Proper 15
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word."
-- 1 Kings 3:11-12a
It was a time of transition of leadership for Israel. David had been king for forty years. A whole generation of people had never known any other king. What would it be like to be under a new king? What would it be like for Solomon to assume the leadership of God's people? Many a church has faced the anxious time of transition of leadership when one pastor leaves and another arrives. It is especially difficult when the previous pastor has had a long pastorate. There is both the issue of continuity and of newness that confronts the new pastor. If the new pastor moves too fast to change things, people may see it as a negative judgment on the previous pastor or on them.
Yet, because each pastor has his or her own unique calling and personality, it is both impossible and ineffective to maintain things exactly as they were. If the previous pastorate was a strong one, the new person may even feel inadequate in the face of the challenge. Like Solomon, his prayer may be, "O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in" (v. 7). At the same time, such modesty may drive one to want to establish himself or herself and prove that the new pastor can be as successful as the previous pastor. Since the church will have conflicting desires and expectations for the new pastor, it is a time that requires of both of them a great deal of prayer in discerning God's purpose for the church.
Most churches and pastors feel the pressure of wanting to be successful in worldly terms of budget, reputation, and membership. These are not unlike what God recognized Solomon could have prayed for -- long life, riches, or the life of his enemies. Solomon's prayer was, "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" (v. 9). Should this not be the prayer of any pastor and any congregation as they seek to be faithful to God who has gathered them together as a "great people"?
Psalm 111
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.
-- Psalm 111:10
The fear that the psalmist referred to was less a sense of threat than a sense of awe and respect for God. This sense of awe and respect is often diluted in a society that is so concentrated on the immanence or presence of God that it neglects his transcendence or eternal nature. It is in balancing the immanence and transcendence of God that the believer comes to a full respect and awe of God. For the psalmist, this was expressed in a praise of God in the midst of the company of believers (v. 1). Praise was a rehearsal of the greatness of God as experienced in the way in which God had continued to express faithfulness to God's people. "Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them" (v. 2). Imagine the impact on a congregation who regularly rehearses how God is gracious and merciful in their lives (v. 4) and has provided food for those who fear him (v. 5). In the same way that Israel saw the greatness of God "in giving them the heritage of the nations" (v. 6), consider the effect of a congregation reading the history of their own congregation for signs of how God had shaped their heritage. It was as Israel rehearsed God's faithfulness in their past that they grew confident in their relationship with God for the future. "The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness" (vv. 7-8).
The more a congregation rehearses the presence of God in their community, the more they will develop an awe and respect for the way that God works with us. This same sense of God's presence also confronts us with the mystery of God's transcendence. Who are we that the God of the universe takes note of our lives and pays attention to our hungers? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever."
Ephesians 5:15-20
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
-- Ephesians 5:15
There is a casualness about the practice of the faith that seems to infect many contemporary Christians. When life is fairly comfortable, it is too easy for believers to see faith as just an add-on to an otherwise fairly good life. As many have pointed out, we no longer live in a society that naturally supports the practice of the faith. Not only are the many demands of life in competition for the time we might devote to the nurture of our faith in ourselves and in the lives of our children, but also time for worship itself has to compete against many other attractive activities. When nothing catastrophic occurs in our lives when we neglect the practice of our faith, we begin to treat it as one among many alternatives for how we spend our time. Then a tragedy occurs that shatters the illusion that our society is continuing to make positive progression, and we are suddenly faced with the fact that there is real evil in our world. That can be a cause for panic and despair. Paul, however, admonishes us to "make the most of the time, because the days are evil."
The word that is translated "time" is kairos. Kairos carries the connotation of a pregnant opportunity filled with potential for new life. Those moments when we are shaken out of our complacency are God-given moments for us to realize his purpose in our lives. "So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is" (v. 17). Shaky moments in our lives, or in the society around us, are precisely the time when we should gather together as a community and "... be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts ..." (vv. 18-19). Worship, above all else, refocuses our attention on the one who is able to redeem all moments and fill our lives with purpose and significance.
John 6:51-58
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day....
-- John 6:54
If many Christians partake in communion without giving deep consideration to what is taking place, this raw language confronts them with its stark reality. It was one of the accusations against the early church that they secretly participated in cannibalistic rites. If a nonbeliever overheard such language as the above quote, it is certainly understandable how one might get the wrong impression. It is also understandable how some very sincere Jews, with their almost reverent attitude about the life-giving power of blood, could be offended.
Unlike the other gospels, John did not portray Jesus as keeping the Passover before his death because, for John, Jesus was the Passover. He was the Lamb of God without blemish whose blood warned off the angel of death and provided the passage to freedom for God's people (Exodus 12:1-13). A meal was considered a very intimate activity. When people had eaten at the table together, they had a responsibility for each other. This is what made Judas' betrayal all the more heinous.
Here, John was trying to impress upon us the intimate connection between Jesus and those who participated with him at the table. "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them" (vv. 54-56). Perhaps contemporary Christians need to once again face the offense of the table so that they might experience the power of what is taking place in this event. By ingesting Christ, we are becoming one with him. By eating his body and drinking his blood, we are becoming his body.
God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word."
-- 1 Kings 3:11-12a
It was a time of transition of leadership for Israel. David had been king for forty years. A whole generation of people had never known any other king. What would it be like to be under a new king? What would it be like for Solomon to assume the leadership of God's people? Many a church has faced the anxious time of transition of leadership when one pastor leaves and another arrives. It is especially difficult when the previous pastor has had a long pastorate. There is both the issue of continuity and of newness that confronts the new pastor. If the new pastor moves too fast to change things, people may see it as a negative judgment on the previous pastor or on them.
Yet, because each pastor has his or her own unique calling and personality, it is both impossible and ineffective to maintain things exactly as they were. If the previous pastorate was a strong one, the new person may even feel inadequate in the face of the challenge. Like Solomon, his prayer may be, "O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in" (v. 7). At the same time, such modesty may drive one to want to establish himself or herself and prove that the new pastor can be as successful as the previous pastor. Since the church will have conflicting desires and expectations for the new pastor, it is a time that requires of both of them a great deal of prayer in discerning God's purpose for the church.
Most churches and pastors feel the pressure of wanting to be successful in worldly terms of budget, reputation, and membership. These are not unlike what God recognized Solomon could have prayed for -- long life, riches, or the life of his enemies. Solomon's prayer was, "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" (v. 9). Should this not be the prayer of any pastor and any congregation as they seek to be faithful to God who has gathered them together as a "great people"?
Psalm 111
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.
-- Psalm 111:10
The fear that the psalmist referred to was less a sense of threat than a sense of awe and respect for God. This sense of awe and respect is often diluted in a society that is so concentrated on the immanence or presence of God that it neglects his transcendence or eternal nature. It is in balancing the immanence and transcendence of God that the believer comes to a full respect and awe of God. For the psalmist, this was expressed in a praise of God in the midst of the company of believers (v. 1). Praise was a rehearsal of the greatness of God as experienced in the way in which God had continued to express faithfulness to God's people. "Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them" (v. 2). Imagine the impact on a congregation who regularly rehearses how God is gracious and merciful in their lives (v. 4) and has provided food for those who fear him (v. 5). In the same way that Israel saw the greatness of God "in giving them the heritage of the nations" (v. 6), consider the effect of a congregation reading the history of their own congregation for signs of how God had shaped their heritage. It was as Israel rehearsed God's faithfulness in their past that they grew confident in their relationship with God for the future. "The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness" (vv. 7-8).
The more a congregation rehearses the presence of God in their community, the more they will develop an awe and respect for the way that God works with us. This same sense of God's presence also confronts us with the mystery of God's transcendence. Who are we that the God of the universe takes note of our lives and pays attention to our hungers? "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever."
Ephesians 5:15-20
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
-- Ephesians 5:15
There is a casualness about the practice of the faith that seems to infect many contemporary Christians. When life is fairly comfortable, it is too easy for believers to see faith as just an add-on to an otherwise fairly good life. As many have pointed out, we no longer live in a society that naturally supports the practice of the faith. Not only are the many demands of life in competition for the time we might devote to the nurture of our faith in ourselves and in the lives of our children, but also time for worship itself has to compete against many other attractive activities. When nothing catastrophic occurs in our lives when we neglect the practice of our faith, we begin to treat it as one among many alternatives for how we spend our time. Then a tragedy occurs that shatters the illusion that our society is continuing to make positive progression, and we are suddenly faced with the fact that there is real evil in our world. That can be a cause for panic and despair. Paul, however, admonishes us to "make the most of the time, because the days are evil."
The word that is translated "time" is kairos. Kairos carries the connotation of a pregnant opportunity filled with potential for new life. Those moments when we are shaken out of our complacency are God-given moments for us to realize his purpose in our lives. "So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is" (v. 17). Shaky moments in our lives, or in the society around us, are precisely the time when we should gather together as a community and "... be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts ..." (vv. 18-19). Worship, above all else, refocuses our attention on the one who is able to redeem all moments and fill our lives with purpose and significance.
John 6:51-58
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day....
-- John 6:54
If many Christians partake in communion without giving deep consideration to what is taking place, this raw language confronts them with its stark reality. It was one of the accusations against the early church that they secretly participated in cannibalistic rites. If a nonbeliever overheard such language as the above quote, it is certainly understandable how one might get the wrong impression. It is also understandable how some very sincere Jews, with their almost reverent attitude about the life-giving power of blood, could be offended.
Unlike the other gospels, John did not portray Jesus as keeping the Passover before his death because, for John, Jesus was the Passover. He was the Lamb of God without blemish whose blood warned off the angel of death and provided the passage to freedom for God's people (Exodus 12:1-13). A meal was considered a very intimate activity. When people had eaten at the table together, they had a responsibility for each other. This is what made Judas' betrayal all the more heinous.
Here, John was trying to impress upon us the intimate connection between Jesus and those who participated with him at the table. "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them" (vv. 54-56). Perhaps contemporary Christians need to once again face the offense of the table so that they might experience the power of what is taking place in this event. By ingesting Christ, we are becoming one with him. By eating his body and drinking his blood, we are becoming his body.
