Category Archives: Scripture

Draw Near to the Light

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Matthew 4:12-17 depicts a time when John the Baptist has been arrested and when Jesus is stepping forward into his own ministry.  His curious first step forward?  Withdraw.

The language of the text says that Jesus “withdrew into Galilee”, leaving Nazareth for Capernaum.  More than mere relocation, the shift is backed with Isaiah’s prophetic language:

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 

Jesus’ presence is akin to that of light: Comforting, empowering, and revealing.  It was so in the region of Galilee, and it continues to be so in every life that opens its doors to Jesus.

Verse 17 then adds:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Too often, we internally shrink this sharp call of Jesus’ into a paraphrase: “Stop being bad, start being good, and you’ll feel God’s blessing on your life.”  That isn’t untrue; it’s just not true enough.

Jesus’ statement is framed as a logical movement from Isaiah’s words, meaning that a more accurate slant on Jesus’ earliest message would be: “God’s light is shining brighter and nearer than you would dare to think.  In view of this, drop everything that hinders and hardens you against this growing God-reign and embrace all that frees and forms you for full participation in it.”

In two lines: Jesus, the Light of lights, is shining.  Draw near and step in to the view and the warmth found there.

Anything less shouldn’t likely be called Christmas.

Rebellious

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A recent Advent reading was from Zephaniah 3.  Scanning the rest of the chapter later, I stayed for a while on the opening verses (3:1-2):

“Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!  She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction.  She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God.”

My observation is that most Bible readers nowadays mentally check out when a passage kicks off with the word “woe”.  Perhaps it’s the “old feel” of the term; perhaps it’s the sheer weight of the word and it warning nature.

But we would be wise to swallow the “woe” and rest on what follows.  There is warning.  Anyone who strives to live in a responsible, upstanding fashion may be tempted to deflect a word like “rebellious” toward someone more “worthy of the title”.  But that would dull the blade set to do surgery on us.

Zephaniah fleshes out “rebellious” with these descriptives:

  • One who listens to no voice.
  • One who accepts no correction.
  • One who does not trust Yahweh.
  • One who does not draw near to the God he claims as his own.

These are harder shots to dodge.  Who among us doesn’t shut our ears sometimes when we should be listening hardest?  Which of us has called God our own, while living out nothing resembling trust?

Such living wears the banner of “rebellious”, and we dwelling on Zephaniah’s words can convict us that this banner fits with remarkable comfort, more than we expected.

That is the blade of prophecy.  At its sharpest, it has surgical precision and transformative power in the lives of God’s people.  That has always been the intention—to tune our attention.

Psalm 139 Videos

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I’ve been in Psalm 139 for this Sunday’s upcoming lesson at church.  A most loved passage, there are numerous great videos based on this psalm.  Here are a few worthy of sharing that won’t get any airtime on Sunday.

An Example to Many

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Psalm 71 was before me this morning.

It opened with pleas, for God’s protection and presence, built upon the confidence that God had been present to the writer since his earliest moments.

And then verse 7:

“My life is an example to many, because You have been my strength and protection.”

I observe a leeriness toward talk of “example”.  Few are willing to tag such a label on to their own lives.  Part of that is simple humility, an acknowledgment of imperfection.  But part of it is less admirable.  We are fearful to hold ourselves to such standards.  We are overly casual in matters that truly… matter.  And it can relieve the pressure we may feel to say up front, “I’m no example.  Don’t watch me too closely.”

However, all of that is beside the point.

In Psalm 71:7, the thrust is upon God’s qualities; not the writer’s.  His life had served as a canvas for divine mercy to be sketched out for all to see.  God’s faithfulness was clear to see in this space, and in that sense, the writer invites all to observe and learn from what they see at work in his life.

What I take from here is a call to be faithful in the offering of myself to God.  To create a life that can serve as a display case for God’s work, I must strive to be consistently attentive and solidly turned toward the Father.  Experience (and Scripture) suggests that He responds to people in such postures.  And as He does, the display of His work in my life can have an exemplary nature to it.

And I observe a need for such examples these days.

So give us strength to pursue You, Lord.  Free us from destructive distractions and silly sidelines, that our lives might be suitable canvases for the display of Your loving kindness.

Romans 8

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This fantastic chapter came up on our reading schedule today.  Eager to grab in some fresh ways, I listened to these two readings of these unbelievable words…