Exodus 1:8--2:10br...
Illustration
Object:
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Years ago, the poet, Francis Thompson, wrote one of the best-loved religious poems ever, celebrating the insistent nature of God's pursuit of us. He called it "The Hound of Heaven." The beginning part of it goes like this:
I fled him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled him down the arches of the years;
I fled him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from him, and under running laughter....
Yet this pursuer is insistent. He will not be shaken from his course, as ...
... those strong feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurried chase
and unperturbËd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat -- and a voice beat
More instant than the feet --
"All things betray me, who betrayest me."
God pursues not only individuals. In the book of Exodus, we read of how God pursues an entire people -- giving them, at the right time (and through the most extraordinary circumstances) just the leader they needed: Moses.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
It's a wonder that Moses lived at all.
First, the ruler of Egypt, Pharaoh, sent out word that all the boy babies born to the Hebrew people should be put to death. But Moses' mother hid him so the authorities couldn't find him.
Second, when the daughter of Pharaoh discovered Moses in a basket in the river, she could have turned him over to be done away with. But she chose rather to raise him as her son instead.
Third, when Moses was grown, he saw an Egyptian overseer beating one of the Hebrew slaves and tried to rescue the man, but in the scuffle the overseer died. And, Moses had to flee for his life.
But God had other plans for Moses -- just as God has plans for you and me.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Early in her pregnancy, Shelley and Mark learned that their baby would have serious life-threatening birth defects. There were told that the baby would not live for more than a few minutes after birth. As you would expect, the news that their unborn child would not live was devastating for the entire family. On Sunday during the sharing of concerns and prayer requests Mark shared with the congregation about what the doctors told them. Mark barely made it through without breaking down. Others in the church were visibly shaken. The church began praying for this young couple and their baby. People from other churches in the community also remembered them in their prayers.
The advice of the medical team was to terminate the pregnancy. Mark and Shelley began praying, seeking God's will for their lives and the life of their unborn child. After much prayer they informed the doctors and their family that Shelley would carry the baby to term.
When Kristen Grace was born, the severity of her condition matched the doctor's original diagnosis. Her family expected that she would only live a few minutes but she surprised everyone. Twelve hours later, Kristen Grace was still alive when Mark sent out email telling of the birth and thanking everyone for their prayers. "Doctors and nurses are praying for us and with us," he wrote. Kristen's miraculous life touched everyone.
Several days later Mark again wrote, "We are blessed beyond description." Their daughter was alive on her third day. While she was showing signs of weakening, she is also strong. "We are trusting God to receive her in his time," Mark wrote, then added, "The peacefulness and purpose of her life are gifts to all of us. God is moving in significant ways." Once again he thanked everyone for their continued prayers.
Five days after her birth, Kristen Grace went home, something no one ever thought she would. "You cannot imagine the joy that filled our hearts as we saw her leave the hospital," Mark said that evening. Kristen Grace died the next morning in her parents' arms, having lived six days.
God continues to be at work in our lives. The ancient Israelites were experiencing a difficult time when it appeared that all hope had vanished. But God had a plan. God would raise up a leader -- Moses.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Jack told his pastor this age-old lament: We tried to warn our daughter about Damon. But it seemed like the more we warned her, the more we forbade her, the more she was attracted to him. She snuck out at night to see him. She defied us at every turn. What could we do?
Pharaoh had the same problem. The more he tried to wipe out the Israelites by killing their boy babies, the more the Israelites increased.
Romans 12:1-8
Although God communicated with Paul somehow about spiritual gifts, maybe Paul's teaching about spiritual gifts didn't begin with a revelation from God. Perhaps Paul's teaching about spiritual gifts began by his looking at the constructive, helpful things Christians did in serving God. That's the first indication of God's presence in people's lives and service, one that hadn't shown up uniformly in all Paul's congregations.
In Saint Benedict's rule for monasteries he included the essentially positive direction that Paul noted about the Christian faith. In line with Paul's recognition of different gifts Benedict instructed the monastery's abbot to adapt himself to different personalities within the community. Above all, the abbot must wield his authority in ways that are ultimately positive. In exercising his gift of supervision, as Paul would also urge, the abbot "should know that he has undertaken care of sick souls, not tyranny over healthy ones."
Romans 12:1-8
We usually think of worship as something we do in a church service while we sit, kneel, and stand in a building that's primarily used for religious purposes. To be sure that can be worship, but other factors may prevent it from being a devotion experience. If our bodies aren't set apart for serving God, we might be going through the motions on Sunday morning, but we may be merely burning calories as we sit, genuflect, and stand.
If songs of praise, prayers, and meditation aren't connected to what we're doing Monday through Saturday, those gentle Sunday calisthenics are only that, not worship. Under the law of Moses, people offered animals, plants, and grain offerings. In our new covenant with Jesus, the sacrifice he wants is a living one. He wants us -- humble, generous, cooperative, and using every gift we have to the maximum. Will you be worshiping this week and next Sunday morning or just mildly exercising?
Romans 12:1-8
A friend told about the following experience that took place in a restaurant in Tennessee. He and his family were eating out together. A short time after they were seated, a distinguished looking older man stopped to visit and asked my friend what he did. He said, "I'm a teacher of preachers."
The older man who stopped then said he had a story about preachers he would like us to hear. There was nothing they could do except listen to the story. He said, "When I grew up, I wasn't very popular, I ate my lunches alone at school, and was teased a lot because I didn't know who my father was. I went to church but always hurried out before the preacher could get to me. One Sunday I stayed longer than intended, and when I tried to leave in a hurry, two big ladies were blocking the aisle."
"The pastor caught up with me and put his hand on my shoulder. With real caring in his voice, he said, 'Son, I don't know you. Let's, see ... you're the child of ...' and then he remembered. 'Oh, yes, you're the child of ... the child of God. Go out and live it.'
"You see, my name's Ben Hooper. That meeting changed my life, and I served as Governor of Tennessee for two terms."
Matthew 16:13-20
If you were to stop a person on the street, at random, and ask him or her, "Show me the foundation of the church," you might get one of several answers.
Some literal-minded individuals might point to the actual foundation of the building: the bricks and mortar on which it stands. Others might hum quietly to themselves that old Sunday school song, "The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting-place, the church is people" -- then, they'd point out the gathering of Christians who comprise the church-as-organization.
There's an element of truth in each of these answers. Neither one's wrong, on the face of it. But neither one contains the whole truth, either.
Jesus seems to be saying, here at Caesarea Philippi, that Peter is the foundation of the church. By this, he means not so much Peter the man, but something Peter received as an unmerited gift.
It's not Peter's action, at the most basic level, that's important. It's the truth of God, implanted in his heart. It is, in other words, grace -- nothing but grace -- that allows this flawed fisherman, this sinner like any one of us, to faithfully proclaim that Jesus is Lord. It is not his confession, nor is it the church's confession, that does this. It is God's truth, revealed by grace.
Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus uses the term "Son of Man" in our gospel lesson for today. What does he mean by calling himself "the Son of Man"?
In the four gospels, he uses the term "Son of Man" a total of more than eighty times to refer to himself. Sometimes he's speaking of his preaching, teaching, and healing during his life here on earth, as in Mark 2:10, 28.
Sometimes he's looking ahead to his passion, death, and resurrection as in Mark 8:31. And sometimes he's talking about his coming again in glory with the clouds of heaven, as in Mark 8:38.
Though Jesus is part of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and can therefore be referred to as the Son of God, because he was born of Mary, and thus was a true human being, he can also be called the Son of Man.
Good news: The Son of Man knows our human condition: he's been here, done that. He understands what our life is like, and he cares about us.
Matthew 16:13-20
Rene remembers the class she had in early American literature. Much of the early writings made reference to God and divine providence. At the time, Rene was outspoken, telling others that while she might concede that there is a God there is no evidence of Jesus being the Son of God. When the class would break into discussion groups Rene would repeat that she did not believe that Jesus was divine.
While others in the class disagreed with her, they remained respectful of her opinions. In private, a classmate told Rene that she would pray for her which Rene rebuffed. As a child, Rene sporadically attended Sunday school with her brother. By the time she was a teen she had stopped attending completely. For her, the faith never clicked as it had for others. Yet that college course in American literature compelled her to rethink her faith. She described the experience as if God were speaking to her. Her quest led her to church with a friend. She listened intently to the message week after week. Much to her surprise, Rene came to faith. She would tell her friend that for the first time in her life Jesus was real to her. Rene looks back on that class as a turning point in her life.
Jesus had been with the disciples for some time when he asked them, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples had no problem repeating what they heard others say about Jesus. Next Jesus asked the more personal question that each one of us must answer, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter gave the right answer. This was certainly a turning point in Peter's life, something he would forever remember. "You are the Messiah," Peter replied, "the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:13-20
A game that we like to play in our confirmation class is "Who Am I?" The students read up about one biblical character. Then, they prepare a list of ten clues, which they arrange in order from hardest to easiest. In turn, they stand before the class and ask, "Who am I?" Then they read the first clue and continue until someone correctly guesses their identity or all the clues are used up. It is amazing some of the wild guesses that are made, and how close some other guesses are that just miss the mark.
Jesus played this game with the disciples. At first the disciples were all around the target but still missing. Then, Peter zeroed in and correctly answered, "You are the Messiah of God." The hard part was not in answering Jesus' question, it was living the answer with faith!
Years ago, the poet, Francis Thompson, wrote one of the best-loved religious poems ever, celebrating the insistent nature of God's pursuit of us. He called it "The Hound of Heaven." The beginning part of it goes like this:
I fled him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled him down the arches of the years;
I fled him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from him, and under running laughter....
Yet this pursuer is insistent. He will not be shaken from his course, as ...
... those strong feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurried chase
and unperturbËd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat -- and a voice beat
More instant than the feet --
"All things betray me, who betrayest me."
God pursues not only individuals. In the book of Exodus, we read of how God pursues an entire people -- giving them, at the right time (and through the most extraordinary circumstances) just the leader they needed: Moses.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
It's a wonder that Moses lived at all.
First, the ruler of Egypt, Pharaoh, sent out word that all the boy babies born to the Hebrew people should be put to death. But Moses' mother hid him so the authorities couldn't find him.
Second, when the daughter of Pharaoh discovered Moses in a basket in the river, she could have turned him over to be done away with. But she chose rather to raise him as her son instead.
Third, when Moses was grown, he saw an Egyptian overseer beating one of the Hebrew slaves and tried to rescue the man, but in the scuffle the overseer died. And, Moses had to flee for his life.
But God had other plans for Moses -- just as God has plans for you and me.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Early in her pregnancy, Shelley and Mark learned that their baby would have serious life-threatening birth defects. There were told that the baby would not live for more than a few minutes after birth. As you would expect, the news that their unborn child would not live was devastating for the entire family. On Sunday during the sharing of concerns and prayer requests Mark shared with the congregation about what the doctors told them. Mark barely made it through without breaking down. Others in the church were visibly shaken. The church began praying for this young couple and their baby. People from other churches in the community also remembered them in their prayers.
The advice of the medical team was to terminate the pregnancy. Mark and Shelley began praying, seeking God's will for their lives and the life of their unborn child. After much prayer they informed the doctors and their family that Shelley would carry the baby to term.
When Kristen Grace was born, the severity of her condition matched the doctor's original diagnosis. Her family expected that she would only live a few minutes but she surprised everyone. Twelve hours later, Kristen Grace was still alive when Mark sent out email telling of the birth and thanking everyone for their prayers. "Doctors and nurses are praying for us and with us," he wrote. Kristen's miraculous life touched everyone.
Several days later Mark again wrote, "We are blessed beyond description." Their daughter was alive on her third day. While she was showing signs of weakening, she is also strong. "We are trusting God to receive her in his time," Mark wrote, then added, "The peacefulness and purpose of her life are gifts to all of us. God is moving in significant ways." Once again he thanked everyone for their continued prayers.
Five days after her birth, Kristen Grace went home, something no one ever thought she would. "You cannot imagine the joy that filled our hearts as we saw her leave the hospital," Mark said that evening. Kristen Grace died the next morning in her parents' arms, having lived six days.
God continues to be at work in our lives. The ancient Israelites were experiencing a difficult time when it appeared that all hope had vanished. But God had a plan. God would raise up a leader -- Moses.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Jack told his pastor this age-old lament: We tried to warn our daughter about Damon. But it seemed like the more we warned her, the more we forbade her, the more she was attracted to him. She snuck out at night to see him. She defied us at every turn. What could we do?
Pharaoh had the same problem. The more he tried to wipe out the Israelites by killing their boy babies, the more the Israelites increased.
Romans 12:1-8
Although God communicated with Paul somehow about spiritual gifts, maybe Paul's teaching about spiritual gifts didn't begin with a revelation from God. Perhaps Paul's teaching about spiritual gifts began by his looking at the constructive, helpful things Christians did in serving God. That's the first indication of God's presence in people's lives and service, one that hadn't shown up uniformly in all Paul's congregations.
In Saint Benedict's rule for monasteries he included the essentially positive direction that Paul noted about the Christian faith. In line with Paul's recognition of different gifts Benedict instructed the monastery's abbot to adapt himself to different personalities within the community. Above all, the abbot must wield his authority in ways that are ultimately positive. In exercising his gift of supervision, as Paul would also urge, the abbot "should know that he has undertaken care of sick souls, not tyranny over healthy ones."
Romans 12:1-8
We usually think of worship as something we do in a church service while we sit, kneel, and stand in a building that's primarily used for religious purposes. To be sure that can be worship, but other factors may prevent it from being a devotion experience. If our bodies aren't set apart for serving God, we might be going through the motions on Sunday morning, but we may be merely burning calories as we sit, genuflect, and stand.
If songs of praise, prayers, and meditation aren't connected to what we're doing Monday through Saturday, those gentle Sunday calisthenics are only that, not worship. Under the law of Moses, people offered animals, plants, and grain offerings. In our new covenant with Jesus, the sacrifice he wants is a living one. He wants us -- humble, generous, cooperative, and using every gift we have to the maximum. Will you be worshiping this week and next Sunday morning or just mildly exercising?
Romans 12:1-8
A friend told about the following experience that took place in a restaurant in Tennessee. He and his family were eating out together. A short time after they were seated, a distinguished looking older man stopped to visit and asked my friend what he did. He said, "I'm a teacher of preachers."
The older man who stopped then said he had a story about preachers he would like us to hear. There was nothing they could do except listen to the story. He said, "When I grew up, I wasn't very popular, I ate my lunches alone at school, and was teased a lot because I didn't know who my father was. I went to church but always hurried out before the preacher could get to me. One Sunday I stayed longer than intended, and when I tried to leave in a hurry, two big ladies were blocking the aisle."
"The pastor caught up with me and put his hand on my shoulder. With real caring in his voice, he said, 'Son, I don't know you. Let's, see ... you're the child of ...' and then he remembered. 'Oh, yes, you're the child of ... the child of God. Go out and live it.'
"You see, my name's Ben Hooper. That meeting changed my life, and I served as Governor of Tennessee for two terms."
Matthew 16:13-20
If you were to stop a person on the street, at random, and ask him or her, "Show me the foundation of the church," you might get one of several answers.
Some literal-minded individuals might point to the actual foundation of the building: the bricks and mortar on which it stands. Others might hum quietly to themselves that old Sunday school song, "The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting-place, the church is people" -- then, they'd point out the gathering of Christians who comprise the church-as-organization.
There's an element of truth in each of these answers. Neither one's wrong, on the face of it. But neither one contains the whole truth, either.
Jesus seems to be saying, here at Caesarea Philippi, that Peter is the foundation of the church. By this, he means not so much Peter the man, but something Peter received as an unmerited gift.
It's not Peter's action, at the most basic level, that's important. It's the truth of God, implanted in his heart. It is, in other words, grace -- nothing but grace -- that allows this flawed fisherman, this sinner like any one of us, to faithfully proclaim that Jesus is Lord. It is not his confession, nor is it the church's confession, that does this. It is God's truth, revealed by grace.
Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus uses the term "Son of Man" in our gospel lesson for today. What does he mean by calling himself "the Son of Man"?
In the four gospels, he uses the term "Son of Man" a total of more than eighty times to refer to himself. Sometimes he's speaking of his preaching, teaching, and healing during his life here on earth, as in Mark 2:10, 28.
Sometimes he's looking ahead to his passion, death, and resurrection as in Mark 8:31. And sometimes he's talking about his coming again in glory with the clouds of heaven, as in Mark 8:38.
Though Jesus is part of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and can therefore be referred to as the Son of God, because he was born of Mary, and thus was a true human being, he can also be called the Son of Man.
Good news: The Son of Man knows our human condition: he's been here, done that. He understands what our life is like, and he cares about us.
Matthew 16:13-20
Rene remembers the class she had in early American literature. Much of the early writings made reference to God and divine providence. At the time, Rene was outspoken, telling others that while she might concede that there is a God there is no evidence of Jesus being the Son of God. When the class would break into discussion groups Rene would repeat that she did not believe that Jesus was divine.
While others in the class disagreed with her, they remained respectful of her opinions. In private, a classmate told Rene that she would pray for her which Rene rebuffed. As a child, Rene sporadically attended Sunday school with her brother. By the time she was a teen she had stopped attending completely. For her, the faith never clicked as it had for others. Yet that college course in American literature compelled her to rethink her faith. She described the experience as if God were speaking to her. Her quest led her to church with a friend. She listened intently to the message week after week. Much to her surprise, Rene came to faith. She would tell her friend that for the first time in her life Jesus was real to her. Rene looks back on that class as a turning point in her life.
Jesus had been with the disciples for some time when he asked them, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" The disciples had no problem repeating what they heard others say about Jesus. Next Jesus asked the more personal question that each one of us must answer, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter gave the right answer. This was certainly a turning point in Peter's life, something he would forever remember. "You are the Messiah," Peter replied, "the Son of the living God."
Matthew 16:13-20
A game that we like to play in our confirmation class is "Who Am I?" The students read up about one biblical character. Then, they prepare a list of ten clues, which they arrange in order from hardest to easiest. In turn, they stand before the class and ask, "Who am I?" Then they read the first clue and continue until someone correctly guesses their identity or all the clues are used up. It is amazing some of the wild guesses that are made, and how close some other guesses are that just miss the mark.
Jesus played this game with the disciples. At first the disciples were all around the target but still missing. Then, Peter zeroed in and correctly answered, "You are the Messiah of God." The hard part was not in answering Jesus' question, it was living the answer with faith!
