28 October 2010
Psalm 50; Ecclus 31.12-18, 25-32.2; Rev 12.7-17; Luke 11.53-12.12

Is the writer urging moderation in all things or is he speaking of something greater like self-discipline? It seems likely that he is calling us to self-discipline, something many seem to have forgotten. Yesterday we heard of sins of the tongue and today we have sins of the eye and the palate. We are to discipline ourselves not to take our satisfaction from food and wine like Isaiah encourages in his prophecy, "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” In all that we have and all that we enjoy do we leave room for the most important thing of all or are we satisfied with that which always requires more?

The Pharisees are angry because Jesus has exposed them and they now do all they can to trap Him and diminish Him in the eyes of the people. His warning to the disciples not to fear only those who can harm the body is a word well considered as they will find themselves on the receiving end of this hostility after Jesus is gone and they will have reason to fear in the flesh but not in the Spirit. Once Jesus has overcome death and the grave and set His Spirit on them and in them they know that death is not the final answer and therefore the final word belongs to God and it is life to those who confess Him before men. The Spirit of God is the wisdom of God and it sees beyond this life to that which is truly life and calls us onwards and calls us from fear to faith.

The battle over the child is waged in the heavens and Michael and the angels and archangels fight valiantly and win the victory, throwing satan out of heaven. John gives us several descriptions of this dragon to let us know who he is. He is the ancient serpent, the one from the garden. He is known as the devil and the satan, the one who has always been the accuser of the brethren (see Job 1 and Zechariah 3). Those who are victorious are those who have persevered unto death, not fearing the ones who have power only over the body. As the dragon cannot destroy the woman he wages war against her offspring. We need not fear, however, we must persevere in the battle to the end if we would win the crown of life.

Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.