A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:7
INTRO: Physicists argue over the possibility of time travel
I recently read a true story of a man living in 1945, who suddenly found himself in 1975
– it is found in a case history recorded by Oliver Sacks and entitled “The Lost Mariner”
• his patient suffered Korsakoff Syndrome, in which a portion of his memory as well as his ability to form new memories were obliterated
– he had not invented a time machine nor did his body jump through time
• he had passed through thirty years, aging, like everyone else, but he could not recall anything from them
• as a result, he was displaced in time
– his intelligence and skills were useless, because they belonged to the wrong era
Jews returning to Jerusalem after exile came home to a discouraging situation
– so the people began complaining, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt” (Hag. 1:2)
– and God answered them, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” (Hag. 1:4)
– God’s message to them was, “Consider your ways”
• nothing was going right for them
• they would plant lots of seed, but small reap a small harvest; put on clothes, but still be cold; make money, but put it in purses and pockets with holes in them so it would all run out
– their timing was off read more…
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
Ecclesiastes 3:5-6
INTRO: It is impossible for a normal, healthy human mind to comprehend the ruthless plotting, preparing, and perpetrating of the random murder of unarmed and unsuspecting men, women and children
[Thursday, July 19, 2012, a gunman entered a movie theater and began shooting patrons who had come to view the screening of a new release]
News reporters are asking investigators, What was killer’s motive?
– it sounds like a specific question, but the actual underlying question is the less specific, Why?
• our minds naturally grope for a reason or meaning to “senseless tragedies”
– but, as always in situations like this, there is no satisfactory answer
• there is no answer that will make us “okay” with it
When we face the hard facts, it’s not difficult to join the Existentialists who have argued that meaning isn’t something the universe contains or provides, but individuals must provide their own meanings
– a few biblical scholars think the Preacher of Ecclesiastes was an Existenialist
• for example, the New International Version does not read “Vanity,” but “Meaningless” (Ecc. 1:1)
– but that’s not at all what the Preacher is saying
The Preacher’s message: It is true that life passes quickly, like steam rising from a cup of tea
– death seems to drain the significance out of any achievement that distinguishes one person above another (2:12-16)
• we do not have enough time or wisdom to make sense out of everything that happens
• but if you cannot find life’s meaning, you’re looking in wrong place read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you “Jesus took some bread.” Have you ever tried to imagine Jesus’ mannerisms? Have you wondered how his hands looked when reaching for something, his posture when he reclined at a table, the slant of his shoulders or the tilt of his head? Are these things important? Only to someone who in love with Jesus.
In Jewish homes of Jesus’ time, nothing was more commonplace than bread. Jesus took this ordinary food in his hands, gave it a meaning, turned it into a ritual, and made it extraordinary. Consider the ordinary nature of the signs God used in previous covenants–a rainbow, circumcision, day and night, etc. (Gen. 9:8-17; 17:10; Jer. 33:20-21). In a similar way, Jesus sets His hand on ordinary objects around us, giving them a sacred usefulness so that through them we become more aware of him and our bond with him is strengthened.
What is Jesus touching in this present moment? What ordinary object at hand is potentially sacred if only we had the eyes of faith? What is being turned into a symbol? a mystery revealed? a door to greater awareness? (Gen. 28:17). Oh, for eyes to see and ears to hear!
O gracious and loving Savior, please take us as You took the bread and transform us into something extraordinary. We are not the Bread of Life, but we are pieces broken from that loaf. May we feel the touch that fits us for God’s work in the world as channels of His mercy, goodness, and healing. May we hear the blessing You pray over us. Apart from Your touch and blessing, we will go on being our silly, dysfunctional selves. If necessary, continue to break us until You see in us all that You desire, and then give us to the world.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4
INTRO: The writer of Ecclesiastes calls himself the “Preacher”
He has a message and it is about life “under the sun”
– this is life defined by a definite number of hours–from the time the sun rises to when it sets
My granddaughter, Addison, is a petite five-year-old
– she has a very tender heart and the epitome of innocence
– a week ago, she was in a conversation with her parents about dinosaurs and their extinction
• a thought occurred to her and she asked them, “Are we going to die?”
The Preacher’s point is that we are going to die — that what we experience “under the sun” is life within limits
– furthermore, he believes that “the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth” (Ecc. 7:1), that it is wiser to live looking at the end of your life than beginning
– therefore
It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart (7:2)
This life span allows us the opportunity for all kinds of experiences
– not all are good, not all are bad
– every experience has its own time slot
• when the experience matches the moment, it’s “beautiful” read more…
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up. Ecclesiastes 3:2-3
INTRO: Reading through this poem, we cannot help but feel its rhythm
The genius of the poem is that it makes us feel its message
– to live well is to get in step with the rhythm of life
• when you find your life’s rhythm, things work for you
• if you cannot find the rhythm of your life, things go wrong
– it’s like driving through a city and hitting every red light
Rhythm is a recognizable movement – our brains detect its pattern
– in music, it is timing – it’s all about the beat (metronome)
Rhythm in poetry makes words flow gracefully
– perhaps the most frequently quoted line in the Message Bible is found in Jesus’ invitation (Mt. 11:28-30), “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace”
But rhythm also has another effect: it can put us to sleep
– “highway hypnosis” – we can go through life in a similar state
• the repetition of our days make us less aware
The poem wakes us up to where the rhythm of life takes us read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you The life of Judas would make an interesting documentary. Where was he born? Who were his parents and how did they raise him? Was he teased and bullied by other children? What were his personal struggles? Was he insecure in life and feel pressured to grasp at money? How did he meet Jesus and why did he choose to become a disciple? What made him the sort of person who would betray Jesus?
The purpose of the documentary would not be to portray Judas as a victim of his circumstances who could not do anything other than what he did–after all, any of the disciples could have played his role, for one by one they each asked Jesus, “Surely not I, Lord?” Rather, we would want to know if Judas ever saw a glimmer of the truth of Jesus, felt a twinge of joy when people were healed, or for a moment was enthralled by Jesus’ message. In his last action, did Judas put an end to a miserable life, a happy one, or a mediocre one?
What a contrast between Jesus and Judas! “That man” sitting next to “the Son of Man.” While the Son of Man would soon go, it would have been better for that man had he never been born. Was Jesus seriously sad for Judas? Was the Lord making one final appeal to him? giving him one last warning?
In humble reverence, we thank You Jesus for never giving up on us. We who have betrayed You in thought or deed, who have turned from Your will to our own, and have given other loves the devotion that is Yours alone. Find in our hearts a reward for Your suffering. Set Your flame to our love and make it pure, breathe on our faith and make it strong. May we belong to You completely today, tomorrow, and forever.
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven– Ecclesiastes 3:1
INTRO: A thought occurred to me recently, that I should keep a record of the wisdom Mom handed down to us kids
For example:
Mom once told my older sister and I, “Everyone has their own light. Sometimes when you’re with friends or at a social gathering, it is your turn for your light to shine. You explain something, tell a story or a joke, that everyone wants to hear. For that moment, you are the center of attention. Other times, it is someone else’s turn for their light to shine. Respect that moment, let them shine and enjoy their light. Do not always try to be the one whose light is shining. Recognize when it is time for someone else to be the center of attention.
The Bible contains books like the one I should right – they are repositories of wisdom
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
And do not forsake your mother’s teaching. (Pr. 1:8)
Three Old Testament books in particular are classified as “Wisdom Literature”
Proverbs – a collection of wise sayings that provide practical advice
– this is not speculative or theoretical wisdom
– these proverbs assume cause and effect relationships in an ordered universe
• so they can promise rewards for choosing the wise path and trouble for those who make the foolish choice
• example:
In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty. (Pr. 14:23) read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you We cannot remove death from this passage. Jesus announced it, the priests plotted it, the perfume prepared his body for it, and Judas began looking for an opportunity to arrange it. Jesus was only days from the cross and between this moment and his death, he would suffer betrayal, beatings, and abandonment.
Into this scene, shadowed as it s by death, a woman enters and suddenly the atmosphere is filled with the fragrance of a “costly perfume.” When Jesus defended her from the unkind criticism of the disciples, he interpreted her actions in a way that no one would have guessed, “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial” (v. 12). In those days, spices were sprinkled in the cloth that was wrapped around a body before it was buried. This was the final kindness shown to a loved one. As far as Jesus was concerned, the woman had done “a good deed” for him.
The woman chose to do something for Jesus and him alone, and it upset the disciples. Jesus was always the giver and never, until now, the receiver. Finally there came to him someone who was not asking to be healed, forgiven, blessed, or to looking for the secret to eternal life. Her only desire was to love Jesus and give him the best that she had to offer. And the disciples called it a “waste” (v. 8).
Lord Jesus, we realize that there are many different Christian traditions in this world and we do not all share the same form of worship. By Your Spirit, remind us of this woman if we are tempted to call someone else’s act of love a waste, excessive, undignified, too emotional, too ritual, or too sentimental. Let us see their reverence through Your eyes, hear their prayers and songs through Your ears, and feel their devotion to You with Your heart, so that even if their actions seem strange from our point of view, we recognize the good thing they are doing for You. As for us, may we learn from her to give You the best we have to offer–to give You everything.
Now when John, while in prison, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see” Matthew 11:2-3
INTRO: Why are you here this morning?
I’m here to do whatever I can to move us into the best life possible
– to me, the best life is not an achievement or a static condition, but a process, because the best life is a life of constant growth
Since material success isn’t essential to the full enjoyment of life, we concentrate on the spiritual journey
– “journey” implies waypoints, destinations we have to reach to move toward our goal
– there are developmental tasks that require us to learn new information and skills
In Christian spirituality, these waypoints are usually referred to as “stages”
– but I think that introduces a view that’s too systematized
• it implies that we all travel by the same route, hitting the same mile marks in the same order
– God’s Spirit determines what we need next
• we hope to eventually experience all the waypoints, but we don’t move out of one “stage” into the next as if ascending the runts of a ladder
• whatever we learn from one experience, carry with us into next
• sometimes, the Spirit takes us back to an earlier place, which we must relearn or penetrate to a deeper level
C. S. Lewis, “We all know the old joke, ‘You’ve given up smoking once; I’ve given it up a dozen times.’ In the same way I could say of a certain man, ‘Have I forgiven him for what he did that day? I’ve forgiven him more times than I can count.’ For we find that the work of forgiveness has to be done over and over again.”
– so it may be that God brings us back to an old resentment (or ego issue, guilt, etc.) several times before it is finally resolved
We can go to school to learn we need for the spiritual journey — “The University of Jesus Christ” read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you “The least” is the easiest person to overlook; they make the smallest contribution, yet they have the greatest needs. The least could be someone who is poor and unattractive, someone shy and friendless, someone disabled or deformed, someone always in trouble, someone not bright, pleasant, or considerate. The least is the person who can be ignored without suffering personal loss or damage to the institution. The least can disappear and no one misses them or asks what happened to them.
The Lord Jesus was not interested in good deeds performed for important people; there is no reward for a kindness shown to a superior. Jesus’ heart is for the least important people, for they are his brothers and sisters. In fact, his concern for them is so great, he is willing to stake our eternal destiny on our care for them. At the end of this parable, whether we march into life or are thrown in the fire depends on our treatment of the least.
Where in the gospels do we find Jesus telling us, “You must receive Me into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior?” What we hear him say is, “Feed the hungry, help the stranger, clothe the naked, visit those who are sick and in prison. Take care of My brothers and sisters, especially the least among them.”
Forgive us, O Lord, for being so enthralled by wealth and beauty, for catering to the whims of the high and mighty while turning our backs on the weak and lowly. We watch You touch the leper, show compassion to the blind, and take time for the children to hold them in Your arms. Open our eyes to the person we have trained our minds to not see. Create in us an eagerness for that next opportunity to do something for You by doing it for the least of Your brothers or sisters.
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures