So, Is This Why We Ask For Less Than God Is Willing To Provide?

So, Is This Why We Ask For Less Than God Is Willing To Provide?

Good Morning Friends,

Today we continue to look at lectionary scripture from Matthew and frankly I am amazed at the close textual connection between this Gospel and the book of Genesis which we have also been reading. There is an order in the history and the writing of it. But more specifically, today’s texts both show us examples of God providing more that we might imagine, and that might well be an example to us, for God also want us to give in abundance, but also, in the reading of it there is a sense of chaos here that is both troubling and intriguing. Scripture tells us that we are to ask for immediate needs but what about future needs, will they too be given unto us without negative consequences? The story of the Garden and the Tree should trouble us enough for us to consider innovations and the unintended consequence of becoming like gods. So, Is This Why We Ask For Less Than God Is Willing To Provide?

Scripture: After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.

Genesis 22:1b-19 (NRSV)

And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —he then said to the paralytic—’stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Matthew 9:1-8 (NRSV)

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

Message: God puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we will not settle for less, but too often we do. And I wonder why this is and then I realize that at some level I understand that innovation has challenges. Emotions cloud our thinking in the life of new things. And let’s face it, technology creates new problems such as the war between my computer and my printer and my sanity. But calamities lead to advances. Inventions benefit from tragedies. Penicillin was mass produced because of war. Dislocation and going into something else can have a stimulating effect. Creative things happen from problems. We need to take a positive view of what unintended consequences can do for us. Sometimes we become anxious in facing those times when the Lord puts us into a situation where we cannot see the answer and our only option is to rely on God or an IT Guru for the solution. We have learned that trying to resolve the dilemma on our own only makes the matter worse. No Murphy’s Law is not a real law but there does seem to be a conservation of complications. We see this challenge in the story of the Lord providing a ram for Abraham in a time a testing and in the story of Jesus being tested as well in his own home town. The beauty is that if we are always seeking the best from God, especially in challenging situations, we tend to also have a new and fresh encounter with God. Interestingly, historically the greatest innovations come out of times of difficulty. So, for Christians the message is that we are to look at unintended consequences as an opportunity for an even better innovation. And that means one thing intellectually and then another emotionally and spiritually for we must walk with sincerity, honesty, holiness, and integrity of a relationship with God if we want to receive what God is willing to provide. So, if we want the best of God we need to give our best as well, especially in those situations that are most challenging. Listen, God always is persistent with his promise to give us the best but we are not able to achieve it because many times we are satisfied with what we have instead of really learning from the intended consequences of life such as loss and failure. Perhaps you have dreams you have lost. Perhaps you think you are a failure. Think again. We need to get better at learning how to innovate with God. Remember God wants to give us success but brilliant ideas without God fall apart. Remember that Jesus promises that we will do greater things than He did. And that friends requires a great faith and prayer that wants everything that God can give us, but not for our glory but for God’s. For in the end chaos happens and we need God by our side if we are to have hope of getting better at using it.

Pray we
change our thinking and believe we can do all things though Jesus who gives us strength. Pray we believe that God has a plan for our welfare and a future with hope. Pray we remain steadfast in a time of testing believing we will always be loved. Pray we believe that because God gave us his Son for us that we should believe that this grace would extend to all things we might need. Pray we believe that when we are called to God’s purpose and we love God, all things will work together for good. Pray we not compromise our life’s calling.  Pray we do not think the best is behind us but that it is yet to come and that God will fulfill it for us. Pray we remember that God is persistent in giving the best for us and we need to respond with our best.

Blessings,

John Lawson