1 October 2010
Psalm 102; Hosea 10:1-15; Acts 21:37-22:16; Luke 6:12-26

On our paper money we find the words, “In God we trust.” Do we? The people of God were trusting in Yahweh at some level but they had hedged their bets and were making supplication to other gods just in case they had some control over the factors of production. The place looked nice and prosperous, it even looked religious, they had many altars and nice pillars and even an idol. They had ascribed their prosperity to another rather than the One who had made covenant with them and who had been faithful to His promises. Their priorities seem to have been skewed towards prosperity rather than worship and the way to win them back was to wreak havoc on their prosperity. In an irreligious and technocratic age like our own, when we believe in the sciences rather than God, how does He get our attention?

Jesus spends the night in prayer before choosing the twelve from among all those who were following Him and then begins to teach the entire crowd that has gathered. His teaching it blessing and woe, much like Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy. Moses, however, is giving them a lesson on the future, Jesus is speaking in the present. Moses tells what will happen if they follow God and what will happen if they disobey. Jesus is present and therefore the time is now to decide. The message could be distilled to “seek the Lord.” If they set their store by things of earth like wealth, reputation and earthly happiness, they have received all they will get but if they take a God’s-eye view of things and have the mind of God, they will receive their reward in heaven. Much of Jesus’ teaching is based on these basic lessons. The question always comes back to “Why are you doing what you’re doing?”

What did Paul possibly think he had to gain by giving his testimony about his conversion? He was a man who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever he got the chance. He had been one of the most religious people of his day and yet what he knew was that his religion had not gotten him a single step closer to God than if he had done none of it. He hadn’t recognized the Messiah, he had rejected true righteousness in favor of religious righteousness. He knew the Bible but he didn’t know the God of the Bible. If we start with the understanding we are beloved, we will do all that we do not to win His love or to gain His favor but to return His love and seek His presence.

Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
but you are the same, and your years have no end.