Making the Light Brighter and Brighter

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Devotion

Peace be with you!

With so much pain, corruption, hate, and war in the world, it can be difficult to see joy and to be happy. My family and church family have experienced many deaths and serious health issues lately. Just when we think everyone is healthy, someone comes down with a serious health issue or dies unexpectedly. Not only are we facing personal struggles, but the world itself is so bleak these days. Homeless children on our Angel Christmas Tree are asking for blankets, toiletries, and shoes instead of toys. National news features stories about racism and police over-using their power, and international news is laden with headlines about ISIS and suicide bombers. We just cannot catch a break.

Then I turn to Isaiah and John the Baptist calling for us to rebuild and point to the light in the world, and I just want to throw up my hands. I would like one day of freedom from the darkness where I can laugh and run without waiting for the next batch of bad news—just one day without worrying about anything. Yet Isaiah calls us to comfort those to mourn by giving them hope in the Lord’s glory (Isaiah 61:2-3). We should help the children who are homeless with blankets, tents, toiletries, and shoes to give them hope in a better tomorrow.

We need to rebuild from the ground up to reclaim our identity as Christians—as the ones who point to the light. As Christians, we are to tend to the needs of the less fortunate—the poor, the naked, the homeless, and the forsaken, because we are all lost in the darkness. No one is better off than those next to them. We have all sinned—lied, cheated, thought wrongly, and gone against the Lord. We are nothing without our hope in the Messiah.

So we turn to John the Baptist in the wilderness, who points us towards the light. When he had the opportunity to claim to be the Messiah or Elijah, John the Baptist said, “I am not” (John 1:19-21). Then John the Baptist points us to the Messiah:

“I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal” (John 1:26-27 NRSV).

No one is worthy of the Messiah. No one is worthy of sharing a meal with him. No one is worthy of him making the ultimate sacrifice for our sins to reclaim us as God the Father’s children. No one is worthy.

Yet John the Baptist points us toward the Messiah, who is the light of the world. Our human condition creates our need for the light to come into the world. We need the light to draw us close to God again. Therefore, we need to make room for the light in our lives. We need stop living in the past and start living in the here and now. We need to stop pushing the issues of today aside and start making the light shine brighter. We need to stop dwelling in the darkness and direct ourselves, our friends, our family members, and everyone we meet to the light where there is hope in something better—something beyond our imagination. Because when we spread the hope, we take away Satan’s power, and we make the light brighter and brighter.

Go and tell the good news that the light is coming into the world.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for John the Baptist directing us to the light. Help us to see the light in the world. Lead us to share that hope with others. Thank you for giving us the duty to spread hope in the world. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. Who directed you to the light? Who needs to be directed to the light?
  2. Where do you find hope in the world?

Photograph: William Fernando Martinez/AP

Road Construction to Spread Hope

Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-11

Mark 1:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Road construction is annoying, dangerous, and sometimes impossible. Last week I visited a friend in Tampa, and my personal caregiver and I drove back late at night. There was lot of road construction along I-75 northbound with crews working under bright lights, which blinded my personal caregiver and me. Each time we transitioned between the bright white lights and complete darkness, dangerously, our eyes had to readjust. Despite the risks it can sometimes pose, road construction serves a long-term purpose: to make the road safer and better at a future date. It takes time to plan and build roads that fit the traffic patterns of an area.

Prophet Isaiah cries out to the Lord to comfort the Israelites (Isaiah 40:1). No matter the route the Israelites took from Babylon back to Judea, the journey required physical and emotional endurance.

“A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NRSV).

The Israelites have to prepare themselves before reentering the Promised Land. They have to change their ways by repenting of their sins through sacrifices and through following the Lord’s commandments. This requires the Israelites to examine themselves to see what is important in their lives.

No one enjoys dealing with strong and cumbersome emotions, which can derail even a strong person in moments of tragedy. As I have said in the past, I have had my share of tragedy this fall with the deaths of two grandparents and with other personal issues. I have had to change anxiety medication and find a new counselor to help me name the issues affecting my life. There have been days this past fall where if I completed two simple tasks, such as grocery shopping and making dinner, I called it a success. Cumbersome emotions take a lot of energy out of you and can bog you down.

As I deal with my cumbersome emotions, I hear John the Baptist echoing Isaiah’s words, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3b). How do you prepare for the Lord’s arrival into a world where there is pain, corruption, hate, and war? The only way is to continue to live out the good news of Jesus Christ—his forgiveness, love, and grace. God still has work to do in the world. He still needs to shine his light into the darkness. In a world where pain, corruption, hate, and war are threatening to overrun us, we are his light. We share the Lord’s light by living according to his ways and by sharing the good news with everyone we meet. In doing so, we spread hope that God has something else planned for us—that this world is just a part of his greater plan. This world with its pain, corruption, hatred, and war will fall away and give way to his new creation where we will not perish but have eternal life. This all starts with a baby boy lying in a manger. This is where we find hope.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending John the Baptist to show us the way to you. Help us to work through our cumbersome emotions, so we can walk in your light. Guide us as we shine your light into your world. Thank you for giving us hope in the darkness. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. What kinds of cumbersome emotions are you holding onto?
  2. Where do you find hope?

Where is the hope in the world?

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1-9

Mark 13:24-37

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There has been several times in recent years when I just begged God to send Jesus back to earth. How much more corruption can the world handle? How much can we as Christians take before we break? I saw the homeless sleeping on sidewalks under blankets in San Diego. Here in Florida, homeless families—children and all—live in the woods in tents. The Ferguson and the Eric Garner cases showed how the African Americans still feel oppressed by others. The Boston Marathon bombing and various school shootings have demonstrated the human brokenness in the world. When will God the Father save us from this broken world?

In Isaiah 64, the prophet reminds God the Father of the awesome power he possesses to save the Israelites from their oppressors. “Mountains quaked in your presence when you came down unexpectedly. We were stupid to break from your ways, and you have hidden yourself from us. However, a few of us remember your awesome power that saved us from our oppressors time and time again. We wish to do your work in the world again. Please take us back as your people” (Isaiah 64:1-9, my paraphrase). The Israelites beg to be in God’s good graces again. The Israelites are tired of living under their oppressors and come back to God. The Israelites repent for their sins and recommit themselves to the Lord as his people.

In America, society often forces us to act and speak a certain way. Anyone seen helping an individual with a disability is exclaimed to be a good public servant for being a caretake, instead of an equal and a friend. We are afraid to walk past individuals who are homeless on the street, especially at night, because somehow we feel above them and/or threatened by them. African Americans also are oppressed into lower income brackets and are not always given equal opportunities, which lead some individuals to gangs and violence. We are afraid of anyone on the edges of society, including those who are homeless, those with disabilities, and more. Society pits different groups against each other.

Yet Jesus says, “Keep awake! I am coming back” (Mark 13:33, 35, 37). Jesus reminds us hope is coming, though no one knows when; expect God the Father (Mark 13:32). We as Christians must stay awake and alert for Jesus’ second coming. We must keep our focus on the Lord’s ways and not let society drag us away. The Lord molds us to do his work in the world (Isaiah 64:8) until God the Father sends Jesus back. Our hope is in the fact something better is coming, something which will save us from the world’s oppressors. This world is just a stop along our way to the Kingdom of God.

Even when we are tired and feel defeated, we can hang onto the hope that Jesus is coming back for us. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for reclaiming as your people. Help us to keep our focus on your ways. Remind us to stay alert to see your work in the world. Thank you for giving us hope in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. What gives you hope?

 

  1. Image found at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/us/latest-news-eric-garner-protests-november-jobs-report-grammy-nominations.html?google_editors_picks=true&_r=0.

Reign of Christ: Shepherd the Vulnerable

Reading

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The world has so much injustice: starving children and the “one percent,” the homeless and the mansions, the naked and the two million dollar shoes, and [whatever “it” is] that seems not right. I understand equality is hard to achieve, but how can you let a child go naked when you fly around the world in a private jet?

The Lord is frustrated with the political leaders, prophets, and priests of Israel and Judah for only taking care of themselves (Ezekiel 34:5-6). The political leaders are the shepherds who are supposed to care for the weak, the hungry, the homeless, the naked, the disabled, the sick, and the poor. However, the political leaders are oppressing the vulnerable by putting their own needs and wants above the needs of others. The Lord made these individuals political leaders so they could shepherd his people by caring for their needs and upholding justice. Instead they were lining their pockets with gold and eating a whole calf (Ezekiel 34:2b-3).

The Lord takes back his people who are oppressed by the one percent. The Lord is the shepherd who will care for his sheep (Ezekiel 34:11-16). He will find the lost, care for the sick and the disabled, clothe the naked, and provide shelter for the homeless (Ezekiel 34:16). The shepherd tends to the needs of his sheep.

The Lord does not take kindly to those who use their power and wealth to take advantage of the vulnerable. The Lord punishes those who oppress the vulnerable. The Lord deals with the root of the problem by taking away the power of oppressors and making them vulnerable.

To be a good shepherd, a political leader should care about whom they are commissioned to serve God lifts up leaders who champion justice for the oppressed, such as King David who united Israel and Jesus Christ who died for our sins. Political leaders have the responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable and to bring justice to their oppressors. Jesus oppressed those who rejected his teachings and lifted up those who were on the outside looking in. By lifting up the vulnerable and including them in the community, political leaders become shepherds in their communities.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the kind of good shepherd after which political leaders can model themselves. Help us to use our leadership to care for the vulnerable and uphold justice. Guide us with your love, grace, and peace. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. Who uses their power to care for the vulnerable and to bring about justice?
  2. How have the vulnerable been oppressed?

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost: The Broken Cycle

Reading

Judges 4:1-7

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As we enter the story in the book of Judges, the Israelites are well in the midst of a terrible cycle: abandoning God when life is good and then running and crying to God when life gets difficult. The book of Judges follows this theme and shows how God rescues the Israelites by raising up judges.

In the grand scheme of life, not much has changed since the time of the Israelites. Our behaviors have not changed. When life is going smoothly, we stand on our own two feet and push God aside. We forget we need God for everything; we think we are in charge and have things under control. Somewhere along the way, we push aside our core values and start allowing outside influences to direct how we act and talk. God allows us to go our own way and lets us live with the consequences.

When the Israelites would start doing evil things, God would allow foreign leaders to conquer and oppress the Israelites. In our reading, the Israelites do evil things and God gives them to King Jabin of Canaan (Judges 4:1-2). God gives us the power to make our own decisions, but it means we have to deal with the consequences. The Israelites choose to abandon God and go against his commandments. God lets King Jabin to conquer and oppress them.

But as soon as life gets rocky, we run crying to God for help. The Israelites cry out to God (Judges 4:3) when they realize they were wrong to abandon God. The Israelites realize they need God’s protection from their enemies. Then God answers the Israelites’ cries by raising up a judge, Deborah, who leads them as a military leader (Judges 4:6-7). Deborah delivers the Israelites from King Jabin (Judges 4:24).

Then Deborah sings praises to God for allowing her to conquer King Jabin and deliver the Israelites from the oppression. The Israelites return to the ways of the Lord.

When we repent and return to the ways of God the Father, he forgives us for our trespasses. We give him glory for saving us from the way of the world. In the Old Testament, the Israelites had to make sacrifices to be right with God, but when he sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins forgiveness became free. God has always been a forgiving God, though through Jesus Christ we receive forgiveness freely when we repent.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for repeatedly extending forgiveness to us when we repent. Help us to live according to your ways. Lead us to do your will in the world. Thank you for always being there when we cry out. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. When have you cried out to the Lord?
  2. How have you shared God’s forgiveness with others?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: God Planting Us

Reading

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Joshua and the Israelites have conquered the Canaanites, Hittities, Hivities, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites and are now in possession of the Promised Land. They are settling in as a nation in the land God promised them.

Now the Israelites are given a choice: to serve God or to serve other gods (Joshua 24:14-15, 19-20, 23-24). God set the Israelites free from the Egyptian Pharaoh who forced them to do backbreaking labor. The Israelites are given the choice to serve God. It is a decision left entirely to the Israelites. God asks the Israelites to freely serve him, whereas the Pharaoh forced them to serve him.

The Israelites confirm their decision to serve God over gods (Joshua 24:16-18, 21, 24). They praise God for leading their ancestors out of Egypt and out of slavery, doing great signs, and protecting them in the wilderness (Joshua 24:17). The Israelites also praise God up for driving out the other nations out of the Promised Land (Joshua 24:18).

Each time Joshua asks the Israelites who they will serve, he reminds them of God’s wrath and the consequences of not keeping their promise (Joshua 24:15, 19-20). Joshua wants the Israelites to understand the commitment they are making to God. If the Israelites turn away from God in the future, he will not forgive them and he will consume and harm them. To the New Testament reader, this seems extreme, because we know God forgives through Jesus Christ. However, when we turn against God, we allow other things to consume and harm us. It is not ultimately God who consumes and harms the Israelites but themselves, because God chooses when, how, and if at all to stop us from harming ourselves.

God gives us the choice: to serve him or to serve idols and/or ourselves. When we serve anyone or anything other than God, we become vulnerable to the dangers of our decision. God chooses when and how to save us when we turn away from him, but he is always there to catch us when we turn back to him, like the Prodigal Son whose father welcomes him back home (Luke 15:11-32. God shows his unconditional commitment to the Israelites by sending numerous prophets to bring them back into a relationship with him. God never gives up on his chosen people, even when he sends his only begotten son to die for their sins. I feel so blessed to know God will lift me back up and plant me in his love when I am done trying to figure it out on my own.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the choice to serve you. Help us to recognize our need to serve you and to allow you to guide us. Be with us as we go out into the world and protect us from all idols. Lift us up when we fall and plant us in your love and grace again. Thank you for catching us when we fall. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. When have you turned away from God? How did you find your way back?
  2. When has God planted you back in his love and grace again?

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Raising a New Leader to Greatness

Reading

Joshua 3:7-17

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The transitions from Moses to Joshua and from the wilderness to the Promised Land are still taking place. God is forming Joshua into greatness. However, the transformation is a process—which takes time and energy. God verifies he will be with Joshua, like he was Moses in the wilderness in the past (Joshua 3:7). The leadership may change, but God will always be with the Israelites.

The Israelites will see, hear, and know God through Joshua, like they did with Moses. First, the Israelites hear God’s words. Joshua speaks God’s words to the Israelites to reaffirm his promise to be with them—they will conquer the Canaanites, Hittities, Hivities, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites for the Promised Land. Second, the Israelites see God’s power. Like Moses led the Israelites across the Nile River, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Twelve priests are chosen to carry the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River; they stand in the middle of the river to separate the waters (Joshua 3:12-14). The Ark of the Covenant is also important, because it is the agreement between God and the Israelites. By making the Ark of the Covenant a focal point, God reminds the Israelites about their agreement and his commitment to them. Third, the Israelites experience and recognize God’s power and he is with them. Understanding God’s power and commitment to you is so crucial to having faith in a God you cannot see. Faith allows you to be transformed by God throughout your life.

God also promises to transform Joshua into greatness like he did with Moses. God had to encouraging Moses up by telling him he was strong enough, and that he would be with him every step. God uses the same symbols to tell Israelites that Joshua is their new leader as he did with Moses—parting the Red Sea and the Jordan River. This eases the transition from Moses to Joshua for the Israelites by making it easier to recognize Joshua as their new leader and easier to recognize that God is still with them.

By allowing them to see, hear, and know him, God is accepting the Israelites as his chosen people. God allows the Israelites to cross the Jordan River on dry land to conquer the Canaanites, Hittities, Hivities, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites in the Promised Land. God delivers on his promise.

As I look at the past few weeks of grieving for my grandparents, I see God’s hand transforming me. I am not sure what God is transforming me into yet, but he is making me stronger and enabling me to recognize when, where, and how I need help when, where, and how I need him. Instead of waiting for direction from my parents, I feel his hand leading me to individuals who can help me and my family… I am becoming a caregiver in my family, instead of being cared for. It is an awkward shift in roles, yet God is the transformer. God is and will help and lead me, and that’s all I need to know.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for lifting Joshua up as a leader and transforming him into greatness. Give us the understanding that transformation into greatness happens over time, not in an instant. Transform us into greatness to do your work in the world. Thank you for being with the Israelites and leading them to the Promised Land. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. How is God transforming you into greatness?
  2. How is God keeping his promise today?

Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost: A Transition in Leadership

Reading

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Transitions are both exciting and downright scary. A new adventure—job, move, school, [whatever “it” is]—is always exciting, because we are one step closer to achieving a long-term dream. However, the new adventure can also be scary, because it means a dozen changes in our lives—new city and new home—and leaving behind our comfort zone—our friends and family, our local surroundings, and our community. Transitions involve changes that excite and challenge us.

The Israelites are facing a transition: entering the Promised Land. The Lord shows Moses the land he promised to Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac from Mount Nebo before he dies (Deuteronomy 34:1–4; Numbers 27:18-20). However, the Lord does not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. After forty years of following Moses in the wilderness, the Israelites are at the edge of the Promised Land where they must say farewell to their leader. When Moses dies, the Israelites mourn for thirty days before entering the Promise Land.

The transition involves two major changes for the Israelites. First, the Israelites must accept Moses’s appointee, Joshua, son of Nun, as their new leader (Deuteronomy 31:14, 23). After forty years of following Moses, the Israelites have grown used to Moses’s leadership style and have a relationship with him. Now the Israelites must say goodbye to Moses and follow Joshua. Anytime a change in leadership happens, people have to mourn the loss of their previous leader. The Israelites take thirty days to mourn Moses’ death and to get their minds wrapped around leaving him behind to follow Joshua into the Promised Land. A new era awaits the Israelites, but they pause to honor Moses and his leadership.

Second, the Israelites transition from wandering in the wilderness to living in the Promised Land. However, war against the Canaanites would have to transpire before Israel would take hold of their promised nation. Transitions usually involve some kind of loss. My family has suffered an unusual amount of loss the past month. Two of my grandparents went to heaven. Now we are left to mourn and begin to process what that means: who will look after my widowed Grandma, who will comfort and reassure us, who will say grace at the family gathering, and [whatever “it” is] that they always did. Although we know they are in heaven with the Lord, we pause and reflect before moving forward into a new era that will be led by the next generation.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Moses’s leadership for those forty years in the wilderness. Help us to transition into the next phase of our lives. Lead the next generation to walk in your ways and to continue the work of those who went before us. Thank you for being with us in these transitions. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. What kind of transitions are you going through right now?
  2. After whom do you model your leadership skills?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Where is God Now?

Reading

Exodus 33:12-23

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Have you ever so been emotionally exhausted that God felt far away? My past three weeks have been a constant cycle of pack, fly somewhere, be with family and friends for a big event (funerals, a wedding, and a church event), fly home, do laundry, attend appointments and meetings, and repeat. Two of the funerals I attended were for my grandparents; they died only two weeks apart. Then an uncertain situation emerged, adding even more stress. This week has been the first full week I have been home in my own bed (glorious!). My three pups are glad my suitcase is in the closet, and I am staying home for awhile. As I have begun to decompress from the past three weeks, I have found myself and dealing with some explosive emotions

You too have your own stories of wandering in the wilderness as the Israelites do in today’s reading. Some days and weeks God seems so distant and unreachable.

Moses and the Israelites are wandering around the wilderness and aimlessly following an invisible God. They feel lost and confused. The Israelites are asking, “Where is God? Who is God? What does God look like? Are we still his chosen people after breaking the covenant? Is God still leading us to the Promised Land?” The Israelites are getting tired of being in the wilderness and not knowing the answers to these questions. They are growing tired of the endless cycle of collect manna, break down camp, listen to Moses, walk for hours, set up camp, sleep, and repeat. For forty years the Israelites are living in uncertainty, without a place to call home.

Moses goes to God and says, “You know each of us by name, and you respect and love us, yet you have us wandering aimlessly in the wilderness and have not shown yourself to us. How do we know you or one of your agents is with us? Reveal yourself to us” (Exodus 33:12-13, 15-16, 18).

God reassures Moses, “Yes, I know you by name and respect you. I will allow you to see and feel my back when you stand on the rock. When I pass you, I will put my hand over your head, so you do not see my face. I am a gracious and merciful God who shows grace and mercy to his people” (Exodus 33:14, 17, 19-23).

When we feel lost in an endless cycle of explosive emotions, God feels distant and unreachable. We ask, “Where are you, God? Are you here?” These are times I have to force myself to pray and be quiet – to shut out the drama, the endless cycle of demands, and talk to God. Sometimes I feel like a two-year-old who should be put down for a nap as I whine to God. However, these are the times I most need to feel God’s presence and talk with him. I cannot repeat the endless cycle of life without God’s grace and mercy, because when the load is too heavy (and it always is), he carries me through.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being with the Israelites in the wilderness. Help us to feel your presence in the endless cycle of life. Wrap us up in your arms and carry us through the darkness into the light. Quiet our minds and allow us to hear you. Thank you for your grace and mercy when we get lost. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. Are you lost? Where? How?
  2. How do you find your way back to God?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Interceding for the Israelites

Reading

Exodus 32:1-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As our scene opens, Moses is on the mountaintop, meeting with God for forty days and forty nights and being given the Law (Exodus 24:18). Meanwhile, the Israelites forget about the Lord quickly and impatiently ask Aaron to make them idols to worship instead (Exodus 32:1c). Only a few chapters before this, the Lord gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, including the prohibition against idols (Exodus 20:4). Aaron does it to honor the Lord (Exodus 32:4-5), but he also creates the golden calf to appease the Israelites. However, the Israelites ask for the idol, because they had not seen Moses in awhile (Exodus 32:1d). On the festival day, the Israelites’ activities get out of hand, such as drinking and having sex, (Exodus 32:6), which further upsets the Lord.

Parents can understand God the Father’s anger. Here’s an example from my childhood: I remember my brother and I waiting in our big Ford van; my mom was supposed to come out and drive us somewhere. Well, she was taking too long, and we starting fighting and wrestling in the van. When she finally did come and saw us fighting, she got really angry, started screaming at us, and grounded us to our rooms. I am pretty sure sending us to our rooms was for our own safety as well as being a punishment.

The Lord is stormy upset with the Israelites. He is ready to go back on his promise to Noah and consume the Israelites (Exodus 32:10). Like my mom, the Lord is beside himself with what to do with his people.

The day of the “van incident,” my mom called our grandparents. “We are not coming over today,” she said. “Those kids are grounded.” I am sure our grandparents had to remind our mom that we were good kids normally.

In the same way, Moses appeals to the Lord on the behalf of the Israelites. Moses knows the Lord is a God who keeps his promises and loves his children. The Lord does not want to kill the Israelites, not after delivering them out of Egypt. Moses reminds the Lord about his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel to give them numerous descendents (Exodus 32:12-13). In a way, Moses reminds the Lord of the fifth commandment to honor your family and sixth commandment not to kill anyone. The Lord has to follow his own commandments to earn the trust, honor, and respect from the Israelites.

The Lord changes his mind; he will not consume the Israelites, but will allow them to live (Exodus 32:14). The Lord does not give up on the Israelites just because they have fallen short of his expectations. The Lord loves the Israelites unconditionally and understands their shortcomings. The Lord wants to keep his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel to make a nation from their descendents.

Our mom did not give up on my brother and me either, even when we would stray away or make her crazy. In this way, she embodied the grace and commitment of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving the Israelites numerous second chances. Help us to embody your grace and commitment in our relationships. Guide us with your trust, honor, and respect to share your love, grace, and peace. Thank you for being in a relationship with us, even when we fall. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

  1. Who embodies the grace and commitment of the Lord for you?
  2. Do you know someone who is far from the Lord today? Intercede for them like Moses did for the Israelites.