The moment of truth

Texts: Lamentations 2.1-9, 2 Corinthians 1.23-2.11, Mark 12.1-11

Wednesday in Holy Week

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

With many of Jesus' parables, the meaning is so veiled that even the disciples have to ask the Lord in private for clarification (see Mark 4.10ff). But that is not the case with the parable of the tenants. Jesus' message is so crystal clear that even the religious leaders get it. In v. 12, inexplicably omitted from today's reading, Mark writes, "And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that had told the parable against them."

Even the most casually observant Jew in Jesus' day would have been familiar with the image of Israel as God's vineyard which, contrary to its purpose, had yielded wild grapes (Isaiah 5.1-7). Jesus tweaks this image just a little, but not in a manner which would have been thought unusual. The vineyard owner (God) sends servants (prophets) at harvest time to get some of the fruit. But, time after time, the servants are mistreated by the tenants; some beaten, some killed. Israel's history was laced through and through with stories of prophets who had been ignored, rejected, and even put to death for trying to call the people back to faithfulness to the God who had set them apart to be a light to the nations.

But the worst is yet to come. The vineyard owner's final attempt to get fruit from his vineyard would involve sending his own "beloved son." But the tenants, now obsessed with holding on to the vineyard for themselves, will kill the son, thinking they will rid themselves of the troublesome owner forever. They will inherit the vineyard themselves, or so they think.

The placement of this parable, coming close on the heels of Jesus' action in the Temple, is significant. It was in direct response to the cleansing of the Temple that the religious authorities began "seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching" (Mark 11.18). The parable, then, is a recounting of Israel's history of unfaithfulness from the days of the prophets right up until the day Jesus entered the Temple. The moment of truth had arrived for the religious leaders who so craved holding on to their power. Here was a man who came teaching with the kind of authority that instilled fear in their hearts. They ought, rightly, to submit to him. Instead, they choose to do away with him.

But the owner of the vineyard will still have the last word. "He will come," Jesus says, "and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others." The old order, symbolized by the Temple, will be overthrown and a new order will be ushered in; one in which Jesus himself will be the centerpiece. "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

In the end, as in the beginning, God is the owner of the vineyard. The original tenants may not have been faithful, but that will not hinder his plan. The vineyard will bear fruit under the stewardship of new tenants, a people chosen by him from the foundation of the world and redeemed by the death of his beloved Son. ". . . this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."

Lift High the Cross

Refrain

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Refrain

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Refrain

• George W. Kitchin

A resounding YES!

Texts: Lamentations 1.17-22, 2 Corinthians 1.8-22, Mark 11.27-33

Tuesday in Holy Week

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

"As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No," Paul writes to the Corinthians. "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him."

In the Old Testament, there are many questions. Psalm 88.10-12 asks:

Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you?
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

In the New Testament, there is one answer:

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1.4-5)

[Jesus said,] "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (John 5.25)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11.25a)

In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above the heavens, that he might fill all things. (Ephesians 4.9-10)

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" (Revelation 14.13).

The Psalmist asks, "Do you work wonders for the dead?" Jesus Christ, in dying and rising again, answers with a resounding, "YES!"

Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

Ask ye what great thing I know,
That delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win?
Whose the Name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

What is faith’s foundation strong?
What awakes my heart to song?
He who bore my sinful load,
Purchased for me peace with God,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is He that makes me wise
To discern where duty lies?
Who is He that makes me true
Duty, when discerned to do,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who defeats my fiercest foes?
Who consoles my saddest woes?
Who revives my fainting heart,
Healing all its hidden smart?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is life in life to me?
Who the death of death will be?
Who will place me on His right,
With the countless hosts of light?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

This is that great thing I know;
This delights and stirs me so;
Faith in Him who died to save,
Him who triumphed over the grave:
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

• Johann C. Schwedler

The brigands' den and God's true home

Texts: Lamentations 1.1-2, 6-12; 1 Corinthians 1.1-7; Mark 11.12-25

Monday in Holy Week

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

David thought it was a good idea. He wanted to build a dwelling place for God which was, at least, comparable with his own "house of cedar" (2 Samuel 7:2). After all, why should the Lord of the universe dwell in a tent while the ruler of such a small kingdom enjoyed such plush accommodations? David was embarrassed by this seeming inequity and wanted to correct it. His heart was in the right place.

But God saw things from a different perspective.

Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord said to David, "Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling" (2 Samuel 7:5-6). All those many years, God had never complained about his accommodations. By dwelling in a tent, he was able to move freely among his people. In the days of the tabernacle, the people did not have to come to God. Rather, God would come to his people. His true home was with them.

When Solomon succeeded David as king in Israel, he did build a house for God, a magnificent temple in Jerusalem which became the center of religious life for the nation. It only seemed right, for God had told David that Solomon would build the temple, hadn't he?

Well, not really.

God said to David that "the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him" (2 Samuel 7:11b-15a).

The reference to David's "offspring" encompasses far more than just Solomon, David's immediate successor. It refers to the whole "house" which the LORD promises to "make," that is, the house of David from whence will come the Messiah who will take upon himself the iniquity of all the people, endure the discipline required for it, and demonstrate through his suffering the steadfast love of God.

The true "offspring" of David, the one who will "build a house" for God's name, is Jesus. In him is embodied the not only the true character and nature of God, but also the true heart of God which yearns for fellowship with his people. From the very beginning, God's desire was to be "Emmanuel," God with us.

Yet when the temple was built, it dramatically changed the dynamic of the relationship between God and his people. Rather than God coming to the people, the people had to come to God. God's presence was no longer symbolized by a tent, free to roam about. It was instead symbolized by a huge, ornate, stone structure in the heart of Jerusalem. Now, God's presence was restricted and confined within the temple. In time, it was further restricted to the people who were most closely associated with the temple, namely the priests and other religious leaders who drew their livelihood from the religious cultus. As these elites became more and more important to the maintenance of temple life, they became enamored with, and inevitably corrupted by, its treasures. Meanwhile, the people on the outside were viewed as "outcasts" and "sinners," unworthy of the bountiful favor of God which the elites thought was theirs to do with as they pleased.

With the best of intentions, the temple had been constructed to house the presence of God and stand forever as a symbol of that presence in the midst of God's people. But, by Jesus' day, it had become a symbol of elitism and corruption, a prime target for God's wrath. Thus, when Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the money-changers, he quoted the prophets in pronouncing judgment, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

The use of the term "robbers" in most English translations obscures the true meaning behind Jesus' words. Most interpreters today will read this passage as merely a condemnation of the commercialization of sacred space. We have lost a lot in the translation.

The word translated "robbers" is better rendered "brigands." In Jesus' day, "brigands" were not robbers or thieves, at least not in the sense we think of today. They were the radical revolutionaries, the ultra-nationalists who saw their special status as the chosen people of God not as a call to be a light to the nations, but as a confirmation of their spiritual and political superiority. They did not wish to draw others in, but to drive everyone else out. In condemning the religious elites for turning the Temple into a "brigand's den," Jesus was expressing the righteous anger of God against Israel for having abandoned its true vocation, turning in on itself rather than reaching out to the world.

The Temple was the place of sacrifice. There was nothing morally or religiously suspect about the exchange of money in the Temple courts for the purchase of sacrificial animals. It was not economic injustice Jesus was decrying when he overturned the tables of the money-changers. Rather, he was bringing the whole Temple system under judgment because it was not serving its intended purpose. Indeed, the Temple could never be anything more than a vague reflection of God's ultimate intention to draw all nations into the light of his eternal kingdom. The moment Jesus entered the Temple, its days as the symbol of Israel's special relationship with God were numbered.

The fall of the Temple at the hands of the Romans, a mere forty years later, was decisive because there was an inextricable link between it and the true "house" which Jesus himself "raised up" through his death and resurrection. In his vision of New Jerusalem, John says, "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place [literally, "tabernacle"] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21:3) A few verses later, he says, "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22).

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus restored the original dynamic of God's relationship with his people. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt [literally, "tabernacled"] among us" (John 1:14a). From the very beginning, God has desired to dwell not "in houses made by hands" (Acts 7:48b), but in the midst of his people, finding in their hearts, cleansed from sin by the blood of the Lamb, his true and eternal home.

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

• Charles Wesley

A thought on Christian hope

Texts: Exodus 10.21-11.18, 2 Corinthians 4.13-18, Mark 10.46-52

Commemoration: Charles Henry Brent

Heavenly Father, whose Son prayed that we all might be one: deliver us from arrogance and prejudice, and give us wisdom and forbearance, that, following your servant Charles Henry Brent, we may be united in one family with all who confess the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ: who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture is its own best interpreter, the saying goes. An "obscure" passage may seem less obscure when interpreted in light of a more straightforward passage. Consider Paul's words in today's epistle reading, "Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, 'I believed, and so I spoke,' we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence."

Paul is here restating what he has previously said (if the scholars are correct in their historical chronology of his letters) in that all too familiar passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."

Note the striking similarity in structure. In both passages, Paul ties the Christian hope in the resurrection of the dead to the resurrection of Jesus. God raised Jesus from the dead and he will, therefore, raise those who put their faith in Jesus. There is both a continuity and a discontinuity between Jesus' resurrection and the resurrection of believers.

On the one hand, Jesus' resurrection happened at a particular moment in history. Jesus is the prototype of the redeemed humanity, the new creation, which still awaits its full and final consummation.

On the other hand, when that final consummation happens, when the dead in Christ are raised to new life, it will be the realization of that which God already accomplished when he raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus and the general resurrection of the dead will be one and the same. As the resurrection of Jesus was the ground of all Christian hope in this world, so it will be the life-giving reality which ushers in the next world.

My Hope is Built

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

• Edward Mote

Driven away by love

Text: Exodus 7.25-8.19, 2 Corinthians 3.7-18, Mark 10.17-31

Commemoration: The Annunciation

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The rich young man wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He knew all the commandments and had kept them from his youth (or so he claimed). But Jesus knew he still lacked one thing. So Jesus told him to “go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Upon hearing this, the young man “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Gaining eternal life meant losing temporal pleasure. It was a price the young man was unwilling to pay.

Many are drawn to Jesus because of his love, the love that counted not even death too great a cost to purchase the world’s redemption. Yet, in this instance, Jesus’ love turns the rich young man away. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” It was the same love that drew Jesus to the cross that compelled him to tell the young man what he was lacking in his search for eternal life. But, this time, that love did not draw the young man in. Rather, it drove him away.

What the young man lacked was not compassion for the poor. Neither did he lack a heart filled with charity for others. Rather, what he lacked was faith in Jesus to provide for all of his needs. The young man failed the test not because he wasn’t willing to give up his possessions, but because he wasn’t willing to trust Jesus. He could hear Jesus’ commandment not as a loving invitation to enter into a life-transforming relationship, but as an impossible requirement for membership in an exclusive club.

Eternal life does not come cheap for anyone. It costs us everything because it cost Jesus everything. In love, he invites us to die with him to sin and rise with him to new life in the kingdom of God. That boundless, infinite love draws in all who have faith. But it also drives away those who lack it.

What Wondrous Love is This

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

• attributed to Alexander Means

From argument to prayer

Texts: Exodus 2.23-3.15, 1 Corinthians 13.1-3, Mark 9.14-29

Commemoration: Cuthbert of Lindisfarne

Almighty God, who called Cuthbert from following the flock to be a shepherd of your people: Mercifully grant that, as he sought in dangerous and remote places those who had erred and strayed from your ways, so we may seek the indifferent and the lost, and lead them back to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus, Peter, James, and John have just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration when they encounter “a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.” The commotion seems to have been caused by a man who has brought his son to be delivered from a spirit which not only makes him mute, but also throws him into convulsions. The disciples were unable to were unable to cast this spirit out of the boy, so the man goes directly to Jesus and pleads his case.

Jesus’ response sounds almost incredulous, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

Like so many who encounter Jesus, the father seems to be of two minds concerning the Lord’s ability to help his son. His request is conditional, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus immediately throws the responsibility of faith back to the man. “If you can!” Jesus replies, “All things are possible for one who believes.”

But the boy’s father has reached the limit of his human potential for faith. So, he cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” It is very important to keep this statement in mind when considering the context of Jesus’ statement immediately preceding it. Jesus was not saying to the man that he had the power in and of himself to do all things merely by believing. Rather, he was seeking to draw out of the man precisely the confession he makes. He believes, yet his faith has limits because of a lingering spirit of unbelief which can only be dispelled by the power of God. In coming face to face with Jesus, God incarnate, the man finally realizes that, perhaps even moreso than his son, he needs deliverance from an unclean spirit.

But that is not the end of the story, nor is the boy’s subsequent deliverance. What stands out in Mark’s account is a gradual, almost subtle, transition from a natural (carnal) orientation to a spiritual orientation. When Jesus first encounters the crowd, they are arguing with some scribes. At the end of the day, when his disciples ask him why they could not cast the unclean spirit out of the boy, Jesus replies, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Thus, the circle is complete. What began as an argument was transformed and resolved by prayer, with the key transition being the man’s desperate confession, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

But “this kind” of spirit which “cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” is not a spirit which merely makes the boy mute. Rather, it is a spirit which exploits the situation of the boy and his father to sow dissension and debate in order to prevent the father from dealing with his own lack of faith in the power of God to deliver his son, and himself, from a life of agony and pain. Only when Jesus intervenes is the man able to make the confession which transforms the situation. What began as an argument ends as a prayer meeting (quite the reverse of what usually happens in many churches today).

Argument in the vain hope of driving out an unclean spirit is precisely the modus operandi of the mainline renewal establishment. But what has been the result of their endless debate with the scribes of revisionism and apostasy? They have prolonged the agony of countless faithful believers who have put their trust in them to deliver them from the clutches of an oppressive system which effectively renders their witness mute. But, worse yet, they have steadfastly refused to deal with those areas of their lives, such as trusting in the power of prayer over pursuing political power plays, where their own faith is lacking.

Out of the Depths to Thee I Cry

Out of the depths to Thee I cry,
Whose fainting footsteps trod
The paths of our humanity,
Incarnate Son of God!

Thou Man of grief, who once apart
Didst all our sorrows bear,
The trembling hand, the fainting heart
The agony, and prayer!

Is this the consecrated dower,
Thy chosen ones obtain,
To know Thy resurrection power
Through fellowship of pain?

Then, O my soul, in silence wait;
Faint not, O faltering feet;
Press onward to that blest estate,
In righteousness complete.

Let faith transcend the passing hour,
The transient pain and strife,
Upraised by an immortal power,
The power of endless life.

• Elizabeth E. Marcy

The kingdom and the cross

Texts: Exodus 1.6-22, 1 Corinthians 12.12-26, Mark 8.27-9.1

Commemoration: Cyril of Jerusalem

Strengthen, O Lord, the bishops of your Church in their special calling to be teachers and ministers of the Sacraments, so that they, like your servant Cyril of Jerusalem, may effectively instruct your people in Christian faith and practice; and that we, taught by them, may enter more fully into celebration of the Paschal mystery; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Millennial views are like bad days. Everybody has one. But no one particular view--be it premillennial, postmillennial, or amillennial--is truly adequate to explain the multi-dimensional nature of the coming eschatological kingdom of God. Jesus declared to his disciples, "there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." This statement becomes very problematic for those who are wound up in arguments over millennial views. If "the kingdom of God" is synonymous with "the Son of Man" coming "in the glory of his Father with the holy angels," why have believers been waiting some 2,000 years to see something Jesus promised would be seen by his earliest followers?

If all that is meant by "the kingdom of God" is the return of Christ in glory at the end of history, then we might have a problem here. But "the kingdom of God" is a much larger project than just its final consummation. It is connected not only with Jesus' glory, but also with his suffering. Likewise, it is seen not only in the final triumph of righteousness, but also in the ordeal of righteous suffering at the hands of the fallen world. Jesus connects his glory with his suffering and commands "anyone" who "would come after" him to "deny himself and take up his cross and follow" him. The glory of the Son of Man is inextricably connected with the suffering of the Son of Man. The kingdom of God is inextricably linked with the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' first disciples would "see the kingdom of God" in their lifetime by seeing Jesus "suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Jesus' resurrection was the inaugural event of the kingdom of God. Jesus, after his ordeal of suffering and death, was raised up in glory, vindicated as the true Christ of God, the victorious Son of Man "in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

But the resurrection was only the beginning. Jesus called his disciples to deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow him. They were to continue the work he began. They were to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God to all the nations, never being ashamed even to give their lives for their Lord. In Jesus, crucified and risen, they could "see the kingdom of God." Their mission was, and our mission is, to make others see that kingdom in lives that become an authentic imitation of the crucified and risen Savior.

Lift High the Cross

Refrain

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Refrain

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Refrain

• George W. Kitchin

Leaven of cowards

Texts: Genesis 50.15-26, 1 Corinthians 12.1-11, Mark 8.11-26

Commemoration: Patrick of Ireland

Almighty God, who in your providence chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.

The Pharisees, for all their outward expressions of self-righteous confidence, were a cowardly bunch. They were enslaved, on the one hand, by their devotion to tradition and, on the other, by their desire not to upset their delicate relationship with Rome. As such, they saw Jesus as a threat on both fronts. He was not upholding the law, at least not as they understood it; and his growing popularity among the people was, in their eyes, an imminent threat to the political status quo. Demanding a sign from him was the ultimate cop-out. Were they not blinded by their tradition, they could easily have searched the Scriptures and recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. But this, of course, would have been quite upsetting to the Romans.

The blindness of the Pharisees, however, was part of God's plan. As the story of Joesph demonstrates, God can take the most evil of human intentions and turn it to good, bringing salvation to many. But Jesus had to deal with another group of people who had been blinded by the generations of accumulated corruption enshrined in the tradition of the Pharisees and other religious and political leaders (like Herod), namely, his own disciples. He warns them to "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." In typical (blinded) fashion, the disciples hear his words in precisely the wrong way, assuming he is referring to the fact that they have forgotten to bring along bread for their journey (having already forgotten, apparently, the miraculous signs Jesus performed in feeding the five thousand and the four thousand with meager rations). Jesus, of course, has something entirely different in mind.

Concerning Jesus' enigmatic reference to "leaven" or "yeast," Bishop C. FitzSimmons Allison has written extensively.

People today rarely see the action of yeast because they buy pre-packaged bread and wine. But the disciples lived in an era when everyone was aware of the remarkable qualities of yeast for good or for ill and most of us today realize that some forms of yeast (or mold) can be dangerous and destructive. Bread or wine can be ruined if the wrong yeast is present. Those who have experienced the effects of a hurricane or a flood are familiar with the destructive character of mold, which is a type of yeast.

A friend of mine once showed me how he made wine. He had a five-gallon glass jug that contained water, sugar, grape juice, and yeast. A tube at the top of the jug ran through a stopper and into a glass of water that was bubbling with released air. I asked the purpose of the glass of water with the tube in it and he explained that it was an air lock. If the air were not released it would break the glass jug. I asked, "Why don't you just let the air out of the jug instead of using the tube and stopper?" "Without the air lock," he said, "unseen yeasts in the surrounding air would ruin the wine and make it undrinkable."

Jesus is telling us, as well as the disciples, that the air we breathe is full of malignant yeast, such as false teachings like that of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These teachings distort and spoil the good news making it inaccessible. Scripture's warning about doctrine (Eph 4:14; 1 Tim 1:3, etc.) and the church's use of creeds, confessional statements, and catechisms are the functional equivalent of the air lock. We must concede at the outset that those of us, who believe in the necessity of boundaries and limits, creeds and catechisms, and the importance of sound doctrine, must resist the temptation to give people water from the air lock to drink rather than the wine it protects. The power is not in the air lock of creeds and confessions but in the Gospel they protect. Creeds, essential as they are, did not hang on the cross for us. They are essential in pointing to, guarding, and preserving the unique love that God has given us.

We make two mistakes: first, we believe we have no need for air locks and, second, we substitute air lock water for the wine it preserves. Sound doctrine should never be devalued. Sadducees would like to substitute correct political structures for Christian doctrine and secular assumptions for the air lock. The wine is too precious and dearly bought to be confused with the contents of the air locks of creeds and doctrine, whose function is not to be a substitute for the wine but to be a guard to protect it from the heresies of contaminating yeast. [Trust in an Age of Arrogance, Wipf and Stock 2010, pp. 19-20]

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

• Cecil F. Alexander

Scandal in Corinth

Texts: Genesis 49.29-50.14, 1 Corinthians 11.17-34, Mark 8.1-10

Of all the churches with which Paul corresponded, the church in Corinth was the most contentious, the most fractious, and the least spiritually mature. As Paul notes in today’s reading, there were divisions among the Corinthian believers. Yet, even in rebuking them for separating into factions, he notes the ultimate good which comes from such divisions, saying, “for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” Earlier in his letter, Paul had noted some of the Corinthian congregation’s more grievous offenses, such as “sexual immorality . . . of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife” (5.1) and disputes between fellow believers being settled by going “to law before the unrighteous” (6.1).

But perhaps the worst scandal taking place in Corinth was the defilement of the body and blood of Christ by those who were indulging their insatiable appetite for food and drink. This appears to have been a case of economic disparity. The rich, who didn’t have to work for a living, arrived early and consumed all the bread and wine. The poor, who had to work for a living, arrived later and were thus denied the opportunity of sharing in what was supposed to be a communal meal. This, according to to Paul, undermines the meaning of the Lord’s Supper so much so that “it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.”

Yet, were it not for this sacramental scandal in Corinth, much of what the church has come to understand about the meaning of the Lord’s Supper might not have been committed to writing. For Paul uses the occasion of the Corinthians’ transgression to teach them about the meaning behind the bread and the wine, a teaching he received directly from the Lord and faithfully delivered to the congregation in Corinth. Apparently, this teaching had originally been communicated orally, but Paul reiterates it in writing here. The bread is the body, the cup is the blood of Jesus Christ. On the night our Lord was betrayed, he instituted this meal as a perpetual memory of his suffering and death. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,” Paul writes, “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

But what of the admonition to avoid eating and drinking “in an unworthy manner?” Down through the years, many well-meaning but misguided souls have denied themselves the gift of the body and blood of Christ on the grounds that they are “unworthy.” Yet, if worthiness were the criterion, no human being would be welcome at the Lord’s Table. It is not the person, but the manner in which the person partakes that is Paul’s concern here, and he has already described exactly what is meant by partaking “in an unworthy manner.” It is the manner in which one exalts oneself over others, failing to see another as a brother or sister in Christ, thinking oneself more entitled to the physical nourishment while denying another of the spiritual nourishment which is the true purpose of the sacrament.

No one is “worthy,” but that is the whole point. The eucharist is a means of grace, not a provision of law. Indeed, the false piety so often at the root of the attitude of those who deny themselves the sacrament is more akin to the same kind of self-centered arrogance exhibited by the over-indulgent Corinthians whom Paul warned were eating and drinking judgment upon themselves.

Come, Sinners to the Gospel Feast

Come, sinners, to the Gospel feast;
Let every soul be Jesus’ guest.
Ye need not one be left behind,
For God hath bid all humankind.

Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all.
Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.

Come, all ye souls by sin oppressed,
Ye restless wanderers after rest;
Ye poor, and maimed, and sick, and blind,
In Christ a hearty welcome find.

Come, and partake the Gospel feast;
Be saved from sin; in Jesus rest;
O taste the goodness of your God,
And eat His flesh, and drink His blood!

You vagrant souls, on you I call;
(O that my voice could reach you all!)
You all may now be justified,
You all may live, for Christ hath died.

My message as from God receive;
Ye all may come to Christ and live.
O let His love your hearts constrain,
Nor permit Him to die in vain.

His love is mighty to compel;
His conquering love consent to feel,
Yield to His love’s resistless power,
And fight against your God no more.

See Him set forth before your eyes,
That precious, bleeding Sacrifice!
His offered benefits embrace,
And freely now be saved by grace.

This is the time, no more delay!
This is the Lord’s accepted day.
Come thou, this moment, at His call,
And live for Him Who died for all.

• Charles Wesley

Inspiration from the Psalter

Texts: Psalms 87, 90; Genesis 47.27-48.7; 1 Corinthians 10.1-13; Mark 7.1-23

For Church Musicians and Artists

God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The morning Psalms for today are familiar, perhaps, because of the well-known hymns they inspired. John Newton, most famous for Amazing Grace, also penned Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, based on Psalm 87.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.

See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear!
For a glory and a cov’ring
Showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from our banner
Light by night and shade by day;
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which He gives them when they pray.

Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
’Tis His love His people raises,
Over self to reign as kings,
And as priests, His solemn praises
Each for a thank offering brings.

Savior, if of Zion’s city,
I through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in Thy Name.
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.

Isaac Watts was often, some might say always, inspired by the Psalms whenever he wrote hymns. One of his best known, O God Our Help in Ages Past (originally, Our God, Our Help in Ages Past), is an adaptation of Psalm 90.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

The Sabbath pattern

Texts: Genesis 46.1-7, 28-34; 1 Corinthians 9.1-5; Mark 6.30-46

If there is a message in the structure of a text, then the message of today's Gospel reading should not be missed. It begins with Jesus and his disciples withdrawing "to a desolate place" to "rest a while." It ends with Jesus withdrawing to "the mountain to pray." Between these two periods of withdrawal, there is the feeding of the five thousand with fives loaves and two fish. Most attention, naturally, is focused on that miraculous sign as well as the many other signs Jesus performs throughout Mark's Gospel. But there is a message to be heard in Mark's recurrent emphasis on Jesus withdrawing to desolate places and climbing mountains.

Mark, in fact, chronicles Jesus' entire earthly ministry along this work-rest-work-rest cycle. It is an intentional replication of the pattern of creation, punctuating Jesus' declaration concerning the Sabbath (Mark 2.27-28). The periodic time of withdrawal and rest is not incidental to Jesus' ministry. It is an integral part of it. His work is not complete without it.

In the same way, the Sabbath, as God established it, is not incidental to his work of creation. It is an integral part of it. The Sabbath hallows the work of the previous six days and makes creation whole. But, as the numerous incidents of death, disease, and suffering recounted by Mark make clear, that wholeness has been marred by the Fall. Jesus came proclaiming a Gospel of repentance, redemption, and restoration. He came to make creation whole again.

In the Cross of Christ I Glory

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

• John Bowring

Familiarity breeds contempt

Texts: Genesis 45.1-15, 1 Corinthians 7.32-40, Mark 6.1-13

Commemoration: Gregory of Nyssa

Almighty God, who have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like your bishop Gregory of Nyssa, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

What was it about the people of Nazareth that caused them to reject one of their own? Had they not paid enough attention to Jesus as he was growing up among them to realize that he was going to be someone unique in the history of Israel? Had they been too busy with their own affairs to get involved in helping prepare him for his life's mission?

The answer to these questions is a resounding no.

The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus when he returned to his hometown not because they did not know him well enough, but because they knew him all too well. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?" Wherever, whatever, and however Jesus became what he was, the people of Nazareth had nothing to do with it and wanted nothing to do with him.

"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" In our day, "son of Mary" may be a term of endearment for Jesus. But it was nothing of the sort in Jesus' own day. To be called the son of one's mother, as opposed to the son of one's father, was a term of derision. It implied an illegitimate birth, the worst form of disgrace not only for the particular individual, but also for the entire family. The people of Nazareth "took offense at" Jesus. They knew him. They knew his family. They knew his trade. Who was he to come parading back into town, with his entourage of disciples, presuming to be their teacher and prophet?

Nazareth did not want him. They knew him too well. He was a carpenter, a child of questionable parentage in a family of no particular influence. They would have preferred he never left town in the first place. If he had stayed home and made a comfortable living making doors and hinges, they would have left him well enough alone. But he had to be about his Father's business, and that meant leaving the familiar surroundings of his hometown and embarking on a journey whose ultimate destination was a dark hill called Calvary.

Much like the people of Nazareth then, we today must overcome a serious obstacle to our faith. It is not that we don't know Jesus well enough, but that we think we know him all too well. As we continue our Lenten journey, let us hear and respond to the invitation to abandon our affinity for the familiar and step out in faith with the Jesus who knows us better than we can ever know ourselves.

Searcher of Hearts, from Mine Erase

Searcher of hearts, from mine erase
All thoughts that should not be,
And in its deep recesses trace
My gratitude to Thee.

Hearer of prayer, O guide aright
Each word and deed of mine;
Life’s battle teach me how to fight,
And be the vict’ry Thine.

Giver of all—for ev’ry good
In the Redeemer came—
For raiment, shelter, and for food,
I thank Thee in His Name.

Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost,
Thou glorious Three in One,
Thou knowest best what I need most,
And let Thy will be done.

• George P. Morris

Complete restoration

Texts: Genesis 44.18-34, 1 Corinthians 7.25-31, Mark 5.21-43

Commemoration: Edward King

O God, our heavenly Father, who raised up your faithful servant Edward to be a bishop and pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Maybe I've been suffering under the effects of this nasty virus for a while myself, but I noticed something in today's Gospel reading that I had never noticed before. Much has been said about the insertion of the account of the woman with the discharge of blood in the middle of the story of Jesus and Jairus's daughter. But something in particular stood out to me as I read the passage today:

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. (vv. 25, 26)

And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. (v. 42)

The years of the woman's distress are identical with the years of the young girl's life. But the number of years, twelve, is itself covenentally significant. Earlier, Jesus had appointed twelve apostles (Mark 3.14ff). Later, after the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples gather twelve baskets full of leftovers (Mark 6.43ff). It is not particularly difficult, for anyone familiar with the history of Israel, to understand the parallel between the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel. It would also take only a little research to see the parallel between twelve baskets full of loaves and fishes and the twelve stones with which Elijah built an altar during his contest with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18.30ff). The number twelve, as employed in Mark's narrative, is intended to drive home the point that, in Jesus, the true Israel is being restored.

With the account of the woman and Jairus's daughter, a central characteristic of the restoration is brought to the forefront. It will be a restoration in the complete sense of the word. The broken and bleeding will be made whole; the dead will be raised to life; and all will be "overcome with amazement" at the wonder of God's glorious new creation.

I Stand Amazed in the Presence

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Refrain

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

Refrain

In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows
He bore for my soul that night.

Refrain

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

Refrain

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

Refrain

• Charles H. Gabriel

Under the weather

I haven't posted here in a few days because I've been under the weather with a wicked stomach virus. Hope to be back to normal later this afternoon.

Sex and the resurrection

Texts: Genesis 42.29-38, 1 Corinthians 6.12-20, Mark 4.21-34

The most radical idea with which early Christianity confronted the pagan Roman world was that of the resurrection of the body. Any number of religions taught something or other about immortality or life after death in some kind of "spirit world." But Christianity proclaimed a life to come in which one's whole being--spirit, soul, and body--would be renewed and restored as part of God's glorious new creation.

As is often the case today, the Corinthian believers had a hard time living a life consistent with what they believed. Having been immersed in a pagan culture which reveled in carnal pleasures, they were not altogether prepared to deal with the implications of belief in the resurrection of the body. They were eager to embrace the idea that Christ had paid the penalty for their sins. But they were using their newfound freedom as an excuse for continuing to indulge their carnal passions. This, says Paul, is not the way to treat a body that is to be raised immortal.

"The body is not meant for sexual immorality," Paul writes, "but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power." Indeed, it is the hope of the resurrection which lies at the heart of Paul's teaching on sexual morality. That hope is embodied in Christ. "Do you not know," Paul asks, "that your bodies are members of Christ?" Just as Christ was raised by the power of God, so all who are members of Christ will be raised. In light of this, it would be the height of foolishness to join oneself with a prostitute. What is the benefit, Paul wants to know, of continuing to indulge the flesh while grieving the Holy Spirit, of whom your body is a temple? Can such an act of desecration bring glory to God? Certainly not!

The sayings, "All things are lawful for me" and "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," were popular in Corinth in Paul's day. Apparently, they were being used by some of the Corinthians to justify their carnal indulgences. In much the same way, modern-day expressions like "I can do what I want with my own body" are used to justify the pursuit of sensual pleasure without consequences. The culture at large may live by such dangerous thinking, but for those who bear the name of Christian, Paul's words to the Corinthians still apply: "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

• Charles Wesley

A divisive parable

Texts: Genesis 42.18-28, 1 Corinthians 5.9-6.8, Mark 4.1-20

Commemoration: John and Charles Wesley

Lord God, who inspired your servants John and Charles Wesley with burning zeal for the sanctification of souls, and endowed them with eloquence in speech and song: Kindle in your Church, we entreat you, such fervor, that those whose faith has cooled may be warmed, and those who have not known Christ may turn to him and be saved; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The most enduring, and unfortunate, innovation of the Social Gospel movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the replacement of the biblical understanding of the kingdom of God with the utopian ideal of the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man. We see the continued influence of this ideal today in the so-called "Emergent" movement which has recycled and repackaged much of mainline Protestant liberalism, which standardized and institutionalized many Social Gospel innovations. Thus, the image of Jesus as a great teacher of peace and harmony among all persons remains a prominent feature of pop culture Christianity. Today's Gospel reading, however, challenges that image.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus is painting a picture of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God which brings not unity, but division--and a most uneven division at that. Some will want nothing to do with it, others will fall out as quickly as quickly as they rushed in, and still others will miss out because they are too invested in the current order of things. Only those who have "ears to hear" will come into the kingdom and prosper. In other words, only one fourth of those to whom the kingdom is proclaimed will ultimately be brought into it. This is not exactly "good news" in the popular sense of the term. But, as N.T. Wright, comparing Jesus' parables to political cartoons, explains:

Everything Jesus does creates division within the Israel of his day. The parables not only explain this, but are themselves part of the process. They work, they function, as a sharply focused version of Jesus' entire ministry. Hence the comment in the middle. Jesus is not only telling them the dream, but giving them the interpretation. He is not only sketching the cartoon, but explaining the code. But those outside, who are fascinated by the story and the picture, can't understand it.

Why not? Doesn't Jesus want everybody to get the message? Yes and no. What he is saying is such dynamite that it can't be said straightforwardly, out on the street. Any kingdom-movement was dangerous enough (if Herod, or the Roman authorities, heard about it, they'd be worried); but if word got out that Jesus' kingdom-vision was radically unlike what most people wanted and expected, the ordinary people would be furious too. It was doubly dangerous. Put the cartoon into plain prose and somebody might sue.

It's a 'mystery' (verse 11): not just a puzzle, but a divine secret which Jesus is revealing. But as with all divine revelation, you can only understand if you believe, if you trust. (Mark for Everyone, Westminster John Knox Press 2001, p. 44)

This is not the only parable of Jesus which speaks of separation and division. The trap we often fall into, trying to apply them to our own day (as opposed to understanding them, first, as they would have been understood--or misunderstood--in Jesus' day), is that we try to interpret them in terms of the kingdom's final consummation, rather than in terms of its initial inauguration. There is, of course, a deep eschatological element to the parables. But Jesus' purpose in telling them to a first century Jewish audience immersed in misguided expectations the coming of the kingdom was, precisely, to separate the true Israel--those who had "ears to hear" and put their trust in him as the long-awaited Messiah--from those, like the religious establishment, who claimed a spiritual birthright on the basis of purely natural circumstances. To that audience, Jesus' declared that the kingdom of God was already breaking forth in their midst and the time for decision was imminent. The parables themselves were part and parcel to the kingdom's breaking forth. By speaking in the language of mystery, Jesus was beginning the process of separating out the true children of the kingdom from the pretenders, a separation that continues to this day whenever the Word of God is preached and its hearers either receive or reject it.

Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?

Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer’s praise?

O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which Thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blessed with this antepast of Heaven!

And shall I slight my Father’s love?
Or basely fear His gifts to own?
Unmindful of His favors prove?
Shall I, the hallowed cross to shun,
Refuse His righteousness to impart,
By hiding it within my heart?

No! though the ancient dragon rage,
And call forth all his host to war,
Though earth’s self-righteous sons engage
Them and their god alike I dare;
Jesus, the sinner’s friend, proclaim;
Jesus, to sinners still the same.

Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves!
He spreads His arms to embrace you all;
Sinners alone His grace receives;
No need of Him the righteous have;
He came the lost to seek and save.

Come, O my guilty brethren, come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin,
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in;
He calls you now, invites you home;
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!

For you the purple current flowed
In pardons from His wounded side,
Languished for you the eternal God,
For you the Prince of glory died:
Believe, and all your sin’s forgiven;
Only believe, and yours is Heaven!

• Charles Wesley

An eternal sin?

Texts: Genesis 42.1-17, 1 Corinthians 5.1-8, Mark 3.19-35

Commemoration: Chad of Litchfield

Almighty God, whose servant Chad, for the peace of the Church, relinquished cheerfully the honors that had been thrust upon him, only to be rewarded with equal responsibility: Keep us, we pray, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, (in honor preferring one another,) that the cause of Christ may be advanced; in the name of him who washed his disciples' feet, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Jesus was healing many and driving out demons. But "the scribes who came down from Jerusalem" were not impressed, claiming, "'He is possessed by Beelzebul' and 'by the prince of demons he casts out demons.'" Not only was this claim callous, it was also perilous, placing these self-proclaimed religious know-it-alls in danger of eternal separation from God. For Jesus warns them that "all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."

But what was it which these scribes said which placed them outside the forgiveness of God? What was their "eternal sin?" Jesus said this to them, according to Mark, because "they had said, 'He has an unclean spirit.'" They had witnessed, before their very eyes, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus, bringing healing and deliverance. Yet, they attributed all this to "the prince of demons."

But is the "eternal sin" of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as simple as this? Is it merely an outward act, a careless word spoken out of ignorance or hard-heartedness? Did the scribes' real sin involve only the words of their mouths, or did it involve the attitude of their hearts? Were not their careless words merely a manifestation of a callous attitude which so clouded their perception that they could not even acknowledge, much less glorify, God even when the power of his Holy Spirit was on display right before their very eyes?

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable, "eternal sin" not because of any failure on God's part to forgive "all sins" committed by "the children of men and whatever blasphemies they utter." Rather, the one who "blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness" because such forgiveness is not desired. The merciful, forgiving, and healing God revealed in and through Jesus Christ is a total stranger to such a person, so much so that he is unable to give God all the glory, but instead gives the devil all the credit.

Originally posted 1/20/09

When O'er My Sins I Sorrow

When o’er my sins I sorrow,
Lord, I will look to Thee
And hence my comfort borrow
That Thou wast slain for me;
Yea, Lord, Thy precious blood was spilt
For me, O most unworthy,
To take away my guilt.

Oh, what a marvelous offering!
Behold, the Master spares
His servants, and their suffering
And grief for them He bears.
God stoopeth from His throne on high;
For me, His guilty creature,
He deigns as man to die.

My manifold transgression
Henceforth can harm me none
Since Jesus’ bloody Passion
For me God’s grace hath won.
His precious blood my debts hath paid;
Of hell and all its torments
I am no more afraid.

Therefore I will forever
Give glory unto Thee,
O Jesus, loving Savior,
For what Thou didst for me.
I’ll spend my breath in songs of thanks
For Thy sad cry, Thy sufferings,
Thy wrongs, Thy guiltless death.

• Justus Gesinius

Being with Jesus

Texts: Genesis 41.46-57, 1 Corinthians 4.8-21, Mark 3.7-19

Commemoration: David (Dewi) of Wales

Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

What was the first priority of the apostles? Mark writes that Jesus "appointed twelve . . . so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out demons." It is easy to say that the apostles preached the gospel and performed many signs and wonders. But it is significant to note that Jesus first appointed them "so that they might be with him." In the book of Acts, Peter and John were brought before the Council after healing a lame beggar at Solomon's portico. The members of the Council were "astonished" with the apostles' boldness in light of the fact "that they were uneducated, common men." But one characteristic of Peter and John stands out. "And they recognized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4.13).

The most subtle temptation every Christian faces is the temptation to do something for Jesus before being with Jesus. We would do well to ask ourselves, during this Lenten season of self-examination, just how much the work we do in the name of Jesus reflects the time we spend in the company of Jesus.

Abide in Thee

Abide in Thee, in that deep love of Thine,
My Jesus, Lord, Thou Lamb of God divine;
Down, closely down, as living branch with tree,
I would abide, my Lord, my Christ, in Thee.

Abide in Thee, my Savior, God, I know
How love of Thine, so vast, in me may flow:
My empty vessel running o’er with joy,
Now overflows to Thee without alloy.

Abide in Thee, nor doubt, nor self, nor sin,
Can e’er prevail with Thy blest life within;
Joined to Thyself, communing deep, my soul
Knows naught besides its motions to control.

Abide in Thee, ’tis thus alone I know
The secrets of Thy mind e’en while below;
All joy and peace, and knowledge of Thy Word,
All power and fruit, and service for the Lord.

• Joseph D. Smith