To glorify God
Commentary
Object:
A church council member announces to the rest of the members and the pastor that a certain family has left the church. The father said they are "not getting much out of the Sunday worship service and decided to go to another church with more to offer in terms of programs and worship services." So how does this congregation who lost the family respond? Some might suggest that they try to compete with other churches by retooling their own ministry, possibly taking on a building project or bringing in more electronic devices. There are other members who will not look the pastor eye-to-eye, but suggest, "Maybe we need a more dynamic, vibrant leadership who will attract younger families." None of these ideas will be a "magic bullet" to keep people from church shopping. All three of the lessons today would counsel that any ministry needs to be done to glorify God.
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
Will we ever return to the "golden era" when people came to worship and filled the pews, programs could not be developed fast enough, and our church and community were the envy of other smaller groups? The exile community who returned to Israel in Haggai might well have asked such questions. They returned to a land in ruins, temple walls laying on the ground, and neighbors who really wished that these exiles who returned home would "go back where you came from!" The return home from exile was not a ticker-tape parade at all! A drought hit the land, and the people were hungry. Inflation caused food shortages and more poverty. The houses they lived in were poorly built and vulnerable to heavy downpours of rain. Since Persia still ruled the land, they had to send in taxes from their already meager earnings. So building a new temple for God and for worship was at the bottom of the priority list for people who lived in a "survivalist" mode.
The prophet Haggai was arguing that despite all of these difficult conditions, the community should build a temple to the glory of God. There are no assurances of economic prosperity. The new temple may not have the same splendor, grandeur, and majestic appearance such as the one King Solomon built in Israel's golden age. However, the temple points to a greater symbol -- it points to a God who dwells in their midst and never leaves their side. The temple can never retain all of God's full glory. The people remained as despondent as a small congregation who loses members to larger neighboring churches, as Haggai writes this prophecy. The good news of Haggai is that God is still capable of bringing any faithful people some source of new life! The city of Jerusalem can still be a light and a witness, possibly in a new and differing manner. God is full of surprises! After all, this is the same God who can reorder the universe with mere words (Genesis 1:6, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26).
The size and magnitude of the architecture of the new temple may not be as in times past. But to faithful believers who "take courage" (2:4), God is with them and willing to transform them. They can realize great expectations beyond their wildest dreams. Haggai reminds people of faith everywhere to focus on doing tasks to the glory of God, and new possibilities will eventually emerge (2:6-9). [Elizabeth Achtemeier, Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Nahum -- Malachi (John Knox Press, 1986)]
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
This text tries to clear up a misunderstanding that Jesus Christ has returned again and those who remain on earth have been left behind. Persecutions persist among the Christian community, and they wonder if they have done anything wrong. Paul works to dispel this false teaching. An interpretative lens verse to this whole text might be 2:15: "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter." For congregations that strive to preach and teach the basics of the Christian teachings in the Bible, this is welcome news.
To glorify God in this situation of misunderstanding and confusion is to remain faithful to the teachings of the community of faith, which are anchored in scripture as well as the teachings of the congregational leadership. The best insulation from being influenced by distorted or outside teaching is to be grounded in the faith tradition of this particular community. For Paul, it is about the gospel message of what Jesus has accomplished through death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:18-30). Elsewhere, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9 refers to the "lawless one." Many authors identify this as an anti-Christ or deceptive one who sounds "almost correct," but does not hold to the traditions that were taught by Paul. [James L. Mays, General Editor, "2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, the Day of the Lord," in Harper Collins Bible Commentary (Harper One, 1988)]
Second Thessalonians 2:13 is also fertile ground for exploring what the church is expected to do in terms of sanctification: "...because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth." How does a given community of faith define "sanctification"? In this season of the church, could one false teaching be that people simply have to get a pass into heaven (and out of hell!), and that is all there is to being a Christian? I believe many congregational leaders wrestle on the slippery slope between mature, responsible discipleship and suggesting there is "more to do" in order to be a "Christian." Second Thessalonians seems to suggest that if one strays from the basic scriptural teachings of the given church, one is prone to being deceived by false prophecies about the "second coming" as well as by any anti-Christ figure that makes great promises but does not deliver. Glorying God is "to hold fast to the tradition you were taught" (2:15).
Luke 20:27-38
There are basically two directions to go with this lesson. First, one can pursue who the Sadducees are. They tended to be richer aristocrats who did not believe in an afterlife. They denied divine providence that maintains humans have a free choice while God also rules. God has nothing to do with good or evil. Yet they tended to be more purists regarding temple and Sabbath matters. They tended to be related to the Zadokite priestly group and were very secular and Hellenistic. They also literally interpreted "an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" laws (Exodus 21:24-27; Deuteronomy 19:21; Leviticus 24:20). Josephus reports they were always in a power struggle for the temple cult, but eventually unwillingly submitted to the Pharisees. This is the intellectual group who tries to trick Jesus.
Another direction might be a sermon on views of the afterlife, and post-mortem states (occurrences after death) might also apply to this text and elsewhere in the gospel. Luke reports the post-mortem narratives of the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31) and potentially the thief on the cross (23:43). Also in Luke, Jesus mentions the post-mortem existence of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (20:37). The Sadducees are also asking about the specifics of the Levirate marriage where a widow's brother-in-law is responsible for impregnating his deceased brother's wife (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). A case of this occurred several times, so whose wife would this woman be in the resurrection? Jesus responded that marriage and divorce are the family economy of life only in this world. Resurrection life is a marriage-free zone after death. In fact, in the afterlife we have a larger extended family that being the community of faith. "What are our views on the resurrection these days?" This might be one interesting path for this text. [Eyal Regev, "Sadducees," in New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 5 (Abingdon Press, 2009)]
Finally, another track for this text is in the very testing of Jesus and use of scripture. What we have is one school of thought on the writings of Moses, up against other ways of interpreting Moses' writings. When do we as Christians get tricked, confused, or have our biblical views taken out of context to support something other than the traditions we have been taught (2 Thessalonians 2:15)? If people try to trick and make Jesus himself stumble in the use of scripture, might this be a challenge for Christians today to be all the more vigilant. [John T. Carroll, The New Testament Library: Luke (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)]
Application
What does it mean to be the church? We are drawing to an end to the season of the church, that being Pentecost. In times when many people are attracted to the "apocalyptic" writings, not for instructions on how to remain faithful during increasingly difficult times but in hopes for an escape or "rapture" of some kind, the church tells people to "stand firm and hold fast" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). When many communities of faith might look at their budgets and ministries and wish they were back in the golden era of the "King Solomon" abundance, but are actually in survival mode and feel like the Haggai community, these texts challenge preachers to discover where God meets us, molds us, and points us to new life.
In each of the texts, a challenge for the church is present. Haggai is not the booming new church startup that has its own television show. In fact, while God is present, times will get more difficult. However, God is good for God's promises. Paul (or if one wants to argue Silvanus or a latter Pauline writer) reminds believers that hard times may not translate into the near second coming. These difficult times might be the "new normal." Luke's gospel reminds Christians that we will be tested by those who are wise in the ways of philosophical and religious writings (such as the Sadducees). However, the resurrection is real. Get used to the people we live with now in the community of faith, because they might be living right next to us in our heavenly dwelling place for eternity (John 14:1-6).
An Alternative Application
Which traditions can people live with and without? The idea of having a temple in the resettled Jerusalem seems not to be a tradition that is cherished over building a house and gaining a plot of land to farm. If a person leaves home on their life's journey away from the town and church they have been raised, which teachings do they retain? Which ones do they jettison as "irrelevant to their life's situation"? In Luke, does a long-time married couple have the option of "remaining married" in the life after the resurrection? Would a person simply be happy not being married at all as Luke 20:35 suggests? There will be no divorce courts, lawyers, or family services to enforce child custody agreements. Not only will clergy be unemployed, so will law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and court staff. Could we live with this throughout eternity?
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
Will we ever return to the "golden era" when people came to worship and filled the pews, programs could not be developed fast enough, and our church and community were the envy of other smaller groups? The exile community who returned to Israel in Haggai might well have asked such questions. They returned to a land in ruins, temple walls laying on the ground, and neighbors who really wished that these exiles who returned home would "go back where you came from!" The return home from exile was not a ticker-tape parade at all! A drought hit the land, and the people were hungry. Inflation caused food shortages and more poverty. The houses they lived in were poorly built and vulnerable to heavy downpours of rain. Since Persia still ruled the land, they had to send in taxes from their already meager earnings. So building a new temple for God and for worship was at the bottom of the priority list for people who lived in a "survivalist" mode.
The prophet Haggai was arguing that despite all of these difficult conditions, the community should build a temple to the glory of God. There are no assurances of economic prosperity. The new temple may not have the same splendor, grandeur, and majestic appearance such as the one King Solomon built in Israel's golden age. However, the temple points to a greater symbol -- it points to a God who dwells in their midst and never leaves their side. The temple can never retain all of God's full glory. The people remained as despondent as a small congregation who loses members to larger neighboring churches, as Haggai writes this prophecy. The good news of Haggai is that God is still capable of bringing any faithful people some source of new life! The city of Jerusalem can still be a light and a witness, possibly in a new and differing manner. God is full of surprises! After all, this is the same God who can reorder the universe with mere words (Genesis 1:6, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26).
The size and magnitude of the architecture of the new temple may not be as in times past. But to faithful believers who "take courage" (2:4), God is with them and willing to transform them. They can realize great expectations beyond their wildest dreams. Haggai reminds people of faith everywhere to focus on doing tasks to the glory of God, and new possibilities will eventually emerge (2:6-9). [Elizabeth Achtemeier, Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Nahum -- Malachi (John Knox Press, 1986)]
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
This text tries to clear up a misunderstanding that Jesus Christ has returned again and those who remain on earth have been left behind. Persecutions persist among the Christian community, and they wonder if they have done anything wrong. Paul works to dispel this false teaching. An interpretative lens verse to this whole text might be 2:15: "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter." For congregations that strive to preach and teach the basics of the Christian teachings in the Bible, this is welcome news.
To glorify God in this situation of misunderstanding and confusion is to remain faithful to the teachings of the community of faith, which are anchored in scripture as well as the teachings of the congregational leadership. The best insulation from being influenced by distorted or outside teaching is to be grounded in the faith tradition of this particular community. For Paul, it is about the gospel message of what Jesus has accomplished through death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:18-30). Elsewhere, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9 refers to the "lawless one." Many authors identify this as an anti-Christ or deceptive one who sounds "almost correct," but does not hold to the traditions that were taught by Paul. [James L. Mays, General Editor, "2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, the Day of the Lord," in Harper Collins Bible Commentary (Harper One, 1988)]
Second Thessalonians 2:13 is also fertile ground for exploring what the church is expected to do in terms of sanctification: "...because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth." How does a given community of faith define "sanctification"? In this season of the church, could one false teaching be that people simply have to get a pass into heaven (and out of hell!), and that is all there is to being a Christian? I believe many congregational leaders wrestle on the slippery slope between mature, responsible discipleship and suggesting there is "more to do" in order to be a "Christian." Second Thessalonians seems to suggest that if one strays from the basic scriptural teachings of the given church, one is prone to being deceived by false prophecies about the "second coming" as well as by any anti-Christ figure that makes great promises but does not deliver. Glorying God is "to hold fast to the tradition you were taught" (2:15).
Luke 20:27-38
There are basically two directions to go with this lesson. First, one can pursue who the Sadducees are. They tended to be richer aristocrats who did not believe in an afterlife. They denied divine providence that maintains humans have a free choice while God also rules. God has nothing to do with good or evil. Yet they tended to be more purists regarding temple and Sabbath matters. They tended to be related to the Zadokite priestly group and were very secular and Hellenistic. They also literally interpreted "an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" laws (Exodus 21:24-27; Deuteronomy 19:21; Leviticus 24:20). Josephus reports they were always in a power struggle for the temple cult, but eventually unwillingly submitted to the Pharisees. This is the intellectual group who tries to trick Jesus.
Another direction might be a sermon on views of the afterlife, and post-mortem states (occurrences after death) might also apply to this text and elsewhere in the gospel. Luke reports the post-mortem narratives of the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31) and potentially the thief on the cross (23:43). Also in Luke, Jesus mentions the post-mortem existence of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (20:37). The Sadducees are also asking about the specifics of the Levirate marriage where a widow's brother-in-law is responsible for impregnating his deceased brother's wife (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). A case of this occurred several times, so whose wife would this woman be in the resurrection? Jesus responded that marriage and divorce are the family economy of life only in this world. Resurrection life is a marriage-free zone after death. In fact, in the afterlife we have a larger extended family that being the community of faith. "What are our views on the resurrection these days?" This might be one interesting path for this text. [Eyal Regev, "Sadducees," in New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 5 (Abingdon Press, 2009)]
Finally, another track for this text is in the very testing of Jesus and use of scripture. What we have is one school of thought on the writings of Moses, up against other ways of interpreting Moses' writings. When do we as Christians get tricked, confused, or have our biblical views taken out of context to support something other than the traditions we have been taught (2 Thessalonians 2:15)? If people try to trick and make Jesus himself stumble in the use of scripture, might this be a challenge for Christians today to be all the more vigilant. [John T. Carroll, The New Testament Library: Luke (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)]
Application
What does it mean to be the church? We are drawing to an end to the season of the church, that being Pentecost. In times when many people are attracted to the "apocalyptic" writings, not for instructions on how to remain faithful during increasingly difficult times but in hopes for an escape or "rapture" of some kind, the church tells people to "stand firm and hold fast" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). When many communities of faith might look at their budgets and ministries and wish they were back in the golden era of the "King Solomon" abundance, but are actually in survival mode and feel like the Haggai community, these texts challenge preachers to discover where God meets us, molds us, and points us to new life.
In each of the texts, a challenge for the church is present. Haggai is not the booming new church startup that has its own television show. In fact, while God is present, times will get more difficult. However, God is good for God's promises. Paul (or if one wants to argue Silvanus or a latter Pauline writer) reminds believers that hard times may not translate into the near second coming. These difficult times might be the "new normal." Luke's gospel reminds Christians that we will be tested by those who are wise in the ways of philosophical and religious writings (such as the Sadducees). However, the resurrection is real. Get used to the people we live with now in the community of faith, because they might be living right next to us in our heavenly dwelling place for eternity (John 14:1-6).
An Alternative Application
Which traditions can people live with and without? The idea of having a temple in the resettled Jerusalem seems not to be a tradition that is cherished over building a house and gaining a plot of land to farm. If a person leaves home on their life's journey away from the town and church they have been raised, which teachings do they retain? Which ones do they jettison as "irrelevant to their life's situation"? In Luke, does a long-time married couple have the option of "remaining married" in the life after the resurrection? Would a person simply be happy not being married at all as Luke 20:35 suggests? There will be no divorce courts, lawyers, or family services to enforce child custody agreements. Not only will clergy be unemployed, so will law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and court staff. Could we live with this throughout eternity?
