Daily Lectionary February 27 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 34: 1-22; Deut. 9:1-3;4-12; Hebrews 3:1-11; John 2:13-22; Psalm 25

These texts today humble me. I am so thankful for God’s protection on my life, for God’s provision, and for God’s calling on my life. The psalmist cry has often been my hope:

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. ¹⁶The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. ¹⁷When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. ¹⁸The LORD is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. ¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all.

But reading on in Deuteronomy, God protects and prospers me not because I am righteous and worthy – deserving, holy. But because God hates evil and desires justice above all else, for all people, and keeps promises to those who still screw up. God ran off Israel’s oppressors because God hates oppression. God defeated our enemies for the same reason: not because we deserve freedom, we who are the oppressed and also the oppressors, in one way or the other. God saves us because God can, and because this act reflects God’s unconditional love, which is God’s glory. Psalm 25 says it like this: For your goodness sake, O Lord, do not remember my sins…” Not for MY goodness sake does God act to save. It’s is always for God’s glory and God’s Kingdom ways that God saves and protects and calls us. And in response and humility, we serve this just God as holy partners. Holy because God is holy.

The writer of Hebrews refers to us as “holy partners in a heavenly calling”, again not because of our righteous behavior, but because of our faith in Christ, the most holy, the perfectly righteous One. Our faith in Christ makes us righteous, our belief in the One who has overcome all evil and oppression with his death. Disobedience then is not just forgetting the commandments, screwing up again, going our own way in our day to day lives. The hard hearted are those who do not believe in the only One who crosses over before us to defeat the enemies of our souls (Deut. 9:3).

⁹He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. ¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. ¹¹For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. ¹²Who are they that fear the LORD? He will teach them the way that they should choose. ¹³They will abide in prosperity and their children shall possess the land. ¹⁴The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them (Psalm 25).

Daily Lectionary February 26 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 119:73-80; Deut. 8:1-20; Hebrews 2:11-18; John 2:1-12

“Do whatever he tells you.”

My first reaction to Jesus’ mother’s words to the wine stewards in Cana, if I were them, would be to ask her, “Why? And why should I do whatever this carpenter apprentice tells me? I know my business. What does he know about wine? What does he know about me? What does he know about anything?”

This would be what I’d wonder. This is what I confess I wonder myself. Sometimes I have trouble trusting God in the moment, with the things I believe I understand more about than anyone: like my relationships, my preaching, the care of the flock, my family, my pain and my experiences with life. As I hear Mary’s words, I can say I believe, but do I trust? Do I trust that Jesus knows absolutely everything about me and the world and pain and joy – about whatever - that I would do whatever he tells me?

In our society, we don’t like those words, “Do whatever he tells you.” We don’t trust anyone absolutely. Well, our only hope is to trust only God, not the gods of this life. It is a trust and obey issue. Not just to follow all the laws and commandments, but first to enter into a relationship with God, by faith in Christ. How do we enter in?

It begins as I consider God’s promises to all God’s people, and I remember, with them, God’s fulfilled promises of rescue, provision, protection, faithfulness, wisdom, belonging. As I consider the miracles and signs and wonders when people encounter Jesus. I first need to listen to the other stories – in the Bible, at the weddings and classrooms, offices, prisons, and neighborhoods about the mystery of the Holy Spirit’s power. And then, consider my own life. Do I really know everything there is to know about my life?

I thank God for Mary, who on that day in Cana was proud as punch of a son the servants thought only a mother could boast about. I thank God they obeyed him and gave me the witness. As he entered into his ministry, so we can enter into his life. God promises that we shall be complete in Christ – fully human, loved, known, equipped and empowered, by faith in this carpenter who could change water into wine. This carpenter is my brother, my Savior, my Lord.

And I will try to do whatever he tells me. Today, he tells me Come to me all you who are weary going it alone, thinking you know it all, carrying the burden of pride, seeking rescue or wisdom or peace… come to me and I will give you…whatever you ask.