Good Morning Friends,
Today we look at a passage from Ezra about the role of earthly kingdoms and kindred in the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian captivity and passages from 1 Corinthians and Matthew about the requirements of a heavenly Kingdom on our kindred as well. Then for good measure were have a passage on first fruits and being subject to Christ in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. And what initially grabs my attention is how forgiving God appears to be when we consider how we live our lives and how gracious God is in limiting the exile to only 70 years. But then I consider that the old men who had seen both the old and newer Temples wept in sorrow for the glory of the Temple had been lost in its rebuilding. Yes, the people were called to action to care for one another but also to set the right priorities in a Kingdom that will not disappoint. There is a carrot and a stick in the storyline related to inaction. And it is here today we face the reality that the real challenge is not in understanding the simple beauty of the Christian faith and the Gospel’s call of radical action. The real challenge is in exercising our potential to fully appreciate the overwhelming love of God and what we are going to do about it as part of Holy History regardless of the suffering we might face. We are to identify with the least, last and lost of the world to follow Jesus. So, Are We Willing To Follow Christ’s Rule Of Putting Christianity Into The Practice Of Extending Dignity?
Scripture: Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Psalm 119:35 (NRSV)
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)
let the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these people, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province Beyond the River. May the God who has established his name there overthrow any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the passover. For both the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were clean. So they killed the passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 (NRSV)
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 (NRSV)
Message: Living a Christian life amid a confused world has never been easy. We get caught up in it being about building and rebuilding in a fantasy of eternal prosperity and miss the mark. The hope is for us to be whole people even though the world is broken. The problem is that often the harder we try the worse it gets. The answer in scripture to this dilemma is to accept Jesus and a simpler life of doing in response to love. I know, to many, this is difficult to grasp and respond to. Often Christians are exhorted to sit and wait, to put their minds in neutral and wait for God to do something. Christians, in their earnestness to set this teaching forth, have often given that impression, that it is simply to let go and let God, and God will do everything, and you do not have to do anything. Of course, it is true that we must face the clear statement of Scripture that, “we, in ourselves, can do nothing.” We do not add to God’s working, but that does not mean that we do not have a part in it. We still need to follow. Christ’s words had a fresh attraction to the people who first heard them. These people were also attracted to the authority with which he spoke them – and this was why people followed him in such large numbers then and still today for those who listen and hear. You see Christ’s words have “the power of salvation” in them. Even so, there were those, who followed him for the sake of convenience only, without too much purity of heart, or perhaps with the desire to be a little better but not radically changed. Even today many are happy with the benefits of Christianity but forget who it is that restores this health. There are two conditions here. The first is to listen to the word of God and the second is to put it into practice. The problem is that the Jesus is way too big for our small hearts. Interestingly when we serve others in a way that brings dignity to there lives somehow our hearts grow healthier. The scattering of the people of Israel by the Assyrians and the Babylonians and others is part of the story line in the Bible that ends with a coming home. This is the backdrop for our message and the question before us about who is in charge while we are in exile. What today’s scripture presents is a reality of Christ on a throne in heaven and the relationship of the Trinity, sharing and submitting and ruling. And we must wonder if evil will challenge the rule for control of earth even though Jesus has defeated even death. Thankfully in this situation Jesus shows real leadership and fills our hearts and minds with the joy of the Gospel and is serving in a topsy-turvy world. As the head of the church Jesus is filling us with what we need including most importantly God’s mercy and humility, for Jesus knows what it means to be human. And if you think for one moment that you are in control, think again. The division of the sheep and goats comes before the judging. The Shepherd King of love that rules not just our hearts and minds but all the universe bestows the answer to the problem of sin through a relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And like it or not it is a better solution than we could have ever come up with. Thankfully the shepherd takes sides and fights for the weak, outcast, damaged, diseased, abandoned, marginalized people for these are the saints Christ the King, Shepherd of the Saints has chosen to tend. We are to intuitively understand that the devil has not been exorcised from our world, but God is still in control creating, sustaining and redeeming. Perhaps we need to learn from Jesus, that our welfare is caught up in the welfare of others. God in the flesh, means to be controlled by love.
And So, today’s Christ the King Sunday message is about God’s rule but also God’s love birthed in us for that is how God rules. It is the last day in the liturgical year and in this love, everything comes full circle. we give a nod to the end of times in scripture readings but also the start of Advent. It is both a bit sad and hopeful time as is the nature of love…as is the nature of beginnings and endings. And though I was born on Thanksgiving Day and I will celebrate it on Thanksgiving Day this year, my birthday sometimes falls on Christ the King Sunday so I remember today in a different way that I cannot fully explain. Regardless, bear with me on this devotional journey from the disconnected to the very relationship that will bring us to green pastures. For Christ the King Sunday is one of the newest days in the liturgical calendar, less than a century old, so one must wonder why now as opposed to thousands of years ago. And maybe it is because our view of just how big the universe is, has grown beyond geographical lines. For today, even as our scripture selection is all over the place, (and my writing) so too we are celebrating the mystery of the King of the Universe beyond time and space. And even as we contemplate the connections between today’s scriptures, we know that the world has had good and bad kings…good and bad shepherds… and we are unsure of just what kind of kingdom it is going to be that we are celebrating returning to. But a choice will be made for us if we do not choose to receive Christ’s love more than the justice of the law. That is why I for one choose a King who started out as a shepherd and has a flock that has been scattered around the world by the politics of the world but regardless is ultimately the provider of what we need. And here the Christian life is all about believing and obeying God’s law of love. We like Jesus need to be passionately committed to the cause. As a dear friend of mine points out to me on a regular basis. God love you, so what are you going to do about it?
Pray we believe that Christ not only made the universe but continues to manage it. Pray we believe that Christ’s rule is bringing us into greater unity. Pray we no longer be prey to evil. Pray the thankful eyes of our hearts are enlightened. Pray we have what we need so that we will be secure in the comfort of the resurrection and return of the King. Pray we celebrate the hope of coming home. Pray we stay connected to Christ the head and source of the power of the church. Pray we want to be more like Jesus. Pray we realize that the king of the universe is not a legalist but first a shepherd that provides what we need and most importantly the mercy of the only righteousness that will make a difference. Pray Jesus loves us, and we love him back by identifying with the poor. Pray our prayers honor God in love. Pray we embrace a theology that is the birthright of every Christian. 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 not just seek social change but personal spiritual transformation as well. Pray we get the connection in how Christ can rule in our lives through love so that the next year will be better than the last.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 