DAY 120

WHAT WILL YOU OFFER?

1 Kings 8 & 9 and Luke 21:1 – 19

Today, between the Old Testament and the New Testament we have an amazing juxtaposition of “offerings” and “the Temple.”

In the Old Testament the Temple is consecrated and Solomon is providing a seemingly endless offering to God. In the New Testament Jesus foretells of the Temple’s destruction (which will happen in 70 A.D.) and a widow offeres two small copper coins.

Yet while these seem to be in opposite directions, they are very similar in spirit. As Solomon brings the Ark to the Temple I cannot help but think of some of the big, really big, services that have been held at the Cathedral where I serve. There are zillions of details and much excitement. It is a bit exhausting, but when we get it right (sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t)…when we get it right, it feels like a glorious offering of worship to Almighty God, as if a cloud fills it.

I am moved by Solomon’s prayer. The sincerity of it is amazing. So many parts of it are insightful. “There is no God like you! The heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less a house” we read in verse 27. And then in verses 42-43 he prays for foreigners!

Part of Luke 21 gives us another perspective. The Temple is not giving God glory; quite the opposite. However a widow enters and gives all that she had to live on! There is it, the same thing Solomon was doing…giving his all. Now I don’t want you to be thinking about economics right now, but rather motives. Solomon certainly had more money and this widow probably not. But both had hearts that wanted to give all to God. The Great Commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind soul and strength. That is what we are witnessing today.

Solomon’s father, King David, after he had completely messed up with the Bathsheba situation wrote these words in Psalm 51: You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.  You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

God desires a heart open to him…take a moment and offer yours to him.

DAY 119

How NOT to Win Friends and Influence People

1 Kings 6 & 7 and Luke 20:27 – 47

Solomon builds the Temple. It is the grandest building. We will read more about it and how it was built in a coming book of the Bible and so I will refrain from commenting here. Many people have recreated what they think it looked like and here is a link:

http://seedsmission.org/wp/archives/215

In the New Testament Jesus’ authority is still being challenged. One of the ironies is that it is taking place in the Temple. Not the grand temple we have read that Solomon built, something less and that story is coming. The challengers have moved from the Pharisees to the Sadducees. They were the ones who controlled the Temple and in some ways they feel the most threatened by Jesus. A necessary tension existed between the Sadducees and the Romans. The Romans allowed the Sadducees to be in power, but the Sadducees knew they could only “go so far.” They didn’t like the Romans, but knew they needed to them if they wanted to stay in power. The Sadducees were therefore not really interested in a Messiah, unless of course they could control him.

One of their beliefs was that there was no resurrection. The Pharisees did and they did not. It is a little like the way different Christian denominations will have different views on serious theological subjects. They therefore would be hanging on every word of Jesus’ answer. His answer of course is brilliant. He sees eternity and he knows that eternity is not filled with death, but life.

He then challenges them with a question. It is equally brilliant. He quotes a Psalm and asks them how this can be? The answer is that the Psalm can only be if He is in fact the Messiah, the Lord.

He is having a good day, and so to top it off He turns to the people and tells them to be careful of the Scribes (those would be Sadducees)…he certainly is not making friends at this point. Our Lord is interested in doing his Father’s will much more than He is in making friends.

I titled today, “How NOT to Win Friends and Influence People” in part to have a little fun, but also in part to remind myself that love of and obedience to God is what ultimately matters. Jesus is being obedient, right now He is standing up to all of them, and ultimately he we ascend to heaven, but only after he experiences the Cross.

DAY 118

AUTHORITY

1 Kings 3, 4 & 5 and Luke 20:1 – 26

Authority: having it and then using it rightly is an amazing challenge. You find yourself a parent. The fact that you are a mother or father implicitly puts you in a position of authority, and yet you have most likely seen families where a five year old is in charge. Or consider a parish, or a work place, or a choir, or a sports team – often times who is in charge is in question, and if it is not, then how the leader is doing, can be questionable.

Yesterday we read how Solomon quickly eliminated opposition to establish his authority. Today we read of an alliance with Pharaoh through marriage that further strengthens it.

While Solomon’s authority is on the rise, Jesus’ authority is being challenged.  His public ministry has been underway for three years. He has done miracles and offered amazing teaching, and more. He is in the Temple; the symbol of religious authority. Those in charge are questioning him, “by whose authority do you do these things?” Jesus answers them with a question they dare not answer. He then tells them a parable. It is in one way a parable about people who have abused the authority delegated to them; it is a parable that zeroes in on the behavior of the religious of Jesus day. Lastly, we read of Caesar; now this is someone with authority. Jesus answer to a question, don’t mix up Caesar with God.

Jesus is not just being political. He is not trying to negotiate a mine field and give politically correct answers. His parable of the tenants throws the gauntlet down and his comment about Caesar and taxes points us to His ultimate concerns – those of God.

I often think, “Of course Jesus was able to be so brilliant, He is God!” So let’s return to Solomon because I think we will gain some insight, for Solomon’s asks of God what Jesus intrinsically possesses. God speaks to Solomon and tells him to pray for what he needs. It is a beautiful moment as Solomon addresses the Living God.

“Give your servant therefore and understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

I underlined “your” because it shows how Solomon understands that the people are God’s, not Solomon. Solomon is a wise “tenant.” God is pleased and gives him this and more!

Of course Solomon is tested and we read of the famous “splitting the baby” story. The text says that all Israel heard and perceived it was the wisdom of God. And Solomon ruled from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt – and there was Peace throughout.

Might I suggest that all of us are in positions of authority. You might think, “No, not me.” Let me offer an observation. You are a son or daughter of God. “All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to you” says Jesus in Matthew 28. You don’t just have a little authority, you have it all! So now what? Well, I think the prayer of Solomon needs to our prayer – and by the way it pleases God. 

DAY 117

DON’T LOOK BACK

1 Kings 1 & 2 and Luke 19:28 – 48

Today we start the 11^th book of the Old Testament; we have read 10 so far!

Today we begin 1^st Kings as we read of the end of King David’s life. David has not yet died and one of his sons seeks to exalt himself to become king. As you read this there are some things that might help to better understand what is going on.

It is easy to understand that King David is cold, but to go and get a woman to lie next to him, well that is interesting medical treatment. Remarkably that is exactly what it is! There is a non-biblical source, Antiquities of the Jews written by Josehpus, that describes this exact treatment. Because David is king they would obviously search for just the right woman, and even though David did not “know her,” she would become his concubine.

We can see Adonijah is somewhat ambitious, a bit full of himself, and quite possibly diluted. After Solomon becomes king we hear from his lips “you know the kingdom was mine.” And to top that, after he runs to the altar of God, grabbing horns, and is pardoned, he makes an unbelievable request. You can tell it will be unbelievable because of the way he makes Bathsheba promise to bring it to Solomon.

His request is to make the woman who was keeping David warm, David’s concubine, his wife. Taking a previous king’s concubine as your wife is an ancient Persian way to establish yourself as king. Bottom line, Adonijah does not keep the terms of his pardon and condemns himself. He is not interested in peacefully letting Solomon be king.

The rest of the reading is Solomon eliminating his threats. Take Joab for example: Joab murdered Abner and Amasa, individuals David had put into position. Joab seems like a very effective general, but I get the sense that he always wanted a little more than he received. Joab tries the same process and Adonijah by going and grabbing the horns of the altar (exodus 21:4) it doesn’t work.

As we come to the end of David’s life, one of the recurring themes is he did not seem to be able to discipline his sons. We have this episode with Adonijah, but there have been other times his sons seem to openly challenge him. One bright spot is David’s word to Solomon at the end of his life…to “keep the charge of God, walking in his ways and keeping his statues, his commandments, his rules…” (2:2-3)

In the New Testament we come to a familiar scene. It is what we call Palm Sunday, what people in Jesus’ day considered as Lamb Selection Day.

In some ways we are reading about three kings. Kings David and Solomon – we will not find two greater kings in the Old Testament, and King Jesus. Both David and Solomon followed God. Solomon will build the first great Temple (we will read about that in a few days). In fact the people Jesus is now speaking with during his time on earth are constantly looking backwards to “the good old days.” They in fact believe the new Messiah will expel the Romans and re-establish the Kingdom just like David did.

Let me ask you a question. If you have been reading the Old Testament with me what do you think about this process of David establishing the nation? Was there much peace? Did it seem godly to you? It was part of God’s plan, and in many ways it was necessary, but the point is just because it was done that way, it does not mean that is what God plans for the future. Jesus is the future.

Jesus’ way of establishing the Kingdom of God is by the Cross. As Solomon ascends to the throne, eliminating all who might oppose him; Jesus is ascending as well. It will be done in a completely different way, and yet, He too will defeat the forces that oppose Him and all that is good and holy.

Our world today often thinks the way King David and Solomon thought…the constant call of King Jesus is to think and act differently…He enables us with His grace, but nonetheless we are to take up our Cross and follow Him.

DAY 116

CAMELS, NEEDLES & MONEY

2 Samuel 23 & 24 and Luke 19:1 – 27

Today in the Old Testament we read of “David’s last words” and of an unfortunate situation, that being King David ordering a census – that universally never goes well.

My comments for today revolve around money! In the New Testament we see a man named Zacchaeus do a remarkable “about-face”, or in Biblical language “repent.”

Think about this for a moment. Zacchaeus is the “Chief Tax Collector.” That means he has tremendous influence. The text says he is rich. He is also despised. Romans would use people from the culture of the land to collect taxes from the people of that land. Said differently the occupiers used Jews to collect taxes from other Jews. To make matters worse, the Tax Collectors made their money by creatively extorting money from their fellow citizens – the Romans did not pay them.

So when we read that Zacchaeus is the “chief” and that he is “rich,” well let’s just say he is very skilled at this terrible trade. He was despised.

So what does Jesus do? Well he goes to Zacchaeus’ house of course! And then to boot Zacchaeus’ heart is changed, he not only repents, but he begins to make restitution. His restitution exceeds any of the standards of the day.

I have not spoken much about money in these blogs, but Jesus talks a lot about it. In fact this story is a not even 20 verses away from Jesus saying, “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25). It is hard and apparently the chief sinner just did it!

Ouch! That has got to really gall the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Before we judge them I think we need to ask ourselves “Who in our day and age has turned around – and do we judge them?” Celebrities, politicians, sports stars, religious leaders, corporate leaders…these are the people whose lives are under a microscope and who frequently repent.

But that is not really the main point I am driving at today. The main point is about money. As I said, Jesus talks a lot about it. John Wesley wrote that the last part of a person to be converted is their wallet.

Money gets a tight hold on us. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. It gives us a sense of security. It can even given us a sense of personal worth. Of course all of those are “false senses.” You may remember back on April 13 (I don’t remember, I had to look it up) that there was a story about man whose barns were filled, and he was going to tear them down and build even bigger ones. The man thinks with his riches “laid up” he can then kick back because he is in control. Jesus calls him a fool. And of course the “camel through the eye of the needle” comment is from the rich young man story we just read.

Just to put a point on this subject: 11 of the 39 parables of Jesus are about money. 1 out of every 7 verses in the Gospel of Luke talks about money. Jesus talks more about money then He does heaven and hell combined. Today some preachers teach a “health and wealth” or “prosperity” Gospel. They say things you never find in the Bible or on Jesus lips. Jesus is not interested in you being rich; He is interested in you following him. You may do that as a person who is rich, or poor, or in the middle – the point is not to let it have a hold on you.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus knows how strong a temptation money can be, and therefore he cautions us over and over again.

So when Zacchaeus “gets it”, all we can say is “wow” because in this case the camel has just fit through the eye of the needle. Which means this feat is hard, but not impossible when Jesus is involved.

Ponder for a moment what steps you might take to lessen money’s hold on you, and then invite God into that moment. 

DAY 115

WEARINESS

2 Samuel 21 & 22 and Luke 18:24 – 43

It has been a long day. I finished up with hospital visits around 9 pm tonight and I am working on this blog to post for tomorrow. As I read the story of David one of my thoughts is that this just keeps going, is there every any peace? Partly I get this feeling because so much of David’s reign is compressed into a few short pages. Partly I get this feeling because he did not have that much peace during his kingship.

We read how he is now facing a famine. He inquires of the Lord and finds out it is because something Saul did! We might cry “not fair,” but that is not how God works.

In the days of Joshua - more than 400 years before David's time - Israel swore not to harm the Gibeonites, a neighboring tribe (Joshua 9). God expected Israel to keep their promise, even though the Gibeonites tricked Israel into making the agreement. Saul's crime was not only in the killing of the Gibeonites but also in breaking this ancient and important oath

This massacre isn't recorded in 1 Samuel, but David didn't question that it happened. Apparently at some time during his reign Saul attacked and killed many of the Gibeonites.

David and the Gibeonites come to an agreement. If you look at the text closely you will see David not demanding anything; he makes himself subservient to the Gibeonites. The “agreement” is to have seven of Saul’s son’s hanged. This was done. One of the wives grieved openly and David showed compassion by ensuring a proper burial.

We then come upon more war; war with the Philistines…the killing of the four giants…and the six fingered man! In this story we read of David’s weariness and he actually retires from “active service.” In the victory over the Philistines David offers a song of deliverance: “With the merciful you show yourself merciful…For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness.”

I am imagining that David is hopeful that he might have finally settled accounts; might it be a time of peace and this weary soul might rest?

I am not sure what tomorrow’s readings will hold regarding that question. As I turn to the New Testament I come across the end of the “rich young man” story that we began yesterday. Here we see the disciples worried about their status.

Jesus assures them that they are with Him, but then He tells them exactly what the implications of “being with him are” as He foretells his death a third time…but they understood nothing (verse 34).

Sometimes I think the Gospel writers have a sense of irony. As the people with Jesus are “blind to see” what He is showing them, a blind man appears on the scene and cries out “Son of David.” That title is “loaded with meaning.” The man who cannot see clearly perceives Jesus as Messiah and King – Son of David is a royal title. It was just a few days ago the religious were saying, “Tell us plainly, are you the Messiah.” It seems as this chap already knows!

I started today with sharing a sense of my weariness. Amazingly Jesus does not seem weary. If I were in his shoes I think I would have lost my patience with the blindness of the world, but He does not. And maybe that is the lesson today – God does not grow weary. In Isaiah 40 we read that even young men grow tired and weary, they stumble and fall, but those who Trust in the Lord will renew their strength…sounds like a plan!

DAY 114

FIRST LAW OF HOLES

2 Samuel 19 & 20 and Luke 18:1 – 23

Today we find David mourning over Absalom’s death, and Joab (his general) rightly pulling him up short. The people, those loyal to David, fought for him and now they are confused and embarrassed.

That snaps David into action. He goes to the city gate, symbolic of the king holding court, and he calls people back and even pardons his enemies.

Yet all is not well in paradise. You may remember that the people chose Absalom king, and he is now dead. Do they only want David back after the false king Absalom failed? (As an aside do we only decide to bring back King Jesus when our false kings have failed?)

 “The folly of their allegiance to Absalom was clear - it had brought only misery and confusion. They were on the wrong side; they had rejected their true king, and therefore the situation was full of unrest.” (Life of David by Alan Redpath)

David does what modern day politicians do; he makes a trip around the country winning people over, and for the really tough spots he sends negotiators to the tribes. One of the negotiations replaces Joab with Amasa. Amasa was Absalom’s general. I am not sure what you are thinking right now, but I am thinking, “What is he nuts!” It doesn’t take long though does it? There is a rebellion, the troops are mustered, that is except for Amasa’s, because Amasa is late.

Now I have been in the military. You do not show up late – especially for WAR! Imagine someone being late for D-day. Joab takes matters into his own hands and Amasa is dead. I am intrigued because we also meet another smart woman (there were a lot of them in the Old Testament). She sees the battle coming, realizes her village will be sacked, and has the good sense to have the leader of the rebellion killed and his head thrown out over the wall – yup, smart and did I mention…tough!

In the New Testament we get four “quick hitting” moments with Jesus. First is the Parable of the Persistent Widow. Jesus makes it simple. He tells us to pray and not lose heart for God is faithful.

He also says, “Don’t get too carried away with yourself” as he tells of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  “God be merciful to me, a sinner”- Humility

And He continues: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belong the Kingdom of God.”

And finally, at least for today, we read, about the rich ruler and in the Markan version (10:21) it says that Jesus looked on him and “loved him.” That last line, “Jesus loved him” gives me hope. I think once you have locked eyes with Jesus and feel his love, you will be won over to God.

So what do you make of all these stories and teachings? We’ve got David trying to dig himself out of a mess (much of which he had a hand in creating). We have Jesus telling us to be prayerful, to be humble, to welcome all, and to be willing to give up that which we give us what we think is the most value. For a moment, and not judging David, but more as an “object lesson,” let me ask: “Do you think David would be in this mess if he had “Sought the Lord’s opinion on this matter” – he did that so often in the early years – he was prayerful. Do you think David would have been in this mess if he could have found the way to be the humble king, and not the father who did not discipline his kids? Do you think David would be in this mess if…well you get the idea.

Quite simply, Jesus’ words give us some very straightforward guidance on how not to dig a hole for ourselves…and we all know the first “Law of Holes” – when you find yourself in one, stop digging…or as Jesus would say, “repent.”

DAY 113

THE END OF THE WORLD?

2 Samuel 16, 17 & 18 and Luke 17:20 – 37

The Old Testament today continues the “twists and turns” of the rebellion against King David, led by of all people, his son Absalom. As I read through chapters I am struck by the detailed little stories that accompany this time in David’s life. Remarkably, when David hears of his son’s death, even though he was trying to overthrow David, David wept for him.

I wonder if Absalom had not gotten ahead of his father the king, if he would have been king. At some point in these events I wonder if David thought it was all coming to an end.

The end of the world: it has supplied the theme for many movies. Some people become fascinated with predictions of the “apocalypse.” Last year, the idea that the Mayan Calendar “predicted” the end of the world on December 21, 2012 captured people’s (and late night comedians) attention.

Many novels, religious ones, have speculated about what it would all look like. Recently the Left Behind series was popular in some circles. It took a literally reading of The Revelation to St. John and projected this idea into the lives of some fictitious characters.

In the New Testament Jesus is asked, “When is the kingdom coming?” Jesus says explicitly “The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed.” He even reinforces that point saying the days are coming “when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.”

What does Jesus say they will see, and is he talking about the end of the world?

First Jesus says (again) that the Son of Man must “suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” When I read this it is easy to have the attitude of “Yes, yes, I already know that…” But I need to slow down and remind myself. This teaching from Jesus is not being accepted by the disciples. He will tell them over and over and they won’t get it. Many of them, all the way to Good Friday, are expecting him to lead a military revolt against the Roman occupiers. In the first century Jewish mind the Messiah was a political Messiah.

So, the first thing Jesus says “they will see” is the Son of Man suffering!

The next question is whether or not Jesus is talking about the “end of the world” or something else.

There are at least two schools of thought. One is, “Yes he is talking about the end of it all.” For this school of thought the phrase in verse 30 “…so it will be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” specifically refers to the Second Coming of Jesus when He is revealed in the manner that the Revelation to St. John describes.

The second school of thought suggests that Jesus is talking about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Whenever I bring that up some people are shocked. But there is serious scholarship to support this point of view. In Luke:

·         Jesus has been taking the Jewish people to task for their failure to grasp that the Kingdom of God is not a political kingdom. It is to be a Kingdom of Peace, governed by a Yahweh and guided by the Law. It is to be this Kingdom that they were the Chosen People to inaugurate in this world.

·         He has been challenging them that this Kingdom would be taken away from them, especially if they continued to pursue this political agenda.

o   Consider some of the parables he has told: the great banquet (14:12-24), the dishonest manager (16:1-13) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31) – these all “call out” the religious that are in power for their failure to use what God has given them for the kingdom.

·         He has repeatedly offered this Kingdom to others – the tax collectors and sinners – consider the three parables of the lost in chapter 15.

·         And for those that do follow, He has repeatedly told them that this path will take him to his death, and that if they want to follow, they must also lose their lives to gain them.

Therefore some scholars say that the destruction of Jerusalem is what He is predicting. After all He has said “only the Father knows the hour.” These scholars suggest that Jesus can see that God will actually use the Romans to fully destroy the Temple and remove the Sadducees and Pharisees from power, but only, only after the Son of Man is revealed. These scholars say the Son of Man has been revealed in the Resurrection.

The destruction of the Temple and the religious associated with it, is God’s vindication of the Jesus because the force that so completely opposed him has been destroyed (and they point out that even the reference to vultures might be an allusion to Rome – for the Greek word for vulture and eagle is the same, because they viewed them as from the same family – and the eagle was a Roman symbol.)

In this context the passage stills hold out for us the importance of understanding Jesus’ teaching. It reminds us of the history of how we, the religious, can confuse Jesus’ teaching. I we can hold those past errors in front of us, we then, by God’s grace, can better follow him – for we “are now the people chosen by God to reveal His love to the world.” Today, especially in America, we keep seeing Jesus’ call to follow as yielding a big institutional church. Don’t get me wrong I like church – hey I am the Dean of a Cathedral. I also appreciate how an institution can do much good – but, and this is BIG  – I need to not get the institution ahead of its Founder – I always need to be following the King.

DAY 112

FORGIVENESS – AGAIN

2 Samuel 14 & 15 and Luke 17:1 - 19

The Old Testament today is rather bizarre. David is longing for his son Absalom, who fled after killing another of David’s sons. We read another story where someone comes and “tells a story” to David, only to have it revealed as his, David’s, story. (There are more than a few overtones of Nathan’s interaction with the king.) David forgives Absalom and welcomes Absalom home.

Absalom then turns on his father. It is not clear to me whether the waiting that Absalom had to endure caused this, or something else. Yet if we were to analyze this book using family dynamics, all I could say is “wow”! To think that King David actually has to flee for his life is amazing. This struggle will continue tomorrow. I wonder if David will forgive his son again. (If he survives)

In the New Testament Jesus challenges us with this subject of forgiveness. He says if someone sins against you seven times, and repents, then forgive them. It is no use talking as if forgiveness were easy. We all know the old joke, “You’ve given up smoking once, and I’ve given it up a dozen times.” In the same way you most likely can say of some people in your life, “I’ve forgiven them more times than I can count.” The work of forgiveness has to be done over and over again. And this work, it is the work of mortification, we mortify our resentment, or at least we think we have. Then we find our minds drifting back to the original offence and we discover the old issue ablaze. How many times a day does Jesus tell us we should forgive – seven times seventy – and there are days I find it not enough. This issue of forgiveness is a serious one.

For me I have to go back to Jesus and the Cross. How many times today, just today, has Jesus forgiven me? If I can somehow not trivialize His forgiveness of me, then I stand a chance at possibly forgiving others. For when I find myself withholding forgiveness, in those moments, if I can pause and get a glimpse of myself, I seem to appear a rather demanding little person who has somehow conveniently forgotten all the absolution God has lavished on me. 

DAY 111

POWER – GOD’S VIEW

2 Samuel 12 & 13 and Luke 16

There are four powerful stories in our readings today. Nathan “calls out” David on his actions regarding Uriah, we read of the rape of Tamar and her family’s actions, a penniless servant who with a little power cannot forgive, and Jesus story about a rich man and Lazarus.

I want to take the stories out of order. The first story I want to look at is the rape of Tamar. This is terrible. It happens in David’s family and he does nothing about it. David’s son, Absalom takes matters into his own hands. There is no seeking of God – there is only revenge simmering in Absalom for two years.

In the second Old Testament story Nathan is brilliant. He tells David a story of two people; one with much power and one with one little lamb. David is outraged when he hears the story of the man with power abusing his position against the other. Nathan cries out, “You are that man!” David is convicted. He sees his sin. We read of his actions. He writes Psalm 51. In the midst of this story we see God’s indignation with those who have power, and then abuse it. In this story we also see how God accepts a contrite heart. David is sick over his sin; Psalm 51 certainly reveals his repentance. I know that I often have sin to confess and I think of this moment. This is a moment when David deserves death, but his repentance brings life. It is an instructive story: David is forgiven, yet there are consequences to sin. The same is true for us. God will forgive us, but this is not a God that waves a magic wand and erases all we have done wrong; no there are consequences.

In the New Testament stories we have more dramatic situations of wealth and poverty.

The first, we see a man with no money yet in a position of power, abuse his position. His abuse of power is juxtaposed against his own story, a story where the real Master forgave “him much.” God’s attitude is clear regarding his lack of mercy.

In the second story Lazarus’ only relief is the dogs licking his sores. The unnamed rich man is oblivious. Jesus tells a story that demonstrates eternal consequences [here again we have Jesus talking about heaven and hell – not a popular notion these days.] The pride of the unnamed rich man is amazing. While he is in hell, he tells God to send Lazarus to give him some relief. Really! Talk about oblivious. And so God points out the obvious to the clueless one in hell – that his brothers will be equally clueless.

Now I know that last sentence was especially judgmental, but the key is this prayer – open my eyes Lord to where I am clueless, as Nathan opened David’s.

If you are reading this it means you have a computer. You probably have water and electricity. I won’t expand this point, but we know that we have much as compared to others. May God lead us in his path to those in need.

DAY 110

LINGERING…LONGING…LOSING

2 Samuel 9, 10 & 11 and Luke 15:11 – 32

David lingered in Jerusalem while his men went to war…late one afternoon David lingered on a roof top…he saw a woman bathing…and he allowed his eyes to linger upon her…his thoughts lingered, so much so that he sent his people to inquire of her…and David, the “man after God’s own heart”, committed adultery.

Its gets worse, her husband who is out fighting for the King, is murdered. The honor of the husband, Uriah, stands in contrast to the deceit of David. Uriah, on leave from the front lines, will not even go and spend a night with his wife. Instead he stays at the king’s gate (11:11). David resorts to getting Uriah drunk hoping he will go and stay a night with his wife, but that plan fails. Finally, David has Uriah sent to the front line and killed.

David’s lingering over Bathsheba resulted in his longing for her. The Letter to James, in chapter 1, says:

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

“After desire has conceived…it gives birth to death.” Desire, longing, they are the result in David’s case of lingering too long. He should have been out with his men and he certainly should not have been up wandering around the roof. In the coming days we will see how this action by David unfolds.

The New Testament gives us a much more compact, and yet a very dramatic story. The text actually begins, “A man had two sons…” Given concern for my length of the blog, rather than chronicling the “lingering and longing” of the sons, I want to take a look at the father. [The best exposition of this text is by Kenneth Bailey in The Cross and the Prodigal].

In our culture we probably do not comprehend the number of times the father dies in this text. We can approximate, but have difficulty completely understanding the depth of emotions in the Middle Eastern culture. Kenneth Bailey went and told this parable to the Nomads of the desert, they were shocked, horrified really, and then they explained it to him!

The first death, asking for your inheritance: in their world the son is saying “I wish you were dead.” It gets worse. The father give it to him as if to say, “I die.” The father has spent most of his life building the family estate. The son not only wants his share, but then he liquidates it. He sells his share in order to get cash so he can leave – all the town would know that the son saw no value in the family or in his share of the inheritance…a second death.

Then the son comes to his senses and heads home. The standard protocol would be for him to camp a distance outside the village. Some men, not the father, would after a number of days, go and inquire of the reason for the sons return. After a series of negotiations, a return to the village and meeting with the father would take place, all on the father’s terms, all geared to restore the father’s dignity. That is not what happens.

The father sees the son in the distance. Was he looking to the horizon for him? Apparently. He then runs, runs to the son. Elderly men in the Middle East do not run. They certainly do not run bypassing all the protocols of the day. While we might not understand, it is another death. Finally we come to the older son’s behavior. How is it people know of his reaction? He publically is disrespectful to the father, yet again a death.

How many times was the father willing to die to reconcile both sons to himself? The point is that is exactly God’s behavior. He is willing to die in order that we might come home and come to the table.

We linger and we long around sin and we lose. God lingers and longs for us to turn home…and when we do, he runs…he closes the gap. This is the kind of God we have, may we not linger too long from Him.

DAY 109

POURING YOURSELF OUT

2 Samuel 6, 7 & 8 and Luke 15: 1 - 10

In the New Testament we come across two of three of Luke’s stories of “lost-ness.” These only appear in Luke and they are wonderful.  I want to tackle them all at once tomorrow, along with a terrible downfall in David’s life – so tomorrow might be a bit of work.

The Old Testament today has the Ark being brought to Jerusalem including a mishap along the way, a reaction by David’s wife Michal to David’s dancing in parade, and God’s Covenant with David – in many ways now that David is King over all Israel, these three events are very natural.

The return of the Ark is a time of celebration, but Yahweh struck out against those bringing it…why? We have read about how the Ark was to be carried: by poles and not a cart and by Levites. This is more of God’s tough love, but the point to David is he is not in control of “God in a box” – God is supreme and quite possibly David got a little ahead of himself.

David, after being afraid, gets up the courage to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. He is so overjoyed he “danced before the Lord in all his might” in a linen ephod and his wife is embarrassed. She has placed her pride before the un-abashed worship of God by David. Did David embarrass himself? Maybe, but that is not the point. The point is David poured himself out in worship of God. David was not trying to be lewd; he was simply overwhelmed with joy in having the Ark come to Jerusalem. Have you ever been so caught up in something that you forget yourself? I have. Usually I am embarrassed, but David has the presence of mind to realize that he need not be embarrassed because he held nothing back from God. (Think back to yesterday and Jesus’ challenge of priority to him versus family…hmmm.)

We then see God speak to David through Nathan. This is one of the first recorded dialog between God and David. David wants to build a house for God! God tells David he is not to do it, but his son. God promises he will not take away his “steadfast love.” David’s prayer of gratitude is beautiful and we gain some insight into this man who has a heart after God’s. In a way David is pouring himself out to God…and God to him. 

DAY 108

COUNTING THE COST

2 Samuel 3, 4 & 5 and Luke 14:25 – 35

The Old Testament today is full of action (it almost reads like a TV show):

·         We find out David has at this point at least six wives (1 Chronicles 3 will give us the full list of ultimately 7).

·         War between Houses of David and Saul.

·         The House of Saul’s general (named Abner) joins David, but David’s general (named Joab) doesn’t get the word and he, Joab, kills Abner.

·         David is distressed over the mistake and mourns Abner’s death.

·         Then one of Saul’s son’s, Ish-bosheth, is murdered by two of his own captains, they bring his head to David and David avenges that murder.

·         In the end David becomes King over ALL the 12 tribes of Israel for what will be 40 years.

Beyond the action we see David continuing to honor the anointed of God, Saul, and his descendants. And we see David continuing to inquire of the Lord, in this instance regarding whether or not he should go into battle (2 Samuel 5: 19). All of these are good character traits for the king!

In the New Testament we come across Luke’s telling of Jesus’ saying, “take up your cross and follow me.” We read rather dramatic words from Jesus. Followers must hate father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters…yes even his own life…count the cost of following says Jesus.

Many have read the words from Luke (and the other Gospels) and rightly wrestled with them. Some have suggested they are hyperbole. Jesus is using an exaggeration to make a point. Others have suggested that he literally means it.

Bishop NT Wright posits two scenarios. Picture a politician standing on a soap box and saying, “If you vote for me you will lose your home and your families…so vote for me!” The second, someone leading an expedition: “From here on it is very dangerous, we will have to leave all our supplies to make it through the tough terrain, and you may want to write a post card to your family, for we may not make it.” Bishop Wright suggests it is much more the second scenario.

Jesus is inviting his disciples then and now to follow him. And He is inviting them not into a battle with Rome, but rather a battle to break the strongholds of evil by becoming people of peace. They no doubt will find themselves on a cross.

Dietrich Bonheoffer, in his book Cost of Discipleship, wrote, “When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.” Dietrich was a famous German scholar and pastor of the 20^th century who opposed Hitler. Many biographies have been written about him. A recent biography by Eric Metaxas in 2010 is a NY Times bestseller and chronicles this journey for one amazing man.

The same has been true for centuries. Below I have posted a story of a young woman named Perpetua. We have her diary and in it we see her family pleading with her to renounce Christ; she does not. It is one of the most vivid, first hand descriptions of a family divided. Does she hate her family, certainly not! Yet her diary brings Jesus’ words to life…it seems to be more then hyperbole.

The question is really for us. Will we give up everything for Jesus? It is tough to ask hypothetically and the reality is that we can only answer a Divine Call with Divine Grace…don’t put all the pressure on yourself…ask God for His Grace as He calls you to follow.

From Christianity Today on August 8, 2008

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/martyrs/perpetua.html

There are many short write ups about Perpetua, but this one captures some nice quotes from her diary.

One story about a young woman named Perpetua might exemplify Jesus’ teaching. Thanks to her diary, and that of another prisoner, we have some idea of her last days—an ordeal that so impressed the famous Augustine that he preached four sermons about her death.

Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman who, at the turn of the third century, lived with her husband, her son, and her slave, Felicitas, in Carthage (in modern Tunis). At this time, North Africa was the center of a vibrant Christian community. It is no surprise, then, that when Emperor Septimius Severus determined to cripple Christianity (he believed it undermined Roman patriotism), he focused his attention on North Africa. Among the first to be arrested were five new Christians taking classes to prepare for baptism, one of whom was Perpetua.

Her father immediately came to her in prison. He was a pagan, and he saw an easy way for Perpetua to save herself. He entreated her simply to deny she was a Christian.

"Father do you see this vase here?" she replied. " Could it be called by any other name than what it is?"

"No," he replied.

"Well, neither can I be called anything other than what I am, a Christian."

In the next days, Perpetua was moved to a better part of the prison and allowed to breast-feed her child. With her hearing approaching, her father visited again, this time, pleading more passionately: "Have pity on my gray head. Have pity on me, your father, if I deserve to be called your father, if I have favored you above all your brothers, if I have raised you to reach this prime of your life."

He threw himself down before her and kissed her hands. "Do not abandon me to be the reproach of men. Think of your brothers; think of your mother and your aunt; think of your child, who will not be able to live once you are gone. Give up your pride!"

Perpetua was touched but remained unshaken. She tried to comfort her father—"It will all happen in the prisoner's dock as God wills, for you may be sure that we are not left to ourselves but are all in his power"—but he walked out of the prison dejected.

The day of the hearing arrived, Perpetua and her friends were marched before the governor, Hilarianus. Perpetua's friends were questioned first, and each in turn admitted to being a Christian, and each in turn refused to make a sacrifice (an act of emperor worship). Then the governor turned to question Perpetua.

At that moment, her father, carrying Perpetua's son in his arms, burst into the room. He grabbed Perpetua and pleaded, "Perform the sacrifice. Have pity on your baby!"

Hilarianus, probably wishing to avoid the unpleasantness of executing a mother who still suckled a child, added, "Have pity on your father's gray head; have pity on your infant son. Offer the sacrifice for the welfare of the emperor."

Perpetua replied simply: "I will not."

"Are you a Christian then?" asked the governor.

"Yes I am," Perpetua replied.

Her father interrupted again, begging her to sacrifice, but Hilarianus had heard enough: he ordered soldiers to beat him into silence. He then condemned Perpetua and her friends to die in the arena.

Perpetua, her friends, and her slave, Felicitas (who had subsequently been arrested), were dressed in belted tunics. When they entered the stadium, wild beasts and gladiators roamed the arena floor, and in the stands, crowds roared to see blood. They didn't have to wait long.

Immediately a wild heifer charged the group. Perpetua was tossed into the air and onto her back. She sat up, adjusted her ripped tunic, and walked over to help Felicitas. Then a leopard was let loose, and it wasn't long before the tunics of the Christians were stained with blood.

This was too deliberate for the impatient crowd, which began calling for death for the Christians. So Perpetua, Felicitas, and friends were lined up, and one by one, were slain by the sword.