3 May 2010
Psalm 56, 57; Lev. 16:1-19; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 6:1-6,16-18

The passage from Leviticus begins with an abrupt statement that the sons of Aaron have died. The story of this is found in Numbers 3, the two sons of Aaron offered “strange fire” before the Lord. A better translation might be “unauthorized fire.” The Lord provided the fire for the altar of sacrifice and it was the responsibility of the priests to keep that fire stoked and burning always. The sons seem to have brought fire from an altar of another “god” and mingled it with the Lord’s fire and for this they lost their lives. Priests/pastors have an obligation in our New Testament days to do the same as has always been required of those who would serve, not to bring “strange fire” to their people. We have an obligation to keep the faith once delivered to the saints and not mingle other religions or faith with it. Because they died in defiance of the Lord’s command, Aaron is commanded not to grieve over these two.

Our works of piety are for the eyes of the Lord, not the eyes and approval of the world. It isn’t always possible, perhaps, to avoid the world knowing what we do in His Name, but the principle remains. It is easy to take pride in our work for the Lord, to have wrong motives for our service. Jesus calls us to a life that is characterized by these things: giving alms (providing for the poor), prayer and fasting, but to do so in a way that does not call attention to either the works or to ourselves in doing them.

Paul encourages the Thessalonians to grieve for those who have died as those with hope of the resurrection. We are not to mourn as the world mourns, but even in death and grief we are to be distinct from the world. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus for anger over death and the grave, the product of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil rather than the tree of life. It is human to grieve the loss of those we love, but as Christians we have the assurance that if they were in Christ we will be gloriously and eternally reunited with them. Grief is human but Christ has given us the hope and promise of life, so we know that there will come a day when we will never be parted.

I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.