chafing against the rules

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,

Today's reading is also our main sermon text for worship tomorrow. It's a favorite for me because Paul gets at the heart of our religious rules (other rules too, for that matter). We often feel trapped by rules or feel like we don't need them because we know what its right. That instinct is correct: we don't need rules when we really follow our best self. The trouble is a lot of the time we know what's right but we have a hard time doing it. The rules are their to remind us when we aren't being our best self. They aren't to trap us, but to guide us, to discourage us from leaving the path that our best self wants to follow. 

blessings on your walk today,

Sam

Romans 7:14-25

¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. ¹⁵I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

²⁰Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. ²¹So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. ²²For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, ²³but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

tradition and change

Good morning friends,
In our reading for today Paul finally makes it to Jerusalem. When he meets with James and the other leaders of the church there they discuss the rumor among Jewish Christians that Paul rejects the law. Paul does often talk about how the law isn't the source of salvation, but he doesn't reject the law for Jews, only for gentile Christians. So the leaders plan to have Paul publicly observe a Jewish vow of piety to show that he hasn't turned away from the law. We'll see how the plan plays out.

In the church today we have some similar challenges. We need to be open to change to engage the world in new ways. At the same time we need to respect the traditions of the church and those who have been faithful to God through the church in the past.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 21:17-26

17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly. ¹⁸The next day Paul went with us to visit James; and all the elders were present. ¹⁹After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰When they heard it, they praised God.

Then they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law. ²¹They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. ²²What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

²³So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. ²⁴Join these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. ²⁵But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgement that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.’

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.

honest assessment

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's reading Paul continues his thoughts on how God calls us to obedience. Gentiles don't have the Law of Moses, but elements of God's law are written in their heart. Regardless of our background or faith, we know what is right and what is wrong most of the time. At the end of history when all secrets are revealed we will stand before God. Are we living up to our calling to be the best we can be? The good news of God's love in Christ is that there is mercy, but we always need to hear that call to examine ourselves, repent and strive to do better.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 2:12-16

12 All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. ¹⁵They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them ¹⁶on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

following even if we don't know where we're going

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we read about Peter's vision of a sheet full of animals lowered from heaven and a voice telling him to kill and eat. Peter is shocked because many of the animals are off limits for Jews, but a voice from heaven tells Peter that we should never call something unclean if God made it clean. As soon as the vision is over, men sent by Cornelius appear at the door and the voice tells Peter to go with them. We see where the story goes from there.

I love that throughout the story people really listen, even if they have no idea what is happening. Peter sets off on a two day journey because God told him to go. Cornelius has assembled all his friends and family to hear a message, even though he doesn't know what the message is or even if Peter will show up. God is full of surprises, and I am so grateful for that. I pray that I would listen to God's voice too.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 10:21-33

²¹So Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” ²²They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” ²³So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. ²⁶But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” ²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; ²⁸and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. ²⁹So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. ³¹He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. ³²Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ ³³Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”

what to eat

Good afternoon friends,
We don't think much about clean and unclean foods in the church, but for our Jewish forebears these rules were, and still are, a big deal. The church began as a movement within Judaism, so food and who was part of the community were a big part of what the church needed to navigate as the gospel spread. For Jews in the first century, their faithfulness to God's law was what helped them maintain their identity despite Roman occupation. So, here are some of the basic rules of what observant Jews could and couldn't eat.

God bless,
Sam

Leviticus 11:1-8. 13-18, 45-47

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: ²Speak to the people of Israel, saying: From among all the land animals, these are the creatures that you may eat. ³Any animal that has divided hoofs and is cleft-footed and chews the cud—such you may eat. ⁴But among those that chew the cud or have divided hoofs, you shall not eat the following: the camel, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. ⁵The rock badger, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. ⁶The hare, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. ⁷The pig, for even though it has divided hoofs and is cleft-footed, it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. ⁸Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean for you…

¹³These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, ¹⁴the buzzard, the kite of any kind; ¹⁵every raven of any kind; ¹⁶the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; ¹⁷the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, ¹⁸the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, ¹⁹the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat…

⁴⁵For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy. ⁴⁶This is the law pertaining to land animal and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms upon the earth, ⁴⁷to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.

call to repent

Good afternoon friends,
In today's reading Stephen moves to make his point: Israel's resistance to God is nothing new. He's already talked about resistance to Moses in Egypt and in the wilderness. He's also talked about God's constant presence with the people of Israel through commandments, prophets and a house of worship. He starts this passage by remembering the construction of the temple.

This is an important part of his case because the leaders have accused him of speaking against the law and the temple. He responds by going back to what the Bible says when the first temple was built: God doesn't live in temples. God commanded the tent of meeting to be build for worship, but God has never been confined there. When we choose a place to worship and a way to listen to God, that strengthens our faith, but we should never imagine that God is limited by how or where we worship. God's closeness to Israel and to the church is a gift, but it's a gift that challenges us to greater faithfulness, not one that gives us special privilege. Our closeness means we need to listen more closely when God calls us to repent. Stephen claims that the leaders have used their closeness to God to close their ears, first to prophets and then to Jesus. That's a call to repentance that we need to hear today too. God is still speaking; are we still listening?

God bless,
Sam

Acts 7:47-53

⁴⁷But it was Solomon who built a house for him. ⁴⁸Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, ⁴⁹‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? ⁵⁰Did not my hand make all these things?’

⁵¹”You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. ⁵³You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

healing on the Sabbath

Good morning sisters and brothers,
One of the ways women often appear in the New Testament is as people Jesus heals. In this story, Jesus takes the initiative, by noticing the need for healing and performing the miracle. The religious leaders get upset because Jesus heals on the Sabbath, but Jesus explains that the Sabbath is a day for untying burdens so all can rest. The passage asks us when we have used tradition or religious teaching to limit people or ourselves in unhealthy ways. Faithfulness isn't about blindly following rules, but about looking for God's intention and following that. It's not as simple as following a checklist, but it is the better way Christ calls us to. Most of all, the rule of love for God and love for others leads us in the right direction. At the same time, notice that Jesus doesn't say we shouldn't follow the Sabbath commandment, only that we need to understand it more fully.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 13:10-17

¹⁰Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 

¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

true religion

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm grateful this morning for you. Laurelton is a congregation with many gifts, especially kindness and openness to the new things God is doing. I hope today is a day of reflection, gratitude and joy for you with friends or family. James reminds his readers that all good gifts come from God, so it's always right to give thanks.



He also reminds us that faith is about not only knowing the right thing, but also doing it. The true mark of religion is whether we live our beliefs, especially whether we take care of those who are vulnerable. When we act on our faith, we grow into the people God calls us to be.

God bless,
Sam

James 1:13-27

¹³No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; ¹⁵then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. ¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved. ¹⁷Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

¹⁹You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. ²²But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.

²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. ²⁶If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

finding the law

Good afternoon friends,
I hope you're enjoying this beautiful holiday weekend. Our reading doesn't go with it, but it's worth remembering that Labor Day is a reminder of the hard work of generations who built this country and of those who struggled to win workers the right to safe working conditions. The struggle for justice is always a matter of faith.

The last few days we've been reading about Hezekiah, one of the good Kings of Judah. He was followed by Mannaseh and Uzzah, two bad kings, and then by the hero of today's story, Josiah. It gives us some indication of the spiritual state of Judah that the chief priest can "find" the "Book of the Law." Scholars believe this book may have been an early version of what we now know as Deuteronomy. As soon as Josiah hears the law read, he realizes the kingdom is in big trouble because they have fallen so far from God's calling. He begins exactly how we should always begin when we realize we're living in opposition to God: he repents.

Blessings on your repentance, reflection and recreation,
Sam

2 Kings 22:1-13

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ²He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

³In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, ⁴“Go up to the high priest Hilkiah, and have him count the entire sum of the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people; ⁵let it be given into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the house of the Lord; let them give it to the workers who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house, ⁶that is, to the carpenters, to the builders, to the masons; and let them use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the house. ⁷But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

⁸The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it. ⁹Then Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers who have oversight of the house of the Lord.” ¹⁰Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” Shaphan then read it aloud to the king.

¹¹When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. ¹²Then the king commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah, saying, ¹³“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

laws

Good evening/morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading is a short sample of some laws God gave the people of Israel. Notice how the law protects the borrower more than the lender, because the borrower would probably be more vulnerable than his wealthier neighbor. The threat is that God takes the side of the weak and blesses those who treat them fairly. That's a good reminder for us in this time of ever growing wealth disparity. Who do our laws protect?

God bless,
Sam

Deuteronomy 24:5-13

⁵When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any related duty. He shall be free at home one year, to be happy with the wife whom he has married. ⁶No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. ⁷If someone is caught kidnaping another Israelite, enslaving or selling the Israelite, then that kidnaper shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

⁸Guard against an outbreak of a leprous skin disease by being very careful; you shall carefully observe whatever the levitical priests instruct you, just as I have commanded them. ⁹Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of Egypt.

¹⁰When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. ¹¹You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. ¹²If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. ¹³You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God.

kings and control

Good morning friends,
After God freed Israel from slavery God led them in the wilderness to shape them into the holy people God called them to be. A big part of that shaping was the Law, and Deuteronomy is a review of story and law as Moses finishes preparing Israel to enter the Promised Land. In this section, Moses talks about the rules for having a king. As we continue the story we'll see that the concerns expressed in this part of the law are well founded. Humans are addicted to power, so we need to approach any power with great caution.

God bless,
Sam

Deuteronomy 17:14-20

¹⁴When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,” ¹⁵you may indeed set over you a king whom the Lord your God will choose. One of your own community you may set as king over you; you are not permitted to put a foreigner over you, who is not of your own community.

¹⁶Even so, he must not acquire many horses for himself, or return the people to Egypt in order to acquire more horses, since the Lord has said to you, “You must never return that way again.” ¹⁷And he must not acquire many wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; also silver and gold he must not acquire in great quantity for himself.

¹⁸When he has taken the throne of his kingdom, he shall have a copy of this law written for him in the presence of the levitical priests. ¹⁹It shall remain with him and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, ²⁰neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel.

nailed to the cross

Good afternoon friends,
There are two steps to understand today's reading. The first is that through faith in Christ we become part of him. In baptism we're joined in his death and burial and then in his resurrection. The second part is that through the cross, Jesus sets fulfills and sets aside the record of our sins that stands against us. In other words, the sins we've committed before are nailed to the cross and defeated. The power of hatred, sin and domination are also defeated at the cross. So joined to Christ our sin is overcome, our fear and striving are defeated, and we are set free for new life.

God bless,
Sam

Colossians 2:8-15

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. ⁹For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. ¹¹In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; ¹²when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

¹³And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, ¹⁴erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

liberty and law

Good morning sisters and brothers,
We often think of commandments as the opposite of freedom. Our reading has a different view: God's law teaches us true freedom. When we follow God's guidance for a just society and a faithful life we become free from the tyranny of greed, idolatry, oppression and fear. It's not the freedom of doing whatever we feel like, but the deeper, truer freedom of being who we are meant to be. When we take things a step further through the gospel of Jesus, we become free from the religious requirements of the law in the perfect freedom of submission to Christ's calling. It's harder than following a simple list of rules, but true freedom comes from following God.

Blessings,
Sam

Psalm 119:41-50

Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.

⁴²Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in your word.

⁴³Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your ordinances.

⁴⁴I will keep your law continually, forever and ever.

⁴⁵I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts.

⁴⁶I will also speak of your decrees before kings, and shall not be put to shame;

⁴⁷I find my delight in your commandments, because I love them.

⁴⁸I revere your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.

big picture and small details

Blessed All Saints Day,
Today we remember those who have gone before us into God's heavenly kingdom. We consider their lives as examples for our own. We also look at Jesus' criticism of the religious leaders. As usual, he's not pulling any punches. I particularly like the image of straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel. I guess some of the Pharisees drank through a cloth to avoid accidentally swallowing a gnat, since they were religiously unclean animals. Jesus accuses them of taking lots of caution against small kinds of impurity but forgetting the big picture, which is that God wants justice and love first of all.
Blessings on your discipleship today,
Sam

Matthew 23:23-33

²³“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. ²⁴You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

²⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. ²⁷“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. ²⁸So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, ³⁰and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. ³³You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?

the covenant sealed

Good morning sisters and brothers,
As this section of legal material fleshing out the Ten Commandments comes to a close, Moses and the leaders of Israel ratify a covenant with God that includes these laws. Covenants in that time were sealed with sacrifices and here both the people and the altar that symbolized the covenant with God were splashed with blood. As we remember each month at Christ's communion table, the new covenant based on God's grace in Jesus is sealed in his blood. We are still a people of covenant, tied to God by love and calling.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 24:1-8

Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. 2Moses alone shall come near the Lord; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.



He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. 7Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, “See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

court conduct

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's legal guidance talks a lot about court issues and the responsibilities of witnesses. The basic idea is that honesty in legal disputes is critical, and witnessing falsely is a terrible crime. Elsewhere in the Law it says that if someone bears false witness against another person, they should received the same penalty the accused faced for the crime in question. Our reading warns against following the majority in doing the wrong thing. We are each responsible for our behavior and speech, no matter who else is going down the wrong path.

While Christians are not bound to follow the Old Testament law, the law does shed light on what God values, especially as a society. May we always have open hearts and ears for our neighbors.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 23:1-9

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. 2You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; 3nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit. 4When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. 5When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free. 6You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. 7Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty. 8You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 9You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

confidence in the flesh

Good morning brother and sisters,
As is often the case in Paul's letters, one of the risks he warns the Philippians about is the faction of the early church often called the "circumcision party." One of the most important early conflicts in the church was whether gentiles converting to Christianity had to first become fully Jewish and obey the Law of Moses. At its council in Jerusalem the church decided that this was not necessary, but it seems that some leaders in the church continued to insist on circumcision and Jewish tradition.

Paul writes here that these people are "dogs" and "mutilators of the flesh." He backs up his rejection of this teaching by reminding them that he has followed every kind of Jewish religious obligation, but in Christ has come to see that this is not what counts. He makes the point this way to prevent people from arguing that he rejects circumcision out of ignorance or a desire to be lax. The point for Paul is Christ, everything else comes second.

God bless,
Sam

Philippians 3:1-8

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard. 2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— 4even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.


If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

marriage and divorce

Good morning brothers and sisters,
This morning's reading is sort of cool for the small group reading the Bible together, because we just read the passages Jesus is quoting (Genesis 1 and 2). The religious leaders ask Jesus if one can divorce his wife for any reason (at that time a man could divorce his wife but not the other way around). Apparently there was debate among experts in the Law about whether one could divorce his wife for any reason (one scholar suggested burning dinner was enough of a reason) or if some specific threshold had to be met.

Jesus, as usual, turns the question upside down. He talks not about rules and regulations, but the purpose of marriage. The point of marriage is for two people to join their lives together permanently and share the whole journey. The rules governing divorce came because make a mess of things (especially relationships). We've changed in our thinking as a church, recognizing that there are times when a relationship hurts rather than builds us up. Jesus is uncompromising and even suggests in private to his disciples that for those who have the gift of staying single, that may be a blessing in their spiritual lives (Paul says the same thing). As a church (nationally) we have compromised on this, and that can be a good thing. The important thing is to remember that the point of marriage is lifelong commitment, but like the law of Moses recognizes, when that commitment can't work a legal divorce that protects both parties is better than putting the first spouse aside at will.

Even though Jesus seems harsh here, we also know that he welcomes everyone. Even if our marriages and other parts of our lives haven't gone according to plan, God will always give us a fresh start. God's purposes can be hard to work out in our lives, but Jesus example in going back to the root of things instead of the rules is a helpful guide.
blessings,
Sam

Matthew 19:1-15

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there. 3Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” 4He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” 8He said to them, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.”

10His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

13Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

marriage and struggle

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our Old Testament reading takes us back to the book of Genesis and tells the story of how Abraham's son Isaac got married to continue the family line. Our passage from Romans is a favorite of mine because I can identify with Paul's struggle. We often know what God wants from us, but we have a hard time doing it. Fortunately, we are not on our own.

Blessings,
Sam

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

34So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’



42“I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! 43I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also” — let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’

45“Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.”



58And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” 59So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“May you, our sister, become
thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
of the gates of their foes.”

61Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. 63Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. 64And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, 65and said to the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.



*Sunday

Romans 7:15-25a

15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.



21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

law and sin

Good morning (or evening) sisters and brothers,
Paul has been talking about how the law used to bind us but now we are free in Christ. Today he anticipates a question: "Is the Law sin?" He firmly says it is not. In fact he recognizes God's law as holy and good. At the same time he also recognizes that the power of sin uses the law (like it uses most good things) to tempt us and capture us. The example he uses is coveting. He says he wouldn't even know what coveting was if it wasn't against the law. Once the law tells him that, sin leads him to desire all kinds of things that belong to others. Maybe you've had the same experience with kids: you tell them not to do something and it makes them want to do it so much more. The problem isn't that your rule is bad, but part of us wants to do things just because they are off limits. Of course the freedom we have in Christ can tempt us too, but that's a discussion for another day.
God bless,
Sam

Romans 7:7-14

7What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8But sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived 10and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 13Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

14For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.