Seeds For Thinking

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Scripture: Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1, NKJV)

I had thought often about going on a church sponsored mission trip. An opportunity opened up for me shortly after I retired. A local church was going to Monterey, Mexico, to spend some time working with a mission church. The trip was basically youth oriented, and I would be one of the adult chaperones.
We attended several training sessions to prepare us for the experience. Most of the group had never been to another country. We would be guests at one of the local churches, helping work on an outreach project for them. Proper dress (clothing) and societal customs were explained, along with some differences we would likely find in accommodations for personal cleanliness.
For example, lengthy showers were discouraged, as hot water would be limited. Sanitary systems in many countries are limited in what you can flush down them. That’s just the way it is; be a good guest, respect their way of life.
At one session, everyone was asked what they were expecting to do while on the trip. Some were interested in handing out gospel tracts on the streets, or participating in Bible-based dramatic presentations. Some were looking forward to working with the youth in vacation Bible school. Others planned to help with painting the storefront church building.
I had no particular task or service picked out. When it was my turn to share, I responded that I just wanted to be useful. Whatever was needed, help with that. I knew that I was limited in doing physical things, like handing out tracts, because that involved walking the neighborhoods. I was scheduled to undergo hip replacement surgery later that summer.
We reviewed some useful phrases in Spanish, the local language. There were some chuckles when they covered things like ¿Dónde está el baño? - Where is the bathroom? Probably most of us never thought there would be a need for that question. However, as we had some free time to visit the local shops, some of us decided to explore the Gigante supermarket. I was with one of the adult volunteers, who exclaimed, “Man, I sure need to find a restroom.” We didn’t see any. I went up to a man stocking shelves, and asked, ¿Dónde está el baño?
He replied so rapidly that my two years of high school Spanish, fifty years previous, couldn’t follow. But he pointed. We went in that direction, and there it was: el baño. It wasn’t much, just one short phrase, but it was useful.
One of our projects was to modify the concrete block walls of the old store. There was a block layer with the group, and the local men mixed mortar. They needed someone to cut and fit block. That I could do. And I was again able to be useful.
I had prepared a mix of nuts and raisins for snacking. As I pulled out the bag of goodies, I noticed the local men watching. I offered the bag to them, and they helped themselves. The smiles and attitude adjustment went beyond language limitations. Sharing whatever you have can also be rewarding.
We were experiencing travel difficulties with the Mexican bus company on the return trip, delays that discouraged many of the youth, who were starting to wind down from their “mountain top experience.” A few well chosen words were useful in directing thoughts to blessings, rather than gloomy grumbling.
Paul covers a number of ways that we can be useful to God, and His Church, in the epistle to the Romans (Chapter 12). Little things, perhaps, like sharing, listening, comforting, rejoicing, weeping with those who weep. Showing mercy, and cheerfulness. As a living sacrifice, our reasonable service becomes the mortar which bonds the Christian community together.
Everyone can be useful — usefulness is serving God, and doing so is worthy of honor.

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* Scapegoat
* Scripture: "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and foresakes them will have mercy." Proverbs 28:13, NKJV

They had done nothing to deserve what happened to them. In all truth, they were innocent, chosen at random to receive the punishment for the sins of others.
The scenario probably dates back to the beginning of the history of people - somebody takes the 'rap,' becomes the "fall guy," taking the blame for the guilty who then go free.
The biblical "fall guy" wasn't even a person, but a goat, a scapegoat. Azazel, in Hebrew, one that is made to bear the blame of others.
The ceremony of the scapegoat was conducted upon the Day of Atonement. Leviticus, Chapter 16, explains the sacrifices required for the atonement for the Priest, for the Tabernacle, and for the People.
Aaron, the high priest during the Exodus, was instructed to take two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the meeting. He then would cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord (the sin offering) and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Of the two goats, the "sin offering" was sacrificed for the atonement of the 'Holy Place' and the tabernacle of meeting because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgression, for all their sins. (vs.16) Their sin contaminated even God's sanctuary!
Leviticus 16:10 relates that the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat was to be presented before the Lord; Aaron was to confess all the sins of the children of Israel, to make 'atonement' upon it, and to let it go as a scapegoat into the wilderness, removing the sins to a distant desolate place.
"The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land;" (Leviticus 16:22)
It is only through the Grace of God that the ritual of atonement is effective.
Note that in both the ritual of the scapegoat and the scriptural passage from Proverbs that confession of sin is the key to obtaining mercy. The priest (Aaron) confessed for the people, putting their sins on the head of the scapegoat.
Yes, I could quote Hebrews 9:25-26, affirming that Jesus died as a ransom, once for all. Or Isaiah 53:4, that He "took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows." Or many other passages confirming that Jesus died for our sins.
However, it is in the act of confession and forsaking of our sins that we will have mercy. (Further reading: Romans 10:9-11)
April 9, 12006

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* Living Hope
* Scripture: Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3, 4 (NKJV)

The Preacher had tried it all! What had he gained for his striving? Nothing but grief and sorrow. Only vanity; grasping for the wind.
What a sad commentary on our mortal existence it would be if the only opinion about our eventual fate was that given in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes; “For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.” (Ecc. 3:19)
Fortunately, assurance abounds in the Bible concerning the future for those who are faithful in the Lord. Peter speaks of hope for the future, noting the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He further affirms that “an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:11)
John records Jesus’ own words concerning everlasting life in the oft quoted verse of Chapter 3: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It is not surprising, then, that John also writes of the gift of eternal life in his First Letter, 1 John 5:11- “ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life.”
Jesus further qualified everlasting life, as recorded in John 6:40, 47, by stating that those who believe in the Son (The Christ) will be “lifted up.”
There is another option to eternity, of course. Jesus compared the fate of the Rich Man and Lazarus in the parable of Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus is lifted up to Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man suffers the torment of Hades.
Ecclesiastes is well worth reading, however. The Preacher testifies from experience, having sought power, pleasure, popularity, and wealth, as well as taking pride in great accomplishments. Of such are the “treasures laid up on earth” compared to treasures in heaven.
These, the Preacher contends, are all vanity. No hope of heaven in them alone.
Peter expresses a “Living Hope,” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed.” - sayeth the Preacher.
(Ecc. 12:6-8)
October 2, 2005

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Scripture: A father said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He is an epileptic, and is suffering greatly.” Mt. 17:14b NIV
Check out the scripture passage (above.) God honors steadfastness in family relationships. Truly blessed is the family where everyone gets along with each other! That this is important to God is evident throughout the Bible. The book of Ruth is about ‘family’ from start to finish.
One of the greatest verses in the Bible is this:
But Ruth replied, ~~Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." -Ruth 1:16, NIV
Another book that is too-little read comes from a time when many of the Jews were in ancient Persia - the book of Esther. A Jewish girl, Esther, won the favor of King Xerxes, and became the queen. This was the time, and this was a king who held absolute control over his kingdom. Even the queen could not approach the king without being invited. Esther is remembered to this day by the Jews because she risked her life to protect her people. Haman, given great power by the king, expected all people to bow down to him. Mordecai who had adopted Esther, his uncle’s daughter, refused to bow down to anyone other than God, which angered Haman. Haman plotted to destroy not only Mordecai, but all the Jews in the kingdom. Learning of the plot, Esther petitioned the king to spare her people. He did so, including sentencing Haman to hang on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.
We find a close relationship between Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in the New Testament. Many other examples share the love for a son, a daughter, even a Mother-in-Law (Peter’s) that resulted in a petition to The King, Jesus, for healing. Consider these: the widow’s son, an epileptic boy, the man let down through the roof. While we focus on Jesus’ healing power, we also need to ponder all the people who cried out to Jesus, “Lord, have mercy!” And The King heard their cry, and granted their request.
God/Jesus was especially critical of those who violated positive family relationships. His messages to the Pharisees concerning divorce for convenience, and withholding support from parents, clearly show the dark side of many person’s souls.
The Ten Commandments are not just ‘shalts’ and ‘shalt nots’ - they are the ideal life! Jesus summed them up in two - Love God; love you neighbor as yourself.
Take time to read the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and the “Love Chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13, often.
Oh! How the world would be changed if everyone took these to heart.
January 27, 2002

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Scripture: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law. justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others behind.

I miss Pogo Possum. Created by Walt Kelly, Pogo and his pals lived in the Georgia section of the Okefenokee Swamp, and served up daily social and political satire through its funny animal characters. I especially enjoyed Mr. Kelly’s use of “Swamp-Speak,” essentially a rural, Southern U.S. English dialect laced with mispronunciations, fractured grammar, mangled polysyllables such as "incredibobble" and "hysteriwockle," and invented words such as the exasperated exclamation "Rowrbazzle!"
Mr. Kelly imbued the denizens of the swamp with various aspects of our human nature. You could probably take any list of shortcomings and find it exposed in some manner. Pogo Possum was one of few major characters with the sense to avoid trouble.”(1)
Faced with the bumbling ineptitude about him, Pogo was noted for proclaiming, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
I thought of this statement as I was browsing through Chapter Twenty-three of the Gospel of Matthew. This is the chapter where Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees at length, proclaiming, “Woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites.” Sadly, a careful reading of these words brings a realization that Jesus is baring our common human folly: The Scribes and Pharisees are not our enemies; they are us!
Do we desire to separate ourselves from those people who follow worldly and ungodly lifestyles? So did they; the word “Pharisee” means “separated.”
Do we at times overly emphasize proper dress and decorum - certain “churchy” practices? So did they. Not that these things are necessarily bad, but, as Jesus noted, if we (they) place too much emphasis on essentially minor details to the exclusion of justice and mercy and faith, then we are missing the mark. (Mt. 23:23)
Psalm 82 speaks to this point, saying, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)
Note that Jesus is not condemning Pharisees as a total class (for there were many who were indeed worthy), but those who did all of their works to be seen by men (vs. 5) and did little or nothing to lift men’s burdens. Luke records the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, praying in the temple (Luke 18:9-14) as an example: The Pharisee stood and thanked God that he was not as other men, citing his public fasting and tithing as examples of his superior “religiosity.” The tax collector (Publican) prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Lk. 18:13.
It is a matter of balance, of completeness. Jesus didn’t use the exact words, but literally meant that they “talked the (religious) talk but didn’t walk the walk.”
What is the ‘walk’? To minister to the weak, the poor, the needy and the oppressed. To dispense justice, to show mercy, and exhibit faith. To judge not by our conceptions of propriety, but by God’s standards, lest we be judged by our shortcomings.
Oh, how often are those who exalt themselves humbled!

(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogo_(comics)

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Scripture: Jesus said, “, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hang on these two commands.” Mt. 23:37-39, NIV
Jesus often clashed with the “Rulers” of the synagogues and the temple - the leaders of the religious establishment. They claimed - with good reason - that Jesus was not following the laws and traditions, which they, of course, enforced. Jesus stated that he was fulfilling the laws. So who was right?
Well, we immediately come to Jesus’ defense. We are called after Him, Christians, of course. But let’s take a look at the evidence.
Take a look at the book of Exodus. Beginning with the Ten Commandments in Chapter 20, scan the headings. Respect for other people is built into the laws they were to follow. Some laws may seem reprehensible by our standards today (regarding servants, for example) but they deal with realities of the times. A balance was to be maintained between the parties in a dispute, so that both justice and mercy was achieved. Our government and courts still struggle with the ever-changing complexities of interpersonal relationships.
In the NIV, Ch. 22 covers Protection of Property; and Social Responsibility; Ch. 23 is entitled Laws of Justice and Mercy.
When the ‘Rich Young Ruler’(Mt. 19:16-22) came to inquire of Jesus about eternal life, he claimed that he had followed all the laws and commandments. Followed the “letter of the law,” yes. Followed the intent, no! Of all the things Jesus mentions in vs. 18 and 19, “Love your neighbor as yourself” fills all the loopholes you might try to wriggle through. For example, people were “setting aside” money for religious purposes, calling it “Corbin” or Holy Money. Nothing wrong with that. When their parents were in need, though, they claimed they couldn’t help them because they had no money. Couldn’t they take from the “Corbin” funds? “No!” they said. “That is God’s money!” Jesus pointed out that God intended that parents be honored. All things belong to God; it is His, and ALL people come under His jurisdiction.
Jesus repeats this concern for mercy, justice, and love for all people, even our enemies, throughout His ministry. This is not surprising, since mercy, justice, and love are characteristic of God’s will throughout the Bible.
In our attempts to show our dedication to God, we wrap ourselves in the “cloaks of righteousness” - the trappings and traditions that say to others, “I’m REALLY religious - See !?!
God says, and Jesus affirms, “Wrap yourselves in mercy, justice, and love.”
December 16, 2001

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Scripture: Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise. Luke 10:36-37. NIV
News of shootings taking place in schools once again remind us that we live in violent times. That should not come to us as a surprise; violence has been with us since Cain slew Abel. Rather, that peace prevailed, rather than violence, would be truly remarkable!
Jesus told many parables that centered on violence. The tenants of the vineyard mistreated the owner’s servants, and killed his son, the heir, in Mt. 21:33-41. Jesus said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword. Mt. 11:35-36 states, “For I have come to turn
a man against his father
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in law --
a man’s enemies will be members
of his own household.”
Jesus was quoting the prophet Micah, in the old testament, which we think was full of violence and killing.
Even the noted prophet and law-giver, Moses, killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Exodus 2:11-15.
Mt. 14 records the beheading of John the Baptist by King Herod the tetrarch, at the request of the daughter of Herodias. Her mother advised her to ask the king for this favor. The Herod family were exceptionally brutal, family members killing other family members throughout the history of the family.
Jesus mourned, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .” in Mt. 23:37
Again, robbers beat a man, stripped him of his clothes, and left him for dead. A priest, and a Levite, both ‘representatives’ of God in the Temple system, passed him by. A despised Samaritan took pity on the man, and cared for him. Lk. 10:25-37.
Thus, mercy is not excluded. Love is not banished, but made all the more important when it is made evident in time of need. Violence is of Satan; Love is of God. We have a choice. We were not created to be robots, automatons, marionettes pulled by strings, but people who can express free will. At no time can we be more free than to choose love in times of violence and hatred on earth.
March 11, 2001