Good Morning Friends,
We have a challenge today. Our culture brings objections against Christianity. It is popular to object to Christianity because sometimes the truth of Christianity is painful…sometimes it is scary…sometimes it is unpleasant. It requires us to change. It requires us to balance privilege with responsibility. It requires us to give our best to God so that community would rule over chaos. It requires our faith in a destiny of a plan of salvation. Some people claim, “that it may be true for you, but it is not true for me,” and then rejecting the truth, come to the crazy conclusion that Christianity is not worth the effort. They do not comprehend that Christ has covered the cost of our liberty if we can but believe. But retaining liberty requires vigilance and persistence. We see it played out in the stories of Hagar, Amos the prophet and of Jesus healing those with demons. Hopefully, the Spirit will help us to grasp the message. Still, I ask wondering about the young children, Will The Next Generation Understand The Ongoing Price Of Freedom And Want It Anyway?
Scripture: Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So, she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.
Genesis 21:5, 8-20a (NRSV)
Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 (NRSV)
When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and ongoing into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Matthew 8:28-34 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s lectionary passages from Genesis, Amos and Matthew combine to shed some light on the challenge we have as a nation…as a world… when it comes to a balance of power and the demons that people face in the giving up perceived privilege before justice and righteousness might be served. The problem, or at least part of the problem is that the social change necessary and the cause and effect of our actions are removed from our conscious sight and so most lack a commitment to change. If we were to see abuses and injustice firsthand and were not blinded to the situation almost all of us would act in some fashion to stop the abuse or at least not support, it. Of course, there are bad apples and cases of the oppressed becoming the oppressors, so we must look at the whole clearly and act with a collective impact as advocates for what is right as a standard that really matches our values. The deal, when it comes to justice, is that we are not all guilty of injustice, however we all are responsible for fixing it and when we do, that is true freedom. Unfortunately, this is where we have a huge disconnect in our nation especially when it comes to issues of economics. We have a responsibility to know and to act in unity as advocates for each other and connect the dots. The crazy thing is that we trust corporations and government less and less and yet rely on them more and more. We need a new paradigm that deals with the deep historical roots of unresolved problems…that goes beyond Yelp and creates a culture of accountability for a common desire for both dignity and freedom. Unfortunately, we exhibit behavior and standards that really are at odds with our values. To align them we need God’s help in taking personal responsibility and that means getting rid of our demons…getting rid of our sins. We are not the first culture with the problem of slavery and abuses. We are not the first culture to dehumanize and commoditize people. Though things are getting better, justice still is more like a muddy puddle than an ever-flowing stream. Amos saw the injustice and oppression of the poor. It is amazing how in the time of Amos that the people were going to worship, praying, and counting on God to answer and provide for them, while not giving the slightest attention to doing right, or being obedient. Matthew tells the story about two demon possessed men that needed to be set free that gives us some insight into the problem. Jesus had just done a great deal of emotional and spiritual work and seemed to want to get away with His disciples perhaps to do some teaching. He had calmed the storm on the boat ride to a place called the Gergesenes. When they landed two men came to meet Him. They were possessed by demons. Interestingly it was the demons that recognized Jesus and begged Him for mercy. Apparently, the demons knew that Jesus would cast them out of the men. We see the complexity of the situation in today’s story from Matthew that shows forth the problem when the demon of despair grips us. We also see the simple solution. We see how the love of money and income and position gets in the way of our experiencing Jesus. We see the fascination with death and demons and the desire for power, bound by evil. We see how Jesus trumps everything. Friends, choices still have consequences. There is right and wrong, and we need to do the next right thing. But if we petition the Lord to provide us what we need, most of us have no need to enter the doorway for the depressed. Real freedom is found in Jesus. We are to invite Him to join us in the fight. We are to find the truth by holding to His teachings and obeying them. When we choose Jesus, He is the truth and the promise of life abundant that frees us from the bondage of sin. Friends, Jesus came to set the captives free. Here freedom is not a license to do as one pleases but rather a complete surrender to God and a transition to a life no longer alienated from God.
And So, this morning we have already explored the passages from Matthew and Amos. So, to tie it all together let us look at the text from Genesis. Here we have the story of the expulsion of Hagar, the Egyptian slave woman who had given birth to Abraham’s first son Ishmael. The story has drama because Sarah became pregnant and she gave birth to a son, and Abraham named him Isaac. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old when he was born. God’s covenant with Abraham was being fulfilled. Understandably Sarah and Hagar did not get along for the obvious reasons. Unfortunately, Hagar doubted that God would keep the promise made to her in the desert and protect and watch over them (See Genesis 16). Much like the disciples in the storm Hagar doubted. But then things got worse for Hagar, her doubt moved to despair. And in her despair, she had given up on God. Then God, keeping the promise made to Hagar, opened her eyes to the destiny for Ishmael and herself. And friends, let us face it, we have the same opportunity and challenge today. Our culture brings objections against Christianity. It is popular to object to Christianity because sometimes the truth of Christianity is painful…sometimes it is scary…sometimes it is unpleasant. It requires us to change. It requires us to give our best to God. It requires our faith in a destiny. Most of us have known people who paid the ultimate price for freedom, believing in a destiny for us, but it is even more important that we know Jesus. Then we will more fully understand that freedom is precious and is a blessing worth fighting for spiritually and that to keep our freedom personally and collectively there is an ongoing price we must still pay. For freedom is fragile and requires perpetual vigilance. What was won by one generation can be lost by another. What took effort to obtain takes only a careless lack of concern to lose. But know this, the demon here is not external but internal that enslaves. So be on the lookout for a lack of reverence for God and actions that devalue human life and Christian values, or profit ahead of integrity, or self-indulgence instead of self-control. Tolerance of demons in our own lives in the name of mercy is a sign that what has been won through a hard fight can be easily lost. What applies to national freedom, also applies to the freedom Jesus gives. We must be spiritually watchful and persevere. Friends, freedom is not free. And though we honor those who died to bring us liberty, only Jesus truly sets us free from sin and fear and condemnation. Jesus calls us to a responsible, unselfish, and moral freedom if we but believe. So, we need to decide what we are you going to do about the freedom we have been given.
Pray that we commit to seek the truth. Pray that we commit to live the truth. Pray that we commit to believe the truth. Pray that we experience the uncommon freedom of grace. Pray that we realize that Jesus is in charge no matter what people believe. Pray that we realize He has authority over everything and will meet us wherever we are. Pray that we give our lives to the one who gave His life to us. Pray we realize that despite doubts and even moments of depression we each have a destiny as Christians. Pray that we give God the best, because when we do His grace abounds and we become free indeed. Pray we have freedom from sin. Pray we have freedom from legalism. Pray
we seek good not evil. Pray we realize that demons will plague us until their power is broken. Pray that dignity might prevail so that true freedom might be gained. Pray we reflect on what it means to truly be free in a way that glorifies God and pass this insight on to our children and children’s children.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 
Thank you for the thoughtful blog this morning Brother John. It is amazing how much more reflective we become about the future when we have grandchildren. At an earlier age we are too busy working and raising kids to stop and wonder about such things. I have a few responses to offer, that may or may not speak directly to your comments, but… that will hopefully help the conversation continue.
First- on a purely linguistic level- a comment about the text from Amos. Years ago, I had an opportunity to look closely at the Hebrew of this text and it brought me a whole new way of thinking about his prophetic promise. While the English is generally translated as “justice will flow down like waters, and righteousness like an every flowing stream,” the Hebrew correctly translated will say that the righteousness and justice will come like an ever flowing wadi. Streams and canals and rivers are generally always flowing, except in times of drought. However, a wadi is generally dry and only holds water when a flash flood brings the water down from the mountains.
I believe the words of Amos were meant to be as much of a warning to those who oppress as it was a promise of security to the oppressed. Human beings have a tendency to use their power to push others away from the “good stuff” in life, so they can hoard as much as they can for themselves. The manna in the wilderness and the parable Jesus tells about the land owner and his bumper crop tell us this. However, if the powerful have pushed the weak aside to get what little water there is in the wadi, the flash flood will “flush” them out… and the ever flowing water will provide its life-giving qualities to all who had been denied them for too long.
What we tend to forget is how quickly the oppressed can become the oppressors. For example reparation is simply another word for retribution. Demanding equality will never bring about community, nor will quotas lead us to a diversity that enables community to balance its status quo. Unless, or until, we learn how to forgive. Forgiveness is greater than justice and is the only path to wholeness for all involved.
Lewis Smedes, in his book, Forgive and Forget, outlines the steps that will bring about true forgiveness. First- in order to forgive, we need to know who exactly harmed us and what exactly brought about that harm. We cannot generalize forgiveness. And we can only forgive those who harmed us, and only for that specific action.
Secondly- we have to take responsibility to make sure that that person never has the opportunity to do that to us again. In other words, we have to learn to stand up and be responsible to who we are and where we are. If we are in a situation where we continually experience harmful relationships, we are responsible tor getting ourselves out of there. We cannot expect that person who has harmed us to act differently. If they are aware of their actions, they are unlikely to change, and if they are unaware of their actions, they won’t know they should change. Standing up and confronting our accusers and our oppressors may make us feel okay for the moment, but it is still our responsibility to stop what is taking place.
And thirdly- it is our responsibility to see that the harmful actions we have experienced do not happen again. Once more, Smedes is pushing us to take responsibility for how others might treat us, not just how we might treat others. This may, or may not, mean never interacting with those persons again. If we choose to try and have a continued relationship, then it is up to us to shape the foundation and the building up of that relationship.
In the end, forgiveness trumps justice, and any other demand for equality… if nothing else that’s what the cross teaches us. Yes, as Joseph tells his brothers, people do act in ways that are evil and they do it as much consciously as unconsciously. But… God uses those actions for His purposes… just as He uses us for His purposes.
Forgiveness may sometimes mean conversing with someone who has either hurt us, or been hurt by us. But most often, forgiveness will come about with no conversation at all. Because, in the end, forgiveness is more about us learning to live with our experiences than with keeping track of who is good and who is bad. Learning to forgive without any expectation of the other person saying I’m sorry can be more freeing than an kind of compensation we might get. So often, the person who hurt us the most is no longer around, but learning to forgive them is crucial for our peace of mind. We cannot, we must not, expect someone else to “pay” for crimes someone else committed. To think this way will only continue the tired old trend of fighting for what little water is in the wadi and being washed away when the next flash flood eventually makes its way down the mountain.
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