Thoughts on Joshua 2

So, as I am preparing for Sunday School last week, all of my resources say that Rahab's story is amazing because of her low place in society.  Rahab is a prostitute.  And she basically shows belief in the Israelite God (Yahweh) and acts on the belief by hiding Israelite spies.  By not betraying the spies, and thus betraying her own city of Jericho, she survives the coming destruction of her city and is allowed to remain outside the camp of the Israelites.

So, a couple of things strike me in this passage.
1.  Why did they spy out the city?  To see the layout of the city?  To know the number of people they would need to conquer?  The truth is, God brought the walls down with a show of force and intimidation.  And then the chaos that followed brought total destruction.  Were the words of the spies that necessary?  Perhaps.  And perhaps the spies were sent to find out if there was anyone who had faith, so that they might be saved.

2.  Was Rahab really poor and outcast in her city?  This point was brought out in our Sunday School class by Ben S.  In observing Rahab's situation, we notice the following:

• When she told the King about the spies leaving (lying about it) he believed her without much question.  It sounds like the King had no suspicions about her loyalty.  Either she was a very convincing liar, or the King had reason to trust and respect her judgment.  Perhaps she was both.  Or she had photos of the king . . . .
• She owned her own home, albeit on the wall.   But what a view.  You could argue that she was positioned near the gate in a place that was well-traveled and also common.  But, she does own the home and is not a slave . . .
• She apparently supported several family members with her wages.  Yes she was a prostitute; and apparently it paid pretty well.
• In ancient cultures, the prostitute was often given great cultural significance due to connections with local religious powers and also the secrets that they keep.  Since Rahab is not a slave, one could assume that her place in Jericho is one of independence.  
• The amount of resources at Rahab's disposal on her roof indicates great wealth and the ability to maintain that wealth.

Based on these facts, it is possible to see Rahab not as a down-and-out member of society, but perhaps as an independent, and even wealthy member of her community. 

So, does it make the story any more vibrant or "real" to suggest that Rahab was 1) a rejected member of society who believed in God and rejected her old life in Jericho for a new with the Israelite camp, or to say 2) Rahab was an influential member of her society when she rejected her place and acted in faith by betraying Jericho?  I bet your answer reflects your own socioeconomic status in your own community.

In the end, we see that the faith of one who (according to the Israelite law) was a sinner and foreigner--with impending judgment at her door--brought salvation to her and to her home.  And she was given access, albeit from outside the camp, to a new life with the people of the Israel.  I assume, then, that she was free from the burden of her past life of promiscuity and now able to make an honest living with a new people.

But this make me also wonder: Did the spies disobey God's command to destroy all things in Jericho?  Or was the action of faith enough to avert God's judgment?

16 days

I have been a minister for almost 20 years now, and I had not performed any infant funerals, until last Friday, April 20.  At 2pm I had the privilege of serving the family of little Serenity Paige Moreno.  She was born on March 28, and passed away on April 14, 2012.  She lived 16 days.

In truth, what does one say at the funeral of a baby.  Some funerals, especially for family and friends who have lived full lives, are celebrations or life.  And the memories shared are inspirational and comforting.  Yet, when preaching a funeral for an infant, the dominating feeling is "Why did this life end so soon?"  We seek for a rationale that will comfort and give assurance, but human logic fails in the face of the death of a child.  All of the preparations, investment of time/money/energy/, nine months of getting to know the baby (not just a fetus), dreams, expectations, hopes of life--all of it--disappear into a black hole of emptiness.  Gone.  Just gone.  And you truly wonder to yourself, "What can be said?"

The hard reality was, Serenity was born not breathing.  No one knows how long she was in the birth canal without oxygen.  Enough damage had occurred to force doctors to admit that they never really were able to measure any brain activity.  We prayed from the beginning for God to heal Serenity completely.  We prayed in full surrender mode:  God, please take Serenity.  If it is your will to heal her and send her back, we will gladly embrace her and help her grow.  If it is your desire to take her home, then help us to let go.  But we cry out for her complete healing.

And so we prayed.  Three times the family discussed funeral plans, and three times God allowed Serenity to stay on earth.  When the family met with doctors on April 10, we thought for sure they would take her off of the breathing machine and that she would pass away that very day.  But the doctors told us she had gained such strength over the weekend that they had to take her off the machine because she was doing so well.  And I was amazed at the gift of God in that moment.  We were prepared to say good bye.  God said wait, again.  

Until April 14, when she couldn't go any further, and God received her into his arms.  God answered our prayers--by giving her complete healing in heaven.  And we still pray for complete healing for her parents and family still on earth.

The family experienced a great amount of emotional, spiritual, and physical stress--mountain peaks and valleys--all in 16 days.

And yet, some wonderful moments of power, enlightenment, and transformation occurred in those 16 days.   Serenity's parents are still so young--and yet they were given a wonderful opportunity to hold Serenity and to love their child when all medical opinion and insight indicated that Serenity would not survive her first night. At least one family who delivered a baby in this time frame did not even get that much time with their child.

They had a moment to hold her hand and feel her strength--a strength that fought in spite of terrible odds. 

They watched as she fought for life--and were reminded that some things, especially life, are worth fighting for, no matter what the odds.

Both sides of the family were given the opportunity to hold each other up in stress, and to pray for one another.  There was an opportunity for strong family bonds to form.

The young parents showed great resiliency when other were ready to quit.  Their youthful optimism was contagious, and some of us mature folks were reminded of the limits of science and human logic. 

When they took Serenity off of the breathing machine, the whole family rejoiced just to hold her, even if for only a moment.  It was a moment of normalcy in an otherwise extraordinary struggle for life.  And as they held her, they experienced unconditional love in a new way.  There was no evidence that Serenity could ever respond, or perhaps even know, what was happening due to her lack of brain activity.  And yet, the parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nurses, aides, and anyone else with any emotional attachment to the circumstances, rejoiced to hold this child.  A truly extraordinary measure of unconditional love.  And perhaps even a measure of hope that just the touch of love might bring some measure of healing to this difficult situation.

And so, for 16 days, in the face of desperation and death, the power of hope and strength persisted, and still persists.

• Holding on to love. 
• Fighting for what matters.
• Contagious hope. 
• The frailty of human reason and the power of God's plan.
• Unconditional love.

 In the end, we thanked God for the 16 days he did give--days that were not guaranteed.  In fact, none of us are guaranteed another day in this life, and every day is a gift.  The challenge now is for those involved in Serenity's short life to continually give thanks to God for what he did give, and not be angry with God for not giving what he never promised.

So, what do you think you can do in 16 days?  God used a helpless, yet determined and strong, babe to touch the lives of parents, families, nurses, and friends.  What can he do through those with more abilities and strength who recognize their helplessness before God and surrender their life for his glory?

Easter Fun, with Purpose

What a wonderful Easter weekend.  I enjoyed several highlights, including Thursday Lord's Supper service, a Friday meditation on the death of Christ, helping to sponsor a local Easter Egg Hunt, wonderful Sunday morning Easter service, and seeing our congregation donate 10 Easter Baskets to the Ronald McDonald House.  Thank you so much,  SHBC, for sponsoring all of these wonderful activities.

I wanted to show a couple of photos from the Town and Country Mobile Home Park.  We delivered over 1200 eggs to this location and had over 80 children in attendance.  We have seen increased attendance each year we have done this event, and I hope we will continue to make an impact as we prepare for more service opportunities in this area.

Some rewarding moments from the Easter Egg Hunt:
1.  Seeing happy children with more eggs and candy than they knew what to do with.
2.  Hearing parents thank us for taking the time to think of their children.
3.  Seeing our puppet team perform with creativity and joy.
4.  Seeing some of our church families interacting with unchurched members of the T and C community.
5.  Getting to share the Gospel of Hope.
6.  Recognizing faces and families who are allowing us to become more than the church down the road.
7.  Dreaming about the possibilities.
8.  Pops in his Rabbit hat.
9.  And, of course, the Alligator song by the puppets.

We did not have any immediate confessions of faith by those who attended, but we are building were are starting to see fruit and trust.  Pray with me that the long-term goal of this work--growth in the Kingdom of God--will come.  For that is our purpose--to present the Gospel through relationships.

God speaks in our moments of despair. Luke 24:4

Reading in preparation for Easter Sunday, I was touched by the following verse.

Luke 24:4  "And they came into fear because of this."

Who is they?  The women at the tomb who came to finish burying Jesus, or at least to pay their respects after the burial.  And what is "this"?  That would be the empty tomb.

In their minds, the events of Friday were final, and they were struggling to deal with the reality of Jesus' death, as well as the death of their own hopes and dreams of a future with the Messiah as friend and Lord.

And then they saw that the tomb was empty.  The stone was rolled away.  And their reservations and disappointments and depression turned to utter fear and emotional disarray.  (My assessment of their emotions is based on two things.  1) The participle aporeisthai, which basically describes a feeling of surprise or uncertainty, and 2) the term egeneto which brings an image of change in their demeanor.  They were already emotionally spent from the weekend, and resigned to the new reality of life without Jesus.  But, whatever they were experiencing, it became more as they saw the empty tomb.)  It seems to me that their minds and hearts were now completely shaken again. 

And I find it ironic that the very sign of God's good news may have actually caused them to fall further into emotional confusion.  How many time does God does something wonderful in life, only for us to misunderstand his work at first? 

But God would not let this transformational moment pass by.

Luke 24:4b.  "And behold, two men (angels) appeared (epestesan, out of nowhere) to them, clothed in radiant garments."

God sent them a witness.  God sent them a heavenly witness.  As a matter of fact, Luke notes two witnesses, which is significant for legal representation and factual affirmation in local courts.  Since Luke is concerned with presenting the Christian testimony in a way the proves its validity in Roman courts, this is a significant notation for his Gospel. 

So, I find it very comforting to know that in the depths of emotional despair, and compounded by an unbelievable turn of events, that God waited until the right moment.  Then, sent a divine testimony to affirm the faith (as small as it was) of those who were seeking truth in the face of death and the tomb.

And in that moment God himself unleashed the Gospel testimony that has become so precious to those who believe:  He is not here.  He is risen, just like he said he would do.

And in the face of death, the Gospel message was proclaimed.  In the face of despair, hope had arisen.  In the face of confusion, the truth was known.   And God himself made it known through his messengers.

Does anyone need a word from God?  Does anyone need to know that God speaks in our confusion and frustrations?  Is anyone afraid that God is no longer speaking, or even absent?  The resurrection story reminds us that God himself is present, even in the face of the grave and death.  And he speaks clearly through the testimony of his servants:   Jesus Christ is risen!  Hope lives!  Truth lives!  Peace lives!  God has said it is so. 

Now, go and tell the others . . . . .

On Matthew 22:3. An observation on the Kingdom

Occasionally, I will dive into some theological debate, usually with a sharp stick.  And usually with intent to poke something to see what the response might be.  So, today I have some observations on Matthew 22:3.

As I am reading for my quiet time, I decide to pull out the Greek readers text that I have and read through a parable on the Kingdom.  And as I am reading, I note that Matthew 22 is parable in which Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven (God in Mark and Luke's Gospel) is like a King who makes preparation for a wedding for his son.  Now, there are many wonderful aspects to this parable, but here's the one that strikes me today.  In verse 3, Jesus states that the King "sends his servants, calling (aorist participle from "kaleo") to the ones having been called (perfect participle from the root "kaleo") to the wedding.  I suppose this second use of "kaleo" could be interpreted "invited," showing intent on behalf of the king.    The response of those called?  "And they did not want to come."

Realizing that the term "kaleo" is used, and noting that it is the same term used for the word "election," I find it interesting in this context that those who were elected chose not to attend the wedding.

So what does this mean?
1.  Well, we know that the elected in Israel did not receive their Messiah, so clearly Jesus' is predicting his rejection (well underway at this point in his ministry) by the elected ones of Israel.
2.  I think it also points out that election does not mean an automatic acceptance of God's plan.  This is a theological problem for those who believe in unconditional election and irresistible grace.  Yes, I know it is a parable.  And yes, I know it is dangerous to focus to much on a vocabulary term like "kaleo" and not on the overall context.  And yes, I know this parable focuses on Israel's election and not on Gentile Christian election.  However, I don't think any of these questions changes the idea that is assumed in this parable: you can be elected and invited, and still choose individually not to respond to, and even reject, the invitation.
3.  Since this current generation of elected Jews rejected Jesus, many of the "elect" did not personally receive the salvation that he offered.  And those individuals, according to the parable, were bound, thrown out, and suffered outside of the Kingdom of God.  There is no indication of restoration in the parable.
4.  Some of those Jews who were elect did receive Jesus as Messiah.

So, the parable emphasizes the coming judgment on the Jewish people who reject Jesus, as well as the coming opportunity for redemption and faith that will come to the Gentiles.  It is specific in its scope and context.  Yet, the use of "kaleo" or election is interesting to me here.  I would like to here a neo-reformed response or two to these observations.