August 23 — Psalm 63:1–67:7      

“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the dread enemy. ² Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers, ³ who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, ⁴ shooting from ambush at the blameless; they shoot suddenly and without fear. ⁵ They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see us?⁶Who can search out our crimes? We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.” For the human heart and mind are deep. ⁷ But God will shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly.
⁸ Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake with horror. ⁹ Then everyone will fear; they will tell what God has brought about, and ponder what he has done. ¹⁰ Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him. Let all the upright in heart glory.” Psalm 64:1-10

We often think of G-d as a loving G-d, full of Mercy and Grace. Yet, within the Old Testament texts, we will hear about the other side of G-d, the G-d who, like the Psalmist proclaims, will “..shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly…he (G-d) will bring them to ruin;… then everyone will fear (G-d).”  Have you had experiences with G-d where you have mostly felt the presence of G-d as more judgment than grace; as one to be feared rather than loved? We know that Jesus shows his righteous anger, the same anger that Jesus expressed in driving the money changers out of the Temple. We read about how Jesus reacted with righteous anger to situations of disease and doubt.

Luther says in the Small Catechism that we are to fear AND love G-d – because G-d is such an awesome G-d that our love for G-d should include some level of deep respect, if not some level of fear.

There are plenty of Old Testament stories, stories like the Noah story, the Jonah story, the Joseph story, the Red Sea story, the Cain and Able story, where human anger and G-d’s anger cross paths. However, we need to take heed of Luther’s teaching, to love and to fear G-d in all aspects of our lives. I see it as a fear that does not scare us straight, but keeps us obedient.

Let us Pray,

Lord, you want one thing, your people to come to you with broken and contrite spirits. Give me your presence today, your awesome and loving presence so that I will not live in fear, but live in love. Amen.

Pastor Dave

August 22, 2021 – Pentecost +13B

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

⁶⁰When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶²Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. ⁶⁵And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” ⁶⁶Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:56-69

“When Jesus offers himself as the Bread of Life those who are listening find it difficult to eat. Over the next four chapters of John (6-10) the opposition to Jesus grows. The world is not ready to change its diet even if their diet only makes them sick.  Jesus proclaims that he is Israel’s food and all of the needs and longings of God’s people can be found in him. “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The problem is that “Jesus Bread” is difficult to eat.  If Jesus is the bread of life, which provides for our ultimate human needs, then why does it leave us so hungry or why is it so difficult to take a bite?” 

“Is Jesus’ Bread Gluten Free?” August 5, 2012 (“The Hardest Question” website) by Roy M. Terry IV 

I posted these words on my blog — the quote comes from Roy Terry IV in a post he titled “Is Jesus Bread Gluten Free?”  There are a lot of people who are born with, who acquire, or who “think” they have an allergy to gluten.  If you are born with Celiac Disease then you have a serious autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage to the small intestine.  But even if you are not born with a gluten allergy, it is possible to develop problems with gluten over your lifetime.  For example my father was not born with the disease, but he is now forced to follow a gluten-free diet because gluten causes him physical symptoms and discomfort.  For others, however, following a “gluten-free” diet is a fad – because Leonardo DiCaprio is gluten-free, or Kelly Rippa is gluten-free – so they are as well. 

Bread and products made from bread are filled with gluten.  Gluten is a mixture of two proteins, and is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough.  So bread, for the folks who do have Celiac Disease, is hard to eat, if not impossible to eat, unless it is gluten-free. 

 “Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, said, “This is a difficult saying! Who can understand it?”  

In other words, they could not swallow the bread Jesus was giving them.  So, why is Jesus’ Bread so hard to eat?  Of course, we must define what we mean by “the bread” of Jesus.  When Jesus says “I am the bread of life” — he is referring to himself — his teachings, his ways, his ministry, his love, his mercy, his grace.  It is so hard to eat because it seems so simple and so radically different at the same time.  It is so radically different because it redefines how G*d wants people to treat one another, to love one another, to serve one another, to accept one another, and to love and serve G*d.  No longer are we supposed to put people outside of community if they are different from us — like they did in the time of Jesus.  We are not to keep them at arms length, we are to love them.  No longer are we to judge others, which the religious authorities made it there business to judge how the people were living according to the law.  Instead, Jesus teaches that we can judge as long as we welcome the same judgment with which we judge others.  And, we are to love all people — all people — not just the ones we find easy to love. 

Pastor Dave