Making Good – 11/23/08

There’s a story about an old man and his old donkey. As usual I read it online, but I’m sure others have heard it before. It goes something like this: a young man set out to farm with his young donkey. The donkey was strong and faithful and good at his work. The young man and his young donkey stuck together through the plentiful years and the lean years alike. They grew quite affectionate of one another. As the young man became an old man, the young donkey became an old donkey. Over the years he remained faithful, but he was no longer quite as strong and his work suffered as a result. The old man didn’t have the heart to put his donkey to rest, so he let him roam the fields as new donkeys took his place.

One day, however, the old donkey, who no longer saw very clearly, fell into a pit while he was grazing. The old man had neither the strength nor the desire to get the donkey out of the pit. But he didn’t have the heart to let the donkey suffer there for weeks, letting him starve to death. He decided to bury him. With a shovel, the old man threw the first scoop of dirt on the donkey’s back. Startled, the donkey shook the dirt onto the floor of the pit and stomped it down. Scoop after scoop fell on the donkey’s back and every time it did the donkey shook and stomped the dirt into the ground. After hours of labor, the old man hadn’t even noticed that the donkey was still visible in the pit. In fact, not only could the man still see the donkey, but he was almost able to touch him.

As you can probably visualize, each scoop of dirt served as another step toward the top of the pit. For the old man, each scoop of dirt was another step toward the donkey’s death. For the old donkey, each scoop of dirt was another step toward a new life. Even though the old man intended the dirt to result in the death of the donkey, the old donkey intended to use the dirt to get out of his pit. It’s the same action from two different angles; one with a view toward death and the other with a view toward life. This is exactly what we find in the final chapter of the first book of the Bible. What Joseph’s brothers saw as steps toward death, Joseph now saw as steps toward life.

I have to say that these words are quite familiar to many of us and they are used in ways that aren’t often true to their meaning. I had to admit that to myself so that I could try and see what was really going on here in the passage. Understanding these words properly is necessary because they inform us on how God acts in the world. Often times these words are invoked when someone response to something bad in their life by using their pain to heal others. Like when a woman who was raped opens a shelter to house and counsel other women who have been abused or when a man who was abused by his father raises his own children with unusual gentleness and patience. One might be found saying, “The abuser meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

Clearly, there is great danger in those words. Who would ever want to tell someone who was raped or abused as a child that it was all a part of God’s plan? No one ever should. Other people will respond to this by slightly altering the words as in: the abuser meant it for evil, but God used it for good. I think there is definitely great merit to that idea, but that’s not what the words say in the Genesis passage. They say that God intended it for good as if God knew it was going to happen all along. It seems to me that the difficulty comes when we take these words out of history and out of God’s eternal plan and make them about our individual experiences and daily events. In other words, these words are about God’s plan of salvation from the beginning of time, not about what happens to me and you today and tomorrow. Of course, the two are at times closely linked, but making them one and the same confuses the issue.

What is God’s eternal plan? Throughout the book of Genesis, God has been preserving a people for himself who would represent God’s blessing to the world. It was not always smooth, but through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob God was preserving a family that would represent his graciousness and mercy to all the families of the earth. Joseph fits right in line with that plan. It was in Joseph’s dreams that the plan first became known to the family. Joseph saw himself as the head of the family, the one before whom all the brothers would bow down and worship. In their jealousy, they sold him to some travelers who took him to Egypt. While in prison Joseph’s talents become known to pharaoh and Joseph quickly finds himself in a very advantageous position in Egypt. Joseph’s rise from prisoner to ruler saved Egypt in times of plenty and in want as he built up a great storage of grain. It was this grain that would reunite him with his family.

Jacob and his sons, with Joseph’s help, would prosper in the land of Egypt because of his good standing with the pharaoh. They survived famine because they were in Egypt. It seems that without Joseph’s presence there, Jacob’s family would not have found such favor and been preserved in such a fruitful manner. When Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers get nervous that it might be payback time. The brothers decide to come up with a little lie that might prevent Joseph from taking revenge. They say that there father’s last words were that Joseph would spare his brothers. In tears they plead for forgiveness. Here’s what Joseph says: Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”

We can only imagine what kind of thoughts ran through his heart as he stood there before his brothers. No doubt those dreams from some years ago were there as they predicted this scene. It sounds as if he had also developed a firmer confidence in God along the way as well. Time and again he had seen how God’s plan could not be thwarted. We might even say that he was convince that no conniving brothers, no band of traders, no prison in Egypt, no scheming wife of an Egyptian official, no feast and no famine could separate him from the love of God. In all these things he was more than a conqueror. And in all of these things, the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be fulfilled. They would find fulfillment through the years in Moses, in Joshua, in the Judges, in Ruth, in David, Solomon, in Esther, in Ezra and Nehemiah and on down through the centuries until we finally arrive at Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ lived and died and was raised so that there would be a people on the earth who would convey God’s faithfulness and love to the nations. Jesus, too, was part of God’s plan to preserve life on the earth. Of course, Jesus has to die to accomplish that. No doubt the Romans rulers and the religious authorities intended Jesus’ crucifixion to be step toward his death. They could not have imagined that God intended it as a step toward new life. God intended here nothing more than what God intended as he guided Joseph through Egypt: to preserve a numerous people. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn in a very large family.”

It does sound cruel that God would send his son with the intention that he should die on the cross. At the same time, it makes quite a bit of sense. Because as long as death has dominion, as long as humanity feared the end of life, they would seek to preserve themselves and those closest to them at any cost. The only way to release humanity from their fear of death was to face it head on. True, you might say, but why such a gruesome death on a cross. Well, often times the way that one family would try to preserve themselves would be at the expense of other families. They would create laws that would define them and their preferences as superior much like the Jewish law did. Or, they would amass such power that no one would are question the rules of the land much like the Romans did. In the cross, Jesus died a most shameful death according to the religious authorities of the day. In the cross, Jesus bore the most brutal punishment that almighty Rome could think to dish out. In the cross, Jesus faced not only death, but shame and power as well. When God raised Jesus from the dead, death had lost its sting, the law had lost its grip, and power and punishment were shown to be not match for love.

Of course, the only reason Jesus was able to go there was because he shared that firm confidence with Joseph. He believed that all things work together for good for those who love God. It changed everything for him. If God was the one who was going to preserve him that meant he didn’t have to preserve himself. From the beginning to the end of the gospel, Jesus refuses to call down angels to his defense. He never takes up the sword or strikes back. Jesus trusts that he was called according to God’s purpose and knew that if he was called that he was also justified and if he was justified he would also be glorified. To quote Paul again, Jesus believed that the sufferings of the present time were not worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to him. Both Jesus and Joseph were integral parts of God’s eternal plan to preserve a family on the earth who would represent his love and faithfulness to the world. That’s where we come in and we take our cue from Joseph and Jesus.

It’s quite obvious what Joseph’s brothers expected from him as they fell at his feet. They expected from him what they imagined any one of them would have done if they were in his shoes: pay them back for all the wrong they had done to him. They were filled with fear and anxiety every trip back and forth to Egypt. Even though Joseph assured them that he would not exact revenge, they guessed that meant only while their father was still alive. They believed their greatest fear and anxieties would come true now that Joseph had no one about whose life he still cared. But they were wrong. Confident in God’s plan, in God’s provision, in God’s preservation, Joseph was able to say to his brothers, “Have no fear; I myself will provide for you and for your little ones.” He spoke kindly to them, making every effort to reassure them that their fears and anxieties were for nothing.

We’ve already heard about Jesus. It’s quite clear what Jesus captors and persecuters expected of him. As they beat him and spit on him, they expected some kind of response. As they shouted at him and mocked him, they expected some kind of reaction. A reaction they got, it just wasn’t one that they could have predicted. They expected Jesus to respond like any of them would have responded had they been in his shoes. They expected him to react like they’ve seen any number of other human beings react in the same situation. Confident in God’s plan, in God’s provision, in God’s preservation, Jesus was able to say of his captors and persecutors, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It’s this grace and mercy in the face of death that sets Jesus apart as our Christ and King.

Today, God continues to preserve a numerous people. Today, the large family that began with Jesus Christ has been revealed. It is the church. Today, it is the church that has been called according to God’s purpose. If called, then also justified. If justified, then also glorified. Today, it is the church for whom all things work together for good. If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Confident in God’s plan, in God’s provision, in God’s preservation, the church is the family of people best equipped to do justice in the land and pursue reconciliation between people. We are not worried about preserving ourselves because we rest in the hands of a God who gave us his son to cast out our fears and anxieties and will just as surely give us everything else.

I said earlier that these words of Paul about all things working together for good are not necessarily written for individuals who have been abused or who have lost their jobs or who have lost their homes. I think that’s right, but I don’t think that means they are left out of this picture. They, like the whole creation, are groaning in pain. They are waiting with eager longing for the children of God to be revealed. The suffering and the groaning of this world is great. Today 10’s of thousands of children will die from hunger and malnutrition. The world is hungry, waiting for someone to say, “Have no fear. I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” Paul seems to think that the one to say that is Jesus Christ has he lives and breathes through is body, through his family on earth.

Joseph’s brothers didn’t expect him to act so kindly. Jesus’ persecutors didn’t expect him to act so mercifully. Perhaps the donkey’s owner didn’t expect him to act so patiently. He expected that the donkey would just lie down and die. The evil in the world expects to have its way. Whether it is sexual abuse, a slave trade, or greed, the evil of this world doesn’t expect much competition. If anything, the devil’s plan is to do evil only to produce more evil so that violence results in more violence, so that greed results in more hoarding, so that prejudice results in more hate. If there is a plan of the devil it is to raise our level of fear and anxiety so high that sin seems the only solution. But because the church has been let in on God’s plan, called according to his purpose, we know another way. As Paul said, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought of what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Does that mean that as Christians we might have to suffer in our cause? Maybe. Does that mean that as Christians we might be mocked, ridiculed, or even persecuted? Perhaps. Does that mean that as Christians we might have our hospitality taken advantage of? Most likely. Will any suffering or mocking thwart God’s plan to preserve a family of grace and mercy on the earth? Absolutely not. Will any ridicule or persecution or forsaken hospitality separate us from God’s love? No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Every time we unexpectedly overcome evil with good, the dirt that is thrown on our backs becomes another step out of the pit of sin toward the glory of eternal life. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Discipling the Nations – 11/16/08

This past week I met Agshin Jafarov. He’s from Azerbaijan. He’s a Christian that grew up in a Muslim family. His family doesn’t know that he’s become a Christian. They think he’s studying comparative religion in America. He’s currently studying theology at Western Seminary with the hope of returning home to share the good news with his friends and family. I also met Rothney Tshaka. He is from South Africa and grew up there during apartheid. He’s now a professor at New Brunswick Seminary out in New Jersey, but hopes to return home to teach in the University of South Africa.

Another person I met was Jhonny. He’s Puerto Rican and grew up in New York City. He was raised in the Pentecostal tradition and his first church was in Nicaragua. A devastating earthquake opened his eyes to a whole new layer of ministry that his church had not prepared him for earlier. I met Derrick who had no sense of his heritage or where his ancestors came from until he got a degree in African studies. It connected him with his grandparents and with the RCA. He now serves as a coordinator for African missions for our denomination.

Jong Kug Kim grew up in South Korea and lived through a Japanese invasion and the Korean War. He was raised a Christian and is now a minister for the RCA at a church out in New Jersey. Eddy was born in Nicaragua, spent a good portion of his life in Canada, and is now beginning to lay the ground work for hundreds of church plants out in California. He says that the biggest struggle is learning what it means to be Mexican. Then, there’s Adriene who grew up following Martin Luther King Jr’s death. She left the church for a while, became a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall, but is now a minister of Arts and Dance for the RCA in New York City.

Bertalan Tamas is serving the church in Hungary. J.P. is serving the church in India. Stephanie is serving the church in St. Louis. Humberto left Brazil to serve the church in Canada. Vern spent most of his life in Chiapas and is now sharing what he learned about cross-cultural ministry with students at Western. This past week I met many people from many different nations and they call came together in one place for one reason. There was one topic of conversation for three days: in a world that’s as diverse as this one is in the 21^st Century, how do we make disciples of all nations? In fact, we were probably asking the same questions the disciples were asking after they got Jesus’ instructions as we heard them this morning.

“Go and make disciples of all nations.” The church throughout the centuries has done it’s best to fulfill this mission. These words spoken by Jesus form part of the great conclusion to Matthew’s gospel. We know them well. What you might not know so well is that this short passage brings together to great themes of the Bible into one. Jesus is standing on a mountain and talking about the nations. Throughout the Bible important things happen on mountains. And, throughout the Bible, God always has the nations in mind.

A stray sheep led Moses to the mountain of Horeb where the Lord called Moses back to Egypt. The Lord spoke these words, “I will be with you. And this will be a sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Later, the Lord would descend on Mount Sinai and declare to Moses and the Israelites, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

It wouldn’t be long after that that Moses stood on Mount Nebo and the Lord said, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, I will give it to your descendents.” Moses was not the only prophet who would find the Lord in the mountains. The prophet Elijah would run to Mount Horeb when Ahab and Jezebel were trying to kill him. The Lord came to him, not in the great wind, nor the powerful earthquake, nor the raging fire, but in a gentle whisper. The Lord gave Elijah instruction as to how he should proceed and preserve the remnant of faithful followers.

The prophet Isaiah also saw an important role for the mountain in his vision of the last days: the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” They will beat their swords in to plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

This long tradition of the mountain was certainly carried on in the time of Jesus. When Jesus gave his great sermon that told us that hate was murder and lust was adultery, to love our enemies and pray in secret, to avoid judgment and worry, he was standing on a mountain. When Jesus was transfigured before his disciples into a dazzling white, Moses and Elijah joined him and we discover that just as the Lord spoke in a gentle whisper he now speaks through Jesus. They all stood on a mountain. After Jesus’ resurrection, he called his disciples up a mountain and said, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.” That brings us to theme number two: that God always has the nations in mind.

When God called Abraham away from his land and family he said, “I will bless you and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” As you heard already, when the Lord set apart Israel, he called them a holy nation. Even though the whole earth and all the nations belonged to the Lord, Israel would be set apart as a nation of priests to bless the nations. The coming of the nations was a great theme for the prophet Isaiah as well. We already heard how the nations would stream to the mountain of the Lord to learn God’s ways and make peace. In the same way, every Advent we hear the prophet say, “Here is my servant…I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” And we hear, ‘See I made him a witness to the peoples…Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you.” The prophet Amos said something similar, “On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen in order that they may posses all the nations called by my name.”

Of course, as Christians, we believe that this booth, that servant, is Jesus. He clearly shared Isaiah’s vision for the nations. Jesus told the story of the day when the Son of Man would come in glory and all the nations would gather before him. He would separate them based on how they cared for those who were hungry and thirsty, naked and sick, imprisoned or strangers within their borders. This morning we listened as he sent his disciples out from the mountain top to go make disciples of all nations. All of this is to say, that every important event in the Bible, every desire of God has come together at this point in Matthew’s gospel. The fact that Jesus is standing on a mountain and talking about the nations indicates to us that this is not just the end of Matthew’s gospel it is the end of the very long history of God who was preparing the way for this day. Everything else has been leading up to this point. What God has wanted all along is to see every nation made into a disciple; to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to obey everything that Jesus has commanded.

Water cleanses, water purifies, water refreshes, water sustains. Jesus Christ is the living water. Those are words we hear every time another child or grand child or neighbor or friend is baptized. They are words of God’s promises to cleanse, to purify, to refresh, and to sustain. Baptism is a sign and seal of God’s promises to his people. In baptism God promises, by grace alone: to forgive our sins, to adopt us into the body of Christ, the church; to send the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us; and to resurrect us to eternal life. This is the entirety of the good news wrapped into one gracious moment. Welcoming people into this good news is the beginning of making disciples.

This was, after all, the beginning of how all of us became disciples. We were heard the good news that God would not hold our sins against us but would remove them far from us and forgive us. We were moved to hear that God would not lord his power over us but would run to embrace us as a compassionate Father to his children. We were encouraged to know that we do not stand alone but have been adopted into a greater family and joined with Jesus Christ as in a body. Faith and love were born in our hearts when God poured his Holy Spirit upon us. Hope became a part of our lives as we look forward to the day when our lives will be made new for all eternity. Being a disciple is reminding one another of that gracious, good news that infuses every aspect of our lives. Likewise, making disciples is proclaiming that good news to those who have yet to hear. But there is more.

Our baptismal liturgy also says, “through baptism Christ calls us to a new obedience: to love and trust God completely, to forsake the evil of the world, and to live a new and holy life.” This is the part that’s difficult to get the nations to buy into. This is where Jesus’ message doesn’t always make sense. This is where, for example, we hear from Isaiah that when the nations walk in way of the Lord they will not learn war anymore. They will take their weapons and pound them into tools of agriculture. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to the nations. They would rather their own nation be the center of attention. They would rather have the nations stream to their highest mountain. They would rather settle their disputes with violence rather than creation. So, the Lord has set apart a people who will live not by power, not by might, but by the Spirit and trust God completely.

These same peoples are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world by forsaking the evil of the world. They are to refrain from murder by being slow to anger. They are to avoid adultery by turning away from lustful looks. They should not easily divorce, nor make false oaths. They should turn the other cheek and love their enemies and give to everyone who asks of them. They should give in secret, pray in secret and fast in secret thereby storing up for themselves treasures in heaven that will not rust or fade. All of this sermon on the mount cuts against the grain of a society that says we should have what we want and when we want it even if it comes at the expense of others. That’s why the Lord is looking for disciples who will make disciples.

The servant of the Lord was one who would open eyes that are blind and bring prisoners out of their darkness. The servant of the Lord was one who would do justice for the nations and demand justice of the nations. Those nations that will inherit the kingdom of God are those who have fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger, cared for the sick, and visited the prisoner. But too often the nations would rather pursue wealth and influence, to care for the least of these is not always high on the agenda of the nations. Than again, I suppose that’s why Jesus has called for a people who will make disciples of them; people who will baptize and teach the nations to live a new and holy life.

As I spent a few days with people from South Korea to South Africa, from Canada to Brazil, from America to Azerbijian, on common thread became clear. Our common desire to make disciples stemmed from a reaction to the catastrophes of this world, whether they be natural disasters or wars or prejudice or greed. We were confident that Jesus’ advice to us in the face of such evils is not to make war or make enemies, but to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. The fact that so many nations were represented in that room only confirmed for us that Jesus knew what he was talking about and that his words were true.

After our worship this morning, we will be holding yet another congregational meeting. It is a time to review the previous year, to elect new elders and deacons and to approve another budget for another year. The Bible doesn’t say much about elections or budgets and they can often times seem very unholy. But this morning we are reminded that they represent another year of life at Hope Reformed Church and, more importantly, another year where we live forgiven, as one body, sustained by one Spirit, to make disciples, if not of this nation, then at least of those we encounter in this sanctuary and on this corner. We have good news to share and good works to carry out. And the best part of all is this: Jesus said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Amen.

Part 8 – Royal (In)justice

Based on what has been covered this far, the uniqueness of Israel is no more apparent than in a review of the Bible’s approach to the king. We’ve already covered the role of the king in surrounding cultures. In many cases, the king was the son of god or even god incarnate. The king was put on the throne to ensure that the gods were properly served by the slavery of humanity. It was through the king that the gods established civilization and the laws of society. The king alone was above the law because the king instituted the law. The law of the land and the will of the king were one and the same because the will of the king was supposedly one with the will of the gods. The Hebrew Bible is clear that God is king.

Psalm 97 begins with the words, “The Lord is king!” It is the great confession of the Hebrew Bible that the Lord is God and the Lord alone. There are to be no other gods before the Lord. We might also say that there will be no other kings before the Lord. It was God’s desire to set up judges over Israel who would settle disputes and maintain the people in their covenant loyalty. One of the greatest judges in Israel’s history was Samuel who administered justice throughout the land. However, by the time of Samuel’s sons, the people began clamoring for a king. Samuel’s sons had begun taking bribes and perverting justice. In the eyes of the people, the only way to maintain justice was to establish a throne like the other nations.

Heartbroken, the Lord says to Samuel, “they have rejected me from being king over them.” The Lord decides to grant their wish, but commands that Samuel warn them:

So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make him implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” – I Samuel 8:10-18

The warning makes it abundantly clear that any king set over the people will take what he wants and will be concerned for his own benefit. The warning is also clear that the resources used for the king’s prosperity will come at the expense of the people. The warning concludes by saying that the people have now placed themselves in the hand of the king and the Lord will not answer them when they cry out. Unlike the surrounding cultures, the king and God are not one. In fact, one might say that they are opposed to one another. There is no guarantee of justice simply because there is a king. Rather, the people are likely to experience great injustice. Still, there is an attempt to rein in the king’s reign through God’s law.

[The king] must not acquire many horses for himself or return the people to Egypt to acquire more horses…and he must not acquire many wives for himself…also silver and gold he must not acquire in great quantity for himself…he shall have copy of this law written for himself…It shall remain with him and he shall read in it all the days of his life…neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment. – Deuteronomy 17:14

Israel would prosper under its first three kings. However, by the time of Solomon the warning that God has issued had become reality for the people of Israel. The king of Israel was not above the law and was not to be exalted above the other members of the community. All people were made in the image of God and were meant to be free to serve the Lord, not enslaved to a king. Throughout the wilderness experience, God’s people wanted to return to Egypt. This is God’s final warning. While they may not be returning to the place, they will be returning to all of the practices. They will be slaves in their own homes.

Although God meant Israel to be different, they often succumbed to the worldview of other nations. But, Israel remained unique in one surprising way. There were those who were willing to question the established order when it tarnished the image of God. God sent the prophets when Israel strayed into idolatry and injustice. As mentioned in a previous post, the two went hand in hand. Only the Lord would act as the kind of king that would serve justice by honoring the image of God in everyone. A human king would only pervert justice for the people and enslave them to his service. Again and again, the prophets would have to remind their kings of their proper role.

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. – Psalm 72:1-4

Unfortunately, Israel would have very few kings who could establish justice as the Lord desired. Few kings, that is, until the time was right for God to reclaim the throne. For that we move on to the New Testament and to another post.

Part 7 – Rituals of Justice

They have also been referred to as retributive justice and distributive justice. The first deals with the punishment of crimes and holding people accountable for their sins. The second deals with the ordering of society in a way that provides for the needs of the people. Both types of justice are covered in God’s law.

LEGAL JUSTICE

Witness Requirements – A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained. – Deuteronomy 19:15

Cities of Refuge – “You shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer may not die until there is a trial before the congregation. – Numbers 35:9-12

Tempered Response – “If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Exodus 21:23-25

ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Tithe – “Every third year you shall bring out the full tithe of your produce for that year, and store it within your towns; the Levites…resident aliens, orphans and widows…may come and eat their fill.” Deut. 14:28-29

Gleaning – When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest…you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 19:9-10, Deut. 24:21-22

Sabbath – If a member of your community, whether a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman, is sold to you and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall set that person free…you shall not send him out empty-handed. – Deut: 15:12-18, see Exodus 20:8-11

Jubilee – And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. – Lev. 25:10

“Vengence is mine,” says the Lord. God knew that his people were prone to violence; a violence that desecrated the image in which humanity was made (remember Genesis 6:11, 9:6). So, God instituted laws of justice that could temper humanity’s natural, violent response so that justice could be done. Comparatively, Israel’s laws were merciful than many of the surrounding cultures. Again, the reason is that each human being is made in the image of God and it would be unjust to dismiss that life based on false witness or in the heat of revenge.

“Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” God new that his people were prone to be hard-hearted and tight-fisted (see Deut. 15:7ff). So, God instituted laws of justice that would call for regular and generous distribution of grain and land. No man or woman, because they were made in God’s image, was to be deserted to a life of slavery. They had been called to co-create with God, to bring order and beauty to the world. It was not a vocation that could be carried out in slavery. God’s laws of economic justice ensured that no one would be stuck in a cycle of poverty and no generation would suffer injustice without relief.

The Lord would set up judges over the land to maintain these rituals. Israel would be unique in this way as well, but not for long. Their insecurity, hard-heartedness, and tight-fistedness would lead them down a different path. Instead of pursuing justice and only justice, they would pursue the path of the other nations. God would not be happy about it.

Live Free – 11/02/08

On October 31^st, 1517, Martin Luther mailed a letter of protest. He was protesting the sale of indulgences that was being promoted by the Catholic church. The money was to be spent on the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica. The underlying belief was that faith was not enough to get into heaven. Only good works and charity was good enough for salvation. Conveniently, one of the good works available to Christians was to purchase indulgences. They were buying their salvation basically. At some points it got so strange that people could pay extra money if they thought a relative was stuck in purgatory or heading in the wrong direction.

Martin Luther, of course, objected to this view of salvation. He wanted to affirm that salvation belonged to God and to God alone. It could not be bought. His 95 Theses are said to have begun the Protestant Reformation which, in many ways, set people free from a church that had lost its way. As the Reformation progressed, one of the big changes was that services would be held in local languages rather than just Latin. Everyone got to participate and understand what was happening. In the same way, the Bible was translated in to different languages as well. Everyone got to read the Bible and understand it for themselves. Rather than look to a priest for a word from God, the Reformation wanted everyone to consider themselves priests. Jesus Christ would serve as the only mediator between God and humans.

It must have been a very exciting time in the church in those days. There would have been a lot about this new found freedom that seemed fresh and new. I would imagine this freedom held a lot of possibilities and hope for many people who had lost faith in the church but not in God. It meant, for example, that people had the freedom to rethink their theology and their view of the sacraments which is exactly what they did. Luther began to describe the Lord’s Supper differently from the Catholic church of the day. Rather than finding the real presence of Christ in the bread and cup, Luther imagined Christ was now everywhere. There was a real presence in, with, and under the bread. Luther certainly wasn’t the only one to use this freedom to come up with new ideas.

Ulrich Zwingli looked at the Lord’s Supper and didn’t see any real presence of Jesus Christ at all. Jesus and his body were now up in heaven and, he thought, the only way for him to be present now was by the Holy Spirit. John Calvin said that, yes, Jesus and his body are in heaven but, by the Holy Spirit he becomes present to us in a very real way. He calls this the mystical union. From here there were arguments about whether or not someone needed faith to benefit from the sacrament or if the sacrament benefited the recipient by giving them faith. And that’s just communion. There just as many arguments concerning baptism.

Following the first reformers, others came along who said that they had not reformed enough. They saw infant baptism as one of the leftovers from the Catholic church and something that was unbiblical. Only those who were old enough to express their faith could be washed clean from their sins said these new reformers. As you may know, they were called the Anabaptists. The first reformers didn’t like these new kids on the block. They were persecuted by the Catholic Church. Both Luther and Zwingli advocated for their killing and John Calvin participated in the execution of another.

For freedom Christ has set us free, Paul wrote. Stand firm, therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. So, it seems that the Reformers did not heed Paul’s advice. They had been set free from an institution that was limiting their faith and confining their actions. In this new found freedom there were all kinds of possibilities ahead of them, but in their freedom they became bound again to their own theology and views of the sacrament. So, instead of having one, reformed body of believers we have thousands of denominations; some of them separated by minute details in their doctrine. It was this same kind of thing that Paul wrote about to the Galatians.

The issue in Galatia revolved around another sacrament of sorts: circumcision. As we heard from the Old Testament reading, Isaac was circumcised eight days after he was born just as God commanded. This is what God said of circumcision to Abraham, “Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money…So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” Clearly, circumcision was a big deal to God back then. It would be the mark that set apart his people from all the other nations of the world. Anyone who is not circumcised would be cut off from God’s people.

Now listen to what Paul says about the matter: Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Paul is putting a choice before the people in Galatia: circumcision or Christ. You can’t have both he says. Here’s what’s going on. There have been some recent converts to Christ in Galatia. Obviously, they are not Jewish or they would have been circumcised already. Following their conversion a group of teachers comes along and is instructing them that they need to be circumcised. It probably sounds like a logical request. Jesus is the messiah of Israel, the son of God. He’s calling all the nations to the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This God was very clear that all men should be circumcised if they want to be counted among his people. Besides, Jesus was circumcised eight days after he was born. Why shouldn’t you?

Against this argument, comes Paul’s letter saying that if you let yourselves be circumcised you will lose Christ, the very one who brought you to this point in the first place. No doubt many of Paul’s listeners would have participated in pagan cults and perverted rituals that were despised by Paul and his fellow Jews. They would be repulsed by any attempt to commune with God through sex or any other ecstatic ritual. Christ had come to set them free from that kind of perversion and addiction. However, Christ did not set them free from one kind of slavery just so that they could be bound by another. In Paul’s mind, anyone who is circumcised is obliged to obey the entire law.

Paul’s point is that Christ has set us free for the sake of freedom; so that they would not be bound by any yoke of slavery again. The law with all of its commandments is just another form of slavery and will only lead to death. To the Galatians he writes, “You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” To use some of Paul’s other words, “You have been saved by grace, through faith.” If you seek salvation through the law then it is no longer grace that has saved you. Circumcision is the first step to becoming chained again in slavery to the law, the whole law where one misstep results in death. Why would you choose the slavery of circumcision when you can have freedom in Christ?

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts…let’s pause there. That’s a powerful phrase right there: the only thing that counts. There is one thing that matters, Paul writes. You have been set free from sin, set free from the burdens of the law and you are now resting in grace under Jesus Christ. There is only one thing that counts now. There is only one thing you need to remember. Whatever comes next is the only thing that is essential to Christian freedom in Christ. Paul is about to boil it down. The only thing that counts is faith working through love. That is the picture of Christian freedom: faith working through love.

The reformers would have done well to remember these words of Paul. We’re left to wonder how the history of the church would have been different if Paul’s words remained true. The Reformers seemed to say, the only thing that counts is what you believe about the Lord’s Supper and baptism. What if we were free to celebrate communion regardless of what we believed about the sacrament; it’s a mystery either way, isn’t it? It seems that the reformers sacrificed the freedom of Christ and its grace for theological domination and control. In fact, they became the very thing that they wanted to avoid. That’s a struggle we all have with freedom. We want to be free from certain things, but end up being enslaved in another way.

In think this is most visible for adults as they watch teenagers try to find their own way. Part of being a teenager is wanting to be free from parents. Teenagers want to be able to choose their own friends and choose their own clothes and choose their own curfew. They just want to be free. But what do they often end up doing? Teenagers often end up becoming enslaved to popular culture or some other clique with identifiable marks. It’s not long after that that they make decisions that will help them stay in their chosen group even if some of those decisions are destructive. It’s not long after that that their group is better than all the rest. For freedom Christ has come to set us free, but we often choose to enslave ourselves anyway. How would high school be different if the only thing that counted was faith working through love?

How would marriages be different if the only thing that counted was faith working through love? I counsel all couples before they get married that most couples attribute their difficulties to two things: sex and money. All that should matter in marriage is faith working through love. But Hollywood and the internet create false notions of a healthy sex life that some people expect in their marriage bed. When they don’t find it there, they go looking for it somewhere else. The lie we believe is that intimacy comes through sex rather than sex being the result of intimacy. Likewise, advertising creates a false notion of what makes for a life of wealth and pleasure. Couples find out it takes a lot more time at work to create that picture and that means a lot less time at home with one another and with the kids. The lie we believe is that work buys us real pleasure rather than work being pleasurable itself. Sex is good. Money is good. Work is good. But the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

How would churches be different if the only thing that counted was faith working through love? We still struggle with some of the divisions that began at the reformation, but others have been added along the way. Worship wars have popped up here and there. Generations have drawn lines in the sand and said, “I will no longer worship with hymns and organ.” Or, “I will no longer worship when Johnny starts playing his drums.” We might say that these are free choices we get to make, but it might also be said that we are bound by our own preferences for worship. The organ carries a long tradition with it and the drums can get awfully loud at times, but the only thing that counts is faith working through love. We have a hard time remembering that even in church.

We might say that that’s how the devil gets us. We are told we are free from the law and we take that to mean almost anything goes. One of two things happen, we either start building up our own law again or become enslaved to our own choices and desires. Neither represents true freedom in Christ. If we start creating a new law then we are trying to save ourselves and Christ died for nothing. Christ died so that we could live by faith and not the law. If, on the other hand, we succumb to our own desires then we are using our freedom for the wrong purposes and really aren’t free. Then we are taking salvation for granted and Christ died for nothing. Paul would go on to write, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence.” Freedom is not for self-indulgence but for love. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.

A just world is one in which everyone can live free. Freedom is of great value to God. That’s why he sent his son to die on the cross. For freedom Christ has set us free. God wants us to be free. God also wants our teenage years to be enjoyable. God wants our marriages to be faithful and fruitful. God would have us enjoy long careers in meaningful work and worship in ways that are, well, worshipful. The way to these things is through Jesus Christ who has set us free from the law, but also from our own sinful passions and desires that bind us in ways that often go unnoticed. In this new Christian life that we are living, the only thing that counts is faith working through love. If you want to experience true freedom in the grace of God, put first things first. The only thing that counts is faith working through love. Amen.

“the article”

I recently had some of my thoughts published in the Grand Rapids Press. Since I received a comment on it, I thought I’d post the article here and include the comment below.

A recent guest commentary saw a concerted effort to equate liberal social policies with the Christian mandate to care for the poor. Christian compassion was contrasted with humanist demands for a shared life and the communist confession that we will have heaven on earth. The commentary suggested that liberal social policies are diametrically opposed to Christian compassion and that charity is much better suited to meet the needs of those suffering from poor choices, poor luck, or poor justice.

Actually, calls for income redistribution are found in God’s law. Alongside prohibitions of lying and sexual immorality are commands to leave some of the harvest, tithe, release slaves with provisions, and redistribute the land at Jubilee. They were compulsory; not left to individual choice or charity. They ensured everyone a decent life. God knew his people could be hard-hearted and tight-fisted and knowing that the poor would be with them commanded, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11).

Jesus proclaimed “the year of the Lord’s favor;” a reference to Jubilee. He taught his disciples to pray for God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” “Forgive us our debts” points us again to Sabbath and Jubilee laws. The Holy Spirit inspired early Christians to sell their private possessions and devote them to the common good. We have a prayer and fellowship that appear similar to “utopian” humanist and communist ideas. Of course, there was no written law binding believers. They acted compassionately because the law was written on their hearts.

The apostle Paul hoped for cheerful givers in order that one would not have too much while another has too little (2 Cor. 8:15). Today, the average house is getting larger, the average debt is getting deeper, and the income gap gets wider. Today, studies say that most Christians, despite commendable generosity, only contribute 2-6% of their income. Even after recent tax cuts, none claim that most Christians give a full 10%. Some say we’d have an extra $143 billion annually if every Christian tithed; enough to meet all of the UN Millenium Goals and more to evangelize. Alas, God’s people have other priorities. Christian charity remains ill-suited to replace government programs and that’s o.k.

The Bible describes a role for government. The OT commends rulers who establish God’s justice. Jesus and Paul encourage Christians to pay taxes to “God’s servant.” Certainly, Jesus was not a communist and God did not ordain a liberal government, but perhaps we should vote for one that is more liberating; one ensuring everyone enough to live a decent life. Government is our human attempt to organize Christian compassion and Spirit of the common good into a society with liberty and justice for all. We would all like the government to be more discerning, judicious, and purposeful. That’s why we cheerfully volunteer our votes, voices, and taxes to the cause. We dare not let the voice of Christian compassion be drowned out in the halls of the state.