Divided

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:1-7 ESV).

I want to focus on a part of our reading today as it relates to so much of our culture today. It is the encouragement of the Apostle Paul for the church to be united: “…that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6). Now, a little disclaimer… perhaps today’s thought is merely an overreaction on my part. However, I would remind you that the apostle wrote about this problem almost two millennia ago, and it seems to linger into our present world today as much or more than ever. My reference point is not just the individual church “factions.” Those have been with us since the beginning (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:10). It seems to have become more personal. The attacks and name-calling have always been a part of the arsenal of weapons in the divisions, but social media now makes it possible to be much more personal. The problem with that is how much it hurts the message of grace. Though we need not agree about everything, the Bible emphasizes that followers of Jesus Christ should demonstrate unity. We can achieve this by following the example of Jesus as we serve one another. We should pray that God will give us “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Jesus Christ had.” We should also praise God for the privilege of Christian relationships. This will bring glory to God. So, what can we do? Well, two things come to my mind. Before you press “post” or “send” read your words from the perspective of what they might do to the individual and those that read it. Will it really call grace into a sharper focus, or will it further the divide? The goal is not to win the argument. In fact, it is not to win at all. Even if we had the strength to be victorious, which we don’t (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23), our victory is only in Jesus. I want to do everything I can to speak that message. I don’t always succeed, but I pray I get better with age and wisdom. That bring me to second thing you can do: pray before responding to anyone or anything. That little pause could make the difference in someone else’s eternity!

Forgiving Others

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:25-32 ESV).

Our reading today seems almost impossible to imagine. Why would anyone be kind to another person unless they deserved that kindness? It certainly is counter intuitive in the typical practice of relationships. Kindness must be earned… right? Well, the Apostle Paul answers that question with a resounding NO. We forgive others because we have been forgiven. We are kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving simple because that’s how God has treated us. Jesus paid the debt we could never pay and died the death we deserved. Based on that truth, we forgive; we release others from their debt toward us, even when they neither ask nor deserve it. Wow! I can hear your thoughts. How can we be expected to do something so difficult? How hard it can be for us to forgive others? How long have we held a grudge against someone, even for a simple mistake? Or how about refusing to forgive someone for saying something that hurt you — perhaps so long ago that you can’t remember what they said? Or maybe the offense was more serious. Perhaps a spouse betrayed you, a coworker lied and got you fired, a parent abused you, or a bully made life miserable for you. Only the grace of God makes it possible to forgive people who sin against us. Only when we begin to realize how much God has forgiven us in Christ can we learn to forgive. I saw a Face Book post several years ago that told the story of Monty Williams, then the Assistant Head Coach of the Oklahoma Thunder, whose wife was killed by an erratic driver, leaving him a single parent with four children. At the memorial service he urged the people there to pray for the driver and talked to them about the importance of forgiveness. He understood the words of the apostle Paul, that we are to forgive each other just as in Christ God has forgiven us. As Christians, we are called to be echoes of God’s forgiveness.

All in this Together

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14 ESV). During any crisi

s I have found that both the best and the worst of us all seem to be magnified. The watch-phrase of the pandemic has become “We’re All In This Together.” In a very real sense, because of the global impact, this is true. Practically no social or economic group has been spared. And, yet we seem to be as divided as ever. I have given this some thought; and, while I am not an expert in the field, I have come to a preliminary conclusion. We’re divided because we fail to understand the basic nature of humanity. That basic nature is our sinful, self-centered hearts and minds. In our reading today Jesus describes two very different attitudes. At the temple, where he went to pray, the Pharisee felt right at home. This was where he belonged, of course, and anyone listening to his prayer would be duly impressed, right? But the Pharisee did not come to pray to God; he came to talk about himself. He did not come to thank God for his grace, mercy, and forgiveness; he came to declare how glad he was that he was not like other people. He followed all the prescribed religious duties and always gave a tenth of what he made. Compared to others, the Pharisee seemed nearly perfect. God had to be pleased with him, right? Certainly he was much better than that tax collector standing “at a distance.” Jesus quickly set the record straight. The Pharisee went home just as he had come, unrepentant and full of himself. But the tax collector went home forgiven and justified. What matters to the Lord is not how good we think we are, how much we give, or how -often we go to church. What matters is our attitude, specifically that we ¬realize our need for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Only then will we be justified. Before you begin the rigors of your day, may I encourage you to ask yourself, “What is my attitude before the Lord?” In a very real way we are all in this together; and, no one will survive without the grace of God!

Time to Celebrate

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (Ezra 3:10-11 ESV).

For many of us, life is full of celebrations. Every year we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. We also celebrate important milestones, such as graduating, coming of age, getting a promotion or a pay raise, or breaking ground for a new building project. With the advent of Covid-19 those events have drastically changed. Some have been cancelled altogether. The picture today is from Westbury Medical Care and Rehab in Jackson, Georgia. Ms. Kathryn was still able to celebrate her 93rd birthday with her family even during the quarantine. When I saw the story it reminded me of a very important principle. The reason for our celebration is much more important than the activity of celebration. The setting of our reading today is the return of God’s people to their own land after seventy years of exile. They had worked hard to prepare for rebuilding the temple of the Lord. And when they completed the foundation for the new temple, it was time to celebrate! Ezra writes that “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord.” The loss suffered in the cancellation of so many milestone events for people of all ages and backgrounds is real. I would never seek to denigrate that reality; however, shouldn’t there still be both a means and a reason to celebrate beyond the details of the event? Perhaps we should be pondering the question of what we are celebrating today. How is that really changed because of the inability to gather as we might have in the absence of covid. And, perhaps we need to look a little deeper at the things we celebrate. I know I’ve discovered there are some things in my life that have become unnecessary while other things have jumped to the forefront of importance. The Apostle Paul reminds the people in Philippi to, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Knowing that he wrote that from a prison cell in Rome, waiting for his execution, strikes deep into my heart. I have so much to celebrate. Everything is difficult; anxiety runs high in our hearts. However, God has laid a foundation for His Presence in my heart that can never be destroyed. Now that calls for a party… even if it means standing six feet away from the nearest person with masks on!

Cool Water

Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” (John 4:6-14 ESV).

I can remember playing outdoors as a young boy (and, yes, I know that was a very long time ago), when being thirsty was just a matter of finding the nearest outdoor water hose attached to the faucet and turning it for a long drink. I am well aware that in today’s world that would not be recommended. And, though I am not recommending that remedy, I confess I did survive the outrageous behavior surprisingly well. The point is that there was always a source of water nearby. Unlike the day in which Jesus lived in Israel, we had fear of thirst. Our reading today tells of an encounter Jesus had with a woman at the town well. He was thirsty from his day and asked for a drink. The conversation led to Jesus’ description of himself as “living water.” Of course, he was talking about the “water” of eternal life that he would secure through his death and resurrection. We live outside of the range of city services. Consequently we have our own water well. It was dug to a depth of about 200 feet through some of the hardest ground in the county. We have a lot of rock and clay in our soil. The rock is good for foundations, but difficult to drill through. Because of the level of difficulty the cost per foot of depth is a little higher than some of the sandier soil in other parts of the county. At fifty dollars per foot, it gets pretty expensive to get to the first aquifer. However, even $10,000 is worth having a reliable source of fresh water. When Jesus told the Samaritan woman who he was, and she believed. The price God paid to take away her sin was far greater than $10,000. It cost Jesus his life as our substitute. Have you been refreshed by the well of God’s abounding grace? You can be. It is just as easy as turning on the faucet used to be for me as a kid!

The Comfort of God

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5 ESV).

Charles Shultz produced one of the most endearing cartoons ever published when he developed “Peanuts.” Each character has a special place in the hearts of the readers. Three of my favorites are seen in the picture today, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock. I’m not sure of the context of this cartoon, though I’m sure some calamitous circumstance was involved as each of them took comfort in Linus’ blanket. I have often thought that I wished a blanket were enough to bring me comfort. So far, 2020 is turning out to be one of those times for many of us. These are difficult times. Thousands of people infected with a deadly virus, many of those not surviving. Millions of people have found themselves jobless with little or no income to purchase even the basics of life. Our government seems to be as impotent as many feared it was with political gridlock and finger-pointing designed to score points for a coming election instead of providing consistent leadership across party agendas. Our home lives have been upended as people who still have a job are forced to work from home. Schools are closed forcing the transition to a lifestyle vastly different than any imagined. To simply say it is uncomfortable is naiveté at its height! We may be asking, “Who will comfort us?” Thank God that there is good news in Isaiah’s song in our reading today. God himself says, “Comfort, comfort my people… speak tenderly…” (v. 1). God is not offering a blanket. He offers Himself. When we need comfort, we must remember, first, that God is the Sovereign Lord. He will meet us in every situation with his strength and power. This is because our heavenly Father is a loving, compassionate God. No matter what adversities you may be going through today, you can take comfort. Like a shepherd with his sheep, God carries us close to his heart. Remember Jesus’ parting words: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). God doesn’t give us some inanimate object for warmth and comfort. He gives Himself. There is nothing better than that. Curl up in His arms today. Find your peace in Him!

The Real God

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7 ESV). Our reading today is the first of the answer that God gives to Job after his desperate cry for understanding in the midst of his pain and suffering. In it God is going to reveal how little Job knew about the divine role in all that was happening. It is a very difficult passage to accept. It challenges the very root of our being. We strive for fairness when God gives us faithfulness. This principle is at the heart of much of the pain and difficulty of our present circumstance.

I know some of you will read this first paragraph and wonder about my intent. I can assure you I do not intend to minimize the pain of these days. All of us have suffered a great loss in this time. However, the answer is not in “more faith” as I have heard some preachers say recently. It is not about how much faith, or action on our part that will ease the pain of our calamity. It is about the God who is faithful. With that in mind, let’s look at God’s answer to the one individual in written history who truly understood the depth of suffering. Job was not intellectually examining pain from a distance. He suffered greatly. The first thing God does is humbling. God reveals how little Job, and all of humanity for that matter, really know and understand God. He calls on Job to recollect His presence, mercy, and love. From this God affirms Job’s deepest need. Job’s constant prayer and deepest yearning to find God was finally answered, confirming that everything was still all right between himself and his Lord. We, who are post-resurrection believers, have even greater proof of this truth. Jesus was the ultimate answer to all who sincerely and steadfastly have called on God in confusion, doubt, frustration, or anger. Jesus is the ultimate response of God’s presence, comfort, and grace. God’s words to Job are remarkable both for what they say and do not say. Amazingly, Job was never told why he suffered. He never learned that his suffering involved such grave matters as the integrity and vindication of God’s redemptive work among the fallen human race (cf. Job 1:8-9). God’s silence in this area indicates that the why of Job’s suffering was not the most important issue at stake. And, notice that God did not refer to the careless and extreme statements that Job uttered in his speeches with a rebuke. He understood and sympathized with Job’s suffering responding with mercy and compassion. The truth we must come away from this Scripture is simply that God’s ways and actions are always just and righteous. He is good. Our comfort is in this unfailing truth. This must be our hope. This mustard-seed-sized faith can be enough for peace in the midst of calamity. Trust in the God who is really God!