Jan. 26 -31, 2009
January 26, 2009
ACCEPTING OTHERS AS THEY ARE
Reading: Zechariah 2:1-3:10 and Romans 15:1-13
Little Johnny really wanted to be a Boy Scout. All of his friends were Boy Scouts, but he wasn't. After a while, his friends began to tease him. Some stopped being his friend. They decided they just couldn't be friends with a someone not a Boy Scout. They no longer accepted Johnny for who he was. The whole issue became who he wasn't.
How good are we at accepting people different from ourselves? Do we try to "knock them down to size"? Do we try to "make them be like me so they understand me"? Do we really see them as others brought back to God by Jesus' death and resurrection just as we are?
St. Paul tells us we need to accept others as they are. It's not our job to change them. We also need to bear with any who are weaker in faith than we. We need to help them in their faith, not try to show how much better our faith is.
We also need to accept people from other cultures. They may have as much trouble understanding our culture as we have understanding theirs. In St. Paul's day, Jews and Gentiles had problems understanding and tolerating one another because of different cultures and different religions. St. Paul tells the Jews to understand the Gentiles. Why all this understanding? God understood us and our sinful condition. He sent Jesus to deal with our condition by dying on the cross and by rising from death. We are really no better than anyone else.
Jesus also went back to heaven. Heaven is the final fulfillment Zechariah speaks of. There all will be perfect. The filthy garments of sin will be replaced by the white garments of perfection given us by Jesus' death and resurrection. Our sin, like the sin of the High Priest in Zechariah 3, will be taken away by Jesus' blood. In heaven, sin and all the bad things it brings us will be gone forever.
Doesn't the promise of such a place make you able to tolerate a few people here on earth?
Prayer. Lord, help us to accept one another as You accept all in Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen.
January 27, 2009
OUR AMBITION AND GOD'S WILL
Reading: Zechariah 4:1-5:11 and Romans 15:14-33
Ambitious people often get ahead in business. They are willing to work harder and longer than others so they often succeed where others fail.
Zerubabel had great ambition. He led the people of Judah back from exile. He had ambitions to rebuild Jerusalem. He had ambitions to rebuild a nation. His ambitions were great and his accomplishments many.
But, God had to warn him to remember by whose Spirit rebuilding would succeed. Zerubabel wanted to do things his way. He wanted to trust in human might, human power, and human ingenuity. God said he should think only of God's Spirit and go where the Sprit of God led him.
St. Paul has a similar experience. He greatly wanted to take the Gentile relief offerings to Jerusalem. One problem would meet him there. The Jews were out to get arrest him and to kill him. His life would be in danger if he went to Jerusalem. So, he kep praying God would send him there and keep him safe.
Did St. Paul moan and groan when it took time to get to Jerusalem? He did not. He knew the ministry was God's. he knew God would find a way to get the offering to Jerusalem even if he couldn't take it there himself.
St. Paul also knew God had a ministry for him in Rome. When he would arrive there, he didn't know. In what condition he would arrive, he didn't know. But he trusted God would take him there and use him in a great way for the good of the Roman Christians.
How's our ambition? Are we trying to accomplish everything by human effort and strength? Look to God. He accomplished our salvation by Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection. Humans wouldn't have done it that way, but God knew better! Can't we trust Him to lead us where our ministry will be most effective?
Prayer. Lord, help us always to trust You to lead and to guide us in the best way to accomplish the ministry of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
January 28, 2009
JUDGMENT UPON EVIL PEOPLE
Reading: Zechariah 6:1-7:14 and Romans 16:17-27
Conflict happens. It is part of the normal life cycle in this sinful world.
God wishes us not to be in conflict. People arise from time to time liking to cause conflict in the church and in society. St. Paul tells us to mark these people. We need have no more to do with them. We especially want to avoid people causing divisions in the church through heresy and false teaching, as they have opportunity to lead us away from God.
Zechariah begins by telling of a happy scene. A king was to be crowned. He was God's choice for king, so he brought God's blessings with him. Judah was about to live under God-given lack of war and prosperity again. The wonderful news of the king's crowning made all happy.
What of the nations harassing Judah? We see the judgment of God coming upon them. The horses are the same horses we see in Revelation. They are hitched to chariots and ready to execute their judgment on all evil people. They will never again harass God's people. The king and his people will live in peace.
While the immediate picture is one of the restoration of Judah under Zerubabel, we need to take a look at the future fulfillment of the words here.
Jesus ascended into heaven and was crowned King of All. He now prepares a place for us. Our baptism began our quest for that place. The Holy Spirit has led us through Word and Sacrament to wish to ho to the place. Yes, we're talking about heaven.
Before we get to heaven, all evil forces will be defeated. The chariots we see in Zechariah also appear in Revelation 6. The evil forces and the world itself will be destroyed at Jesus' Second Coming.
A new heaven and a new earth will come forth. Because Jesus died and rose, we now have assurance that God will take believers in Him to that place. Evil people and angels will be destroyed forever in hell, far away from God.
Prayer. Lord, help us so we are not judged with the evil people, but are taken to heaven to live with You forever because Jesus died and rose for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Jan. 29, 2009
RESTORING GOD'S CHURCH
Reading: Zechariah 8:1-23 and 2 Timothy 1:1-18
.The restoration of God's people comes when God comes back and lives with them again. God restores His Church because He loves her and wishes her to do well. In that way, the Church is like Jerusalem in Zechariah 8. When she needs renewal and restoration, God is there to renew and to restore her with His Word and Sacraments. Change in hearts and also in practices will be a part of the renewal and restoration. God will deal with and destroy the road blocks to the renewal of the church. Those outside the Church will marvel at His mercy and His power and come to see more of His story.
Timothy was a young pastor St. Paul trained. He was like a son to St. Paul. He was sent to churches of his day to renew and them to help them with problems. Some have called Timothy, :The world's first Intentional Interim Pastor." So he was.
St. Paul writes to Timothy from Rome, where he is imprisoned under house arrest. St. Paul is lonely for Timothy. He thanks God for Timothy and for his service to God's people. Paul's concern is that Timothy continue tom witness forcefully to the Gospel. Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection call for the continued witness. St. Paul is suffering under house arrest. He suffers and is willing to endure the suffering because of Jesus' work for him and for us.
How good is your witness to Your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Could you suffer as St. Paul did? Could you take abuse for the sake of Jesus? Could you travel to proclaim the Gospel as St. Paul and Timothy did? Are you willing to die for you faith?
God gives us pastors so we can learn more about Him. They help us to see Jesus in their lives. They also help us to learn better and more effective ways to show Jesus in our lives. Do we listen to them or do we try to judge and evaluate them on worldly standards?
May God give us all His Holy Spirit so renewal may come to us so we can help to renew His Church.
Prayer. Lord, make me a renewer of the Church. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Jan. 30, 2009
GOD FIGHTS FOR US
Reading: Zechariah 9:1-17 and 2 Timothy 2:1-26
The noise of battle rages on and on in our world. Historians tell us the last 250 years have seen the most wars since the world began. The United States has seen every generation since its founding fight in one war or another.
An army fights for its country. God fights for His people. Zechariah tells of a time when God will fight a mighty army and defeat it so Israel can live. In this case, the Greeks are the army. God eventually defeated the Greeks by using the Maccabees in the 160's B,C, God still fights for us.
The greatest battle God ever fought for us was the battle to defeat sin and Satan. He had to win this battle to make us His children again. Jesus won this battle on the cross and sealed His victory forever with His resurrection. The final victory over sin and Satan will come as Jesus returns from heaven to take us to live with Him forever in heaven.
Zechariah 9:9-13 is used for the Old Testament Lesson on Palm Sunday.and Sunday of the Passion in the Year of Mark (this year). It describes Jesus riding into Jerusalem as did David, the great King, on a donkey. We see Jesus as both the Messiah/Son of David and as the Servant/King. The peace He brings gives us the way to say, "Do not fear. God is here," at all times in life.
God also fought for Timothy. He kept Timothy confessing the Christian faith in spite of false pastors and heretics. God kept Timothy so he could be an approved workman of God. God is always faithful and also keeps us at times when we really need His help. He gives us the ability to go forward and to witness to Him at all times. Timothy is a good example of how we are kept by God.
Prayer. Lord, keep us faithful to You and fight against sin and Satan so we can be approved workmen for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Jan. 31, 2009
GOD CARES FOR US AS WE WITNESS
Reading: Zechariah 10:1-11:3 and 2 Timothy 3:1-17
An popular hymn tells us, "God will take care of you." God cares for us in many ways. He uses parents to care for us when young. He uses pastors to care for our spiritual welfare. He uses police and firemen to keep us safe and to keep our homes safe from fire. He uses doctors, nurses, and hospital personnel to care for us when we are ill or injured.
God greatest act of care for us happened in sending us Jesus to be our Messiah and Savior. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah in today's reading. He is the Good Shepherd who faithfully and perfectly shepherds and rules over us. Jesus died so we, who are like wandering sheep, might be kept close to God. The Holy Spirit uses our baptism and Holy Communion as well as the Bible to keep us in God's care.
Many preachers today want to lure us from Jesus. They preach prosperity or some sort of ironclad law instead of Jesus Christ. They might even tell us to look for "Possibilities." These people worm their way into the consciences of people and confuse them. People think possibilities or some new thought about the Bible is better than the Gospel itself. It is not!
St. Paul tells Timothy to stand fast on what he's already learned. God inspired Holy Scripture as He saw fit. He gave us the Good News of Jesus in a way we could understand. He also make us wise to be saved through the words of Scripture. We receive training in faith and life from the words of Scripture. No person can equal the treasures we receive in Holy Scripture. God's care for us in Scripture gives us all we need to witness effectively for Jesus Christ.
Prayer. Lord, Keep on caring for usm through Jesus. Give us Your Word through Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit to show us what we need to learn. In Jesus' name. Amen.