29 September 2010
Psalm 101, 109; Hosea 4:11-19; Acts 21:15-26; Luke 5:27-39

The apostasy isn’t confined to the spiritual realm it seems, but it is also in the morality of the people. The particular complaint is against the northern kingdom of Israel as opposed to Judah. (Recall the two were separated when Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king) The complaints here related to the worship of the Baals involving new moons, bacchanalia, and orgies. Baal was a fertility god and worship of him took the form of what is known as “sympathetic magic.” Baal was thought to provide the rain on which agrarian economies depended and in order to entice the god to have relations with his consorts and provide the rain, his people engaged in relations on earth. The Israelites apparently took up this worship and these practices, an utter abomination to God. What things does the world do in order to achieve prosperity that are un-Christian and instead are superstition that Christians should not do?

The call of Matthew to be a disciple has the potential to become very divisive. The first disciples were all friends and fellow fishermen and now one is called who participates in a detestable profession, tax collector. Tax collectors were collaborators with the foreign government of Rome and their profession was questionable in that they were collecting the tribute demanded to the emperor, something Jews had ethical problems with. The first thing Matthew does is invite Jesus and the others to a feast at his home and the Pharisees swoop in like vultures asking the disciples why they are now sharing fellowship with such men as these. Jesus says that His mission is to reach those who are sick, acknowledging that they are indeed sinners, so they change their tactics to why are you feasting when John and his disciples fast. They have not accepted John in the first place and now they use him as a standard! Jesus’ answer points to His identity and the new age that has come.

Why does Paul do what the elders suggest here? Why does he participate in this Jewish ritual and custom? He was obedient to the elders of the church but the purpose was to appease the Jews who oppose him. We are often tempted to respond to our critics in order to get them on our side and when we do we are rarely successful we are simply compromised. Here, Paul’s compromise is completely unsuccessful and it is a wonder why he agreed to participate. It is important that we not bend our message to popular sentiment and that we not allow ourselves to be co-opted by religion or even by leaders if it is a matter of conscience. Engaging with critics is generally not worth the effort.

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save them from those who would condemn them to death.