Understanding Christianity – Seven Key Verses

There are many essential verses in the Bible*, verses that one needs to know in order to understand what Christianity is – and what is God is calling us to.  Below are seven key verses.  

1. Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” [emphasis added]

Love then is that which underlies all of Christianity.  Love here is a bit different than romantic love.  St. Augustine defined love as, "to will the good of the other."  Love in the Christian sense has to do with treating people decently, with dignity, with kindness and mercy, with fairness, and as though all human beings have an intrinsic value, which, in God's eyes, they do.  The "Golden Rule" of Jesus may also be helpful here:  "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31)

If a person claims to align with God but doesn't have love, then perhaps we should ask ourselves if this person really aligns with God.  None of us are perfect, so we should have a lot of grace here, but if someone is claiming to really align with God, then they should be really loving.  If not, perhaps they are deceiving themselves (or us).  

2. John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

So much is packed into this one small verse.  Where to begin?  First, note that the basis of all that God is doing in the world is love.  It is God's care for his children, us, that motivates him.  Second note the depth of his care:  He gave his son.  This isn't like giving a friend a sweater.  Jesus died on our behalf.  He died to set us free from sin.  He died to reconcile us with God.  He died so that when we die, we may rise again new life.  

Life after death is the great promise of Jesus.  An entire book can be written on what it means to have Jesus die for our sins.  You'll need to really dig into this subject in order to understand it – and to receive eternal life.  For now, know that this one verse summarizes the entire work of God on this earth.

One last note on John 3:16:  "Believe in" is a lot different than to merely believe something is factual.  For example, if I believe in exercise, that doesn't mean that I merely believe there is such a thing as exercise.  The existence of exercise is not really the question.  If I really believe in exercise, my life will show it:  I will find a way to exercise.  I will make exercise a priority, giving it time and attention, incorporating it into my life.  We will know who really believes in exercise by how they live their lives.  So also with those who believe in God.

3.  Romans 3:23

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

None of us are perfect.  Indeed, if left to our own devices, humanity can go to some very dark places.  I have heard of job offers made to poor women in the Philippines to come work in a hotel in the Middle East.  However, when the women arrive, they find that it is not so much "hotel work" that they are to do but rather prostitution.  Their employers hold their passports, so the women have little choice but to comply.  Tricking someone into prostitution is a dark evil, but it is only one such evil.  Read about human experimentation on prisoners in the Second World War.  Read about slavery and racism.  Read about violent crime every day in every newspaper in every city.  One need but pick up any newspaper to see the heart of darkness of humanity.  There is a flaw in the human heart.  Even the relatively "good" among us have this flaw, and we are foolish and self-deceived if we think otherwise.  Certainly none of comes even close to God – who always comes from a place of love.

We all fall short, therefore, we are all in the same boat.  So rather than picking on immigrants, white males, religious or ethnic minorities, or whatnot (pick your favorite bogeyman), we should know that we all fall short of the perfection of God.   The root of the problem isn't whatever bogeyman our society has identified at the moment.   Even if we removed every last instance of the aforementioned bogeyman, our world would not instantly turn to paradise.  Rather the problem is one intrinsic to humanity.  I don't mean to imply that we shouldn't work against societal problems or that we should let criminals run free (hey, we're all the same boat, right?).  Rather, I'm speaking about the real problem:  the flaw in the human heart.  You can't fix a society by eliminating or attacking one set of individuals, be they "left," "right," or any other flavor.  The real problem lies embedded in every human heart, and it is that problem that we must address.  We should therefore give grace to one another, knowing that we all fall short, and that this shortfall is the real problem in the world.  

Though we fall short, there's good news here:  Jesus, through his death, paid the price to reconcile us to God.   

4.  Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.  [italics mine]

There is a lot in these verses.  Let's look at four key words (italicized above):

First, "saved."  What does this mean?  The normal course of a human life ends in physical death.  However, there's a "special offer" that God makes to a select few on the basis of faith.  For those who place their faith in God, eternal life with God, a life after death, is promised.  In other words, through our faith in God, we can be saved from physical death being the end of life.  

Next, "faith."  Faith is placing our complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  For example, a patient goes in for surgery.  During the surgery, they are under general anesthesia, unable to do a thing.  They are completely in the hands of the surgeon.  They have placed their faith in the surgeon.  Likewise, we place our lives in the hands of the great physician, Jesus.  Just as a patient looks to a surgeon to heal and restore them, so we look to Jesus.  Faith is to trust in and place one's life in the hands of Jesus.  This is what it means to truly believe in Jesus.

Then, "grace."  Grace is something undeserved given out of kindness, love, or mercy.  This may sound like a trivial example, but recently I noticed my daughter's water bottle really could use a wash.  She's a teenager; she's old enough; her bottle is her responsibility.  However, I saw the need, and I washed my daughter's water bottle.  She didn't do anything to earn it.  I did it out of kindness and love for my daughter.  So it is with God and being saved.  There's nothing we humans can do to earn being saved.  Being saved is not payment of wages owed.  Being saved is a gift from God stemming from God's kindness, God's grace, God's love.  He gives it to those who have faith in him, those who have placed their lives in his hands, those who have a relationship with him.  Just as I washed my daughter's bottle out of love, so also God saves us out of his love for us.

Lastly, "works."  Works would include being charitable, being kind, obeying the law, doing what is right, keeping religious customs and observances, reading the Bible, volunteering at church or a charity, etc.  These are all good things, but they don't earn being saved.  There is nothing we can do to earn being saved.  We do these things because we believe they are right and good not because they will earn us being saved.  

5.  John 14:1-3

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

This is the great promise of God, here in Jesus' own words:  "I will come back and take you to be with me."  The night before Jesus was crucified, he spoke to his disciples, knowing that he would soon be executed, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  Exactly where this is, we do not know.  Is it some spiritual existence?  Is it physical?  The Bible talks of a "new Heaven and a new earth," but exactly what this is we do not know.  However, we have seen the testimony of Jesus' life, a testimony to his goodness and of the Father's.  We have also seen the testimony of his death.  As it is written, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13).  There is no greater love nor sincerity than to give up one's very life for another.  We have seen the testimony of his resurrection.  If even death has no power over Jesus.  Because of the testimony of his life (goodness), death (sincerity, devotion, and love), and resurrection (he really is God!), we have confidence that Jesus can fulfill his promise.

6.  Psalm 14:2 

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

None of us today are eye witnesses of the resurrection.  We have come to believe on the basis of eye witnesses testimony, but no one alive today is an actual eye witness. So, what is it that causes us to  seek God and to come to believe?  Perhaps it is as in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "you have set eternity in the human heart."  There something in some of us, something that attracts us to or drives us to God.  

And you?  What does your heart say about this life?  Does injustice (name your evil) cry out for Justice?  Is life ending in physical death life as it should be?  There's got to be more to life than this.  Let your discontent with death and injustice, your discontent the world lead your heart to God.  The chief purpose of this life is to do good and seek God.

7.  Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The way of the world is self and ego.  The presence of great ego (me! me! me!) is typically the absence of God.  

The way of Jesus is love.  Jesus calls us to consider others as just as valuable as we are, to love our neighbor as our self.  Every day, we, with the Holy Spirit, learn to be a bit more like Jesus, the perfect person, who always comes from a place of love.  Transforming to the way of Jesus is the life work of those who follow Jesus.

*All Bible verses quoted here are from the New International Version translation of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Great Faith

“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”

Matthew 15:28

Note:  The most central Scripture (Matthew 15:22-28) is included in the main body of this post.  
Links to all of the Bible passages referenced are listed after the main body.

The New Testament records two very similar food-related miracles:

• The feeding of 5,000 men – with only five loaves and two fish
• The feeding of 4,000 men – with only seven loaves and a "few small fish"

But why essentially the same miracle twice?  And what lies in between?

First, let's trace the geography.  It goes something like this:  Jesus is somewhere on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.  He feeds the 5,000.  The second miracle occurs a week or two later on the southeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis, about 12 miles across the lake.  On  the way to the Decapolis, he goes by way of Tyre/Sidon, on the coast of modern day Lebanon.  

Um, what?  Tyre?  Sidon?  Hunh?  Going from the NW shore to the SW shore of the Sea of Galilee is about 12 miles by boat, easily done in a day.  But Tyre is 30 something miles as the crow flies – in the opposite direction.  And since when were any roads straight in that era?  Sidon is even further, 50 miles away.  Jesus was on foot.  He had to walk to Tyre (or Sidon) and then walk back.  The typical walking speed of an unburdened person is about 3 mph.  So, if he goes a minimum of 30 miles each way (it was probably a lot longer), it's going to take at least 10 hours, one way.  And of course one would have to stop to eat, get water, etc.  Realistically, it's a couple of days walk each way, plus he wouldn't just get there and immediately turn around and go back.  Jesus no doubt would spend a day or two in Tyre/Sidon, having walked all that way.  All told, we're talking about roughly a week's worth of time.  For all you map geeks (like me), here's a map:  https://caltopo.com/m/JA114

Jesus is taking the most illogical route ever.  I mean if you're heading from the NW shore to the SW shore, only 12 miles by boat, why on earth would you go by way of modern day Lebanon (ancient Tyre/Sidon)?  Was Jesus lost – or was he up to something?  What exactly did Jesus do in Tyre/Sidon that was so darned important that he went all the way to Lebanon to do it?  

Matthew and Mark don't say much about this trip – other than to mention that Jesus healed a woman's daughter.  Jesus did dozens and dozens of healings.  Why the heck does Jesus walk all the way to Tyre/Sidon to heal this one woman's daughter?  And keep in mind that Tyre and Sidon were not part of Israel.  What the heck?  This woman isn't even Jewish.  What was Jesus thinking?

Well, let's look at the context of this healing.  First, Jesus tells his disciples to feed 5,000 men. They're not near any towns (where food would be available), and, even if they were, the disciples tell Jesus that they couldn't possibly pay for it all.  Jesus responds by taking what little they have, five loaves and two fish (absurdly little) – and easily feeding everyone (with 12 baskets left over).

A week or two later, when he feeds the 4,000, it's basically the same deal:  Remote place, lots of people, very little food, and the disciples see it as impossible (even after having just seen Jesus pull it off with 5,000 people).  Jesus again easily feeds everyone (with 7 baskets left over).

In between these two examples of God's great power – and the disciples' weak faith – this woman whose daughter needs healing comes in.  Apparently, this healing is important enough for Jesus to make a week's journey out of his way.  Who, then, is this woman – and what does she have to teach us?

Matthew's account, in chapter 15, has the most detail:  

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.  [emphases added]

So, why does Jesus go a week's journey out of his way?  Because of the faith of this woman – and the lack of faith of his disciples.  Sandwiched in between two examples of weak faith is this shining example of great faith.  What the disciples thought was impossible, this woman knew took only a crumb of God's power.  Jesus was in effect telling his disciples:  Here it is, boys.  This is how it's done.  This is what faith looks like.

It's no coincidence that this passage was thrown in between two great failures of faith.  By contrast, this woman stands out with her great faith.  This woman isn't a footnote; she's the main point.  

And how about you?  What have you "crossed out" in your mind?  What have you labeled, "impossible," and thrown away in your mental dust bin?  If God is in it, then it is possible.  If God is in it, then perhaps it's time to dust it off and follow God's call.  

HJ

Scripture links (click to read):

Matthew 14:13 - 21

Matthew 15:21 - 39

Additional Scripture links (for those who like to be thorough):

Mark 6:30 - 44

Mark 7:24 - 30

Mark 8:1 - 13

Note 1:  "Men"

You'll note that the two feeding miracles refer to feeding "men."  This was fairly common in Jewish society, to think only in terms of adult males.  For example, in a court, the testimony of women was considered unreliable – and therefore not permitted.  Only the testimony of men was permitted.  Therefore, both of these feedings were actually more miraculous than they might first seem.  Rather than feeding "only" 5,000 in the first miracle and 4,000 in the second, Jesus may well have fed more than double that number when women and children are added to the total count.  Feeding possibly 10,000 or more people with five loaves of bread and two fish is no small thing.

Note 2:  Love

Speaking of men, it was the early Christians who greatly contributed to the idea that women were equally human.  At the time, women were considered inferior to men.  When the early Christian writer, Paul, admonished men:  "Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church," (Ephesians 5:25) that was radical stuff for that day and age.  Recall that Jesus gave his very life.  

Likewise, Paul instructed men not to "provoke" their children.  Children were considered almost as property in that day and age.  This was a radical idea that fathers had some duty of care in terms of how they treated their children.  

Recall Jesus teaching on the highest priorities of God.  Jesus said that the entire plan of God depended on loving each other and loving God (Matthew 22:36-40).  Indeed, in social terms, it is this transformative idea, "love your neighbor as yourself," that is perhaps the greatest social contribution of Christianity to Western Civilization and the world.  

Note that "love" as used here is not the same sense as in romantic or even familial love.  The idea here is more like:

• Doing right by others
• Considering others to be of equal value
• Treating people as though they had innate value
• Treating people as though they had rights
• Treating people decently (i.e. with gentleness, tolerance, moderation, forbearance, and kindness)

It is the standard of love that underlies all Christianity. Indeed, if it isn't done in love, is it really Christian?

Note 3:  The Ultimate Mission of Jesus

There are some subtle clues here if you want to understand the ultimate mission of Jesus.  

The feeding of the five thousand was somewhere near Capernaum (traditionally thought to be at what is now Tabgha, which is WSW of Capernaum).  This is a Jewish area.  Notice that there are 12 baskets left over.  Twelve is typically symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Clearly, this feeding was for the Jews.

The feeding of the 4,000 was in the Decapolis, an area of 10 cities that were "Greek," i.e. following Greco-Roman ways.  These were not Jews.  This time, there are 7 baskets left over.  Seven is typically symbolic of the completion or perfection of something by God.  In feeding first the Jews and then the non-Jews, Jesus is symbolizing the completion of God's master plan – reconciliation with all mankind.  God's master plan is only complete when all people – including non-Jews – are brought in.  In the great sweep of human history, this is what God has been up to from the very beginning:  "All nations shall be blessed through your offspring" (Genesis 22:18).

Note 4:  The Structure of the Text Denotes the Main Point

Look at the structure of the text.  You have two highly parallel events (the feeding of the 5,000, the feeding of the 4,000), both of which show weak faith.  In between, you have an example of great faith.  This is a common structure in Middle Eastern expression.  It's called a chiasm because the structure looks a bit like the Greek letter chi (which looks like a modern "X").  When a Middle Eastern person of this time period uses this structure, they intend the main point to be the crossing point of the "X," i.e. the topic sandwiched in between the supporting points.  Jesus is, in effect, using this structure "on the ground" by inserting a journey to Tyre/Sidon in between the two parallel feeding miracles.  He's all but pasting labels on these events.  He's clearly telegraphing his emphasis:  The great faith of the woman.

Chiasm:

Supporting points

Main point

Supporting points (parallel to original supporting points)

Note 5:  Other Clues in the Text

Notice that the two parallel miracles are both about bread.  Yes, there are fish involved, but notice how the disciples tell Jesus, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (Mt 15:33, emphasis added)  Bread in the Jewish mind was the centerpiece of a meal.  What does Jesus say to the woman in Tyre?  "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs." (Mt 15:26, emphasis added)  What is the woman's response?  “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (Mt 15:27, emphasis added)  What are crumbs?  They are of course little bits of bread.  Bread is the common metaphor that ties all the events together.  The topic of bread, particularly when combined with the structure of the text/order of events, shows that Jesus intended these events to be taken together.

Note 6:  "Dogs"

The overall context of these sections of Matthew and Mark show that Jesus was only speaking rhetorically when he says things like, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs." (Mt 15:26)  Actions speak louder than words.  In the case of the second feeding – to non-Jews – he treated them just as he treated his own people in the first feeding.  Also note here that the word translated "dogs" doesn't mean something like a worthless stray dog, rather, it implies a pet, a dog near and dear to a person.  Jesus isn't being quite as dismissive or demeaning to the woman as the English translation might seem to imply.

Note 7:  An even greater miracle

If you look at what happens in this section of Matthew and Mark, you'll notice there's one other "minor" miracle that happens between the first feeding and the second feeding:  Jesus walks on water.  So, really, the disciples failure of faith is even greater.  Not only have they recently seen Jesus feed thousands of people in nearly identical circumstances, they've seen him literally walk on water.  Yet they see no way to feed the second set of people!  The faith of the disciples was exceedingly weak.  The woman's faith shines all the brighter in contrast.

A rough out line of this section of Matthew and Mark:

God is Love

A reflection on I Kings 16:29 - 19:18  

The central passage is I Kings 19:9-18

Note:  This is a little longer post – but it's about one of the greatest stories in the Bible.  I think it's worth taking the time.  However, if it's just too danged long, then read the central passage and skip down to the "Commentary" section.

Background

King Ahab.  In I Kings 16:29, Ahab becomes king of Israel.  Ahab wasn't a particularly good king; indeed, he was quite the opposite.  Were we to read ahead to chapter 21, we'd see that Ahab was like a self-absorbed, petulant child.  

Elijah.  In I Kings 17:1, we are introduced to Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, perhaps second only to Moses. We don't know much about Elijah except that he came from Tishbe, which is a city about 10 miles (16 km) north of the Sea of Galilee. 

The Drought. Elijah comes to King Ahab and makes a prediction:  Per God, there will be no rain for the next few years.  Now, a drought was a serious thing in an agrarian society.  No rain equals no food.  Famine, and death, would soon follow, perhaps bringing the entire nation to ruin.  It's also significant that Elijah dared come to King Ahab.  A king's rule was absolute.  Make the king mad, and you were liable to lose your head – literally.  If king took a dislike to you, you were a dead man.  But Elijah, confident in God, delivered his message.

The Flight, Part 1.  Warned by God and at God's instruction, Elijah took off, first into the desert, and then to Sidon, another country.  God miraculously took care of Elijah throughout despite the drought and famine.

The Enemy.  In the third year of the drought, Elijah goes back to King Ahab, even though King Ahab has been trying to hunt him down.  He instructs the king to call the people from all over Israel to Mount Carmel.  He also instructs the king to call the 450 prophets of the god Baal.  Now, Baal was not the God of Israel.  Indeed God, the god of Israel, had specifically said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," in the Ten Commandments.  In other words, the prophets of Baal were the enemies of Elijah, the prophet of God.  

Notice also that Elijah, essentially a nobody, is giving orders to the king.  One did not give orders to the king, not unless one were tired of life.  Why does Ahab even listen to Elijah?  Ahab is desperate.  If the drought continues, he and his nation are ruined.  He hates Elijah, but he's willing to go along with what Elijah says if it'll end the drought.

The Contest.  Elijah, basically, says to the prophets of Baal: "Let's both build altars to our respective gods and call on them.  Whoever's god answers with fire from Heaven, he's the real God."  The people of Israel think this is a fantastic idea.  I mean this is going one heck of a show, right?  Grab the popcorn; let the show begin!  And a show it is.  The 450 prophets of Baal work themselves into a frenzy, from morning all the way to evening!  Baal doesn't answer at all, let alone with fire.  

And little lone Elijah?  He utters a simple prayer, and – Boom! – instant fire from Heaven!  And not just a little spark or something, but the sacrifice on the altar, the altar itself, and even the ground under the altar are gone in a flash.  There's nothing left but a smoking crater!  The people have never seen anything like this.  They're terrified!  Elijah calls out to God, and God answers! Whoa!  Elijah is the prophet of God!  Look out!  

The Death Sentence.  "Seize them!" Elijah orders re the prophets of Baal.  "Put them to death."  The people fell all over themselves in their haste to comply.  Yes, the king, the protector of the prophets of Baal, was standing right there, but the people (probably including the king) were more afraid of Elijah!   A death sentence might seem harsh to those of us who live in a time where freedom of religion is valued, but Baal worship at times involved the sacrifice of one's first born child.  Child sacrifice is something that God absolutely hates.  And recall also that God had a plan and a purpose for the nation of Israel.  God wasn't about to just stand idly by while Israel fell into debauchery any more than a modern-day parent would if their child were falling into heroin addition.

The Rain!  Elijah tells king Ahab:  You'd better get back to your palace – before you can't.  It's about to rain.  God had made his point to Ahab:  I am God.

The Other Death Sentence.  Meanwhile, back at the palace, Ahab's wife, Queen Jezebel, gets wind of what Elijah has done.  Jezebel even more than Ahab honored the prophets of Baal.  Jezebel sends a little (ahem) "love note" to Elijah:  "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like one of them."  Elijah is a walking dead man.

The Flight, Part 2.  Elijah is terrified.  He runs for his life.  Where does he run?  Mt. Horeb, A.K.A. Mt. Sinai, the very spot where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  

The Encounter.  This is the central passage, so I'll quote it verbatim here.  The citation is I Kings 19:9-18:

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.  And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Commentary

Elijah, mighty prophet of God human being.  Elijah has been part of one of the greatest displays of God's power in all the Bible.  Elijah serves God in front of the people, the prophets of Baal, and even the king.  Yet now he's terrified.  He runs away!  At one level, I just don't get it.  I mean, c'mon, Elijah.  You just saw an amazing demonstration of power!  You know God's got your back.  What the heck are you afraid of?  You can face the king and 450 enemy prophets, but you can't face Jezebel?  Hunh? 

But at another level, I totally get it it.  Like me, Elijah is human.  Actually, I take comfort from Elijah's fear.  Elijah doesn't do the work of God perfectly – yet God works with him anyway.  Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Elijah's Lament.  When God asks why Elijah is there at Mt. Horeb, Elijah responds:

• Israel has:
• Rejected your covenant
• Torn down your altars
• Put your prophets to death
• I'm the only one left
• Now they're trying to kill me.

In summary, Elijah responds that there's no hope.  

The Plan – and the Secret.  Ah, but never count God out.  God does not have limitations the way we do.  Even death doesn't have the final word with God.  God has a plan:  He's going to arrange for Hazael to become king of Aram (Syria); he's going to Make Jehu king of Israel; and he's going to have Elisha succeed Elijah as prophet.  Between Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha, Israel will be rid of Baal worship, hopeless as it may seemed at the moment in Elijah's eyes.  Further, God reveals a secret:  Elijah is not alone.  There are still 7,000 followers of God in Israel.

The True Father.  In a sense, Elijah has failed.  Elijah ran in the face of the enemy.  However, God doesn't subject him to bitter criticism.  God doesn't lose his temper.  Quite the opposite, God "comes alongside" Elijah, reveals to him the path out of the current mess, and, perhaps even more importantly, reveals that Elijah is not alone.  Like a true father, God bears with Elijah's weakness and stands by  him.  

God, revealed.  Best of all, God revealed himself.  God was not in the wind, unimaginably powerful as it was.  God was not in the earthquake, as literally earth shattering as it was.  Neither was God in the fire.  God came in a whisper.  God does not overpower.  God comes along side and lets us be who we are.  Notice that God didn't say, "knock off the whining, Elijah.  Get back to work."  No, actually, he let Elijah have his say; he let Elijah have his feelings.  That's pretty impressive that someone as important as God would take the time to hear Elijah out.  Just as Jesus would later so emphatically confirm:  God is not power; God is love.

One Heck of a Compliment

A reflection on Genesis 39:6-20; 40:9-14; 40:23

Joseph was:

• Sold into slavery
• Falsely accused
• Unjustly imprisoned
• Forgotten in chains

One might say that following God is no promise of an easy life.  Indeed, considering Joseph, following God can be anything but. 

However, read on to the rest of the story:

Genesis 45 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. [Italics added]

God’s promise is not an easy life; rather, it is to love us and to make things right in the end, whether in this present age or the in age to come.  Recall that:

• Joseph had to bear slavery and prison – to save Israel
• Jesus had to bear the cross – to save all of us

Adversity is not a sign that God has somehow failed.  Adversity is not a sign that God really doesn’t care.  Actually, adversity might just be the very plan of God.  Indeed, rather than abandonment, hardship may just mean that God has great confidence in you, confidence that you are sufficiently faithful to be part of his work here on earth.  

James 1 2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,  3 for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. 4 Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So then, look at adversity* as God’s investment in you, not his abandonment of you. God is not only working on you, but is saying that you are capable of handling it.  Adversity, then, is God's commentary on your capability.

Serious adversity?  That's one heck of a compliment.  

*Notes:  Suffering is suffering.  When a close friend or family member passes, it's not time to "put on a happy face."  Recall Jesus' reaction to the death of Lazarus:  "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). God asks us to be real.  When I quote James, "consider yourselves fortunate," I do not mean to take away from the reality of suffering; neither does God.  I presume suffering to be self evident.  When we are in the midst of suffering, we need no encouragement to feel miserable.  Where I need encouragement is – at some point when the overwhelming pain has subsided a bit – to remember that God is going somewhere with all this; that there is an order and a plan to the universe; and that I need to seek my part in his work.  Where I need encouragement is to remember, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose..." (Romans 8:28).

There will be a way

A reflection on Acts 27:9-44

20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. (Acts 27: 20 NLT)

Paul was a prisoner en route to Rome.  He had turned every previous legal appearance into an opportunity to proclaim Jesus.  Though a prisoner, Paul would soon be able to proclaim the gospel in the very heart of the great Roman Empire.

Given the importance of Paul’s mission, wouldn't we expect God to give him smooth sailing?  If someone is doing God’s will, surely God will open every door before them, right?  Perhaps not.  Rather than smooth sailing, Paul’s ship encountered a two week typhoon and was blown off course into the unknown. They were lost and didn't see the sun for days. Finally, they were shipwrecked and swam to an unknown island.

But God did not abandon Paul.  Indeed, God was there all along and had already revealed to Paul that he would spare everyone’s lives.  Through the terrible storm and shipwreck, not one life was lost.  The sailors on the ship spread the miraculous story of their deliverance, generating great interest that preceded Paul's arrival in Rome.  Paul made it to Rome and proclaimed Jesus there, without any persecution.  

Like Paul, lately I have felt adrift in a storm-tossed sea.  I was on a steady pace to retire.  Now, I don’t know how the economic storm may affect me.  My daughter was doing well in school.  Now, I don’t even know if there will even be school come fall.  I had a job I felt I could count on.  Now, who knows?  With the economy the way it is, how long might it be before I’m let go?  And if let go, how will I find work?  How will I feed my family? Being adrift in uncertain times is unsettling, to say the least.

But I draw great encouragement from Paul, my brother who went before me.  His “storms and shipwrecks” were real and many, yet God somehow brought him through.  So also will God be faithful to me.  By God’s grace, there will be a way.

Notes:  Originally written April 2020.  Slightly revised August 2022.

That which cannot be moved

 A reflection on Matthew 7:24 - 25 

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. (Matthew 7:24 – 25 NLT)

Recently, as I heard a sermon on Mt. 7:24 - 25, I had a vision of swirling mists. Everything was evanescent and insubstantial; nothing was solid; nothing could be counted on. Then, out of the swirling mists, came a solid foundation. The mists parted around the foundation; the foundation was impervious.

It struck me that the world today is like that vision. Those things I thought I could count on, my job, the routine of my day-to-day life, going to church, my government, the generally healthy US economy – all those things that I had thought steady – had suddenly been revealed for what they are: Insubstantial wisps subject to the vagaries of time. It occurred to me that the solid foundation in my vision was the one thing which could not be changed. It occurred to me that the solid foundation was God and his word.  

As the old hymn says: “There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.” 

How good it is, in times like these, to be built on that which cannot be moved.

Notes:  Originally written in May 2020 amidst the uncertainty of the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic.  Slightly revised August 2022.

Christianity is Dead in America

Christianity is effectively dead in America – or at least it soon will be.  What do I mean by that?  Well, just look at the demographics.  Who goes to church?  Old people.  Sure, there are exceptions, but c'mon, it's mostly old people.  Who goes to church?  Baby Boomers.  And older.  People on their way out.  And, please, I'm not trying to be rude or hurtful here.  I'm a Baby Boomer myself, and I'm not getting any younger.  It's just fact.

Who are the Baby Boomers?  They're the generation that came up after World War II and extended into the Kennedy/Johnson Administration, roughly 1946 – 1964.  And where are they now?  Well a good lot of them are dead, and the youngest of them are rapidly entering old age.  In another decade or two, they will be a miniscule portion of the population – and the churches of America will stand empty.

What kind of a decline are we talking about?  Some numbers gleaned from the internet:

• From 1990 to 2000, the combined membership of all Protestant denominations in the USA declined by almost 5 million members (9.5 percent), while the US population increased by 24 million (11 percent).
• At the turn of the prior century (1900), there was a ratio of 27 churches per 10,000 people, as compared to the close of this most recent century (2000) where we have 11 churches per 10,000 people in America.

The most recent statistics I've seen (2004), indicated that about 17% of the US population attended church weekly or bi-weekly (every other week).  17% is hardly a majority.  And that was 2004.  The decline continues every year.  Much of the attrition is through the dying of an aging church, and the attrition of age will continue to take its toll.

So long, Christians, it's been good to know you.  You had your time; now it's someone else's turn.

Welcome to the brave new world.

HJ