22 March 2010
Psalm 31; Exod. 4:10-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-19; Mark 9:30-41

Moses protests that he is unable to do the work the Lord has given him to do, that he is unable to speak well enough. The Lord gives Aaron to him as a helper but what he says is what Moses will tell him to say. The Lord will speak to Moses and Moses will speak to Aaron. The message Moses is given for Pharaoh is even more offensive in the end, because you don’t recognize the Lord and His people, the Lord will destroy your firstborn son. Shortly after Moses leaves Midian, the Lord breaks out against Moses for having failed to live into the covenant obligation to circumcise his own firstborn son. He can only be the Lord’s anointed to the extent he is keeping covenant, even Moses doesn’t get a pass. We can be sure that Moses was quite relieved by the people’s recognition and acceptance of him as the Lord’s anointed. What lay in store for them was quite a ride.

Jesus begins preparing the disciples for what is to come. He moves up to Galilee out of range of the Pharisees who tended to concentrate in Jerusalem. As they travel the disciples, amazingly, begin arguing over which of them is the greatest. This comes just after the Transfiguration and the healing of the boy by Jesus that they couldn’t do themselves. If you had just seen what Peter, James and John had seen on the mountain how could you possibly engage in this argument? Human nature being what it is, this isn’t surprising. John’s question about someone not of their party doing a work in Jesus’ name is interesting. What does it mean to invoke the name of Jesus to do something? We see the same thing in Acts 19 with the sons of Sceva, Jewish exorcists, who attempt to use the name as an incantation for their work. The demons turn on these men with the words, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" That question returns to the argument about the disciples and says that none of us is great in and of ourselves, it is only to the extent that the power of God dwells in us that we have power at all.

Apparently there was some spiritual pride among the Corinthians related to the gift of tongues. Sadly, the same is often true today, those with that gift often look down on those who do not have the gift. Paul here is attempting to restore the gift of tongues to its proper place among them. His remarks are not to say that tongues is unimportant but that it simply builds up the one who uses it rather than gifts like prophecy which can be understood by all and serve to build up all who hear it. Paul places the value of gifts in a sort of hierarchy as to whether they build up a single person or the body. Why would we come to the conclusion that tongues is the ultimate sign that someone has the Spirit? They are certainly a sign but they are not the be all, end all. Jesus said that by our fruit we would be known, not by our gifts.

Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
O LORD, let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon you
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!