Month: November 2020

Christ: The King

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Advent, Daniel, Narrative Lectionary, Scripture

“I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God;he endures forever.His kingdom will not be destroyed;his authority is forever.He rescues and delivers and performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”

Daniel 6:26-27 NET

DEVOTIONAL

Yesterday, the first Sunday of Advent, was Christ the King Sunday. One of the themes in Daniel is the unreliability on political powers, especially in chapter 6. Here the narrator informs us 122 political leaders are conspiring to have Daniel killed by the king.

The king, who is basically Barney Fife with a crown, is so inept he cannot detect his subordinates manipulating him. Once he does discover what is happening, he is powerless to go against his own edict. There is no hope found here.

Darius is hopeful that Daniel’s God has the power to save Daniel, a power that Darius only wishes he had. When Darius discovers that the living God has rescued Daniel, he immediately executes 122 political leaders, their wives, and their children. This is not a stable king that anyone should place hope in.

The concluding edict shows us that even Darius sees the need for his kingdom to place their hope in “…the God of Daniel. For he is the living God; he endures forever.”

Nebuchadnezzar didn’t last as king.

Belshazzar didn’t last as king.

Darius won’t last as king.

But God has an eternal kingdom.

This leads nicely into Daniel 7, which tells us of the “son of man”, a human who is able to ascend to the presence of “the Ancient of Days”, and be given all authority over every nation. This is the imagery Jesus activates in the hearts and minds of the listener every time he refers to himself as the Son of Man.

Our hope is found nowhere else, but in the true King and his eternal Kingdom.

PRAYER

Father, forgive us when we place our hope in anything other than you.

Too often we turn to political powers and authorities, to the god of financial security, the god of entertainment, the god of sex, or the god of pharmaceutical companies… Lord, we place our hope in so many things other than you.

But as the story of Daniel reminds us, it is only you, the living God, who has ultimate authority.

It is only you who rescues and delivers.

It is only you who performs signs and wonders.

It is only you who has an eternal kingdom.

All these other things will pass away, but it is you, the living God, who endures forever.

Father, help us to worship you with our time, our energy, our finances, and not these other gods. Help us seek after you, and your glory, not our own. And in doing so, Father, please bring us the unity we long for, where we all walk together hand in hand to praise and serve you and your Son.

Through our Savior, Jesus. Amen.

You Don’t Deserve This!

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Scripture

But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.”I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Isaiah 6:6-8 NET

DEVOTIONAL

Isaiah quickly realizes that his sin should not allow him to be in the presence of God. Yet as Isaiah comes to this realization that there is nothing he can do, his “evil is removed” and his “sin is forgiven,” not because of what Isaiah did, but by what God is doing. God has a mission of proclamation, and Isaiah is forgiven to do that work.

The majority of sermons I have heard over the years focus heavily on the idea that Jesus died to set us free from our sins so that we can one day live with him. While this is true, it ignores the “now what” question. I’m saved now, and later I’ll get to enjoy being in the presence of God, but what now?

Just as Isaiah has a role to fulfill for God, Paul reminds us of the same thing (Ephesians 2:10, 4:11-13). We play an important role in God’s mission in the world (Matthew 28:18-20), but that isn’t by our own power or our own righteousness. The abilities we have are gifts from God, the mission we have is a mission created by God.

We humans like to rank ourselves higher than others based on our own merits. But we must never forget that in the Kingdom of God, there is only one king, and we are not it. Our goodness is not a crown we get to wear, rather our mission is to point to the only One worthy of being called good.

PRAYER

Father, forgive us when we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. The story of Isaiah reminds us that we do nothing to earn our forgiveness. We do nothing to deserve the removal of our sins. Forgiveness of sins is something you, and you alone do for undeserving sinners.

Lord, please help me realize that I stand no more deserving in your presence than anyone else. Though I like to think my sin isn’t as bad as others, my sin deserves death, and you are the only one who can remove the death penalty.

Help me remember that Jesus died for all people, even those nailing him to the cross. So help me to show the same love and mercy to my sisters and brothers as you have shown for me.

Help us realize that we have not simply been saved from something, but rather you have saved us for something. So use us as instruments of your truth and grace to everyone we meet.

Through the name and power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.

The Worst and Most Successful Prophet Ever

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Narrative Lectionary

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Jonah 4:10-11 NIV

DEVOTIONAL

The short little book of Jonah is one of the most skillful literary masterpieces of the entire Bible. Every word it seems is a glowing hyperlink to another Biblical text. The more you explore, the more funny and pointed the story of Jonah becomes.

Jonah refuses to go to Nineveh because he doesn’t think they deserve being saved. The funny thing is that God has already given undeserved grace to Israel under the reign of Jeroboam by extending Israel’s borders to the largest they ever were. And he sent that message through none other than Jonah son of Amittai! (2 Kings 14:23-25).

The least godly person in the entire story is the prophet of God: he sleeps when he should be praying, the offers thanksgiving for his “death” inside the great fish, he preaches the shortest and most pitiful sermon in all of history (only 5 words in Hebrew), has the greatest repentance of any missionary ever, and then is angered by the fact that the people are doing exactly what God hoped they would do!

He’s the most upside down prophet that ever lived, and the sad thing is I can see a lot of myself in Jonah. If we’re honest, those of us who claim to follow Christ often wind up being the least Christ-like person in the room because we start acting like Jonah. This short little story deserves much reflection by all who claim to represent Christ in this world.

Prayer

Father, forgive us when we value stuff more than human life. Especially in this heated political climate we tend to value our stuff, our comfort, our ideas, our way more than other humans made in your image. Please forgive us of this sin.

Help us remember that you care for all people, regardless of what they think of you. Lord forgive us for having the spirit of Jonah, where we think of ourselves as better and more deserving of your mercy that those we meet.

Help us see this world as you see it. Help us love our neighbors as ourselves, and please remove the hatred, bigotry, racism, and sectarianism from our hearts.

Lord, have mercy on us for we are sinners.

Through the name and power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.