LAMENTATIONS 3:22-33
THE BACKGROUND
Imagine that a foreign, godless nation had invaded your homeland, destroyed your homes and churches, and executed the leadership. This is what happened to Judah in 587 B.C. Babylon overran Jerusalem, destroying the temple and city, and executing everyone in the Davidic royal line. Many were hauled off to become captives living in Babylon. Can you imagine the feelings of devastation? “God Yahweh was supposed to protect us from this! Where is he???” The book of Lamentations was written from this despair. Most of the book is a downer. But chapter 3 offers a glimmer of faith and hope. Part of this chapter is today’s reading.
THE DETAIL
- The first sentence is a beautiful expression of faith, on the part of the writer. It is also a beautiful expression of God’s love and faithfulness. “Steadfast love” is “chesed” in Hebrew. It is one of those words that is a treasured description of God’s love for his people. Chesed is the undying love that God continues to show his people in the Old Testament despite their repeated failure to live up to His expectations. It is this same love that we see manifested in Jesus’ suffering on the cross for our sins. This is chesed, God’s steadfast love for us. This love is “new every morning”. How poetic and true! God’s faithfulness in us, in spite of us, is truly great. I’m thinking of the hymn of that name as I write this. (vv. 22-23)
- The word “portion” for me seems to apply more to food than God. (That might tell you something about me.) In this context, it signifies the writer’s commitment to God, in spite of his situation. He places his hope in Yahweh, even though his world is falling apart. (v. 24)
- Next, comes the pill that is hard to swallow. In spite of all that has happened, and the hopelessness that lies ahead, we are to wait. God will fix this. I’m sure that there were a lot of skeptics, when this was read to them. (vv. 25-26)
- The writer even goes so far as to call this a learning experience for the youth in their group. He seems to say “Take it like a man! God will save you in the end.” (vv. 27-31)
- And here’s the clincher. “Although he causes grief… he does to willingly afflict or grieve anyone.” This sounds a little like last week’s study of the book of Job. God allows things to happen, but does not cause them. That’s a tricky walk, isn’t it? But there in between these two statements is God’s chesed, his steadfast love. (v. 33)
THE TAKEAWAY
The entire Old Testament is one huge story of:
- God’s expectations of us.
- Our failure to meet these expectations.
- God’s mercy and forgiveness, in spite of our failures—God’s chesed.
If we do nothing else, we need to remind ourselves of this steadfast love for us. Remember how God sent his son to die on the cross for us. Let us try to be as faithful to Him as He is to us.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:7-15
THE BACKGROUND
As we have seen the past few weeks, Paul and his worship team are receiving some sharp criticism from some of the members of the church in Corinth. Other preachers have come in and put Paul down in order to elevate themselves. Paul has been defending his ministry. But Paul has an additional objective. He is appealing to all the churches to send money to the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem. He has just received a large donation from the relatively poor church in Macedonia. (2Cor. 8:1-6) Now, he is appealing to the wealthy church in Corinth. He does this delicately, rather than forcefully, given his precarious situation.
THE DETAIL
- Many students of Paul’s writings, including myself, detect a little sarcasm or irony in this first sentence. From Paul’s first letter to this church, and what we have just learned about the criticism he received, I’m not totally convinced that Paul genuinely felt that they excelled in all these things. All things, that is, except his love for them. This he truly felt. They were an unruly child, but he still loved them. (v. 7)
- Now, he delicately reminds them of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us all. That though Jesus was financially poor, he made the Corinthians spiritually rich. (vv. 8-9)
- Verses 10-11 say it so nicely. I would have blurted out “You guys—finish what you started!”
- Verse 12 is a nice perspective on giving. The gift is acceptable according to what you have. If you don’t have it, you aren’t expected to give it. They have it, as we read in verse 14, where Paul calls it “your present abundance”. Paul is only calling for “balance”. “Look”, he seems to say, “the Macedonians gave a lot, and they don’t have much abundance. You guys, on the other hand, have a lot, and aren’t stepping up.” (vv. 12-15)
THE TAKEAWAY
It is good for us to periodically step back and examine our giving. Who are more like—the Corinthians or the Macedonians?
MARK 5:21-43
THE BACKGROUND
In today’s reading, Mark serves us a sandwich! This is what theologians call it—a Markan Sandwich. By this it is meant that we have a story within a story. In the middle of one story, Mark hits the pause button, and tells us another story. After that, he hits “resume”, and goes back to the original story. More on that later. But for now, let’s look at this sandwich.
THE DETAIL
- Jesus has just spent some time on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. I believe this is Gentile territory, but don’t hold me to that. But after performing some miracles and teaching, Jesus heads back home to the west side of the lake. He is greeted by a crowd. A man comes forward, stating that his daughter is near death. He has faith in Jesus’ healing powers, and asks Jesus to come and heal her. (vv. 21-24)
- Along the way, Mark hits the “pause” button to this story. We learn of a woman who has been suffering with a condition for twelve years. This condition, according to Leviticus 15:25-27 makes her “unclean”. Anything she sits on or even touches is unclean. Furthermore, if anyone else touches these unclean things, they are also unclean! Do you think she might also be suffering from social exclusion? (v. 25)
- Verse 26 describes her frustration. She has gone from doctor to doctor, and nobody could help her. (Haven’t we been there as well?) The funny thing here is that in Luke’s telling of this story, Luke 8:43, he doesn’t mention anything about how instead of getting better, the doctor’s only made her worse. (Luke was a doctor.)
- In a combination of faith, hope, and desperation, she approaches Jesus. Her only hope is to touch his garment. She is convinced that this will do the trick, and it does! (vv. 27-29)
- Next comes something odd and interesting. Jesus senses that “power had gone forth from him”. What was this power? The woman comes forward, and confesses that she touched him. Remember, she was “unclean”, and was forbidden to touch anyone. Jesus doesn’t care about that. He recognizes pure faith when he sees it. She is made well because of her faith. (vv. 30-24)
- Now, hit the “resume” button, and we will return to our regularly scheduled program. Jesus isn’t finished talking to the healed woman when someone approaches and says that the daughter is dead. Don’t take up Jesus’ time with this matter. Jesus has other plans, however. The key verse here is “Do not fear, only believe.” (vv. 35-36)
- Jesus shed most of the entourage, and only enters the house with a select few. They are mourning the loss of their daughter. They think it ridiculous that Jesus would tell them that she is only sleeping. He calls to the child, and she rises from her bed. (vv. 37- 42a)
- Everyone was amazed. The girl was dead, and now she lives! Interestingly, Jesus tells them to keep a lid on this. Do you think they did? I doubt it. Word must have spread like wildfire, given the crowd and commotion that was described earlier. Finally, Jesus attends to practical matters, and tells them to feed the girl. (vv. 42b- 43)
THE TAKEAWAY
In both stories of this “sandwich”, the lesson is the same. We are urged to have faith in Jesus. In the face of hopeless suffering and death, we should have faith in Jesus. He will save us. Sometimes we are healed. But our main confidence is that through his life, death, and resurrection, we no longer fear death. He has saved us—“Do not fear, but believe.”
If you are still hungry for more Markan Sandwiches, here are four more:
3:19b-21 (22-30) 31-35; 6:6b-13 (14-29) 30; 11:12-14 (15-19) 20-25; and 14:53 (54) 55-65. Looks like Mark enjoyed writing these!