A WORD FOR TODAY, September 22, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 22, 2021
Scriptures for September 26, 2021, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29; Psalm 104:27-35; James 5:(1-12) 13-20; Mark 9:38-50
“For whoever is not against us is on our side.” Mark 9:40, WEB
There is an ancient Jewish folktale about two beggars and a king. Each day the two beggars went to the king’s palace to ask for food, and each day the king gave them both a loaf of bread. The first beggar thanked the king for the bread, the second thanked God for making the king wealthy enough to be charitable. The king was upset that the second beggar never thanked him for the bread.
One day the king decided to punish the second beggar for his ungratefulness. He ordered the baker to fill one loaf of bread with valuable jewels and to give it specifically to the first beggar. “That will teach the beggar a lesson.” The baker was extremely careful to give the right loaf to each beggar: the one filled with jewels to the first beggar, the loaf only to the second. When the first beggar felt the weight of the loaf, he thought there was something wrong with it and asked the other beggar to exchange loaves. The second beggar was always gracious and willing to help a friend, so he agreed. Later, when he ate the loaf, he discovered the jewels.
The next day only the first beggar appeared at the gate of the king. The king asked the baker if he gave the right loaf, and the baker assured him that he did. Then the king asked the beggar what happened to the loaf that he’d been given. He told the king that it felt hard and poorly baked, so he gave it to his friend. The king realized that all good things truly come through God. Only God can change the circumstances of men; not even a king can change God’s will.
In today’s Old Testament lesson, Moses complained to God that the people were ungrateful and complaining about their circumstances. “Why have you done this to me?” he cried out to God. “You have made them a burden I cannot carry.” So, God agreed to appoint helpers; he told Moses to choose seventy elders to help carry the burden of leadership. When God anointed the seventy with the spirit, they prophesied. However, there were two other men who had remained in the camp over whom the spirit also fell. They also prophesied.
A young boy heard the prophesying; he went to Moses and told him about the two in the camp. When Joshua heard about this, he told Moses to go stop them: they weren’t among the chosen! But Moses knew that God was in control. He couldn’t stop someone that was given the spirit any more than he could choose those who would receive it.
Tradition suggests several reasons for why the two were not at the tent of meeting. Some think that Eldad and Medad were afraid of rejection or they did not feel that they were worthy of the honor. Others say that because there were twelve tribes there was no easy way to appoint seventy elders. Which tribes would willingly relinquish a place in the council of elders? So, perhaps Moses chose six leaders from each of the twelve tribes and then made seventy-two lots, seventy with the word ‘elder’ and two blank, letting God weed out the two who were not chosen. According to some sources, Eldad and Medad selected the blank lots. If this is the case, then God decided to bless them apart from the lots.
God is not limited by our sense of order or by our fears and uncertainties. Those two men received the Spirit because God chose them to be leaders. Tradition holds that Eldad and Medad gave the most incredible prophecies that day. They say that Eldad prophesied that Moses would die before entering Canaan, that it would be Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land. Medad is said to have prophesied about the quail. We don’t know why they weren’t among the other leaders. God doesn’t seem to care. They were His chosen and they were given the gift of the Spirit. Joshua was upset that about the men prophesying, but he may have been even more upset about the prophecies. He wanted it to stop. Moses answered Joshua’s request, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!”
We are reminded that God knows the deepest parts of our hearts and the most hidden secrets of our lives. He knows more about us than we do. He knows His will and His purpose and His plan. We don’t always understand, and we tend to complain about the gifts that have been given to us, especially when we think they are a burden. We try to make things better like the beggar who wanted what he thought was the better loaf of bread and the Israelites who wanted more than manna. Yet, in the end we discover that what God has planned is the most miraculous thing that could happen. We are reminded that we should be grateful to God because He is the source of all good things.
Our scriptures this week cause us to consider how we determine who had the power and authority to do the work of the kingdom in this world. All too often we are quick to point fingers at those who are outside our circle like Joshua, complaining that they should not be able to prophesy because they aren’t part of our crowd. “Lord, stop them” we say.
We have to consider why we are questioning their gifts. There might be a valid reason for rebuke or correction. Yet, if they are doing the work in Jesus’ name as Jesus has commanded, might there be another reason for our irritation? Are we jealous because they are doing things we can’t do? Are we frustrated because they stand outside our understanding of God? Are we offended because they do not fit into the mold we have established? This is what we should cut out of our lives or else our salt will lose its saltiness and there will be no peace.
The television show “Everyone Loves Raymond” was filled with interesting interactions between many unique characters. Debra (Raymond’s wife) and Marie (Raymond’s mother) had a stereotypical in-law relationship, rife with conflict embedded in humorous situations. Marie constantly pointed out Debra’s faults while Debra did much of the same. The difference between the two was that Marie pointed out the faults to Debra’s face, but Debra usually held her tongue until she was out of earshot and then she laid it all on Raymond.
A person can only take so much before they explode. On one episode, Debra finally had enough of Marie’s constant criticism, so she returned the favor. Debra began pointing out Marie’s faults. Marie took the criticism hard and asked why Debra hated her. Debra responded, “I was just trying to help you the way you help me.” Marie answered that her help was truly helpful while Debra’s was just hurtful.
Criticism can be good and it can be bad. A person can make valid and helpful comments about a person and the comments can be received as either criticism or suggestion. If the person receives the comments personally as if they are being humiliated, the comments will be seen as criticism and the response will be negative. If the person receives the comments as a learning moment, as a chance to make things better, the response will be entirely positive. This can seriously damage relationships. Sometimes, like in the relationship between Debra and Marie, there is a tension that makes it hard to get along.
Imagine the impact the Israelite’s complaining had on Moses. God had done amazing things in that one year, one month and one week. He parted the Red Sea, killed the Egyptian army, provided water, manna and quail in the desert. At the foot of Sinai He proved His power and He gave the people His Law. He was with them as they traveled, in the cloud by day and fire by night, leading them out of slavery to fulfill His promises. He had saved them and was taking them to the place He gave to their father Abraham, but by the third day all they could think about was how inconvenient it was. God was teaching them how to trust in Him, but they quickly (in three days!) fell back into their old ways, desire and arrogance. They thought they knew better than God and they complained.
Moses was displeased. “Why did you make me the leader of these troublesome people?” Moses asked God; he didn’t know what to do. He knew the reality of the slavery because he had risked his own life to lead the people out of Egypt. He knew the dangers of returning. He knew the blessings of following God. “Why did you stick me with this mess?” he wondered to God. Moses took the criticism personally and he took his frustration out on God. He was given the responsibility to care for this crowd, both Israelites and non-Israelites, and he found it difficult to deal with their grumbling. “If this is what I have to put up with, God, just kill me right here and now.” He wanted the easy solution; he looked for the extreme answer to his problem. Instead, God decided to appoint and anoint other leaders to be his helpers.
James gives us three life situations and the appropriate Christian response. What should we do in the midst of suffering? We should pray and praise. Though it is hard to praise God while we are facing difficult situations, we will find blessing in the midst of it if we keep our eyes on God. What should we do when we face illness and dis-ease? We should seek the healing and forgiving power of God that is found in the church through the authorities anointed and appointed to do the work.
Finally, what should we do about error? We are called to bring light to the truth, to point out the errors and sins of our brethren. However, how we do so will make a difference. Will we present these words in a tone of criticism or an act of grace? Will we speak in a way that admonishes and restores people or will we do it in a manner of condemnation and alienation? It is not helpful to constantly criticize because it will either cause the other to deem themselves unworthy or will sever the relationship between the two. In the interactions between Debra and Marie, they both made valid points about the other, but they never found a way to do it that makes a difference. God calls us into fellowship together to help one another grow and mature in faith.
What would you do if someone wanted to pay you for a day’s worth of work with salt. The most expensive salt in the world is called Amethyst Bamboo 9x which is a Korean delicacy that costs nearly $100 for an 8.5 ounce jar. While this might have value, would you feel like you received a fair wage? Rock salt costs about $58 a ton. Where would you put all that salt and what would you do with it? Table salt is about fifty cents a pound, so it would take a huge quantity for us to think we have received our just reward. How would you use it all, especially since doctors agree that too much salt is dangerous for our health?
Salt was in use in ancient times, but it was much more valuable because it was much less available. The Phoenicians were the first to use salt from the sea, flooding the plains with saltwater and allowing it to dry. Then the salt was harvested and sold to other nations. High output production helped to depreciate the value of salt. In the United States, the difficulty with salt production was not finding the salt but transporting it from place to place. Morton Salt solved this problem by having salt plants all over the nation.
However, in Jesus’ day it was very expensive, perhaps worth even more than gold. Soldiers were paid in salt and slaves were traded for salt. This is why we have phrases such as “salt money” and “he is not worth his weight in salt.” Salt was used for flavor, but even more so it was used as a preservative and to seal covenants. If salt was used during a meal, it represented a relationship of loyalty, protection and hospitality. As a matter of fact, the ancient Greeks had a saying that “no one should trust a man without first eating a peck of salt with him.” A peck is about eight quarts. By the time two men ate that much salt, they would know each other very well.
When Jesus said to the disciples, “Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another” He was referring to the salt covenant. They were the salt “salted with fire” by God. Through them, God was revealing His kingdom to the world, and through them He was establishing the covenant of loyalty, protection and hospitality. “But if salt has lost its saltiness...” Jesus said. If salt has lost its saltiness then we can’t do what we are called to do. And if we do not live at peace with one another, how can we possibly share the peace of Christ with the world?
Jesus makes some shocking suggestions in today’s Gospel lesson. Does He really expect us to cut off our hand or our foot, or gouge out our eyes? He is not asking us to go around amputating our body parts for the sake of some spiritual transformation. Instead, He is using some extreme examples of what it means to turn our life around for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It isn’t easy. As a matter of fact, it is very hard. It might even hurt.
Take the experience of John in this lesson. John was part of Jesus’ inner circle. He was even somewhat concerned about his future in the ministry. John was probably one of the most adamant last week when the disciples were discussing the least and the greatest. He’s on record elsewhere in the Gospels seeking to be Jesus’ right-hand man.
The Gospels also tell us that the disciples were often inadequate at doing the miraculous things Jesus was doing, the things that Jesus was telling them to do. They saw success in ministry, but they also saw failure. Earlier in Mark 9 the disciples were unable to exorcise a demon from a little boy. They must have felt humbled and humiliated in front of the crowd that had such high expectations of them.
They saw someone who was not part of their circle doing what they were unable to do: drive out demons. I can imagine what they were feeling. I have felt it myself. It is called jealousy and it is quite a powerful emotion when it comes to our work in God’s kingdom, particularly when we are passionate. When we see someone else able to do what we can’t seem to accomplish, we wonder “why me? We wonder why God would call us to a position and not give us the ability to do the work. We wonder if we have properly discerned our calling. And we wish others couldn’t do it.
It is hard to deal with jealousy. It forces us to look at ourselves with a humble heart and at others with grace. It forces us to see other people through God’s eyes, to see that they too have been gifted with power and authority, even if they are not part of our crowd. It forces us to realize that we are not the most important thing in God’s plan. Jealousy makes us bitter, and bitter salt does not provide flavor or preservation to the food. So, Jesus tells us to cut it out of our life.
Joshua and John had the same reaction to the people with unexpected gifts. Moses answered Joshua and Jesus answered John, “Don’t stop them.” Were they jealous for Moses or Jesus’ sake, or for their own? Joshua was Moses’ right-hand man, and now there were seventy others called to leadership. Was there room for even two more? John was part of Jesus’ inner circle, Jesus’ closest friends. John even asked Jesus if he could be His right-hand man when He ruled. There were already twelve leaders. Was there room for more? What would happen if the disciples were never able to drive out demons, or heal, or impact the world? Would someone more gifted take their place? It was a very real fear for them, as it continues to be for us.
Jesus said, “Don’t stop them. Whoever is not against us is for us.” Perhaps this sounds backwards. We usually say, “Whoever is not for us is against us.” This limits our allies to those who are part of our circle. Jesus turns our thinking upside down. He tells us that we need not be concerned about those who are not against us. There were enough people against Jesus. Jesus assured them that they would not have to worry. “There is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.” Deeds of power came by the Spirit of God. If they had that Spirit, they could not work against the will and purpose of God.
In last week’s Gospel text, Jesus made it clear that they should be servants to one another. In this story, Jesus continues the thought to include the outsiders, “the rabble.” We learn that we shouldn’t doubt what God can do, for God does what He knows to be right and good, whatever our expectations. We are called simply to trust Him and to follow where He leads us because it is the right way to go.
We are reminded how to keep our focus where it belongs: in God and His Word. James tells us that if we are suffering, we should pray. How easy it is, however, to hear the voices of those around us who grumble about problems, who make it seem like the best solution is the extreme solution. How easy it is for us to get caught up in the attitude that complaining is the way to get through our pain. James tells us that if we are happy we should sing songs of praise. Do we? Do we really praise God when we are experiencing good times? Or do we forget that God is the source of all things good? Do we thank the king and forget that even the king’s gifts come from God? Do we get caught up with the voices that tell us that our triumph has come by our own power and take the glory for ourselves? Finally, James tells us that if we are sick we should seek the help of the elders who will pray for our healing. We will know healing and forgiveness as we keep our focus on the God who provides both in our good times and in our bad.
James also reminds us that we have the responsibility to keep our brothers and sisters focused on the right source. If we see someone falling into the trap of following the rabble, we are to remind them of God’s Word and to help them turn back to the right path. We tend to avoid any sort of criticism or judgment because we are afraid to seem intolerant. We are afraid they will take it the wrong way. While it is true that we must be aware that our criticism and judgment can alienate or condemn, our role as Christians is to call people to repentance so that they might know the forgiveness of God and be reconciled with Him and all of God’s creation. We are called to help one another see our sin and turn from it so that we will all dwell in the fold of God’s loving arms. It is easier to let the crowd go their own way. It is much harder to trust that God has a plan that will lead us to a Promised Land that is better than anything the world has to offer. It may seem like a burden, but it is by God’s gifts that we are able to do what He has called us to do.
Today’s Psalm is a song of hope of how it can be with the world and all created beings living in the shadow of the Most High, trusting Him to provide all they need. In a perfect world, all of God’s creation will look to Him for food and all good things. In a perfect world, there is no anger or hatred, no war or violence, no tears or pain. Even the sea monsters - the leviathan - frolic in the ocean, leaving the ships to travel safely from port to port. In a perfect world, all creatures live together in fear of God and tremble in His presence, not because they are afraid but rather humbled by His magnificence. Unfortunately, the world has not been perfect world since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. We have not feared God or looked to Him for all we need. Yet even in this there is hope, “You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.” He gives His Spirit to those He chooses; He can choose to give it to as many as He pleases. He knows the hearts of those who will live in humble obedience to His Word, and He equips those He calls to do His work in the world.
He that is not against Jesus is not against us, and therefore is for Jesus and for us. We are no better than the rabble who instigates or the crowd that follows. We are no better than Joshua and John. We fail. We follow the wrong people. We complain and doubt and desire our own way. We want to be satisfied and we seek the wrong things to satisfy us. But God has called us to a new life in Christ. He has forgiven us, given us gifts and sent us into a world that needs to hear the Gospel. They need what we have to give. Let us always trust that God will use us to share His grace, even when everything seems to be out of our control. Here’s the secret: all is well when everything is out of our control because God will always be faithful and make all things right according to His good and perfect will.
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