8-9: Once again, we are to be sober minded. That is, we must think about things. We must consider what is going on around us. But we must do so in light of what we know to be true about the future. The fact that we know the end of the story is the very basis for our sobriety. Sobriety here does not mean subdued sullenness. Rather Peter is calling us to simply be alert, don't live like you are drunk with wine. Be a people who see and understand what is happening around you. The man who is drunk has no clue about his surroundings. And we can be drunk with more than just wine. Drunk with money, sex, worldly pleasures, accumulation of stuff, power over others. Even the officers of the church are not immune. They can be drunk with the right liturgy, the right confessional standard, the right translation. All good things to think through, but when they fill the horizon of one's thought to the exclusion of what it all points to, then they become the means to drunkenness. The key word is perspective. Liturgy is great. It is inescapable, really. But if we become so consumed with the liturgy that we forget that we are supposed to be worshipping God, then we have fallen into this trap. We become like the Pharisees who sought salvation in the Scriptures themselves, instead of seeing Who the Scriptures pointed to. They were too drunk with their own codes and laws to see when Salvation came and poked them in the eye.
Therefore live life now, propped up and supported by what happened 2000 years ago on a Roman cross on the hills outside a Jewish city in the middle east. God put the climax of history smack in the middle of the book. We live in the denouement. We live in the time of resolution. The Son of Man has been lifted up, and He is in the process of drawing all men to Himself. This is the bedrock of our sobriety. And it is why our sobriety cannot be sour. It must laugh. It must belly laugh. For the power of the world is crumbling. We see it happen every time the Spirit brings a soul to repentance. The kings of the earth have set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed. But what does the Almighty one do? Does He freak out, thinking, "What's going to happen now?" No. He holds them in derision. He sets His face against theirs and laughs. The kings are not strong enough for this. Anger they could have dealt with. Fearfulness would have been ideal. But laughter? Being made ridiculous? This they cannot abide. We become like what we worship. The God we worship is a God who laughs. Therefore we must be a laughing people. But this takes great sobriety. It takes watchfulness. And it takes true discernment. We still must mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep. But we do not weep as those who have no hope. Our weeping finds joy at the bottom of the tears. However, when the devil tries to sit on the throne we get to be the giggling boy in the crowd who points and cries out, "But he's naked!" It is our duty to get the townsfolk laughing at the ridiculous prince who was trying to take us all in with his show of power. He is not the king. Why do we tremble at him? For Lo, his doom is sure. One Word has fallen upon Him, and is crushing his head.
But those who do not watch are prone to fear the roaring of lions. Those who forget the chain around the lion's neck are susceptible to fear and doubt. Peter's words to them are clear. Resist him. Remain firm in your faith. Remember his end. Remember that though kings set themselves up, the Lord has set His King on His holy hill, where He reigns with a rod of strength. The prowling lion is just a big defeated cat.
We must be careful, though, for this defeated cat still has the ability to shake our faith. If we are not sober minded, if we are not watchful, the purring lies of this great puss can catch us off guard. One of his favorite lies to whisper in the middle of the night is this: If God is so good and loving, why are you suffering? The correct response is to laugh in his face because we play that game of chess, and know that we will say, "Checkmate," in only just a few moves. But if we do not know where the pieces are on the board, then we will be easily deceived and begin to fear. Peter's encouragement in light of this particular tactic is to remind the saint that everyone suffers. You have not be singled out of the crowd to endure pain and hardship while everyone else watches and sniggers. Not only are you not alone in your suffering, the very kind of pain you experience is not unique. The same kinds of suffering you are subjected to are experienced by your brothers and sisters around the globe. Suffering is simply a reality in this fallen world. So when the devil tempts you to disbelieve the goodness of God on the grounds that you are suffering, give him the raspberry. Remind him of the cross. Remind him that the worst of all sufferings was endured, not by us, but by the very God whose goodness we rest in. Remind him that that very act of pain made our own pain endurable and infused it with meaning. A servant is not greater than his master. So if our God has suffered and felt pain, how can we expect less? Has God ever promised that we will not pass through fire and water? No. But He has promised that the fire will not burn, and the water will not overcome. So tell that stupid devil that it is in the very midst of suffering that we see the goodness of our God most clearly. It is as if suffering is the window cleaner that removes the smudges and grime, giving us a clearer glimpse of the Lord's Anointed.
We live in the warming rays of a late winter sun. It is still very brisk, yes. But snow is melting on the ground. Bare branches are preparing for new buds. Birds are huddled in their nests, doing vocal exercises. And waiting. All of the thawing creation is waiting. The silent air is thick with anticipation. Spring is coming.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Pentecost 2012
It is a somewhat surprising reality that Pentecost is so little celebrated in Protestant Churches. It is, after all, our collective birthday. We celebrate the coming of the Long Expected Jesus. We sing songs and lift glasses in remembrance of His birth. We celebrate with high feasts His resurrection. It is curious we do not celebrate with the same enthusiasm the day He sent His Spirit to live with us and in us for the rest of human history. It is true, that the glory of the Spirit is to point away from Himself, and lift the name of Jesus on high. But should we not remember with shouts of joy the day He opened the very ears of our soul, the day we heard the Gospel in our own tongue?
What must it have been like, that early morning in the upper room? Huddled together, praying, hoping, expecting. The eleven had been told to wait for the power to come. They did not say how or when, for they did not know themselves. But perhaps they had an inkling. Perhaps Pentecost, they thought, perhaps on the Feast of the Weeks. It would make sense. The festival commemorated God giving the law to the people on Mount Sinai, 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt. And of course, they might have thought, the Quickening happened right after they celebrated Passover. That was the real Exodus. The real release from bondage. And now, 50 days later, God might speak again from the Mount. That would be too much. We would be consumed in flame. But what if He did? And with the nations gathering at our very doorstep. What was that? Did you hear that rustling?
Once again, as He had done so many centuries before, the Father Spoke. But this time, there was more than one Moses. More than one Moses for more than one nation. A new race was being formed. A new kingdom was being forged. A new people, at the foot of the mountain, being made ready to journey to a new promised land. But first they must cross the wilderness. First they must learn to trust, as their fathers before them had failed to do. But this time was different. This time God Himself breathed on them. Slowly, bone joined to bone, and sinew to sinew. As flesh crept over muscle, dry bones become human once again. As they stood in the courtyard, He breathed the Breath of the Spirit upon them. A resurrected army, a mighty and holy host. And about 3000 were joined to their number that very day. This is what we celebrate on Pentecost. We celebrate the city where construction has only just begun.
What must it have been like, that early morning in the upper room? Huddled together, praying, hoping, expecting. The eleven had been told to wait for the power to come. They did not say how or when, for they did not know themselves. But perhaps they had an inkling. Perhaps Pentecost, they thought, perhaps on the Feast of the Weeks. It would make sense. The festival commemorated God giving the law to the people on Mount Sinai, 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt. And of course, they might have thought, the Quickening happened right after they celebrated Passover. That was the real Exodus. The real release from bondage. And now, 50 days later, God might speak again from the Mount. That would be too much. We would be consumed in flame. But what if He did? And with the nations gathering at our very doorstep. What was that? Did you hear that rustling?
Once again, as He had done so many centuries before, the Father Spoke. But this time, there was more than one Moses. More than one Moses for more than one nation. A new race was being formed. A new kingdom was being forged. A new people, at the foot of the mountain, being made ready to journey to a new promised land. But first they must cross the wilderness. First they must learn to trust, as their fathers before them had failed to do. But this time was different. This time God Himself breathed on them. Slowly, bone joined to bone, and sinew to sinew. As flesh crept over muscle, dry bones become human once again. As they stood in the courtyard, He breathed the Breath of the Spirit upon them. A resurrected army, a mighty and holy host. And about 3000 were joined to their number that very day. This is what we celebrate on Pentecost. We celebrate the city where construction has only just begun.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Musings on 1 Peter (5:6-7)
6-7: The call is to humility. The whole Christian life is a call to humility. It really is the only valid response we as creatures have before us. We have been given absolutely everything, even down to the hairs on our head to keep us warm. And yet, in our fallen pride, we have grown to feel entitled to all our stuff. We have come to think, simply from the simple presence of everything that somehow we have a right to it. And so when disappointment ensues when we are deprived, we throw a fit. Where are my rights, we cry. Why is this happening to me, we rant. I don't deserve this, we declare. How can we be so blind? Where is it written that all this actually, in the final analysis belongs to me? Where do I get off saying that I have earned any of it? Did I give myself breath? Did I cause my limbs to grow and strengthen? Can I truly take credit for any possession? Even the things I buy. Where did I get the money? Where did I get my job? Who enabled me to work and earn a wage? We are again presented with the either/or. Either God is sovereign over every last thing, like my getting my job, or He is sovereign over nothing. We cannot acknowledge Him on Sundays, and accept His sovereign rule over abstract, spiritual things, like salvation from a rather remote and unseen lake of fire, only to take back the reigns on Monday, assuming that we have the right to our time in the drivers seat. How often do we give thanks for grace and mercy, but then take credit for all that we have accomplished, such as the petty successes we have? Do we not accept all things from the hand of the Lord, Job asks?
No. In every area of our life we fall into pride. We take credit for absolutely everything. And just the opposite is true. All things are gift. Every minute is a gift. Every bite of food, every job that is obtained, every song downloaded from iTunes, everything is gift. How often do we thank God for the air we breath? How often do we thank Him for the involuntary muscles that keep our lungs pulsing, drawing the air into our bodies? How often do we thank Him for the blood cells that carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body allowing us to function and do things without thinking about breathing? We are creatures. We have been created. Just because we are the product of our parents does not mean God did not create us. As creatures we owe everything to our Creator. When you sculpt something out of clay, do you expect that clay do anything, or be anything apart from what you designed it for? God is God. We are not. Be humble therefore. Know your place. Realize that in the grand scheme of time and the universe, your 80 years are as substantial as mist in the wind.
But the incredible thing about the Gospel is that though we be nothing, we have been exalted in Christ. We loathsome sinners, breakers of the law, literal pieces of dirt, have been created and fashioned for glory. Real substantial glory too. Peter knows what is coming. Perhaps because he was given a glimpse of the Transfigured Son of Man. He knows, at least dimly, the glory that is waiting. So be patient he tells us. Wait on the Lord. He who is humble the Lord exalts. The one who understands his place in this world, that is the one whom the Lord can use. In His perfect time He will lift you up.
There are two types of pride that we easily fall into. The first is the obvious one, the arrogant self-worshipper. Their pride will be their fall. But the other side is not as obvious. The other form pride takes looks like humility, from a distance at least. These folks know their place in this world, they know they are dirt, they know they are miserable creatures. In fact they know it so well they cant stop talking about it. Everything is "woe is me". And everyone is sure to hear about it. It is still pride though. It still looks to self as the center of the universe, even though its rotten to the core. Humility is so much easier. Humility simply accepts the gifts God has given, and accepts the ones He hasn't. Humility looks outward, while pride looks in. Humility sees the loving hand of the Father. Pride sees the empty hand of self.
But again, God exalts those who humble themselves before Him. And this is the remarkable thing. This is the point at which the Gospel goes crazy. He does so because He cares for us. Us. The very piece of dirt that took the gifts He gave and used them to spit in His face. Us. The very ones who received every gift of life and prosperity and used it to try and convince ourselves that we really do sit on the throne of our lives. This wild God, exalting His own because He cares. He loves. He holds us as dear children. Therefore in your humility, acknowledge Him. He is the Author of your story. Trust Him. He is writing those hard parts that make you groan. Love Him. He is stoking the fire beneath you. Honor Him as God. He is scraping the dross off the top. Give Him thanks. This life is not easy. But it is our loving Father that makes it so. It is hard now, so that after death, when the real story starts, Life will be abundant. Therefore cast all your anxieties on Him. Be at peace knowing that He is in control of your life. All He wants from you is your trust. He'll take care of your sin, your finances, your relationships, your family. Just trust that He is God, and thank Him for it. Live all your days in that attitude, and He will lift you up in His proper time. Maybe that time will be next year, or in twenty years or maybe in glory. But His Word is true. He is faithful. He will surely do it.
No. In every area of our life we fall into pride. We take credit for absolutely everything. And just the opposite is true. All things are gift. Every minute is a gift. Every bite of food, every job that is obtained, every song downloaded from iTunes, everything is gift. How often do we thank God for the air we breath? How often do we thank Him for the involuntary muscles that keep our lungs pulsing, drawing the air into our bodies? How often do we thank Him for the blood cells that carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body allowing us to function and do things without thinking about breathing? We are creatures. We have been created. Just because we are the product of our parents does not mean God did not create us. As creatures we owe everything to our Creator. When you sculpt something out of clay, do you expect that clay do anything, or be anything apart from what you designed it for? God is God. We are not. Be humble therefore. Know your place. Realize that in the grand scheme of time and the universe, your 80 years are as substantial as mist in the wind.
But the incredible thing about the Gospel is that though we be nothing, we have been exalted in Christ. We loathsome sinners, breakers of the law, literal pieces of dirt, have been created and fashioned for glory. Real substantial glory too. Peter knows what is coming. Perhaps because he was given a glimpse of the Transfigured Son of Man. He knows, at least dimly, the glory that is waiting. So be patient he tells us. Wait on the Lord. He who is humble the Lord exalts. The one who understands his place in this world, that is the one whom the Lord can use. In His perfect time He will lift you up.
There are two types of pride that we easily fall into. The first is the obvious one, the arrogant self-worshipper. Their pride will be their fall. But the other side is not as obvious. The other form pride takes looks like humility, from a distance at least. These folks know their place in this world, they know they are dirt, they know they are miserable creatures. In fact they know it so well they cant stop talking about it. Everything is "woe is me". And everyone is sure to hear about it. It is still pride though. It still looks to self as the center of the universe, even though its rotten to the core. Humility is so much easier. Humility simply accepts the gifts God has given, and accepts the ones He hasn't. Humility looks outward, while pride looks in. Humility sees the loving hand of the Father. Pride sees the empty hand of self.
But again, God exalts those who humble themselves before Him. And this is the remarkable thing. This is the point at which the Gospel goes crazy. He does so because He cares for us. Us. The very piece of dirt that took the gifts He gave and used them to spit in His face. Us. The very ones who received every gift of life and prosperity and used it to try and convince ourselves that we really do sit on the throne of our lives. This wild God, exalting His own because He cares. He loves. He holds us as dear children. Therefore in your humility, acknowledge Him. He is the Author of your story. Trust Him. He is writing those hard parts that make you groan. Love Him. He is stoking the fire beneath you. Honor Him as God. He is scraping the dross off the top. Give Him thanks. This life is not easy. But it is our loving Father that makes it so. It is hard now, so that after death, when the real story starts, Life will be abundant. Therefore cast all your anxieties on Him. Be at peace knowing that He is in control of your life. All He wants from you is your trust. He'll take care of your sin, your finances, your relationships, your family. Just trust that He is God, and thank Him for it. Live all your days in that attitude, and He will lift you up in His proper time. Maybe that time will be next year, or in twenty years or maybe in glory. But His Word is true. He is faithful. He will surely do it.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Musings on 1 Peter (5:1-5)
Chapter 5
1-5: As Peter comes to he end of his letter, he turns his attention to his fellow elders, his fellow shepherds. He reminds us, in these verses, that the office of elder is a high office. To be an elder is a high calling, not one to be thought of lightly. It is not an office for the educated, or for the experienced based solely on their acquired education or experience. It is not an extracurricular activity, something to do in your spare time. It is not even a part time deal, something done on the side. To be an elder means to live before all men. To be an overseer means that every aspect of your life is lived in full view of a watching congregation. To be a shepherd one must live with the sheep. To be a pastor, one must live with the people. This is the thrust behind Peter's encouragement to live as a pattern, or as an example, for all to be encouraged by. The word for pattern is our word 'type' that we saw in Chapter 3. The literal sense of the word is this: All that Peter has been talking about, suffering with hope and serving without deference to self, is the mold that shapes that which is cast. And that which is cast is shaped as a picture or as a reflection of what living as God's people should be. It is a type. This is what Peter tells his fellow elders they need to be. Types that show in real time what it means to trust God. Models that reflect in every day life the joy and contentment that trusting in God produces. Pastors that practice what they preach, in other words. This is what it means to be a type, or a pattern, or an example. To model on behalf of the congregation the hope that you are trying to instill in them through the proclamation of the Word.
Now obviously some qualifications need to be made. We still live on this side of glory, where fallen natures battle redeemed hearts and minds. So no pastor can achieve this perfectly, because no human being can achieve it in this life. It is not meant for us achieve perfection this side of the grave. The goal of this life is to find rest in Jesus in spite of the sin that remains, and to share the good news that peace is possible with all the world. So a congregation cannot and must not expect a perfect type when seeking elders. What they should be concerned with is finding a man who desires every area of his life to be transformed and laid bare before the cross of Christ. As mentioned above, the office of elder is not a side gig, something to do on the weekends or the first Monday of every month. It bears a resemblance to the way healthy eating is achieved. One cannot simply eat whatever they want without moderation, and then diet to regain a lost level of health, only to repeat the cycle all over again. That swing from excess to starvation back to excess leads to physical breakdown. The better path lies with a lifestyle change, where everyday is approached with moderation and self control. In this way a healthy balance is achieved. Same with our spiritual lives. You cannot live not trusting God for 6 days out of 7, hoping that the 1 day of spiritual diet is enough to keep you healthy. Everyday must be lived honoring God as God, and thanking Him for it. Every moment of everyday provides an opportunity to exemplify this for others. This is the high calling of eldership.
We, by nature, are imitating creatures. We learn by imitation, even from day 1. The good Lord has seen fit to provide us with not only His Word which is rich with examples, and His world, which functions in a particular way, also exemplifying God's nature, but also with Fathers and Mothers, both biological and spiritual. From our biological parents we learn to walk, talk, to believe, to enjoy, to laugh, and to cry. From our spiritual parents we learn how faith works through the entire loaf of our life, transforming how we approach every situation. As fallen creatures we are born with a natural set of instincts. These include, but are not limited to, self-preservation, self-enrichment, self-satisfaction, and self-importance. One readily sees the unifying theme, and it's not simply hyphenation. We are born with a predisposition to love our own self more than anything else in this world, to place on the throne of our heart and mind, our own self. This is the root of sin, and it is the orientation that Christ challenged on the cross. And so we are born having to learn how to take our eyes off our own needs and see the needs of others as more important. This can only be achieved, by grace, through imitation of others. And those we have been given to imitate are our parents, both biological and spiritual. Here lies our office of elder. A spiritual father, who, among other things, is given to the Church to live before them as a guide, as someone who has traveled the hard path and has returned to lead others along the cliff's edge.
Peter also encourages his fellow elders to be cheerful in this task, to do this willingly with alacrity. It is not an office fit for the one who grudgingly serves. It is not for the man who feels forced to participate, or guilt-tripped into it. This is why the office of elder involves the whole man, the whole time. There isn't a compartment that an elder is allowed to partition off for private thoughts and attitudes. You play as you practice. How you act in private is how you eventually will act in public as the years of false pretense droop with age.
In light of the context, Peter's fellow elders were overseers of suffering congregations. These were hard times for the Church. Prolonged periods of persecution, long seasons of suffering. The Christians dispersed throughout the empire lived hard lives, with little comforts. The people looked up to their elders for guidance and leadership. These men would need to have been hearty and tested, tried and found firm in the faith. These were men not in it for the money, or any such "shameful gain." These were fathers and brothers who knew the story behind Peter's choice of the word 'shepherd.' For to be an elder was to act like Jesus, the Great Shepherd. They were to show Jesus to their flock, willingly and with great eagerness. And what qualities did the Great Shepherd show? Compassion, strength, fierce protection, and, among others, love beginning and ending in sacrifice. This was their calling. This was to be their job description. Compassion steeped in empathy. Strength that withstood the accusations of the roaring lion. A protector who watched the walls surrounding his flock and guarded them fiercely from false teachers. Love that saw the needs of others as more important than his own. And when the Chief Shepherd comes again, an unfading crown of glory will be given to those who would have done it even without the reward.
To be fair, these are pretty high words, and a steep standard. Obviously there must be wisdom involved. We are but frail, finite creatures, even our pastors and elders. Wisdom must dictate the when, where, and how much of ministry. It would be easy for an elder to give himself faithfully to the standards here listed, and no longer be of use to anyone within a twelvemonth. Therefore one must exercise great caution, but caution without fear.
It is a common story in the early centuries of Christianity for men, who would later become Church Fathers, to be dragged, kicking and screaming, and forced into their leadership roles. However, once ordained, they performed their duties with enthusiasm and great care, giving their all to their post. They truly understood the weight of the position and what it meant. It was not something they sought after, for they knew the implications. They knew they would become the solitary beacon on the cliff. They knew all eyes would be looking to them, that their lives would be an open book from that point on. Lonely is the road that leads through the multitude.
Therefore the onus is on us congregants, on us sheep, to make their job easy, to make their burdens light. Peter admonishes us to show honor to our elders, to show deference and respect. We need to understand the high calling that has been laid on them, to understand the weight of their position before God as teachers and preachers of the Gospel. To feel the gravity of the standard to which they are held. This should be the posture of our honor. In other words, as Peter continues, be humble, all of you. Lets not have any glory seekers, or anyone elbowing for the best seats, even if its the one behind the pulpit. Rather, be adorned with all humility, again putting the needs of others before your own. This means us congregants putting the needs of our elders before our own. And not simply expecting and waiting for the elders to put our needs ahead of their own. Again though, we are an imitating people. Monkey see, monkey do. Same with sheep. Therefore, everyone act like a Christian. But, of course, for this we need Jesus. We need grace upon grace upon grace. With a little extra grace on the side.
1-5: As Peter comes to he end of his letter, he turns his attention to his fellow elders, his fellow shepherds. He reminds us, in these verses, that the office of elder is a high office. To be an elder is a high calling, not one to be thought of lightly. It is not an office for the educated, or for the experienced based solely on their acquired education or experience. It is not an extracurricular activity, something to do in your spare time. It is not even a part time deal, something done on the side. To be an elder means to live before all men. To be an overseer means that every aspect of your life is lived in full view of a watching congregation. To be a shepherd one must live with the sheep. To be a pastor, one must live with the people. This is the thrust behind Peter's encouragement to live as a pattern, or as an example, for all to be encouraged by. The word for pattern is our word 'type' that we saw in Chapter 3. The literal sense of the word is this: All that Peter has been talking about, suffering with hope and serving without deference to self, is the mold that shapes that which is cast. And that which is cast is shaped as a picture or as a reflection of what living as God's people should be. It is a type. This is what Peter tells his fellow elders they need to be. Types that show in real time what it means to trust God. Models that reflect in every day life the joy and contentment that trusting in God produces. Pastors that practice what they preach, in other words. This is what it means to be a type, or a pattern, or an example. To model on behalf of the congregation the hope that you are trying to instill in them through the proclamation of the Word.
Now obviously some qualifications need to be made. We still live on this side of glory, where fallen natures battle redeemed hearts and minds. So no pastor can achieve this perfectly, because no human being can achieve it in this life. It is not meant for us achieve perfection this side of the grave. The goal of this life is to find rest in Jesus in spite of the sin that remains, and to share the good news that peace is possible with all the world. So a congregation cannot and must not expect a perfect type when seeking elders. What they should be concerned with is finding a man who desires every area of his life to be transformed and laid bare before the cross of Christ. As mentioned above, the office of elder is not a side gig, something to do on the weekends or the first Monday of every month. It bears a resemblance to the way healthy eating is achieved. One cannot simply eat whatever they want without moderation, and then diet to regain a lost level of health, only to repeat the cycle all over again. That swing from excess to starvation back to excess leads to physical breakdown. The better path lies with a lifestyle change, where everyday is approached with moderation and self control. In this way a healthy balance is achieved. Same with our spiritual lives. You cannot live not trusting God for 6 days out of 7, hoping that the 1 day of spiritual diet is enough to keep you healthy. Everyday must be lived honoring God as God, and thanking Him for it. Every moment of everyday provides an opportunity to exemplify this for others. This is the high calling of eldership.
We, by nature, are imitating creatures. We learn by imitation, even from day 1. The good Lord has seen fit to provide us with not only His Word which is rich with examples, and His world, which functions in a particular way, also exemplifying God's nature, but also with Fathers and Mothers, both biological and spiritual. From our biological parents we learn to walk, talk, to believe, to enjoy, to laugh, and to cry. From our spiritual parents we learn how faith works through the entire loaf of our life, transforming how we approach every situation. As fallen creatures we are born with a natural set of instincts. These include, but are not limited to, self-preservation, self-enrichment, self-satisfaction, and self-importance. One readily sees the unifying theme, and it's not simply hyphenation. We are born with a predisposition to love our own self more than anything else in this world, to place on the throne of our heart and mind, our own self. This is the root of sin, and it is the orientation that Christ challenged on the cross. And so we are born having to learn how to take our eyes off our own needs and see the needs of others as more important. This can only be achieved, by grace, through imitation of others. And those we have been given to imitate are our parents, both biological and spiritual. Here lies our office of elder. A spiritual father, who, among other things, is given to the Church to live before them as a guide, as someone who has traveled the hard path and has returned to lead others along the cliff's edge.
Peter also encourages his fellow elders to be cheerful in this task, to do this willingly with alacrity. It is not an office fit for the one who grudgingly serves. It is not for the man who feels forced to participate, or guilt-tripped into it. This is why the office of elder involves the whole man, the whole time. There isn't a compartment that an elder is allowed to partition off for private thoughts and attitudes. You play as you practice. How you act in private is how you eventually will act in public as the years of false pretense droop with age.
In light of the context, Peter's fellow elders were overseers of suffering congregations. These were hard times for the Church. Prolonged periods of persecution, long seasons of suffering. The Christians dispersed throughout the empire lived hard lives, with little comforts. The people looked up to their elders for guidance and leadership. These men would need to have been hearty and tested, tried and found firm in the faith. These were men not in it for the money, or any such "shameful gain." These were fathers and brothers who knew the story behind Peter's choice of the word 'shepherd.' For to be an elder was to act like Jesus, the Great Shepherd. They were to show Jesus to their flock, willingly and with great eagerness. And what qualities did the Great Shepherd show? Compassion, strength, fierce protection, and, among others, love beginning and ending in sacrifice. This was their calling. This was to be their job description. Compassion steeped in empathy. Strength that withstood the accusations of the roaring lion. A protector who watched the walls surrounding his flock and guarded them fiercely from false teachers. Love that saw the needs of others as more important than his own. And when the Chief Shepherd comes again, an unfading crown of glory will be given to those who would have done it even without the reward.
To be fair, these are pretty high words, and a steep standard. Obviously there must be wisdom involved. We are but frail, finite creatures, even our pastors and elders. Wisdom must dictate the when, where, and how much of ministry. It would be easy for an elder to give himself faithfully to the standards here listed, and no longer be of use to anyone within a twelvemonth. Therefore one must exercise great caution, but caution without fear.
It is a common story in the early centuries of Christianity for men, who would later become Church Fathers, to be dragged, kicking and screaming, and forced into their leadership roles. However, once ordained, they performed their duties with enthusiasm and great care, giving their all to their post. They truly understood the weight of the position and what it meant. It was not something they sought after, for they knew the implications. They knew they would become the solitary beacon on the cliff. They knew all eyes would be looking to them, that their lives would be an open book from that point on. Lonely is the road that leads through the multitude.
Therefore the onus is on us congregants, on us sheep, to make their job easy, to make their burdens light. Peter admonishes us to show honor to our elders, to show deference and respect. We need to understand the high calling that has been laid on them, to understand the weight of their position before God as teachers and preachers of the Gospel. To feel the gravity of the standard to which they are held. This should be the posture of our honor. In other words, as Peter continues, be humble, all of you. Lets not have any glory seekers, or anyone elbowing for the best seats, even if its the one behind the pulpit. Rather, be adorned with all humility, again putting the needs of others before your own. This means us congregants putting the needs of our elders before our own. And not simply expecting and waiting for the elders to put our needs ahead of their own. Again though, we are an imitating people. Monkey see, monkey do. Same with sheep. Therefore, everyone act like a Christian. But, of course, for this we need Jesus. We need grace upon grace upon grace. With a little extra grace on the side.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Musings on 1 Peter (4:17-19)
17-19: Learn and love these words of comfort and encouragement because the time has come for judgment, and it will begin with the house of God. Peter is, in effect, summing up the reason for this letter to the dispersed. More than a simple 'hold fast,' he confirms that all suffering has purpose. Our God is the great Author of all life. This means our lives are a story. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is rising action, falling action, climax and denouement. As with any story worth reading, there is tension throughout, and a wedding at the end. And as any good story shows, the tension is the very element that makes the wedding so satisfying. As characters in God's story, we must learn to read the events around us as elements of His story. Where there is tension, we find allusion to The Fall. And where there is resolve, we find foreshadowing of the Great Restoration. In the middle we find our lives, bobbing on the stream between the banks of tension and resolve, from Fall to Restoration. We sin, we stumble, we suffer. God forgives, God restores, God exalts. More than that, our Father the Author writes in the dark parts, writes in the tension with purpose and intent. As fallen creatures we are like gold that is filled with imperfections. The tension in our story, the pain and suffering, the trials and hardships, these are the fires of the refiners forge. Without them the story goes nowhere, and the gold remains drossy. Through the trials we travel, sometimes page after page, sometimes chapter after chapter. But if we have read the story rightly, we know that no pain is without purpose, there is no tension without resolve.
What is this purpose you speak of? What good can possibly come from this? Here we must be sensitive because living in this fallen world truly is difficult. Dealing with fallen people day after day gets tiresome. Constantly falling into our own petty sins is infuriating. On top of that our fallen natures are continually crying out in despair at the seeming purposelessness of it all. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. In fact they are new every single morning. Great is the faithfulness of our God. Great is the faithfulness of our God. First, this must be where our thoughts dwell. Let your mind dwell on truth. These things are true: God is sovereign over all things. All things means all things. God is a Father who desperately loves His creation. We are His creation. God has decreed from before time began, every event of our lives. This means even the tension-filled hard parts. God has a purpose in telling His story the way He does. His purpose is twofold: All things are for His glory, and for our good. Glory we get, mostly, but for our good? How is this trial for my good? If this is our response the first question we should ask ourselves is, by what standard are we declaring something good? Is our own personal comfort the standard? Or is God's glory the standard. If the first is true, then I dare say we will never achieve 'good' as long as we live. Living in a fallen world has its downsides. Our own personal comfort will forever be plagued with sickness, external pressures, and eventually death. But if God's glory is our standard, then everything is found to be for our good. Our God knows our needs better than we do. He knows our true needs because He knows our true end. What you need depends a great deal on where you are going. God has glory in mind for us. He alone knows what it takes to bear the weight of that eternal glory. Therefore He is in the process of training us. The tension we experience in our life is just that, training. We are being taught how to trust our God. Do we see every minute of every day as a gift from the hand of a Father who loves us? Including the hard minutes? Do we honor God as God, and give Him thanks in and for every one of those long and hard minutes? Do we recognize that we have no right to the reins, our lives not being our own? I would venture to guess not always. Thus the need for training. God wants to prepare us. And so, not to make light of our sufferings, this whole world is, in a way, training wheels. When we die, the training wheels come off. When we die, we get to see what bikes were for.
Someone might shout from the back row, "It's all very good for you to say these things, but you don't know how hard this trial is," or "You don't know how long I've been suffering." And they would be absolutely right. I don't know. I only really know the trials and hardships the great Author has written into my story. I can relate only as far as our pains are similar. But here is the crux of our comfort. Jesus does. Jesus knows every bit of your pain. He knows every hour of your suffering. He has numbered everyone of your tears. More than that He has born the brunt of it for you. On the cross Jesus not only took upon Himself our sin and the wrath we deserved. He bore our griefs and our sorrows as well. When you weep, He weeps. When you are wronged, He is wronged. When you hurt, He holds you with nail-pierced hands. So look to Jesus when you suffer. Look to Jesus when you hurt. You'll find in Him One who knows your pain.
This is the thrust of Peter's entire letter. In these verses he is saying that purification begins with God's own people. The refiners fire burns hottest where the gold is most precious. We feel the heat, but we do not despair, for we look forward to a better country, our own country. But if we have the hope of glory, and still suffer the way we do, then what must it be like for those who do not obey the gospel? To suffer in this world without hope, without peace, this must be terrifying. Twice Peter asks this question, what will be the outcome of the ungodly and the sinner? From the eternal perspective, eternal destruction awaits the wicked. But from our own earthly perspective, the hope of the gospel is for all peoples, all tribes, all nations. I believe Peter is giving even more purpose to our pain here by showing us the ripe harvest, not yet gathered in. We suffer, and are made ready for glory it is true. But we also suffer and are suddenly and uniquely equipped to minister to others who are suffering in the same way we are. We suffer, but with hope. Others suffer in similar ways without the hope of Jesus. I believe Peter's purpose here is to say, "Yes you are suffering. Yes it hurts. It is true. But you trust in the God of your suffering. You have been given the peace that trumps the pain. Therefore get off your duff, and help your fellow creature. Share with them the hope you have been given. Share with them Jesus." Again, I don't wish to make light of the sufferings of this life. I know too well the pain that strikes deep, the crying out, "Why?", the doubts that bring into question the goodness of God. But the answer really is the Gospel. The answer always is the Gospel. So look away from self. Look to the needs of others. Just as Jesus did on the cross. See your suffering as a new shiny tool the good Lord has put in your toolbox. You have the tools. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Go and build God's house.
Peter concludes His thoughts on this theme with the simple encouragement to trust. If all else fails, trust that God knows what He is doing. Trust that He knows the end from the beginning. Trust that He knows every hair on your head, and the lifespan of each of them. He also knows when each one will turn grey, whether prematurely or not. Trust that He is a good story teller. Trust that your story is worth living, no matter how hard it is, because it reveals the goodness and beauty of our God. Trust that simple obedience cannot help but bear fruit. Trust that a life lived in the presence of God is its own reward.
What is this purpose you speak of? What good can possibly come from this? Here we must be sensitive because living in this fallen world truly is difficult. Dealing with fallen people day after day gets tiresome. Constantly falling into our own petty sins is infuriating. On top of that our fallen natures are continually crying out in despair at the seeming purposelessness of it all. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. In fact they are new every single morning. Great is the faithfulness of our God. Great is the faithfulness of our God. First, this must be where our thoughts dwell. Let your mind dwell on truth. These things are true: God is sovereign over all things. All things means all things. God is a Father who desperately loves His creation. We are His creation. God has decreed from before time began, every event of our lives. This means even the tension-filled hard parts. God has a purpose in telling His story the way He does. His purpose is twofold: All things are for His glory, and for our good. Glory we get, mostly, but for our good? How is this trial for my good? If this is our response the first question we should ask ourselves is, by what standard are we declaring something good? Is our own personal comfort the standard? Or is God's glory the standard. If the first is true, then I dare say we will never achieve 'good' as long as we live. Living in a fallen world has its downsides. Our own personal comfort will forever be plagued with sickness, external pressures, and eventually death. But if God's glory is our standard, then everything is found to be for our good. Our God knows our needs better than we do. He knows our true needs because He knows our true end. What you need depends a great deal on where you are going. God has glory in mind for us. He alone knows what it takes to bear the weight of that eternal glory. Therefore He is in the process of training us. The tension we experience in our life is just that, training. We are being taught how to trust our God. Do we see every minute of every day as a gift from the hand of a Father who loves us? Including the hard minutes? Do we honor God as God, and give Him thanks in and for every one of those long and hard minutes? Do we recognize that we have no right to the reins, our lives not being our own? I would venture to guess not always. Thus the need for training. God wants to prepare us. And so, not to make light of our sufferings, this whole world is, in a way, training wheels. When we die, the training wheels come off. When we die, we get to see what bikes were for.
Someone might shout from the back row, "It's all very good for you to say these things, but you don't know how hard this trial is," or "You don't know how long I've been suffering." And they would be absolutely right. I don't know. I only really know the trials and hardships the great Author has written into my story. I can relate only as far as our pains are similar. But here is the crux of our comfort. Jesus does. Jesus knows every bit of your pain. He knows every hour of your suffering. He has numbered everyone of your tears. More than that He has born the brunt of it for you. On the cross Jesus not only took upon Himself our sin and the wrath we deserved. He bore our griefs and our sorrows as well. When you weep, He weeps. When you are wronged, He is wronged. When you hurt, He holds you with nail-pierced hands. So look to Jesus when you suffer. Look to Jesus when you hurt. You'll find in Him One who knows your pain.
This is the thrust of Peter's entire letter. In these verses he is saying that purification begins with God's own people. The refiners fire burns hottest where the gold is most precious. We feel the heat, but we do not despair, for we look forward to a better country, our own country. But if we have the hope of glory, and still suffer the way we do, then what must it be like for those who do not obey the gospel? To suffer in this world without hope, without peace, this must be terrifying. Twice Peter asks this question, what will be the outcome of the ungodly and the sinner? From the eternal perspective, eternal destruction awaits the wicked. But from our own earthly perspective, the hope of the gospel is for all peoples, all tribes, all nations. I believe Peter is giving even more purpose to our pain here by showing us the ripe harvest, not yet gathered in. We suffer, and are made ready for glory it is true. But we also suffer and are suddenly and uniquely equipped to minister to others who are suffering in the same way we are. We suffer, but with hope. Others suffer in similar ways without the hope of Jesus. I believe Peter's purpose here is to say, "Yes you are suffering. Yes it hurts. It is true. But you trust in the God of your suffering. You have been given the peace that trumps the pain. Therefore get off your duff, and help your fellow creature. Share with them the hope you have been given. Share with them Jesus." Again, I don't wish to make light of the sufferings of this life. I know too well the pain that strikes deep, the crying out, "Why?", the doubts that bring into question the goodness of God. But the answer really is the Gospel. The answer always is the Gospel. So look away from self. Look to the needs of others. Just as Jesus did on the cross. See your suffering as a new shiny tool the good Lord has put in your toolbox. You have the tools. Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Go and build God's house.
Peter concludes His thoughts on this theme with the simple encouragement to trust. If all else fails, trust that God knows what He is doing. Trust that He knows the end from the beginning. Trust that He knows every hair on your head, and the lifespan of each of them. He also knows when each one will turn grey, whether prematurely or not. Trust that He is a good story teller. Trust that your story is worth living, no matter how hard it is, because it reveals the goodness and beauty of our God. Trust that simple obedience cannot help but bear fruit. Trust that a life lived in the presence of God is its own reward.
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