21 October 2010
Psalm 37:1-18; Ecclus. 10:1-18; Rev. 9:1-12; Luke 10:25-37

Wise and Godly leadership is important to the welfare of a land and of its people. We are called to pray for our leaders, both in the selection of the leaders and in their governance. It is our duty as Christians to pray for all our leaders, whether we agree with them or not. We are also called to pray for our enemies. I wish that more Christians prayed for our leaders than criticized their every move. Perhaps we could start something. Every time we criticize our leaders we could require ourselves to pray for them in return, that the Lord give them wisdom and His Spirit to guide them. If we would have wise leaders who follow the will of the Lord it is incumbent on us to ask God to bless them in this way and to pray fervently for that. He is sovereign over all kingdoms and all times, do our prayers reflect that belief?

The lawyer had two motives for his questions, to test Jesus and to justify himself. I think I recognize those motives. Jesus tells him that he knows what to do to inherit eternal life, love God and love your neighbor, now, as the Nike ads said, “Just do it.” Well, first I need some help, who is my neighbor? What he is really asking is, who do I have to love and who is it okay for me to ignore because he knows you can’t do evil to anyone. Jesus doesn’t answer the question directly but tells the parable of the Good Samaritan and then asks the question, “Who was the neighbor?” The first two characters were driven by law considerations to avoid contact with blood and perhaps a dead body but the Samaritan was driven by loving concern for a fellow human being. The answer to the question of “Who is my neighbor?” is “Whoever needs a neighbor.”

What a horrifying picture this reading from Revelation presents to us! Locusts are set forth from the pit of hell onto earth not, as in olden times, to destroy crops but to destroy people. They torment human beings for five months as a plague and in that season the misery will be so great that people will long for death to end the misery but it will not come. It may sound horrible but in this there is mercy, these woes are signs to call people to repent and turn to God, particularly since the sealed ones are not subject to the woe. Hearts are hardened against belief in God, however. We can find natural reasons for all things and neglect the obvious answer, God, because we don’t actually want the God who has such power.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.