5 September 2010
Psalm 63, 98; Job 25:1-6, 27:1-6; Rev 14:1-7, 13; Matt 5:13-20

Bildad’s argument is sound, God’s holiness is greater than anything of which mankind is capable. It is no good for Job to claim purity in his life because God’s holiness won’t allow any stain at all. Where he goes off the rails is in describing man as a maggot and a worm. We are created in the image of God and He seeks relationship with us, made us uniquely with that intention. Job refuses to yield his innocence simply because Bildad and the others say he must be guilty. Job believes God is just while at the same time believes God is denying him justice on a personal level, he is appealing to God against God. He acknowledges God is sovereign and his appeal is to God alone while at the same time accusing God of injustice in his situation. Have you ever felt that way?

In the Gospel we are told what our work on earth is, being salt and light. Often we hide ourselves from the world by remaining completely apart from it in spite of Jesus’ own witness of living a very public life among sinners, both religious and otherwise. If the world never sees another way, how can they know there is another way and how can they give glory to a God about whom they never hear? Jesus’ standard for righteousness is higher than we can imagine. “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” is an impossible task and everyone there would have known that, most especially the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus’ righteousness, however, exceeds theirs and if we put our faith and trust in Him then we have His righteousness imputed to us as if it were our own.

John sees the heavenly host of the Lamb, 144,000 of them in array singing a new song. They are the firstfruits of those redeemed from the earth, those who have resisted the beast and who now serve the Lamb. The angel speaks to all those who live, to fear God and give Him glory as his judgment has come. Do we understand that we should indeed fear God’s judgment, that none of us is able to be declared innocent but for his mercy in Jesus? Finally, the Spirit (a voice from heaven) speaks and declares the blessedness of the dead, a passage we use in Anglican funerals to describe those who have completed their toil on this earth.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.