Good Morning Friends,
Today we consider the beginning of the Advent season this coming Sunday and the scripture selections from the lectionary for this time in the worship year. We consider the nearly 1700-year history of practice of what we experience in our worship year just begun. More specifically we, in our stewardship season, consider the trap of some rich fools as well as the surprising freedom of a poor old widow who interestingly seemed to have more peace than those around her. We ponder the importance of giving and risking and to stay engaged with God in the best of what life can offer as we consider the life and character of Daniel. And hopefully we will learn that the point is not about power, money or reputation but living in the presence and peace of God. It is about risking enough to live the best of each moment because Christ the King would want us to do this and be engaged in the rhythm of the start of a new season with a new minister in the pulpit in less than a month. With that in mind I ask this: Is The Holy Spirit Might in the Mite Conceiving In Us A Dream Pleasing To God For The New Liturgical Year?
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)
Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who have been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found; they are blameless.
Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5 (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)
Message: For the Nation of Israel and all things small, there is a degree of anticipation in the story of the widow mite that links its message of hope to the Second Coming as well as the first. The point is not about power for power’s sake but about better understanding who we are and what has formed us. It is about risking a commitment to Christ, for Jesus knows us and loves us better than we 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 we truly love. 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 sees 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 is not easy. But it is 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 kingdom’s border 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 God’s priorities engage us in the little, least, and often left. As our worship life gets in a rut or worse yet starts to rot, we need revival and redemption born out of our commitment to love relationships more than things and fear God more than people. Sometimes the problem is a case of staying too long in the same comfortable place. We need to risk receiving the best in life by taking on a new challenge. But we also need a sound plan. We need to give in order to get and understand that God delights in the small things as well as the epic events of history. Here our attitude of gratitude is an indication of our trust in Jesus. Here we are willing to risk because we love to be generous in life and living into the promises of God. Here we realize thankfully that the way of our world is not the way of God nor of God’s Kingdom. Here we find meaning for our life in small things done with great love. Yes, peace…the Prince of Peace is coming…Yes, Christmas, the light of the world is coming. Yes, Jesus is coming. But in preparation, I hope God has already taken up residence in our hearts and placed in each of us something joyful and incarnational. Here we are to be astonished at the love of God and the peace and good will that is so central to the Christian faith. But first we must have the conviction to believe it and to love. Friends, there are always changes and surprises and some of them come during Advent, so be prepared. You never know what can happen when all the small things are working together in the power of the Holy Spirit to redeem and free us to dream a dream that honors God.
And So, 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 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 and discover it is really in our best interests. Here we find meaning for our life in small things done with great love. There are amazing similarities that 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 helped to form the new state of Israel and acknowledged 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 even in what we dream. Jesus knows if we are disturbed or at peace.
Pray the Lord plants His Word in our hearts to redeem us. 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 do 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 and Redemption. Pray we do not become complacent in our lives or our worship. Pray that when we give, we really feel that the person receiving needed whatever we gave more than we did. Pray our identity is defined by our relationship with God and the purposes of God. Pray we find security in God. Pray we have spiritual wealth. Pray we trust God to provide what we really need. Pray we are generous in our giving and living. Pray we are patient and purposeful in our planning. Pray we are loving and continually learning how to follow the leader of all life. Pray we put our Christian faith this season and every season in the Lord that redeems sinners. Pray we dream dreams that honor God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 