Count the Cost & Pay the Price. Deuteronomy 24-25; Luke 20

May the mumbling commence!

In many ways, we are given as a good example being efficient.  Think about the auto industry.  It’s hard to find an auto commercial without the mention of the Miles Per Gallon or the Flex Fuel feature.  Get the most out of your product without surrendering power.

The Lord God teaches us another way… particularly in relationship to farming.  Inefficiency is the hallmark of a healthy community.  Read from Deuteronomy chapter twenty-four:

"When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don't go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.  When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don't go over the boughs twice. Leave some of the olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.  This also applies to the grapes in your vineyard. Do not glean the vines after they are picked, but leave any remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.  Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.” (Verses 19-22)

A forgotten bundle of grain belongs to the foreigner and the orphan and the widow.  On remembering the bundle, forget it and remember the needs of the most vulnerable people in your midst.  The blessing of the Lord God is promised to those who live by this principle.  Indeed, the Lord will bless you in all you do.

The same principle applies to other items of the harvest – olives and grapes and etc.  Protect those who are most vulnerable by remembering them and being inefficient in your harvesting methods.  Remembering is important.

It is remembering that is the basis for this principle.  Remember that once you were vulnerable or that your spiritual ancestors were.  Remember that the Lord will not allow injustice to stand.  So try to be just in your dealings with people who are more vulnerable than you are. 

It is a simple lesson – one difficult to live out.  It will cost us.  And we must count that cost and make a decision on assuming that cost… on paying that cost.  Where will our resources be best used?  Read the struggle that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had when confronted with a thorny question from Jesus.  Read from Luke chapter twenty:

One day as Jesus was teaching and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests and teachers of religious law and other leaders came up to him.  They demanded, "By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the Temple? Who gave you such authority?" 

"Let me ask you a question first," he replied.  "Did John's baptism come from heaven, or was it merely human?" 

They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe him.  But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us, because they are convinced he was a prophet."  Finally they replied, "We don't know." 

And Jesus responded, "Then I won't answer your question either." (Verses 1-8)

Want to know God?  You need to be willing to accept the cost that goes along with it – the costs of obedience or the costs of ridicule.  The religious leaders counted the cost and were not willing to pay the price, so they remained on the fence and learned nothing new of the Lord.  Is it any wonder that they had not felt the Lord’s presence in such a long time? 

Perhaps this cost counting and paying the price is a wake-up call for Christians today.  Do you want to know God as a living and active part of your life?  Then not only count the cost but also be willing to pay that price for journeying closer and closer to the Lord.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Pursuing Peace in the Midst of Strife. Deuteronomy 22-23; Luke 19

May the mumbling commence!

I have spent the last couple of months or so researching the United States Civil War for an upcoming community theatre production.  One issue at hand for the Union was the efficacy of the Union itself.  Another hidden and latent issue for the North was slavery.  And, to be fair, the South saw the issue of the war being liberty and freedom to do as they choose to do.

There were people of the Christian faith on both sides of this Civil War.  They felt in very nearly opposite ways on the issue of slavery.  And I find it interesting to note whenever the Bible refers to slavery.  Read from Deuteronomy chapter twenty-three:

"If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, do not force them to return.  Let them live among you in whatever town they choose, and do not oppress them.” (Verses 15-16)

I believe the language is pretty clear… and damaging to either side of the US Civil War.  If a slave runs to you for refuge, you are bound to give them refuge.  And that’s not all.  You are to let them live among you wherever they might choose.

Let the former slaves live among you as free people wherever they might choose.  There appears to be no wiggle room for the colonization of the former slaves that many Northerners thought would be for the best – including Abraham Lincoln. 

Why did many Northerners wish to send the slaves away?  Colonization was thought as a way to insure the best for the emancipated slaves.  They thought that there was an inherent inequality that existed between the white and black races.  They thought that they could not live together in peace and harmony.

Well, let’s say that this inequality is true (which I personally cannot believe).  Still we are charged by the Lord to not oppress these former slaves.  Yes, we may have the upper hand, but we are to use that benefit for the protection of the most vulnerable people in our midst.

Why?  Because our spiritual ancestors were once slaves.  We know that the tables can and often will be turned.  The Lord is the great leveler of humanity.  So, if we are to follow the Lord, we will form our attitudes and thoughts and actions around the ideas that are the best for the WHOLE community. 

And that means talking to people not like us.  That means listening to people not like us.  That means discovering that we have much more in common with people who do not appear like us than many people would ever care to admit.

And these intense interactions are the building blocks of mercy and grace… two things that never seem to be in enough supply among people.  It is something to consider over a lifetime.  And in the midst of this God-inspired mercy and grace, love will grow.  We will be able to come with confidence to Jesus, who is weeping over the factionalism and division that has plagued us for so long.  Read from Luke chapter nineteen:

But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to cry.  "I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you.  Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you.  They will crush you to the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you." (Verses 41-44)

O Lord, help us to find the path to peace… a peace that includes everyone in the equation.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

The Overcoming Makes Advent and Christmas. Deuteronomy 20-21; Luke 18

May the mumbling commence!

Advent is wonderful – so is Christmas.  A savior is born in a humble stable.  But without the life path to Jerusalem and the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Advent and Christmas would be meaningless.

What brought Jesus to the cross – to endure the curse of hanging on a tree?  The combined sins of the entire world for all time brought Jesus to the cross.  Jesus paid for our sins.  The only question is: Are we going to accept his payment for them?  Read from Deuteronomy chapter twenty-one, where the curse of hanging on a tree is described:

"If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree, the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession.” (Verses 22-23)

To be hanged on a tree is to be cursed by God.  It is only to be done for a brief period of time.  Then, the sinner and the sin need to be buried.  The Good News is that Christ overcame that dreaded death.  Jesus lives!

Even as we walk with Jesus to Golgotha, we know that Jesus lives.  We see it in the predictions that Jesus periodically made on the way.  Read one from Luke chapter eighteen:

Gathering the twelve disciples around him, Jesus told them, "As you know, we are going to Jerusalem. And when we get there, all the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.  He will be handed over to the Romans to be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.  They will whip him and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again." (Verses 31-33)

It is for the joy of knowing how the life of Jesus would culminate on earth that we celebrate Advent and Christmas and Advent and Resurrection Sunday.  These are all wonderful times of the Christian calendar, but the essential thing is to believe in the resurrection.  That thing is not optional.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Just Doing Our Duty. Deuteronomy 18-19; Luke 17

May the mumbling commence!

It does well to pay heed to the prophets of the Lord.  Test them, sure.  But, when you find them to be true, listen and obey.  It is a matter of eternal life and death.  Read from the end of Deuteronomy chapter eighteen:

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet.  For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You begged that you might never again have to listen to the voice of the Lord your God or see this blazing fire for fear you would die. 

Then the Lord said to me, 'Fine, I will do as they have requested.  I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will tell that prophet what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command him.  I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.  But any prophet who claims to give a message from another god or who falsely claims to speak for me must die.'   You may wonder, 'How will we know whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not?'   If the prophet predicts something in the Lord's name and it does not happen, the Lord did not give the message. That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared. (Verses 15-22)

Our spiritual ancestors ordered up this way of communication between the Lord and His people.  God has raised up prophets over the ages from Elijah to Malachi… from Martin Luther to Pope Francis.  We need to pay careful attention to what the prophets of the Lord are saying.

If we don’t pay attention and obey, then we will suffer as the Lord deals with us.  That is a call to wake-up, for sure.

But we know that some prophets are not genuine.  How do we tell the false prophets from the real ones?  This passage points us to the efficacy of their statements.  If they are true… or come true, they are from God.  If they are false… or do not come true, they are not from the Lord.  False prophets need not be heeded or feared.  Give us, O Lord, the wisdom and courage to know the difference and to follow only the true prophets of the Lord.

And, when we render service under the Lord, let us be glad!  Let us not bemoan the fact that we are seemingly underappreciated.  We have only done what is our duty to do.  Read Jesus’ words from Luke chapter seventeen:

"When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, he doesn't just sit down and eat.  He must first prepare his master's meal and serve him his supper before eating his own.  And the servant is not even thanked, because he is merely doing what he is supposed to do.  In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty.'" (Verses 7-10)

May there be truth in the way we live for God.  May there be truth in the statement that we have done our duty for the Lord.  The glorification of the Lord and the wonderful work of worship will more than compensate us for the work.

So, let it be.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

The True Path to Security. Deuteronomy 16-17; Luke 16

May the mumbling commence!

No one is above God’s Law – not the king, not the president, not the CEO, not the pastor, and not the priest (indeed not even the Pope).  Don’t believe me?  Read the guidelines for a king from Deuteronomy chapter seventeen:

"You will soon arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, and you will conquer it and settle there. Then you may begin to think, 'We ought to have a king like the other nations around us.'  If this happens, be sure that you select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner.  The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the Lord has told you, 'You must never return to Egypt.'  The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate vast amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself. 

When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy these laws on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests.  He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of this law.  This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. This will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. (Verses 14-20)

When you’re at the top, how do you achieve security?  That question is at the bottom of this passage.  Let’s look at how it answers that question. 

First off, there are ways that will never bring security.  Military build-up will not insure security.  That is what is meant by not having a large stable of horses.  It is the way of the world – not the way of the Lord!  Multiple political and royal marriages to bind together kingdoms are not the path to security either.  And hoarding wealth is not the way to insure security either. 

The world smiles on these paths to security, but they are a mirage, a deception.

Where does security come from?  Security comes from the Word of God.  Read it daily.  Copy the Word of God.  Engrave it on your heart.  Remember that you are not above the Law.  It will prevent pride.  It will prevent straying from the commands of the Lord.  This way to security is sure indeed.  It is the way of God.  It will echo down the generations.

Don’t believe the warnings about trusting in those worldly paths to stability?  Read from Jesus parable recorded in Luke chapter sixteen:

"The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.' 

But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.  And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.' 

Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, send him to my father's home.  For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them about this place of torment so they won't have to come here when they die.' 

But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings anytime they want to.' 

The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.' 

But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Verses 24-31)

Use wealth wisely in this world.  Use it to comfort people who need comforted.  Otherwise you lose the only identity that is important to you – your identity as a child of God.  Did you ever notice that the rich man is never called by name but the beggar, Lazarus, is? 

It is indeed essential that we immerse ourselves in the Word of God daily.  It will form our attitudes, our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  That is a goal of this daily study.  I am glad you have joined me!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Debts Forgiven! Deuteronomy 14-15; Luke 15

May the mumbling commence!

Oh, to have debt canceled!  What a release it is!  Israel was supposed to practice the release of debtors and slaves every seven years.  Would that it be the way of our world!  It would be the greatest boon to the most vulnerable in our midst.  Read from Deuteronomy chapter fifteen:

"At the end of every seventh year you must cancel your debts.  This is how it must be done. Creditors must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord's time of release has arrived.  This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites – not to the foreigners living among you.  There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.  You will receive this blessing if you carefully obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.  The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow! You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you! 

But if there are any poor people in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.  Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need.  Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year of release is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.  Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.  There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. (Verses 1-11) 

What a message to hear!  Your debts have been canceled.  No more collectors pounding at the door.  What a relief!

Yet, if the seventh year debt canceling is observed, it could lead to practices that are stingy with the needy – especially when the seventh year approaches.  This is not to be.  Always give liberally.  Give in season and out of season.  It is an important reminder for us in this Advent and Christmas season.

There will always be chances or opportunities to give liberally of your blessings.  There will always be some people who are poor in our midst.  You know, Jesus told that to his disciples after they complained about the woman anointing him with expensive perfume.  Jesus got that statement honestly from Deuteronomy.

Let us look to see how we can bring back some lost sheep back to the Great Shepherd of the sheep.  Read a parable of Jesus from Luke chapter fifteen:

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.  This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people – even eating with them! 

So Jesus used this illustration:  "If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?  And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders.  When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found.  In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!” (Verses 1-7)

Let us show compassion on the lost by searching for them, celebrating their safe return, and ministering to their needs.  These actions will bring a chorus of praise from heaven.  It is the way of Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now...

Peace Out

Staying Grounded & Blessed; Deuteronomy 9-13

May the mumbling commence!

God give us blessings.  That’s true.  But we mustn’t allow our head to get too big.  God doesn’t bless us because we are good.  God blesses us because we are his chosen people through the work of Christ Jesus.  Read from Deuteronomy chapter nine:

"Hear, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to occupy the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!  They are strong and tall – descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You've heard the saying, 'Who can stand up to the Anakites?'   But the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised. 

After the Lord your God has done this for you, don't say to yourselves, 'The Lord has given us this land because we are so righteous!' No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is doing it.  It is not at all because you are such righteous, upright people that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he had sworn to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I will say it again: The Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are righteous, for you are not – you are a stubborn people. (Verses 1-6)

Yes, great obstacles will melt before our Lord.  Death itself has been defeated!  Boy, aren’t we good.

Not so fast!  Wicked people have been jettisoned to open areas for us.  We only fill the void.

Israel was a stubborn people.  Israel is still a stubborn people.  And the church is no different.  We are a stubborn people.

When we should be turning to the Lord, we turn to other people and other things.  We seek our fulfillment elsewhere.  And when we find our fulfillment from somewhere other than the Lord, we will find ourselves wanting.  Yes, we still have our idols and little gods – like wealth, money, fame, knowledge.

We are also blessed by God because of the lives of our spiritual ancestors, from Abraham to Peter to Mother Teresa to Martin Luther King to Pope Francis.  Let us give thanks for the rich heritage that we enjoy.  We stand on the shoulders of spiritual giants so that we may have a greater view… one that takes a step or two closer to the view of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As in the words of the of the Prayer of Teresa,

“Christ be in mind

            and in my thinking.

Christ be in my eyes

            in everything I see.

Christ be in my ears

            and in my hearing.

Christ be in my mouth

            in every word I speak.

Christ be in my heart

            and in my loving.

Christ be in my life

each moment that I live.  

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out