October 23, 2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1.27)

“First go and be reconciled to them.” (Matthew 5.24b)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

As a reminder, these reflections are centered around the question, “How do we keep ourselves from being polluted by the world?”

I do not believe in coincidence. There is a path which leads from our moment in time through events and situations to an ordained destination. The problem exists when we continue to turn our heads away like the livestock tethered to a rein pulling a plow through a field. When we confess that Jesus is Lord, regardless of how ready we are to be His disciples, we have turned over the reins of our life and put them in His. Consider this as you hear Jesus speak of “taking up your cross to follow Him.” That is the call which Jesus places on all those who are making the decision to become followers of the Christ. The reins are not the yoke. The reins are not the cross. The yoke is the cross and the cross is the yoke. We are no longer those who give direction to ourselves where we shall go and what we shall do. Instead, we are surrendered to God in Christ to “go where He leads.” God is our destination so that we can be as one with Him as Jesus is one with Him as we are pursuing unity with Jesus by the “lead” of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then is the rein. It harnesses us to become most useful. It directs us in the way we should go and what we should do. The Spirit of God does not act on its own. The Spirit is in obedience to the Will of God. The Spirit manifests in creation the intention of God for all things. Yet, there can be a rebellion to cast off the rein and pursue our own way. Such a decision does not lead to peace, love, life and fulfillment. It leads back into the darkness of chaos, disunity, incongruity, disharmony and despair.

In Matthew 11.29ff, Jesus offers “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. I AM gently and lowly. There you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus is suggesting that we take up the life He has committed to living. Knowing what we know we might have some doubt as to the ease, comfort and simplicity His life projects. He is rejected, reviled and hated by some. He is loved, adored and accepted by others. He is tried, questioned and crucified by some. He is feed, anointed and encouraged by others. His yoke is not the cross of crucifixion, however. So, in this we must make no mistake. Rather, His yoke is to do the will of His Heavenly Father. The yoke of crucifixion is our yoke. It binds us to the toil in the soil which was the consequence given to Adam and his descendants for his throwing off the yoke of God in the Garden and put on the yoke of slavery to Satan, the deceiver and tempter. Jesus took our yoke upon Himself in exchange for us taking His yoke on us. That meant we are to be one in our purpose and decision to do the will of God who so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son into the world that whosever would believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life in Heaven.

Consider then the teaching of Balaam and his journey. The donkey on which he road was more in tune with the road ahead. Seeing danger awaiting its master, the donkey turned its head to the side and road into the field on one occasion and against a wall on another. The intention of the donkey was to avoid evil and death. What it received was a beating instead for rebelling against the reins of the master. On a third occasion, the donkey, no longer having a desire for being beaten for doing good which the master could not see nor accept, fell down to the ground laying down its life for the sake of the master. We can almost imagine the scythe of the Angel of Death swinging level to remove the head of Balaam but instead passing over the top of his head as the donkey changed his elevation. This is what Jesus does for us as He lays down His life for others. He changes their elevation in order to spare their life even if it means He must sacrifice Himself in doing so. Therefore, we can hear in Jesus’ words as He declares “I have not come to be served. Rather, I have come to serve.” He is not the master who is riding on a donkey ignorant of the danger ahead. His is not blind to the direction He gives in obedience to God the Father to not bring curse and hardship upon Israel and by them- the world. He exchanges places with us and allows us to be master who is in obedience as He is and is carried then before all the world to declare the will and glory of God. This is what Balaam was inspired so to do when his eyes were opened to the sparing of his life. Is it no less the same for us as those to whom the word of God has been revealed?

With this in mind, tomorrow I will reflect further on the construct of “murder and anger” being unfit for those who are pursuing the life of righteousness. The discussion is germane to the current situation and world culture and climate. I believe it deepens our resolve to “not be polluted” by the world and following what it says we are to be and to do in order to avoid a beating. The world has put a bit into our mouths and desires to put a muzzle on our voice and lead us straight into harm’s way ignoring God and succumbing to the temptation of self-will.

PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.