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I'm preaching this week and though I have looked at our scriptures in their original languages in preparation for my sermon, I haven't had time to do my ordinary blog work.
But, that's no excuse! You deserve a post!
Our scripture this week comes from Exodus 33:12-23 and Matthew 22:15-22.
In the Exodus scripture, God and the people have had a falling out. After the golden calf incident, God decided that maybe these people weren't the "chosen" ones after all. He's had enough of this stiff-necked people and decides not to go with them any longer. Thankfully, Moses intercedes and reminds God of all the promises God made to him and also to the people and God decides that he will remain with the people.
In our Matthew text, Jesus is confronted with the Pharisees who want to know if it is lawful to pay taxes to the government. They are trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus doesn't fall for it! Jesus points out to them that for a people who are so concerned about paying taxes to a secular government, they don't seem to have much problem dealing with Roman currency in the Temple. Moreover, he instructs them to give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor and to God what belongs to God. It's a tricky statement--everything belongs to God! Even the emperor belongs to God!
Both of these scriptures seem to be dealing with issues of identity. Exodus deals with the identity of the people before God. God and the people of Israel are still working out how this relationship is going to be. Neither is too sure of the other. Israel can't seem to work out who they are before God and God often seems to lack commitment.
The Matthew scripture presents a question of the identity of Jews in a secular situation. They are not sure what kind of relationship they should have with others--namely the government. The relationship with God seems worked out, but they are not sure how to live in a world that may not be sympathetic to their relationship with God.
Both aspects of identity are important. We have to know who we are before God and we have to know who we are in relationship to the world we live in.
Want more? Come on Sunday!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
"Rejoice in the Lord always!"
Philippians 4:1-9
Therefore, my beloved brothers, my longing, my joy and crown, in the same way stand firm in the Lord, beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Indeed, I ask you, loyal comrade, help these women, who worked together with me and Clement in the Gospel and the rest my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is near. Do not be anxious, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your request be known to God. And the peace of God surpassing all reason will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Henceforth, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is praise worthy, if any virtue and if any praise worthy thing, consider these; that which you learned and you received and you heard and you saw in me, do these and the God of peace is with you.
"Rejoice in the Lord always!" These were probably the first words of scripture I ever memorized. Maybe even before John 3:16, because these words were part of a song that we all loved to sing in Sunday school when I was a child. Easy to sing, much harder to do.
I've been thinking about and reading scripture much more these days. Our canon is one of the few things that has not changed much in the last several centuries, so it is easy to take comfort in it in this time of turmoil for our nation, and indeed, our world. I've read lots of scripture, mostly from the Psalms, but this particular scripture is not one that is easily heeded in times such as these.
It's as if we live in a suddenly upside-down world, isn't it? The economy doesn't make sense. Politics doesn't make sense (if it ever did). Our financial future seems uncertain. In the midst of it all, it's hard to say "Rejoice in the Lord always!" when there doesn't seem much to rejoice about.
I'm constantly reminded that God's demands on my life are different from those of this world. For decades, our culture has been convinced that success would be proven in our bank accounts. There has be theological support for this, even. Some call it Prosperity Gospel. Others simply believe that if they are good, honest people that they will be rewarded in their bank accounts. Somehow, that logic seems flawed now.
So, I try to remember that God's covenant with God's people asks us to love God and love neighbor. God will be faithful to God's people. We are children of God and our hope is in the resurrection, not in material wealth.
So, in this stressful time of crisis, I think it must be possible to "Rejoice in the Lord always!" because we answer to a God who is bigger than this crisis.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, my longing, my joy and crown, in the same way stand firm in the Lord, beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Indeed, I ask you, loyal comrade, help these women, who worked together with me and Clement in the Gospel and the rest my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord is near. Do not be anxious, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your request be known to God. And the peace of God surpassing all reason will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Henceforth, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is praise worthy, if any virtue and if any praise worthy thing, consider these; that which you learned and you received and you heard and you saw in me, do these and the God of peace is with you.
"Rejoice in the Lord always!" These were probably the first words of scripture I ever memorized. Maybe even before John 3:16, because these words were part of a song that we all loved to sing in Sunday school when I was a child. Easy to sing, much harder to do.
I've been thinking about and reading scripture much more these days. Our canon is one of the few things that has not changed much in the last several centuries, so it is easy to take comfort in it in this time of turmoil for our nation, and indeed, our world. I've read lots of scripture, mostly from the Psalms, but this particular scripture is not one that is easily heeded in times such as these.
It's as if we live in a suddenly upside-down world, isn't it? The economy doesn't make sense. Politics doesn't make sense (if it ever did). Our financial future seems uncertain. In the midst of it all, it's hard to say "Rejoice in the Lord always!" when there doesn't seem much to rejoice about.
I'm constantly reminded that God's demands on my life are different from those of this world. For decades, our culture has been convinced that success would be proven in our bank accounts. There has be theological support for this, even. Some call it Prosperity Gospel. Others simply believe that if they are good, honest people that they will be rewarded in their bank accounts. Somehow, that logic seems flawed now.
So, I try to remember that God's covenant with God's people asks us to love God and love neighbor. God will be faithful to God's people. We are children of God and our hope is in the resurrection, not in material wealth.
So, in this stressful time of crisis, I think it must be possible to "Rejoice in the Lord always!" because we answer to a God who is bigger than this crisis.
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