Good Morning Friends,
In our Old Testament reading today, we find the people of Judah in a bit of hot water. God had a warning for them…a warning that the Lord sincerely wanted them to hear and obey. So, the Lord instructed His Prophet, Jeremiah, to confront the people who came to worship in the Jerusalem temple. He gave the people a message that they did not want to hear. So too in our New Testament passage Jesus’ discourse on the Kingdom had prompted an open rejection of his message from many scribes and Pharisees. The theme of rejection continued from the people of Jesus’ own hometown. Matthew said they were enviously irked by him. It all hints at a bit of a scandal. Interestingly there is synergy between these two passages about how prophets are treated, but also about how we are to speak up when moved by the Spirit and a thoughtful mind. So, How Are You At Standing Up And Speaking As A Voice Of Wisdom And Reason?
Scripture: At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the Lord: Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently—though you have not heeded— then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth. The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, “This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant”?’ And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
Jeremiah 26:1-9 (NRSV)
He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’ And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.’ And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:54-58 (NRSV)
Message: Sometimes we meet people we just cannot help. No amount of information and knowledge can assist them simply because they are not inclined to accept anyone’s counsel but their own. I feel bad for them, for even God may not be inclined to help them. But in all honesty that is looking at the text from the point of Jeremiah and Jesus, as if we would be the ones doing the correcting. But what if we put the shoe on the other foot and examined it from the Israelites and scribes and Pharisee’s points of view. Don’t you think that those people primarily responded in anger because their places of authority were being threatened. Their system was under fire. You see each one of us has a religious system – a way of doing things that gives us a feeling of piety and importance. When we stop and consider that we have some things to change when we are already doing our best, we can very easily get defensive and angry, but the thing is that the last thing any of us want to hear is that we have done something wrong. Jesus was accused of plenty of things he didn’t do wrong. He was accused of insurrection, not paying taxes, and plotting to tear down the temple in Jerusalem. He was accused of breaking the Sabbath, being a drunkard, and blasphemy. It only got worse. On the cross he was accused of being a cheat, an adulterer, a liar, and every other kind of sin in the book. Worst of all, he was punished for those things, even though he did not deserve it. Instead of getting angry about it however, God pronounced it fair not foul. In a way Jesus allowed Himself to be falsely accused, so we could be justly acquitted. That is the message of the Gospel – not guilty, even though we are. So, when God points the finger into our lives through friends and family the proper response is not to be angry or excuse our behavior – even if we are not getting a completely fair shake. Instead of getting defensive or angry at our accusers, what God wants us to do is stand up for the truth that we are sinners and without God’s mercy we are hopeless. That is the right response. That is how we are to apply today’s scripture to our own lives with reason and wisdom but most of all faith.
And So, the road to social change and personal change is not easy. But if you are moved to stand up for justice to help others know that it will change you first. So be sure to ask God for help by expressing the need required and for God to intervene in your personal life as well as the one you have inherited from those who have come before. And as you reflect on the ways that God has worked in your life in the past know that nothing will last that does not glorify God. That is why it is important to come to any situation that you desire to help change with a sense of praise and all the while appealing for help based on God’s character and faithfulness, so the standard is set high and the next generation moves the needle in the right direction. You see, it is not about you and me rising to the occasion but Christ in us. Put your hope and trust in God to work in your circumstances. Watch for God to work. Be patience in love expecting a miracle.
Pray if we are kind, and we should be, that we not become pessimistic with the challenge of social and personal change. Pray we believe we can move the hand of God to compassion. Pray we seek God. Pray we listen to God. Pray we obey God. Pray we put God first. Pray we forgive. Pray
we have souls that explode with love in the face of conflicts. Pray our sleep is disturbed when others are in pain. Pray we are willing to suffer though transformation. Pray we appreciate how prayer works together with Scripture in our quest to hear and listen to God. Pray we become spiritually disciplined. Pray we handle rebuke with grace. Pray we realize what Christ did for us. Pray we realize that God is not looking for perfect saints but sinners that can be forgiven and welcomed into the Kingdom. Pray we are willing to choose a new birth over the warmth of a womb. Pray we learn to crawl and then to stand up and walk in power with Jesus as step of faith and then a step of reason balanced with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 