Proper 10
Devotional
Pause Before The Pulpit
Personal Reflections For Pastors On The Lectionary Readings
Mark 6:14-29
This text paints a vivid picture of the superstition and evil that existed in Jesus' day. His growing popularity was not only attracting more people, but was also getting the attention of leaders. Herod noticed the stir Jesus was creating and became interested in learning more about him, for he feared (and actually believed) that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead.
His speculation in regards to Jesus was indicative of the superstition shared by many. Some thought Jesus was Elijah, others thought he was another prophet, but many believed he was, indeed, John the Baptist. This superstition, especially in Herod's case, was fueled by a guilty conscience; for he was responsible for John's death by beheading.
This brings us to the extent of evil in that day. If one studies the family history of the Herods, you'll find that they weren't all that different from the typical cast of a modern soap opera. Imagine having a president's wife with as much pull and wickedness as that of Herodias! We may get discouraged with our leaders from time to time, and there may well be a lot more wickedness that goes on behind closed doors than we are aware of, but I'm not aware of any pastor in America whose head is in danger of rolling because he preached a sermon that angered the president's wife! We still have the freedom in this country to preach God's Word in all its truth and authority. That is something to be very thankful for.
However, there are some similarities between what Jesus faced and what the church faces today. For example, many people are still confused in regards to who Jesus is. It seems that at least once a year, one or more major new magazines, or television networks, tackle the question: "Who is Jesus?" Some of these investigative reports have been enlightening, as they usually shed some light on what various people, both in and outside the church, are thinking about Jesus. However, seldom, if ever, do they arrive at the truth of who he is. Our role is to faithfully proclaim the truth of Jesus for the sake of our people and all who will listen. When people in the church are unsure of who Jesus is, that is often an indicator that there is no consistent, clear teaching about Jesus in their church. Granted, some people sleep while we preach, but as a whole, if we are faithfully proclaiming God's Word, and if people are consistently coming to church, they should have a pretty good idea of who Jesus is. So never grow weary of proclaiming Christ, week after week, year after year. It is our most important responsibility and ought to be seen as our greatest privilege.
The other similar tension that the church faces is the increasing wickedness in our society. We have become somewhat immune and numb to much of it, for it has come gradually and tends to grow on us. What was once horrific to some Christians is now accepted by many. Standards have lowered and the degree of evil has risen. It seems, at times, like evil is prevailing and righteousness is losing.
What are we to do? We are to faithfully proclaim God's Word in regard to sin and righteousness. More and more pastors are afraid to preach on sin, for it is "offensive" to their congregations. Of course it is offensive, for no one likes to be told they are wrong. Sermons on what the Bible characterizes as sin, have been written off as "narrow-minded, out of date, and intolerant." Sin itself has been given new names, such as "mistakes, obsessive/compulsive disorders," and even "normal behavior." People justify their sinful behavior by saying, "Everybody's doing it!"
If we don't clearly and boldly proclaim God's definition of sin and what his standards for his children are, then how are people (both in and out of the church) going to have an idea of what sin is? It is a sad state of affairs when churches (pastors and parishioners alike) no longer take a stand for, nor defend, God's righteous and universal moral law.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for who you are and for clearly revealing yourself to us through your word. Help me to proclaim your truths in ways that people will come to know you and believe in you. Please forgive my sins, and forgive me for when I have excused sin in my life and in the life of others. Lord, help me to boldly preach on sin so that others might repent and follow you. Thank you. Amen.
Ephesians 1:3-14
I like to think of this text as being able to do for us spiritually and emotionally what a hot bath does for us physically and mentally. When our body aches and our mind is tired from stress, a long, hot, soaking bath seems to soothe both the body and the mind. So, too, when we feel weary from ministry and the battle against Satan; when our emotions are drained from dealing with people and their sins; a slow, soothing "bath" in this text can lift our spirits and calm the troubled heart. Let's look at some of the uplifting and calming elements in these verses.
The first thing we see is how blessed we are. I don't know that we are able to fully comprehend the extent of what Paul was trying to communicate here. We know heaven is going to be awesome and we know how we have been blessed in this life, but when it comes to fully grasping every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, we hit a wall. Perhaps Paul's statement to the Corinthians says it best: No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). How true that is!
Secondly, we see that God chose us. I'm fully aware that there are various views on what it means to be chosen, so I'll avoid wading into that debate. However, I'm sure we all agree it is an incredible truth that God wants us -- sinful, selfish, conniving little people that we are -- to be his children! That has always been his desire. God isn't like some people who may feel obligated to take in an orphaned child. No, he wants us to be with him, now and forever. What a fantastic truth this is!
Thirdly, we have redemption in Christ. This goes hand in hand with the previous point, for the only way to be a child of God is through redemption. Redemption is not dependent on our performance or ability to buy our way into heaven, but on the basis of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. So freely has he given us his grace that Paul described it as having been lavished on us. The generosity of God toward us is absolutely humbling, for we know we've done nothing to deserve it. We might illustrate it this way: Suppose a child has been especially naughty on his birthday. His parents feel there is just cause to withhold their gifts from him as punishment. However, instead of giving the child what he deserves (punishment) the parents give him what he doesn't deserve (a lavish amount of gifts). That is what God has done for us in Christ.
Fourthly, God has made known to us the mystery of his will in regards to the eternal reign of Christ. He didn't have to do this, but he did. He wants to share his kingdom with us -- now and forever. This mystery was long withheld from his people, but in the fullness of time, God revealed his mystery through Jesus.
Last of all, we have been given the promised Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future inheritance in heaven. Like all the previous points, God is the one doing the action. He blessed us. He chose us. He redeemed us. He made known to us the mystery of his will. And he has given us his Holy Spirit. Notice the significance of this, according to Paul: In him you also ... were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.
Are you currently spiritually and emotionally drained? Do you feel like "throwing in the towel"? If so, I urge you to read and re-read this text and allow the Lord to renew you spiritually and give you renewed strength emotionally.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the countless blessings that are mine, simply by faith in Jesus. Thank you for choosing me to be your child and for all the rights and privileges that come with that. Thank you for redeeming my soul from hell. Thank you for revealing to me the mystery of your will, for me and the whole world. And thank you for giving your Holy Spirit as a guarantee of all you've promised to me. Amen.
This text paints a vivid picture of the superstition and evil that existed in Jesus' day. His growing popularity was not only attracting more people, but was also getting the attention of leaders. Herod noticed the stir Jesus was creating and became interested in learning more about him, for he feared (and actually believed) that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead.
His speculation in regards to Jesus was indicative of the superstition shared by many. Some thought Jesus was Elijah, others thought he was another prophet, but many believed he was, indeed, John the Baptist. This superstition, especially in Herod's case, was fueled by a guilty conscience; for he was responsible for John's death by beheading.
This brings us to the extent of evil in that day. If one studies the family history of the Herods, you'll find that they weren't all that different from the typical cast of a modern soap opera. Imagine having a president's wife with as much pull and wickedness as that of Herodias! We may get discouraged with our leaders from time to time, and there may well be a lot more wickedness that goes on behind closed doors than we are aware of, but I'm not aware of any pastor in America whose head is in danger of rolling because he preached a sermon that angered the president's wife! We still have the freedom in this country to preach God's Word in all its truth and authority. That is something to be very thankful for.
However, there are some similarities between what Jesus faced and what the church faces today. For example, many people are still confused in regards to who Jesus is. It seems that at least once a year, one or more major new magazines, or television networks, tackle the question: "Who is Jesus?" Some of these investigative reports have been enlightening, as they usually shed some light on what various people, both in and outside the church, are thinking about Jesus. However, seldom, if ever, do they arrive at the truth of who he is. Our role is to faithfully proclaim the truth of Jesus for the sake of our people and all who will listen. When people in the church are unsure of who Jesus is, that is often an indicator that there is no consistent, clear teaching about Jesus in their church. Granted, some people sleep while we preach, but as a whole, if we are faithfully proclaiming God's Word, and if people are consistently coming to church, they should have a pretty good idea of who Jesus is. So never grow weary of proclaiming Christ, week after week, year after year. It is our most important responsibility and ought to be seen as our greatest privilege.
The other similar tension that the church faces is the increasing wickedness in our society. We have become somewhat immune and numb to much of it, for it has come gradually and tends to grow on us. What was once horrific to some Christians is now accepted by many. Standards have lowered and the degree of evil has risen. It seems, at times, like evil is prevailing and righteousness is losing.
What are we to do? We are to faithfully proclaim God's Word in regard to sin and righteousness. More and more pastors are afraid to preach on sin, for it is "offensive" to their congregations. Of course it is offensive, for no one likes to be told they are wrong. Sermons on what the Bible characterizes as sin, have been written off as "narrow-minded, out of date, and intolerant." Sin itself has been given new names, such as "mistakes, obsessive/compulsive disorders," and even "normal behavior." People justify their sinful behavior by saying, "Everybody's doing it!"
If we don't clearly and boldly proclaim God's definition of sin and what his standards for his children are, then how are people (both in and out of the church) going to have an idea of what sin is? It is a sad state of affairs when churches (pastors and parishioners alike) no longer take a stand for, nor defend, God's righteous and universal moral law.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for who you are and for clearly revealing yourself to us through your word. Help me to proclaim your truths in ways that people will come to know you and believe in you. Please forgive my sins, and forgive me for when I have excused sin in my life and in the life of others. Lord, help me to boldly preach on sin so that others might repent and follow you. Thank you. Amen.
Ephesians 1:3-14
I like to think of this text as being able to do for us spiritually and emotionally what a hot bath does for us physically and mentally. When our body aches and our mind is tired from stress, a long, hot, soaking bath seems to soothe both the body and the mind. So, too, when we feel weary from ministry and the battle against Satan; when our emotions are drained from dealing with people and their sins; a slow, soothing "bath" in this text can lift our spirits and calm the troubled heart. Let's look at some of the uplifting and calming elements in these verses.
The first thing we see is how blessed we are. I don't know that we are able to fully comprehend the extent of what Paul was trying to communicate here. We know heaven is going to be awesome and we know how we have been blessed in this life, but when it comes to fully grasping every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, we hit a wall. Perhaps Paul's statement to the Corinthians says it best: No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). How true that is!
Secondly, we see that God chose us. I'm fully aware that there are various views on what it means to be chosen, so I'll avoid wading into that debate. However, I'm sure we all agree it is an incredible truth that God wants us -- sinful, selfish, conniving little people that we are -- to be his children! That has always been his desire. God isn't like some people who may feel obligated to take in an orphaned child. No, he wants us to be with him, now and forever. What a fantastic truth this is!
Thirdly, we have redemption in Christ. This goes hand in hand with the previous point, for the only way to be a child of God is through redemption. Redemption is not dependent on our performance or ability to buy our way into heaven, but on the basis of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. So freely has he given us his grace that Paul described it as having been lavished on us. The generosity of God toward us is absolutely humbling, for we know we've done nothing to deserve it. We might illustrate it this way: Suppose a child has been especially naughty on his birthday. His parents feel there is just cause to withhold their gifts from him as punishment. However, instead of giving the child what he deserves (punishment) the parents give him what he doesn't deserve (a lavish amount of gifts). That is what God has done for us in Christ.
Fourthly, God has made known to us the mystery of his will in regards to the eternal reign of Christ. He didn't have to do this, but he did. He wants to share his kingdom with us -- now and forever. This mystery was long withheld from his people, but in the fullness of time, God revealed his mystery through Jesus.
Last of all, we have been given the promised Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future inheritance in heaven. Like all the previous points, God is the one doing the action. He blessed us. He chose us. He redeemed us. He made known to us the mystery of his will. And he has given us his Holy Spirit. Notice the significance of this, according to Paul: In him you also ... were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.
Are you currently spiritually and emotionally drained? Do you feel like "throwing in the towel"? If so, I urge you to read and re-read this text and allow the Lord to renew you spiritually and give you renewed strength emotionally.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the countless blessings that are mine, simply by faith in Jesus. Thank you for choosing me to be your child and for all the rights and privileges that come with that. Thank you for redeeming my soul from hell. Thank you for revealing to me the mystery of your will, for me and the whole world. And thank you for giving your Holy Spirit as a guarantee of all you've promised to me. Amen.
