Love God above all else

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Luke 9:51-62

We just prayed Psalm 16 “YHWH you are my Lord… I desire no other gods.” Yet our lives are filled with competing loyalties which take precedence over God, and none more subtle than family. In the ancient Middle East family identification was primary. When God chooses Elisha to be a prophet, Elijah gives him his mantle. Elisha wants to say good bye to his family, it seems a reasonable response. Elijah simply asks him “What have I done to you?” Elisha knows the answer—you have made me your successor. I am now God’s holy prophet. That takes precedence over everything.

Jesus alludes to this very story when He describes discipleship. Jesus says follow me, and don’t look back. Perhaps we are offended by His terms—what of family relationships and responsibilities? But the truth is this: We are broken—until we are completely healed, we will not be free to truly love anyone. We are wounded and self-seeking, and this impacts every relationship—especially our relationship with God.  

Our life is the struggle to become our true selves: the children of God. Jesus says these hard words as He travels to Jerusalem. He goes there to suffer and die, to leave behind family and friend for love of God. Until we die to self we are not free to fully love anyone.

When Paul says, “For FREEDOM Christ has set you FREE,” he reminds us of this. Freedom is not license. Sin diminishes our freedom, and makes us less able to love. Our mind and heart must be purified and freed. We embrace the work of repentance in response to the gift of redemption. Our freedom is as sturdy as the Triune God, but it is as fragile as our wavering wills.  

The greatest threat to freedom in Christ is slavery to the sarx/flesh—those desires which go against the Holy Spirit. These lusts/cravings/passions manifest in concrete ways, Paul provides a partial list. He warns us that “those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

If we cannot earn our way into God’s Kingdom, we can sin our way into Hell.” Paul is not advocating the Law—he even includes the Law as one of the powers from which we are free—but he wants us to understand that in Christ we cannot serve the deadly passions. The sinful cravings destroy God’s image and keep us from love. Paul is clear: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Turning from the passions is balanced by turning toward God. His life in us—the Holy Spirit—unites us to God! As we grow in union with God, His life manifest with us: love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are fruits as we turn from our own wants and desires and seek God above all others.

We are called by Jesus, and we must leave behind all that would hinder us from answering the call. It is life, abundant life, and worth any price—especially crucifying our sinful passions and desires.

Lord Jesus, set us free for true freedom. Holy Spirit fire burn away the sinful passions. Make us holy. Heal and save us.

On Deliverance and a Right MInd

Isaiah 65:1--9   Galatians 3:23-29   Luke 8:26-39

The thematic interaction of Isaiah and Luke is best understood with the Genesis Garden account in the background. In Genesis 3:10 we hear God’s first spoken word to a human: “Where are you?” [One Hebrew word: ’ay]

I think God’s question summarizes the human condition. In our Processional hymn today we sang: “Jesus sought me, when a stranger wandering from the fold of God,” and then, “bind my wandering heart to Thee; prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”

We wander away, and God seeks us. Hear Isaiah 65: YHWH says “I stretch out my hands and cry “here I am!” I wait for Israel to seek me, but they do not.” Isaiah said, Israel rejected their Lord, and offered [pagan] sacrifices in gardens, they sit in tombs and eat swine’s flesh and are made unclean. See the irony? God cries, “Where are you?” as Adam hides. God cries, “Here I am,” as Israel wanders away.

Today’s Gospel is also among tombs. Jesus is confronted by a naked man possessed by demons. Since Adam, who was also naked, humanity has been subject to the demonic and death. Jesus enters the realm of death, a graveyard, to liberate the man from Satan’s hold. The unclean swine carry the demons into the lake and drown. Jesus is doing the work of redemption.

 After the exorcism the man sits with Jesus in “his right mind.” The Greek word sophroneo literally means “a saved/healed/whole understanding.” The town’s folk were fearful so they rejected God’s offer of salvation in Jesus. They were afraid because, ironically, their minds are not right, they also needed healing. Since Adam uttered the words “I hid because I was afraid,” humans have not trusted God and lived in fear. The doubt and fear of the townsfolk leads to sin: they reject Jesus. Paradoxically, Jesus casts out demons and the frightened people cast out Jesus.

That is the danger. The demons are not only at work in the deranged—they are also quietly at home in the ordinary people who just keep Jesus at the periphery of life. The process of receiving a new mind and new heart, of being purified of wrong desires and bad thinking can be long and difficult—we prefer something quick and easy. Make no mistake, everyone sends Jesus away from time to time and no one has a right mind. We are all distracted by our own lives and prefer worldly practicality. We do not want Jesus upsetting things.

Healing and exorcism are major components of Jesus’ ministry. The world is hostile to the proclamation of the Kingdom. If we are aligned with Jesus then the world will be hostile to us and send us away—but the good news is then we will be with Jesus! What could possibly be better?

Trinity Sunday

TRINITY SUNDAY

Celebrating the Trinity begins the season "after Pentecost," or Ordinary Time. We will continue with Ordinary time into late Fall when Advent begins the next Church Year Cycle. Each year we celebrate Trinity Sunday the week after Pentecost. It is the deepest and most mysterious insight we have about God. 

Christians believe that the (One) God of Israel has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We recognize that there is personhood in each, yet there is also a divine unity which is expressed by the term One God. Explanations only go so far, and the more precise they become the more likely they are to slide into heresy. Heresy frequently has the power to sound rational and reasonable, but the truth is Mystery cannot be explained. 

In Genesis 1 we read that God said, "Let us make the human in our image and likeness." The Hebrew word, 'adam, is sometimes translated into English as man (or human) and other times as a proper name, Adam. The modern assumption is that the singular man, Adam, is in the image of God, and I am sure that is partially true. However, it is also true that humanity is the image of God. All of us together are made in God's image. Herein lies one of the important aspects of the Trinity.

The New Testament often speaks of the church as a body (the Body of Christ). In Corinthians we are told that we who are many make up the one body. Individual organs cannot dispense with one another and still be a whole body. The Modernist approach is to see each individual human being as a separate entity. However, the corporate human nature which we share is often diminished in our eyes. We do not see ourselves as a person who is part of a unified whole. As there is One God (who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit) so there is One Human(ity) which is manifest in billions of people.  Jesus emphasized the import of love because love is the bond which holds the body together. As the Father loves the Son, so the Son loves the Father--and they live in each other, as does the Spirit. In the spiritual realm the simple laws of observable material reality do not hold sway in the same way. (I say observable because when I read about Physics at the atomic and subatomic level then even material reality seems to be filled with all manner of mysterious contradictions). My body can also be part of the Body of Christ. Jesus can live in my heart and He can take me into His heart. The Holy Spirit can fill me and make me my true self. What is true of me is true of you, as well. We both live in the same Lord and the same Lord lives in us.

Like fractals, each individual human is a smaller version of the one larger, all encompassing "human nature" which is in Christ. In other words, I am what we are, and all of us (individually many) together are the One. Trinity means that at its core, reality is a relationship (of love). Love is the ontological beginning point and relationship takes precedence over all things. Love is the most real and true. So, on Trinity Sunday, we celebrate an important insight into the meaning of the word God, but by extension we also come to a deeper understanding of what humanity is. Salvation is, primarily, the perfect union of humanity with the Lord--the life (Holy Spirit) of the Father forming us into the fullness of Jesus Christ (who is one with God the Father and one with us).

Perhaps the great value of teams is they are a sacrament of our unity. At its best, the local church should be a manifestation of the very unity of God, as members love one another and work together to bring others into union with the Lord. This is why there is no salvation "outside the church," because salvation is union with Christ, and Christ is one with the church. Those who are saved become the church, and none is saved outside of it. The challenge, then, is to become what we are--the Body of Christ, part of the Holy Trinity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal

Pentecost 2019

ACTS 2:1-21   psalm 104:25-35, 37   Romans 8:14-17   John 14:8-17

Salvation is best understood as "God uniting us to Himself," so the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was the next step in His plan to save us. The word Spirit-- (pneuma) in Greek and (ruah) in Hebrew--is also  translated as wind or breath. In the bible, the spirit animates a body and it is the essence of he person. When the spirit departs the body becomes a corpse. By extension, the Holy Spirit is the Father's divine life and essence, which He shares with us. The life in Jesus is made available to us. We share His essence and become children of God. However, the life of God within us can be nullified by unbelief and sin. 

In the Gospel Jesus said, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." This is a core Christian belief. When we really believe that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in the Son, it becomes possible for us to receive adoption. In John 14:20 Jesus says "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." This is also a core Christian belief. It is why Jesus is at the center of any talk of God. It is the mystery of theosis. The expression "in Christ" occurs 580x in the New Testament and it is fundamental to understanding the true meaning of being saved.
  
Paul uses adoption language to say the same thing--we become what Jesus is. Paul refers to the Roman practice of the political elite where adoption allowed the aristocracy to find a suitable heir. Paul says that we share in the divine sonship of Jesus, which makes us heirs of God. We are made into His sons/daughters by the Holy Spirit, but this gift, is also a task. We repent, we pray, we study and we constantly struggle against the sinful desires which would steal our hearts from God. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit and live as children of God. 

To be the chosen people is to be chosen for ministry. Jesus says, " Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works then these, because I am going to the Father... If you ask in my name I will give it to you.... If you love me keep my commandments."

Pentecost is about continuing Jesus' mission of salvation. The power of God lies dormant in the church if we chose.  We are the Body of Christ, so everything that Jesus did on earth before He died we can do today. If we love Him, obey Him and trust Him He will work in us and through us. 

Do you want to be children of God?
Do you want to do great works in Jesus?
Are you tired of scraps under the table and ready to live as the Spirit filled church of God?

Let us pray!
Holy Spirit, set our hearts on fire with love. Make us, more and more, the holy children of God.
Jesus, we want to do great works in your name Use us today to save and sanctify the world. Amen. 


*cf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption_in_ancient_Rome