22 March 2012

Psalm 69; Exod. 1:6-22; 1 Cor. 12:12-26; Mark 8:27-9:1

(I have no idea why the lesson would begin at verse 6)

Although Egypt became wealthy and mighty under the economic leadership of Joseph that was of no consequence to this new Pharaoh who determined that the Israelites posed a security threat to his kingdom.  His response to the perceived threat was to persecute and enslave them, a strange strategy for making someone more favorably disposed to your cause.  Pharaoh’s fears are two-fold, that because they were so numerous it was a danger if they became even more so because they could then join with his enemies and fight against them and afterwards “escape from the land.”  They had been given permanent holdings in Goshen, not penned up there, so what would it mean to escape from the land?  The Lord had given Israel favor in fruitfulness to fill the land and now Pharaoh sought to oppose the work of God in destroying that fruitfulness but the midwives and the Lord would not work with him in this wickedness.  For their faithfulness the Lord blessed the midwives.  We are not intended to be faithful to anyone but Him nor fearful of any man. 

Peter proves he is infected with the leaven of the Pharisees.  He is still thinking in terms of an earthly kingdom and it makes no sense that Jesus would be killed by the leaders of the nation of which He would be king.  Peter is tempting Jesus in the same way satan tempted Him, to an earthly, time-bound kingdom of popular acclaim.  The leaven of the Pharisees is always a temptation to measurables and earthly recognition.  In his rebuke of Jesus Peter shows that He is still too earthly-minded and has far to go no matter that he recognizes Jesus as Messiah.  He, and the other disciples, have to learn to be willing to lose their lives for the sake of the kingdom before they can be of true value.  They have to know without doubt that there is a resurrection from the dead to eternal life in order to be prepared to sacrifice this earthly life for something greater.

There is something truly glorious and wonderful about the idea of a church that equally values and celebrates the gifts of all its members.  One of the difficulties of that is not other people but, often, us.  We tend to celebrate ourselves rather than humbling ourselves.  Those who have gifts of service are often overlooked in the larger picture and we resent being overlooked.  Those with “up-front” gifts like speaking publicly are often exalted beyond measure and we tend to like that.  In the story from Exodus today the heroes are mid-wives, people who have a single function, helping women give birth and they are important at that moment but generally work in relative obscurity, but they were an integral part of the growth of the nation and they were singled out and blessed for their faithfulness by God.  Let us serve faithfully where we are called and using our God-given gifts and do so for Him alone.

Let us love the Lord Who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies,
Called us by His grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears and gave us eyes:
He has washed us with His blood,
He presents our souls to God.

Tune