Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Good morning and welcome! The Lord is with you.
Perhaps you are a master at something—plumbing, teaching, maybe you’re a physician or an artist. If someone wants to learn your trade or become like you, where do they start? It probably involves being your student, an intern, or an apprentice, right? The Holy Spirit’s mission is to help us become like Jesus – a Master of Love, of Righteousness. If we are to become like Jesus, there WILL be some lessons to learn, some skills to acquire, and some dedicated commitment to follow Him. And, the Holy Spirit has our lesson plan.
This week I came across these verses in Psalm 18, “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness…”
In the chapters in Jeremiah that Chuck brought us last week, God’s people had been charged with forsaking him and serving other Gods. Maybe you could say they were interning or had apprenticed themselves to other masters. God was relentless in his accusations, but he doesn’t want to destroy them; he wants them to change their ways. Their social systems were not in order, their worship was misplaced, they were insensitive to their shame and wrong doing, they were weak and untested. Do you think our own nation might feel a bit convicted here. It was not just a declaration of guilt, but an invitation to turn, an invitation to learn again how to be people after God’s heart.
If we say that we are followers of Jesus, the Spirit takes us at our word and begins to disciple us. We can be rebellious students or go AWOL, yet the Spirit will be relentless. Why? Because God rescued us and delights in us. And, God deals with us according to our righteousness, in other words, according to what we need. The people in Jeremiah’s time had been warned, and now disciplined, because they wouldn’t accept the LORD’s correction.
This week, I read about how our own nation has gone wrong, “We have unknowingly baptized many of our North American values to feel a little more Christian to us. We baptized greed and imagined it was the abundant life. We baptized contempt and imagined it was fighting the good fight against the enemies of the faith.” I’m feeling convicted myself here.
The prophet Daniel also prayed when he saw the desolation of Jerusalem coming. Our opening prayer this morning will use words taken from his prayer. Will you join me?
O, Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have turned away from your righteousness and defined it for ourselves. We are ashamed. We will hold these truths—that You rescued us and delight in us, that You will do what is necessary to shape righteousness in us, not as punishment, but as discipline. Thank you for the gift of our nation. O, Lord, listen and act for the sake of your name and for us who bear your name. We humbly ask you to restore streets of safety, goodness and mercy, faithfulness to Jesus. Our reward will be in becoming apprenticed to You that we might become like You. Thank you for your Word and Your Spirit with us this morning. Lead us in righteousness for Your name’s sake, we pray. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’” Jeremiah 5:1-4
Intro: The first time I visited Shiloh in Israel, I loved it
Finally I felt something extraordinary in Israel–like an energy vibrating up through the soil
– that was on the path, before we had even reached the site
• one strong appeal that Shiloh that appealed to me was that there was nothing there but bare hillsides
• but for that same reason, Shiloh was a message of doom for Jerusalem
– I knew about Shiloh from this passage in Jeremiah–it had always intrigued me
• so I looked closer at scripture and found that when Israel entered the land,
Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there (Jos. 18:1)
◦ Shiloh was established as a holy place
◦ 400 years later, God’s dwelling was no longer just a “tent,” but some kind of more permanent structure
Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD (1 Sam. 1:9)
• Shiloh had been made sacred by God’s presence there
◦ but by Jeremiah’s time, Shiloh had already been desolate for centuries
– now the temple in Jerusalem was headed for same destiny
• we will see why – and try to learn from their mistakes
The beliefs they adopted were more superstition than revelation
the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD (v. 4)
Robert Alter, “The triple repetition reflects something like a mantra recited by the people: this is the LORD’s temple, and hence those who enter it to worship have nothing to fear.”
– if you read the books of Kings and Chronicles, many times you’ll come across a vision for the temple
(to David) your son . . . shall build a house for my name (2 Chr. 6:9)
For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time (2 Chr. 7:16)
(Notice also in this chapter of Jeremiah, “this house, which is called by my name,” vv. 10, “my place where I made my name dwell at first” v. 12, “the house that is called by my name,” v. 14)
◦ the temple was God’s house, and he was present there
• however, God’s promise to reside in the temple was provisional
But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you and go after other gods . . . this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight . . . (2 Chr. 7:19-20)
◦ people in Jeremiah’s time, assumed the building was special
◦ but it was sacred only as long as God treated it as sacred
– her in the U.S., there’s a long Christian tradition of “going to church”
• for many people, that’s what defines their Christian faith
◦ being a Christian is what they do one day of the week
• in Jeremiah 9, God will explain what it means to know him
◦ it has to do with how he has revealed himself
◦ in scripture, revelation always calls for a response
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (De. 29:29)
– what I learn from this passage is that there is no magic building
• and no mechanical membership in the family of God
• we do not belong to an institution, but to a personal God
◦ as it has been noted many times, we are not an organization but an organism
They were not paying enough attention to how they lived
God’s first instruction to them was “Amend your ways and your deeds”
– the word “ways” has great significance in Hebrew Scriptures
[The LORD] made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel (Ps. 103:7)
• “ways” refers to interior values, concerns, and commitments
◦ a person’s inner ways determine their outward actions
• amend is also translated “do well”– it means to make better
◦ these people needed to reconsider what they treasured and how they ran their lives
– God provided a list of activities they needed to change
For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever Jeremiah 7:5-7
• I see this as a minimum standard of acceptable behavior
◦ the entire law reveals the complete requirements of God to live a righteous life
• if Jeremiah’s audience would take on the short list, they would be decent people
◦ but if they failed to do this much–well, they would not be God’s people
– this is the life of doing what is right and good is the standard Jesus lived and taught
• he never said, “Go to church, read your Bible, and tithe”
• he said, “Love God and love your neighbor”
They were putting their trust in deceptive (or lying) words
Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, ad go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are delivered!”–only to go on doing all these abominations? Jeremiah 7:8-10
The backstory to this deception breaks my heart
– where were those people hearing those lying words?
• that it was okay to break God’s commandments and come into his presence as if nothing was wrong?
◦ they got it from their religious teachers
How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the LORD,”
when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?
These wise teachers will fall
into the trap of their own foolishness,
‘ for they have rejected the word of the LORD.
Are they so wise after all?” Jeremiah 8:8-9 NLT
• years ago I read Scripture Twisting by James Sire
◦ the subtitle is, 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible
◦ the problem is, it’s not only cults that twist the Scriptures
– about the same time I was reading another book
• I was enjoying it until the author quoted 1 Jn. 2:2
[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
◦ he explained, as a Calvinist, could not tell a non-believer, “Jesus died for your sins”
• he went on to present most the convoluted interpretation of any passage I ever read
◦ and he did so to prove that the Bible did not mean what it said
It is easy for us to read and interpret the Bible in wrong ways
– but it’s much worse when Bible teachers offer us lame interpretations
• I’ll give you one example: many of my colleagues advocate teaching the Bible “verse-by-verse”
◦ this is an artificial method of teaching the Bible, because it was not written in chapters and verses
• teaching verse-by-verse creates the impression that each verse is a single unit,
◦ and each one has its own inspired message and meaning
◦ but most verses in the Bible are parts of a larger thought and it’s that larger thought that gives each verse its meaning
– a lot of believers cling to promises God did not make to us
• or hold onto dogmatic positions based on a faulty interpretations
• Paul’s advice to Titus is good for every Bible teacher:
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech (Titus 2:7-8)
They had missed the point of God’s revelation
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burn offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burn offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all that I command you, that it may be well with you.’(7:21-23)
This sounds odd, because God did give them instructions regarding offerings and sacrifices
– but not when they first left Egypt – that came later
• God wanted something more personal between them and himself
◦ “obey my voice” has a specific significance
• in all their travels through the desert, and all God said to them and did for them,
◦ he was teaching them to hear his voice and listen to him
• even when the people were given the commandments,
◦ in those static words engraved in stone,
◦ they could still learn to hear God’s dynamic voice
– God’s word is always a living word – it is always speech
• we live in a continuous conversation with our God
They had a chronic spiritual disorder; namely, a stiff neck
Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers Jeremiah 7:26
This is given poetic expression in chapter 8
You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD:
When men fall, do they not rise again?
If one turns away, does he not return?
Why then has this people turned away
in perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast to deceit;
they refuse to return.
. . . Even the stork in the heavens
knows her times,
and the turtledove, swallow, and crane
keep the time of their coming,
but my people know not
the [regulations] of the LORD Jeremiah 8:4-7
– at times God points out that nature is more faithful to him than humans
• here he contrasts migratory habits of species of birds who know to return
– falling down or making a wrong turn, these are normal human errors
• all God asks is that we get back up, that we turn around and take the correct road
• the greatness of biblical heroes like David and Peter,
◦ is not that they never sinned or made mistakes
◦ but that they always bounced back
One more observation
As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. Jeremiah 7:16
I’m not going to try to explain this, but only note how sad it is
– this sadness was not lost on Jeremiah (read the dark conversation in Jeremiah 8:18-22)
– God had answers for Jeremiah and the people
• but his answers are not consoling
Conclusion: When God told Israel, “Obey my voice,”
He gave them a promise:
and I will be your God, and you shall be my people
This is the heart of God’s covenant with Israel
This is the heart of God – it reveals what he wants with us
He doesn’t want us to engage in an impersonal and formal religion
But to embrace him in a familial relationship – Father and child
He speaks to us every day
In the breeze says, I am with you
Let’s learn to listen,
so we can give God what he desires;
our best love and our whole self
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Good morning RefleXion! The Lord is with you!
When my pedicurist paints nail art on my toes, she always says don’t look until it’s finished -I try to look– she says, “not yet!” What she means is that if I start to judge it now, I’ll want to correct it or ask her to make adjustments.
This world we live in, this life we lead, is full of things “not yet,” of this and thats. We want to fix, resolve, or decide and move to this OR that, to think we can declare a “good” or a “bad” or a final answer. “Their friend died…oh, but she’s in a better place.” “That was a terrible fire…oh, but people came to help and the forest has new growth.” “That is a scary procedure…oh, but God will be with them.”
It’s not this or that; it’s this AND that. If we give ourselves time and space to sink down to the part of us that can hold this tension, the seeming polarities, we will find that part of us that is expansive, and at the same time, grounded enough to hold the full human experience. We can hold the grief and the hope, the anxiety and God’s faithfulness. We can hold both joy and sorrow – Jesus did.
The image I sometimes have when I hold two seemingly opposing things is the one of Jesus on the cross. On one side the unrepentant thief and the other who gave his heart to Jesus. Jesus’ arms were outstretched to them both, holding the tension of his own sorrow and joy. We share in the sufferings of Christ, as well as being a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.
We are living in the gap–the little pathway between this and that. If we try to focus on one or the other, we’re up against a cliff, or shall we say a rock and a hard place. Everything is being woven together. Do you remember the adage about the tapestry…that we’re only seeing the tapestry of life from the underside? And if you create anything, you probably don’t want people to judge it from the underside. So, black and gold, rough and smooth, joy and sorrow are all being woven together. Wait until it’s finished – and then we’ll see the whole picture. We’ll be in glory.
I’m reading parts of “A Liturgy for Embracing Joy & Sorrow” from Every Moment Holy for our opening prayer today:
Lord God, in one hand we grasp the burden of our griefs, while with the other we reach for the hope of grief’s redemption. And here, between the tension of the two, between what was and what will be, in the very is of now, let our hearts be surprised by, shaped by, warmed by, remade by the same joy that forever wells within and radiates from your heart, O God. For this is who we are: a people of The Promise, a people shaped in the image of God whose very being generates all joy in the universe, yet who also weeps and grieves its brokenness. So we, your children, are also at liberty to lament our losses, even as we simultaneously rejoice in the hope of their coming restoration. Let us learn now, O Lord, to do this as naturally as the inhale and exhale of a single breath. We turn our hearts and minds to You this morning, O God. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
look and take note!
Search her squares to see
if you can find a man,
one who does justice
and seeks truth,
that I may pardon her Jeremiah 5:1
Then I said, “These are only the poor,
they have no sense;
for they do not know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.
I will go to the great
and will speak to them,
for they know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.”
But they all alike had broken the yoke,
they had burst the bonds Jeremiah 5:4-5
Intro: In 1989 Bob Dylan released the song “Everything Is Broken”
I’ll read some of the lyrics:
Broken lines, broken strings
Broken threads, broken springs
Broken idols, broken heads
People sleeping in broken beds
Ain’t no use jiving
Ain’t no use joking
Everything is broken
Broken bottles, broken plates
Broken switches, broken gates
Broken dishes, broken parts
Streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken
Everything is broken
Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground
Broken hands on broken ploughs
Broken treaties, broken vows
Broken pipes, broken tools
People bending broken rules
Hound dog howling, bullfrog croaking Everything is broken
– it’s a bluesy song that I love listening to when I feel down but not out
• when something that is important to you falls apart,
◦ or a lot of unpleasant things line up in your day, this song fits your mood
◦ lots of people, in different situations can connect with these lyrics
• it sometimes seems everything, everywhere is going wrong
– this was Jeremiah’s world
Reading through most of Jeremiah is rough and unpleasant
It is everything we don’t want to hear God say
– for instance, that decisions and actions have consequences,
• and the worse our actions, the more severe the consequences
◦ also, that God has been sending his people (us) messages and warnings,
◦ but they (we) have been ignoring them
• in context, the whole culture of Jerusalem had become a trap
◦ that if you were to go up and down it’s streets,
◦ looking for a decent person, you would be wasting your time
– it’s as if God is the District Attorney, taking Israel to court
• in chapters 5 and 6, he delivers his “opening statement”
◦ his argument comes down to a question, he asks twice (first in verse 9, then again in verse 29)
“Shall I not punish them for these things
declares the LORD;
and shall I not avenge on myself on a nation such as this?”
• but before God condemns, he investigates to see if he can find a reason to pardon Jerusalem (v. 1)
◦ he’s a reasonable DA – willing to look at all the evidence
Jeremiah’s first response is to make an unwarranted assumption
These are only the poor . . .
– he makes no apology for this prejudiced view of the poor
(an assumption not based on theology but sociology)
• the poor were deprived of anything like a formal education
• the majority of the poor were most likely illiterate
• they were perhaps more susceptible to superstition and conspiracy theories
• they were easier to fool, trick, swindle
• they had less leverage to resist social trends and pressures of the rich
– when Jeremiah tested this theory, he realized it couldn’t hold water
• everything and everyone was broken
This conclusion is repeated and amplified further on
But it also comes with a surprise at the end of the chapter
An appalling and horrible thing
has happened in the land:
the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rue at their direction;
my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes? Jeremiah 5:30-31
– the prophets and priests were abusing their authority
• I would expect a lot of unrest and agitation would erupt in the community
• people would be up in arms and lodging complaints – but God says,
my people love to have it so!!!
– the populace gave consent to the corrupt leadership
• they wanted prophets who would lie to them, give them false assurances and worthless promises
• they wanted authoritarian priests who were complicit with prophets
In the 1970’s, ultra-conservative Christians were denouncing “secular humanism”
– they sharply criticized “lifeboat ethics,” “situation ethics,” and moral relativism
• they argued that doing the right did not depend on circumstances
◦ theft was always theft, a lie always a lie, blasphemy was always blasphemy
• people were fit or unfit for leadership, according to their moral character
– today, people in that same religious demographic,
• turn a blind eye to the shenanigans of their politicians
◦ and it doesn’t make any difference whether we are talking about Democrats or Republicans
• these believers justify their compromise with unethical leaders with lame excuses,
◦ like, “Well, all politicians lie”
◦ it is not so difficult to slip into the lax attitude of Jeremiah’s audience
There was one major crime the people committed against God
Before Jeremiah was called to prophecy (probably before his born),
– the worst king in all of Judah’s history reigned in Jerusalem
He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land . . . . He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole . . . . He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. ¶ He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD . . . . Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the LORD’s sight, arousing his anger. . . . Manasseh also murdered many innocent people . . . . (2 Ki. 21:1-16, NLT)
• although Manasseh had died, and they nation made a turn back to Yahweh during Josiah’s reign,
◦ there moment of devotion to Yahweh was short-lived
• soon they were sharing their devotion to God with other gods
– so God’s response was to give them up to other gods
And when your people say, “Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?” you shall say to them, “As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.” (Jer. 5:19)
God is relentless as he continues his line of accusations in chapter 6
You can see that I’m highlighting specific verses in each chapter
– what I will point out here, are examples of Judah’s brokenness
• there are specific social systems that must be kept in proper order,
◦ to maintain a healthy connection with God
• in chapter 6, we learn four systems that were broken
– the first two appear in verses 13-15 (note that verse 13 rehashes what we heard in ch. 5)
“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, there were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”
says the LORD Jeremiah 6:13-15)
Brokenness Number 1: Providing simplistic solutions to complex problems
A few years ago, another pastor I had known for a long time told me, “The difference I see between us, is that you make everything complicated, while I make things simple.”
– he believed that there were no complex problems
• that from the right perspective, all problems could be solved with simple solutions
◦ for instance, no one needed therapy – “Just read Bible and have faith”
• my heart broke for the people he counseled
◦ he didn’t need to listen to them – but he preached long sermons to them
◦ he was treating cancer with band aids
They have healed the wound of my people lightly (slightly, superficially)
– just saying the words does not create the reality
Brokenness Number 2: They lost the ability to blush
There is prophetic irony in this line, they did not know how to blush
– no one tries to blush – in fact, sometimes we try not to
• it’s something the body does on its own
◦ an automatic physiological response to an emotion like anger or embarrassment
• that they did not blush, indicates their insensitivity to shame
◦ they could not longer feel how wrong their actions were
Brokenness Number 3: Their worship was broken
What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burn offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me Jeremiah 6:20
Worship is where we connect with God – it is our ongoing conversation with him
– it is our prayer and praise – it is our listening and speaking, our waiting and watching
• when worship is everything it’s supposed to be, it is acceptable – we are accepted
– but incense and rituals and loud praise are empty without intimacy
Brokenness Number 4: The refining process was broken
I have made you a tester of metals among my people,
that you may know and test their ways.
They are all stubbornly rebellious,
going about with slanders;
they are bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.
The bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;
in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed.
Rejected silver they are called,
for the LORD has rejected them Jeremiah 6:27-30
The “tester’s” (assayer) concern had to do with impurities
– that is because an impurity could weaken the strength of a metal or decrease its value
• God was turning up the heat on Jerusalem
• but the impurity of wickedness had merged with society and could not be removed
– silver is found in lead ore
• in this instance, even if the fire separated the ore from the silver,
◦ the silver was still not pure
◦ that is why it would be called “rejected silver”
Conclusion: There is a subtle sign of hope for Jerusalem in these chapters
Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
but make not a full end . . . . (Jer. 5:10)
But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you (Jer. 5:18)
Have you ever seen the movie A Walk in the Clouds? A young man returning from military duty during the second World War, meets a young woman whose family owns a vineyard in northern California. The vineyard is exceptional for the quality of grapes and wine in produces, because of the excellence of the original vine. Tragically, a fire destroys the entire vineyard. The family stands by the burned fields stunned by the loss that will now ruin their lives. But the young man suddenly remembers something he had seen. He runs into the field and kneels down in one row where he finds a portion of a vine with its roots intact. He shows it to the family, and now it is time to rejoice and celebrate. Out of that small bit of life, an entire vineyard will return to the fields.
Read these words again:
Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
but make not a full end
That little bit that was not destroyed would be the salvation of his people
It doesn’t take much,
but if we return to God with the little bit we have,
his touch will be our salvation
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
If a man divorces his wife
and she goes from him
and becomes another man’s wife,
will he return to her?
Would not that land be greatly polluted?
You have played the whore with many lovers;
and would you return to me?
Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!
Where have you not been ravished?
By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
like a nomad in the wilderness.
You have polluted the land
with your vile whoredoms.
Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have the forehead of a whore;
you refuse to be ashamed.
Have you not just now called to me,
‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
will he be angry forever,
will he be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
but you have done all the evil that you could Jeremiah 3:1-5
Intro: Every year, my dad directed a summer camp in Williams, Arizona
So that was our typical family vacation
– one year, when all the campers were assembled in the chapel,
• Dad began, “There was a murder in the forest last night
◦ he paused to let that sink in
• then holding up a carving knife, he said, “This was the weapon”
◦ and “Here is the victim” – and he showed us a twig from an apple tree
– he explained that once he cut the twig from the tree,
• separated from its supply of sap, it was as good as dead
• he then explained why it was so important for us campers,
◦ to abide in Jesus all year long – not just at summer camp
◦ that was quite the attention getter
God used attention-getters, because Israel had a history of not listening
– the previous chapter began with the early days of their courtship
• now this chapter begins with a message of divorce
◦ he starts with a question, a predicament and its consequences
◦ he isn’t looking for an answer, the question is rhetorical
• then he jumps from his legal and moral question,
◦ to a relational and personal scolding – and it’s harsh
You have played the whore with many lovers
– God says the consequences of their behavior are widespread
• a society that tolerates this behavior would become corrupt
◦ even the land would suffer (Hebrew: erets, land, earth, soil)
– in the 1960’s, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring
• in it, she alerted the world to the detrimental effects on ecology of human actions
◦ I think it’s easier today than any time before the 1960’s, to see the adverse effect of sin on our environment (especially the sin of greed)
• all of God’s creation is one vast system,
◦ we can’t destroy one thing without affecting something else
This point is made in a powerful way in chapter 4
I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
and to all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and behold, there was no man,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the LORD, before his fierce anger (Jer. 4:23-26)
– Jeremiah is an eye-witness as he reports, “I looked . . . I looked . . . I looked”
Robert Alter point’s out that Jeremiah is witnessing the devastation of war
• but the language he uses is borrowed from the creation story in Genesis
• in fact, it seems that God is “reversing the very act of creation” (Alter)
◦ if in the beginning the earth was without form and void (Gen. 1:2)
◦ Jeremiah observed the earth returning to its primordial state, without form and void (Jer. 4:23)
– if on first day, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,”
• Jeremiah observed the universe moving backward in time until once again the heavens . . . had no light
• reading these passages, Jim Morrison’s lyrics in “When the Music’s Over” come to mind:
“What have they done to the earth, yeah?
What have they done to our fair sister?
Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her
Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn and
Tied her with fences and dragged her down.”
Though I’ve emphasized ecology, that is a side issue
The stronger theme is that God views his relationship with Israel as a marriage
– this takes us back to Genesis also, where we’re told,
a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Gen. 2:24-25)
• Israel had bonded with God, but later they broke that bond
• turning to the gods of other nations, they violated their relationship with God
– why would God use an analogy like this?
• because everyone who has been committed to a close, loving relationship,
◦ is sensitive to betrayal – we can imagine its anguish
• God wanted his people to FEEL the depth of his love for them
◦ he wanted them to have the experience rather than mere information
It seems like God is saying there’s no way back from this
You have played the whore with many lovers;
and would you return to me?
We hear him saying, they can’t “return”
– it would be wrong, it would be outrageous, a scandal for him to return to them or they to him
• but as we read on, their return is the main theme!
• beginning in verse 6, God tells a story of two sisters
◦ Meshuba (faithless or unfaithful) Israel and Bawgode (treacherous or deceitful) Judah
◦ the story is allegorical, but there’s nothing subtle about its meaning
– Israel went into exile years prior to Judah’s exile – God says,
And I thought, “After she has done all this she will return to me,” but she did not return [so] I had sent her away with a decree of divorce (vv. 7-8)
• Judah witnessed this, but still took the same path
– Israel was unfaithful and Judah was treacherous
• but after all they had done against him and after the divorce, God cries,
“Return, faithless Israel,
declares the LORD.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,“
declares the LORD (v. 12)
Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD (v. 14)
Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness (v. 22)
• “return” is the key word in the entire book of Jeremiah’s prophecies
God is willing to do the unthinkable
At first, God’s message is:
The only reasonable response is divorce. No one in their right mind would take this person back.
– but then he says, I will take you back, if you just return to me
– we need to know, no matter how far we slip away from God,
• we are never stuck – there’s always a way back
◦ we learn this from Jesus’ story of the prodigal son
• the turning point in the story was when he came to his senses
◦ he did not even need to finish his apology to his father
◦ he did not need to become a slave for the rest of his life
– we can begin our return with a simple prayer, “I’m back”
• when we do return, what do we see in God’s eyes?
I will not look at you in anger (v. 12)
One of my main objectives in taking you on this journey through Jeremiah
– is that we come to feel, in the deepest part of our being, God’s crazy love for us
– every day, every hour, he provides a way back
God is willing give us directions regarding how to return
If you return, O Israel,
declares the LORD,
to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
and do not waver,
and if you swear, “As the LORD lives,”
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then nations shall bless themselves in him,
and in him they shall glory (Jer. 4:1-4)
First, he reminds us we are coming back to him! (not to church, or religion, or doctrine)
• we can make use of the other instructions here too, and discern how to apply them to ourselves
• but there’s something else I want to emphasize
Begin here: Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! (Jer. 3:3)
The evidence of their prostitution was in plain view
– it’s an odd quirk of human habit, that we stop seeing things
• we notice a wall or door that needs painting, but go our way and forget
◦ after awhile, we stop seeing it
◦ it fades into the background of our everyday landscape
• we can become blind to our bad habits too
– God has many ways of getting us to see ourselves
• Jesus made a joke about us trying to help someone get a small particle out of their eye,
◦ while we have a log in our own eye
• we think we can see their speck, but we don’t see our own 2X4
◦ the things we fail to see in ourselves go uncorrected
◦ it’s too easy for me to trick myself, as Judah did
Yet . . . Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD (Jer. 3:10)
– every morning and every night I try to wake myself up
• I don’t want to be lost in my habitual thoughts and feelings
◦ I want to get behind them to the “me” that thinks and feels
◦ I am not my thoughts or feelings – they can be the “log” that blinds me
• I am the aware self – and this is where I connect with Jesus
We do not have to sit in silent meditation. Just watch what you are doing in the present moment. Watch yourself read as you read, writing as you write, walking as you walk. If you feel cold, bring yourself to that part of you that is aware of the coldness, but is itself not cold.
Conclusion: I want to share with you a prayer of Karl Rahner’s
“When I receive You I accept my everyday just as it is. I do not need to have lofty feelings in my heart to recount to You. I can lay my everyday before You just as it is, for I receive it from You Yourself, the everyday and its inward light, the everyday and its meaning, the everyday and the power to endure it, the sheer familiarity of it which becomes the hiddenness of Your eternal life.”
If we know what God wants, we can give that to him
So what does God want?
I said,
How I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land . . . .
And I thought you would call me,
My Father, and would not turn from following me (3:19)
God wants us to return his love
This is doable!
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Welcome to the RefleXion Community. The Lord is with you!
There are so many examples in the Bible of men and women hearing the Lord’s voice. For example, Jeremiah says, “The word of the Lord came to me.” I’ve long been intrigued not only by God speaking to humans, but by our ability to hear and respond to Him. Really, how marvelous is that. But how? Is there an organ in our bodies, a certain radio wave? I’m sure many of us can say that we’ve had a word from the Lord; where did we sense it? A thought or insight, our gut, chills, a strong emotion? I’ve been reading a book on Contemplative Prayer by Hans Urs von Balthasar, who was, by the way, a Swiss 20th century theologian and priest. He asks, “How can we hear God’s word? We can because we are in the word.”
John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the beginning: Genesis 1:26 reads. Let us make man in our image after our likeness. Von Balthasar says, “God’s word is himself, his most vital, his innermost self: his only-begotten Son, of the same nature of himself. The word need not be apprehended as something alien, something ‘other’: it can be understood to be what is most our own. The word of God addressed to us always presupposes a word of God within us, insofar as we have been created in the word and cannot be detached from this context.”
I think this is a marvelous concept and worth pondering. Is every cell in our body designed to hear and respond to the word. If we are created by the Word and made in His image, then the word is planted deeply in us and indeed is in every cell in our body. Our various senses would then receive and respond to the word. When we hear the word, it is our natural instinct to listen, to find a resonance, and then to resound it to the world. This is the way we are made. That’s what I’m thinking about, and you may want to ponder it. We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Let His word dwell in us richly and be empowered in us by the Holy Spirit . Can we agree to that in prayer?Lord God, we offer you our mental faculties, that we might have agreement with your ways, our hearts that they may be awakened to You, and indeed the whole of our physical bodies to become aware and attuned by all our senses to your word to us. As you have said “Let it be” in our creation, let our response be “Let it be to me according to Your word.” We ask for you to enliven the word planted in us this morning. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
The word of the LORD came to me saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD,
I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
Israel was holy to the LORD,
the firstfruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it incurred guilt;
disaster came upon them,
declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 2:1-3
Intro: I always been enchanted with the way this chapter opens
If you look at the text, God’s speech is arranged in a poetic format
– Hebrew poems do not look or sound like English poems
• Hebrew poetry has a different structure and rules
◦ in chapter 1, Jeremiah had expressed his thoughts in prose (the ordinary written form of essays, etc.)
◦ but God’s messages were laid out in poems
(God’s speech is always in greater than the words he uses)
• poetry gives language greater force
◦ it’s primary objective is to communicate experience (rather than bare information)
– this chapter begins with God grieving a failed relationship
• there is more than a hint of emotion here: “I remember”
◦ it’s as if God is brooding over a cherished memory
◦ back when he rescued Israel from Egypt, he was their hero
• Yahweh remembers her youthful devotion and “bridal love”
◦ they followed him into the desert with reckless abandon
◦ they lived in the aura of his holiness
he took care of her – protected and provided for her
Unfortunately, this lovely song lasts no more than a couple of verses
– the reminiscence ends abruptly and shifts from past to present
• v. 4 – the romance died a long time ago
◦ Israel broke their marriage covenant with Yahweh,
◦ and were no longer God’s devoted bride
– we’re going to stay with this story in Jeremiah,
• but I want to comment on what we have witnessed so far
◦ close relationships require maintenance
◦ and the closer the relationship, more maintenance is required
• the fire of romance needs fuel, the life of love needs nourishment
◦ this is as true for our love of God as for family and friends
◦ as Jesus said to the church in Ephesus,
I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at the first (Rev. 2:4)
Israel allowed their love to die by what they did not say
What wrong did you fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that none passes through,
where no man dwells?’
And I brought yo into a plentiful land
to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, you defiled my land
and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?‘
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the shepherds transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after things that do not profit Jeremiah 2:5-8
Love and romance don’t end when people argue
– but when they stop talking to each other, it’s over
• “How was your day?” “How did the interview go?”
◦ personal questions demonstrate interest and concern
• the people stopped asking about God because they stopped caring
– in this instance, the question, “Where is the LORD?” is not negative
• it is not like asking, “Where is God when you need him?”
◦ here it is the ongoing question of faith
◦ where is God at work now? Where is he revealing himself?
• it’s the question we ask when we are still seeking God and his will
Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually! (Psa. 105:4)
◦ they were neglecting God and their relationship with him
◦ so further down, Yahweh will ask,
Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet my people have forgotten me
days without number (v. 32)
Israel broke their relationship with God by what they did
God presents his accusation as a scandal – something unheard of
For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see,
or send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing.
Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the LORD,
for my people have committed two evils;
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water Jeremiah 2:10-13
– nations did not abandon their gods
• ancient civilizations are remembered for their gods,
◦ as much as for their language, art, poetry, and myths
◦ their deities were embedded in their culture and minds
• about the time of Moses, a Pharaoh turned Egypt to just one god
◦ but that innovation did not survive his death
– this defection from Yahweh was especially appalling,
• because Israel replaced him with
gods that are no gods and that which does not profit
• God uses a striking analogy to illustrate this poor deal they had made
◦ a cistern is a cave dug underground to collect rain water
◦ it is not a source of fresh water, but a reservoir
◦ if it has any crack or fissure, water drains out, and the cistern becomes useless
• for Israel, Yahweh was the fountain of living waters
Israel abused their relationship with God by what they did say
The first to verses I’ll quote are found in one passage
– but the passage itself deserve attention
How can you say, ‘I am not unclean,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way in the valley;
know what you have done —
a restless young camel running here and there,
a wild donkey used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
in her month they will find her.
Keep your feet from going unshod
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
for I have loved foreigners,
and after them I will go Jeremiah 2:23-25
This analogy is graphic and moving
Robert Alter, “The female wild [donkey] in heat sniffs for the scent of the male.”
– Israel’s lust for other gods is depicted as an animalistic drive
• God, trying to warn them, to protect them, calls to them,
“Don’t go running off barefoot, calling for those foreign gods until your throat is dry and hoarse.”
• I think their reply is the saddest sentence in the Bible
But you said, “It is hopeless,
for I have loved foreigners,
and after them I will go.”
◦ they know they are wearing themselves out,
◦ they know their desperation is harming them,
but they can’t control themselves–they can’t stop
– do you recognize what this is? Our modern term is “addiction”
• the Bible uses the word “slavery”
◦ it is what Paul was addressing in Galatians 4:8,
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
◦ you can be sure of this: addiction destroys relationships
• James Finley is a clinical psychologist,
◦ whose training included AA meetings in a Veterans Assistance hospital
Finley, “The patients in this treatment center had devised an initiation rite [that was] part of the process a person had to go through to be admitted to the unit.”
◦ the newbie is ushered into large room where fifty men sit around perimeter, heads down and silent
◦ two chairs are placed in the center about four feet apart–the newbie is seated in one of them
◦ the member in charge sits in other and asks the newbie, “What do you love the most?”
Finley, “The newcomer . . . would often blurt out something like ‘My wife.’ At which point the silence of the room would be abruptly shattered by all the men lining the four walls loudly yelling in unison, ‘Bullshit!’”
◦ they would then look down again and go perfectly silent
◦ the newbie may say next, “My children,” and the group would react with the same shout
◦ this was repeated until the newbie would answer, “Alcohol”
Finley, “. . . everyone in the room would break into applause. . . . The members of the unit would line up, single file. In complete silence each would approach the newcomer to hold him for a moment in a sincere embrace, welcoming him into their midst.”
• our addictions do not allow us to love our family more than anything else
– in one of my meditations in Jeremiah, I wrote:
“The attractions of other deities had taken such a strong hold on Israel, that even though running after them had reduced them to deprivation and unquenchable thirst, they felt helpless to rein in their passion. This is the worst stage of addiction, when addicts realize their drug is killing them, but their brains and bodies have become so dependent that them they feel helpless against the urge to use.”
Gerald May, “Everyone has addictions. Any ‘bad’ habit which we find ourselves wanting to ‘overcome’ is an addiction. Whether it is to drugs, alcohol, food, tobacco, sex, television, sports, self-importance, power or work, the basic quality is the same. One does something because it makes one feel good now. Later on there may be a price to pay, but now it feels good. And the more we do it, the more desire there is to do it again.”
What was Israel saying that was destroying their rel with God?
Verse 23, “How can you say, ‘I am not unclean’”
and verse 25, “But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners.”
– facing our hopelessness is often the first step in recovery
• as long as I tell myself “I can quit any time I want,” I will refuse help
Step 1 in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program is, “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable”
Other things Israel was saying that had ruined their relationship with God:
“who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth’” (v. 27)
“Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
we will come no more to you’?” (v. 31)
“you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.’” (v. 35)
– these sayings reveal Israel’s illusions, their dubious liberation from God, and their rationalizations
• and this cost them the best love they had ever known
Conclusion: Thursday I got up early to have blood drawn
Afterward, I decided to walk on the beach – the morning was perfect artistry
A seagull scavenging in the sand caught my eye
I wanted it to be tame, to welcome to me
I was longing for contact with another living creature in God’s world of nature
I desired a St. Francis experience
That wasn’t going to happen and I realized I was the problem
The seagull could only be what it was created to be,
and do only what it was supposed to do
I, on the other hand, was the creature who has a will and who can resist God
I am responsible for whatever alienation I feel in my world
So here is the test I’m recommending:
Let’s ask whether or not we are holding up our side of our relationship with God
We are we not saying that we need to say?
What are we doing what we should not or not doing what we should?
And am I saying that I should not?
And do you know what?
Your success will not be the result of how well you do,
but will come from God working his grace into you body, mind, soul, and spirit
That’s the benefit of being in covenant with God
That’s the miracle
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Good morning, RefleXion! The Lord is with you!
This week I heard a conversation that was punctuated by this statement: “It was a Come to Jesus moment.” I think they meant it was a moment of sudden realization or recognition that included a paradigm shift, perhaps a life-changing moment. Were you ever at a revival or crusade where these words were spoken: Come to Jesus. What did they mean to you? Some of us heard them and responded with a “yes” that changed the course of our lives…for sure a life-changing moment. And oh, yes, I think we can have more than one Come to Jesus moment!
This week, one dear one in my life realized that she actually felt guilty having to come to Jesus with her difficulty…as if she should have handled it herself. Another thought that other people would have an answer to her problem. Others had no hope and felt stuck. The last time I checked, there are plenty of Come to Jesus invitations in scripture.
Are you tired, worn out, burdened by life? Great, you’re invited by Jesus: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
If we don’t know which way to turn? He’ll show us. Jesus: “Come, follow me.”
When a man with a withered hand needed a healing touch, Jesus said, “Come here.”
When the disciples had been working hard and hadn’t even had time to eat? Jesus instructed, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”
When Peter wanted to walk on the waves, Jesus said “Come.”
Jesus told the disciples to let the children come to him. To the curious and to the confused, he said, “Come and you will see.”
So, what kind of Come to Jesus moments are we experiencing right now? What are we waiting for? He says, “Come.” It very well could be another life-changing moment.
Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, we come to you in praise and thanksgiving. One day we will come to you in glory—to you, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no moment that we can’t come to you. Thank you for your invitation to come boldly to the throne of grace. We welcome your fresh work this morning, your comfort, your guidance, your strength, your healing, your rest. We come this morning, acknowledging and welcoming your presence with us. Come, Jesus; come Holy Spirit. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Intro: There are several words in the Bible we don’t understand
They pose a problem for us, because they’re common words,
– and we assume we know what they mean
• that is why we get confused when we come to them
◦ for instance: “name,” “fear” (“Am I supposed to be afraid of God?”), “holy,” and “sons of”
• biblical Hebrew has a small vocabulary
◦ so it has to expand the meaning of various words
◦ that enabled biblical writers to describe spiritual values and experience
– I thought a series of talks on those words might be helpful
• a short dictionary of words that confuse or upset us
But Friday night I had a dream. I approached two strangers–a father and son–bent over a small table. I approached them and asked what they were doing. They said, “We are reading the book of Jeremiah together.”
• even in my dream, it felt good to hear that
◦ after all, Jeremiah is my favorite book in the Bible
◦ when I woke up, I decided to walk you through Jeremiah’s book of prophecies
(not teaching the entire document, but exploring some of its gems)
God and his prophet are having a conversation
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying . . . Jeremiah 1:4
God came to recruit Jeremiah–not to say that he gave him a choice
– Jeremiah was drafted into God’s service
• it is Jeremiah himself who is telling us the story of what happened
◦ much of this wonderful book is autobiographical
• as a result, I get the feeling that I know Jeremiah – I can relate to him
◦ he never settles into his calling completely
◦ he gets discouraged, he complains, he wants to give up
– the truth is, God gave him an impossible job
• about forty years from this moment, Judah would be conquered by Babylon
◦ Jeremiah’s work was to warn God’s people
◦ but through this whole period, they resist him, argue with him, and plot against him
• Jeremiah has many conversations with God that some scholars refer to as “prophetic dialogues”
◦ what matters to us is that we hear two voices, God’s and Jeremiah’s
When we read that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,
– we’re likely to think God spoke to him or delivered a verbal message
• but that is only one part of their encounter
◦ the actual experience involved a supernatural encounter
• the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures were exposed to the divine force of God’s word
– the movement of God’s Spirit and revelation of his word overlap
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and by the breath [ruach] of his mouth all their host (Ps. 33:6)
• so God is not simply sharing words with Jeremiah,
• he is at the same time creating the reality that he speaks
◦ he is making and empowering Jeremiah to be this person
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations Jeremiah 1:5
I’m going to take a risk here, because it will sound too human to speak of God this way
– but it seems like God has been looking forward to this moment
• God had been interested and involved with Jeremiah from conception
◦ even in utero God can tell him, I knew you . . . I consecrated you . . . I appointed you
• now it’s as if God could not wait any longer to activate his prophet
◦ Jeremiah doesn’t see himself as a full-fledged adult, prepared for mature service
◦ but God is eager to get his ministry started, so he recruits him while he is still green
– from his mother’s womb, Jeremiah entered the world with a divine purpose
• he was formed according to God’s design,
• and now that design has is being revealed to him
Jeremiah immediately signals for a time-out
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth Jeremiah 1:6
He addressed God by name, “Ah, adonai Yahweh!”
– rather than jump at the opportunity God hands him, Jeremiah raises an objection
• “Behold” – “Just look at me for a second!”
◦ in saying this, we are given a visual impression of the narrative scene
◦ we are looking at a youngster, not a career-age person
• Jeremiah’s reticence to accept God’s offer was a typical response to God–cf. Gideon, Saul, and Isaiah
◦ Moses, whose story parallels Jeremiah’s at this point, could have said “I’m too old” as Jeremiah said, “I’m too young”
◦ but both argued that they weren’t gifted at public speaking
(Moses went so far as to say, “Get someone else who is gifted and send them”)
God’s response to Jeremiah’s objection
But the LORD said to me,
Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord” Jeremiah 1:7-8
We could all benefit from God’s first sentence, “Do not say . . .”
– what holds us back from taking on a challenge?
• from doing something new or daring to step into a bigger arena?
• our negative self-talk: “I’ve never been good at this,”
◦ “I’m not musically inclined,” “I am only …” fill-in blank
◦ “. . . one person,” “a novice (amateur),” “I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me”
– In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth
• when we play god, that’s where we begin, we use words to create our tiny universe
◦ we fabricate an interior reality with self-talk and then we live in its cramped space
• J. B. Phillips wrote a translation of the New Testament that was popular in 1960’s and 70’s
◦ he also wrote a book entitled, Your God is Too Small — we are our own very small gods
◦ if God challenges us with something big, we don’t have to worry about being too small ourselves
– God is less concerned about our aptitude than our integrity
• the aptitude and ability are his
God’s response to Jeremiah is exactly his response to Moses
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you . . .” (Ex. 3:11-12)
God tells Jeremiah,
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you . . .”
– every once in awhile, we have to remember, that in our prayers we are talking to GOD!
• one way or another, he will have his way
“to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak“
• God doesn’t have to accept our explanations for declining his call
– since God is recruiting Jeremiah, there’s no argument that will stand
• God didn’t promise Jeremiah that all would go well,
◦ that he’d receive lots of invitations to speak at conferences, or sell lots of books, or sign lots of autographs
◦ he only promised that he would deliver him
• Do not be afraid of them, God says–those people who could reject Jeremiah,
◦ who could ridicule and insult him
◦ we can allow ourselves to be imprisoned by others, we can become slaves to their opinion
• we will never be our whole self until we’re delivered from what others think of us and say about us
God qualifies Jeremiah for his work-related responsibilities
Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to over throw,
to build and to plant Jeremiah 1:9-10
(Notice how Jeremiah reports God’s speech in poetry and his own in prose)
I don’t know what to say about the touch on Jeremiah’s lips
– the entire episode speaks of intimacy
– and now it is God’s turn to say, “Behold”
• “Look at what I have just now done”
◦ with the touch, God put his words into Jeremiah’s mouth
• then God says, “See” – not “behold,” but a different word
◦ it means to “perceive”
◦ God is saying, “Jeremiah, be aware of what is happening”
Verse 10 is God’s prophetic “job description” for Jeremiah
– there are two stages to ministry:
• the first stage: to uproot, break down, destroy, and overthrow
◦ this has to do with popular beliefs, social behavior and practices, and bad faith
• the second stage: to build (but not on the old foundation) and to plant (new seeds)
– as time goes on,
• God will not totally abandon or destroy his people
◦ he does not send his word through prophets, in order to shut people out, but to bring them in
• but their way of life will have to be demolished, in order to become the true people of God
Conclusion: The same God we see with Jeremiah,
Is the God who is here with us this morning
– and his word enters our lives the same way – uprooting, breaking down, destroying, and overthrowing, then building and planting
• he rescues us from our illusions so we can live in his reality
• he corrects or negative self-talk with his divine word
• he liberates us from the need to compromise in order to please others
We need to learn how to receive the powerful word of the Lord
Not in Bible studies or memorizing verses–at least, not exclusively
It begins by “noticing” — being present to, and aware of the world around us,
because God speaks through sky and seas, stars and sand, the silly ostrich and stately lion
And we need to open our hearts to receive the Scriptures
in the same way that Jeremiah consumed God’s words
Your words were found and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O LORD, God of hosts (Jeremiah. 15:16)
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Good morning and welcome! The Lord is with you!
Last week, Chuck mentioned 2 Corinthians 3:18, which reads: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. One of the most beautiful verses ever. Several phrases caught my attention, these in particular: “are being transformed” and “unveiled face.”
Unveiled is the Greek word anakalypto, meaning to uncover, for example, by drawing back a veil. I’m sure you have heard the word apocalypse; the Greek word apokálupsis meant a revelation, disclosure, or unveiling. Remember how the veil was torn in the temple at Jesus death? The separation between the holy place and the holy of holies was opened. We are invited in, and the Spirit is released to dwell in us. As our faith grows, we believe and train ourselves to follow the new way of the Spirit. We grow in our new environment.
We often talk about it in terms of True Self and False Self. One way I picture it is that our True Self is like the sun, always shining. The False Self (actually “selves” since we have true parts and false parts of ourselves) are like the clouds. The sun is always shining, but the clouds may veil its presence. We all have parts of ourselves that were formed in our first environment. We were born into and perhaps parented in the false; we’ve lived in the false desires of the world and its culture. We have an enemy who offers lies and deceptions. We adapted, but those parts of us are small and superficial, like clouds compared to the sun. They are trying to maintain control, security, and esteem.
This past week, near the Vatican, did you read that Nero’s 1st century Theater was uncovered? It was revealed by uncovering the layers of dirt that hid the ruins and precious treasures that were already there. We don’t wait for the gift of the True Self; we uncover it and let ourselves shine.
Transformation is the Spirit’s work. Following our True Self is to follow the Spirit of Christ living in us, in sync with Christ’s impulses, operating freely by Grace. Our False Selves are parts that haven’t yet come into Truth and therefore are not free. They have not been transformed. They live in cramped spaces of control, fear, greed, violence, and shame. Those places were developed in adaptation, the Survival Dance instead of the Sacred Dance. But now our True Self-in-Christ is wanting to bring transformation. Living in that truth will set us free.
Let’s pray together: How wonderful it is to be called the children of God; our transformation is not yet complete. Let us not be hypnotized or paralyzed but seek the Truth of our own being. May everything we encounter assist this deep awareness of the Spirit’s call and leadership. We present ourselves to Your Truth and Your Presence this morning, dear Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Intro: The book of Proverbs is a collection of pithy sayings
If you read it several times, those clever lines stick in your mind
– for instance, here is one that comes to mind regarding this last week:
Iron sharpens iron,
so a person sharpens the face of a friend (Pr. 27:17)
• you might remember, last year, Guy Gray spoke here
◦ we met up again this past week — Gut has been my friend for fifty years
◦ I was fortunate to meet him in the early years of my ministry
• he guided me to a path of greater insight and understanding
◦ his has been a lasting influence all these many years
– I think God has placed people in my life strategically
• men and women who have opened my eyes and prepared me for what was next
• however, when it comes down to what I do for you,
◦ the most important, overriding service that I provide you,
◦ that has come to me directly from Jesus Christ, through the Scriptures
I know that God wants to use me as an influence in your life
– not a great deal of influence – that isn’t necessary
• it’s not my place to tell you how to vote,
• or to make you decide where you stand on controversial doctrinal issues
– however, I won’t hold back anything that I believe is vital for you to know
• in that regard, Paul is my example
I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable (Acts 20:20)
• it is God’s desire to personally direct your path through life
What kind of influence does God want me to provide?
They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you Galatians 4:17-19
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is a fire alarm, an air-raid siren
– his passion is felt from beginning to end
• he was upset with them:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? (Gal. 3:1)
◦ and afraid for them:
I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain (Gal. 4:11)
• the problem was that two different messages had reached Galatia
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ (Gal. 1:6-7)
– it’s good for us to know something about this controversy
• there was a dedicated contingent of believers with their own ideas regarding salvation
◦ when a large number of Gentiles formed a church in Antioch,
some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers and sisters, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1)
◦ this created an immediate conflict
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question (Acts 15:2)
◦ when they arrived, the Pharisee believers argued:
“It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5)
• although this issue was resolved at that council, the ultra-religious followers of Moses did not quit
– Paul’s message was, through Jesus we are saved by grace
• the message of the other group was, we are saved by grace plus something else
◦ they were adding requirements for the Gentiles that God did not authorize
• I hope you can see why this is so important that Paul would fight it aggressively
◦ this has ben an ongoing danger ever since – people adding prerequisites
◦ today people will give you the impression that you are saved by grace plus something
that you read only the King James Version of the Bible
or the only authentic Bible study is verse-by-verse
or “You must become an Evangelical to become a Christian”
So in verse 17, when Paul says, “They make much of you,”
– the “they” are members of the ultra-religious crew
• “make much” is literally “zealous for you” or “over you”
Martin Luther, “Now zeal properly signifies an angry love, or as we would say jealousy. . . . such a zeal the false apostles pretended to bear towards the Galatians.”
◦ in verse 18, Paul says zeal can be good if the purpose is good
◦ he provides his own example in 2 Corinthians:
I feel a divine jealousy [zeal] for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2)
• the ultra-religious plan was to convince Gentile Christians, that their connection to God was defective
◦ they would act very concerned for the Galatians
(and they may have had a true concern–but they were still wrong)
◦ they wanted the Gentiles to feel “shut out”– “excluded”
◦ then they would offer them the way in–by keeping the law of Moses
– that’s the background for Paul’s passionate word picture in verse 19
What Paul describes here is the work Jesus has given me to do
Let’s take this line by line:
my little children
– this term always expresses deep affection
– John uses this expression many times in his first letter
• this is the only place ever in all of his writings where Paul uses this term
for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth
– the reference is specific to a woman in labor
• it seems an odd analogy for a man to use (I feel embarrassed by it)
• but the point is, Paul struggled and was in anguish over the Galatians
– giving birth is not a function of mechanical rules and requirements
• it is an organic process – it has to do with life
• life was the essence and goal of Paul’s ministry
until Christ is formed in you
– there is this strange language in the New Testament
• Paul talks about believers being in Jesus Christ,
◦ but he also talks about Jesus being in us – “Christ in you”
◦ Jesus made a similar reference, but in fruit-bearing rather than birth:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (Jn. 15:4)
– the life of Jesus within a person secures them in God
• the attributes of Jesus are seen in the person in whom he is formed
◦ in their words and actions and demeanor
For Christ to be formed in you must be the result of whatever influence I have in your life
I hesitate to refer to my work as “spiritual formation,”
– simply because that phrase is used too often of too many things
• but it is quite literally the formation of a Christian spirituality
• and it is a developmental process
When Jesus is formed in our lives:
We have a new center
– by nature, I was at the center of my universe – I was egocentric
We have new thoughts
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Ro. 12:2)
We have new desires, new feelings, new impulses
To have Christ formed in me, means, what is his becomes mine
– his will becomes my will
• I experience his compassion and his goodness as my own feelings
• his vision becomes my vision
As we experience this, we come to a new vision of ourselves
– an awareness of who we are and how we please our Father in heaven
• we are constantly knowing Jesus more intimately
• and knowing him intimately, we become more like him
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18)
– this doesn’t mean you become Jesus, but he causes you to become your true self
• there is a famous Hasidic story of Rabbi Zusha
◦ when dying, his students asked him why he was crying
“Because I know that in the next world they will not ask me, ‘Why weren’t you more like Moses?’ but ‘Why weren’t you Rabbi Zusha?’”
• Christ formed in you, means you become like the person God meant for you to be
Conclusion: We can see plainly how we have been shaped by life
But I feel it’s important to have a clearer view or our history
That it is not simply life with all its coincidences and contradictions that made us who we are today
or will determine who we become tomorrow
Listen to how the prophet Isaiah describes our formation:
“But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay and you are our potter;
we are the work of your hand” (Isa. 64:8)
Can you remember that this week?
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Good morning, RefleXion Community. The Lord is with you!
I bring another word picture this morning, and this time I remember where I heard it. It was on James Finley’s podcast “Turning to the Mystics,” and this has been a helpful image for me.
If you will, picture with me a man looking into a mirror and seeing his own reflection. Now see it from the perspective of the reflection looking at the man. One day the reflection begins a conversation with his man: “I’ve been with you a very long time. I know your ways. I dress like you; I move like you. I think it’s time for me to break out on my own. You’ve taught me well.” “Well,” the man replies, “You are made to be my reflection. This is your Reality. If you walk away, it’s not going to go well for you.” “Nevertheless,” the reflection says, “I’m going.”
From Thomas Merton, “There is no greater disaster in the spiritual life than to be immersed in unreality, for life is maintained and nourished in us by our vital relation with realities outside and above us. When our life feeds on unreality, it must starve. It must therefore die.” And that’s what happened to the reflection who forgot how his Real life worked.
I don’t think any of us would purposefully walk away from our Maker, but recently I did find myself outside of that reflective light. Do you ever find yourself frustrated, discouraged, angry—feeling the feels of the big Ego? You, like me, might realize that you have drifted away.
This is how it looked for me: First, my prayer: Change them. Then: I’ll try harder (I’ll work at it). Then: I’m not doing well with this strategy. I’ll ask God to help me. (Notice that I’m still trying to get my way). I also realized that not only was I saying, “I can do this,” I was saying, “I should be able to do this.” Then, the turning! Turning around is to repent, a turning away and a turning toward.
When I come to my senses and return to the mirror, I am returning to be-ing. I am brought back to the Real. Jesuit theologian Walter Burghardt once described contemplation as taking a long, loving look at the real.” A reminder that this is our way. It’s not just a one time and done, it’s a way of living. This is the gift of our Creator. At times, we might find ourselves even saying, “This is Unreal.” Ah ha! Perhaps it is.
Pray with me, will you: Lord God, in You we live and move and have our be-ing. Forgive us when we think otherwise. Thank You for the gifts of the Real Life of knowing You and reflecting You. Draw us back to long, loving looks at the Real. Thank you for this place to listen and practice Your Presence. May we be receptive and reflective. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me Colossians 1:28-29
Intro: About twenty years ago, Barb attended a seminar at work
A psychologist lectured on Compassion Fatigue Syndrome
– it is a common condition among healthcare professionals
• their encounters with the suffering of others takes a toll
◦ if they are not treated yet continue to work, they can become numb
◦ they stop feeling empathy for their patients’ pain and grief
• the speaker provided the audience with a list of symptoms
◦ Barb said as she was going down the list checking boxes, she was thinking,
“Yes, that’s Chuck. Yep, that too.”
– I was burned out and seriously questioning whether I should stay in ministry
• one morning I told Barb I was going to fast until evening
◦ I read, prayed, listened—but did not get an answer
• so when the sun set, we went to see a movie
◦ I broke my fast with a salted pretzel and a Coke
◦ but in the middle of the movie, I could feel something big was coming
The movie was “Along Came A Spider,” and the dialogue was between actors Morgan Freeman (playing detective, Alex Cross) and Monica Potter (playing Secret Service agent, Jezzie Flannigan)
Cross: You do what you are, Jezzie
Jezzie: You mean you are what you do
Cross: No, I mean you do what you are. You’re born with a gift. If not that, then you get good at something along the way. And what you’re good at, you don’t take for granted. You don’t betray it.
Jezzie: What if you do, betray your gift?
Cross: Then you betray yourself. That’s a sad thing.
– I knew that God meant for me to hear that–it was my answer
I was going to stay in ministry, but something had to change
My vision for the church had grown old and tired
– reading through Colossians, the Lord stopped me at the verses above
• Jesus told me, “This is what you will do. This is who you are.”
– immediately, I felt totally comfortable with this arrangement
• in this instance, Paul became my mentor and example
Paul wanted these Christians to know how privileged they were
In verse 26 Paul tells them about a mystery, “hidden for ages”
– in the New Testament, “mystery” doesn’t mean a puzzle or an enigma
• it refers to something unknown and unknowable
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever . . . .” (De. 29:29)
◦ what mystery was Paul talking about? what had been hidden for centuries?
• God, the Savior of Israel would open the door to Gentiles
◦ no one expected this – not even Jesus’ disciples
◦ and when it began to happen, they still didn’t believe it
– Peter needed a vision from heaven to persuade him to go to a Gentile home to tell them about Jesus
• when he returned to Jerusalem, he “criticized” for being with Gentiles, so he had to explain
When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18)
• Paul mentions this mystery in several of his letters
For instance, Ephesians 3, When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to [humankind] in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (vv. 4-6)
◦ God had at last revealed this mystery
◦ and the Colossians were privileged to be beneficiaries of it
I wish we could hear Paul’s words the way the Colossians would have
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (v. 27, and “you” is plural)
– Christ was among them, within their community
• but he was also within each person who had received him
• Paul explains it more fully in Romans chapter 8
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you (Ro. 8:9-11)
– reading both passages I noticed Paul refers to the Lord as “Christ” and not by his name, “Jesus”
• it is not that Jesus and Christ are not the same person or entity
◦ the title Christ derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah
◦ Jesus is the unique “anointed one” of prophetic promise
• I think for Paul, “Christ” refers specifically to his spiritual role
◦ as God’s appointed representative and shepherd-ruler
◦ it’s in his role as the Christ, Jesus takes his place in our lives
Recently I have wrestled with the idea of “Christ in me”
– in me where? my brain? my bones?
• I’ve wondered if this were merely a metaphorical indwelling
◦ but I don’t think so – and I’m pretty sure Paul meant literally
• in the Romans passage I read, Paul said we have the Spirit of Christ
◦ it is not that he is located somewhere in our bodies,
◦ but that your true self is spirit – and Jesus meets us Spirit to spirit
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Ro. 8:16)
– there is a real sense of Christ being in our true self—our aware self
(and if he is in me, then he is always with me)
• the most beautiful sermon from the 20th century that I ever read,
◦ was preached by G. Campbell Morgan
Morgan, We rejoice in Jesus’ first and second coming, because of “the mystery of His personal coming into our own life. . . . ‘Christ in you.’ That is the great miracle, the great mystery, the individual fact on which all the other facts of Christianity are based, and through which the other forces of Christianity become operative in the history of [humankind]. Christ in me—the Christ light—so that I see with His eyes. Christ in me—the Christ aspiration—so that I desire with His desire. Christ in me—the Christ impulse—so that I am driven as he was driven. Christ in me—the Christ consciousness—so that the world’s sin burdens me in the same fashion as it burdens Him, and the world’s agony hurts me as the world’s agony hurt Him.”
So, back when I was wondering about my new job description,
Jesus spoke to me through these two verses — I will take them line-by-line
– “Him we proclaim”—proclaiming Jesus would then be for ever my priority
• my ministry was to present and promote Jesus
◦ this has proved to be tricky—for myself and others
◦ ministers are like everyone else, we want to know that we’re good at what we do
◦ but the truth is, there’s no way to calculate our effectiveness
• instead of simply preaching Jesus, we end up promoting ourselves (it seems like a subtle shift)
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 4:5)
– I enjoy talking about Jesus; telling his story, explaining his teaching
• that comes first—present Jesus, bring him into focus
• it’s a continuation of Jesus’ ministry—as well as an extension and expansion of it
◦ as such, the love of Jesus is revealed in broader dimensions (“all the world,” “all flesh,” etc.)
Then Paul says, “warning everyone” – literally, to place in mind
– to provide biblical and spiritual counsel—personal care
• answer questions if possible; give direction; spiritual training
– “teaching everyone” for me means to inform, to instruct
• to help make sense of the Bible for others and clarify things
– “with all wisdom”—in scripture, wisdom the useful application of knowledge
• some people don’t get why I study certain subjects
◦ they understand my biblical and theological studies,
◦ but why neuroscience? why psychology and sociology?
• I started studying human consciousness because I want to be as fully conscious of God’s presence as possible
◦ how were the prophets and apostles so aware of God? Is it a matter of discipline or is all grace?
◦ I want to be useful as a resource — and to know where pastoral counseling leaves off and psychological therapy begins
– “to present everyone mature in Christ” – complete
• think of working on a project until it is finished—that is what this word means
◦ and God’s finished work in us is the fullness of Christ in us, the hope of glory (Php. 1:6)
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me (v. 29)
– this is my work—sometimes it is toil and struggling
• but it is also the presence and support of God’s Spirit
Conclusion: I want to tell you to spend some time in scripture
Read, and think about what you’ve read
I want to tell you to spend some time in prayer;
pray your anxieties and sit in silence with your heart open to God
I want to tell you to spend some time in Christian conversations; with friends or our Lexio Divina meeting
I want to tell you to do these things, but I won’t
Instead, be kind to someone who isn’t doing well
As far as it is possible for you, be gracious with everyone
This is how we move toward maturity, and best represent Jesus
And remember, Christ is in you; remind yourself to enjoy him
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Welcome to RefleXion! The Lord is with you!
A couple of weeks ago I shared a little story with my Lectio Divina group, and I referenced a book where I thought I had read it. I went back to look for it this week, and it wasn’t in the book I thought, so I’m not sure where I heard this tale.
It’s like this…There was a young woman who lived in a comfortable stone cottage, one she had built herself and loved. One day she found herself wanting to cross the stream that she could see from her door. As she reached its banks, it seemed too wide for her. She asked Jesus to help her; he brought her a stone to step on, and she took her next step. The next time she was in the stream, the gap still seemed too big, so she asked Jesus for help again; he immediately brought her another stone to step on. She made progress, but day after day it still seemed so far, so wide, so dangerous; and Jesus always brought stepping stones. But one day, Jesus was late, so she turned around to look for him, in the direction of her comfy stone cottage. To her astonishment, the cottage was being deconstructed stone by stone. The stones she was stepping on were taken from her comfortable little place, and now she could never go back.
If you’re like me, you can look back and see the structures you had, comfortable, familiar, safe; but perhaps they no longer a fit for your journey. Scripture says, “all things work together for good.” Nothing is wasted. There’s always a bit of deconstruction going on. Cells in our body break down and get rebuilt regularly. In philosophy, deconstruction is the literary criticism that questions traditional assumptions about certainty, identity, and truth.
Many of our beliefs and ways of looking at things have changed, haven’t they? John Dewy, an American scholar in the early 20th century, said, “All learning begins when our comfortable ideas turn out to be inadequate.”
I’ve heard people say, “Don’t look back, that’s not the way you’re going!” But, like the young woman in the story, you can look back…and be astonished! Things are being deconstructed, but nothing is lost. It has all had its way with you. To deconstruct is not to destroy. Scripture says, “all things work together for good for those who love God.” Let’s welcome the Spirit working a forward-facing work in us and take each step as it’s made possible.
Let’s pray:
O Jesus, what a marvelous, wonderful author and finisher of our faith You are. Let us not side-step our calling, but follow You, willingly and whole-heartedly. Keep astonishing us. Turn Your Face toward us this morning, we pray; as we turn ours toward You, in gratefulness that You are leading us in Glory . Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17
Intro: Last week, God’s question to Elijah was, “What are you doing here?”
We’ll start with that question: “What are you doing here?”
– isn’t one reason that your here is because you came to hear what I have to say?
• Okay, I feel uncomfortable when I think that or say that
◦ not only because it’s like I have to give an oral report every week
(and feel like I’ll be graded on it),
◦ but because I can’t take myself that seriously
• I’m a mediocre guy who makes more mistakes than gets things right
– However, I do take God seriously and the work he’s given me
• and I take you very seriously – so I don’t want to waste your time
• but I’m like a court jester; the silliness of what I do and who I am, causes others to think
If what I do is part of the reason you’re here, then perhaps I should explain why I’m here
– so that’s what I’m going to talk about for the next two weeks
This idea came to me Wednesday night in our Lexio Divina
(Jim refers to our Lexio Divina meetings as a “workshop on learning to listen.” We listen for the Spirit to speak to us through the Scriptures, in silence, and through each other)
The reading was in Matthew 2, and was about the birth of Jesus and the visit of the magi
– one of the women in our group said that what spoke to her was,
“The shepherd and the star” – both images are were references to Jesus
• that had an immediate effect on me
◦ and the more I thought about it, the more it spoke to me
• a few days later, it was my inspiration for these talks
– so today we’re going to ease our way into it
John tells us how Jesus reconciled with Peter after his resurrection
It’s a beautiful and complex story, but we won’t go into those details
– we watch Jesus approach Peter and patch their relationship
• Peter needed the Lord to do this for him
• after reconciling with Peter, Jesus gave him his assignment
◦ he said it three times, in three words, and mixing it up each time
Feed my lambs – Tend my sheep – Feed my sheep
– the biblical tradition of the shepherd-leader has a long history
• Moses spent forty years as a shepherd before spending another forty leading Israel through the wilderness…
• God removed King Saul and replaced him with David, whose primary qualification was he had been a shepherd
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel” (2 Sam. 7:8)
[The LORD] chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him
to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance.
With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand (Ps. 78:70-72)
– Israel’s poets and prophets perceived God in role of shepherd
• the most famous psalm, Psalm 23, begins with, “The LORD is my shepherd”
◦ God leads, feeds, waters, and give rest and protection to every believer
• then we hear the prophet Isaiah announce:
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young (Isa. 40:11)
When Jesus came, he saw people through the eyes of a shepherd
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Mt. 9:36)
– Jesus chose the shepherd as one of the images he used to describe himself
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd (Jn. 10:14-16)
– and now here, at the end of John’s gospel, Jesus enlists Peter to continue his shepherding work
• later on, Paul regarded all church leaders as shepherds
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God (Acts 20:28)
The thought of being in pastoral ministry terrifies me
One of the most famous preachers of the 19th century, Charles H. Spurgeon, said,
“If you can do anything else, do it. If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out of the ministry.”
– the writer of Hebrews said pastoral leaders:
are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account (Heb. 13:17)
• James wrote,
Not many of you should become teachers . . . for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness (Jas. 3:10)
• I’ve run into people around town who attended Capo Beach Church when I was there
◦ more than once I’ve been greeted with, “Hi, Pastor Chuck!” And I’ve answered “I’m not a pastor any more”
◦ one woman replied, “But you will always be my pastor” – that creeps me out
– there are too many ways that I can fail you
• I’ll give you one example
Suppose I assist you in deepening your life in God, but that part of your life is activated only on Sundays or only seems real when we meet together–when we pray, and enter the Scriptures–and the rest of the time and everywhere else we’re preoccupied with other things? What if every other day of the week we live like earthlings, unaware of God, and caught up in all the things of the world? What if on the weekdays we are worried about our bodies while neglecting our spirits? The the point I want to make is that I am a “supplement”! What I do is not your nutrition, your source of energy or healthy growth.
What happens when we’re here is reinforcement, a remembering, a refreshing, and refueling. Reflexion is a rest stop in this long journey and a break from the everyday pressures. We leave here and return to the road. A benefit of being here together, is that it supports our lives and gives us stamina in the trenches. Our real life in God is what we nurture and practice every day.
Abraham Maslow, a twentieth century psychologist and humanist,
– was convinced that humans have a “transcendent nature” that needs to be nurtured
• he believed there was a human need to experience transcendence
• he argued that church on Sunday could get in the way of that rather than provide it
Maslow, “The experiences of the holy . . . the divine, . . . of surrender, of mystery . . . gratitude, self-dedication, if they happen at all, tend to be confined to a single day of the week, to happen under one roof only . . . . ‘Religionizing’ only one part of life secularizes the rest of it.”
– Maslow refers to this kind of rupture between one day of the week and the other days as “dichotomizing” (dichotomy is a division of one thing into two parts)
• he argues that dichotomizing results in psychological disorders
Maslow, “Isolating two interrelated parts of a whole from each other, parts that need each other, parts that are truly ‘parts’ and not wholes, distorts them both, sickens and contaminates them.”
• St. James made a similar observation 2,000 years ago
People who are double-minded “are unstable in all their ways” (Jas. 1:8)
◦ we can break this down further and make it easier to digest
Brenning Manning, “Christianity has designated certain places more sacred than others, some days holier than others, and some actions more religious than others, giving the impression that contact with God happens primarily, if not exclusively, on the first day of the week in a building called church. Confining God’s presence to certain predictable times and places is restrictive and leads to the unspoken assumption that the rest of the week is irreligious.”
My dad used to say, “Some people have enough of the Lord in them to be unhappy in the world and enough of the world in them to be unhappy in the Lord.”
If we correct the division between sacred and secular, what is possible?
Being here together will enrich our daily experience of God
– but the reverse is also possible
• our daily experience of God will enhance our being together
– let’s say we have a day that is unusually distressing
• we pray and we call or text to share our need with a Christian friend
◦ we breathe, turn our awareness to God, and receive peace
◦ the answer may not have arrived–yet–but it’s on the way
• then we meet together here and share our hardships and successes
◦ this is what the Psalms describe when the poet says,
“I will thank you in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you” (Ps. 35:18)
Conclusion: Sometime ago, a friend of mine lost his wife after a prolonged illness
When I called him to see how he was doing, he told me that a minister involved in his wife’s memorial service told him to write out his eulogy; that way he wouldn’t risk losing a thought or rambling. Also, if he were to be flooded with emotion and unable to keep reading, his daughter could finish reading the eulogy for him.
The problem was that my friend did not consider himself a writer or capable of putting together something worth reading at her memorial. He was struggling with it and getting nowhere. So I asked him if he was busy, or if I could come over to his house, interview him briefly, and write the eulogy for him. He said he didn’t want to put that on me, but I told him, “This is easy for me. It’s what I do; it’s who I am.”
There are two specific places passages in the Scriptures where Jesus spoke to me and gave me my assignment like he did with Peter.
Years passed between these two events,
but on each occasion, Jesus said, “This is what you do. This is who you are”
Next week and the week after,
I am going to share those two words with you
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Welcome RefleXion Community! The Lord is with you!
Last week, when Chuck finished the Meditations on Mark, he offered that the ending, though seemingly truncated, was meant for us to extend by our lives. I’m reading a book right now, by Parker J. Palmer entitled “On the Brink of Everything.” His friend had described watching her toddler discover life, and in wonder said that the child was on the brink of everything. And so are we! It reminds me of the phrase Jim sometimes uses: “standing on the edge of eternity.”
It is mysterious and a wonder to be in the meeting place of the unfolding of ourselves and the revealing of each day as it comes to us. Perhaps the best that we can do is to stay awake and in awareness and to present ourselves as whole and willingly as we are able.
Or are we striving each day to live the perfect life, and what does that look like anyway? We believe that Jesus led the perfect life, don’t we? Well, did He have trouble, temptations, and trials? Did He have enemies? Was there chaos and confusion around Him? You bet.
I quote Christianity.com here:
“It was fitting that God . . . should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10).
Wasn’t Jesus perfect when he was born in the manger? And didn’t he live a sinless life? Wasn’t his death the death of an innocent man? Yes. He was morally perfect. That is one kind of perfection or completion.
But there is another kind of perfection or completion that comes only by experience. Jesus entered fully into the sufferings of this world and emerged victorious over them. He was completed in his experience on the earth by the things he suffered. That is why he may be called the “author” of our salvation.”
A friend of mine says that when her children were little and she read them the fairy tales—you know, the ones that end with “and they lived happily ever after,” she always said, “and they lived happily ever after, with an occasional argument.” We are on the brink of everything: things happy and things very hard.
I’m going to try to remind myself of that every morning this week; I’ll let you know how it goes.
Let’s pray: Dear Lord, save us from the temptation to be made perfect through anything but Your work. Open our eyes to wonder and to the mysterious indwelling of Your Holy Spirit and to our own souls. May this day reveal Your Presence to us and Your work for us. May we awaken to it, and step in to it, for the sake of the Name of Jesus and His Kingdom come. Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Intro: We’re going to spend time this morning with a unique person
Elijah was one of the most gifted prophets in scripture
– in fact, he became the representative of all the prophets,
• right up to and including John the Baptist, who came
in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17)
• Elijah will teach us a lesson on hearing the voice of God
Before we get into his story – two points I find interesting
First, if we look close at our story in 1 Kings 19, we’ll find obvious connections between Moses and Elijah (Ex. 34-35)
– Elijah journeys into the same wilderness that Moses had led Israel
• it will take Elijah awhile to reach his destination–forty days (Moses was there with Israel forty years)
◦ Elijah’s destination was Mount Horeb–the same mountain Moses climbed
◦ on Mount Horeb, Moses experienced God as close as any human could
• God told Moses he would pass before him and he did (Ex. 33:19 & 34:6)
◦ using the same Hebrew word, God passed by Elijah (v. 11)
◦ there is, however, a big difference between their encounters with God! (we’ll come to that)
– the other point of interest, is how the storyteller uses “behold”
• five times, we are invited to look at what is happening
◦ in one place we read that, Elijah looked, and behold
• in other words, we’re suddenly looking through Elijah’s eyes
◦ “behold” alerts us to what deserves our attention
Why do we find Elijah taking an arduous journey?
You probably know this story – if not, you need to hear it
• the queen of Israel was a real Jezebel–in fact, she was the original Jezebel
she had a gift for writing nasty letters
• in a letter to Elijah, she swore, “By this time tomorrow, you’ll be dead”
• Elijah read it and “ran for his life” – south, through Judah
down to Beersheba, which was a small town that bordered the wilderness
it was the last outpost of civilization
• Day one: Elijah walked maybe twenty miles into the desert
towards evening he came to small tree and sat down in its shade
• before falling asleep, he prayed,
“I’ve had enough. I can’t do this any more.
O Lord, kill me – better I die by your hand than Jezebel’s.
I tried, but I can’t succeed any more than anyone before me.”
• like much of our prayer, this was not a complete prayer
it was only half a prayer–he just poured out his thoughts
he was venting, saying the words,
but he didn’t expect God to answer
• at some point in the night or next morning, “Behold”
someone was waking him up – an “angel” touched him and told him, “Get up and eat”
• Elijah looked, and behold . . . cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water
he ate, drank, and fell asleep again
• sometime later, the angel returned – he did and said the same thing
only this time he gave Elijah an explanation for the meal, for the journey is too great for you
• Elijah was back on his feet–and he walked for over a month,
day and night, until he reached Mount Horeb, “the mount of God,” according to the storyteller
that has an ominous ring to it
• Elijah settled into a cave – we’re not told how long he was there before the “visitation”
• while there, “behold, the word of the LORD came to him”
“word of the LORD” has a special significance in scripture
it refers to the way God communicated with his prophets
it’s not like a sermon, reading a letter, or listening to news
the word of Yahweh was a divine power – it came with energy
Jeremiah described it as a fire burning in his heart and bones,
and a hammer that breaks rocks to pieces
in this instance, the word of the LORD came with a question
• “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah replied, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away” (v. 10)
• I don’t know, but to me that sounds rehearsed
it sound like all the thoughts that kept tumbling around inside Elijah’s head
anyway, it doesn’t answer God’s question
an answer to God’s question would have been something like:
“I’m running away–hiding out”
“I’m giving up–handing in my resignation, I failed–I quit”
Or, “I’ve come here looking for answers”
• God’s short response:
“Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD”
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper 1 Kings 19:11-13
• I said before that there’s a big difference in Moses’ and Elijah’s encounter with God
this is it – God did speak to Moses in thunder and fire
the writer of Hebrews tells us, For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. . . . Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” (Heb. 12:18-21)
Elijah did not hear the word of the LORD in the windstorm, earthquake, or raging fire
but if not in the cataclysms, then what?
• what shall we call what Elijah heard?
The King James Version: a still small voice
The New American Standard Bible: the sound of a gentle blowing
The English Standard Version: the sound of a low whisper and in the margin, a sound of thin silence
• when Elijah heard that quiet voice, he covered face with his cloak
then he stepped out in front of cave, And behold there came a voice to him
God repeated his same question – Why would he do this?
• I can only guess, it is because God didn’t accept Elijah’s first answer
Elijah, however, could not come up with a new answer
his brain was stuck in all the same repetitive thoughts
nothing is new, nothing has changed, nothing creative occurred to him
• So God tells him, “Get back on your bike and let’s try it again”
• in this story, what has God done for Elijah?
God fed him, gave him some physical exercise, had him rest for awhile,
and then God gave Elijah new assignments and sent him back to his work
The design of this story is made so obvious that even children can see it
We want to hear from God, have him answer our questions, reveal his will
– we want it to be so real to us, that there’s no room to doubt it’s him speaking to us
• but he chooses to speak so quietly and mysteriously,
◦ that we cannot be certain whether or not we heard him
• the lesson this story teaches us, is that like God’s prophet,
◦ we have to learn how to listen so that we hear
– if we’re waiting for something loud, or big, or audible, we may never hear God
• we have to learn to listen to the sound of thin silence
In the beginning of Revelation, Jesus dictates seven letters to seven churches, and each letter says,
Whoever has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches
• it isn’t enough to read or listen to these letters read,
• people need to be attentive and hear the message in the letters
– sounds enter our ears constantly: animal and human voices
• sounds in nature and sounds of machinery
◦ but if they’re not calling my name, I don’t pay attention
◦ we can listen, but not hear (having ears do you not hear? Mk. 8:18)
• so the key to hearing God’s quiet voice is to pay attention
– when our orange tree is in bloom, I sometimes stand near it
• I want to inhale its fragrance – this releases pleasurable neurochemicals in my brain
• listening for God is like savoring – you slow down
◦ you look and let your eyes receive colors, shapes, and shades
◦ you breathe and smell the aromas of the moment
◦ you swallow and feel how your soft palate and esophagus know how to process your food
This last week I was reading in the Psalms and one morning spent time with this one verse:
I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me (Ps. 131:2)
My meditation: “Every believer needs to learn how to do this! We need to be able to calm and quiet our souls in God. ‘Self-regulation’ is the ability to settle ourselves down when we’re upset, afraid, anxious, sad, and so on. In this psalm the poet self-regulates his emotions by visualizing God holding him as a small child is held in its mother’s arms. Those people who have the most unrest in their souls are the ones who trigger agitation in the souls of others, who incite fear and start fights. Because of all that God is to us, we can learn to regulate our own emotions in him and his loving care, and thereby become the calm and soothing voice to others”
Listening means focusing our awareness
– when we get good at this, all we have to do is ask:
“Am I in awareness right now?” and we’ll know instantly
– try this: without moving, be aware of your right hand
• how it is positioned – whatever it feels
• do this for a full minute
• now shift awareness to your left hand and do the same thing
• do you see that you’re able to focus your awareness wherever you want
– to hear God and receive his peace, know where to focus your awareness
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? . . . And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: the neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Mt. 6:26-30)
• focus your attention on things that are above on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, (etc.), then listen to one of those things with all your senses
Brennan Manning, “Being fully present in the now is perhaps the premier skill of the spiritual life.”
I hesitate to tell you this, but it’s important: Have some kind of Bible reading practice
I won’t say that you need to read through the entire Bible
If it helps, stay in your favorite parts and continue to reread them
Discipline yourself to read with awareness, and hold onto what God says to you
Do not simply listen to the Scriptures in your mind, but hear them in your heart and soul
Conclusion: We can choose to make aware listening a habit
It is so seldom that we listen in this way, that when we do,
we almost always receive an insight from God
Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez
Welcome to the RefleXion Community! The Lord is with you.
Take a deep breath. Chuck and Jim almost always use this phrase to lead us in to our quiet time, whether it be here on Sunday mornings or in preparation for Lectio Divina. Meditation teachers use the breath not only to prepare us, but as an anchor to bring us back to center if our mind wanders during meditation. I’m familiar with using breath work in these ways. And, just recently, I have realized that a deep breath or two will bring me back to Presence, to the present, in my daily walking-around life.
I am often focused on the future: “What’s next? How can I resolve that? What’s the plan?” I have an habitual “future orientation.” Some of us are more “past oriented,” ruminating on “What happened? Why did I do that? What if I had made another choice? That was an awful experience, etc.” Those types of thoughts keep us in the past. Our minds can be habituated in either direction, as our pattern of thinking. The breath has been very effective at bringing me back to being present—to the person in front of me, to God with me, to information being presented.
I’ve been noticing that when I’m stuck in my future orientation mode, it’s accompanied by a sense of urgency, and I have come to realize that that’s because there’s not enough oxygen there—in the future. My breath is shallow, which creates a sense of urgency, of hurry. It feels to me like inhale, inhale, inhale just to keep going. I mentioned this to a friend who gets stuck in a past orientation. She said that to her living there was exale, exale, like a long sigh. I don’t know if anybody here can relate, but I thought I’d share my experience. In any situation I can use a few deep breaths to foster Presence. So, when I catch myself not paying attention and my mind is wandering, I come back to a full breath of inhale and exhale, and that puts me in Presence; that’s where the oxygen is.
The book of Job talks about the breath of life:
“In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Our opening prayer today comes from Psalm 150. Please join with me:
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! Amen
Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
Intro: We’ve come to the last chapter in Mark’s gospel
And to the enigma at the end of the book
– that’s because the story ends at Mark 16, verse 8
• you say, “Chuck! My Bible still has more verses”
◦ “Yes, I know, but read the fine print”
• the most ancient manuscripts that we have in our possession end at verse 8
◦ scholars tell us the quality of the Greek writing changes at verse 9
◦ the evidence supports the abrupt ending
– this has become a fascination for me – so, it has been a frequent meditation
My meditation: “Verse 8 is a fitting end to a story well told. Rather than satisfy our curiosity regarding what happened next, we are left in suspense. Verses 9-20 are clumsy in comparison to the rest of Mark. I imagine an ancient scribe coming to the last line and feeling like the bridge is out. Frustrated, he says, ‘No, no, no—this won’t do at all. Mark cannot come to an end with a cliffhanger.’ So at some point in history, someone or some committee added an epilogue that they felt provided a satisfying resolve to the end the story.
These editors had inspired material at hand to cut-and-paste, so it wasn’t like they were making stuff up. From John’s gospel, they borrowed the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus near the tomb. From Luke’s gospel, they took the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus and the setting for Jesus appearing to the eleven disciples over a meal. Matthew recorded the story of Jesus’ command to go into all the world with the gospel that the editors borrowed to fill out verses 9-20 here as an epilogue. The stories were true, they were just taken from the other sources.
However, this attempt to provide additional details was not nearly as creative or effective as Mark’s writing. One indicator of a foreign hand is the fact that this ending is very ‘preachy’—a characteristic that Mark avoided. There is a message in the final verses, but it is blatant and has none of the subtlety Mark has been careful to maintain. Some people who are not good storytellers or writers use an authoritarian style in which they tell people what they should feel and how they should respond. They do this to compensate for a lack of skill.
There is no other resurrection story in which Jesus rebuked his disciples for their ‘unbelief.’ Instead, in his post-resurrection encounters, Jesus approached them in gentleness and love. His first words to the frightened disciples was, ‘Peace be with you’ (Jn. 20:21). He willingly offered Thomas his hands to examine to verify that he really was Jesus. He lovingly restored Peter to discipleship and ministry. He ate a fish with his disciples to alleviate their fears that they were seeing a ghost. But the editors of Mark have Jesus scolding the disciples for their hardness of heart. If we go back into the substance of Mark’s gospel, we see that Jesus knew they would be shocked by his death and have difficulty believing in his resurrection. Jesus soothed, instructed, promised, and reconciled with his disciples, but there was no rebuke.
I think the editors were adding a rebuke of their own. Perhaps they felt it was necessary in order to frighten readers who came to the end of the story and did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead. The editors were warning those readers that their hearts were hardened. This is too often the very message that has been used to abuse faithful believes. The implicit message of authoritarian preachers, parents, youth leaders, and other Christians with ‘control issues’ is, ‘Jesus won’t love you if you don’t believe in his resurrection and eat your vegetables.’ But that is not what we hear from Mark or from the Lord himself. Jesus tells us that his ‘yoke is easy, and [his] burden is light’ (Mt. 11:30).
These extra verses were not necessary. Any reader who came to this apparent ellipsis—i.e., ‘dot, dot, dot’—would know this could not possibly be the end of Jesus. Anyway, I think the person-to-person reports of Jesus’ resurrection probably had a more dynamic effect than the bogus addition. Besides, Mark’s story was first told to communities of faith that would not have existed had Jesus not risen. They did not need convincing.”
• I have had a couple more thoughts about the way Mark ends:
◦ first, I think I know why Mark leaves off where he does (we’ll come to that)
◦ second, he’s already given us the ending–parable in chapter 12
Remember his story about the owner of a vineyard, who sent his son to collect the produce they owed him. But the tenants killed the son. Then Jesus asks, “What will the owner of the vineyard do?” That is the question at the end of Mark. What will God do next? Jesus answered this question, “He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Mk. 12:9). Fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, God poured out his Spirit on the first Christian community, and within about forty years the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. God turned his vineyard over to his new church.
Now let’s return to the verses we can trust as original
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Mark 16:1-3
My meditation: “The Sabbath ended Saturday evening, so when the markets reopened the women were able to buy the supplies they would need to anoint Jesus’ body. However, they would have to wait until daylight to go to the tomb safely. Carrying spices and oil, there was good reason to wait until they could see clearly and fulfill their mission efficiently. That they went ‘very early’ indicates their eagerness to prepare his body for burial, even though he was already placed in a tomb that was securely sealed.
(I love the coincidence of words, in English, that the women went to the tomb after ‘the sun had risen’ and arrived at the tomb after the Son had risen.)
‘Anointing him’—that is, his dead body—was a kind and loving act that the family and closest friends would provide. They came regardless of what they had witnessed at the cross. What did they think of him now? That he was not the Christ after all? That he had failed his mission? That their hope in him would be buried in his tomb? If they had such thoughts, what they knew to be fact was all that he had done for them and others, that he was a good man, and that someone needed to perform this service to his body.
A number of obstacles stood in their way. One was their concern over the ‘very large’ stone that blocked the entrance. Another was the soldiers stationed there to guard the tomb. But something that would have never entered their minds was that the corpse would not be where it had been placed.
Though they were not able to not care for Jesus’ body as they had planned, we can recall that this service had already been provided to him. While Jesus was at dinner in Bethany, a woman poured perfumed oil over his head. Jesus explained the meaning of her actions, saying, ‘She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial’ (Mk. 14:8).”
And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. Mark 16:4-6
My meditation: “‘And looking up they saw that the stone had been rolled back . . . .’ Mark devoted a great deal of thought and creative storytelling to highlight the theme of looking and seeing as a necessary development in discipleship. In the heart—the very center of the book—he tells a story about the disciples looking but not seeing. To ‘look’ is to notice and perhaps observe, but to ‘see’ is to perceive. So Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Having eyes do you not see?’ (Mk. 8:18) In a normal day I look at countless things, but what do I see? Do I pay enough attention to whatever it is God wants me to see? I have been at this many years; has my spiritual vision improving at all?
The women had been worried about the large stone, but when they looked up it had already been rolled out of the way. We are pestered by some worries that could be resolved instantly just by looking up.
The women bravely entered the tomb, but what they saw (and what they did not see) alarmed them. The body was missing and a young man was calmly sitting inside. Mark says they were ‘alarmed’—I imagine their emotions were in free fall, plunging from grief to sudden panic.
‘Do not be alarmed,’ the young man told them. But why should they not be alarmed? Because Jesus had announced he would rise from the dead? Because they did not have time to panic because there was too much to do? Because overnight the world had changed and they were now living in the new reality? Perhaps that was it. From now on there would be no need for alarm. ‘And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’—Jesus’ last words to the disciples in Matthew’s gospel.
The young man (the other gospels tell us he was an angel) spoke from his vantage point and perspective, not theirs. He said, ‘You seek Jesus of Nazareth,’ but they were not looking for Jesus. They were looking for his corpse.
The angel invited the women to come closer and ‘See the place where they laid him.’ The women—and the readers too—are given a visual experience to help absorb what has happened. It was an experience of emptiness. The past-tense indicates the slab that once held the body of Jesus was no longer occupied.”
“But go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16:7
My meditation: “The angel gave the women simple instructions as to what they were to do next. They were to go and tell Jesus’ disciples that he would meet them in Galilee. This was actually a reminder of what Jesus had told them the night before his crucifixion (Mk. 14:28). It was a prearranged meeting.
When instructing the women to inform the disciples, the angel made an odd specification, ‘and Peter.’ What?! Was Peter no longer a disciple? Had Peter wandered off alone? Had he separated himself from the others? Did he feel that he had disqualified himself and was not worthy to be associated with the true followers of Jesus? There is no way we can know. However, the angel did refer to him by his new name, the name that Jesus gave him.
I know people who would insist on cutting Peter from the team. They do not know what Jesus knows. That once Peter was ‘sifted like wheat,’ he would be a changed man, capable of strengthening his brothers (Lk. 22:31-32). Sometimes I am grieved and troubled by the absence of mercy among Christians and in many churches. Is it okay for me to harbor bad feelings toward these merciless believers? Only if I want to be like them. But Jesus tells me that God ‘”is kind to the ungrateful and the evil, and therefor, ‘Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”’ (Lk. 6:36). Mercy must win!”
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized the, and the said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:8
My mediation: “The angel’s instructions were first of all to ‘go.’ Jesus’ first words to his disciples and others were, ‘Come, follow me’; his last word of instruction was ‘Go.’ ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,’ he told his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . .’ (Mt. 28:18-19).
My meditation: “The women came to the tomb courageously. If soldiers were posted there, they would deal with them. If the stone was in place, they were already thinking about how it could be moved. They were preparing themselves for any potential problem. Nothing would stand in their way. But what they had not prepared themselves for, was an empty tomb and a heavenly angel. So they fled from the tomb. Mission aborted. Of all the instructions the angel gave them, the only one they obeyed was ‘Go.’ They were more than willing to do that post haste.
I look back at all the times Jesus performed a miracle or confided something with his disciples and told people, ‘Tell no one’—and more than once he said this with a stern voice. Now, at last, people are told to ‘go tell,’ but these women ‘said nothing to anyone’—not even Peter. Eventually they got around to the disciples. Mark does not criticize them. He most likely learned their story from them. And he concludes his book with their story.
Conclusion: Now I will explain why this is the perfect ending
For Mark, there is no final chapter, no end to the story of Jesus
Whether the disciples went to Galilee or not, he leaves up in the air
But if the disciples were to go to Galilee, they would see Jesus
Mark’s message to us is, “Look for Jesus where he can be found, and you will see him”
Jesus can be found, for instance, in the story Mark has told us about him
If we still ask, “But how does the story end?”
Mark’s answer is, “That is up to you”
He slides the scroll across the table, hands us his pen, and tells us,
“Here, you write the end of this story.
How the story ends for you depends on what you do with it.”
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures