Heavenly Marriage

 July 31, 2021

In Matthew 22:23-33, the Sadducees use a hypothetical situation to trap Jesus into either denying the resurrection or the Mosaic Law. They tell a story a out a woman married to seven brothers according to a Mosaic tradition mandating a brother to marry his sister in law if his brother should die without a legal heir. Jesus’ response about the nature of the resurrection refutes the common misconception (even today) of the life to come—that it will be merely an extension and improved version of our life here in this world.

So often at funerals I hear, “Mom and dad are together again,” as if this were the supreme blessing of eternal life. St. Paul dissuades us of this notion when in 1 Corinthians 15 he tells us that the life to come is connected, but as different from this life as is the full grown plant from the seed from which it springs.

Here, Jesus asserts that marriage is solely an earthly institution, and that it does not continue into eternity. Paul clarifies the eternal significance of marriage when he uses it to illustrate the relationship of Christ to his Church. THAT is what is eternal, and when we get to the other side, the sign which pointed us to the reality is no longer needed. Fidelity in marriage is important not only for the stability of individuals and society, but also because it points us to the faithfulness of Christ. When the fulfillment of the eternal reality comes, the temporal is no longer necessary and would actually detract from all God has for us. The joy and blessings of my marriage to Linda will not simply be extended and amplified in heaven; the reality to which our marriage points will be fulfilled, and we will no more desire the earthly reality than a young couple who has discovered the joys of marital love would prefer the childish joy of unbridled freedom in a candy store.

It’s hard to imagine eternity devoid of the intimacy and love of our marriage, but that intimacy and love will be magnified and perfected in Christ, who in himself is the heart and meaning of heavenly bliss. “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now [we] know in part; then [we] shall know fully, even as [we are] fully known.” —1 Corinthians 13:12 

Creator or Created

 July 30, 2021

Sometimes what is said can mask what is implied, causing us to miss the most important fact. The Apostles’ Creed begins, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” This opening statement identifies which God we believe in—Father Almighty, the Creator. Then is identified the second subject of our faith: “Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” The statement about God the Father and that about Jesus Christ are separated from each other by the words “Maker of heaven and earth,”  which serves to inform us that Jesus Christ, though human, is not part of creation, but separate and distinct from it.

The early Church struggled to describe what the apostles had experienced in Jesus Christ. They knew he was a man, but also more than a man. One of the early heresies is called Arianism, named after Arius, a priest who taught that Jesus was created, that is, part of creation and therefore not eternally one with the Father. In other words, he may have been the first and best of creation, but he was less than God. This, the Creed denies by declaring faith in Jesus Christ alongside faith in the Father.

We owe much to the heretics. They weren’t necessarily deliberately distorting Christian faith, but in their attempt to explain what the Bible teaches, helped the Church sharpen the precision of our language as others reflected on what they said. The result was that through the teaching of what would eventually be declared heresy, the Church would sharpen its language and understanding, discarding teaching that was deemed close, but not quite there. 

A lot is at stake. What we believe about Jesus determines how we understand salvation. It isn’t mere academics; scholars arguing about inane and arcane but pointless fine points of doctrine. If for example, Jesus is created, he is at most, the best human being that ever lived. But if that’s all, his death on the cross is insufficient to save anyone, and we are ultimately left to our own devices. Grace is gutted; we are pretty much on our own. 

The Creed stands as a beacon, declaring Christ’s distinction from creation and therefore, his divinity, and ultimately, his ability to save us from our sins. For this, I am grateful tonight.

Seen and Unseen

 July 29, 2021

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” A few days ago, I wrote about what it means to believe in God as Father Almighty. I’ve been thinking about the next phrase, “Maker of heaven and earth.” There’s a lot to unpack here, but it’s the creation of things unseen that catches my attention tonight. It’s no stretch for me to believe in God as Creator of all that is around me. When I see the intricacy of the honeybee colony, the importance of “bee space,” the hexagonal shape of the honeycomb cell, the way the colony works together so much that it is the colony rather than the individual bee that is considered the organism, I have no problem believing in a Creator. My problem is believing this all came about as an accident of evolution.

The same goes for the hydraulic cycle, the variety of the birds that visit our feeders…the list goes on and on. But what about things invisible? One could make the argument that the Creed is referencing the invisible elements from which all things are made—molecules, atoms, and the like. I don’t believe this for a moment. I think the Creed is referencing the unseen world of angels and demons, principalities, powers, and the authorities Paul mentions in Ephesians 6.

I recently read of a saintly woman on her deathbed exclaiming, “I didn’t realize the other world is so close.” Yes, it is, and when I say I believe in heaven, I’m not speaking of the sky or outer space. I’m speaking about that other dimension of life that is more real than the one we can see and touch. It is our God who made the unseen realities of love, emotion, and faith that will endure long after my bees and birds return to the dust of the ground. I believe in the God who made everything, seen and unseen, and because I believe in him, I also believe that I am a steward, a caretaker of both this seen world and that which is seen only by faith.

Upside Down

 July 28, 2021

In Matthew 19 and 20, we see Jesus in a series of situations that take contemporary conventional thought and turns it upside down—divorce is unacceptable, willing celibacy is to be honored, children are important, wealth is disdained, equality of outcome is preferred over fairness, serving is the highest honor. Most of these stories are so familiar they have ceased to be alarming, but his parable of the workers in the vineyard troubles me. It is meant as a lesson about the mercy of God, but it comes at the price of promoting a kind of socialism. Jesus tells a story honoring equality of outcome (“Equity” in modern parlance) rather than equality of opportunity; had he continued the story, the next day the owner of the vineyard wouldn’t be able to find men willing to work from the beginning of the day.

I’m not sure what to do with this story except to read it in the context of these entire two chapters which are encouraging us to look at life from a different perspective. Jesus takes everyday life experiences and lifts up the opposite of what we would normally think of as the preferred outcome. What we value, he despises, and what we despise, he values. It’s a topsy-turvy world he holds out before us as he beckons us to follow him. He invites us to, as Spurgeon once said, “kiss the wave that dashes us against the Rock.” 

As I reflect on these chapters, I am forced to look at my perspective on life. I like to be busy. It’s easier for me to get busy doing things than to slow down and pray. For me, one lesson from these chapters is to consider prayer as significant as action. It’s hard; I tend to rush through my prayers so I can get at the day. But if there is anything to be learned from these chapters in Matthew, it is to be willing to question my priorities and look at my life from Jesus’ point of view, knowing all the while that his gaze penetrates uncomfortably, because only the discomfort has the power to move me to change.

Car Shopping

July 27, 2021

One of the outcomes of the Protestant Reformation of the 1500’s was an emphasis on the sacredness of all of life. It came down to us and became known as the “Protestant Work Ethic,” which declared in part, that all work is God’s work. I encountered this today.

Sunday, I posted how God convicted me of putting other activities and interests ahead of my time with him, and of my decision to quit researching vehicles and simply trust him. When I did so, God spoke quietly to me: “I will bring to you the very car you’ve been researching.” Faith that is kept to oneself isn’t really faith; you have to drive a stake in the ground like Martin Luther who told his inquisitors, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” So I wrote about it. 

Monday, I received a call from a dealer I had contacted earlier about a different brand car. I told Linda I was going to check it out. She got quiet. I know that quiet—I’ve heard it before! She was heading out to an appointment, but called me about a half hour later, telling me the reason for her silence. “You said you believed God was leading you to the other car; even wrote about it. Now you’re backpedaling on your word.” I didn’t like hearing it, but she was right. As a sidebar, I’ve often noticed that the voice of God often sounds like Linda’s. I scrapped my plans, and told her that today I was going to go to Buffalo and talk with Patrick, who has been trying for weeks to find us what we’ve been looking for, all to no avail.

Before leaving the house, I checked the dealer’s website, wondering if my trip would be in vain. I had told Patrick the day before that he was going to find our vehicle; “It’s out there somewhere,” I said, and when I checked this morning, lo and behold, there it was! It wasn’t new, but it was what we’ve been looking for, very low miles, in our price range, and get this—a model upgrade! I voice texted Patrick, telling him about the car. He couldn’t find it on their website until I gave him the stock number. 

A few minutes later, he called me back. “I’ve got good news and not so good news. The car hasn’t been sold, but we don’t know where it is.” 

“Find it,” I said. “I’m on my way.”

Find it, he did, but before I put my money down, I read him Monday’s post. “You are doing God’s work here,” I told him. Too often, we imagine God’s work is something we consider holy, like preaching or missionary work, but if we take seriously what it means to be made in God’s image, and the value God placed upon us when he gave his only Son to die for us, and if this world is in fact, God’s creation, there is no work that cannot be holy. It is past time for us to see ourselves and our work as having value, even eternal value when it is done in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Patrick, you don’t have to be a missionary or a preacher. Just be the best car salesman you can be, continuing to do your work with integrity and eternal purpose. God brought us together and has purposes in this we may never know in this life. So tonight, I give thanks for something as ordinary…and extraordinary as buying a car. From our first meeting, Linda and I had a sense that you were the man, I have no doubt God orchestrated everything. Even the mundane serves eternal purposes when we give it to Christ.

 

Fishing

 July 26, 2021

Yesterday’s sermon text was from Matthew 4:18-22 where Jesus calls Peter, James, and John. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” he said. Immediately, they left everything and began following. Jesus’ statement and its implication is clear: “If you follow, I will…” It follows that the reverse is also true: If I’m not fishing, I’m not following. It’s a lot easier talking about fishing than actually doing it. If one reads enough books, watches enough youtube videos, talks with enough real fishermen, it would be possible to wax eloquent about the virtues and techniques of fishing, but until he drops a line in the water, he can’t be called a fisherman. 

Throwing a perfect cast doesn’t cut it, either. That can be done in your backyard. A true fisherman studies the fish, knows what they’re biting on, knows the time of day, the best weather, whether to go deep or shallow, close to shore, or out in the deep. A real fisherman knows what it’s like to be sunburned and eaten by mosquitos and black flies. 

Too many Christians, myself included, are content to throw a line in the bathtub. We spend all our time with the fish Jesus has already caught. We don’t know the fish, we don’t know where the good fishing holes are, we don’t know when is the best time to go fishing. Truth be told, we’re afraid to fish. Some fish have sharp teeth; we could get bitten. We have to go to where they are, not where we wish they would be. We must be willing to be uncomfortable if we’re going to fish for men. 

I’ve never been much of a fisherman. We went a lot when I was a kid, but it never took with me like it did for my brother. I have some gear, but that doesn’t make me a fisherman. And having a Bible doesn’t make me a fisher for men. 

Yesterday’s sermon was convicting for me. Every so often, God slaps me up alongside the head. He did it yesterday. I’m thankful he keeps doing it. It means he hasn’t given up on me. But it also means I can’t give up on anyone else. So…people are still in season, so it’s time to go fishing!

Obsession

 July 25, 2021

God answers prayer! Sometimes quicker and in ways we don’t expect. Yesterday, my reading of Psalm 24 convicted me of allowing distractions to take precedence over my time with God. As I read this psalm, I was thinking about how easily I allow the news or social media to encroach on the time I’ve set apart for reading my Bible and praying. I get started and need to look up a text or definition, when something catches my attention and off I go! It goes back to when I was a kid, looking up something in the encyclopedia for a homework assignment. Hours later, I’d still be sitting on the stairs, reading. I learned a lot, but inadvertently developed up the bad habit of distraction. 

This morning, it wasn’t the distractions of Facebook or newsfeeds that God brought to mind. It was cars, as in automobiles. Linda and I have been looking for a replacement for our 2013 Fusion. It’s still running strong, but has plenty of miles on it. As summer began, we thought it best to start looking before it developed problems so we wouldn’t find ourselves in the pressure place where we had to do something quickly. A friend recently stopped by in a Hyundai Ioniq, a hybrid vehicle. Its mileage impressed me, so I started researching it and others. I read articles, watched videos, talked with dealers. And did it all over again. And again. Unfortunately, our vehicle of choice seems to be unavailable anywhere. Unfortunately too, I began to obsess over it, thinking about it continually…until God brought it to light this morning.

So this morning as I read that text again, God convicted me. “Instead of a pure, undivided heart, you are putting this vehicle hunt before Me, preventing you from truly entering My Presence.” Ouch! I had a choice, so I deliberately put it all in God’s hands. Immediately, he put within my mind a quiet confidence that he will bring to us the very vehicle we decided upon. I can’t remember ever before declaring such a thing publicly. Tomorrow, I’ll call the dealer and tell him he’s going to find it, but today, instead of continuing to obsess over it, I ascend the hill of the LORD, knowing the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.