Good Morning Friends,
Here we are in my family on the eve of two weddings on what is Christ the King Weekend. And as we near the beginning of Advent and the end of the liturgical year, it is interesting that the scripture that we will be reading in the next few weeks includes passages from Daniel and appropriately a bit of history about kings who ruled in ancient times and their effect on our lives even today. It is about the interaction of small things in the story of a small nation and the gift of a widow who like Daniel was all in when it came to give to the cause. So, this morning we contemplate important events in our lives and God’s rule as we consider our positioning in the world that battles with the issue of religious tolerance to this day. We consider the decrees of King Cyrus and the thought of the building of a third temple in Jerusalem. We consider what moves people in power to stand for or against Israel. So, Do You Admire The Holy Spirit Might in the Mite?
Scripture: He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4 (NRSV)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NRSV)
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed;
Luke 17:20 (NRSV)
In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king’s palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah. But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master. The palace master said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.” So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations. So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams. At the end of the time that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 (NRSV)
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him— and the gates shall not be closed: I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
Isaiah 45:1-3 (NRSV)
All the vessels of the house of God, large and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his officials, all these he brought to Babylon. They burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had made up for its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
2 Chronicles 36:18-21 (NRSV)
“Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them! —are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem; and let all survivors, in whatever place they reside, be assisted by the people of their place with silver and gold, with goods and with animals, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 1:2-4 (NRSV)
Message: Amazing similarities exist between Israel and America – from their founding to civil war to sinful rejection of God…to the 70-year captivity. We as a nation have even help form the new state of Israel and acknowledge as its capital Jerusalem. It is interesting how history has played out in terms of scripture and how archeology even supports the storyline for the issues faced thousands of years ago and today are more similar than we might first want to acknowledge. Consider the trap of rich fools and the surprising freedom of a poor old widow. Consider the importance of giving and risking and to stay engaged with God in the best of what life can offer. The point is not about power, money or reputation but living in the presence of God and better understanding who we are and what has formed us. It is about risking enough to live the best of each moment with commitment to Christ for Jesus knows you and loves you better than you can imagine. You see, Jesus has great observational skills. If you got a haircut, he would notice not just the change but whether you liked it or not. But we are not as skilled especially in seeing things of the heart. The strange thing is that we miss things we should see if we are not seeing with the right perspective. This makes me wonder how often I really pay attention when I look at people. Do I focus on the person or on all the things I’m doing? When I look at them, do I really see them? Well Jesus really saw people and he see each of us too. He sees you and me. When Jesus encountered someone, he saw their needs. They became his priority. His eyes even found the invisible ones whom everyone else overlooked, such as the poor widow. Friends, perhaps our first act of love as Christians is to open our eyes and truly see those around us. It means setting aside our own agenda for a moment, and that’s not easy. But it’s the only way to find out what — and whom — we’re missing! In the scripture story we see a woman loving the Lord God with all her passion and prayer and intelligence and energy… the story of the widow’s mite. Here we see a woman loving others as if she were loving herself. It is a story about measuring giving not by the size of the gift, but how much we have left after the gift is given. We stand at the border of the kingdom realizing that we too must put God first before we can come into an intimacy with Him. We cannot serve two masters. We must commit with all our heart, mind and soul to Christ and that by the very nature of his priorities engages us in a little country in the Middle East.
And So, commitment is the mindset that refuses to compromise its relationship with Jesus Christ. Daniel was a man sold out to the Holy Spirit and as a result it influenced his life situation, rather than letting his life situations influence him. So too the poor widow. These commitments in life reveal what our hearts treasure is, and this is reflected in our marriages and in world affairs and in our faith. In them all we need to risk receiving the best in life by taking on the challenge of honoring Jesus. But we also need to understand that God delights in the small things as well as the epic events of history. Friends, here is the point, God is interested in the heart of things and getting us to understand that if we step out in faith with a Godly purpose that things will typically work together for our good but that we must be discerning in the process. When we risk and plan both, God will typically fill the role of protector and provider. Here our attitude of gratitude is an indication of our trust in Jesus. Here we are willing to risk because we love enough to be generous in life living into the promises of God. Here we find meaning for our life in small things done with great love.
Pray we listen with our heart for the Word of God and seek its meaning for us. Pray we open our hearts to the Word. Pray we want to fully understand. Pray we ask questions that are life changing. Pray we realize that God is speaking to all of us to help us understand we are to practice what Jesus preached. Pray we listen with our ears and hear with our hearts.
Pray we discern what is right. Pray we learn with God’s guidance. Pray we act accordingly – always counting on Jesus’ help knowing of His mercy and patience. Pray the Lord plant His Word in our hearts. Pray we listen to the Spirit in God’s word and practice it with love. Pray we are spiritually wealthy. Pray we are loving and continually learning how to follow the leader of all life. Pray that God will use us. Pray that we not seek to impress. Pray that we understand that God has commanded us each to give of ourselves…something that others cannot see. Pray that we sow bountifully. Pray that our motivation be one of faith. Pray that we understand that God knows the need better than we do. Pray that we give ourselves to Him, complete in our surrender so we might be more observant of life with God as we follow the King of Creation.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 