Romans 16:17-19: Truth as a Passport or Badge

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. - Romans 16:17-19

There are people who take up an opinion, not because they think that that opinion is correct, but because it gives them an opportunity for power and significance. 

Sometimes, they will choose an wrong-headed opinion, not because it is right, but because everyone will be forced to deal with them. If I say exactly what is already being said, people can ignore me. But if I say something outrageous or wrong, they will have to-at least-react to me. 

Sometimes, they will choose to the same opinion, because the person whose opinion they share is embattled and by joining them, they will be embattled. They can take up the rallying cry and wear that badge of persecution and injustice proudly. 

In both cases, they don't care about the truth. They care about their own desires. The emotion that is fed into an issue can become the fuel that feeds their ego-on either side of the truth. This is true in peoples' lives or people's life in church. When we start to use the truth as a passport or a badge, we no longer care about the truth but what it can give me. When we start to use God as a passport or a badge, we no longer care about God but what he can deliver to me. And that is the death of truth in me.

Philippians 4:4-9: Speculating on the Possible Good

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.  - Philippians 4:4-9

Peace seems elusive to the people of Philippi. "...the peace of God...will guard your heart." and again, "the God of peace will be with you." Rather than deny that people are anxious, Paul tells them to go to the source of peace-God.

Why? Because God is not surprised. He is not caught off guard. He is not worried that things will not turn out as planned. Those were things that Paul experienced. Those were things that the Philippians experienced. They were not things that God experienced. But he welcomes us telling him about them, no matter how trivial or major they are. 

There are two concrete tools for people under stress: first, stay gentle. Stress is a character projector-it shows what is really inside us. Second, center on that is true. Stress is often related to a world view where God is actually not in control or doesn't have care for us. In the back corners of our minds, we can construct all sorts of fantasy explanations of why things are the way they are and they often leave God out of it.

So first, this week, when I am stressed, I want to react gently and-when I don't-to be honest about that's going on. And second, I want to re-center and speculate on the possible good in the world rather than speculating on all the world's possible bad.  

Isaiah 7:10-17: A Most Dangerous Game

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria. - Isaiah 7:10-17

Why did Ahaz say that he didn't want a sign? If God spoke to me and told me that the thing I feared the most would not happen and then further told me that I could ask for anything-anything-to prove that this unlikely dreadful event would not happen, why would I turn it down?

Could it be that Ahaz had no confidence in God?  Why put yourself in a circumstance where the credit for any success would go to a God he didn't believe in.  We know that he shut down the temple of Yahweh and set up altars to the gods of Aram (2 Chronicles 28). Maybe he felt Yahweh was not a good bet and that Israel had historically allied with the weakling among middle eastern deities.  

Could it be that Ahaz didn't feel God was trustworthy? That in accepting this "sign" that God was really playing a trick on him. That God was really just waiting for a chance to pounce on Ahaz when he let his guard down.

Could it be that Ahaz didn't like God? That God was too grumpy or demanding or picky and that he had to respect God but never really liked him or loved him.

Or perhaps God asking Ahaz for a sign was a test. God spoke and said that that the feared attack would not happen. He's testing whether Ahaz's reasons for disbelief were genuine or just a smoke screen. When God answers us like this, he is giving us a chance to believe-to replace our misguided independence with a God-oriented dependence. When Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, God still gave him one-a virgin would have a child-something so off-the-charts crazy that Ahaz would know it could know it only could have come from God and also know that his own stubborn heart was refusing to acknowledge God. 

When I know the truth and I still act out the lie is the most damning sign of my sinfulness. If I do, God will still show himself powerful but the results are not pretty, unless God is merciful. Assyria was coming on the heals of Ahaz's deliverance. But (as signified by the name of Isaiah's son), Judah would survive. I don't want to play the same dangerous game as Ahaz.

James 5:7-10: The Seasons of Half-Baked Ideas

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. - James 5:7-10

In the computer business, the shipments of new systems always rises in an annual cycle called "back-to-school" and "black friday".  Back-to-school (from June to September) reflects the times when students are buying systems to use for use in the next school year. Black Friday refers to the gift giving season which lasts from around Thanksgiving up through New Years.

The chips, peripherals and features of computer systems are all timed so that the systems can be built in time to meet these windows because of the huge demand that happens during that period. Computer companies adjust their earnings calendars to reflect the fact that Q1 and Q2 are cold and Q3 and Q4 are hot in terms of sales. It makes the earnings look a bit strange when viewed as a chart-low low high high.

But if you have been in the computer industry as long as I have, this cycle is as regular and expected as the planting and harvest of grain. There is a busy season and a slack season, a season when money flows easily and another when money comes hard. The key is to make best use of each season. In the computer industry, it is moving from a focus on production and delivery to a focus on preparation and evaluation.

I think that these verses are saying the same thing: see each season in life for what God intends for it, not what we would like for it. If we try to short-circuit the process, we will fail to meet God and will simply pass him by in our grumbling fretting. Why are we surprised? 

Instead we should be grateful. In the computer industry, there are a lot of half-baked ideas that need some time and thought to bring them to fruition. Likewise, there are a lot of half-baked lives that need some time and reflection to bring them to maturity. Use each season as God intended.

Luke 1:46-55: You Are Seen. Remember That

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” - Luke 1:46-55

How amazing it is at that moment-however brief-when it all makes sense and you know that you are right where God intended for you. Those moments don't happen very often. Our lives and our minds are cluttered. God doesn't necessarily speak often. But then it clicks, even for a little bit of time and you understand and it makes sense. Then maybe it is gone.

That's what happened to Mary. She had nothing special-no glorious back story. She lived poor, in small town on the back end of the Roman empire. She lived normal and expected to live out her life in that small town, married to a local, hard working man, have kids. But then the angel appeared and for a brief moment, she saw it all-her place in her setting under God. As she said, "the Mighty One has done great things for me." 

Her life was going to have a lot of disappointing and mundane bits to it. A few times she was going to doubt-when Jesus was acting crazy, when her other children didn't get along so well, when her husband died and when Jesus was a convicted criminal. So it was important that she remembered what God showed her in this part of her story. Here, she sings a song-a song that she remembered many years later to share with the author of this gospel. Twice in the next chapter it mentions that Mary "treasured" these moments and "pondered" them.  By being careful to remember what God showed her in these moments, she could be reassured in all of the other moments.

I think that this is true for us, too. Sure, we don't all have Jesus the Messiah as a son or receive angel-grams from on high, but we do-by grace-receive moments of clarity about God and his purposes for us and those around us. He doesn't speak directly to us often, so it is important to "treasure" them and "ponder" them, because, as with Mary, he has done great things for us and within them lie many lessons that he wants to teach us.

Isaiah 35:1-10: But God

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast;  they will not be found there. 

But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away - Isaiah 35:1-10

Every investment vehicle I have ever heard of always comes with a disclaimer: past performance is no guarantee of future returns. That is: just because some investment did really well in the past doesn't mean they will do well in the future. Just because the football player did well before doesn't mean that he will do well on his new team. But there is a tiny voice inside us that says, "But, that's the way to bet."

But I will replace that tiny voice with the voice of Isaiah here: "Never bet against God." There is no comeback story like the one that God organizes. Lifeless wastelands will, tomorrow, be home to carpeting the desert floor with blooms. Crippled hands, unstable legs, sightless eyes, soundless ears and fearful hearts will make an amazing recovery. Dry, scorching landscapes will foster streams and pastures. 

But God. Failures. But God. God rewrites the story-a story trending towards the bad news segment on the evening news-he rewrites the story as a success, full of the rescued and redeemed, singing and dancing, like the ending to some Bollywood epic. Can I accept that my story was a dumpster fire without God? Can I rejoice in God's greatness, beyond my own good fortune?

Isaiah 2:1-5: Competing Claims In A Perfect World

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. - Isaiah 2:1-5

One of the problems of being human is limited perspective. We are called on to judge a situation based on limited knowledge and limited insight. Claims are made based on these limitations. Setting aside selfishness and ill-will, even in the most perfect world these claims may be wrong. 

What Isaiah saw in this vision were three things: first, that people desired to hear what God had to say and live accordingly, second, that they would not use using force to make their claims and third, that God's insight would be the basis of deciding between these competing claims. The result would be a flourishing because the thought and effort that was required for war would be better used productively. Some competition  is based on ignorance rather than ill will, and still need God's good insight. 

John 18:33-38: The Comfortable Lie

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.  - John 18:33-38

Ultimately, it is not what you say about Jesus but what you do with Jesus that matters. You must stare Jesus in the face and decide whether you really want a world where Jesus is king.  

There were several options open to Pilate, and the truth was that he was going to disappoint someone.

1. He could disappoint the local authorities. They could make his life hell through any number of overt and covert acts of passive aggressive behavior. Many were friends with Herod. 
2. He could disappoint his boss. One way or another, Jesus was a trouble maker. Rome wanted continued submissive income from Israel, not a martyr and civil unrest.
3. He could disappoint his wife. She told him to have nothing to do with this man (Matt. 27:19)
4. He could disappoint Jesus.

In the interests of self-preservation, he disappointed the person who he felt really didn't matter for his happiness. He didn't worry about what was true, but whether the lie was comfortable. 

The truth about ourselves and about Jesus is uncomfortable, because it requires re-orienting away from self and comfort. So we, like Pilate, so often choose the comfortable lie.