Posts filed under ‘Word for Today’
“Word for Today” – James 4 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” I was seven years old and learning my books of the Bible in Sunday School. Some sections of the Bible’s book list were easy: “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.” I could handle the gospels. But the so-called “minor prophets,” tucked away at the end of the Old Testament, were brutal to memorize. I thought I never would be able to remember all of them much less be able to remember all of them in order so that I could get one of those coveted Sunday School gold stars. But I kept walking around the house repeating to myself: “Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah…Obadiah…What comes after Obadiah?!”
Even though it took me a while, I am proud to say that I wrote the listing of minor prophets at the beginning of this blog from memory. I may have had a difficult time memorizing these books, but once I did, I never forgot them.
In our reading for today from James 4, the apostle chastises his readers for their wicked ways:
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? (verses 4-5)
The grammar of verse 5 is quite interesting. The NIV takes this verse to mean that our fallen human spirits envy others, engaging in sinful behavior. The ESV translates this verse, “God yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us,” meaning that God is jealous for our spirits, not wanting them to belong to Satan. Either way, James’ message is clear: We ought to flee from wickedness, be it the wickedness of envy or otherwise, and flee toward the arms of God who jealously guards our spirits.
How are we to flee from wickedness and flee toward God? James gives us the answer in the following verses:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (verses 7-10)
Notice that James rapidly fires verbs at his readers in a staccato fashion: “Submit, Resist, Come Near, Wash, Purify, Grieve, Mourn, Wail, Change, Humble.” Ten verbs in the scope of four verses.
Although memorizing this list of verbs may seem about as appealing as memorizing the final twelve books of the Old Testament, can I appeal to you to commit these ten verbs to memory? For they are invaluable when striving against the allures of sin. Submit to God’s perfect will rather than following your own broken will. Resist Satan’s temptations. Come near to God and rest in his true joy rather than the cheap thrills of sin. Wash and purify your soul in Jesus’ blood of forgiveness. Grieve, mourn, wail, and change when you do fall prey to sin – for you will fall prey to sin – and you will then need this language of repentance. Finally, even as you do resist sin, do not become haughty in your own righteousness; rather, remain humble, relying on God’s righteousness. For his righteousness is your one and only hope. This is James’ guidance in the face of sin’s enticements.
Lest we despair over our inability to memorize this list of ten verbs much less live them, let us not forget how James sets up his verb list: “God gives us more grace” (verse 6). It is grace that undergirds and empowers these verbs. Without God’s grace to fuel our actions and forgive us for our rebellion, these verbs stand as impossible ideals. With God’s grace, however, these verbs guide us in our Christian lives. I hope these verbs will guide you today…and every day.
“Word for Today” – James 3 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
When Melody and I first started flirting, we were, in typically cautious fashion, very careful about how much romantic interest we showed in each other. After all, neither one of us wanted to “play our hand,” so to speak, only to find out that the other one wasn’t interested. But then the holidays arrived. And I decided it was time to put all my cards on the table. I decided it was time to take a chance on love. And so, during our first Christmas together, I bought Melody a Christmas gift to end all Christmas gifts. I bought Melody a cute little jack russell and dachshund mix puppy, complete with a bow tied around his neck. I even named him for her. I gave him the name Satchel.
Did I mention that Satchel was a jack Russell and dachshund mix puppy – a very needy jack Russell and dachshund mix puppy who always wanted to play and who never wanted to be alone? When Melody would go to work in the morning, Satchel, who was kenneled, would begin to bark. And he would continue to bark…and bark…and bark…and bark. He would bark until his voice was horse in the afternoon. He would bark so much that one day Melody’s neighbors said to her, “Your dog must really miss you. He barks all day.” At least they put their complaint charitably.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old cliché, “His bark is worse than his bite.” In Satchel’s case, this was most certainly true. For he was a kind hearted dog who, as far as I could tell, would never have bitten anyone. But his whiny bark would give even the most stalwart dog lover a headache. Melody kept Satchel for six months before he found his new home with a friend of ours.
“His bark is worse than his bite.” As true as that may be in the case of many dogs, James tells us that it’s not always true in the case of many people. In our reading for today from James 3, the apostle writes, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (verses 5-6). James reminds us that, when it comes to our words, it’s not that our bark is worse than our bite, it’s that our bark is our bite. That is, we can use the bark of our words to bite other people’s hearts, souls, and reputations. We can slander them with our gossip. We can scare them with our threats. We can hurt them with our haranguing. Our bark is our bite.
James writes concerning the “bark” of our words: “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check” (verse 2). The apostle concludes that if we could just perfectly control our tongues, the rest of our bodies would follow suit and we would live sin free lives. Of course, none of us live sin free lives. The implication, then, is that we all have some work to do on what we say and how we control our tongues. And it is with this in mind that I would ask you to do a little introspection. Is there anyone whom you have “barked at” with your words and you now need to make amends with them? Is there anyone who has bit you with their words that you now need to forgive? Whether an apology or forgiveness is in order, do not let the bark of cruel words rule your heart.
In order to learn how to speak properly and reverently, we need only to look as far as Jesus. For, as the prophet Isaiah says, Jesus will “judge the needy with righteousness, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4). Jesus’ mouth is a mouth of only righteousness, not of wickedness, only of truth, never of lies. His mouth comforts the righteous and condemns the wicked. And this should be what our mouths do as well. Our mouths should parrot Jesus’ mouth. Thus, the best way we can keep our mouths in check is to listen to Jesus’ mouth and then simply say what he says. I hope that you have and I hope that you will.
“Word for Today” – James 2 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One of my favorite current series of commercials is for DirecTV. These commercials feature board members for Cable Corp Inc., a fictional high powered cable company, sitting around a posh board room table trying to figure out ways to compete with DirecTV whose products, prices, and services are apparently killing their business. In one commercial, a board member is bemoaning that customers love DirecTV because they can watch movies in “full 1080p,” to which another board member responds, “Yes, but they can’t watch movies in 1,000,080p.” The rest of the board, completely confused because Cable Corp Inc. doesn’t broadcast in 1,000,080p, asks him to explain. In his mind, it’s quite simple: Cable Corp Inc. doesn’t broadcast in 1,000,080p and DirecTV doesn’t broadcast in 1,000,080p. The two companies, then, are on equal footing. Thus, he responds to his board members’ inquiry: “Oops! Look like someone’s just leveled the playing field!”
The humor of this commercial, of course, lies in the fact that although this flamboyant board member can talk about competing with DirecTV, he takes absolutely no action toward real and meaningful competition. And this, essentially, is James’ argument concerning faith and works in our reading for today from James 2:
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (verses 14-17)
To paraphrase, James says, “You can boast about the ‘features’ your faith has all you want. You can even try to ‘level the playing field,’ as it were, by making excuses as to why others’ faith results in action while yours remains stagnate. But if your faith helps no one, you’re merely fooling yourself. For your faith is meant not only to justify you before God apart from works (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9), your faith is meant to help others because it results in works.”
James then continues by offering two examples of persons whose faith resulted in works. The first one, especially to a first century Jewish mind like James’, would have been a no-brainer: Abraham. As James notes, Abraham was “called God’s friend” (verse 23), was the very patriarch of the Jewish nation, and was well known for his many yeoman-like feats of faith. He was a paragon of what it looked like for faith in God to result in action toward others.
But James isn’t done yet. He has another example up his sleeve: that of Rahab. Rahab? Granted, she is remembered for helping the Israelites in the book of Joshua as they sought to conquer Jericho, but she is also a Gentile rather than a Jew and she worked in the “world’s oldest profession.” Putting Rahab next to Abraham as an example of faith being put into action hardly seems fair. For the two are scores apart in their level of piety, Rahab being much lower on the scale. Why would James do such a thing?
Finally, it is faith, not their works, which made both of these people a part of God’s Kingdom. Indeed, their faith is the only thing which Abraham and Rahab seem to have in common. But their faith did indeed result in some sort of action, even if Abraham’s actions are remembered as much more numerous and much more precious than are Rahab’s. And that’s fine. For James’ point is not the amount of action that a person’s faith results in, but that a person’s faith does indeed result in some sort of righteous action.
In James’ mind, it is fruitless and futile to compare our actions of faith to another’s actions of faith. We don’t need to try to “level the playing field.” Instead, we need simply to press ahead, content with the actions that God himself has prepared for us, as Paul says: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). God has works of faith for each one of us. There’s no need to compare ourselves to others and try to outdo one another.
So today, what work of faith does God have for you? Comforting a mourner? Caring for someone who’s sick? Assisting an elder? The possibilities are endless. My prayer for you today is that you cheerfully put your faith into action. For this not only pleases God, it helps others. And we can all use a little help.
“Word for Today” – James 1 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I am not a fisherman. Or, I should say, I am not a skilled fisherman. I do, however, enjoy fishing from time to time. There is just something about a line in the water and a lazy morning that refreshes and refills my soul in a way that little else can.
In college, one of my favorite places to go fishing was in Lee County, Texas on a friend’s property that had a bass tank on it. My buddy and I would wake up early – at least by college student standards – hop in his truck, and travel the dirt back roads to the secluded spot. The fishing was always great. Fish after fish, bite after bite, the experience was never disappointing.
Because we hardly ever kept the fish we caught, the fish we hooked were often ones that had been hooked before. More often than not, we would reel in a fish only to discover one, two, or even three hooks in his throat, swallowed from his previous run ins with fishing lures. And yet, he kept on biting. “Shouldn’t the fish have learned by now?” I would wonder to myself. “Hasn’t he learned how to recognize a hook? Doesn’t he know that the wiggly worm being dangled in front of his face is merely a trap set by a fisherman with nefarious intent?” Alas, the fish never seemed to learn. And so we kept on hooking him.
In our reading for today from James 1, James says that, like a bass in a tank enticed by a worm, we swim through our lives enticed by our sinful desires. James writes of our temptations:
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (verses 13-15)
The Greek word for “enticed” at the end of verse 14 is deleazo, a word borrowed from the world of angling meaning “to lure” or “to bait.” Like a fish with a worm, we persistently and repeatedly swim toward our own sinful desires, never bothering to notice or discern that those desires have Satan’s hook lodged in them.
How do we avoid being hooked by such sinfulness? James offers two thoughts. First, we should be slow to speak. James writes, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (verses 19-20). Our careless and thoughtless words are often Satan’s hook to reel us into a life of wickedness. Therefore, James warns, gage your words carefully. Speak only as Jesus would speak. Second, we should be quick to help. James continues, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (verses 22, 27). Helping widows and others in need, James says, has a funny way of steering us clear from evil because we are so busy with charitable acts that we don’t have any time for evil acts.
Be slow to speak and quick to help. This is James’ practical guidance to avoid Satan’s hooks of sin. And this is guidance we can put into practice today. What hooks of sin tempt you? What word from Jesus can you carefully and deliberately speak which would steer you clear from what tempts you? And who can you help in Jesus’ name so that you are not left alone, tempted by your sinful desires? Satan’s hooks need not hook us! For, instead of being harangued by Satan’s hooks, we can be healed by our Savior’s heart. And that’s no illusive lure, that’s a perfect promise.
“Word for Today” – Philemon – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Earlier this week, Melody and I were visiting some friends south of Houston. This couple has two adorable children, Ellie and Ethan. Melody, of course, took an immediate liking to both of them. At one point during our first day there, Melody was holding Ethan and wanted to run upstairs and grab something before we were to go and run some errands. She looked at me and said, “I need to run upstairs and grab something.” To which I responded, “Okay.” Clearly frustrated by my obvious oblivion, she said, “Fine, I’ll just carry Ethan up the stairs with me while I go and get what I need.” “But I didn’t know you wanted me to hold Ethan!” I protested. “You never asked me to hold him!”
I’m not very good at recognizing non-verbal cues. “Reading between the lines” and “taking hints” are most definitely not my spiritual gifts, often to the frustration of my wife, who expects me to be able to read her glances, gestures, and tone of voice. Although I’ve gotten slightly better, I admittedly still have a long way to go.
Our reading for today from Philemon is an appeal from the apostle Paul to a slave owner of the same name. Apparently, one of Philemon’s slaves, Onesimus, had run away and, by what appears to be an act of divine providence, had met Paul and become a partner with him in ministry. In this short letter, Paul appeals to Philemon for leniency toward Onesimus, since the crime of running away while enslaved carried with it brutal punishments. Walter Elwell and Robert Yarbrough write about these punishments: “[Running away] was a serious crime, which resulted in stern punishment if the offender was caught. Burning, branding, maiming, or even death was possible.” (Encountering the New Testament, 2nd ed. [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005], p. 321).
Even though Paul’s initial appeal for leniency is quite clear, in order to fully understand Paul’s letter to Philemon and discern his true intentions, we must “read between the lines,” as it were, and “take hints.” Paul opens his appeal:
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul – an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus – I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. (verses 8-10)
Paul, in his opening statements, refuses to baldly order Philemon with regard to Onesimus. But he certainly drops plenty of hints. He writes, “Perhaps the reason Onesimus was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good – no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.“ (verses 15-16). Paul tells Philemon that he should recognize Onesimus not just as his slave, but as his brother in Christ. Paul then continues, expressing his confidence that Philemon will go beyond just recognizing him as a brother to treating him as a brother: “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask” (verse 21). What is Paul here implying? It seems to be emancipation. Paul seems to be arguing that freedom in Christ should be a catalyst toward freedom from slavery. And just in case Philemon may be reticent to accept Paul’s subtle urging, Paul adds one final word: “And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers” (verse 22). In other words, Paul is telling Philemon, “I’ll be by to check up on my friend Onesimus. So, I hope you’ve ‘read between the lines’ and have ‘taken a hint’ from my letter. I hope you’ve freed Onesimus.”
Sometimes, being a Christian can involve a fair amount of “reading between the lines” and “taking hints.” For we are called to notice pains, hurts, wounds, and worries that often the rest of the world overlooks in its crush of hurried self-absorption. If someone says they’re doing “just fine,” but you can tell merely by the tone of their voice that their heart is heavy, do you pry a little deeper? If someone seems to need your assistance, even when you’re running a tight schedule, do you pause to offer a helping hand? Do you “read between the lines” and “take hints” to try to distinguish between what people say and what they actually mean…and what they really need? My prayer for you today is that, even if with just one person, you press beyond your normal, everyday surface conversations and “read between the lines” and “take a hint” and discover someone’s deeper needs. For this is the place where God’s love can ease troubled a heart and sooth a worried a soul.
“Word for Today” – Revelation 22 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One of my wife Melody’s favorite TV shows is “Clean House” on the Style Network. This lighthearted series features host Niecy Nash and her team of designers who travel throughout Southern California helping people in embarrassingly messy living quarters clean out their clutter and put their homes back together. During the first half of the show, Nash and her team scour their patrons’ home looking for items to put out in a yard sale, the profits from which they use to redecorate and makeover the house.
I always find fascinating the reactions of the show’s clients when they are asked to part with certain possession so that they may turn a good profit in the yard sale. Sure the treadmill may have been sitting in the back room as a clothes rack for the past five years. But the homeowners vow to use it “one day.” Sure the chest may have been sitting in the attic for some two decades collecting nothing but dust. But the homeowners swear they will pull it down and sort through its items any day now. Sure there are a bunch of tools hiding out in the back shed which the owners didn’t even know about. But now that they know, these tools are certainly sorely needed. These people, for all the promises that this show makes about the organized and clutter free life “Clean House” can bring them, regularly have a difficult time parting with a bunch of stuff they don’t need.
We are a nation of keepers. We keep our memories in photo albums to keep them safe. We keep our sports car in the garage to keep it from getting dirty. We keep our computers up to date to keep them from getting viruses. We keep so many things.
And yet, there are some things – some things which are more precious and valuable than many of the things we so carefully keep – which we do not keep like we should. The father who does not keep the promise to his son to take him to the ballpark because he is too busy. The couple who does not keep their vows to each other and shatters their marriage with infidelity. The businessperson who does not keep his eye on the ball to see a project through to its end. For all the things we do keep, there are just as many things – many important things – which we don’t.
Jesus, in John’s closing vision in Revelation 22, leaves the apostle with this commission: “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” Jesus, it seems, wants John to carefully keep his words.
The Greek word for “keep” is tereo. And this word is used in the New Testament to encourage us to “keep” the important things of God. First and foremost, this word is used to encourage us to keep belieiving God’s Word. As the book of Revelation opens, John writes, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). The Greek word for “take to heart” is tereo. Thus, when God speaks in his Word, we should always take it to heart. We should always believe what he says. For his words are words of life. Second, this word is used to encourage us to keep obeying God’s commands. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). The Greek word for “obey” is tereo. Thus, we are to keep God’s commands. We are to walk according to his ways every day. Third, this word is used to encourage us to keep the faith until we finish its course. The apostle Paul, as he is nearing the end of his life, writes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Through it all – good times and bad, joyous times and sad – Paul has refused to relinquish his trust and hope in Christ. He has stood firm until the end. He has kept his faith. So should we.
As John’s Revelation draws to a close, then, we are called to believe, obey, and stand fast until the end. For this is the Christian life. And with John’s vision, we not only receive a commission for this life, but a glimpse into the life of hereafter. Thus, as we wrap up this sometimes confusing, but always important and precious, book, my encouragement to you is simply this: Keep on. Keep on believing. Keep on obeying. Keep on standing firm in your faith. And you will receive the crown of life. I’m sure it will look great on you. Until then, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (verse 21).
“Word for Today” – Revelation 21 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
For several weeks over the summer, Melody and I had the opportunity to “cat-sit” two cats for a friend of ours. I love cats. Melody, however, is not nearly so affectionate toward the frolicking felines. And frolicking these two cats were. Usually in the middle of the night. Melody and I would be fast asleep, only to be jolted awake by the scurry of two cats playfully chasing each other directly into our bedroom. This flurry of activity was often followed by a loud thump, coming from something which the cats had inadvertently knocked over in the middle of their antics. “Get those cats out of here!” my wife would exclaim, clearly frustrated by their raucous nocturnal rowdiness. So, I would get up, usher the cats out of our room, and then shut our door. “There. Now maybe we can finally get some shut eye,” I would think to myself. But it never took long. Minutes after I would shut our bedroom door to bar the cats from entering, a paw would appear, reaching through the crack between the floor and the door. And then I’d hear, “Meow. Meow.” I couldn’t help myself. I would always melt with delight. “Ah. How cute,” came my reflexive response. Melody was not so amused.
In our reading for today from Revelation 21, we catch a glimpse into the new Jerusalem, that is, the new creation which God will usher in on the Last Day. In John’s description of this cosmic metropolis, I find this to be especially notable: “On no day will Jerusalem’s gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there” (verse 25). Like I would shut our bedroom door at night to keep out the cats, ancient cities would often shut their gates at night to keep out nefarious invaders. For example, when the city of Jericho learns that the Israelites are drawing near to attack, the book of Joshua notes, “Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in” (Joshua 6:1). Ancient cities closed their gates. The new Jerusalem will not.
Why is this? Because unlike the municipalities of antiquity, the new Jerusalem will have no foes of which to be afraid. For all of the city’s enemies will have been conquered, even as John says: “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (verse 8). Thus, Jesus opens the city’s doors.
Jesus is in the business of opening doors. As Jesus himself says, “Knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Paul, after a mission tour through Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe rejoices that God “had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). He later prays “that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains” (Colossians 4:3). Christ’s desire is to open doors for his followers. Even at the beginning of Revelation, Jesus exclaims to the church at Philadelphia, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut (Revelation 3:8).
There’s an old, oft-repeated, and tired Christian cliché: “Whenever God closes one door, he always opens a window.” The premise of this statement is that God will make a way, even when things don’t turn out how you might expect or want them to. As much as I appreciate the general sentiment, I’m not so sure that the specific imagery is accurate. For when it comes to this specific image of a door, Scripture portrays God as one who opens doors rather than closing them. If we run up against a roadblock, before we blame God for slamming a door in our face, perhaps we should ask ourselves if the door was ever open in the first place. Or perhaps we should ask ourselves if it was our own sinfulness that closed a door rather than God. In fact, the only time that God is portrayed as closing a door is in Luke 13:23-28 when someone asks Jesus:
“Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth.”
The door out of hell, it seems, will be locked up tight by Christ so that the gates of the new Jerusalem can be left open, free from the fear of God’s enemies.
So today, rather than bemoaning the “closed doors” in your life, why don’t you thank God for the ones he has opened for you? For they are many. He has opened the door to his knowledge through the pages of Scripture. He has opened the door to forgiveness through his Son, Jesus Christ. And he has opened the gates of his new Jerusalem so that we may come in. I can’t wait to walk through.
“Word for Today” – Revelation 20 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I have long had an obsessive affinity for books. I love them. I read them. I display them proudly on many shelves in my office. And I keep buying more of them. I just can’t get enough of books. Especially books about Jesus.
As much as I love my books, one job I can never imagine having is that of a bookkeeper. At first thought, it sounds like a dream job: a book-keeper. But the books that a bookkeeper keeps don’t contain insightful and marvelous words about Jesus. Instead, they contain cryptic and confusing numbers. Black numbers. Red numbers. Line item numbers. Break down numbers. Cash based numbers. Accrual numbers. Just thinking about all those numbers is enough to give me a headache. Those who can think about and decipher all these numbers have my highest respect and, many times, my tax records as well. Because I’ll gladly pay a CPA to reconcile my books with IRS’s books. For as much as I might enjoy and devour books with words, I am at a loss when it comes to books with lots of numbers.
In our reading for today from Revelation 20, John tosses around some numbers. Actually, mercifully, he tosses around only one number: 1,000. And yet, even though it’s only one number, this one number has proven to be a source of more confusion and debate than even Bernie Madoff’s books. John writes:
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (verses 1-4)
The church has interpreted this thousand-year reign of Christ, described by John, in three primary ways. One interpretation is that of premillenialism, which says that Christ will return and usher in his perfect rule after this present age. Another is the interpretation of postmillennialism, which says that the world is slowly, but inexorably, moving toward a utopian society where we will enjoy an extended period of peace and prosperity. And still another interpretation is that of amillenialism, which says that we are currently living in a symbolic millennium, living under Christ’s rule with Satan being bound by the gospel.
As much as I don’t like numbers, I have taken some time to study this number. After all, this number is a number that has to do with God himself. And after much study, my preferred interpretation of John’s famed number, and the interpretation I think fits best with the context of Revelation 20, is amillenialism. There are three things that lead me to this stance. First, the two other times the number 1,000 is used in the Scriptures to refer to time are in Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8, both of which clearly use the number 1,000 symbolically to refer to the timelessness of God. Thus, I don’t think this time frame should idiosyncratically be interpreted literally here. Second, this rule of Christ during the millennium seems to take place from heaven, not on earth, as the premillenialists claim. The heavenly “thrones” and “souls” clue us into this fact (cf. verse 4). Third, nowhere does Scripture teach a more than one second coming of Christ. And yet, to have an earthly literal millennium, Christ would have to have a “first second coming” to set up his millennial kingdom on earth and then a “second second coming” to judge the living and the dead. This does not harmonize with the rest of Scripture. Indeed, Christ’s one and only second coming is described in verses 11-21, taking place after the figurative millennium in which we live right now.
Interestingly, at this second coming, we are shown some books. These are books, kept by God, which he uses to “judge the dead according to what they had done as recorded in the books” (verse 12). But not only are there books, there is also a book of life (cf., verse 12), containing the names of those washed by the blood of the Lamb. In other words, you can either be judged by the books or be judged by the book. You can either be judged according to what you have done and works God has recorded in his books or be judged according to the what the Lamb has done and how he has written your name in God’s book of life. Although I love having many, many books, there’s only one book I’ll want to see that day. And it won’t be the books filled with my works, for those are certain to be shameful and embarrassing. No, I’ll want to see only the book with my name in it, splattered in blood by the Lamb. For that book is my book of life. I hope it’s yours too.
“Word for Today” – Revelation 19 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I’ve never been a big fan of Grimm’s fairy tales. I know it’s almost required that parents share these tried and not-so-true tales with their little ones, but I’m not so sure that some of Grimm’s story lines are suitable for little ears. After all, Snow White gets sacked by a poison apple given to her by a wicked witch. Rumpelstiltskin meets his angry and gruesome demise by sinking into a pit and tearing himself in two. And Little Red Riding Hood is rescued from the jaws of a wolf by a hunter cuts open her prowling predator, fills him with stones, and then throws him into a well where he drowns. Yikes! Grimm’s fairy tales, quite frankly, seem much too grim to me to be read to small children.
Out of all of Grimm’s fairy tales, it is perhaps the story of Hansel and Gretel which disturbs me most. An evil stepmother who convinces her husband to abandon his children in the wilderness? A wicked woman who captures and tries to cook these two youngsters only to have the children turn the tables on her and shove her in the oven instead? Are you sure this is a fairy tale for children? It sounds more like a horror movie barely suitable for adults to me.
I must confess that, as I read through Revelation, I can sometimes feel as if I’m reading one of Grimm’s gruesome legends. This is especially true of our reading for today from Revelation 19. Everything begins beautifully: “After this I hard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments” (verses 1-2). That sounds pleasant enough. A heavenly chorus is singing praises to God. But by the end of the chapter, we are left with this scene: “The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh” (verse 21). Well that’s a pleasant takeaway: Birds gorging themselves on human flesh.
Though this may all seem a little “grim” at first, John is actually aiming for a happy ending to his tale, not a ghastly one. For at the same time we see birds feasting on earthly flesh, there is another heavenly feast also taking place. It is “the wedding supper of the Lamb” (verse 9)! And those who get to partake of such a feast do not languish in a diner’s dread, but rejoice in God’s sumptuous blessing (cf. verse 9). Who gets to partake of such a fine feast? Those who “are given fine linen, bright and clean” (verse 8). These laundered linens, of course, are those which have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. In other words, it is those who trust in Christ who get invited to this blissful banquet. And that means we are invited. For we have received our invitation to this holy meal at the foot of the cross where the Lamb shed his blood.
Sadly, those who do not trust in Christ have to attend the other, more macabre meal. Those who refuse to feast with the Lamb instead have the tables turned on them and become themselves food for God’s judgment, just like the wicked woman in Hansel and Gretel. But unlike Hansel and Gretel, this is no fairy tale. This is absolutely true. As the angel in John’s vision reminds us, “These are the true words of God” (verse 9).
John’s dual feasts paint starkly contrasting pictures. But John is not trying to turn our stomachs with some “Fear Factor” styled gastrointestinal curdling culinary challenge; rather, he is simply seeking to warn us: “You do not want to be a part of the earthly feast of judgment, especially since you can be a part of the heavenly feast of blessing. Simply wear the linen of the Lamb.” I hope you’re dressed for supper.
“Word for Today” – Revelation 18 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I don’t like moving. I don’t like the packing. I don’t like the hauling. I don’t like the unpacking, sorting, and finding new places for everything in my new place. I don’t like moving. But perhaps the thing I dislike most when it comes to the whole moving experience is the obligatory call I have to make to the cable guy. You know how the conversation goes. I call and say, “I’ve just moved in to a new place and I would like someone to come out and hook up my cable TV and internet.” “Okay,” the associate responds in her best cheerful tenor, “We can schedule an appointment for two weeks from today between 8 am and 5 pm.” “Two weeks from today? Don’t you have anything sooner? And can’t you give me a more specific window of time than nine hours?” I ask. “No sir,” comes the polite reply. “I’m sorry, we can’t.” And so I wait. And after two weeks, the day finally comes. And I wait again. And I wait and I wait and I wait. And finally, at 4:30 in the afternoon, the cable guy shows up. And 15 minutes later, he’s finished. All that waiting for 15 minutes of labor. How frustrating.
After reading about a vile prostitute named Babylon in Revelation 17 (cf. Revelation 17:5) and how she became “drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus” (Revelation 17:6), we now read about this woman’s demise in today’s reading from Revelation 18. And her demise is a spectacular one. A chorus laments:
“Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin! Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” (verses 10, 16-17, 19)
Babylon, the ultimate symbol of power, excess, and greed, has been utterly obliterated. As another chorus sings in the following chapter, “The smoke goes up from her forever and ever” (verse 3). But did you catch the pattern of the laments in chapter 18? Each lament begins with a double woe, accompanied by a reckoning of how long it will take to destroy her: “one hour.” One hour to for this giant of a spiritual harlot to meet her demise? That seems awfully swift.
One of the promises that we Christians receive concerning God’s judgment is that it will be swift and irrevocable. As Paul elsewhere writes, “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). Thus, in John’s vision, the enemies of God are destroyed in a mere hour while the people of God, in that same time frame, receive their anxiously anticipated salvation.
In the mean time, however, it can sometimes feel as though Christians are left waiting for a cable guy who has given them a painfully vague time frame as to when he will finally arrive. Jesus promises only that he will come “soon” (Revelation 22:20). Can’t he get any more precise than that? Actually, he can’t. For as Jesus himself admits, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). But rest assured, even if it’s at 4:30 in the afternoon, Jesus will come. And when Jesus does come, the wait will most certainly be over. For his judgment will only take a moment.
Thankfully, while we’re waiting for Jesus to come, we need not sit around in our houses all day like I had to while waiting for the cable guy. Indeed, Jesus doesn’t want us to sit around all day waiting for him. Instead, he wants us to use this precious time to share his precious message of salvation. This is why Jesus declares, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Jesus, not desiring the destruction of sinners, is waiting as long as possible for us to share his message of grace before he ushers in his End. So don’t just sit there, share Jesus! After all, who knows? Jesus might just be waiting for you to share him with someone today. I hope you will.
Pastor Zach's Blog 