Archive for October, 2009
“Word for Today” – Acts 20 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
When the DVD medium was in its prime, it seemed as though every movie, every series, and every documentary had its own special director’s cut, director’s commentary, “making of” commentary, and deleted scenes chapter all packaged tidily in a DVD boxed set full of “bonus features,” which, of course, also happened to be a limited-time-collector-edition boxed set that would one day become a valuable collectors’ item. I have yet to see any of those DVD boxed sets reach their stated aim. I’ll keep waiting.
The failure of these boxed sets to reach their coveted “collector” status notwithstanding, the bonus features on many of these collections are at least mildly interesting. It’s fun to get a behind-the-scenes look at how some of my favorite movies were made. I perhaps most enjoy the “deleted scenes” feature because it allows me to judge for myself the value of a particular scene. Sometimes, I watch a deleted scene and ask, “Why did they delete that? That would’ve added a lot to the story line!” Other times, I watch a deleted scene and wonder, “Was that really worth the film it’s recorded on? Couldn’t that film have been used for nobler purposes, like archiving Home Shopping Network coverage?”
In our reading for today from Acts 20, Paul gives his farewell speech to the elders at the Christian church of Ephesus. Interestingly, he “sails past Ephesus” (verses 16), asking the Ephesian elders to instead meet him at the coastal town of Miletus (verse 17) so that he is not detained by the grieving members of the Ephesian congregation who would have surely offered protracted and tearful goodbyes in the face of his departure. During his address to these elders, he reminds them, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (verse 35). Paul quotes Jesus’ words as they are recorded Matthew’s gospel to extol the value of service. Or are those Jesus’ words as they are recorded in Mark’s gospel? Wait, I think they’re from Luke. Then again, those words may be from John.
Actually, Jesus’ famed words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” are recorded in none of the four gospels. Paul, well aware that there are many “deleted scenes” from Jesus’ life as it is recorded in the gospels, gives us a “bonus feature,” or perhaps more accurately, a “bonus teaching,” from Jesus on service which has served us well for millennia.
At the end of his gospel, John honestly confesses, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25). John confesses that, although his biography of Jesus’ life is certainly towering, inspiring, and infinitely useful, it is not comprehensive. Jesus has done more. Jesus has taught more. And Paul, graciously, gives the Ephesian elders – and, by extension, us – a glimpse into one of the things that Jesus has taught which, nevertheless, was not recorded in the gospels.
Lest we be afraid that we are missing some vital piece of information about Jesus’ word and work, Paul boldly proclaims earlier in his address to the Ephesian elders, “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (verse 27). In saying this, Paul does not mean that he has recounted for them every thing that Jesus ever said or did; rather, he means that everything necessary for life and salvation has been sufficiently and graciously revealed to us in the pages of Holy Writ. The writers of Scripture have given us all the “bonus features” and “deleted scenes” we need.
In certain modern day critical and cynical circles, it has become fashionable to seek out “bonus features” and “deleted scenes” of Jesus’ life by scouring extra-canonical sources. Although these sources can shed some helpful interpretive light on Scripture, they should not be mustered in an attempt to overthrow and call into question the inspired teaching and record of Scripture. For Scripture alone has given us the whole will of God. Scripture alone has “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Scripture alone is sufficient for us to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing have life in his name” (John 20:31). So today, give thanks that you need no biblical boxed set full of special features to know and love God. For he has already given you everything you need, even his Son, in the simple pages of his Word.
“Word for Today” – Acts 19 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I have long been a fan of silver. When Melody and I were planning our wedding, she asked me if there was a particular ring that I would like. There was a James Avery ring, engraved with Song of Songs 2:16 in Hebrew, which was a favorite of mine. “Get me that ring!” I anxiously told my bride to be. After doing some research, she asked me, “The ring you want comes in white gold and silver. Which one would you like?” “Silver,” I responded. “Yes, but white gold is nicer, don’t you think?” came her reply. “I actually like silver better. And besides,” I continued in my best serious tone, “it’s cheaper.” And I’m glad it is. Because I have already lost my wedding ring once and have had to get it replaced. And silver proved to be a definite money saver in that regard.
In our reading for today from Acts 19, silver’s value is twice typified. In the first instance, an evil spirit batters and bruises some hack exorcists who are hocking their spurious demonic deportations in Ephesus. Those who see these beatings are “seized with fear [so that] the name of the Lord Jesus [becomes] held in high honor” (verse 17). In response to this fear, and with the apostle Paul present and with his seemingly incipient blessing, “A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas” (verse 19). A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages. Thus, fifty thousand pieces of silver were lost that day, roughly equivalent to six million dollars of today’s currency. That’s a lot of silver to be burned in the form of books!
Now, before you accuse Paul of inciting some sort of medieval-styled, mob-fueled, thoughtlessly-pedestrian book burning, it is important to remember that these scrolls were not mere relics of historic and academic curiosity. They were compilations of magic spells believed by the Ephesians to have real mystical powers. In other words, these scrolls were dangerous to those who read them because they actually believed what was contained in them, much like a Neo-Nazi reading Hitler’s deranged opus Mein Kampf would be dangerous even today. Indeed, Paul is anything but narrow and unacademic. Earlier in this chapter, we find Paul delivering a college-type lecture on Christianity at Tyrannus Hall (cf. verse 9). Paul was most certainly smart.
Our second encounter with silver comes with a silversmith named Demetrius. Apparently, Demetrius made his living casting and selling idols to the local superstitious population. When Paul, in his teaching, rails against such idolatry, Demetrius is disturbed:
Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger…that our trade will lose its good name. (verses 25-27)
And therein lies the rub. Demetrius has seen the equivalent of fifty thousand pieces of silver evaporate in a poof of smoke at a book burning. And now Demetrius’ silver business is crashing as fewer and fewer residents purchase his silver gods. Thus, Demetrius leads an angry mob that drags Paul and his traveling companions into the Ephesian theatre (cf. verse 29), estimated by historians to have a capacity of anywhere from twelve thousand to twenty-five thousand people. Imagine! Paul having to defend himself in front of an angry mob of twenty-five thousand people. And what has provoked this intimidating scene? Silver.
To those obsessed with silver and other precious metals, the apostle James has a dire warning: “Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days” (James 5:3). “Silver rots,” James says. Interestingly, the Greek word for “corrosion” here is ios, used not only to describe rot and rust on metal, but the poison of a snake. Those who horde and guard silver and other valuables at all costs poison their souls. That is why Jesus famously encourages:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
The earthly treasure of silver may move twenty-five thousand people to riot at a theatre in Ephesus. But the treasure of God can move a soul to sing eternal praises in the theatre of heaven. Which treasure is more valuable to you?
“Word for Today” – Acts 18 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Every Batman needs a Robin – a faithful, loyal, trustworthy sidekick to help you in a pinch. And everyone loves a Robin. We even have a pet name for him. “Boy Wonder,” we call him. Yes, every Batman needs a Robin. And everyone loves a Robin, that is, unless you are a Robin. Because then, your work as a sidekick can sometimes prove to be dreggy, belittling, and underappreciated. Batman gets all the adulation and accolades. You get the red tights. What kind of a life is that?
Most of the time, we can tell who is the leader and who is the sidekick simply by the order in which their names are listed: Batman and Robin, Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon, Pat Sajak and Vanna White, Dr. Evil and Mini Me. The one who gets top billing is the top dawg, the alpha male, and the big man on campus.
In our reading for today from Acts 18, Paul meets a husband and wife ministry team during his stay in Corinth: “There Paul met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome” (verse 2). Apparently, these two became very close friends of Paul, even risking their lives for him. They were also very well known among many churches, indicating that they travelled extensively. Furthermore, they hosted a church at their house, suggesting that they were quite wealthy and had the necessary spacious accommodations required for a worshipping community (cf. Romans 16:3-5). Aquila and Priscilla – missionaries extraordinaire in Corinth and beyond. Or is that Priscilla and Aquila? “Paul stayed at Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanies by Priscilla and Aquila” (verse 18). In verse 2, it’s Aquila and Priscilla. By verse 18, it becomes Priscilla and Aquila.
So which one is it? Aquila and Priscilla or Priscilla and Aquila? Who’s the king of the mountain, the leader of the pack, and at the top of the heap? Who’s Batman and who’s Robin? Neither! For life in the Kingdom does not work according to billings. As Jesus himself teaches: “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (Luke 13:30). It’s important to understand that Jesus does not just reverse the order on some divine marquis to spite those who were once on top, it’s that Jesus gets rid of the marquis altogether. First is last and last is first. In other words, these two terms become interchangeable and are indeed interchanged. Aquila and Priscilla becomes Priscilla and Aquila, not because one overtakes the other in some heavenly hierarchy, but because it no longer matters who is first and who is last. For both are servants of the Most High God. And that’s what matters.
Are you a leader or a sidekick? Is your name listed first or second? Today, give thanks to God that the position of your name in a lineup is not indicative of the value of your soul in God’s sight. And so, if you feel a little dreggy, belittled, and underappreciated, remember that, with a loving heart, your heavenly Father lists your name first on his lineup – and last, for that matter. For your position does not matter. What matters is that you are God’s precious child.
“Word for Today” – Acts 17 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
It was a Mensa Select prizewinner in 1999, although I’m not quite sure why since the game is not particularly challenging. It was also named the “Party Game of the Year” by Games magazine and has received the seal of approval of the National Parenting Center. The game is Apples to Apples.
Apples to Apples is the ultimate exercise in loose – and I mean very loose – associations. Each player draws seven red apple cards, each of which has a noun such as “Canada,” or “Spanish Inquisition,” or “National Park” on it. One player then draws a single green apple card, containing an adjective such as “patriotic,” or “repelling,” or “frightening” on it. Every player then chooses a red apple card to the give to the player holding the green apple card, trying to associate their nouns on the red apple cards with the adjective on the green apple card. And some of these associations can be quite hilarious, if not downright ridiculous. For example, a player once drew a green apple card with the adjective “greasy” on it. I couldn’t resist. I gave them my red apple card with “Tom Arnold” on it. I won that round.
In our reading for today from Acts 17, Paul encounters what is perhaps the most strident opposition so far to his preaching of the gospel. While in Thessalonica, some jealous Jews form a riotous mob to protest Paul’s preaching (cf. verse 5). Paul is thus forced to move to Berea, only to have these same shady characters follow him there (cf. verse 13), once again prompting him to move, this time to Athens. While in Athens, Paul again encounters resistance to his message: “A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say’” (verse 18)? The Greek word for “babbler” is spermologos, a word describing someone who pecks at and picks up ideas and then spits them out again without fully digesting and synthesizing their meaning, much like a bird picks up seed only to drop it again. These philosophers, then, are accusing Paul of having a rudimentary rhetoric, not suitable for or persuasive to the more enlightened and educated likes of them. Paul’s theological associations, these philosophers would say, are too loose. It’s like he’s playing a game of Apples to Apples with theological ideas, none of which fit together tightly enough to impress these elitists.
Theological arguments are of a unique sort. No matter how reasoned, intelligent, and cohesive they may be, there always will be some who will look on them with utter disdain. They will always demand just one more attestation of God’s existence, just one more existential loophole closed. Indeed, this is precisely the kind of demand that Jesus himself encounters while on the cross. Even after a multitude of miracles, signs, and wonders, many still refuse to believe in him. They say to him, “He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him” (Matthew 27:42). These passers-by promise to believe if only Jesus will just once more verify his identity with a miracle. But be assured, even if Jesus would have wrenched himself away from the cross, these people still wouldn’t have believed, as Matthew clues us into when he describes their request of Jesus as “mocking” (cf. Matthew 27:41). In other words, these people were not honestly seeking truth. Instead, they were sardonically scorning Jesus.
So it is with Paul at Athens. Make no mistake, Paul intelligently and forcefully argued for the truth of the gospel. Yet there were some, no matter how cogent Paul’s argument may have been, who simply refused to believe and instead chose to disdainfully mock Paul’s mental faculties. They called him “spermologos.” And yet Paul, undaunted and undeterred by their ad hominem attacks, pressed forward in his proclamation of the gospel. For Paul was willing to be derided as a babbler for Jesus.
How about you? Are you willing to be a babbler for Jesus? Some will call you “foolish.” Some will call you “inept.” Some will even call you “extreme.” But even as the Psalmist exclaims, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10), so also should we rather be a babbler for Jesus than wise in the eyes of the world. For though this world may rage against the Christian message, it cannot conquer it. For the Christian message is the very message of salvation. And that’s enough to make me a babbler for Jesus any day.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my babble for today. More babble to come tomorrow.
“Word for Today” – Acts 16 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
They are some of the most famous words ever spoken in English. Act three, scene one. Hamlet reflects:
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d.
Although these words are dearly cherished by Shakespeare lovers everywhere, I have never cared for them that much. For Hamlet sings the praises not of his “to be,” but of his “not to be.” That is, he wishes for death so that his suffering and trouble may end, although later in his soliloquy, he somberly notes that not even death promises certain bliss:
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus, Hamlet remains ambiguous toward his very life – wavering between the options of “to be” and “not to be.”
Hamlet’s famous opening line – “To be, or not to be: that is the question” – has become a cliché way of expressing ambiguity toward two competing options. Almost every verb imaginable has been substituted in place of Hamlet’s “to be.” “To eat or not to eat: that is the question.” “To work or not to work: that is the question.” I’ve even come across, in tribute to our technological obsession, “To text or not to text while driving: that is the question.”
In our reading for today from Acts 16, we once again find use for Hamlet’s famous query. Our text opens:
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. (verses 1-3)
Now wait a minute! I thought in the previous chapter, the Christian church met in council at Jerusalem and concluded that “we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19). Therefore, circumcision of the uncircumcised was not to be required. Why does Paul here require Timothy to be circumcised? To paraphrase Hamlet: “To circumcise or not to circumcise: that is the question!”
Clearly, Timothy’s circumcision is not connected to his salvation. For the church has always believed that “it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved” (Acts 15:11), not by any effort of our own, including that of circumcision. No, Timothy is circumcised not for salvation, but out of consideration – consideration toward those Jews who had long included circumcision as a primary part of their piety. Because Timothy will be ministering among them, out of respect, he becomes like one of them so that they will be maximally open to his sharing of Christ’s gospel.
“To be or not to be: that is the question.” The Bible’s answer is consistently, “to be.” As Paul writes:
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)
Paul is willing to become many things to many people to share the most important thing with all people: the grace of God through Christ.
How about you? Who can you be to share the gospel? Can you be a friend to someone in need? Can you be a listening ear to one who is hurting? Can you be a crier of repentance to someone who is sinning? Who can you be to share the gospel? My prayer for you today is that, moved by deep compassion toward others, you would be all you can be for the sake of the gospel. For Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” is not really a question for the Christian. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ’s gospel. No question about it.
“Word for Today” – Acts 15 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“Choose your battles wisely.” What parent hasn’t had to remind themselves of this axiom when their teenager comes home with that crazy haircut? Or when the boss makes that unreasonable demand? Or when that relative demands that the rest of the family come to their house for Christmas? “Choose your battles wisely,” you’ll say to yourself in your best self-soothing tone. “It’s no big deal.”
Our text for today from Acts 15 opens thusly: “Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’” (verse 1). Hmmm. That doesn’t sound quite right. Isn’t the message of the gospel, “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law [of Moses], because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 2:11)? How is it, then, that these men are making a law from Moses necessary for salvation?
Listening to these men and their claims concerning the law of Moses were Paul and Barnabas, both champions of the doctrine of salvation through grace by faith in Christ, and apart from works of the law. The question is: “How will they respond to these men who are in error? Will they simply say to themselves, ‘I ought to choose my battles wisely. This is no big deal.’” Hardly. Luke continues: “This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.” The Greek for the phrase “sharp dispute” is ouk oliges zetezeos, meaning literally, “no small dispute.” In other words, not only did Paul and Barnabas do battle with these men, they did big battle with these men. For what these men were teaching was a big deal. They were corrupting the very gospel of Jesus Christ.
What these men were teaching was such a big deal that the believers decided to travel to Jerusalem and hold the first ever church council to discuss the issue. Luke tells us that there was “much discussion” (verse 7). After all, this was a battle worth fighting – a topic worth discussing. Finally, Peter stands up and says:
Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. (verses 7-11)
Peter has clearly drawn his line in the sand and staked out his claim: The Gentiles need not be circumcised in order to be saved, for this would contradict the message of grace which is the very heartbeat of the gospel. The church council agreed. Paul and Barnabas fought a battle over the gospel and the gospel won.
The old proverb, “Choose your battles wisely” is all too readily interpreted by some to mean, “Choose as few battles as possible! Avoid conflict at all cost! Keep the peace, even it means compromising or hiding what you believe.” But this is a gross misinterpretation and misrepresentation of this axiom. For at the same time we must choose our battles wisely, we must also always remember that some battles are worth fighting. And the battle for the gospel of Jesus is always worth fighting.
As in Acts 15, in our day, the gospel of Jesus is still trampled. It is trampled by those outside the church who deny and even denounce Christ. It is trampled by those inside the church who arrogantly claim that their salvation is in someway connected to their own righteousness rather than to the cross of Christ alone. But like Paul, Barnabas, and Peter, we can take a principled stand for the gospel. This is not easy, mind you. Sometimes there can be “much discussion” concerning the gospel, some of which can be difficult and lengthy. But the gospel is always worth it. For the gospel tells of a Savior who forgives sins and saves people. And people’s eternities are worth the fight. Your eternity was worth the fight. That’s why your Savior fought for you on the cross. Your call, now, is to fight so that others hear of him.
“Word for Today” – Acts 14 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One afternoon, a long time ago, I was planning to host a night of food and football with some friends. After thinking about what dish I could prepare for what was to be a television watching, small talk making, male-bonding event, I finally settled on the perfect cuisine for any and every gathering of carnivorous males: pizza. I would make a pizza – with lots of pepperoni, beef, Italian sausage, and ham, of course. After carefully preparing and baking my cholesterol laden, artery clogging masterpiece, I proudly pulled it from the oven. But then, it happened. As I removed my pizza, my finger slipped off the potholder right into the middle of a bubbling, skin-searing mound of cheese. “Ouch!” I yelped, as I began to lose my grip on the pizza. And before I knew it, my culinary tour de force was lying toppings-down on the kitchen floor.
Immediately, my mind began to race: “What do I do? I don’t have time to make another pizza. But I can’t serve my buddies a pizza I just dropped on the floor. Wait! The five second rule! But it’s already been ten seconds. Okay, the ten second rule! It’ll be fine. After all, what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” Maybe you’ve said these words before too. You made a mistake that no one knows about. You received credit for something that really wasn’t due you. Sure, you could say something, but what people don’t know won’t hurt them. Right?
Our reading for today from Acts 14 relays what is one of the most peculiar encounters that Paul and Barnabas have in all their travels. It takes place in Lystra after Paul has healed crippled man in front of a large crowd:
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. (verses 11-13)
This crowd’s bazaar actions, it seems, stem from an ancient legend, told by the Roman poet Ovid that, once upon a time, the gods Zeus and Hermes visited the Phrygian hill country, disguised as mortals, looking for a place to stay. After asking at a thousand homes, and being rejected by all of them, they came to the shack of an elderly husband and wife, Pilemon and Baucis, meagerly cobbled out of straw and reeds. This tender couple welcomed the gods. In gratitude, Zeus and Hermes transformed their shack into a temple with a golden roof and marble columns. Lystra’s current residents, seeing Paul’s miraculous healing, seem to think that, once again, “the gods have come down in human form,” and seem determined not to miss their chance to be hospitable to them.
It is at this point that Paul and Barnabas have a decision to make. Do they tell these misguided superstitionists that they’re not really divine or do they just keep quiet and receive their frenzied adoration and adulation? After all, what they don’t know won’t hurt them. Right?
Paul and Barnabas opt for honesty over accolades:
Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (verse 15)
Shortly thereafter, Luke tells us: “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city” (verse 19). From acclaim to attempted execution, all in four verses – that’s what Paul gets for telling the truth.
Do you ever withhold the truth and simply receive what comes your way, even when you know it is not rightfully yours? When the grocery store cashier inadvertently forgets to charge you for an item, do you point out the oversight? When the ticket office at the brand new Cowboys Stadium accidently gives you much better seats to the game than you paid for, do you mention it to the attendant? Or, do you simply excuse yourself from any culpability by whispering under your breath, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
One of the great calls to Christianity is its call to honesty. In the gospels, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth” some seventy eight times. Clearly, Christianity is obsessed with the truth and with telling the truth. For, in the final analysis, Christianity teaches that what people don’t know can hurt them. As Paul later says to those in Athens, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). What you don’t know can not only hurt you, it can damn you. Thus, we are called to tell the truth, especially the truth about God. So share the truth – about yourself, about others, and about God – today and every day.
“Word for Today” – Acts 13 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“Therefore, encourage each other and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). So says the apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica. The fourth century church father, Gregory of Nyssa, paints a beautiful picture of what Paul’s admonition to “encourage each other” might look like:
At horse races, the spectators intent on victory shout to their favorites in the contest, even though the horses are eager to run. From the stands, they participate in the race with their eye, thinking to incite the charioteer to keener effort, at the same time urging the horses on while leaning forward and flailing the air with their outstretched hands instead of with a whip. They do this not because their actions themselves contribute anything to the victory; but in this way, by their good will, they eagerly show in voice and deed their concern for the contestants. I seem to be doing the same thing myself, most valued friend and brother. While you are competing admirably in the divine race along the course of virtue, lightfootedly leaping and straining constantly for the prize of the heavenly calling, I exhort, urge and encourage you vigorously. (Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses, Prologue)
This is one of my favorite illustrations of what it means to “encourage each other.” While each of us are treading on life’s track, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are in the stands, cheering us, supporting us, and calling us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:2).
In our reading for today from Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are deployed from Antioch on a joint missionary jaunt. Upon arriving Pisidian Antioch, they receive this request from the rulers of the local synagogue: “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak” (verse 15).
This is not an especially strange request of Paul and Barnabas, especially since Barnabas’ very name means “Son of Encouragement” (cf. Acts 4:36). Thus, it is only natural that the “Son of Encouragement” would deliver a message of encouragement. Interestingly, the Greek word for “encouragement” is paraklesis, a cognate of a word used by Jesus in John 14:26 when he promises his disciples, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The word for “Counselor” is parakletos. Apparently, God is in the business of encouraging his people and has even sent his Holy Spirit to do so.
So how do Paul and Barnabas encourage those at the synagogue that day? With the gospel, of course! Paul tells those gathered, “I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses” (verses 38-39). The message of unmerited, undeserved, unearned salvation is Paul and Barnabas’ encouragement to the congregation.
Though some two thousand years have passed since Paul and Barnabas preached their encouraging sermon, we, as Christ’s followers, are called to share this same message of encouragement time and time again with each other.
I once had a lady come into my office who questioned my preaching. “Why is it,” she asked, “That you always talk about Jesus in every sermon? I already know what he did for me. I don’t need to hear about every Sunday.” The reason I share Jesus in every sermon and in every Bible study is simple: I can think of no other more encouraging message. I can think of no other message which comforts us in our sins, soothes us in our souls, and keeps us unto salvation. And that’s a message I want to share. Indeed, that’s a message I can’t help but to share. I’ll share it from the pulpit. I’ll teach it from the lectern. I’ll shout it from the stands at a horse race. Occasionally, as those who have watched me preach and teach already know, I’ll even “flail the air with my outstretched arms,” just like Gregory of Nyssa. For I want to continue to encourage and be encouraged with Christ’s cross. I hope you do too.
“Word for Today” – Acts 12 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
He was a politician of virtually unmatched savvy. Indeed, he used his savvy to eventually become the ruler of all Palestine. But his road to the top was a rocky one. When he was only three years old, he saw his grandfather, Herod the Great, kill his father, Aristobulus. As a young man, he went into severe debt. In those days, creditors were authorized to either kill you or put you in prison if you didn’t pay up, and so he was thrown into prison for about seven months as punishment for his debt. But right around the time he was released from prison, an old friend of his named Caligula became emperor of Rome. And he leveraged this friendship to become ruler of a little tract of land in northern Palestine called Traconitis. He later added Galilee and Perea to his real estate portfolio, and then finally Judea and Samaria. In a few short years, he had gone from languishing in a dungeon to being the king of Palestine. His name was Herod Agrippa.
After becoming ruler of Palestine, Herod Agrippa spent much of his reign further consolidating and securing his power. He built a theatre, an amphitheatre, baths and porticoes, and finally finished an aqueduct begun by his grandfather. Yes, Herod was an impressive ruler.
As such an impressive – and successful, I might add – ruler, Herod regularly received adamant adulation from his subjects. Our reading for today from Acts 12 tells of one such instance:
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. (verses 21-23)
All of Herod’s political savvy, it seems, could not compensate for his theological blasphemy. Interestingly, the Bible not only records this event, the first century Jewish historian Josephus also mentions it:
Herod put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, that he was a god…Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery…A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner…And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life. (Josephus, Antiquities, 19.343-352)
Whether it be Josephus’ account or the Scriptural one, the implication is clear: Herod’s failure to give glory to God resulted in judgment from God. Herod died. And all of his theatres and amphitheatre, baths and porticoes, aqueducts and real estate holdings got passed on to someone else.
At the end of the Lord’s Prayer, it is our tradition to append the Chronicler’s cry to God: “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen” (1 Chronicles 29:11). It is this cry that Herod failed to heed. For instead of declaring that the kingdom, power, and glory were God’s, he acted as if the kingdom, power, and glory were his. After all, his rags to riches story surely deserved the praise of his subjects, right? Not from God’s perspective. For it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21). Herod’s power was the result of God’s grace, not of his political savvy.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism commences famously with these words: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” Do we glorify God in all we do? Or do we, like Herod, say not “thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,” but “mine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”? Today, as you go about your daily business, ask, “How can this task, this work, this deal, or this appointment glorify God?” For long after the kingdoms of this world crumble, God’s glory will remain.
“Word for Today” – Acts 11 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Almost a decade ago, county star Clay Walker released a single titled “The Chain of Love.” The song tells the heartwarming story of a woman stranded on the side of a road with a flat tire when a gentleman named Joe stops to fix her tire, only to refuse her payment when she offers to compensate him for her services. Instead, he tells her:
You don’t owe me a thing, I’ve been there too.
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I’m helping you.
If you really want to pay me back, here’s what you do:
Don’t let the chain of love end with you.
The song continues with this woman, in her newly repaired vehicle, stopping at a nearby café to grab some food when she meets a pregnant waitress. With Joe’s words still ringing in her mind, she leaves a $100 bill on the table and slips out the door. At the end of the song, we find out that the waitress is Joe’s wife. The “chain of love” has become a full “circle of love,” all in the short scope of a four-minute song.
We like songs like Clay Walker’s “The Chain of Love” because of the tender sentiment it expresses toward helping others and because it promotes the belief – or at the very least, strong hope – that such charity on our parts will eventually be rewarded. The “chain of love,” we believe, is a “circle of love.” And it will always and eventually circle back to us.
The idea of a “chain of love” is nothing new. Indeed, a hallmark of the early Christian church is that they “sold their possessions and goods, and gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:45). And it is this “chain of love” that plays itself out in concrete history in our reading for today.
In Acts 11, Luke records the birth of the Christian church at Antioch. But at the same time the church at Antioch is going gangbusters under the direction of Barnabas and Saul (cf. verse 26), the more seasoned Christian church at Jerusalem has hit some hard times following Stephen’s martyrdom (cf. Acts 8:1). Luke records the Jerusalem church’s woes thusly:
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (verses 27-30)
A chain of love flows from Antioch to Jerusalem when this poor church needs it the most. Regrettably, this chain of love has to continue its flow to Jerusalem years after the initial financial support of Acts 11. Paul writes some fourteen years later to the church at Rome: “For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Romans 15:26).
As far as we know, the “chain of love” toward Jerusalem never became a “circle of love” back toward those churches which offered their financial support. The church at Jerusalem took, but never gave back. History’s reckoning of the “chain of love,” it seems, is not nearly so fair and reciprocal as Clay Walker’s idealized vision of it.
Jesus says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid” (Luke 14:12). The chain of love, Jesus teaches, does not always become a circle. Sometimes, it is simply a one-way succession of selflessness.
Whether or not the chain of love circles back to us, our call is clear: to share and to be God’s love to others. We are a link in God’s chain of love. Who can you help today without expectation of receiving anything in return? Who can you serve without any chains attached to your chain of love? Jesus finally promises, whether or not you ever repaid by another human for your love toward them, “you will be blessed” (Luke 12:14). And that’s reason enough to love anyone, even as Jesus has already loved us.
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