Monthly Archives: November 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 16, 2015
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Trust and Faith — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image              November 16, 2015

“Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.” When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king gave a command, and those who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.” Daniel 6:13 – 24

You see, Daniel didn’t just know the danger he faced, he also knew the promises of his LORD. As a boy, Daniel had heard the stories of God’s great protecting hand, from Noah to Moses to David. Daniel remembered when three of his friends had been thrown into a fiery furnace and emerged unharmed. Now an older man, Daniel could look back and see God’s guidance in his own life as had been brought to his high calling. How could the same God who had sustained him to this point, fail him now? We know the story well. After Darius threw Daniel into the lion’s den, an angel protected Daniel throughout the night. Daniel walked away without a single scratch and the LORD was worshiped throughout Persia. Yet, have you ever thought, “what if God didn’t protect Daniel?” Would Daniel have been any worse off? If God had chosen that moment to bring his faithful believer to heaven and chosen another to proclaim his power to the Persians, Daniel’s eternal fate would have been the same. The greatest miracle with Daniel is not an angel who shut the mouths of lions, but the strengthening of Daniel’s faith to face certain death in order to proclaim the LORD’s name.” (Daily Devotion on Daniel 6:10-12; 16-23. Oct 24, 2011, Michael Schottey, Christ the King Lutheran Church)

How often have we lamented “I don’t know that I would have the faith to…” when we see someone do something extraordinary in the name of faith or simply in the name of humanity? Someone jumps into a burning building to save another, and we think “Would I be brave enough to do that?” And we see someone stand up in the face of injustice, or inequality, or inhumanity, and we say “Would I have the faith to do that?” Most of Daniel’s contemporaries would have thought “Just go through the motions, you don’t have to believe, but it will save your life.” Daniel, however, had a deeper faith. He did more than just face down death, he lifted up his faith and trust in the Lord. If this was his time, he would see his G*d face to face. If it was not his time, he would have greater faith, and so would his contemporaries.

Do we have the faith to say our prayers in public? Do we have the courage to speak about our faith as if they are a guiding force in our lives, even when others tell us it is just superstition? Even when it seems that death may be imminent, or even when it seems that there may be no hope, or we may be persecuted for our beliefs, we can look to Daniel as a model of trust and faith, knowing we too will be saved from the jaws of the “evil one”.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 15, 2015
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Birth Pangs — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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November 15, 2015
Sunday

Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” Mark 13:5 – 8

“Here is my paraphrase of what Jesus would say today, “Everyone needs to relax. Quite a few terrible things happen in life. I know it is scary, but you should see the opportunity to serve others. Don’t be led astray by leaders who offer easy and simplistic answer and blame other people for our problems. Pull together in the hard times, that is how you get through. I’ll be with you too, and I will show you the way. Things will get difficult, but stick together and remember what is important in life – to love one another.” I also want to say a few words about the context of the first readers of the Gospel. They read this episode after the Temple had been destroyed by Roman armies in 70 AD, just a generation after Jesus had said these words. I read the account by Josephus, the Jewish historian who was present at the destruction of the Temple and sack of Jerusalem. The Roman soldiers were so frustrated by the tenacious defenders of the Temple, that when they finally gained the upper hand, the troops went wild and killed everyone, raping and pillaging, much to the embarrassment of Titus, the commanding general. Josephus said Titus tried to restrain the slaughter and the burning of the Temple, but he was too late to stop the atrocity. The world was probably appalled, much like we were when we heard stories about “My Lai” coming out of the Vietnam War. When Titus was offered the traditional wreath of victory by the Roman Senate, he reportedly refused it and said, “There is no glory in destroying a people whose God has forsaken them”. I believe Mark’s Gospel was written right after this terrible atrocity, so it is no wonder that he has the sharpest contrast between Jesus and the Temple Priests. Mark is making clear that Christians had nothing to do the Jewish rebellion that lead to the destruction of the Temple. In fact, they were oppressed by the Temple aristocracy as well. Jesus warned them and see what they did to him. Mark is saying to Rome, “We aren’t them, so don’t kill us too.” Luke is writing later and is more circumspect. His message is to not lose heart or be lead astray during terrible times, for Jesus will guide you through. Don’t be impressed by wealth or grandeur because it does not last, but also don’t be overwhelmed by tragedy, because that will not last either.” (Blooming cactus website, November 12, 2012 “Not A Stone Left”, Mark 13:1-8)

There is a beginning to the birth pangs, but there will also be an end. There will be a beginning to wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes, but they all eventually stop. Even if this text from the gospel of Mark was written soon after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, they would have been living in a time where they were learning how to live in a post-Temple world. The destruction was over, the healing was ongoing, and they were still able to worship the living G*d. And Jesus would want us to find a way, just like those living in a post-Temple world, to find a way to get on with life, to get on with worshipping G*d, and to continue to show all people love, mercy and grace.

Our world has a lot of birth pangs – and the birth pangs we live with seem as if they will never end. But they will. It may not be in my lifetime, but we will one day see that love will win the day. There will come a day when the reign of Christ will project the love of G*d in all circumstances; because the love of G*d is patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant, believes all things and hopes all things, and is the perfecter of all things.

Pastor Dave