DAY 141

SENTIMENT

1 Chronicles 13, 14 & 15 and John 7:1-27

Our readings from the Old Testament describe a scene we read back on April 19 (Day 109). I highlighted this situation with Uzzah & the Ark, and Michal and her husband David. The point of course with the Ark is that they knew better. They knew they were supposed to carry it on poles. The point with Michal is that she is somehow jealous of David and looking for a reason to despise him.

Jesus has to deal with some similar sentiments in John 7. It is the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles). We know from our Old Testament reading thus far that there are seven Jewish Festivals and three of them require people to go to Jerusalem – this is one of those three.

It is a fall harvest festival and it is designed (as so many of their festivals are) to draw them into the marvelous works that God did as He delivered them from Egypt. The “booths” in the feast are temporary dwellings they build in their backyards, on their roofs, wherever, to remind them of what they lived in before God brought them to the Promised Land. This year the Feast of Booths is Sept 27, 2013.

Jesus’ brothers are encouraging him to go to Jerusalem for the Feast. They want him to have his “coming out party.” It is like going to NYC to star on Broadway, or Hollywood for the movies, or Nashville for Country Music. If you want to make it in the big time, you go to the “big city.” Jerusalem is the “big city” for Messiah. Remarkably, Jerusalem, like its modern day counterparts, embodies the attitudes of the world – not the attitudes of God’s Kingdom.

Yet Jesus knows this is not his time, the Feast of Tabernacles has some things that point forward to his mission. But Jesus has been talking about something that has more the shape of Passover than Booth’s.

Yet he does go, quietly, or as quietly as he can. In the middle of the Festival (a week long) He begins teaching in Temple. Two issues arise. First, who taught him? A pretty standard question: most Rabbis studied under another Rabbi. We have similar professions in our world where people list the person they studied under, more than the degree they have earned. Jesus’ answer – “from the one who sent me"…i.e. God! The second issue is whether His teaching is good. Jesus says you should be able to tell if the teaching is from God; “judge my teaching!”

People today continue to be impressed with Jesus’ teaching…and they struggle with his claim that He is the long awaited Christ. Tomorrow we will read more about this episode of the Feast of Booths, for today the Scriptures seem to be presenting Jesus and inviting us to answer for ourselves who we think he is and what our sentiment is towards him.

DAY 140

SEEK LIFE PART TWO

1 Chronicles 10, 11 & 12 and John 6:45-71

You may recall when we first began reading the Bible how we read Deuteronomy; the second telling of the Law. 1 & 2 Chronicles is in some ways the second telling of the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Just as the Law is important for us to get sorted out in our minds, the history of the kingdom is equally important. We will move onto the prophets and they will be speaking God’s Word to the kings in the middle of the nations challenging situations; to have those situations clear in our minds will help us when we get to those prophetic words. It is also helpful to understand how powerful a narrative this history is in the minds of the Jewish people of the Jesus’ day – a narrative that He will spend considerable time getting them to reconsider.

Today we have read again how Saul kills himself, how the Philistines take his body and display it, how his body is recovered, and how David (who has been anointed for awhile by Samuel) comes officially to the throne. You have heard this story before, but we get some additional details. Just one example is how Joab became David’s general; he is the commander who captured Jerusalem for David – a very impressive feat.

I mentioned that Jesus has his work cut out for Him in regards to getting the people to understand that the goal of religious life in Judaism is not about a new earthly kingdom – rather the Kingdom of God is about life…real life.

In the New Testament today we continue on in the story of Jesus speaking with people about “real life.” Jesus says He is the Bread of Life: “Unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood you shall not have life within you.” We read about this yesterday, but we also in this blog looked at Luke’s version of the Last Supper as recently as May 2^nd. In the May 2^nd blog I spent some time talking about the ancient idea of deeply “remembering.” The Greeks called it anamnesis. Here in John, Jesus is talking similarly about Communion. The setting is different. He is in a synagogue in Capernaum, but the point is the similar. Unless you deeply believe in Jesus as the Son of Man, unless you deeply take Him into yourself, unless you become one as He and the Father are one…then you won’t have life…real and eternal life.

The Jews of Jesus day just could not process this idea. They may think He is speaking of cannibalism, I am not sure. Let me tell you what I am sure of: I am sure they think that if Jesus is the Messiah, that He has it all wrong because He is not talking about establishing the new Israelite nation. Before we get to critical of the people of Jesus day (20/20 hind sight) let’s look at what we don’t “get” in our own day. Today, especially in the West, we have reduced this teaching of Jesus down to “getting into heaven.” We are trapped by our own paradigms.

Jesus means much more. Jesus means real, full-on, life. Life that is so above the petty and no-so-petty worries of our world, that we transcend the issues which so often weigh us down. I am NOT talking about somehow floating above the difficulties in our lives to the point that we seem almost oblivious. No, I am talking about having our feet so firmly planted in the reality of God come to earth in Jesus Christ, that we are able to not just see, but live our lives, day in and day out, in this reality of Christ in us.

Today we celebrated Holy Communion. I stood before the altar at the Cathedral with the choir singing, with incense, with vestments…with all the pageantry of the service. I looked down as I said the Communion Prayer and gazed at the host and the cup. I saw the simple bread and wine. I thought, I prayed, Lord come into us, renew us, strengthen us, transport us, empower us…to live as your people…to shine your light in the world.

It is clear to me that the only way I can do this “living” and this “shining of His light” is if I get more firmly rooted in Him. My feet need to be even more firmly planted. While I don’t “have it all figured out,” I do love Peter’s words today; they ring true for me.

Peter’s words come after many in the Gospel abandoned Jesus because of this confusing teaching about eating flesh and drinking blood. After their departure Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them if they are leaving too? Peter who we at times pick on and who I think doesn’t understand what Jesus is talking about either says the best possible answer. “To whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Isn’t that quite frankly the simplest answer? When we look at all Jesus has said and done, don’t we know that “He is Lord and He has the words of life.” Why would we go anywhere else – seek Life…seek Him.

DAY 139

SEEK LIFE

1 Chronicles 7, 8 & 9 and John 6:22-44

More genealogies, but now you might see the point. The Jewish people will be returning (and that story is coming). The point of the genealogies is in part meant to connect them, to connect them back to their beginnings.

Jesus is continuing to connect back – He is now saying that He is the Bread of Life. This in not just an illusion to manna, Jesus outright tells them, “It was not Moses who gave them bread, but the Father. And now the Father will give bread that gives life to the world, “Give us this bread”” they say – Jesus’ answer – I am the bread that gives life to the world…the Bread of Life.

This teaching from Jesus is going to continue tomorrow, but let’s deal with a few things right now. Jesus is again pointing to the Father through himself. He is not trying to give glory to himself. He is concerned about the people. “Stop worrying about what you will eat, or drink, or wear…and seek first the Kingdom.” That is how he described his concern for them in Matthew. In John we see the same concern expressed differently – seek things eternal – seek life.

Jesus is trying to get those who will listen – and that includes those of us today – to stop chasing after earthly concerns and to seek things eternal…to seek life. He goes on to say that if we come to Him, He will never cast us out…even when we are not at our best. This is a message to plant deeply inside yourself and this is a verse “those who come to Me, I will never cast out” is a verse to memorize.

You and I live in a world that is constantly trying to get us to chase after “things earthly.” The world’s efforts are somewhat successful. We all spend a fair bit of time doing exactly that. I am asking myself what I might need to stop chasing in order to have more life. How can I have more life? Jesus would suggest that it is in and through Him. Today is Sunday. We have Holy Communion each Sunday. We partake of the Bread of Life. We come each week and believe the words Jesus spoke, “This is my Body” he said. We gather around His Table remembering all He had done and continues to do. We hear his Word, we smell our prayers rising as incense, we see the beauty of the church, we touch and taste the very One in whose present we have come to receive life.

DAY 138

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT?

1 Chronicles 4, 5 & 6 and John 6:1-21

More genealogies: most of these characters you and I have read about – we know them.

For many of these days I have felt like I have focused more on the Old Testament then the New – today I get a chance to spend a little focused time on the John.

I hope you are not too surprised that chapter six of John has a lot to do with God in the Old Testament. Think Creation and Exodus. What do you make of Jesus feeding 5,000? How do you explain it? Is it some magic trick? Hardly: Jesus is creating food – just as God created the world! Ponder that for a moment. Here is Jesus standing on the earth, and He does what He did “in the beginning”; He creates.

In the text we hear the echoes of Exodus. John points out that it is the Passover. John’s Gospel is not like a mystery novel (I just finished reading one Death by Holy Orders – P.D. James). Mystery novels love to give all sorts of details; most of them send us down blind alleys. John’s Gospel has all sorts of details; none of them send us down blind alleys. All John’s details serve a purpose.

So what does the Passover commemorate? It celebrates God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt – through the water. It celebrates this with a communal meal. Here is Jesus, God walking the earth; walking on water and feeding 5,000. John will spend his Gospel pointing us to Jesus – Messiah and King – delivering us from the slavery of sin – don’t miss the signs.

While what you just read is a very short commentary on John’s Gospel, I have a much more pertinent question: Do you believe it? Do you believe Jesus fed 5,000 and walked on water? People seem to be able to believe He healed others, but they have trouble with these miracles – how about you?

How would you explain it? Most would say, “You cannot explain it, it is a miracle.” True enough. Many people want explanations and don’t like “it’s a miracle.” I often describe miracles as things that are beyond nature. It is beyond our explanation because we explain things with natural laws, and God is acting beyond nature. But recently I have been thinking about and toying with another idea. If God created this world, then God so understands the world He created, that He could easily manipulate it. It is kind of like someone who just got their automobile learning permit as compared to Jeff Gordan – Jeff really knows how to manipulate a car.

Regardless, the point of these signs and others is to bring us to realize that Jesus is someone very special, and then to look and listen…and decide. Is Jesus who He claims to be…because this will make all the difference, and that is worth more than any single explanation.

DAY 137

IDENTITY

1 Chronicles 1, 2 & 3 and John 5:25-46

Today we begin a new Old Testament Book. Before I get to the genealogies, let’s just get a sense of what it is about. 1 and 2 Chronicles, originally one book, is thought to be written after Judah began to return from Babylonian exile around 538 BC. We just read about how they were exiled, and we will be reading about the return of some of the people. It focuses primarily on the history of the southern kingdom, Judah.

With that short introduction, your mind might get a little numb from the genealogies, but you also might notices that they focus down on David’s line. In many ways Chronicles goal is thought to be one that is meant to reassure the returned exiles of God’s faithfulness. I ended yesterday’s blog with the question of what was God’s plan; how would He be faithful? This question is one that certainly would be on the minds of those, the remnant, who are returning. Chronicles therefore opens by setting the stage…in essence saying, “OK, let’s just remember who we are.” Genealogies do that; they can serve to ground us in our identity.

Jesus in the New Testament is sharing His identity. Let’s just set the stage. He is in Jerusalem. He has healed a man by a pool who could not walk. He of course did it on the Sabbath.

I think Jesus healed lots of people on the other six days of the week and they are not recorded. It seems that because the Sabbath healings caused the most controversy, they then gave Jesus the opportunity to teach. Jesus healings flowed from His compassion, but they certainly have a larger point – to teach the world a few things. First, look who He heals; it seems to be all who come to him (not just the elite or those with the right genealogy). Second, He heals in order to reveal who He is; His identity.

The text today is about Him sharing this identity. He certainly connects himself to the Father, but he also connects himself to Moses. In the closing verse for today’s reading Jesus says, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me.” People are having trouble believing Jesus is who He is claiming to be, in part because He threatens how they think about God, and in part because for some He will challenge the power systems which they control.

The question you might ponder today is “who are you?” How do you identify yourself? Are you a mom or dad; son or daughter; aunt or uncle; employee or boss? How about hobbies: a sailor, a gardener, a car enthusiast, a musician, a woodworker…? We all wear many hats.

I want you to go deeper. What is you deepest identity, your core? Some of us stop with our earthly genealogy. Some of us allow our parents, our education, our ethnicity, our...you fill in the blank - to define us. Jesus has come into the world so that you will know that at your core you are made in God's image (Genesis) and that you are a son or daughter of Almighty God Jesus has come into this world so that you will know the One whom He calls Father – you can call Father. God has proclaimed this: we are not just “His people”, we are also His family (2 Corinthians 6:18).

DAY 136

WHAT’S THE PLAN NOW?

2 Kings 24 & 25 and John 5:1-24

Today is a sad day, but not unexpected. In the Old Testament we read of the final fall of the Nation of Judah and the City of Jerusalem. The Temple is looted and destroyed. The king and the people carried off. There is a bit of back and forth; it took Babylon a few tries, but ultimately the people of Judah are defeated. The Temple will never be as great as it was up to this point. The Temple of Jesus’ day is not this Temple.

One of the motifs that will now become a part of the Jewish ethos is loss: they have lost their nation and they have lost their Temple. It is a motif that continues through to today. The other two words that you will hear is “exile” and “dispersion” (or even Diaspora). These words refer the fact that the people were “dispersed” throughout the land and/or “exiled” in Babylon.

As we go forward in our reading we will hear these themes, and specifically how God speaks to the people – because here is the question: How does God, who is faithful, act to fulfill the Covenant. Think back to Genesis 15, where the animals were cut in half and a smoking pot and flaming torch passed between them. That was God saying “may I be torn in two if you (Abraham and your descendents) fail to keep the Covenant.” They have experienced what seems to be the ultimate destruction. They had a great nation, they were a great people, and now it is gone. What will God do next?

We will in the coming months read the prophets, the people who were the successors to Elijah. These people, with names like Isaiah and Jeremiah, will exhort the people to hold onto God’s faithfulness, and that God will send a deliver – a Messiah – to restore them.

This idea of Messiah is an idea that is planted in the fall of Judah and Jerusalem. It is a seed that grows in the minds and hearts of the people. It grows in a way that leads them to believe that the Messiah will come and “restore” them to the grandeur of old. A new Jewish king will sit on the throne in Jerusalem and they will not be subject to foreign powers.

Can you see the tension into which Jesus steps? He is on the scene some five centuries later. He is walking around proclaiming the Kingdom of God is at hand…but he is doing it all wrong. Wouldn’t the new kingdom look like King David’s or even better King Solomon’s? Yet He goes to the outcasts: the sick, the tax collectors and the prostitutes. He doesn’t collude with the Temple Authorities (yes there is another Temple, we will read about how in the coming weeks). He, in fact, challenges them at most every turn.

Today He is off healing on the Sabbath again. How dare He? His answer is simple. “Truly, truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing…” (Jn. 5:19). Jesus goes on to claim even more authority, the authority of life over death. The Gospels, all of them, raise one basic question as they present the story of this man Jesus. Is he who he claims to be? Is He the long awaited Messiah? Is He the answer to the question of how God will be faithful? Today he claims that He is – for He is the Father’s Son.

DAY 135

IS IT ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO TURN OUT RIGHT?

2 Kings 22 & 23 and John 4:31-54

The fairy tales that were read to us when we were young often ended with, “And they all lived happily ever after.” The TV shows we watched always got it all sorted out in 30 minutes. That sentiment coupled with all we have been reading in the Old Testament makes for a formula for disaster.

You may have subconsciously in your mind the following formula: “God blesses good kings, and punishes bad kings, therefore do what is good so God will bless you.” Is this the calculus of our faith? It certainly isn’t life; bad things happen to so called good people all the time.

It also is not the calculus of God. Certainly we have read that when kings and others have repented that God has relented, or delayed his judgment, but that doesn’t mean our God is not a God of Justice.  We all want justice, except of course when we are on trial…then we want mercy.

I bring this up because today we read of an amazing king, Josiah. He was a good king. He repairs the Temple and in doing so finds the Book of the Law. He not only has it read aloud – he follows it. Did you catch that bit about how they had not celebrated the Passover since the time of Judges! So does that mean King David didn’t? I have to go and research that a bit, but it would appear from our reading today to be the case.

Maybe as you read you were thinking that King Josiah is so good that his deeds will “cancel out” all the bad done by others – isn’t that what we think? That my friend is not biblical thinking. That is something called “karma.” Karma is the idea that you have to make up for all your mistakes, and when you do, it will all be OK. It is a theology that then leads to a theology of reincarnation because you are always behind playing “catch-up.” It is often the de-facto way people today think.

Biblical thinking is that we have a God of Justice, Love and Mercy. We have been reading about Him and His People, their centuries of history of following (and mostly not following) Him.

And so the kingdom of Judah is taken away at the end of King Josiah’s reign. Might you cry out, “Not fair!” It is all but done. The last few chapters of the 2 Kings will finish out the story.

This sad and poignant moment is what makes Jesus coming to earth so significant. He is God’s sacrifice, God’s justice for “the sins of the world.” Because Jesus has come to earth and paid the price God has received justice and we have available grace and mercy.

I was once told the following story by way of example. You find yourself in court. You are guilty. The prosecutor has you “five ways from Sunday.” You look up and your old school friend is the judge. You remember you were best friends. The case proceeds and it comes to the time of the verdict. Your friend looks you in the eye, announces guilty, and down goes the gavel. Then a remarkable thing happens. The judge, your friend, gets down from behind the bench, takes off his robe, comes and stands next to you, and says, “I will pay the price.”

Some people don’t like that story. They say it makes God too demanding. My answer is usually with a question, I ask, “Then tell me how we can ever have justice if God does not expect it?” I know of no other way. The Psalmist writes that “justice and mercy” have kissed. He is writing about Jesus.