The first casualty of war

About the growing conflict in the Middle East: 

There is an old saying that the first casualty of war is the truth. If truth is the first casualty, it doesn't fall alone. Some other early casualties are peace-of-mind, the willingness to believe that other people are decent even if they have ties to either side / the other side / both sides / neither side, the willingness to give people the benefit of the doubt, and some curiosity about why some people see things differently. The Ten Commandments definitely get broken a fair few times if we judge our neighbors too quickly. There is a temptation to listen -- and repeat -- when we may not know the facts for ourselves. We may find ourselves bearing false tales, or bearing false witness against others, or having false witness borne against us in turn. 

I think that praying for our enemies has a special relevance when there are wars and rumors of war. Any side may fall to the temptation to tell only their own side, see only their own side. May there be peace and justice in our time. Peace does not come from retaliation or escalation, or even from annihilating the opposition. Peace needs to be built, and building peace takes understanding and compassion. Where those are in short supply, let the faithful speak faithfully. 

Rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God

I'm continuing to contemplate hope. As I study the Scriptures, I am intrigued by how strongly Paul focuses on hope in his letter to Rome. I found this passage of Scripture stretches my heart and mind in new directions: 

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice also in our trials knowing that trials work patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

"The hope of the glory of God" is encouraging for me to consider. When I think of his glory, I think of the beauty of his holiness, that unique combination of power and purity at the heart of creation. It brings me thoughts of the last day, of justice, of restoration, of peace. Paul says we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. It's a glad thought, a celebration here and now. I could look forward to the glory of God the way that a child looks forward to Christmas, and my days would be better for it. 

I've read this passage before -- and I remember years ago thinking the part about "rejoicing in our trials" was nonsense. During a season of hardship, I remember people telling me that on the other side things would be better again; I remember disbelieving it. "Trials work patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." While our hope is in God, a serious trial can take our eyes off God -- and a light which is not seen is no help at all. Now that I have been through more trials in life, it makes more sense: experience also teaches hope. St Paul knew of which he spoke, given the number of hardships he had endured. Shipwrecked, arrested, imprisoned, beaten, fleeing for his life at times. He knew that eventually one of those hardships would have his name on it and be his last in this world. In the meantime, he understood: Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It took more experience before I understood that. 

Then Paul speaks of some fulfillment of hope in this present world: "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us." This world has troubles; there is always need for the love of God. For an infusion into my own heart, that is a beautiful and desirable thing. I pray for the love of God to be shed abroad in my heart that way. If all of us who hope in God would have his love poured out into our hearts, and from there we pour that love into the world, then the world would change. We're human, we're fallen; it's too easy to grumble against each other and find fault with each other. Better that I should let the love of God be shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit, better that I should receive that gift of love gladly. If we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, I would desire for that same peace to extend to each other as well. 

A Living Hope

St Paul famously taught that the three greatest gifts of God's Spirit are faith, hope, and love -- and the greatest of these is love. Recently I have been studying each of these, and today am contemplating hope. To get a fresh view, I wanted a word cloud of the verses in the New Testament that discuss hope*: 

according (5) accuse (3) believe (5) called (5) Christ  (14) consolation (3) continue (3) dead (4) deliver (3) end (4) face (4) faith (11) father (6) Gentiles  (4) given (4) glory (5) God  (25) grace (4) heard (3) hearts (3) holy (3) hope (66) Israel  (3) Jesus  (11) joy (3) labour (3) life (4) living (3) Lord  (10) love (4) man (3) patience (4) Paul  (5) Pharisee  (3) prayers (3) promise (5) rejoicing (5) resurrection (3) riches (4) sakes (3) Saviour  (3) shortly (3) speak (3) subject (3) therefore (5) things (15) trust (18) world (3) write (4) written (3)

created at TagCrowd.com

The word cloud shows the words most commonly associated with hope in the New Testament by use in the same verse. In the AV ("King James") translation, "trust" is actually used as a translation of hope in many cases. The prominence of "trust" in the word cloud is because the thought or feeling of "trust" is so similar to "hope" that it can be a translator's judgment call which way to translate it. 

Paul's famous passage discusses faith, hope, and love specifically as gifts of the Spirit. The  word cloud gives us the bigger picture throughout the New Testament: the scriptures trace the reason for hope to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, often as part of the same thought: 

Hope and God the Father

• And have hope toward God ... that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. Acts 24:15 
• ... the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Acts 26:6 
• ... rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2 
• And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5 
• Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13 
• That at that time you were without Christ ... strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: Ephesians 2:12 
• To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27 
• Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:16 
• For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe. 1 Timothy 4:10 
• In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2 
• That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Hebrews 6:18 
• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 

Hope and Christ Jesus

Some of the verses here were also included when discussing the Father's role in hope, though some here are new: 

• ... God would make known what is the riches of the glory ... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:27 
• Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:16 
• For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 1 Thessalonians 2:19 
• Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 1 Timothy 1:1 
• Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 
• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 

I tend to think of hope only when I notice it is in short supply. And then, because it is in short supply I find it hard to refill. So it seems that hope is something that should be a staple in my walk of faith, and that re-reading these verses with their promises would lead to the faith in Christ that replenishes my hope. If I imagine it depends on my optimism then I mislead myself. It depends on waiting for God, and for Christ. 

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* Methodology: searching for underlying Greek words elpizo and elpis by Strong numbers (G1679 or G1680 respectively). English text used an AV "King James" translation, slightly modernized. While those words are typically translated "hope" (66 times), it is also translated "trust" a number of times, and "faith" once. 

Grounding Our Faith: Touchstones

We live in uncertain times. That statement has probably been true for most times and most places in this world. The greatest of spiritual gifts are faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. While I have often turned my thoughts to love, how often have I turned my thoughts to faith? It seems overdue to consider it better. 

There are times in the Bible when I see people turning their thoughts to the great deeds of God to kindle their faith or to anchor their faith. Some figures in the Bible seemed to remind themselves of ancient times, of the exodus from Egypt or of God's mercy to Abraham, in that light. But those events are far removed from my thoughts; I'd like to turn my thoughts to Jesus' life. 

• Jesus speaks of God's faithfulness on the Last Day. Those who mourn will be comforted. The peacemakers will be counted as His children. The days of grief and enmity will end. God wills it, and God will accomplish it. 
• Jesus speaks of God's providence. The birds of the air have no jobs and no worries; they have food. And not even a sparrow falls apart from God. 
• Jesus heals our physical selves. We say that Jesus heals the sick -- true enough. Still, when people told of Jesus' healing they described things more serious than the sniffles. They spoke of healing leprosy, curing paralysis, curing blindness, curing deafness. Health and wholeness follow his touch. 
• Jesus raises the dead. He raised Lazarus, and the daughter of Jairus, and the son of the widow at Nain. And God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Any catastrophe we may face, he can undo. These are things I can call to mind to encourage my faith. 

Learning love from Jesus: The Gospel of Matthew

Learning to love is part of learning to follow Christ. This week I am looking at ways that Jesus shows love, reviewing the Gospel of Matthew. When I think of Christ's love my thoughts turn first to the big things: his humility, his humanity, his death for our forgiveness. These deserve their key place in Christian thought and devotion. They have world-shaping importance for our understanding of God. Trying to imagine anything in my own life comparing to that can seem prideful, even grandiose. While there are thoughts in there for us, today I want to look at some other ways in which Jesus has shown his love for us, and how he shows us a kind of love that we can reflect in our own lives. 

He called Peter and Andrew, James and John, and more disciples to follow him. He loved them by seeking them out, seeking their company, inviting them, including them in significant things, giving them importance in his life. When his relatives sought him, he recognized and honored the closeness of those who stood with him: they were his brothers. 

When crowds came to him from all over the place, he had honest unfeigned compassion for their troubles. He listened. He knew their needs, recognized their needs, met their needs. He did not turn away people who came to look for him. He loved them by welcoming them and hearing them. 

When people invited him for meals he accepted. He was willing to listen, willing to be a guest, willing to participate in other peoples' lives, willing to include and be included. He took time to be part of their lives. 

For his disciples he had an additional role in their lives: he prepared them for the future. He set their expectations of what was to come, equipped them for what they would need to do, forgave them their imperfections. He was patient with them. 

He spoke the truth with love. He did not hide his thoughts or play it safe in the face of disapproval. He found people starved for clarity and insight, for compassion and wisdom, for leadership deserving of the name. While his opponents used words as snares and traps, he used words to set people free. So many people would willingly follow someone who truly loved God. He recruited help, trained help, and sent workers into the field. He trained others to live the same life of love as he lived.  

Which is where we come into the story. On the day that the disciples asked, "Teach us to pray," I find myself wishing they had asked, "Teach us to love." Of course he did that without their asking. And yet I'd have loved to hear his answer. 

God's generosity

Today my thoughts are on the parable of the workers in the vineyard: 

"The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went at daybreak to hire laborers for his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them to his vineyard. He went out about the third hour [and hired more laborers without naming the price except in terms of fairness] ... Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hours, and did the same. ... Around the eleventh hour, he went out and found others ... When evening came [he paid them all the amount agreed for those who worked a full day. Some complained.] And he answered, "Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for the denarius? ... Are you envious because I am generous?" (Matthew 20:1-16 excerpts)

God is generous. From this parable I gather there is no second-rate heaven for those who were slow to enter the kingdom of heaven, or those who were slow to find their calling. All who answered that call are welcome: fully welcome. The kingdom of heaven is not a kingdom where we keep score against each other, and look down on some who started late or did less (and have others look down on us if they started earlier or did more). Heaven is not a place where there is status, or better-than, among those welcomed by God. Heaven is a place of fellowship, where we all enjoy God's generosity. 

The parable gets its element of surprise from being described as an earthly workplace. Whether we have a daily rate, an hourly rate, or an annual rate, we are paid for our time. Some people play that game by angling for a better rate for our time. Others play that game by angling for more time on the clock. Regardless of how a worker plays the game, the amount is in the control of the owner. The kingdom of heaven is not about being the hardest-working. It is about knowing the one in control is honest and generous. No one who sets foot in that vineyard has any risk of being treated as less than another -- at least not by the owner. May I set aside my tendency to count and account, when there is an opportunity to see someone enjoy God's generosity. 

Jewish context of Jesus' teachings: An allusion with layers of meaning

In the church year, this Sunday's focus is forgiveness: we read about Joseph forgiving his brothers, and we read Jesus' teaching on forgiveness. Peter asked him how many times he must forgive his brother: Should he forgive him seven times? As you may know: 

Jesus said to him, I say to you not seven times: but, seventy sevens. (Matthew 18:22)

There were symbolic numbers in play. I'm not convinced that Peter meant literally 7 when he asked; the number 7 is associated already in classical Jewish culture with completeness, with Sabbath, with forgiveness and rest. So Peter's question may not have been strictly about accounting. I have never heard a preacher suggest that Jesus' answer was about accounting. There is an agreement that it is a symbolic number indicating a bottomless well of forgiveness, as solidly supported by the parable which Jesus tells next. 

Today, I would like to pause and focus on the number itself. "Symbolic" is not the same as "meaningless", and to get the full weight of meaning, it is worthwhile to stop and unpack the symbolism. "Seventy sevens" is not without precedent. We find the number used prominently in another passage: 

Seventy sevens (weeks) are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. (Daniel 9:24) 

That prophecy is part of a series of prophecies touching on the restoration of the Temple and the timeline when the Messiah was expected. In those "seventy sevens" we would expect transgressions to end, reconciliation to be accomplished, righteousness to be restored, and the Most Holy to be anointed. The age of God's favor toward humanity is inaugurated. It is a discussion for another day about all the nuances of Daniel's prophecy; it enough for today that Jesus' words likely would have struck his hearers as an echo of Daniel's prophecy of forgiveness, restoration, and the coming of the Holy One. 

So yes, Jesus' "seventy sevens" were symbolic. Forgiveness is placed in a context of holiness, restoration, and the world to come. When we hear the echoes of Daniel's prophecy, we hear the call to forgive until the era of the Messiah, the age "to finish transgression, to make an end to sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."