March 3, 2024 – Lent 3B

“The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” John 2:13-22

What is wisdom? How would you define wisdom? Is wisdom the sum total of all knowledge? Or, does age and experience influence wisdom? Is there something that wise people have which the average person does not have? Who are the people you consider wise? Maybe I should ask you to list the people you think are fools. Would that be easier? What have the wise of the world actually contributed over the span of the millennia? Here are some people I think we might agree were wise:

Solomon was wise – Joseph was wise – Benjamin Franklin was wise – Confucius was wise – Jesus was wise……and Moses, we must consider him one of the wisest.

Moses was wise enough to listen to G-d calling him from a burning bush to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When they were on the precipice of their long journey, G-d had the wisdom to lay down some rules – rules for interacting with G-d – and rules for interacting with each other. So G-d gave them the Decalogue – the Ten Commandments – plus G-d gave them the oral laws – rules that extend those Ten Commandments to six-hundred and thirteen. And within those 613 commandments there are 248 Positive Commandments (things they can do) and 365 Negative Commandments (things they may not do). Now, let me ask you, did all of these rules and commandments suddenly make these Israelites the wisest of the wise? Of course not! Why? Because they were human – like you and me – and all of the wisdom of the world could not stop them and cannot stop us from doing stupid things – and making dumb mistakes. So, what is the wisest thing, phrase, teaching etc. that you have ever heard from a family member, friend or other?  I like this quote from Albert Einstein: “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted, counts”.

Or, how about this one: “No good deed goes unpunished”. That one is the story of my life. The wisest piece of advice I have heard has come from two retired pastors – they both advised me to “Live without fear”. Live without fear. It is, at once, a challenge as well as an admonition – as much as it is Gospel advice. Live without fear. The body of Jesus, the death on a cross, the resurrection: it is there where we see the wisdom of G-d. It is there where we see how G-d made foolish the wisdom of the world. G-d turns the cross (which is a death machine) into a life machine. As such we preach Christ Crucified. And those who do not believe, when they call us fools, well, we have a choice: We can fall victim to human wisdom, and teaching, allowing the debaters of this age to lead us around like lemmings and fools.

Or, we can believe the scriptures – and trust that the cross was the ultimate expression of the power of G-d – and the love of G-d. Just think about it: G-d kills G-d’s self so we might have the opportunity for New Life. Is that foolishness? Is that crazy? The foolishness of the cross is our bridge to the prodigal love of G-d – the Grace of G-d – the mercy and forgiveness of G-d. Of course the world sees it as foolishness. After all, who would kill themselves to save others? The sign of the cross, is the foolish love of the foolish G-d, whose foolish Son died on a foolish cross – thanks be to G-d that G-d’s foolishness is wiser and greater than all human wisdom.

Pastor Dave

March 1, 2024 – Forgetting

“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Luke 6:27-36

“We all do it, probably every day. We have no idea that we’re doing it, yet it has a huge impact on the way we view ourselves and the way we respond to others. It is one of the reasons there is so much relational trouble even in the house of God. What is this thing that we all tend to do that causes so much harm? We all forget. In the busyness and self-centeredness of our lives, we sadly forget how much our lives have been blessed by and radically redirected by mercy. The fact that God has blessed us with his favor when we deserved his wrath fades from our memories like a song whose lyrics we once knew but now cannot recall.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March 1; Paul David Tripp)

I have never been good at remembering people’s names. It is not one of my stronger gifts. As a pastor I find this fairly distressing – forgetting people’s names. And the more you worry about it, the worse it gets. Too many people daily forget the blessings G-d has bestowed on all people – those who acknowledge them and those who don’t. The scriptures state that G-d “.. makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

Of course, this is not license to forget to thank G-d daily for all that we have. Forgetfulness is not an excuse. As such because G-d remembers us daily, we should make it a habit to stop and thank G-d at some time in the day for all the blessings G-d has given to us.

Pastor Dave

March 2, 2024 – Waiting

“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore “it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:13-22

“Waiting on God is not at all like the meaningless waiting that you do at the dentist’s office. You know, he’s overbooked, so you’re still sitting there more than an hour past your scheduled appointment. You’re…now reading Family Circle magazine. You’ve begun to read the article titled “The 7 Best Chicken Recipes in the World.” When you’re…getting ready to tear a chicken recipe out of Family Circle magazine because the recipe sounds so good, you know that you have been waiting too long! But waiting on God is not like that. Waiting on God is an active life based on confidence in his presence and promises, not a passive existence haunted by occasional doubt. Waiting on God isn’t internal torment that results in paralysis. No, waiting on God is internal rest that results in courageous action. Waiting is your calling. Waiting is your blessing.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March 2; Paul David Tripp)

We are told that it was faith that encouraged Abraham to continue even though he had not yet received what G-d had promised. It was faith that helped Joseph endure the circumstances his brothers sold him into. It was faith that encouraged Paul to continue on his journeys even though he encountered so many difficulties. Abraham had to wait – Jospeh had to wait – Paul had to wait. But G-d did not forget them nor forsake them.

Waiting is never fun, especially when you are anxious, in a hurry, or scared. And yet there are times in our lives when we must wait. But we are called to use this time in preparation, for our time will come to move, to act, to love, and to give. And that waiting will have been a blessing.

“Waiting is a sustained effort to stay focused on God through prayer and belief.” (Max Lucado)

Pastor Dave