How Do You See The Religious Drama Of History Being Played Out?
Good Morning Friends,
Apocalyptic writings and the thought of the return of Jesus, to rule on earth as in heaven, arise in response to crisis. Seventy years ago, on this very date the UN General Assembly resolution recommended the creation of an independent Jewish state in Palestine. The resolution also mandated control of Jerusalem and a timeline for the withdrawal of British forces. The Palestine Civil war broke out shortly after the resolution passed. So too in today lectionary selection, we discover that some things in life you just cannot adequately prepare for and crisis in the face of judgement is one of them. All the rule following just falls short. Life gets messy and our need to press forward in the mystery becomes more evident, for here we will learn that out of our darkness comes light…out of pain, healing. Friends, there is something going on here in scripture and history that begs our attention, not because we are particularly personally victorious in its living it but more so because we might recognize our need to face the hazards of life together to grow into what God would have us to be. Here the tension of the division of the Jewish state creates an object lesson with the very Promised Land shouting out the message of Holy History flowing from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. How Do You See The Religious Drama Of History Being Played Out?
Scripture: Moses convened all Israel, and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I am addressing to you today; you shall learn them and observe them diligently. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. Not with our ancestors did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the fire. (At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to declare to you the words of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders; and you said, “Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive? Go near, you yourself, and hear all that the Lord our God will say. Then tell us everything that the Lord our God tells you, and we will listen and do it.” The Lord heard your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: “I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you; they are right in all that they have spoken.
Deuteronomy 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 (NRSV)
“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Luke 21:12-19 (NRSV)
Message: Sometimes scripture suggest we plan and at other times not to plan what we are going to say. The context for the advice is situational. The thing is that plans during the end of days are likely to be of little value. If we plan what we are going to say we might say that believing in Jesus for our salvation is the only way to face the end of times. Others might be less straightforward fort is difficult to tell someone they are going to hell and for good reason. It is not our job to make this judgement call on others. Yet we should make this call in our own conscience about ourselves. And here we discover that being a Christian is not so easy…following the ten commandments referenced in today’s scripture is not easy either. There is tension in living the Christian life. Thankfully Jesus proclaimed the joy of salvation but he was also a realist. Overcoming the powers of evil would be cataclysmic and apocalyptic. He foretells the pains that would precede the final victory of good over evil. Fire is used as a symbol for both reward and punishment. It will be scorching heat for those who have not followed God’s ways and not did repent, and it will bring warmth and healing rays of baptism to those who have been committed fully and applied their faith to real life. So, on our Christian journey, challenging things will happen and in this tension, is the perfect time to tell others, from our hearts, of the amazing love of God and to share the Good News. Friends, be optimistic even in the face of darkness. Who knows, some might believe in the light.
Pray we embrace a covenant of faith. Pray we realize that religion is ineffective unless it is applied to both our history and Holy History. Pray we have the endurance to withstand the onslaught of time. Pray we are joyful. Pray we apply ourselves to the task of our faith. Pray we press forward for the cause of Christ. Pray we persevere so our very souls become more Christlike.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 