9 October 2010
Psalm 137, 144; Micah 5:1-4,10-15; Acts 25:13-27; Luke 8:16-25

Micah prophesies that the Lord’s anointed, the deliverer, will come from Bethlehem, the city of David, the place where Jesus was born. This one will rule and will establish justice, equity and peace, the rule and reign of God in righteousness. In that day, the people of Israel will worship only Yahweh, all other idols and objects of worship will be removed from the land and they will become truly His. Do we long for that day when He rules supreme over the earth? Do we have a vision of what that would look like, God’s will done on earth as it already is in heaven, for His Kingdom to come? Do we work here on earth to show the world what that Kingdom entails? How can we do something tangible to show that to the world?

The disciples see that Jesus can command the wind and waves and they will obey Him. Surely they were thinking of creation when the Lord spoke and the elements obeyed perfectly. That is a stark contrast to human beings who disobeyed from the start. Jesus says that those who are His family are those who know and do the will of God, just as He Himself was doing, blood means little if they are not obedient to the word and will of the Father. Our role is to be like Jesus in every respect, obedient even unto death if it so please the Father. We don’t like pain or suffering so we opt out of that program, we hide our hope of eternal life under a bushel basket for fear of losing what we have here.

Festus says to Agrippa both privately and publicly, that he can find no reason for Rome to be involved in this matter concerning Paul as all the charges made against him relate only to religious superstition of the Jews. No one knows what to do with Paul or these charges and Paul won’t help them out by agreeing to go to Jerusalem. His appeal is to Roman justice, the right to face the accuser in public, be presented with charges, and provide a defense before an “impartial judge.” He knows what happened in the case of Jesus and is unwilling to allow himself to be judged by those who have already decided.

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues the peoples under him.
O LORD, what is man that thou dost regard him, or the son of man that thou dost think of him?
Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains that they smoke!