The people rejected him and his message and drove him away because they had deluded themselves that their prosperity was a sign that God approved of their lives and how they treated others. We do know how that is.
Read MoreSome Christian churches take them [the texts about marriage] to the fullest possible understanding in the modern sense – birth control is wrong as well as divorce, and in divorce, leads to excommunication. This use is the opposite of what the texts really mean. The Genesis text is about a gift. God’s gift of life, the world, and human community.
Read MoreThe story is not about how the Israelites lacked the things needed for life. It is about their dissatisfaction with the things that they had. What God gave them was never enough. They complained about being in slavery in Egypt and God rescued them. Once rescued they complained about how hard the journey was to the promised land. Now they are complaining because they do not have the cucumbers and fish they had there. The people were starting to believe that their freedom was all for nothing because it did not go the way they desired.
Read MoreHaving a conversation with God does not mean getting your own way. It is how you learn what God is calling you to do. It does not mean asking for the things you want. Listen to James, “You do not have because you do not ask. You do not receive because you ask wrongly in order to spend on your pleasures.”
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This does not absolve us of the terrible things that we have done to his world or prevent terrible things from happening to us. Instead it calls us to live by faith, work to right the wrongs we have committed, and help others when chaos meets their lives.
Read MoreThe people who had lost everything, who were held in captivity, were starting to fall away from the covenant and taking up the customs and religion of their captors. Life was probably much easier that way. God sent Isaiah to this weary and tired people who were ready to give up.
Read MoreWhile our society has bought the lie that the only person we need to worry about is ourself and that we can do whatever we desire without having any concern about anyone else, as a quick look at television advertisements or the anti-vaccination movement shows. It seems that was one of the problems in the community to which the book of James was written.
Read MoreHis point is that the Pharisees and scribes were following the law for the wrong purpose. They were using the law to set themselves apart from everyone else as the true followers of God. Which is the opposite of what our text from Deuteronomy called them to do.
Read MoreAnother theme in the Bible is that being God’s people is not always easy. In fact it often is a struggle. I can give you a long list of people that expected things to be easy because they were Christians and those who, when trouble and chaos occur in their lives, expect God to clear it away and make things easy.
Read MoreWith books being expensive before Gutenberg, most people could not read or could only read a little. Luther taught the scriptures and theology by song. He would often choose a tune that everyone knew and write words to it. If he wrote the tune he would make it simple and rhythmic.
Read MoreIf God was able to consume the altar and all that was on it, could God not protect him? The answer is, “Yes.” But Elijah, just like us, was all too human. He was capable of great things when he did not let his fears and self-doubt get in the way.
Read MoreWe also note that the people seem not to thank God for their deliverance when it does happen. They expected God to save them, feed them, heal them, and take care of all their needs only to complain when these things did not happen and forgetting God when things were good. Wait! That is the story of all of God’s people. Isn’t it?
Read MoreWe are not called to question whether or not this happened and Elisha and Jesus created a large quantity of food out of little. We are called to see the abundance of God. Perhaps the reason many focus on the question of how this happened is that they cannot see the abundance that God has given them or do not want to hear the call to share their abundance with others.
Read MoreOur text from Jeremiah today is addressed to the leaders of the people of Israel: the priests and the king. They were the ones whom God called to shepherd God’s people and to guide them so that the whole community would live in the covenant and enjoy the life God had called them to. That life was one of trust and belief. But those same leaders did not themselves trust and believe. They looked around and saw the powerful nations that surrounded them. They saw the riches that other nations had and wanted it.
Read MoreWith no outside forces trying to conquer Israel, prosperity abounded. The wealthy were living the life of luxury while forgetting about the poor and alien in the land. Believing that their wealth and prosperity came from their own hand they had forgotten God.
Read MoreFortunately for Ezekiel he was not judged on whether or not the people listened to him. His task was to proclaim God’s word. While his task was difficult he was not required to make them listen which might have been an impossible task. All this is a reminder that we all are called to some task in the kingdom of God.
Read MoreThey were waiting for salvation and God was taking God’s own time about it. That is how the people waited for the seemingly impossible. They wait by “bearing the yoke in youth, sitting alone in silence, putting their mouth to the dust, and to give their cheek to the smiter.” Well, that’s not the way we want to wait. That’s just too hard and inconvenient.
Read MoreOr how many times have we been envious of what others have, especially those who are selfish, mean, and unholy? Both of those attitudes are expressed in Job. The book calls us to examine our own lives to see where we have tried to tell God what should happen, to ask forgiveness for that, and then to ask for the courage and strength to proclaim God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus.
Read MoreIt is always like that for God. Even though the people walk away to look for another savior – whether it be gold, land, famous friends, outward appearances, retirement benefits, or whatever – God does not walk away from the people.
Read MoreThey wanted to know what God was planning. They became concerned about themselves and forgot the garden and their task to tend to it. They went from being a harmonious community to selfish desire.
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