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I did not have a chance to post a scripture translation or notes last week because I spent most of the week out of town. The last part of the week, I attended a mission event especially designed for children. It was fabulous.
For two days we spent our time in worship, reflection and of course, mission. There were over 200 people involved, mostly children and a handful of adults (read: drivers). The children participated in a myriad of mission projects (which is totally true. The adults simply drove, the kids truly did all the work!). Some went to a nursing home where they painted a mural on the wall. Others went to a soup kitchen, visited shut-ins, did yard work, cleaned up a local YMCA camp, helped out at a firehouse, served at soup kitchens, packed up items for a thrift store, helped organize things at the Ronald McDonald house and much, much more.
A group of children that I was involved with went to a local soup kitchen that was run out of the basement of a Baptist church. Here, people from all over the city come daily for a hot lunch. They serve strictly between the hours of 12:00 noon and 12:30pm. We had more kids than we did jobs, so we encouraged the children to be relational by asking folks if they could carry their plates and drinks to the tables as they came through the line. You would not believe the looks of disbelief on the faces of grown men and women (many of which had not seen a hot shower in a few days and looked a little grubby from outdoor labor) as a child asked "Do you mind if I carry your plate for you?" It was clear that many of them are not on the receiving end of this kind of service. Many were a little uncomfortable with it. In fact, some refused to be served.
After we spent some time serving lunch and cleaning up, the social worker involved with this ministry came to talk with us. She pointed out to us that there were not many children receiving lunch today. She told us this was because the children in the neighborhood go to summer school. They love school--not primarily because all the things they learn there, but because they get breakfast and lunch every day. This was hard for our children to understand, especially since most of them don't look forward to summer school at all. It really drove home for them that many kids go to bed hungry every night.
During our reflection time, we asked the kids where they saw Jesus in their mission projects. One child told us she saw Jesus in a worker at the thrift store. The worker told her that she woke up that morning feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she had to do at the store that day. She prayed that God might help her complete all her tasks. She was not expecting the children at the store that day, so when they arrived with helping hands, she was caught by surprise. She told this child about her prayer, and that the kids were clearly the answer. Even a child can be an instrument of God. No. Especially a child can be an instrument of God.
So, last week I didn't translate any scripture and I didn't offer any remarks about it. Instead, I tried to live a little piece of it, and it was fantastic.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Mark 4:26-34 for Sunday, July 22, 2007
Translation:
(26) And he kept on saying, "In the same way the kingdom of God is as a man who should throw seeds upon the earth. (27) And he should sleep and he should wake night and day, and the seed may sprout and grow though he himself does not know how. (28)The earth itself is bearing fruit, first a shoot then a head thena full grain in the head. (29) And when the crop permits, he immediately sends the sickle because harvest has come. (30) And he kept on saying "How shall we compare the kingdom of God or in what parable shall we use for it? (31) As a mustard seed, which when the seed is upon the earth is the smallest of all the seeds upon the earth. (32) And when it is sown, it comes up and is larger than all the garden plants and it has large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest under it's shadow." (33) And with many such parables he spoke to them the word, just as they were able to hear it (34) but without a parable he did not speak to them, and by themselves he explained everything to his own disciples.
This scripture includes two parables on a similar theme: seeds and sowing. This analogy of a sower and plant growth is used to draw a parallel to the kingdom of God. In the story, the sower simply "should" throw seeds. The Greek verb here is subjunctive, indicating what "might" happen, a probability of events or even what should or ought to happen. If the sower throws the seeds, the rest happens without his assistance. The sower is very passive and the earth mysteriously yields its fruit without any help.
Like the kingdom of God, the seed is sown and presently grows without any noticeable change to the sower. It emerges unnoticed until fruit emerges and the sower must take on a different role: harvester. This seems to allude to the time of judgment. The kingdom of God is presently coming, though many may not notice the signs. When the time arrives, God will make the harvest, or judgement. Just as a seed grows in the earth and the sower is unaware of exactly how it grows into a large plant, so the kingdom of God comes at a time and in a way that none of us can predict.
The parable of the mustard seed is similar. It also describes the coming of the kingdom of God, but in an unusual way. The mustard seed (the smallest of many seeds) grows into a large, shady bush. To use a bush as an analogy for the kingdom of God would have been unusual. Tall, towering trees would have been a more usual analogy for a kingdom. The cedars of Lebanon are commonly an analogy for the greatness of Lebanon. But, the kingdom of God is not the same as earthly, human kingdoms. Therefore, what humans consider great is not what God necessarily considers great. The kingdom of God defies expectation. The mustard seed grows into a bush and provides shade and shelter for the birds. The kingdom of God is not just for individuals, but for all people and all creatures.
Both parables are introduced with a Greek imperfect verb, "he kept on saying." That Jesus kept on saying these things means that Jesus is always talking in parables and always communicating about the kingdom of God. This is an important matter for Jesus.
There is much to be gleaned from these parables, and much that is still elusive to us even today. What we can learn is that the kingdom of God is not what we expect it to be. It is bigger than we suppose and more mysterious than we might guess. All the same, the kingdom of God is coming and there is even evidence that it is here!
(26) And he kept on saying, "In the same way the kingdom of God is as a man who should throw seeds upon the earth. (27) And he should sleep and he should wake night and day, and the seed may sprout and grow though he himself does not know how. (28)The earth itself is bearing fruit, first a shoot then a head thena full grain in the head. (29) And when the crop permits, he immediately sends the sickle because harvest has come. (30) And he kept on saying "How shall we compare the kingdom of God or in what parable shall we use for it? (31) As a mustard seed, which when the seed is upon the earth is the smallest of all the seeds upon the earth. (32) And when it is sown, it comes up and is larger than all the garden plants and it has large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest under it's shadow." (33) And with many such parables he spoke to them the word, just as they were able to hear it (34) but without a parable he did not speak to them, and by themselves he explained everything to his own disciples.
This scripture includes two parables on a similar theme: seeds and sowing. This analogy of a sower and plant growth is used to draw a parallel to the kingdom of God. In the story, the sower simply "should" throw seeds. The Greek verb here is subjunctive, indicating what "might" happen, a probability of events or even what should or ought to happen. If the sower throws the seeds, the rest happens without his assistance. The sower is very passive and the earth mysteriously yields its fruit without any help.
Like the kingdom of God, the seed is sown and presently grows without any noticeable change to the sower. It emerges unnoticed until fruit emerges and the sower must take on a different role: harvester. This seems to allude to the time of judgment. The kingdom of God is presently coming, though many may not notice the signs. When the time arrives, God will make the harvest, or judgement. Just as a seed grows in the earth and the sower is unaware of exactly how it grows into a large plant, so the kingdom of God comes at a time and in a way that none of us can predict.
The parable of the mustard seed is similar. It also describes the coming of the kingdom of God, but in an unusual way. The mustard seed (the smallest of many seeds) grows into a large, shady bush. To use a bush as an analogy for the kingdom of God would have been unusual. Tall, towering trees would have been a more usual analogy for a kingdom. The cedars of Lebanon are commonly an analogy for the greatness of Lebanon. But, the kingdom of God is not the same as earthly, human kingdoms. Therefore, what humans consider great is not what God necessarily considers great. The kingdom of God defies expectation. The mustard seed grows into a bush and provides shade and shelter for the birds. The kingdom of God is not just for individuals, but for all people and all creatures.
Both parables are introduced with a Greek imperfect verb, "he kept on saying." That Jesus kept on saying these things means that Jesus is always talking in parables and always communicating about the kingdom of God. This is an important matter for Jesus.
There is much to be gleaned from these parables, and much that is still elusive to us even today. What we can learn is that the kingdom of God is not what we expect it to be. It is bigger than we suppose and more mysterious than we might guess. All the same, the kingdom of God is coming and there is even evidence that it is here!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
John 21:1-14 for Sunday, June 15, 2007
After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And he was revealed in this way: (2) They were together: Simon Peter and Thomas, called Didymus and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two other of his disciples. (3) And Simon Peter said to them, "I am leaving to fish." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and they got into the boat and in that night they caught nothing. (4) And now early morning came and Jesus stood on the shore, however the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. (5) Therefore, Jesus said to them, "Children, have you no fish?" They answered him, "No." (6) But he said to them, "Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. Thus they threw it and they wer eno longer able to drag it for the number of fish. (7) The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it is the Lord, he put his coat on (for he was naked) and he threw himself into the sea. (8) But the other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from the shore, about 200 cubits, dragging the net of fish. (9) When they got out onto the shore they saw a charcoal fire with fish and bread lying on it. (10) Jesus said to them, "Carry the fishes which you just caught. (11) So, Simon Peter went up and dragged the net onto the shore full of 153 large fish and it was a great number, but the net was not torn. (12) Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." But not one of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew that it was the Lord. (13) Jesus came and he took the bread and gave it to them and the fish likewise. (14) This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after rising from the dead.
This is a unique resurrection appearance. All the other resurrection appearances happen in Jerusalem, but this one happens in Galilee, near the sea. This story has many of the same parts as other Gospel stories. It reminds us of the beginning of Jesus' ministry with the disciples when they did not know it was the Lord on the shore instructing them how and where to fish. The location is near the same place where Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people.
It seems that the disciples have retreated to Galilee. The crucifixion of Jesus is in the not-so-distant past, there have been some resurrection sightings and the disciples have more or less scattered. It seems that they have chosen to go back to their original profession, abandoning the work of Jesus.
But Jesus keeps appearing. Jesus appears to them again, in the midst of their busy fishing work. The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary points out that the Greek word, "to appear" is very important in John's Gospel. It's more than just the appearance of the risen Christ. It summarizes Jesus' ministry. In John 1:31, John the Baptist says "I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." The same word for "revealed" is used here to describe Jesus' appearance to the disciples.
Theologically, more is going on here than simply an appearance of the resurrected Christ. There is more of a revelation going on here. Even today, there are urban legends and stories on TV of people who have seen the dead among us, felt the presence or in some supernatural way know that the dead are not really dead. This is different. The resurrected Christ is revealed to the disciples. This is an unveiling of the work of God, a new act of creation, the heralding of a new era of time. Death no longer can hold anyone down. Death will not have the final victory, for God has revealed a new thing--resurrection, life everlasting.
The appearance of the risen Christ is more than just proof that Christ indeed was risen from the dead and that the other accounts were not just coincidences, or false sightings. No, the appearance of the risen Christ is the revelation of God. It is God's gift to us. Moreover, for the disciples the revelation of the risen Christ means that they cannot simply go back to life as usual. It is not possible for them to return to the lives they knew before because those lives are different now. Even fishing cannot be the same. Their task is to spread the news of the risen Christ, the news of God's mighty work.
Indeed, life is never the same again for any of us when we've met the risen Christ in our own lives. It cannot be business as usual. Even if we go back to our lives at work and home, we do so with a different perspective, with different expectations. The question becomes how you live into the resurrection, how your life reflects not only a belief in the resurrection, but an expectation of the resurrection.
This is a unique resurrection appearance. All the other resurrection appearances happen in Jerusalem, but this one happens in Galilee, near the sea. This story has many of the same parts as other Gospel stories. It reminds us of the beginning of Jesus' ministry with the disciples when they did not know it was the Lord on the shore instructing them how and where to fish. The location is near the same place where Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people.
It seems that the disciples have retreated to Galilee. The crucifixion of Jesus is in the not-so-distant past, there have been some resurrection sightings and the disciples have more or less scattered. It seems that they have chosen to go back to their original profession, abandoning the work of Jesus.
But Jesus keeps appearing. Jesus appears to them again, in the midst of their busy fishing work. The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary points out that the Greek word, "to appear" is very important in John's Gospel. It's more than just the appearance of the risen Christ. It summarizes Jesus' ministry. In John 1:31, John the Baptist says "I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." The same word for "revealed" is used here to describe Jesus' appearance to the disciples.
Theologically, more is going on here than simply an appearance of the resurrected Christ. There is more of a revelation going on here. Even today, there are urban legends and stories on TV of people who have seen the dead among us, felt the presence or in some supernatural way know that the dead are not really dead. This is different. The resurrected Christ is revealed to the disciples. This is an unveiling of the work of God, a new act of creation, the heralding of a new era of time. Death no longer can hold anyone down. Death will not have the final victory, for God has revealed a new thing--resurrection, life everlasting.
The appearance of the risen Christ is more than just proof that Christ indeed was risen from the dead and that the other accounts were not just coincidences, or false sightings. No, the appearance of the risen Christ is the revelation of God. It is God's gift to us. Moreover, for the disciples the revelation of the risen Christ means that they cannot simply go back to life as usual. It is not possible for them to return to the lives they knew before because those lives are different now. Even fishing cannot be the same. Their task is to spread the news of the risen Christ, the news of God's mighty work.
Indeed, life is never the same again for any of us when we've met the risen Christ in our own lives. It cannot be business as usual. Even if we go back to our lives at work and home, we do so with a different perspective, with different expectations. The question becomes how you live into the resurrection, how your life reflects not only a belief in the resurrection, but an expectation of the resurrection.
Monday, July 2, 2007
2 Kings 5:1-14 for Sunday, July 8, 2007
Translation:
(1) Naaman, chief of the army of the King of Aram, was a great man with his lord, and in high favor because God gave deliverance to Aram. He was a mighty man of valor, [and also] a leper. (2) Aram went out and took captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. (3) she said to her mistress, "Ah! That my lord were with the prophet in Samaria. He would remove his leprosy." (4) And he went and told his lord saying, "Such and such the servant girl, who is from the land of Israel, spoke. (5) And the king of Aram said "Go and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He went and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand [pieces] of gold and ten changes of clothes. (6) He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying "Now this letter comes to you, here I sent to you my servant Naaman that you may remove him of his leprosy." (7) And the king of Israel cried out [because of] the letter. He tore his garment and said "Am I god, to kill and to make alive, that he sent this man to me to remove his leprosy? Surely you know him and see him seeking a quarrel against me. (8) Elisha was a man of God and he heard that the king rent his garments and he sent [a message] to the king to say "Why have you rent your garments? Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." (9) And Naaman came on his horse and in his chariot and he stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. (10) Elisha sent to him a messenger saying "Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean. (11) Naaman was angry and he left and said "Behold! I thought he would come to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the place and remove the leprosy. (12) Are not the Amana and Pharpar rivers in Damascas better than all water in Israel? Why can't I wash in them and be clean?" And he turned and went in a rage. (13) His servants drew near and spoke to him, saying "My father, if the prophet told you [to do] a great thing, would you not do it? But he told you to wash and you would be clean." (14) So, he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times and as the man of God said, his flesh was restored as that of a young boy. He was clean.
Naaman's expectations were not met. He was angry. Here he stood, a respected man in Aram who could not even command the respect of a lowly prophet in the land of Israel, a land his country had conquered! He expected Elisha to treat him with all the respect due to a chief of the army of Israel. But, Elisha is not impressed with his credentials.
Quite a lot was at stake for Naaman. As a trusted, respected and honored military chief, his reputation stood for a lot. Here he stood, at the mercy of a prophet who was about to make him look like a fool. Naaman was expecting the prophet to heal him in the same way prophets heal people in Aram. He was hoping for a prayer, laying on of hands, some hocus pocus and some impressive gestures that would leave him free of his leprosy. None of this happened. Moreover, the prophet wanted him to go bathe in the river! What if this foolish plan didn't work? What if it was just a ploy to make the chief of the army of Aram look foolish? Or worse--what if it was part of a plot against Aram? This whole thing could not only be embarrassing, but potentially harmful.
Thankfully, Naaman's servants talk some sense into him and he does the simple thing and is healed. At the very end of Naaman's story, he converts and worships Elisha's God. This was about more than a simple hocus pocus gesture. It was more than just healing his leprosy.
Elisha's motive was clearly larger than just healing Naaman, or saving the king of Israel from having to concoct something on his own. Elisha says it him self "Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." What difference does it make that there is a prophet in Israel and why would Naaman need to know?
A prophet in the land of Israel (or any land) is a sign that God is at work. Prophets are not fortune tellers or predictors of the future. Prophets speak the word of God. We have prophets around us even today. Great theologians and Bible scholars like Walter Brueggemann are sometimes called prophets. Pastors are sometimes called prophets. They are people who bring the word of God to God's people. That there is a prophet in Israel means that God is active, living, moving through Elisha and through the people of Israel. It is a subtle sign of power.
When Naaman learns that Elisha's prescription worked, he was converted. He knew then that Elisha was indeed a prophet of a living God and Naaman wanted to be part of that. In the beginning of this scripture, we learn that "God gave deliverance to Aram" (5:1). We know that God was active in Aram, but how much more so now that their leading official believes that a living God has healed him. The word is spreading that there is something mysterious, powerful, transforming in Israel.
So, it wasn't what Naaman expected. It was more. There aren't many times in our lives that our expectations are surpassed in such tremendous ways, but when it happens it is an unmistakable act of God.
(1) Naaman, chief of the army of the King of Aram, was a great man with his lord, and in high favor because God gave deliverance to Aram. He was a mighty man of valor, [and also] a leper. (2) Aram went out and took captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. (3) she said to her mistress, "Ah! That my lord were with the prophet in Samaria. He would remove his leprosy." (4) And he went and told his lord saying, "Such and such the servant girl, who is from the land of Israel, spoke. (5) And the king of Aram said "Go and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He went and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand [pieces] of gold and ten changes of clothes. (6) He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying "Now this letter comes to you, here I sent to you my servant Naaman that you may remove him of his leprosy." (7) And the king of Israel cried out [because of] the letter. He tore his garment and said "Am I god, to kill and to make alive, that he sent this man to me to remove his leprosy? Surely you know him and see him seeking a quarrel against me. (8) Elisha was a man of God and he heard that the king rent his garments and he sent [a message] to the king to say "Why have you rent your garments? Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." (9) And Naaman came on his horse and in his chariot and he stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. (10) Elisha sent to him a messenger saying "Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean. (11) Naaman was angry and he left and said "Behold! I thought he would come to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the place and remove the leprosy. (12) Are not the Amana and Pharpar rivers in Damascas better than all water in Israel? Why can't I wash in them and be clean?" And he turned and went in a rage. (13) His servants drew near and spoke to him, saying "My father, if the prophet told you [to do] a great thing, would you not do it? But he told you to wash and you would be clean." (14) So, he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times and as the man of God said, his flesh was restored as that of a young boy. He was clean.
Naaman's expectations were not met. He was angry. Here he stood, a respected man in Aram who could not even command the respect of a lowly prophet in the land of Israel, a land his country had conquered! He expected Elisha to treat him with all the respect due to a chief of the army of Israel. But, Elisha is not impressed with his credentials.
Quite a lot was at stake for Naaman. As a trusted, respected and honored military chief, his reputation stood for a lot. Here he stood, at the mercy of a prophet who was about to make him look like a fool. Naaman was expecting the prophet to heal him in the same way prophets heal people in Aram. He was hoping for a prayer, laying on of hands, some hocus pocus and some impressive gestures that would leave him free of his leprosy. None of this happened. Moreover, the prophet wanted him to go bathe in the river! What if this foolish plan didn't work? What if it was just a ploy to make the chief of the army of Aram look foolish? Or worse--what if it was part of a plot against Aram? This whole thing could not only be embarrassing, but potentially harmful.
Thankfully, Naaman's servants talk some sense into him and he does the simple thing and is healed. At the very end of Naaman's story, he converts and worships Elisha's God. This was about more than a simple hocus pocus gesture. It was more than just healing his leprosy.
Elisha's motive was clearly larger than just healing Naaman, or saving the king of Israel from having to concoct something on his own. Elisha says it him self "Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." What difference does it make that there is a prophet in Israel and why would Naaman need to know?
A prophet in the land of Israel (or any land) is a sign that God is at work. Prophets are not fortune tellers or predictors of the future. Prophets speak the word of God. We have prophets around us even today. Great theologians and Bible scholars like Walter Brueggemann are sometimes called prophets. Pastors are sometimes called prophets. They are people who bring the word of God to God's people. That there is a prophet in Israel means that God is active, living, moving through Elisha and through the people of Israel. It is a subtle sign of power.
When Naaman learns that Elisha's prescription worked, he was converted. He knew then that Elisha was indeed a prophet of a living God and Naaman wanted to be part of that. In the beginning of this scripture, we learn that "God gave deliverance to Aram" (5:1). We know that God was active in Aram, but how much more so now that their leading official believes that a living God has healed him. The word is spreading that there is something mysterious, powerful, transforming in Israel.
So, it wasn't what Naaman expected. It was more. There aren't many times in our lives that our expectations are surpassed in such tremendous ways, but when it happens it is an unmistakable act of God.
Oops! I missed a week!
Friends,
I apologize that there was no post last week. Our computers experienced some problems, which were repaired too late in the week to get a post up. Enjoy this week's post on Naaman though!
Amy
I apologize that there was no post last week. Our computers experienced some problems, which were repaired too late in the week to get a post up. Enjoy this week's post on Naaman though!
Amy
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