A Good Thump at Thanksgiving

You never know what a day will hold. Certainly I didn’t this morning when I was digging out from our first good Northwoods storm, and THUMP!

Plans change, you know. And we have yet to see how that big red pine sitting on our roof will change the weekend. It’s a great story, in progress, and I’ll have to tell you how it works out.

But, for the moment, we want to think—a little more briefly than usual—about where we’re headed this Sunday at Woodland. It’s the first Sunday of Advent. My favorite time of year! This year we’ll be considering the astounding idea of GOD WITH US. We’re building toward Matthew 1.22-23 which we’ll read on Christmas Eve. In those verses we read: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 

But why is GOD WITH US such a big deal?

God with God (John 1.1-5; 17.20-24). We’ll start with the backstory. Take a look at these two, short sets of verses. Notice how God’s plan of redemption isn’t so much about us as it is about the Son revealing the Father’s glory. Because of Jesus, we get to share in the glory and the fellowship of the Godhead.

Us Without God (Genesis 3.8-24). That background shows us what we lost through our first parents in the garden. Genesis 3.8-24 has to be the saddest passage in all of Scripture. It begins with recognition of the crime of disobeying God. And, it continues with the consequences. Adam and Eve lost God’s presence … experienced life with shame … lost marital bliss … and fell into disharmony with nature.

Even yet, God provided for them. There’s  the hint of hope, even in God’s listing of the consequences of sin: Humankind won’t be overcome by nature (:15) … won’t fail to reproduce (:16) … won’t fail to eat (:19). And then, God clothed them, and, finally sent them from the garden, so they wouldn’t eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in deformity, in their sins.

Genesis 3 is a passage describing God’s severe mercy. And, it’s where we have to stop in this first week of Advent. It reminds us that GOD WITH US won’t seem a big deal until we ponder the majesty of GOD WITH GOD  and the horror of US WITHOUT GOD. 

And the the beauty of Christmas isn’t beautiful until we know we’re saved from life without God. That’s the thought that needs to carry us deeper into this, the most beautiful of all seasons.

Here’s a few questions for discussion: 

  1. Why do you think it’s significant to start our Advent series on GOD WITH US in John 1.1-5 and 17.20-24? That’s where we see the Persons of the Godhead living before time in perfect satisfaction with one another. God with God.
  2. Genesis 3.8-24 is a really sad story. But, why is it important to include this story of loss and failure in our build up to Matthew 1.22-23?
  3. Have you ever thought of Genesis 3.8-24 as a story of God’s provision? How is this passage one of hope, and not despair?

Now, have a blessed Thanksgiving. See you this Sunday, at Woodland!

 

 

God’s Wisdom in Creation: Psalm 104

Tomorrow begins gun season in the Northwoods. And—for those of you checking in from outside the neighborhood—this is a really big deal!

It’s such a big deal that I like to join in. Like many Northwoodsmen, I have a deer stand. And, during the season, I sit above the forest floor and wait. That I have no license, no purchased tags, and no special equipment is not a problem, because I also have no gun—That’s what makes me legal!

Psalm 104 explains why a man in a tree stand without a gun in gun season is not wasting his time. There’s a lot of nature out there. And, there’s a proper way to respond to nature. It’s not by worshipping the creation (Rm 1.25); it’s by seeing God’s wisdom in creation, and then praising our covenant God of creation.

Wisdom in Creation (:1-23). The first 23 verses of Psalm 104 mirror the Genesis account of Genesis 1-2.3. Day 1, in Genesis … :1-2a, in Psalm 104. Day 2, in Genesis … :2b-4, in Psalm 104. Day 3, in Genesis … :5-9, in Psalm 104. Day 4, in Genesis … :19-23, in Psalm 104. Day 5, in Genesis … :25-26, in Psalm 104. But, Day 6???

God created by His word, separating the elements of creation in Days 1-3, but then filling His creation in Days 4-6. But, the psalmist won’t be predictable or boring. Instead, at the first substantial mention of mankind (:23), the psalmist gives us a twist.

The twist comes right where we’d expect him to suddenly start talking about the wonders of mankind, Day 6. Instead, in verse 24, we get a spontaneous shout of exaltation: O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 

Provision for the LORD’S Creatures (:24-32). What does mankind as the chief of all land creatures do in relation to God? These all look to you, to give them their food in due season … When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things … When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust … When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 

As it turns out, humankind isn’t dependent on the earth for its existence. Humankind (along with the rest of creation) is dependent on God for its existence! And harmony with creation doesn’t mean that we get in rhythm with the earth. Harmony with creation means that we get in rhythm with the Creator of the earth.

This is the point of the final section of Psalm 104.

Harmony with the LORD of Creation (:33-35). I will sing praise to my God as long as I live … I will sing praise to my God while I have being … May my mediation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. 

Notice here that the psalmist, who began by urging  himself to praise God (:1a), now concludes his commentary on creation by doing just that. Notice also the little twist about sinners in verse 35: Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more!

Far from a “downer” at the end of a beautiful psalm, I take this a yearning for a Redeemer who will, one day, complete the work of redemption. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1.20-25 … :30-31 sees Jesus as doing just that. Where there are sinners at odds with God in His work of creation, there is now Jesus, who is the very wisdom of God:

And because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (:30-31).

In the end, wisdom is seeking harmony with the Creator through the redeemer, Jesus!

My response to creation should be praise to the LORD of creation—for His wisdom, His provision, and the harmony He brings about in Christ. 

Here’s a few questions to answer in your own tree stand this gun season: 

  1. In contrast to some of the environmentalist language we often hear, what does Psalm 104 teach about our place in nature?
  2. How does our treatment of creation change once we trust in Christ?
  3. What keeps Psalm 104 from being a stale recounting of the Genesis account that people already know? Why is it relevant and helpful to us?
  4. The psalmist, beginning in verse 1, has to push himself to praise God. Why is this hard for us too?

Faithfulness and Reward: Luke 19.11-27

In Luke 19.11-27, we come to one of the hinges in Luke’s gospel. We arrive at the end of that great, long section some Bible teachers call “Luke’s Travelogue” (chapters 9-19).

Jesus will next enter Jerusalem, but His disciples don’t yet know what to expect. And, it turns out, we struggle with some of the same false expectations they do.

Faithfulness required, in light of kingdom delay (:11). Verse 11 provides both the setting and purpose of the passage. Jesus’ disciples think that at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (perhaps only days away) God’s kingdom will appear in fulness, and right away. Unheeded and misunderstood have been Jesus’ many warnings to the contrary. (See 9.44-45 and 18.31-34). Little do they understand that Jesus would die first—to finish the work of redemption, to be raised, to receive the Father’s kingdom, to reign at the Father’s side, and to send the Spirit. Eventually, they’ll get it. (See Acts 3.20-21). But, until the coming of the Spirit, they’ll need to exercise faithfulness. How does Jesus respond? Well, He tells a story, a parable …

Faithfulness and Reward: The Parable of the Ten Minas (:12-27). In this parable a nobleman goes to a far country to receive a kingdom (:12). This strikes us as odd, but Herod the Great had gone to Rome in 40 B.C. to receive Palestine from Mark Antony, and Herod Archelaus received the same kingdom from Augustus in 4 B.C. Did these vassal-kings reign while yet in Rome? Yes, they did. Did they begin to rule until they got back? No, they didn’t. That’s just how they did things, in those days. But even more importantly, Ephesians 1.19-23 tells us that Jesus received His kingship at His resurrection, but would await His rule, until His return. That’s the part of God’s plan Jesus’ disciples were missing at Jesus’ entry into the city at the telling of this parable.

Against all this cultural and theological background, Jesus continues with the parable. Preparing for his departure, the nobleman gives his subjects responsibility: ten servants receive one mina (the equivalent to four months work for a day-laborer) and tells them to “engage in business until I come”. In other words, make a profit, work, grow, increase, expand.

Meanwhile, some subjects of the new nobleman-king reject him in his absence (:14). Sound familiar? The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Ps 118.22).

The new king returns, and the servants line up for a time of evaluation and reward. Servant #1 has multiplied his mina times 10! Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities. Notice how responsibility becomes cities, and increased responsibility in the kingdom (See 1 Cor 6.2-3a). Servant #2 has multiplied his mina times 5. Nothing wrong with that.

Then comes Servant #3 … Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow (:21).

Now, is this an accurate estimation of the king? Or has Servant #3 completely disregarded the king during his absence? The king plays along with the ruse: I will condemn you with your own words (:22b). The king points out that if this unfaithful servant had truly believed what he said, he’d have worked harder. It’s apparent that Servant #3 doesn’t really know the king, and has thought little of him during his absence. Probably, he didn’t even expect him to come back. He’s UNFAITHFUL, and told to surrender his mina and give it to the servant who has multiplied his responsibility most faithfully.

At this juncture, the crowd standing in the wings calls foul. Doesn’t Servant #1 already have 10 cities?! This prompts the king, speaking for Jesus in the imaginative landscape of the parable, to give the master principle of the teaching: I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away (:26).

This is not an economic calculation. This is relational calculation. Those who want more of Jesus will always get more of Jesus! (With more responsibility in the kingdom). Those who don’t want Jesus won’t get Jesus. And, because Jesus plus nothing equals everything, they won’t even get to keep what they thought they had.

In the final scene of the parable, the reigning (now ruling) king executes justice on those who opposed him. And, my reading of the parable sees the unfaithful Servant #3 included in those cast out. (See also 12.46).

Even if the disciples missed it, we (from our vantage point after the cross) can see through the thin veneer of the parable what we’re being taught about Jesus: He reigns now, will rule soon, and requires faithfulness from us, His servants.

JESUS reigns and will reward faithfulness at His return. 

Important for us to note is that Jesus values faithfulness because He is faithfulness. Faithful to go to the cross. Faithful to return in His time. Faithful to judge the unrighteous as He has said He would, even.

As Jen Wilken has written, God is faithful to do what he says he will do. As far as it is possible with us, we should be the same. We should reciprocate his faithfulness to us with faithfulness toward him. We should reflect his faithfulness to us with faithfulness toward others. Jesus Christ is the perfect expression of God’s faithfulness toward humankind, as well as the perfect expression of human faithfulness toward God and others. His example shows us the way of faithfulness (In His Image, 106).

Here’s a few questions to guide our thinking and discussion of The Parable of the Ten Minas

  1. What important lessons do we learn from each of the three major figures in the parable—the nobleman king, the faithful servants, and the unfaithful servant (and the rebellious subjects)?
  2. What do you find sobering about this parable?
  3. And, what do you find encouraging about Luke 19.11-27?
  4. How does this passage change your understanding of what you’ll be doing in the kingdom, provided that you know Jesus and are looking forward to His return?

Restored by Jesus: Luke 19.1-10

We’re nearing a holiday, here in the Northwoods. While most of the country calls it Thanksgiving, it’s known around here as “gun season”. In the next month, a good number of us will take aim and fire. Will we hit the mark? We’ll see, won’t we?

Luke 19.1-10 is an account about a man who never misses. Only, this man, the Lord Jesus Himself, aims to bring about new life for others, even as He prepares to give up His own life.

Jesus seeks Zaccheus (:1-7)

When Jesus enters Jerusalem, we’re told He’s “passing through” (:1). Whether He intends to stay or not is for Him alone to know. Since His overall mission, that includes death and resurrection, mystifies His disciples (8.34), His seeking of the sinner Zaccheus will likewise confuse His disciples.

In verses 2-4 we meet Zaccheus, along the road Jesus is walking. Yes, he’s short, ” … a wee little man.” But we need to check ourselves from thinking that we fully understand this account, just because we can sing the children’s song. Like a great epic (think C.S. Lewis’ Narnia), there’s a surface level to this story that children can grasp, but there’s also a deep level that puzzles even thoughtful adults.

Luke describes Zaccheus further. We’re told he’s a “chief tax collector.” In other words, he’s rich. We’re told that he was … seeking to see who Jesus was. This means he wants more of Jesus. And, as we know, we’re told that Zaccheus is short. This is why he runs ahead to climb the low, sprawling sycamore tree. He’s putting himself in the right place to encounter Jesus.

You know the story. When Jesus comes under the tree, Jesus has got His man. Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today (:5). Appropriately so, this is the high point of the children’s song, where all the children, quoting Jesus, shout, “You come down!”

Notice, Jesus is in full control here. With all the people around who need the Savior, Jesus chooses his own host and calls out Zaccheus, who hurries and receives Jesus joyfully (:6).

Jesus seeks and restores the lost (:8-10).

Next, there’s a time gap, between verses 7 and 8. Zaccheus hosts Jesus. They recline together at table. Probably, Jesus talks about Himself, the Son of Man, and the Kingdom of God. Somewhere in there, Zaccheus is saved.

When we come to verse 8, Zaccheus springs to his feet with resolve. Behold, LORD, the half of my goods I give to the poor. Contrast Zaccheus here with the Rich Ruler of 18.18-30. That man passed on Jesus, because he valued his wealth more than the Savior. Zaccheus, now that he has Jesus, has everything he needs. And now that he has Jesus, his attitude toward everything else becomes an expression of his new identity as a disciple.

And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold, he goes on (:8b). Where does he get his numbers? Well, in the Old Testament (Ex 22), thieves were to restore 4 times what they’d stolen. Zaccheus becomes a model of redemption. Even as he is redeemed, he’ll now make restitution for what he’s taken. Jesus declares Zaccheus “saved”: Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham (:9).

Notice that Jesus doesn’t declare Zaccheus a good law-keeper. And Jesus is not interested in the restoration of Zaccheus’ stuff. Jesus is interested in the restoration of Zaccheus. Then, Jesus connects Zaccheus’ restoration to His own mission: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (:10). Sure, Zaccheus climbed the tree, received Jesus joyfully, and responded rightly in repentance. But, Zaccheus isn’t the hero of the story.

Jesus is the hero of the story! And, when Jesus seeks a man, woman or child, He doesn’t just have a license to hunt. (Jesus’ seeking isn’t the kind of seeking we do when we don’t know what we’re looking for.) Jesus always gets his man, his woman, or His child. Jesus never misses.

As we’ll come to know more fully at the revelation of the apostles in the New Testament, Jesus’ mission to Jerusalem is all about securing the salvation of all those who will believe and respond to His call.

Jesus seeks lost people who will be restored to the Father.

But, how does this work today, when Jesus doesn’t just walk under the tree you’re climbing? How does Jesus seek and call us, today?

This is where we remember that we live between Jesus’ two comings. And, while we press toward His second coming, we declare that Jesus did make it to Jerusalem. And there He did everything He promised—He died for us, and arose to new life. (Look to 1 Corinthians 15.3-5 for a summary.)

Declaring what Jesus did in the gospel is the “gospel call”. This good news is what we share over the fence with a neighbor, in the break room at work, at the bedside of a child, or on a walk with a friend. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 10.14-16 reminds us that the preached word is necessary for salvation: How will they call on hi in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” 

And yet, many respond to this gospel like the Rich Ruler, and now like Zaccheus. What’s the difference today, in this time when we relate to Jesus through His Spirit.

These are deep things, and I don’t propose to solve them here, but there’s another kind of calling. Some have called it “effective” or “effectual” calling. Consider the following verses:

John 6.44—No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up at the last day. 

Acts 2.39—For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our Got calls to himself. 

Acts 16.14—One who heard us was a woman named Lydia … The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 

1 Corinthians 1.2—To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ …

1 Peter 5.10—And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

2 Peter 1.3—His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. 

Now, that not the gospel call that many reject. These verses talk about the “effective” call that is the work of the Spirit of God and goes in tandem with the preached word.

Jesus gets His man, woman, or child every time. Do you understand this completely? Neither do I. But, even as I seek to be faithful to declare the gospel of the finished work of Jesus, I ask the Lord to call men, women, and children to Himself.

And, you know, He does.

“Zaccheus. You come down. For, I’m going to your house today!”

 

Here’s some thoughts to consider as you read Luke 19.1-10 with others.

  1. Probably, we all think we’ve “got” this story, because of the song. But, what new and profound things have you learned from your most recent reading of the Zaccheus story?
  2. How does Zaccheus put himself in the right place to encounter Jesus? How can you do the same? How can you encourage others you care about to put themselves in the place to be changed by God through His word?
  3. There’s a lot of sides to this account. Among them is the way that redeemed people respond to wealth. Consider 1 Timothy 6.17-18, and consider how Zaccheus modeled the right way to apply this passage that Paul would write some years later.
  4. What do you think about the way we’ve discussed the “gospel call” of Romans 10.14-16 and the “effective call,” described by the other verses listed? Which of these is our responsibility? Why is it necessary that God opens the mind of sinners to understand His gospel? How does this change the way you feel about all that takes place when the gospel is preached?