31 December 2011

Psalm 46, 48; 1 Kings 3:5-14; James 4:13-17,5:7-11; John 5:1-15

The Lord gives Solomon permission and a promise.  He has permission to ask for whatever his heart desires and the promise that it will be done.  Solomon’s response begins appropriately by recounting all the Lord has done for his father David and also for him in giving him the throne.  He has accepted the responsibility and has a desire to be an effective, good and godly ruler and so wisely asks for wisdom.  The request proves that Solomon already has an extraordinary measure of wisdom and not simply knowledge.  What he receives then is divine wisdom that truly sets him apart.  Additionally, he receives everything else into the bargain.  Be careful what you ask for.  The principle is enshrined in Proverbs 4.7 - Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

The third sign that John records is quite dramatic.  A man lame for 38 years has his ability to walk restored and not only that, he is able to carry a mattress!  He believes that the water can save him but needs help to get there but that isn’t an answer to Jesus’ question, “Do you want to be healed?”  Why did he believe he could walk?  He seems not to have known who Jesus was based on his later inability to identify Him.  He wasn’t particularly good at answering questions.  He sounds a bit like Eve in his reply to the Jews confrontation concerning the law.  They actually didn’t ask him anything but he is avoiding blame rather than giving praise, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, 'Take up your bed, and walk.'"  Jesus tells him to avoid sin in order that something worse not happen to him.  Was the paralysis a result of sin?  Oddly, after this he goes to inform the Jews who it was who had healed him.  Why?

Knowledge is knowing the right thing to do.  Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do and doing it.  This passage speaks a powerful word against word-faith doctrine.  It is the height of presumption and not faith to believe that we can do whatever we proclaim if we do so in the name of the Lord.  He is not bound by words of men to perform anything.  We are to discern His will and then act accordingly.  Our faith is in Him, not in anything else, and it is humbly submitted to His will not our desires, no matter how kingdom-based.  We are to be patient, in other words, not impulsively striking out on our own but waiting for Him to make His will known and to act before we move out.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,

Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;

We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;

Refrain

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,

We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;

Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

Refrain

Tune

30 December 2011

Psalm 20, 21; 1 Kings 17:17-24, 3 John 1-15, John 4:46-54

When we first met this woman, a widow in Zarephath in the time of the drought Elijah had foretold because of the wickedness of Jezebel and her weak husband Ahab, she was prepared to die and also was willing to risk what little she had in order to provide for this prophet.  The Lord had provided a continuous supply of flour, oil and water for her, her son and Elijah and surely they had marveled that the supply never ran out and surely they had offered thanks to Him.  Now, however, after some time, the boy she was prepared to see die in the beginning, does indeed die and she confronts Elijah that this is his fault.  Her complaint is that surely this is the true purpose of his visit to her, the boy’s death is judgment for some sin in her life.  That conclusion is incredibly natural to us isn’t it?  After the boy is brought back to life her response is that this has proven Elijah to be a man of God and his words are true.  Did the provision of God not serve as such a sign or did her faith grow in this sign?

The second sign Jesus did was also at Cana in Galilee.  This comes after the encounter with the Samaritan woman and a few days among the Samaritans who came to faith in Jesus, after He had gone to Jerusalem.  At Capernaum a royal official comes to ask Jesus to help his son.  Jesus’ response is that we aren’t to base our faith on signs and wonders but what has that to do with the man’s request to heal his son?  If he didn’t believe would he have asked Jesus to heal the boy?  Jesus’ response calls forth a statement of faith which is found in the belief that if Jesus doesn’t come the boy will die.  Finally, Jesus requires faith not in sight but simply in His Word and the man is able to believe that Jesus can heal without coming,  Extraordinary faith indeed!

John writes particularly to “the beloved Gaius.”  The subject is that this Gaius should support, in whatever tangible way he is able, these men who have come as strangers to Gaius and the others, but also as brothers in the Lord.  John’s expectation is that the community will support these missionaries in order to encourage them to continue their journey of faithful service, having gone out “for the sake of the name.”  John also makes a threat to expose Diotrephes who has set himself above all others, even, apparently, the apostles, and hinders others work.  We are indeed to welcome those who come to us in faith and with the Word and the Spirit, and we are to provide for them as we are able to encourage their faith. 

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;

O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,

Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;

We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;

Refrain

Tune

29 December 2011

Psalm 18:1-20; 2 Samuel 23:13-17b; 2 John 1-13; John 2:1-11

The three mighty men loved David enough to risk their lives to obtain that which he desired, water from the well at Bethlehem.  David inspired great love and great risk among his intimates.  Jonathan was willing to lay aside his claim to the kingship of Israel in favor of David and other men were willing to do extraordinary things not to win his favor but, seemingly, simply because of love for him.  David was always willing to risk greatly as well and this inspired those around him to take great risks.  David recognizes their love and their risk and pours out the water he so desired and for which they risked their lives.  Does he dishonor their sacrifice?  No, he wants to dissuade them from taking such risks on his behalf.  He recognizes that he is unworthy of such love that anyone would lay down his life for David’s sake.  That should be our attitude towards Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf and yet He has done so therefore we should humbly accept it, thank Him and take up our own cross and follow Him.

John records the first “sign” that Jesus performed as the changing of water into wine at the wedding at Cana in Galilee.  It was a private affair, only the disciples, Mary, and those who had drawn the water were aware of this act.  Mary prevails upon Jesus to do something to avoid the embarrassment of the hosts of the wedding feast, perhaps partially caused by Jesus bringing the disciples along to the feast.  Initially, Jesus responds that it is not His responsibility but then decides that this is an opportunity to show this new group of disciples He has gathered something of His greatness.  This would have produced an enormous volume of wine and of the best quality.  John tells us that the result was the disciples believed in Him.  What did they believe?  For John, belief is a continuum, they believe more and more as they see more signs.  It is true of us as well, our faith should grow as we walk with Him.

How can a child show love for a parent?  They can bring gifts, display affection, or they can obey.  I can show love for my wife by being faithful to her, doing those things that please her, and refraining from things that hurt or displease her.  John says that we show love for Jesus by keeping his commandments, including loving one another.  Our obedience to His commandments shows that we value His sacrifice and love Him and want to please Him rather than causing Him grief over us.  John says that, in fact, those who don’t keep His teaching aren’t from Him because if they were their one desire would be to, as Paul wrote, walk worthy.  The best way to acknowledge our unworthiness to receive His sacrifice is to begin to do our best, in the power of the Spirit, to walk worthy from henceforth.  A good New Year’s resolution if I ever heard one.

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,

Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;

Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

Refrain

Tune

28 December 2011 – Holy Innocents

Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14

Today we remember the Holy Innocents, those children whom Herod had put to death in his fear of the king of the Jews rising up after the visit of the Magi.  We also should recall those children whom Pharaoh put to death in Egypt when he feared that the Jews were becoming too numerous.

Isaiah says that all the weeping over the children of your bereavement will be swallowed up in victory.  The reversal of fortune will be glorious, Jerusalem will be the crowning glory of the world.  There will be no room for all her inhabitants and the kings of the earth will be subservient to the Jews, they will be foster parents and wet nurses to the children of Israel.  Isaiah’s vision says that they will lick the dust from the feet of the Jews, certainly extraordinary subservience.  The vision is perhaps a bit too literal in light of the work of Jesus and our understanding of divine grace as the means of salvation, but understandable in light of the plight of the Jews in the time of Isaiah to wish for such recompense for suffering.

When asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven Jesus chose a child as the exemplar, one with the faith of a child.  He wasn’t proclaiming a child to be innocent under the law, certainly we were all born to sin but He did speak to the issue of teaching a child to sin as a grievous thing.  While we are born in sin we must also at some level be tempted to sin and therefore taught to sin.  The serpent tempted Eve who had the capacity for actual sin within her and we must be careful with children to preserve their relative innocence by what we expose them to in this life.  It is a difficult world to live in, filled with sin, and how we protect our children while preparing them to live within this world is a difficult thing to answer.  Their faith is complete and innocent in its ultimate trust in the Word of God, not doubting or questioning, and it is the world that leads them astray.  The Good News is that Jesus searches for the lost ones, praise the Lord!

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Tune

27 December 2011 – St John

Psalm 97, 98; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 13:20-35

Today we remember St John, who wrote with such beauty and clarity about Jesus.  John’s Gospel is known as the one with the highest Christology, the one which sets out to elevate Jesus the highest.  I would encourage you to read also today the first 18 verses of John’s Gospel in light of the lesson from Proverbs.

This passage has always been interpreted as referring to wisdom.  We know that Jesus is the wisdom of God.  In I Corinthians 1 Paul refers to Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God.  He writes that Jesus has become to us wisdom from God.  Paul tells the Corinthians that Jesus is greater than the wisdom of this age, and the folly of God is greater than the wisdom of men.  The writer of Proverbs tells us why that is, wisdom, Christ Jesus, existed before all things came into being.  There was never a time when wisdom, personified in Jesus, didn’t exist so He knows all things including the reason for all things.  Because of this, we can trust His wisdom like none other.  We can get no greater wisdom because nothing else can know as far back as Jesus.  His wisdom knows no limits while all else is necessarily limited.

The passage begins with a logical statement.  If you receive the one I send then you receive me,  and if you receive me you receive the one I send.  There are only two ways that can be true.  First, the one sent and the one sending can be one and the same.  Second, the one sending has the authority of the sender and speaks completely truthfully for the sender, in other words, he is a perfect representative.  We believe the first explanation concerning Jesus, that He and the Father are one, just as He claimed to be.  In this passage we see John receiving revelation concerning the betrayer and then we hear the teaching with John is most closely associated, love one another.  Because John knew Jesus so intimately, believed in that oneness of being with the Father, John majored in this command of Jesus in his Gospel and in the epistles he wrote.  He saw Jesus as the wisdom of God but also perhaps more importantly, the love of God.  We need both to have a balance picture.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

Tune