Proper 22
Devotional
Pause Before The Pulpit
Personal Reflections For Pastors On The Lectionary Readings
Mark 10:2-16
This text addresses two critical issues in the church, the first being the difficult issue of divorce and the other being the exciting issue of blessing our children!
With the divorce rate reaching epidemic proportions, both in and out of the church, how does one preach on this text? I have become convinced that we won't slow the divorce rate by preaching on the sin of divorce. Nor will people avoid remarriage by being told that Jesus calls it adultery. I believe the only possibility of turning this thing around (as painfully slow as this approach is) lies in us doing a better job of educating the church on what a strong, godly marriage consists of.
To begin with, I think the fault for the decline in respect for the God-ordained institution of marriage lies largely with men. Fathers and husbands, since earliest times, have failed to follow God's plans and have neglected their God-given responsibilities. Many men have done this willfully. Countless others didn't even know there existed divine plans and responsibilities that they were to follow. They just took a shot in the dark and if they got it right, they were lucky; if they got it wrong, there was pain.
Jesus touched on the problem in general when he said: Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. He was referring to the certificate of divorce that Moses permitted men to give their wives. Notice again what the root of the problem was; hardness of heart. This problem rose primarily in the men. If we study the history of Israel during the days of Moses, we will find that the men failed miserably.
The same holds true today. Behind every divorce is a hardened heart. I say that from experience, as I have given spiritual care to many couples who were on the verge of divorce. Those who didn't end their marriage were those where the man took up the humble, servant-like role of spiritual leader in his home. Those that ended in divorce were those who continued to harden their hearts. In some cases the husband's heart was hardened toward the will of God for him and his marriage. In other cases the wife's heart was hardened because of her husband's sin or her father's sin. She then added to that her own sin, which made her heart harder. This may be an over-simplified solution, but I believe it is biblical: If there were no hard hearts, there would be no divorce.
So how do we soften hard hearts? We give people law and grace. If they respond positively to that, their hearts will soften and so will their attitudes toward each other and their marriage. The key to this is the cross, and no one lays this out better than the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33. I urge all pastors to get a good grasp on this text. Get your men to read it, study it, and allow the Lord to apply it to their hearts and marriages. God can, through his word of law and grace, greatly reduce the divorce rate, especially in the church.
In closing, I want to touch on the exciting issue of blessing our children. What a breath of fresh air they are after talking about divorce! Jesus loved the children and saw in them the greatest faith that exists. In fact, he said: whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. What a powerful, revolutionary statement that was! The "wisdom" and "maturity" of adults is nothing compared to the faith of a child. But those adults who receive the kingdom of God with the same uncomplicated faith of a child, will receive much more than salvation. They will enjoy all of God's blessings, including stronger relationships and better marriages.
Thank God for our children. May we love them sincerely and make sure they feel welcome and highly valued in our church. The future of the church rests, not in hard-hearted adults, but in the faith and innocence of children.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for our children. May we learn from their faith and innocence how to relate to you. Please soften any hardness that exists in my heart. Give me wisdom and boldness to teach your principles for lasting and loving marriage relationships. Thank you. Amen.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Of the many good truths contained in this text, I want us to focus primarily on that of God's providential care for his creation.
The author immediately introduces us to Christ, for the primary purpose of the letter seems to be that of helping the Hebrew Christians get a better grasp of how Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system. In doing so, he first introduced Christ as a Son. He is God's Son whom God appointed heir of all things. Christ is so much more than a mere man. He is the Son of God who is over all things. Therefore he is in the highest place of authority over all God's creation.
Speaking of creation, the author also identified Christ as the one who created the worlds. He is not the first Bible author to point out this truth about Christ. John, at the beginning of his gospel wrote this: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being (John 1:1-3a).
The Apostle Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Colossians: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-17).
Christ is, indeed, so much more than a mere man. He is the Son of God who not only created everything, but he continues to sustain it. How does he do this? Our text tells us that he sustains all things by his powerful word.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of Darwin's theory of evolution is that many people (at least those who whole-heartedly embrace this theory as the explanation for the origin of all that exists) have lost sight of God's purpose and meaning for their existence. When we remove God and his Son from the equation of our origin we immediately lose all sense of purpose, for our lives seem pointless. Gradually, the origin of sin and the need for the cross become blurred, for they don't fit with the theory of chance. When we allow science to determine our purpose and meaning, these important truths get lost in theories, equations, and billions of years. But when we allow God's word to reveal to us our purpose and meaning, it all begins to make sense and gives us something to live for!
It was for this reason that God had this author, and the others I quoted earlier, clearly explain to us who was overseeing things from the beginning. It was God, working together with his Son. They had a plan and design for the whole universe long before it ever came into existence. They had a plan and design for each and every one of us, as well, long before we were born.
Our text tells us that God, in planning out our salvation, brought all things into existence for himself. Since we were made by him, and for him, then it is safe to say that he will provide for us as well. When we attempt to harmonize Darwin's atheistic theory of origin with God's word, we face the difficult task of trying to figure out when and where God became involved with humanity and why or how he cares for it. But if we will believe what the Bible says, that God and his Son were in the beginning with an eternal plan already in place, then that gives us, not only purpose and meaning for this life and all eternity, but also great assurance that he is indeed caring for us and providing for our every need.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for making me and having a plan for my life long before I was even conceived. Thank you that you provide for me, because you are personally interested in me. Thank you for making me for your enjoyment. Help me to obediently live out your purposes for me and to have faith to believe what your word teaches us in regards to the origin of all things. Amen.
This text addresses two critical issues in the church, the first being the difficult issue of divorce and the other being the exciting issue of blessing our children!
With the divorce rate reaching epidemic proportions, both in and out of the church, how does one preach on this text? I have become convinced that we won't slow the divorce rate by preaching on the sin of divorce. Nor will people avoid remarriage by being told that Jesus calls it adultery. I believe the only possibility of turning this thing around (as painfully slow as this approach is) lies in us doing a better job of educating the church on what a strong, godly marriage consists of.
To begin with, I think the fault for the decline in respect for the God-ordained institution of marriage lies largely with men. Fathers and husbands, since earliest times, have failed to follow God's plans and have neglected their God-given responsibilities. Many men have done this willfully. Countless others didn't even know there existed divine plans and responsibilities that they were to follow. They just took a shot in the dark and if they got it right, they were lucky; if they got it wrong, there was pain.
Jesus touched on the problem in general when he said: Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. He was referring to the certificate of divorce that Moses permitted men to give their wives. Notice again what the root of the problem was; hardness of heart. This problem rose primarily in the men. If we study the history of Israel during the days of Moses, we will find that the men failed miserably.
The same holds true today. Behind every divorce is a hardened heart. I say that from experience, as I have given spiritual care to many couples who were on the verge of divorce. Those who didn't end their marriage were those where the man took up the humble, servant-like role of spiritual leader in his home. Those that ended in divorce were those who continued to harden their hearts. In some cases the husband's heart was hardened toward the will of God for him and his marriage. In other cases the wife's heart was hardened because of her husband's sin or her father's sin. She then added to that her own sin, which made her heart harder. This may be an over-simplified solution, but I believe it is biblical: If there were no hard hearts, there would be no divorce.
So how do we soften hard hearts? We give people law and grace. If they respond positively to that, their hearts will soften and so will their attitudes toward each other and their marriage. The key to this is the cross, and no one lays this out better than the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33. I urge all pastors to get a good grasp on this text. Get your men to read it, study it, and allow the Lord to apply it to their hearts and marriages. God can, through his word of law and grace, greatly reduce the divorce rate, especially in the church.
In closing, I want to touch on the exciting issue of blessing our children. What a breath of fresh air they are after talking about divorce! Jesus loved the children and saw in them the greatest faith that exists. In fact, he said: whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. What a powerful, revolutionary statement that was! The "wisdom" and "maturity" of adults is nothing compared to the faith of a child. But those adults who receive the kingdom of God with the same uncomplicated faith of a child, will receive much more than salvation. They will enjoy all of God's blessings, including stronger relationships and better marriages.
Thank God for our children. May we love them sincerely and make sure they feel welcome and highly valued in our church. The future of the church rests, not in hard-hearted adults, but in the faith and innocence of children.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for our children. May we learn from their faith and innocence how to relate to you. Please soften any hardness that exists in my heart. Give me wisdom and boldness to teach your principles for lasting and loving marriage relationships. Thank you. Amen.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Of the many good truths contained in this text, I want us to focus primarily on that of God's providential care for his creation.
The author immediately introduces us to Christ, for the primary purpose of the letter seems to be that of helping the Hebrew Christians get a better grasp of how Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system. In doing so, he first introduced Christ as a Son. He is God's Son whom God appointed heir of all things. Christ is so much more than a mere man. He is the Son of God who is over all things. Therefore he is in the highest place of authority over all God's creation.
Speaking of creation, the author also identified Christ as the one who created the worlds. He is not the first Bible author to point out this truth about Christ. John, at the beginning of his gospel wrote this: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being (John 1:1-3a).
The Apostle Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Colossians: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-17).
Christ is, indeed, so much more than a mere man. He is the Son of God who not only created everything, but he continues to sustain it. How does he do this? Our text tells us that he sustains all things by his powerful word.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of Darwin's theory of evolution is that many people (at least those who whole-heartedly embrace this theory as the explanation for the origin of all that exists) have lost sight of God's purpose and meaning for their existence. When we remove God and his Son from the equation of our origin we immediately lose all sense of purpose, for our lives seem pointless. Gradually, the origin of sin and the need for the cross become blurred, for they don't fit with the theory of chance. When we allow science to determine our purpose and meaning, these important truths get lost in theories, equations, and billions of years. But when we allow God's word to reveal to us our purpose and meaning, it all begins to make sense and gives us something to live for!
It was for this reason that God had this author, and the others I quoted earlier, clearly explain to us who was overseeing things from the beginning. It was God, working together with his Son. They had a plan and design for the whole universe long before it ever came into existence. They had a plan and design for each and every one of us, as well, long before we were born.
Our text tells us that God, in planning out our salvation, brought all things into existence for himself. Since we were made by him, and for him, then it is safe to say that he will provide for us as well. When we attempt to harmonize Darwin's atheistic theory of origin with God's word, we face the difficult task of trying to figure out when and where God became involved with humanity and why or how he cares for it. But if we will believe what the Bible says, that God and his Son were in the beginning with an eternal plan already in place, then that gives us, not only purpose and meaning for this life and all eternity, but also great assurance that he is indeed caring for us and providing for our every need.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for making me and having a plan for my life long before I was even conceived. Thank you that you provide for me, because you are personally interested in me. Thank you for making me for your enjoyment. Help me to obediently live out your purposes for me and to have faith to believe what your word teaches us in regards to the origin of all things. Amen.
