A chance to be better
Commentary
Missing the point of what Jesus is about is a common occurrence. The leader of the synagogue in today's gospel reading could not see that Jesus fulfilled the very meaning of sabbath in his healing -- finding our wholeness in God!
Oscar Wilde describes in a very short piece, "The Doer of Good," how people missed the point of what Jesus was about. When a leper was healed by Jesus, he went on to live sumptuously in self-indulgence, not able to answer adequately his own question, "How else should I live?" When a young blind man was healed by Jesus, he went chasing after a woman of the night, not able to answer adequately his own question, "At what else should I look?" When the woman herself was asked why she lived that way, she justified it by saying to Jesus, "But you forgave me my sins, and the way is a pleasant way." Maybe Albert Camus was onto something when he said, "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better."
In any case, the experience of bondage is part and parcel of life, whether that bondage is imposed from the outside (dead-end jobs, lack of skills, crushing poverty) or whether that bondage is imposed from within (closed thinking, shortsightedness, sin). But there's a freeing word expressed in the pericopes for today that reflects God's activity in the historical affairs of his people in general, as well as in the personal affairs of particular individuals.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Jeremiah is a giant among the Old Testament prophets. He had the lamentable task of watching over the demise of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom at the hand of Babylon. By the end of the seventh century BC, Assyrian power had waned, along with Egyptian influence. Babylon was able to dispatch both on the battlefield. Judah was a fruit ripe for picking. Nebuchadnezzar did just that!
Into this political whirlwind, Jeremiah interjects the word of the Lord. Sense had to be made of the seeming nonsense that God's people thought was swirling around them. Appropriate to the prophet's role, Jeremiah speaks words of interpretation and understanding, admonishment and exhortation. Coming from the ritual side of spiritual life (his father being a priest), Jeremiah was able to spot the shortcomings of the worship of Yahweh. The fault lines were evident to him; no solid future could be built upon the failings of the people. There would be judgment that would bring down the pretentious walls of the people's own making. The temple with all its finery and meticulous attention to proper sacrifice (see Jeremiah 7 especially) would not be able to mask the moral failure of the people to live up to the commands of God.
Though Jeremiah would have the word of the Lord on his lips, he would have rival prophets, like Hananiah (see Jeremiah 28), on his back. There would be many pressures bearing on Jeremiah. At his young age (he was about twenty when he was called by God to the office of prophet), his work would present him quite a challenge. God would strengthen him, however. We get a glimpse as to how this was done in the verses assigned for today.
First, God spoke to Jeremiah and revealed his mission to him. Jeremiah did not say, "It seems to me...." He was not working out his perspective on things and then submitting it before others, coddled in words of personal formation that begged (literally, begged) consideration. Jeremiah boldly announced, "The word of the Lord came to me..." (1:4). This was a declaration of authority that arose from outside himself. His words commanded (literally, commanded) consideration, for they were given him by God himself.
Second, there is a sense of destiny for Jeremiah. He did not choose his career, one out of many possibilities. He was "appointed" by God, who knew him even before he was conceived in his mother's womb (1:5). Though for some this may raise metaphysical questions about the omniscient character of God, for Jeremiah it was an expression of his confidence that his life and his work and his fate are, have been, and always will be in the hands of God.
Third, when Jeremiah sets forth his inexperience as a mitigating factor against the wisdom of God's choice (1:6), he is assured with a twofold promise. God will give Jeremiah the very words he should speak and God will always be with him to comfort, sustain, and empower him. As Paul himself learned and expressed (1 Corinthians 1:27; 2:1-5), Jeremiah was bolstered by the knowledge that God can take our very weaknesses and work through them. The Lord's touch on his lips was a sign of this.
Fourth, the message that Jeremiah was to give to the people would be heavily laden with judgment, that is true; but, there would also be a sweet measure of hope (Jeremiah 31, for example) that would make the bitter taste of his labor palatable. Jeremiah would be given the assignment "to pluck up and to break down," indeed; but also, "to build and to plant" (1:10).
Hebrews 12:18-29
As we come to the end of the Letter to the Hebrews, we must remember the ground that has been covered so thoroughly. Within the context of a persecuted church and Jewish roots, the writer extols Jesus as superior to the angels, Moses, Joshua, the Aaronic priesthood, the old covenant, and the repeated sacrifice of animals. There are exhortations to hold fast to the faith. Then, before some closing encouraging words and warnings, there is a final contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.
Mount Sinai touches the fear of the people as they encounter the holiness of God (12:18-21). Even Moses, prophet of the Old Covenant, trembles with fear. (For further descriptions of what is eluded to here, see Exodus 19:12-22 and 20:18-19.) Earlier in the letter, it is admitted, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).
In contrast to this, those who enter into Mount Zion still encounter the living God, but through Jesus, "the mediator of a new covenant," characterized by grace and symbolized in his blood (12:24). Through Jesus, it is revealed that God is indeed God of all (compare 12:23 with Colossians 3:11). Therefore, whereas before, the writer coaxed the readers toward faith with such expressions as "consider him" (Hebrews 12:3), now there is a more forceful exhortation: "Do not refuse him who is speaking" (12:25). When God speaks, we are to listen to him! Remembering how their past rebellion brought judgment upon themselves, the people of God are to beware now, lest a similar fate befall them in their guilt of not taking God seriously at his word.
Just as one is not to play with fire, so one is not to trifle with God (12:29). The reason for this is not due to fear, but gratitude, for God provides a kingdom that is unshakable in which we are invited to live, move, and have our being (12:26-29). The image of a consuming fire certainly suggests judgment, as the contexts of similar references indicate in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Isaiah 33:14. But, as Malachi 3:2 intimates, there is also a graceful, purifying aspect of fire. Yes, the dross must be (burned) melted away, but to the end that the purified metal may remain and become more valuable than before. This is the refiner's promise instilled in the process of metallurgy. This is God's freeing promise to his sons and daughters who are under his rule.
Luke 13:10-17
Jesus began doing what was expected of a rabbi on the sabbath; he was teaching in the synagogue. He ended up doing what was appropriate for a rabbi on the sabbath; he extended God's gracious word of promise and power to heal one of God's children.
Tevya, in Fiddler on the Roof, might have joined the ruler of the synagogue with an indignant chorus of "Tradition," when Jesus healed the woman of her infirmity. One should not break tradition, which is built upon the statutes and codes for communal life together! "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day" (13:14). Everyone knows the sabbath is for rest, since that is the day the Lord rested after creation. What better grounding can there be for a statute, for a tradition?
Jesus, however, understood the sabbath differently. For Jesus, the sabbath was the symbol of God's power in the week and for the weak. Just as God's rest on the seventh day expressed the perfection of his creation, so too will the creation find its perfection resting in the Creator. What more appropriate gesture could there be than to restore one of God's crippled children to a more perfect reflection of the Creator? Against the rebuke of the ruler, Jesus reminds him and everyone that humans care for the well-being of the animals even on the sabbath (13:15). How much more value are needy humans than animals? Remember the sparrows of Matthew 10:29-31. Will not God's heavenly will for his creature's well-being override any earthly tradition?
Jesus, therefore, does not hesitate to respond graciously to the woman's need. He speaks to her a freeing word. "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity" (13:12; the same word used to refer to the release of prisoners, as in Luke 23:16). There are immediate results. The woman responds most appropriately with praise to God.
Jesus engaged the woman decisively. Every verb used to describe his actions drew him closer to her need. He saw her, called her, addressed her, and then touched her. With hands-on affection, as with Adam in the Garden, this One through whom all things were made reached out with creative precision and straightened one of his own who had become bent.
Application
Twenty-five years ago when I was first starting out in my ministry, the local high school counselor told me that the number one concern on the minds of seventh- and eighth-grade youth at that time was what career they would be going into. The students were feeling the pressure of choosing classes among their electives that would prepare him or her best for where they envisioned themselves to be later in life.
Today, the strain of anticipating a desired future and then making the right choices now is even greater. With so much more knowledge to master, not just in general for a more balanced outlook on life, but also in particular for any specialized field of study, there is an increased length of time before individuals are prepared for careers. Five-year college degrees are common, as well as the need for specialized training after that. The onset of adulthood in our culture (meaning beyond the student days of "getting ready") occurs later than in more primitive cultures where the early teen years witnessed the rituals of "graduation" into the responsibility-bearing years of village life.
How encouraging for youth to hear this word from Jeremiah that not only can they know their true purpose in life when directed by God, but they can also fulfill a vital role in the community through what they do when directed by God. The key here is expressed by the words directed by God. We can be free from the anxiety about our future when we submit ourselves to God's future for us.
One of the discerning skills that the church can teach youth today is to be attentive to God's will for their lives. The question to reverberate in one's life is not "What do you want to do when you grow up?" But, "What is God calling you to do with your life?" The criteria for career selection should not be salary (How much will I make?) or satisfaction (What will make me happy?). The criteria are gifts and gratitude. That is, "How has God gifted me?" and "How can I best express my thanksgiving to God in what I do with my life?"
Fortunately, these kinds of questions can be asked by children and youth as they mature in their humanity and spirituality. The answers formulated early on can influence their behavior and their relationships. Then, when they are in a more critical position to make choices about classes and trajectories of study for career development, they can be guided by sensitivities shaped in godly ways. How freeing to be guided in these ways by God, who gives us a mighty word when he says, " 'Be not afraid ... for I am with you to deliver you' (Jeremiah 1:8) into a future joy and satisfaction that will be your wholeness (even in sorrow) and a blessing to others as well."
Every day there is something happening somewhere in the world to shake the foundations of civilization and culture. Racial riots, soccer riots, school shootings, tornados and tsunami, plane crashes, stock failures, plagues -- the list could go on and on. One thing that is unshakeable is the kingdom of God. We constantly need our gaze redirected from the transitory nature of the world to the stability and enduring nature of God's rule. Two hymns that help us do that are "Rock of Ages" and "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less," the refrain of which is "On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Hope can erode and we can become enslaved by our fears when we are distracted by the whirlwind of life. Over and over again we need to hear the freeing word of God's decisive action in Christ Jesus, which establishes his reign of love with power, having overcome "the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24), symbol of the destructiveness of sin in the world.
The prophet's work is often in opposition to the perfunctory ritual practices of the people. But, let it not be forgotten that the purpose of the prophet is to lead the people to "acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28). The prophet's words are intended to free the hearer from sinful behaviors and false worship of God, so that the hearer is free to serve God rightly and enter into true worship of God in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6.
A beneficial word to guide people through times of trial can be drawn from the image of God as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). We are all like raw ore extracted from the earth. The image of God, the pure metal, is within us, to be sure! Yet, there are such contaminants compromising the precious metal, that unless they are removed, the metal itself is lost to usefulness. To redeem the metal from the earth, the fire is applied to remove the dross, so that the metal can shine in purity. So, too, God's judgment is meant to purify us and help us shine to his glory. We need not whine when "bad things happen." The very worst of things can be humbly accepted -- even as from the hand of God, who holds us in his hands after all! When the trial is past, the believer can praise God not only for the respite, but also for the renewal that was affected through all that happened.
We can all learn something from the woman who was healed by Jesus in today's gospel. In her distressful trial, she did not flee God, but was found in the synagogue and herself found God in the synagogue -- or would it be more accurate to say was found by God in the synagogue? Patiently (or impatiently?), for eighteen years she bore her tribulation coram Deo. Imagine the rest of her life had she not been in the synagogue that day! But, she was, so that she could submit herself to Jesus' word, which was a freeing word, and benefit from his touch, which held up his word.
Through this miracle, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God with power and authority. He not only healed the woman, showing his mastery over the created order; he also did so on the sabbath, his day to do with as he wishes. How wonderful for the woman and for us that he chooses to offer a freeing word; that all who listen to him and respond in faith will be renewed in life.
Preaching the Psalm
Psalm 71:1-6
There are a thousand reasons for hiding. In times of war and violence, people hide from danger of guns and soldiers. In times of emotional stress and conflict, we hide within ourselves. When the stress and crush of the world get to be too much we need to be along, and we hide from the chaos of the world. And sometimes we find our refuge in God.
This psalm paints a picture of God as a "strong refuge," a strong arm of defense and a rescuer in times of danger. It brings to mind that wonderful hymn by Martin Luther that describes God as a "mighty fortress, a bulwark never failing."
One wonders how often the average person actually takes refuge in God. A bomb shelter we understand. Protecting ourselves emotionally from the people around us? We all do that every day. And getting away to simply hide from the world for a while? We all wish we could do that! But hiding in God? Using God as a hiding place, a refuge in time of trouble? How many people in our contemporary world actually do this?
Christians talk about it, pray about it and might even have a Wednesday night Bible Study about it, but most folks prefer other hiding places. We all need to hide from time to time, it's true. But few of us reach for God when the hiding time comes.
It would seem that growing into the kind of trust that would lean into God in times of trouble is a goal most Christians could set for themselves. Instead of building a bomb shelter in the basement as so many people did in the 1950s and 60s, why don't we try looking to God? Rather than closing off our hearts so no one can hurt us, what if we opened our hearts to God? And when we need a little space for ourselves, maybe we could find that space in prayer and meditation?
A good place to start might be to pick one place in our lives where we will trust God completely. In our relationships? At work? In church? This process may be a little scary at first. But it promises to lead us deeper in faith, deeper in relationship with the One who truly is worthy of our trust.
Oscar Wilde describes in a very short piece, "The Doer of Good," how people missed the point of what Jesus was about. When a leper was healed by Jesus, he went on to live sumptuously in self-indulgence, not able to answer adequately his own question, "How else should I live?" When a young blind man was healed by Jesus, he went chasing after a woman of the night, not able to answer adequately his own question, "At what else should I look?" When the woman herself was asked why she lived that way, she justified it by saying to Jesus, "But you forgave me my sins, and the way is a pleasant way." Maybe Albert Camus was onto something when he said, "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better."
In any case, the experience of bondage is part and parcel of life, whether that bondage is imposed from the outside (dead-end jobs, lack of skills, crushing poverty) or whether that bondage is imposed from within (closed thinking, shortsightedness, sin). But there's a freeing word expressed in the pericopes for today that reflects God's activity in the historical affairs of his people in general, as well as in the personal affairs of particular individuals.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Jeremiah is a giant among the Old Testament prophets. He had the lamentable task of watching over the demise of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom at the hand of Babylon. By the end of the seventh century BC, Assyrian power had waned, along with Egyptian influence. Babylon was able to dispatch both on the battlefield. Judah was a fruit ripe for picking. Nebuchadnezzar did just that!
Into this political whirlwind, Jeremiah interjects the word of the Lord. Sense had to be made of the seeming nonsense that God's people thought was swirling around them. Appropriate to the prophet's role, Jeremiah speaks words of interpretation and understanding, admonishment and exhortation. Coming from the ritual side of spiritual life (his father being a priest), Jeremiah was able to spot the shortcomings of the worship of Yahweh. The fault lines were evident to him; no solid future could be built upon the failings of the people. There would be judgment that would bring down the pretentious walls of the people's own making. The temple with all its finery and meticulous attention to proper sacrifice (see Jeremiah 7 especially) would not be able to mask the moral failure of the people to live up to the commands of God.
Though Jeremiah would have the word of the Lord on his lips, he would have rival prophets, like Hananiah (see Jeremiah 28), on his back. There would be many pressures bearing on Jeremiah. At his young age (he was about twenty when he was called by God to the office of prophet), his work would present him quite a challenge. God would strengthen him, however. We get a glimpse as to how this was done in the verses assigned for today.
First, God spoke to Jeremiah and revealed his mission to him. Jeremiah did not say, "It seems to me...." He was not working out his perspective on things and then submitting it before others, coddled in words of personal formation that begged (literally, begged) consideration. Jeremiah boldly announced, "The word of the Lord came to me..." (1:4). This was a declaration of authority that arose from outside himself. His words commanded (literally, commanded) consideration, for they were given him by God himself.
Second, there is a sense of destiny for Jeremiah. He did not choose his career, one out of many possibilities. He was "appointed" by God, who knew him even before he was conceived in his mother's womb (1:5). Though for some this may raise metaphysical questions about the omniscient character of God, for Jeremiah it was an expression of his confidence that his life and his work and his fate are, have been, and always will be in the hands of God.
Third, when Jeremiah sets forth his inexperience as a mitigating factor against the wisdom of God's choice (1:6), he is assured with a twofold promise. God will give Jeremiah the very words he should speak and God will always be with him to comfort, sustain, and empower him. As Paul himself learned and expressed (1 Corinthians 1:27; 2:1-5), Jeremiah was bolstered by the knowledge that God can take our very weaknesses and work through them. The Lord's touch on his lips was a sign of this.
Fourth, the message that Jeremiah was to give to the people would be heavily laden with judgment, that is true; but, there would also be a sweet measure of hope (Jeremiah 31, for example) that would make the bitter taste of his labor palatable. Jeremiah would be given the assignment "to pluck up and to break down," indeed; but also, "to build and to plant" (1:10).
Hebrews 12:18-29
As we come to the end of the Letter to the Hebrews, we must remember the ground that has been covered so thoroughly. Within the context of a persecuted church and Jewish roots, the writer extols Jesus as superior to the angels, Moses, Joshua, the Aaronic priesthood, the old covenant, and the repeated sacrifice of animals. There are exhortations to hold fast to the faith. Then, before some closing encouraging words and warnings, there is a final contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.
Mount Sinai touches the fear of the people as they encounter the holiness of God (12:18-21). Even Moses, prophet of the Old Covenant, trembles with fear. (For further descriptions of what is eluded to here, see Exodus 19:12-22 and 20:18-19.) Earlier in the letter, it is admitted, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).
In contrast to this, those who enter into Mount Zion still encounter the living God, but through Jesus, "the mediator of a new covenant," characterized by grace and symbolized in his blood (12:24). Through Jesus, it is revealed that God is indeed God of all (compare 12:23 with Colossians 3:11). Therefore, whereas before, the writer coaxed the readers toward faith with such expressions as "consider him" (Hebrews 12:3), now there is a more forceful exhortation: "Do not refuse him who is speaking" (12:25). When God speaks, we are to listen to him! Remembering how their past rebellion brought judgment upon themselves, the people of God are to beware now, lest a similar fate befall them in their guilt of not taking God seriously at his word.
Just as one is not to play with fire, so one is not to trifle with God (12:29). The reason for this is not due to fear, but gratitude, for God provides a kingdom that is unshakable in which we are invited to live, move, and have our being (12:26-29). The image of a consuming fire certainly suggests judgment, as the contexts of similar references indicate in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Isaiah 33:14. But, as Malachi 3:2 intimates, there is also a graceful, purifying aspect of fire. Yes, the dross must be (burned) melted away, but to the end that the purified metal may remain and become more valuable than before. This is the refiner's promise instilled in the process of metallurgy. This is God's freeing promise to his sons and daughters who are under his rule.
Luke 13:10-17
Jesus began doing what was expected of a rabbi on the sabbath; he was teaching in the synagogue. He ended up doing what was appropriate for a rabbi on the sabbath; he extended God's gracious word of promise and power to heal one of God's children.
Tevya, in Fiddler on the Roof, might have joined the ruler of the synagogue with an indignant chorus of "Tradition," when Jesus healed the woman of her infirmity. One should not break tradition, which is built upon the statutes and codes for communal life together! "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day" (13:14). Everyone knows the sabbath is for rest, since that is the day the Lord rested after creation. What better grounding can there be for a statute, for a tradition?
Jesus, however, understood the sabbath differently. For Jesus, the sabbath was the symbol of God's power in the week and for the weak. Just as God's rest on the seventh day expressed the perfection of his creation, so too will the creation find its perfection resting in the Creator. What more appropriate gesture could there be than to restore one of God's crippled children to a more perfect reflection of the Creator? Against the rebuke of the ruler, Jesus reminds him and everyone that humans care for the well-being of the animals even on the sabbath (13:15). How much more value are needy humans than animals? Remember the sparrows of Matthew 10:29-31. Will not God's heavenly will for his creature's well-being override any earthly tradition?
Jesus, therefore, does not hesitate to respond graciously to the woman's need. He speaks to her a freeing word. "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity" (13:12; the same word used to refer to the release of prisoners, as in Luke 23:16). There are immediate results. The woman responds most appropriately with praise to God.
Jesus engaged the woman decisively. Every verb used to describe his actions drew him closer to her need. He saw her, called her, addressed her, and then touched her. With hands-on affection, as with Adam in the Garden, this One through whom all things were made reached out with creative precision and straightened one of his own who had become bent.
Application
Twenty-five years ago when I was first starting out in my ministry, the local high school counselor told me that the number one concern on the minds of seventh- and eighth-grade youth at that time was what career they would be going into. The students were feeling the pressure of choosing classes among their electives that would prepare him or her best for where they envisioned themselves to be later in life.
Today, the strain of anticipating a desired future and then making the right choices now is even greater. With so much more knowledge to master, not just in general for a more balanced outlook on life, but also in particular for any specialized field of study, there is an increased length of time before individuals are prepared for careers. Five-year college degrees are common, as well as the need for specialized training after that. The onset of adulthood in our culture (meaning beyond the student days of "getting ready") occurs later than in more primitive cultures where the early teen years witnessed the rituals of "graduation" into the responsibility-bearing years of village life.
How encouraging for youth to hear this word from Jeremiah that not only can they know their true purpose in life when directed by God, but they can also fulfill a vital role in the community through what they do when directed by God. The key here is expressed by the words directed by God. We can be free from the anxiety about our future when we submit ourselves to God's future for us.
One of the discerning skills that the church can teach youth today is to be attentive to God's will for their lives. The question to reverberate in one's life is not "What do you want to do when you grow up?" But, "What is God calling you to do with your life?" The criteria for career selection should not be salary (How much will I make?) or satisfaction (What will make me happy?). The criteria are gifts and gratitude. That is, "How has God gifted me?" and "How can I best express my thanksgiving to God in what I do with my life?"
Fortunately, these kinds of questions can be asked by children and youth as they mature in their humanity and spirituality. The answers formulated early on can influence their behavior and their relationships. Then, when they are in a more critical position to make choices about classes and trajectories of study for career development, they can be guided by sensitivities shaped in godly ways. How freeing to be guided in these ways by God, who gives us a mighty word when he says, " 'Be not afraid ... for I am with you to deliver you' (Jeremiah 1:8) into a future joy and satisfaction that will be your wholeness (even in sorrow) and a blessing to others as well."
Every day there is something happening somewhere in the world to shake the foundations of civilization and culture. Racial riots, soccer riots, school shootings, tornados and tsunami, plane crashes, stock failures, plagues -- the list could go on and on. One thing that is unshakeable is the kingdom of God. We constantly need our gaze redirected from the transitory nature of the world to the stability and enduring nature of God's rule. Two hymns that help us do that are "Rock of Ages" and "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less," the refrain of which is "On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Hope can erode and we can become enslaved by our fears when we are distracted by the whirlwind of life. Over and over again we need to hear the freeing word of God's decisive action in Christ Jesus, which establishes his reign of love with power, having overcome "the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24), symbol of the destructiveness of sin in the world.
The prophet's work is often in opposition to the perfunctory ritual practices of the people. But, let it not be forgotten that the purpose of the prophet is to lead the people to "acceptable worship, with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28). The prophet's words are intended to free the hearer from sinful behaviors and false worship of God, so that the hearer is free to serve God rightly and enter into true worship of God in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6.
A beneficial word to guide people through times of trial can be drawn from the image of God as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). We are all like raw ore extracted from the earth. The image of God, the pure metal, is within us, to be sure! Yet, there are such contaminants compromising the precious metal, that unless they are removed, the metal itself is lost to usefulness. To redeem the metal from the earth, the fire is applied to remove the dross, so that the metal can shine in purity. So, too, God's judgment is meant to purify us and help us shine to his glory. We need not whine when "bad things happen." The very worst of things can be humbly accepted -- even as from the hand of God, who holds us in his hands after all! When the trial is past, the believer can praise God not only for the respite, but also for the renewal that was affected through all that happened.
We can all learn something from the woman who was healed by Jesus in today's gospel. In her distressful trial, she did not flee God, but was found in the synagogue and herself found God in the synagogue -- or would it be more accurate to say was found by God in the synagogue? Patiently (or impatiently?), for eighteen years she bore her tribulation coram Deo. Imagine the rest of her life had she not been in the synagogue that day! But, she was, so that she could submit herself to Jesus' word, which was a freeing word, and benefit from his touch, which held up his word.
Through this miracle, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God with power and authority. He not only healed the woman, showing his mastery over the created order; he also did so on the sabbath, his day to do with as he wishes. How wonderful for the woman and for us that he chooses to offer a freeing word; that all who listen to him and respond in faith will be renewed in life.
Preaching the Psalm
Psalm 71:1-6
There are a thousand reasons for hiding. In times of war and violence, people hide from danger of guns and soldiers. In times of emotional stress and conflict, we hide within ourselves. When the stress and crush of the world get to be too much we need to be along, and we hide from the chaos of the world. And sometimes we find our refuge in God.
This psalm paints a picture of God as a "strong refuge," a strong arm of defense and a rescuer in times of danger. It brings to mind that wonderful hymn by Martin Luther that describes God as a "mighty fortress, a bulwark never failing."
One wonders how often the average person actually takes refuge in God. A bomb shelter we understand. Protecting ourselves emotionally from the people around us? We all do that every day. And getting away to simply hide from the world for a while? We all wish we could do that! But hiding in God? Using God as a hiding place, a refuge in time of trouble? How many people in our contemporary world actually do this?
Christians talk about it, pray about it and might even have a Wednesday night Bible Study about it, but most folks prefer other hiding places. We all need to hide from time to time, it's true. But few of us reach for God when the hiding time comes.
It would seem that growing into the kind of trust that would lean into God in times of trouble is a goal most Christians could set for themselves. Instead of building a bomb shelter in the basement as so many people did in the 1950s and 60s, why don't we try looking to God? Rather than closing off our hearts so no one can hurt us, what if we opened our hearts to God? And when we need a little space for ourselves, maybe we could find that space in prayer and meditation?
A good place to start might be to pick one place in our lives where we will trust God completely. In our relationships? At work? In church? This process may be a little scary at first. But it promises to lead us deeper in faith, deeper in relationship with the One who truly is worthy of our trust.
