Posts filed under ‘Word for Today’
“Word for Today” – Acts 4 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Last month was my aunt’s birthday and Melody and I decided to have her over for a homemade birthday supper, complete with homemade birthday cake. In our house, I do most of the cooking, especially when it comes to desserts, and so I was responsible for baking her cake. I settled on a red velvet cake, my aunt’s favorite. And if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty well – a beautiful two layer cake with white icing. I was quite proud of my culinary masterpiece until Melody walked into the kitchen. “Hey,” she said inquisitively, “What’s this red stuff on the counter…and on the linoleum…and on the rug?!” Then I saw it. I had made a mess out of the kitchen. There were red specks – or perhaps, more precisely, red stains – all over our kitchen and even on my shirt. The cake was certainly tasty, but it was not tidy.
In our reading for today from Acts 4, Peter and John are confronted by an angry mob of religious leaders who are disturbed that the disciples are “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (verse 2). Peter and John are finally hauled before the high priest and are called to account for a man they had miraculously healed in some days earlier (cf. Acts 3:1-10). The high priest and his attendant cronies demand to know: “By what power or what name did you do this” (verse 7)? Peter answers:
Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (verses 8-12)
Peter’s closing words here concerning salvation are some of the most famous in all Scripture. They claim unambiguously and unequivocally that salvation is found only on Christ. What is especially interesting to me, however, is that this response concerning salvation is given to a question concerning a miraculous healing of a cripple. Why would Peter and John answer a question concerning healing with a statement of salvation?
The Greek word for “save” is sozo. Notably, this word is often translated not only as “save,” but as “heal,” and is used regularly of Jesus’ healings (e.g., Matthew 9:22, Mark 6:56, Luke 8:36). Thus, healing is equated with salvation in the gospels. But wait a minute! How can salvation be equated with physical healing? I thought salvation was spiritual eternal life with God!
Salvation is indeed spiritual eternal life with God. But that’s not all it is. For like my red velvet cake left specks of sweetness all over our kitchen, God’s Son Jesus Christ, when he came to this earth, left specks of salvation all over his earth – foretastes of what our final and full salvation with God will be like, where there will be no more sickness, weakness, death, or pain. And so it is when Peter utters his famous words – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” – the healed cripple is “standing there with them” (verse 14). For he is living, breathing proof of the specks of salvation that God so generously showers on his people. This is why “there was nothing the religious leaders could say” (verse 14). For God’s very salvation was staring them in the face. They could not deny it.
On the one hand, our salvation is still in the future. It has not been and will not be realized fully until the Last Day. On the other hand, specks of God’s salvation abound. From creation itself to modern day miracles to Jesus’ body and blood in Communion, we see specks of God’s good salvation day in and day out. So look carefully today. For God’s specks of salvation are all around you.
“Word for Today” – Acts 3 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One of my favorite photos of all time was taken by a pioneer in photojournalism, Margaret Bourke-White. Bourke-White began her work as a photojournalist at the dawn of the Great Depression in 1929. She began her career with Fortune magazine, but later moved to Life magazine when one of her photos landed on the cover of Life’s inaugural edition in 1936. My favorite photo from her is the one shown here, published in Bourke-White’s book, You Have Seen Their Faces. The book chronicles the difficult and even severe conditions so many faced during the turmoil of the Depression. This particular picture shows people waiting in a soup line following a devastating flood. What makes this picture so striking, obviously, is its sad irony. For those who have been left with nothing are standing in front of a billboard declaring that Americans should have everything.
In our reading for today from Acts 3, we encounter another strange sight, similar to that of Margaret Bourke-White’s Depression-era photo. The chapter opens:
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. (verses 1-2)
Now isn’t this an ironic sight? A man, crippled from birth, his body hideously deformed by a dreaded and incurable disease, begging for money, and lying next to a gate in Jerusalem named “Beautiful.” What an odd combination. But this odd combination is about to be transformed. For on this day, Peter and John have come to the temple for their afternoon prayers.
According to Jewish tradition, a person was to pray three times a day – he was to pray a morning prayer called the shacarit, an afternoon prayer called the mincha, and an evening prayer called the ma’ariv. In Acts 3, Peter and John are on their way to pray the mincha, where according to its traditional liturgical form, they would recite these words from the Psalmist: “The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). And on this day, the LORD does exactly this. For on this day, Peter and John behold the maligned man at the gorgeous gate. And Peter, repelled by this sad site, says to the man, “Look at us” (verse 4)! As they lock eyes, Peter continues, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (verse 6). And the man does. In fact, he does more than simply walk, he jumps: “He went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God” (verse 8).
The Greek word for “jumping” here is hallomai, an extremely rare word that also happens to be found in Isaiah 35:4, 6 to describe the coming of God:
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the lame jump like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
When God comes, Isaiah prophesies, the lame will jump. And in Acts 3, we find that God had come. He had come in Jesus.
The promise of Christ is that one day – on the Last Day when Christ comes again – the sadly ironic pictures of our broken world will fade from our film rolls. Poverty will no longer beg at the feet of riches. Sickness will no longer strewn about next to health. And death will no longer stare down those who are alive. For God’s creation will be perfectly renewed and restored. And it will be perfectly renewed and restored in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And so we pray not only the prayers of the mincha as Peter and John did on that day in Acts 3, we pray much more. We pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
“Word for Today” – Acts 2 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Earlier this month, I endured another birthday. I say I endured another birthday because my birthday is not a favorite day of mine. Indeed, I much prefer a low-key and reflective day rather than a celebratory and boisterous one.
In preparation for my birthday, my wife Melody asked me what I wanted as gifts. I answered as I always do: “Books!” I have an acute case of “bookophilia,” as anyone who has visited my office knows. I love to read theological tomes. I even keep a wish list on amazon.com so that Melody can buy me exactly what I want for special occasions. Not a lot of creativity is needed when choosing a gift for me. Simply select a book from my wish list.
Over the years, it seems that gift giving has gone from being creative to calculated. People are no longer happy with just any gift; rather, they want a specific gift. And if they do not receive that specific gift, they return their unwanted gift to the store. In fact, I stumbled across a website the other day called yourchristmaslist.com. It allows you to, with great specificity, identify what gifts you would like to see under your softly lit Christmas tree on the morning of December 25. Its home page boasts: “Tired of standing in long lines, exchanging all of your unwanted Christmas gifts? Here’s your chance to get what you want this year! Sign up now for a Christmas Gift List!” Clearly, we have become hopelessly particular when it comes to our gifts.
Our attitude toward the gifts of this world has sadly spilled over into the gifts of God’s Spirit. There are some Christians who, with great definitiveness and earnestness, demand that God give them one spiritual gift or another. This is especially true with the so-called “spectacular gifts,” such as the gift of tongues or the gift of healing. But unlike the wish lists we create for our birthdays and Christmas, we can place no such specific demands on the Holy Spirit. Rather, the Spirit passes out his gifts when and where he pleases.
In our reading for today from Acts 2, we read of an outpouring of God’s Spirit that is truly remarkable in the history of the church: the outpouring of God’s Spirit on Pentecost. In this particular instance, God’s Spirit enables Jesus’ disciples to speak in languages they have not learned to spread the message of Jesus. As verse 4 says, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” I like the old King James Version of this verse because it more closely corresponds to the Greek: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Did you catch that? The Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in tongues. It was a gift. That means they couldn’t coerce or demand their sudden linguistic proficiency. It was a gift given by the Spirit when and where he pleased.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of the Spirit’s gifts thusly:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4, 8-9)
Paul is abundantly clear: Not every person receives every one of the Spirit’s gifts. To one the Spirit gives a certain gift. To another the Spirit gives a different gift. Different gifts for different people. And yet, there is only one Spirit. For it is the “same Spirit” who doles out gifts of wisdom, knowledge, healing, and even tongues. As Christians, we may have different gifts, but we all have the same Spirit. This is why, after Peter receives the spiritual gift of tongues and begins to preach, he finishes his sermon with this invitation: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (verse 38). The gift of God’s Spirit is for every one of us.
Blessedly, Jesus’ disciples received just the right gift for just the right moment on that Pentecost day. For because they could share the gospel in many languages, “three thousand were added to their number that day” (verse 41). The Spirit’s gift was right on target for the gospel’s cause that day. And the promise is that the Spirit continues to give out gifts to his people that are right on target for the gospel’s cause in our day. So whatever your spiritual gift may be, know that it is just the right gift for you and, perhaps more importantly, it is just the right gift for the cause of God’s kingdom. No spiritual gift wish list needed.
“Word for Today” – Acts 1 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
It is one of the most oft quoted statements of Jesus. The setting is the Last Day. The Lord has returned and is going about separating his faithful sheep from Satan’s reprobate goats. To the sheep he says:
Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:34-36)
The sheep, unaware of the kindnesses they had shown to Jesus, are befuddled by Jesus’ commendation. They ask:
When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? (Matthew 25:36-39)
Then comes Jesus’ marvelous answer: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
What we do, we do for the Lord. This is a cornerstone of Christian theology. As Paul writes to the little church at Colosse: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).
As true as it may be that as Christians, we are called to work for the Lord, there is even more to our Christian work than this. In our “Word for Today” readings, we begin studying the book of Acts. Like the gospel of Luke, which we have just finished reading, Acts too is written by Luke, a careful historian, respected doctor, and skilled rhetorician. Luke opens his second theological volume thusly:
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. (verses 1-2)
The word “began” in verse 1 has long intrigued me. What does Luke mean when he says that he has written in his gospel “about all that Jesus began to do and teach?” I’ve read Luke’s gospel and it pretty much sums up all of Jesus’ life and work – from his birth to his ascension, from his beginning to his end. What more is there to write about Jesus’ work? How can Luke claim to have written only a beginning?
As we read through Acts, we quickly find our answer. Jesus’ work continues through his people. Indeed, Jesus’ thirty-three short years on this earth were truly only a beginning. For his work has continued through all those Christians who feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, invite the stranger in, clothe the needy, and visit the prisoner. And this is the other side our Christian life. It’s not just that we do things for Jesus, it’s that Jesus does things through us. His work has just begun.
One of my favorite songs growing up was a 1970 hit by the brother and sister duo, the Carpenters. It was titled, “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Originally a jingle for a bank commercial, Richard Carpenter turned it into one of the Carpenters’ most successful singles. The lyrics sing of a newly wedded couple and how their life together has only just begun.
As Christians, we believe and trust that whether we are at the beginning of our earthly life or nearing our end, our life in Christ has “only just begun.” Even as Jesus’ incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension was only just the beginning of a mission that has continued for some 2,000 years, our temporal lives are only just the beginning of our eternal ones. And so, just as we will for all eternity, we continue our work for Jesus. And Jesus continues his work through us. And praise be to God, this is only just the beginning. There is so much more life in Christ to come, for there is an eternal life in Christ to come!
“Word for Today” – Luke 24 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Mnemonic devices saved my college career. As part of my studies to become a pastor, I had to take New Testament Greek. And gazing at vocabulary list after vocabulary list caused my memory of these lists to eventually fade and falter. I had to come up with a way to remember all these words and remember them well. Thus, I turned to mnemonics. For example, the verb for “see” in Greek is blepo. “I see the blimp,” I would think to myself. See = blepo. Or how about the word for “good”? In Greek, it’s kalos. To remember this, I would think to myself, “She isn’t a callous person, she’s good.” Good = kalos. I know these associations may sound strange and even far-fetched. But they worked. I remember them to this day.
In our reading for today from Luke 24, we encounter a glorious account of Christ’s resurrection. We know the story well. It is early on a Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene and Mary come to Jesus’ tomb to embalm Jesus’ body. But instead of finding their deceased friend, they find two men clad in white who announce:
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” (verses 6-7)
“Remember how Jesus told you: He will be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” This is the angels’ instruction to these women. That’s kind of a strange instruction, don’t you think? I mean, how could they forget something as intriguing as a prophetic announcement of a resurrection? If someone was to tell me that they would be killed, but then would be raised to life again, I would hope that I would remember their words, if for no other reason than that I would think they had taken leave of their senses! How could the women forget such an unusual and seemingly outlandish claim?
The men in Luke 24 do not fair much better. As the chapter continues, we meet two men journeying to Damascus. Jesus appears to them on the road, but they do not recognize him. Noticing that they are deep in conversation, Jesus asks them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along” (verse 17)? These men respond:
We are discussing Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. (verses 19-23)
These men note that Jesus is reported to be alive, but they refuse to affirm this, even though he foretold his resurrection on many occasions. Interestingly, Jewish tradition taught that the soul would remain near its body for three days, hoping to return to it, after which time it gave up hope and depart for good. Thus, when these men say to Jesus, “It is the third day since all this took place” (verse 21), they seem to be saying, “Jesus’ body is missing, but he can’t be alive. His soul has already departed. It’s already been three days!” They too have forgotten Jesus’ promise of resurrection.
Besides mnemonic devices, one of the things which helps me remember important truth is sheer repetition. When I am preparing for a sermon, for instance, you can find me holed up in my office, rehearsing my remarks again and again. Eventually, after practicing my sermon several times, it is committed to memory. Thus is the case with the women and men of Luke 24. They have already heard Jesus’ promise of resurrection many times. But they have forgotten. And so they are reminded once more. Jesus repeats himself. He says to the men traveling to Damascus, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory” (verse 26)? Jesus reminds them of what they have been formerly taught.
Faulty human memory is the reason that week after week, month after month, year after year, and even decade after decade now, Concordia has proclaimed and will continue to proclaim the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Like the women at the tomb and the men on the road, we prove sadly forgetful if we are not reminded of Jesus’ gospel again and again. And besides, this gospel is a gospel that never gets old. For this gospel is a gospel which promises us our salvation. And who wouldn’t want to be reminded of a gospel like that again and again?
“Word for Today” – Luke 23 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
At Concordia, we are currently in a teaching series covering the life of Moses titled, “Never Lost.” Thus, I have been spending a fair amount of time in the book of Exodus lately. In Exodus 2, Moses, after he inadvertently kills an Egyptian soldier (cf. Exodus 2:12), flees to the wilderness of Midian where he meets a man named Reuel (cf. Exodus 2:18-21). Although it’s not common, “Reuel” has quickly become a favorite name of mine. It is from the Hebrew words re’eh, meaning “friend,” and el, meaning “God.” What a wonderful moniker – to be called a friend of God.
Even today, being God’s friend is a notion which delights and comforts countless Christians. Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing a song which declares, “I am a friend of God.” More classically, I have been to nary a funeral where they have not sung, as consolation for grieving hearts and souls, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” As people who believe in God, we trust not only that he is the transcendent sovereign of the universe, but also our immanent friend.
As much as we may want to be God’s friend, we also struggle giving up other affections which would damage and even destroy our friendship with God. As Jesus’ brother James warns us, “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God” (James 4:4)? It is a difficult, and finally impossible, feat to be a friend of God while also maintaining ties with wicked ways of this world. Consider Pontius Pilate, for instance, in our reading for today from Luke 23.
During this time, Pilate’s political career is on the rocks. His approval ratings are plummeting. The first century Jewish philosopher Philo relays the story of how Pilate had some golden shields inscribed with a dedication to the emperor of Rome at this time, Tiberius Caesar, and thus infuriated the Jews:
Pilate, not more with the object of doing honor to Tiberius than with that of vexing the multitude, dedicated some gilt shields…in the holy city…But when the multitude heard what had been done…they entreated him to alter and to rectify the innovation which he had committed in respect of the shields…But he steadfastly refused this petition, for he was a man of a very inflexible disposition, and very merciless as well as very obstinate. (Philo, On the Embassy to Gaius, par. 299-301)
For the Jews at this time, even an inscription dedicated to someone other than God smacked of idolatry and thus offended their religious sensibilities. In response to Pilate’s offense, the Jewish leaders crafted a letter of protest which Herod Antipas, one of the tetrarchs of Palestine, eagerly forwarded to Tiberius in an attempt to bolster his own political capital. Upon receiving the letter, Tiberius shot off a nasty letter to Pilate, demanding that he remove the offensive shields. This episode made Pilate and Herod Antipas bitter enemies.
In Luke 23, then, Pilate faces a choice. He can either strike back at Herod Antipas with a political low blow – some sort of smear campaign – or he can show him kindness – offer him an olive branch of sorts – in hopes of mending their broken relationship and thus better cementing his own political position because he has newfound friends in high places. Pilate opts for the latter. Knowing that Antipas has long been a fan of Jesus (cf. verse 8), when Jesus lands in Pilate’s Praetorium, accused of insurrection, Pilate ships him off to Antipas as a goodwill gesture. Thus Luke writes: “That day Herod and Pilate became friends – before this they had been enemies” (verse 12).
“Herod and Pilate became friends.” Pilate uses his shrewd political prowess to make a new friend. The problem is, he made friends with the wrong guy. He opted for friendship with a ruler of the world rather than friendship with the Son of God. And when he has yet another opportunity to befriend Jesus and stand fast against those who falsely accuse him, he instead “surrenders Jesus to their will” (verse 25). Jesus is crucified.
Friendship means fidelity. In other words, friendship with God means you can’t rely on God and his ways while also flirting with ways of this world. To be a friend of Christ means to be a friend of Christ alone. Thankfully, Jesus is a forgiving friend. Even when we run off to befriend the world, Jesus still stands with his hand outstretched, inviting us back to friendship with him. I hope he is a friend of yours, for he wants to be. And there is no better friend to have.
“Word for Today” – Luke 22 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
He’s six foot three and 220 pounds. He has charm, charisma, and poise. He just turned nineteen and is a freshman at USC. He is also their starting quarterback. His name is Matt Barkley.
I have to admit that I am no fan of the Trojans. I am a dyed in the wool Texas Longhorn through and through. But even I am watching with interest to see what USC’s quarterback can do. He definitely has raw talent. The question on everyone’s mind, however, is, “Can mere raw talent carry a football program at prestigious and ambitious as USC’s to victory, or will Matt Barkley choke under the pressure of having to play California and Ohio State?” Doesn’t USC need someone with more experience? Someone who is more trained in the rigors of the national football stage? Time will tell. And I’ll be watching.
In our reading for today from Luke 22, Jesus’ end is drawing near. Indeed, Jesus is facing a challenge much more rigorous and taxing than having to play California and Ohio State combined. For Jesus is on his way to his death – his death on a cross. Perhaps Jesus, in the face of such of a terrible fate, will run and hide from those who seek his life. Perhaps he, as the Son of God, will crush his opponents with a divine fury that he could surely and effortlessly deliver.
Jesus does neither of these things. Instead, Luke informs us that, in preparation for his crucifixion, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching that place…he withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed” (verses 39-41). Jesus, as he faces the most harrowing moment of his ministry and life, prays to his heavenly Father.
Quite honestly, if I was faced with the same plight, I don’t think I would respond with the same kind of spiritual fortitude with which Jesus responds. His disciples certainly don’t. When questioned about his relationship to Jesus, Peter denies that he even knows him (cf. verses 54-62) and the other disciples desert him in terror (cf. Matthew 26:56).
So how does Jesus do this? How does Jesus keep his spiritual grounding even in the midst of his impending death? Luke gives us a clue: “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives” (verse 39) where he prayed. The Greek word for the phrase “as usual” is ethos, denoting the characteristic spirit of a person’s being. In other words, Jesus’ prayer at the Mount of Olives is something which flows from the very core of his being. It is his very ethos to pray, for this is not the first time that Jesus has been to this mount to commune and communicate with his heavenly Father. Indeed, it has become usual practice for him. As Luke earlier informs us, “Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives” (Luke 21:37). Jesus has spent a lot of time on this mount praying to heavenly Father. Now, when facing his darkest moment, Jesus does not lose his spiritual grounding. He does not “choke,” as it were, because of his previous training in praying with his heavenly Father. Jesus thus completes his mission and defeats his opponent Satan.
The apostle Paul writes, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). Paul says that, like Jesus, there are some things we ought to be doing as usual practice. For these things are training for our souls. Things like Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship are invaluable so that we do not “choke” when we face the allures of sin and the challenges of this world. In fact, Jesus himself gives us precious training for our souls when he offers to us his body and blood and then says, “Do this in remembrance of me” (verse 19). Jesus wants communion with him in his supper to become usual practice for us.
In what ways can you continue to train your soul so that when a big trial or challenge comes, you do not “choke”? Without God’s Spirit, we would certainly all choke at the faintest hint of sinful temptation and yet, blessedly, God’s Spirit uses what we do as usual in our lives to help us resist temptation at the monumental crossroads of our lives. So today, do what you usually do. But remember, just because it’s usual, doesn’t mean it’s insignificant. For it is in the usual that God trains our souls.
“Word for Today” – Luke 21 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
He was one of the most memorable comedians of all time. Rodney Dangerfield, with his staccato speech, unassuming demeanor, and self-deprecating humor became an almost overnight sensation after appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and delivering one of his famous “I don’t get no respect” jokes. “I don’t get no respect,” lamented Dangerfield. “I played hide-and-seek, and they wouldn’t even look for me.” Even Ed Sullivan, the usually stoic and serene host, couldn’t help but laugh.
“I don’t get no respect.” This was Rodney Dangerfield’s signature line. As famous as this line may have been, however, it is perhaps the single most despised line by English teachers everywhere. Why? Because it commits a cardinal grammatical sin – the sin of the double negative.
A double negative occurs when two forms of negation are used in the same clause. And two negations, in English at least, technically cancel out each other and turn the statement into a positive. Thus, Dangerfield’s famed “I don’t get no respect” technically means that he gets respect. Of course, no one interprets it this way, for apart from the more strident rules of proper grammar, double negatives are common and even acceptable in slang speech to emphasize a negation.
Perhaps Jesus went to the Rodney Dangerfield school of grammar. In our reading for today from Luke 21, he gives his disciples a glimpse into a future that is of surely apocalyptic proportions:
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (verses 10-11, 25-27)
Wars, earthquakes, pestilences, and the sun and moon display strange signs – sounds like the end of the world to me. But then, Jesus offers a mystifying conclusion to his apocalyptic prediction: “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (verse 32). This generation will not pass away until all these things have happened? But “this generation” to whom Jesus is talking lived in AD 30. They have most definitely all passed away and the end of the world has yet to come!
To make matters worse, Jesus emphasizes his point concerning his generation with a double negative in Greek. A more wooden translation of Jesus’ words here would read, “This generation won’t not pass away.” In English, this is poor grammar. In Greek, however, two negatives serve to highlight the fierceness with which Jesus states his case: “No way, no how will this generation pass away until all these signs will come to pass.”
Scholars have been sharply divided over the meaning of Jesus’ words here. Some have said that Jesus’ prophecy refers not to the end of the world, but to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. Others have pointed out that the word for “generation” in Greek is genea, which can mean not only “generation,” but “race,” as in the Jewish race, or even the human race, both of which still exist and would thus appropriately fulfill Jesus’ prophecy. Still others, like the late Albert Schweitzer and John Dominic Crossan, see Jesus as a failed Messiah who simply couldn’t muster the support to realize his own eschatological vision. This, of course, is a patently false and heretical view of Jesus’ words and ought to be rejected.
The third option notwithstanding, Jesus’ words concerning his generation will perhaps always remain shrouded in a bit of enigma. His words, because they are spoken by the Son of God, are certainly not false, but we are left to grapple with exactly how they are true. Thankfully, Jesus leaves us another double negative which is much easier to interpret: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (verse 33). Here too, Jesus uses a double negative to emphasize the sureity of his statement: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words won’t never pass away!” This I understand. Even though we live in a world where there are wars, pestilences, famines, and the heavenly bodies shake and give way, God’s Word endures. It endures beyond the troubles, trials, tragedies, and terrors of this world. Although everything else may pass away, God’s Word won’t never pass away.
People will often tell me that they don’t study the Bible because they don’t understand it. My usual response is, “That’s okay, neither do I.” And I don’t understand it – at least not fully. That is why I continue to study and search out its answers and teachings – because there is always something more to learn, there is always something new to understand, and because, as something that truly endures, I can be assured that it will outlast and outlive the temporary troubles of this world. God’s Word won’t never pass away. But blessedly, our troubles will. This I believe. And that ain’t no lie.
“Word for Today” – Luke 20 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One of my favorite scenes from James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic takes place shortly after the massive luxury liner hits an iceberg late on a Sunday night. After sounding the ship with her designer, Thomas Andrews, Captain E.J. Smith summons his officers to the bridge to announce the unthinkable: the Titanic is in grave peril. Andrews explains that the hull of the Titanic is divided into a series of sixteen compartments using fifteen transverse bulkheads, four of which can be flooded and the ship will remain safely afloat. However, the Titanic’s collision with the iceberg has flooded the first five compartments. As a result, as the ship’s hull is pulled down by the flooded compartments, the water from the first five compartments will spill over into the compartments farther aft until the whole ship will flood and sink. “Titanic will founder,” Thomas Andrews somberly declares. “It is a mathematical certainty.” In slack jawed disbelief, the chairman of the shipping company which built the Titanic, Bruce Ismay, responds to Andrews, “But this ship can’t sink!” But Andrews knows better. He rebuts, “She’s made of iron. I assure you, she can.”
In our reading for today from Luke 20, Jesus tells a parable about a man who plants a vineyard and entrusts it to some tenants. While he is away, he sends some people to check on his vineyard, but the tenants respond to each of the master’s envoys with increasing levels of violence. They beat the first two envoys and wound the third. The master finally decides that he will send his son to attend to his vineyard. “They will respect him,” the master says (verse 13). But alas, they do not. Instead, they brutally murder him.
The meaning of this parable was all too apparent to Jesus’ listeners. A vineyard is a common symbol for Israel in the Old Testament: “The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). The tenants, then, are the people of Israel and the envoys are the Old Testament prophets. The master’s son? Well, that’s Jesus. Jesus will die.
The people, understanding Jesus’ parable, respond in slack jawed disbelief: “May this never be” (verse 16)! Like Bruce Ismay on the foundering Titanic, they can’t believe their ears. “This can’t happen!” they respond incredulously. But Jesus rebuts, “I assure you, it can.” Jesus says, “What is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’” (verse 17)? Jesus, to explain the inevitability of his death, quotes Psalm 118:22 and says that he is the stone rejected by his own people. And if it’s foretold in Scripture, it can happen. Indeed, it will happen. It is a prophetic certainty.
People often ask me why God doesn’t reveal more of his plan for our lives. They want to know why they have had to endure a certain tragedy or what road they should take in their lives or when they should pursue a certain dream. So they cry out to God, asking for some unmistakable word or sign, but then become disillusioned and angry when a clear word is not heard or a clear sign is not seen. I sometimes wonder if the reason God does not always give us the words and signs we so desperately seek is because, even if he did, we wouldn’t believe him anyway. Like the crowd who responds to Jesus’ parable with words of disbelief – “May this never be!” – I sometimes wonder if we too wouldn’t respond to a revelation from Jesus: “But this can’t be right!”
In the end, we are called to trust in whatever is revealed to us in God’s plan – whether that revelation be the death of his Son Jesus or a more incidental revelation like a certain path we should take in our lives. We are to never respond, “May this never be!” For when God declares it, it is a divine certainty. We are simply called to believe and respond, “May it always be.”
“Word for Today” – Luke 19 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
This past weekend, I had the high honor of baptizing the daughter of one of my close friends after our Saturday evening service. As I look back on that evening, I once again stand amazed at the grace and salvation that God can work in even the smallest hearts and lives.
Following the baptism, I had an opportunity to chat with my buddy about how things were going with he and his family. Because of our busy schedules, we don’t get to see each other very often. Indeed, the past several times we have seen each other, we have talked about the need to get together and “catch up.” But we never managed to put a solid date on the calendar and, thus, never got together. But that evening, I pulled out my calendar and said to my friend, “If we don’t schedule something today, we’re never going to have get together, so let’s put a date on the calendar today. We need to catch up.”
In our reading for today from Luke 19, Jesus is on his way through Jericho. Jericho was one of the finest cities in the ancient world, being rebuilt and remade by Herod the Great. Herod built aqueducts in the city, a fortress, a lavish winter palace for himself, as well as a hippodrome for horse and chariot races. But to engage is such ambitious building projects, Herod needed money – and lots of it. This meant that taxes in Jericho, and in all of Herod’s provinces for that matter, were sky high and remained so even after his death shortly before the dawn of the first century. Enter a man named Zacchaeus.
Luke says that Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector in Jericho, he was a “chief tax collector” (verse 2). In other words, he was the head of Jericho’s IRS and was also very wealthy, not so much because being a chief tax collector paid well, but because the tax collectors of his day were well-known as tax cheats. They would over-collect on taxes and then line their pockets with the excess dollars. As such, Zacchaeus was a despised and disparaged man. But even a despised and disparaged man like Zacchaeus wanted to see a revered and righteous man like Jesus. And so, Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree so that he can get a prime vantage point of Jesus as he passes through Jericho. But then, something completely unexpected happens: “When Jesus reached the spot [where Zacchaeus was], he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today’” (verse 5).
Interestingly, the position of the word “today” in Greek is emphatic. Jesus literally says to this tax collector, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. Today, I must stay at your house.” Jesus, it seems, isn’t wasting any time with Zacchaeus. He doesn’t say, “We need to get together some time and catch up.” No, Jesus wants to meet with Zacchaeus today. And Zacchaeus gladly welcomes him today and repents of his sin: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (verse 8). Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus has transformed him from a degenerate to a disciple. And Jesus rejoices at his transformation: “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham” (verse 9). When does this salvation come to Zacchaeus and his house? “Today,” of course.
The Psalmist instructs us, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7-8). The Hebrew word for “if” is im, an intentionally ambiguous particle mixing the contingent force of “if” with the more definite force of “when.” Thus, it’s not so much if you will hear God’s voice today, it’s that when you will hear God’s voice today, you should take to heart what he says. You should believe and obey today.
So today, you have a promise that will hear God’s voice. Through the pages of his Word, in prayer, and by the whisper of his Spirit, God will speak to you today. Jesus will reside in the house of your heart today. And his salvation will come to you anew today. You see, Jesus never puts you off. He never says, “We need to get together some time.” No, Jesus always wants to meet with you today. So whatever obstacle you may face, whatever challenge you may encounter, and whatever worry you may meet, Jesus will face, encounter, and meet it with you – not later, but today…and every day.
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