Monday, April 26, 2010

Allies in the Fight

Readings:
Esther 10
Romans 15:14-33

Focus:
Romans 15:30a: "I implore you by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, be my allies in the fight."

Paul tells the Roman Christians that it has been his task to tell the Gospel to the Gentiles (the non-Jews), and that he has been particularly careful to go to places where no Christian has gone before to tell the message. He thus contrasts Jews with Gentiles, and Gentiles who have never heard the Gospel at all with Gentiles who have already heard it.

Yet Paul also binds all these groups together into one family of God. Before he can visit the Romans, he is going to take money to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who are experiencing economic distress. This money has been raised by Gentile Christians. As Paul says, the Jewish Christians have shared their spiritual treasures with the Gentiles, and in return the Gentiles are sharing their material treasures.

Paul knows that there will be foes in Jerusalem who will seek to arrest him, and he asks the Roman Christians to pray for him as he goes there--to be his allies in the fight. Once again he binds the groups together into one family of God.

This is a model for us. We cannot always be together with our brothers and sisters, but we can support them through financial aid, through prayer, and through contacting them to tell them of our support. We can be their allies in the fight.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Accept One Another

Readings:
Esther 9
Romans 15:7-13

Focus:
Romans 15:7: "In a word, accept one another as Christ accepted us, to the glory of God."

In this passage, Paul speaks of both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), and talks of how Christ came for the benefit of both. Because God cares about both Jews and Gentiles (which means that he cares about all people), we also should care about all people.

Although Paul is speaking here of Christians accepting each other, this passage can also apply more widely. It is God's glory that we must be thinking of, and not our own purposes. And God's desire is to reach out to all people. For that reason, then, we accept all people and reach out to them with God's message, to the glory of God.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Consider Others

Readings:
Esther 8
Romans 15:1-6

Focus:
Romans 15:2: "Each of us must consider his neighbor and think what is for his good and will build up the common life."

We think it would be nice if we could just think of ourselves and do whatever we want. But Paul tells us that we must think of others first, and do what is for their good.

And practically speaking, we can't just please ourselves, anyway. We can't just say, "It's my life; I'll do what I want." Our actions have consequences that affect other people, whether we like it or not. If we choose to eat unhealthy food, for example, we shorten our lives, which causes grief to others, and we end up with illnesses that cause others to have to spend time caring for us.

So, on the negative side of things, it just makes sense not to think of ourselves alone. But in addition, God has asked us to think of others first. And when we do it God's way, not only thinking of others, but focusing on trying to love them, too, we end up with rewards that we might not expect. Building up the common life includes us, too, and not just others. We find that our own life is enhanced when we think of others. There are rewards that we might not want to trade for what we could have had if we had only thought of ourselves. God works that way.

Not Causing Others to Stumble

Readings:
Esther 7
Romans 14:13-23

Focus:
Romans 14:20b: "Everything is pure in itself, but it is wrong to eat if by eating you cause another to stumble."

Paul continues his discussion of what some people believe is okay to eat and others don't. The discussion is applicable to other areas, such as whether or not a person should drink wine, or see certain movies, etc. Paul declares that anything is pure in itself to eat.

But, Paul says, if there are other Christians whose conscience tells them that such things should not be eaten, etc., and they see another Christian eating them, they may be led astray into eating such things too. Yet they will be doing wrong, because they will be violating their consciences. So, Paul says, if we know that other people, with weaker consciences, will see us doing things that they feel are wrong, we should abstain from doing them! Why? Out of love for our brothers and sisters.

Again, this does not apply to things such as cruelty, theft, sexual sin, unkindness, etc. Those things are always wrong. But where there can be true disagreement, we can behave according to our varying beliefs, and we also must show deference to the beliefs of our brothers and sisters by not offending their consciences when they are watching. We do this out of love for them and out of love for God.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Passing Judgment

Readings:
Esther 6
Romans 14:1-12

Focus:
Romans 14:10a: "You, then, why do you pass judgment on your fellow Christian?"

In this part of Romans, Paul is talking about how some people feel it's wrong to eat meat, which in that particular part of the world, at that time, was usually sacrificed to idols before it was sold, and others have no problem with it because they don't believe in the idols anyway. Paul is saying that for those who believe it's wrong, it's wrong, because they violate their consciences if they go ahead and eat it; and for those who don't believe it's wrong, it's not wrong. And neither one should judge the other.

This is different from moral issues such as murder, rape, theft, selfishness, unkindness, etc. These things are unequivocally wrong. But when it comes down to issues like this, people can be sincerely divided, and it's not a matter of life or death; not a matter of who is a true Christian and who is not.

It is important for us to remember these things when we are talking with other people, or when we hear about other people, who disagree with us on some issues such as how to solve problems of poverty in the world or how to best manage national health care. We can sincerely believe in different ways and yet all have in mind the same love of God and concern for his oppressed and poverty-stricken people. We must not judge each other on the basis of different opinions.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Readings:
Esther 5
Romans 13:7-14

Focus:
Romans 13:9: "The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,' and any other commandment there may be, are all summed up in the one rule, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

It's easy to say, as the Beatles sang, that "all we need is love." But when we really think about this commandment, "love your neighbor as yourself", it's rather harder than it sounds at first. It's not just about benevolent feelings and toleration.

When we love our neighbors as ourselves, then we help others with our time and our money. We act kind as well as feel kind. We stand up for those who need advocacy.

We also refrain from indulging in not only large crimes like theft and murder, but also little things like irritability, sarcasm, me-firstness, laziness, and all sorts of other petty behaviors that hurt our neighbors.

We apologize when we've done wrong.

There are many ways in which we change our lives.

We do this because we love our neighbors as ourselves.

For a Time Like This

Readings:
Esther 4
Romans 13:1-6

Focus:
Esther 14:b: "And who knows whether it is not for a time like this that you have become queen?"

In ancient days, the Jewish people had been conquered and taken into exile by the Babylonians. The Babylonians had in turn been conquered by the Persians. Then, in this Persian kingdom, through a complicated chain of circumstances, Esther, one of the exiled Jewish people, had chanced to become queen, though the king does not know that she is Jewish.

Now because of some devious machinations, a plot has been laid and all Jewish people are scheduled to be slaughtered. Esther's uncle Mordecai asks her to intercede with the king, but she replies that no one has the right to go unbidden into the king's presence; anyone who does so risks death.

But Mordecai tells her that she has a duty to help save her people, and then he tells her that it is perhaps for this very reason--for such a time as this--that she has become queen. And Esther agrees to speak to the king.

This is a significant way to look at occasional circumstances in our own lives. We may find ourselves, at intervals, at crossroads where we may be able to take some action that will make a difference. We should think carefully at such times. Could it be that it is for this very reason, for such a time as this, that we find ourselves at a particular time and place? Could God have brought us to this time and place because he has something that he wants us to do? We must always look for God's purpose for us; this always comes first before our own purposes.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Let Our Aims Be Such as All Count Honorable

Readings:
Esther 3
Romans 12:17-21

Focus:
Romans 12:17: "Never pay back evil for evil. Let your aims be such as all count honorable."

This sounds great and even easy to do upon first reading. But it's actually quite hard when we think about it a little longer. And it's also quite a good goal.

For example, it might be pretty tempting to cut a bad driver off in the anonymity of freeway driving in order to get to the lane we want and get to our destination as quickly as we want. But pretty much everyone would generally think that it's honorable to not cut off another driver. So that should be our aim, and we should not do it, no matter how anonymous we might feel. Who knows what the bad driver's story might be, or what might be the result of our driving?

It's pretty tempting to speak sarcastically to someone who has annoyed us. But pretty much everyone would generally think that it's honorable not to speak unkindly. So that should be our aim, and we should not do it, no matter how satisfying it might feel at the time. Who knows what pain we might be inflicting, or what lack of understanding we might have about our own actions that have led to the other person's annoyance?

And in the long run, God has asked it of us. That should be enough. We don't pay back evil for evil, because we obey God. We let our aims be such as all count honorable.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Calling Down Blessings, Not Curses

Readings:
Esther 2
Romans 12:3-16

Focus:
Romans 12:14: "Call down blessings on your persecutors--blessings, not curses."

This is one of the most radical teachings of Christianity. Christians are not instructed to pursue their enemies. They are told not to seek vengeance. Instead, Jesus teaches Christians to love their enemies.

This does not mean that we should allow people to do whatever they want. We should not foolishly let an abusive husband continue to beat his wife. We should not let criminals terrorize victims.

But it does mean that, while restraining people from doing evil, we should at the same time work, without hatred, for the good of those same people. We should earnestly hope and pray for their future betterment. We should call down blessings upon them, not curses.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Conform No Longer to This World

Readings:
Esther 1
Romans 12:1-2

Focus:
Romans 12:2a: "Conform no longer to the pattern of this present world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds."

Frequently it seems that in order to live according to what the Bible says, we have to be different from the rest of the world, and that may make us feel strange, or appear strange to others. We worry that maybe we're wrong. But my husband often says that followers of Jesus are living right-side up in an upside-down world. It's the rest of the world that's really wrong.

One of my friends has a daughter who just graduated from college. Her first job? She's not in some lucrative fast-track corporation management position. She is living in India as an intern for International Justice Mission. This worldwide group's aim is to rescue people who are held in bondage. Some are sex slaves. Some are enslaved as workers at brick factories. My friend's daughter is working to help free people because she's a servant of Jesus, and she does not conform to the pattern of this present world.

We don't all have to go work in international missions (although we should send money to support some of those who do). But we can start conforming to God's pattern by living our day-to-day lives for him. We can make little decisions such as not saying the angry or unkind words we are tempted to say, or forgiving instead of holding a grudge. We can be transformed.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

How Inscrutable His Ways

Readings:
Nehemiah 13
Romans 11

Focus:
Romans 11:12b: "How deep are the wealth and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways!"

Sometimes there are things that seem hard to understand. Why does God allow us free choice, so that people can choose to do bad things that cause evil to happen? For example, why are people free to choose to be suicide bombers and harm innocent people?

Or, why has God allowed mosquitoes and bad bacteria to exist in our world? Why does he allow cancer to exist?

I can come up with some rough answers to some of these questions, because of theology that I have learned, but in general there are always questions that we don't quite get about God. At times like these I remember that I have a human mind, but God is God. His mind is much greater than mine--infinitely greater. If I understood everything about him, he wouldn't be God. I'm glad he's greater than I am. I wouldn't want a God that I could completely understand. Then he wouldn't be much of a God.

And one thing I know is that I get all my ideas of goodness and justice from him. So I can trust that the things I don't understand will somehow end up being for purposes of goodness and justice too.

He Has Riches Enough for All

Readings:
Nehemiah 12
Romans 10:11-21

Focus:
Romans 10:12b: "The same Lord is Lord of all, and has riches enough for all who call on him."

In our country we're trying to figure out how to spread the health-care budget around. And in the world we're trying to figure out how to make sure that there's enough food for everyone.

But as for the riches that come from God, the love, the assurance of salvation, the gift of life everlasting, God has enough of that for anyone who calls on him. No matter how many people there are in the world, from the beginning to the end of time, for all of those who put their trust in him, God has enough to give them. He does not run out of his riches.

Monday, April 12, 2010

All We Need Is Faith

Readings:
Nehemiah 11
Romans 10:1-10

Focus:
Romans 10:9: "If the confession 'Jesus is Lord' is on your lips, and the faith that God raised him from the dead is in your heart, you will find salvation."

This is a pretty simple summary of the whole gospel! It is the main point of the book of Romans. All we need is faith that Jesus Christ is Lord (Leader and Ruler), and that he was raised from the dead. It is quite appropriate to think about so soon after Easter.

If it seems like we're hitting this point again and again, it's because the book of Romans hits this point again and again.

Following rules doesn't free us. Faith does. That's all we need.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Available for All

Readings:
Nehemiah 10
Romans 9:17-33

Focus:
Romans 9:24: "We are those objects of mercy, whom he has called from among Jews and Gentiles alike."

The theology in these next chapters of Romans is complex and has to deal with predestination and with the relationship between Jews and Gentiles and God's purpose for people of all races. It needs whole sermons and books to deal with it!

But for the purposes of these meditations, we can concentrate on some salient points. And one of them is in verse 24. That point is that God loves people from all races, and he chooses people from among all kinds of people to be those who will respond to him and be his followers.

Although at first the earliest Christians believed that Jesus had come only for the benefit of the Jews, they soon saw that he had come for the benefit of everyone else (the Gentiles) as well. And still his love is available for everyone who will respond.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

God's Mercy

Readings:
Nehemiah 9
Romans 9:1-16

Focus:
Romans 9:16: "Thus it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God's mercy."

God chooses us before we are even born. It is a matter of his love and mercy, and not a matter of what we do or don't do.

What we do and don't do, of course, makes a difference in how our lives and other people's lives turn out. We can cause all kinds of hurt and pain. So it is important to live our lives in obedience to what God wants.

But ultimately, God's choice to love us depends on him, not on us. It does not depend on human will or effort, but on God's mercy.

Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love Of Christ

Readings:
Nehemiah 8
Romans 8:35-39

Focus:
Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that there is nothing in death or life, in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers, in the world as it is or the world as it shall be, in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths--nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

My very favorite passage in the Bible is Romans 8:31-39, and these last verses of the chapter, 35-39, are my favorite of all. It is the most wonderful thing to remember! What can separate us from the love of Christ? Not a thing! There is no persecution, no hardship, no danger, no superhuman power, no force of the universe, no affliction, nothing at all that can separate us from God's love.

God loves us through all of this, and he is strong and able to overcome it all. With God on our side, no one can effectively be against us, and his love can never be separated from us. This is the best news ever.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Who Is Against Us?

Readings:
Nehemiah 7:39-73
Romans 8:31-34

Focus:
Romans 8:31b: "If God is on our side, who is against us?"

This is my second most favorite verse in the Bible. Paul has just laid it all out for us. God loves us so much that he wants us to live with him eternally. For that reason he has come himself, as Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sins, instead of us. Although we are guilty, he has acquitted us.

As Paul says, speaking in terms of eternity, who will bring a charge against us if God has acquitted us? Our future is secure; there is no one who can condemn us. God is greater than any who might try.

What a hope to hang onto in the midst of troubles! In this life we may know sorrow, oppression, and conflict, but ultimately, if God is on our side, who is against us? We have God's love and strength to see us through, and he is there, bright and shining, at the end.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

In All Things God Works for Our Good

Readings:
Nehemiah 7:1-38
Romans 8:26-30

Focus:
Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8 is such a great chapter of the Bible! There are many strengthening and comforting verses in it, and verse 28 is indeed one of the great ones. Whatever the circumstances, no matter what bad thing might happen, whatever we do to mess things up, God will use all these bad things and turn them into good for those who love him. We may have to suffer because of what we or others do, but he will work it out in the end. That's a great hope to have.

And in just this small paragraph there are other things to remember, too: verses 26-27 tells us that even when we don't know what we should pray about, the Holy Spirit prays for us, and God knows what we really want and need. Further, in verse 29 we see that God knew us before we even came into being. What love that is! He knew us and loved us from before we were born.

God knew us from before we came into being. He knows intimately what we want and need. And in every circumstance, no matter what happens, he is working to turn it ultimately from bad to good. Truly, who would not want to belong to him?

The Glory in Store for Us

Readings:
Nehemiah 6
Romans 8:18-25

Focus:
Romans 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings we now endure bear no comparison with the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is in store for us."

The great thing about belonging to God is knowing that we are on the side that will ultimately win. I am not saying this in the sense that there is a competition, but in the sense that God will overcome evil and, in the end, all will be well.

It is true that God helps us with many problems in life, and in many ways we are able to have things turn out right because of our relationship with him. But often this is not the case. Often we end up with some illness, or oppression, or devastating circumstances, or disappointments, and these things do not get better. We still have joy in our relationship with God, but in our circumstances we have trouble.

Yet in the midst of this trouble we can know that we are headed for a glory, as yet unrevealed, that is in store for us. This, along with our relationship with God, sustains us through the hard times. It more than got me through cancer; it lifted me up higher than I had been before.

I know a man who is going to die very soon, too young, from cancer. Through his illness the faith of his family has been looking forward to the glory that God has in store for them. They are devastated by the pain and loss they are enduring, but they firmly trust in their future hope and know that God holds this securely for them. For, like all Christians, they reckon that the sufferings they now endure bear no comparison with the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is in store for them all.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Abba! Father!

Readings:
Nehemiah 5
Romans 8:12-17

Focus:
Romans 8:15: "The Spirit you have received is not a spirit of slavery, leading you back into a life of fear, but a Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry 'Abba! Father!'"

God gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us when we give our lives to him. And that means that we are more than just his followers. It means that he has adopted us as his children, his heirs.

This entitles us to call him "Father", or even "Daddy", as "Abba" has been translated. We are on an intimate footing with him. He loves us that much.

The old King James-style language of prayers and hymns that includes "thou" and "thee" for addressing God is an example of this. In older English, there were two forms of "you", one for use in formal situations, and the other for use in informal or intimate situations. "Thou" was actually the informal, intimate form of "you", similar to French "tu" or German "du". So in an earlier time, English speakers knew that they could call God with a family-style form of "you", just as, say, French speakers do now. God is that close to those who love him. He is our father.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Spiritual Outlook

Readings:
Nehemiah 4
Romans 8:5-11

Focus:
Romans 8:5-6: "Those who live on the level of the old nature have their outlook formed by it, and that spells death; but those who live on the level of the spirit have the spiritual outlook, and that is life and peace."

Giving our lives to Christ does more than just assure us of salvation. It transforms our very outlook on life. The closer we get to God, and the more intimate our relationship with him, then the more differently we see things.

And this new outlook leads to life and peace, and also to joy and contentment. True happiness and satisfaction come from a life lived in relationship with God. I know this because I have experienced it. I would not trade it for any other kind of life, no matter the thrills or pleasures or riches that might come with it.

Those who live on the level of the spirit have the spiritual outlook, and that is life and peace. Hallelujah to the resurrected Lord who gives this to us!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Easter

I Corinthians 15:16-20

"If the dead are not raised, it follows that Christ was not raised; and if Christ was not raised, your faith has nothing to it and you are still in your old state of sin. It follows also that those who have died within Christ's fellowship are utterly lost. If it is for this life only that Christ has given us hope, we of all people are most to be pitied. But the truth is, Christ was raised to life--the firstfruits of the harvest of the dead."


Lives once again our glorious King!
Where now, O Death, thy vaunted sting?
For He Who died, our souls to save,
Hath triumphed o'er the boasting grave.

Jesus is risen from the tomb,
And heavenly light doth now illume
The darksome place where late he lay,
And death hath known defeat this day.


Alleluia!
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

There lies beneath its shadow
But on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave
That gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross
Two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way
From that eternal grave.

Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me:
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess--
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868 (1830-1869);

Friday, April 2, 2010

Passion Week

There is a moment in the St. John Passion by Bach when, after Christ has been arrested and Peter has denied three times that he even knows Christ, the Evangelist (narrator) says that Peter went out and wept bitterly. This is sung in a hauntingly beautiful tenor voice, with a long, slow melody on the German word for "wept".

Who does not know the same kind of wretched despair that Peter felt at that time? We do things wrong. We fail again and again. We resolve to do better, and yet we find ourselves repeating our mistakes. Well we know what this music expresses. If not literally, then figuratively, we weep and weep and weep. We are trapped in our human failings. Even Peter, who has just been with the living Christ, repudiates him. How can we ever do better?

Miserable sinners that we are, who can rescue us from this body of death, from this pattern of repeated failure?

But there is one who can. It is for this that God became man in Jesus, came to earth, and took upon himself the punishment for all our failings, endured the denials, the mocking, the pain, the weight of all of everyone's sin. Who can rescue us from this body of death? Who but God? Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord! May we never take this lightly!

(Romans 7:24-25a)

(from my other blog)