanding which is gained by continual repetition and practice until there is proficiency.

There are just some things that can only be learned and integrated into life through constant use and development over time. And this is precisely how a person becomes mature in life:

Growth + Time = Maturity.

And with maturity comes the wisdom to live life as it meant to be lived. This means that wisdom doesn’t come overnight or quickly; to be wise requires a great deal of learning, effort, experience, and time.

The wisdom and understanding Paul refers to is not some sort of secret information which has to be accessed through careful initiation into a group of people who have the inside knowledge. No, this is wisdom which can be gained by anyone who embraces a life of faith and spiritual discipline.

The highest form of knowledge for the Apostle Paul is knowing God in Christ.

This sort of knowledge is an understanding of salvation, and experiencing deliverance from guilt, shame, and the false self. Such knowledge is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in living a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Colossians 1:11, by Bible Art

From the outside of Christianity looking in, it may appear that this is all a grand achievement of the human will. But it isn’t. On the inside, the Christian life is thoroughly a work of God’s glorious power, bringing new life, and effecting spiritual growth and maturity into a wise and good way of life.

We did not deliver ourselves. God did. The Lord transferred our membership from the realm of darkness to the empire of light. Christians are simply people who have been redeemed by God in Christ. Our liberation is because of God’s gracious forgiveness of sins.

Forgiveness, however, is not the end game. Forgiveness frees us to pursue the spiritual life without guilt and shame hindering us and weighing us down all the time. Forgiveness opens us to the possibilities of positive and life-giving relational connections with God and other people.

In our relationship with God, prayer becomes the conduit of divine/human conversation. That connection, in the past, had blockage because of our unhealthy lifestyles. But it is now unobstructed because of God’s gracious intervention by Jesus, in the Spirit.

So, when it comes to our interactions in prayer, there’s no need to invent a new game; we just need to learn the one we’ve got, and put in the hours of work necessary to become accomplished at it. 

Today’s New Testament lesson is a prayer from the Apostle Paul to the Colossian Church. His prayer for them was singular: To have wise minds and spirits, that is, to have knowledge of God – an understanding of who God is and how God operates.

To learn divine ways is to acquire the skill of wisdom.

Paul prayed for a reason: so that we might live our lives in a way which pleases God and enables us to sustain a lifetime of spiritual growth. 

As people created in God’s image and likeness, we are hard-wired with a spirit which needs strengthening and exercise. That happens as we put in the constant repetitions of connecting with the divine and putting in the time on our knees – praying daily for ourselves and others to mature in faith so that we might all together act wisely and justly in this world, for the life of the world.

A good place to start is to use Paul’s prayer as our own. Never has there been such a need than now for us to know how to apply wisdom in the places and in the circumstances we’ve never been in before. 

For wisdom to happen, we must grow in our knowledge by putting in the hours of prayer.

The skill of wisdom doesn’t magically happen. Wisdom is the culmination of acquired understanding; a lot of practice exercising love in the places where love is not; and engaging in a lifetime project of becoming knowledgeable through constant learning, struggling, and growing.

Direct me, O Lord, in all my doings with your most gracious will and wisdom. Further in me your continual help – that in all my work and in all I do and say, I may glorify your holy name; and, by your mercy, obtain the life that is truly life; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.  Amen.

Our Riches In Christ (Colossians 2:1-5)

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

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. (New International Version)

When you already have everything you need, it’s useless – and can even be damaging – to indulge in listening to fine sounding arguments about how you are missing out, lacking something, and/or falling short in some way.

For the Christian, the truth is: You now possess God’s treasure chest of wisdom and knowledge in Christ Jesus. So, why would you ever let someone deceive you through slick persuasion about having something superior to what you already have?

“Heresy” is really nothing more than making a bold claim to an alternative theological understanding than what you presently adhere to.

In some cases, an existing belief system is inferior and bogus. So, it’s a good thing when someone turns from bad religion in order to embrace a religion which is life-giving, helpful, and good.

Yet, if we already have a belief which is robustly full of righteousness and justice, and is good for the common life of everyone in the community, then it is dangerous to consider replacing it, or letting it fall into disuse.

The Apostle Paul’s consistent and overarching theme throughout his letter to the Colossian Christians is that Jesus Christ is sufficient, he is enough – more than enough – for our life and salvation.

That means the task of the Christian is to hold on to and cultivate what already has been taught to them according to apostolic tradition (that is, the Scriptures).

Another way of putting the matter: Learn to appreciate and enjoy what you already have, because it really is worth exploring, living into, and celebrating.

So, let’s put away any notions that standing firm in the faith involves defending your own personal brand of the Christian life (which is usually done obnoxiously) or for others to adhere to every jot and tittle of your own dogmatic theology.

To remain steadfast in the faith means primarily to nurture your faith – to actively pursue the spiritual life and concern oneself with the development of the soul. It is, more specifically, to keep on struggling to live into the words and ways of Jesus Christ; and to keep on learning and applying the apostolic teaching which has been passed down to us.

This is not too much to ask. It is reasonable (and biblical) to expect professing believers in Christ to put solid energy into encouraging one another in love and unity by means of sound Christian theology and doctrine.

Genuine and lasting unity depends upon both truth and love. Christians need to be of one mind and one heart, embracing the same values.

My dear wife and I recently celebrated 39 years of marriage together. Someone asked me today how we’ve made it all these years. I said that the main reason is that, although we are extreme opposites in nearly every way, we have both shared the same basic core values throughout our marriage. And that has gotten us through a lot of things.

Love for one another in the church will be maintained when we understand there is nothing being held back from us by God. The mystery of Christ has been revealed. There are no secrets. Solid and lasting relationships are built upon the foundation of truth. Nothing is held back.

We might as well lay bare everything, because it’s eventually going to happen one way or another.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:13, NIV

If we begin to think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, then we start listening to other people – perhaps even inviting other lovers into our lives. But the truth is: If I have some delicious fresh fried catfish on my plate, why in the world would I ever settle for a measly can of tuna?

The unity of the Colossian Church was at stake for the Apostle Paul. Just because someone is skilled in the art of persuasion, and can speak a good line, doesn’t necessarily mean that those words are good, right, or just.

There’s nothing wrong with persuasion. In fact, Paul himself was highly skilled in rhetoric and persuasion. At issue is losing sight of the message and focusing solely on the means of communicating the message.

Oftentimes a false teacher who peddles a different message other than apostolic teaching, has a highly believable way about them – which is why folks can be deceived. When one is being charmed, then critical analysis is rarely on their mind.

We can also be self-deceived, deluding ourselves, and talking ourselves into going down a bad path. It is most necessary to evaluate things according to the content rather than the attractiveness of the packaging.

Gifts of speaking and persuasion are good, so long as they are used for good, and controlled by sound thinking and directed by compassionate hearts.

There is no compelling witness for Christ if the church is fragmented and divided. But if we are convinced that our spiritual riches are found in Jesus Christ, then we shall find ways to remain connected and caring.

Therefore, let’s live as if we really believe this.

I always pray to the great and glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that he will give you the Spirit, who will let you know truths about God and help you understand them, so that you will know him better.

I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. Amen. (Ephesians 1:17-19, ERV)