Fulfillment in spite of delay
Commentary
Our expectations may be ordered according to a plan scheduled over time. Or they may demand immediate response to an emergency. In either case, we are usually too impatient to tolerate delay. The two lessons for this Sunday illustrate the two kinds of expectations and the typical human way of reacting to any delay.
In Samuel 6, David is carrying out a plan. It has longrange implications for the future of a kingdom that unites the special people of God, the messianic kingdom that will prepare the way for the church. Even such a plan may suffer delay. David's reaction is anger, the kind of harmful reaction that humans exhibit when they experience a loss of control. But there is also fear, that may become constructive, because it is fear of God.
In Mark 5:21-43, the emergency of threatening death reaches out in hope, only to meet delay to the point of futility and cynicism. The people who had felt no control over fatal illness now lose their last hope.
The cause of the delay in each case shows a total contrast between the two stories. Both tell of contact with the presence of God.
In the Old Testament, stories recommend keeping a proper distance from the holy God, with proximity restricted to priests (Exodus 19:20-43; 40:18-21, 30-32). Uzzah's death illustrated what respect God deserved. Awesome reverence was reenforced by awful experience. During the delay, God blessed one who had no plan for manipulating the holiness of God. After delay, David revised his plan to be more careful about demonstrating devotion to God. Our planning should include an assessment of how consistent it is with God's way.
In the New Testament story, not God's holiness but God's grace receives emphasis. Attention to one act of mercy is interrupted by another. When the presence of God is embodied in Jesus, contact does not destroy, but heals. While delay occurs in Jesus' ministry as in all earthly life, it is worth thinking of the constant intervention of millions of prayers to God at any moment in time. The infinite spiritual presence does not need to put off one to serve another. Yet, we on earth experience the delay of our expectations and we receive encouragement from the story of Jairus who enjoyed fulfillment in spite of delay.
OUTLINE INoble plans delayed2 Samuel 6:1-15
A. vv. 1-5. The focus is upon the high purpose of David. Having been asked to rule over all Israel and haying won Jerusalem to make it a new capital city (2 Samuel 5), the king plans for it to be the religious center as well. He wants to bring to the city the ark of God, that had been a center of Israelite worship in several places in the past (1 Samuel 4:3--7:2). This traditional symbol of the presence of God will represent the unity of Israel in faith.
In comparison with the essential theological motif, names of places and persons, which raise some critical questions, are secondary; as are cultic details, except as they dramatize the religious purpose.
B. vv. 6-10. Even noble and historically significant purposes fail. Although the explanation of Uzzah's death may indicate the limits of understanding at the time of the story's origin, the point should not be missed. The ark is the epitome of God's holiness and God is not controlled by any human power, not even when it is well intended and would serve the purpose of the great king David. David gives up in anger and fear. The contrast in mood could scarcely be greater between verses 5 and 8.
C. vv. 11-15. God's grace had not ended. David lived to renew his purpose. Faith did not give up but took seriously the meaning of experience. The devotion, ritual and exhuberance were greater than ever.
OUTLINE IIMotivations for sharing2 Corinthians 8:1-15
A. vv. 1-5. Fellowship with other Christians. The churches in Macedonia were united with the church in Corinth in taking a collection for the church in Jerusalem. The Corinthians could take heart that even under persecution, the Macedonians, poor in material goods, were wealthy in generosity. The key was (1) the grace of God, (2) joy in the gospel, (3) a sense of privilege in sharing, (4) giving themselves to the Lord Jesus first, then to others.
B. vv. 6-8. Love for their leaders. Paul and his companion Titus had worked personally in Corinth. They had known firsthand the spiritual gifts of the Christians there and had grown in love for them (1 Corinthians 12 and 13). An authoritarian motivation would not be needed, since the gift of generosity and love could be expected.
C. v. 9. Generosity of Jesus Christ. Here was the primary motivation. Christ had given up the universal ownership held by God to suffer deprivation for the benefit of believers like those in Corinth.
D. vv. 10-13a. Completing their fair share. Their desire and eagerness had brought results, but now they needed to measure up to their full potential. They would have no trouble, if their motivation continued strong.
E. vv. 13b-15. Need of the recipients. Fairness can be measured by comparing one's own abundance with the poverty of others. After all, Jerusalem had shared leaders and the gospel itself with the rest of the world. According to the story of manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:17), no one should have too much or too little.
OUTLINE IIIMerciful response delayedMark 5:21-43
A. vv. 21-24. Desperate, a father begs help for his dying daughter. Details about name and position identify an individual in the large crowd, and stress the posture and intensity of his plea. The words of the prayer, "be made well and live" had become a common Christian formula by the time the gospel was written. They carried connotations of salvation and eternal life as well as reference to healing for earthly life. Jesus responded immediately.
B. vv. 25-36. The delay comes from a woman, unnamed, a sufferer, impoverished, who does not so much as speak to Jesus, a severe contrast to the earlier individual. To touch Jesus is enough for her, but not for Jesus. In spite of the crowd he insists on relating to this individual, too, even when it means a delay for the other. The woman's fear he replaces with peace. What seemed like magic, he asserts is a relationship of faith.
C. vv. 37-43. Delay did not mean defeat, but greater challenge. Although the girl had now been pronounced dead, Jesus calls again for faith. Jesus sought privacy and no publicity, rather than the staged public performances of many faith healers. It probably doesn't matter much whether Jesus meant "sleeping" literally or to indicate acceptance of the common euphemism as a preferable way of thinking about death. In either case, a remedy now seemed impossible to the people. In referring to the action, the words are those used for resurrection. Delay had brought still greater mercy.
In Samuel 6, David is carrying out a plan. It has longrange implications for the future of a kingdom that unites the special people of God, the messianic kingdom that will prepare the way for the church. Even such a plan may suffer delay. David's reaction is anger, the kind of harmful reaction that humans exhibit when they experience a loss of control. But there is also fear, that may become constructive, because it is fear of God.
In Mark 5:21-43, the emergency of threatening death reaches out in hope, only to meet delay to the point of futility and cynicism. The people who had felt no control over fatal illness now lose their last hope.
The cause of the delay in each case shows a total contrast between the two stories. Both tell of contact with the presence of God.
In the Old Testament, stories recommend keeping a proper distance from the holy God, with proximity restricted to priests (Exodus 19:20-43; 40:18-21, 30-32). Uzzah's death illustrated what respect God deserved. Awesome reverence was reenforced by awful experience. During the delay, God blessed one who had no plan for manipulating the holiness of God. After delay, David revised his plan to be more careful about demonstrating devotion to God. Our planning should include an assessment of how consistent it is with God's way.
In the New Testament story, not God's holiness but God's grace receives emphasis. Attention to one act of mercy is interrupted by another. When the presence of God is embodied in Jesus, contact does not destroy, but heals. While delay occurs in Jesus' ministry as in all earthly life, it is worth thinking of the constant intervention of millions of prayers to God at any moment in time. The infinite spiritual presence does not need to put off one to serve another. Yet, we on earth experience the delay of our expectations and we receive encouragement from the story of Jairus who enjoyed fulfillment in spite of delay.
OUTLINE INoble plans delayed2 Samuel 6:1-15
A. vv. 1-5. The focus is upon the high purpose of David. Having been asked to rule over all Israel and haying won Jerusalem to make it a new capital city (2 Samuel 5), the king plans for it to be the religious center as well. He wants to bring to the city the ark of God, that had been a center of Israelite worship in several places in the past (1 Samuel 4:3--7:2). This traditional symbol of the presence of God will represent the unity of Israel in faith.
In comparison with the essential theological motif, names of places and persons, which raise some critical questions, are secondary; as are cultic details, except as they dramatize the religious purpose.
B. vv. 6-10. Even noble and historically significant purposes fail. Although the explanation of Uzzah's death may indicate the limits of understanding at the time of the story's origin, the point should not be missed. The ark is the epitome of God's holiness and God is not controlled by any human power, not even when it is well intended and would serve the purpose of the great king David. David gives up in anger and fear. The contrast in mood could scarcely be greater between verses 5 and 8.
C. vv. 11-15. God's grace had not ended. David lived to renew his purpose. Faith did not give up but took seriously the meaning of experience. The devotion, ritual and exhuberance were greater than ever.
OUTLINE IIMotivations for sharing2 Corinthians 8:1-15
A. vv. 1-5. Fellowship with other Christians. The churches in Macedonia were united with the church in Corinth in taking a collection for the church in Jerusalem. The Corinthians could take heart that even under persecution, the Macedonians, poor in material goods, were wealthy in generosity. The key was (1) the grace of God, (2) joy in the gospel, (3) a sense of privilege in sharing, (4) giving themselves to the Lord Jesus first, then to others.
B. vv. 6-8. Love for their leaders. Paul and his companion Titus had worked personally in Corinth. They had known firsthand the spiritual gifts of the Christians there and had grown in love for them (1 Corinthians 12 and 13). An authoritarian motivation would not be needed, since the gift of generosity and love could be expected.
C. v. 9. Generosity of Jesus Christ. Here was the primary motivation. Christ had given up the universal ownership held by God to suffer deprivation for the benefit of believers like those in Corinth.
D. vv. 10-13a. Completing their fair share. Their desire and eagerness had brought results, but now they needed to measure up to their full potential. They would have no trouble, if their motivation continued strong.
E. vv. 13b-15. Need of the recipients. Fairness can be measured by comparing one's own abundance with the poverty of others. After all, Jerusalem had shared leaders and the gospel itself with the rest of the world. According to the story of manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:17), no one should have too much or too little.
OUTLINE IIIMerciful response delayedMark 5:21-43
A. vv. 21-24. Desperate, a father begs help for his dying daughter. Details about name and position identify an individual in the large crowd, and stress the posture and intensity of his plea. The words of the prayer, "be made well and live" had become a common Christian formula by the time the gospel was written. They carried connotations of salvation and eternal life as well as reference to healing for earthly life. Jesus responded immediately.
B. vv. 25-36. The delay comes from a woman, unnamed, a sufferer, impoverished, who does not so much as speak to Jesus, a severe contrast to the earlier individual. To touch Jesus is enough for her, but not for Jesus. In spite of the crowd he insists on relating to this individual, too, even when it means a delay for the other. The woman's fear he replaces with peace. What seemed like magic, he asserts is a relationship of faith.
C. vv. 37-43. Delay did not mean defeat, but greater challenge. Although the girl had now been pronounced dead, Jesus calls again for faith. Jesus sought privacy and no publicity, rather than the staged public performances of many faith healers. It probably doesn't matter much whether Jesus meant "sleeping" literally or to indicate acceptance of the common euphemism as a preferable way of thinking about death. In either case, a remedy now seemed impossible to the people. In referring to the action, the words are those used for resurrection. Delay had brought still greater mercy.
