May 19, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Find out what pleases the Lord. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 5.10; Ephesians 6.18-20)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

As you would read verses 6.11-17, the reminder from Paul was to be equipped with the full armor of God. I have reflected on those verses in a previous series of writings, so I will not repeat the same here. What I am reminded of as I studied those verses and descriptors of the believers’ “covering” is that the call to put on the full armor of God was more a priestly one than a military one. In other words, I might describe it this way: it is a “spiritual” calling than a “worldly” calling. I have continued to keep this in mind as I pray for Israel in her current season of need against Hamas and those who present themselves as Pro-Palestinian at home and abroad. In this mortal combat we are seeing clearly the embrace of a that “worldly calling” clothed in a military fashion. Even in such places as college and university campuses, a reminder to me of the 1960s Vietnam Protests, the chosen wardrobe gives a sense of militia and terrorism. It is, as I see it, less a revolt by the people and more a revolt of a destructive idea. I might say that for those on both sides of the coin with a question of “Who, or what, are you a slave to?”

It is that question which guides my thoughts on the whole of what has been presented from Ephesians 5.10 now to the end of chapter 6. It is fitting that today is recognized as Pentecost Sunday. In the history of Israel, Pentecost [in Hebrew Shavuot] is known as “The Feast of Weeks.” This is not a call to “weeks” yet to come but of the weeks which have passed since Passover. Those seven weeks are representative of the years of wondering in the wilderness from the moment of Pharaoh’s order to “let God’s people go” to Joshua’s leading the new nation of Israel into the Promised Land crossing over the Jordan River and confronting Jericho. The transition from old to new is significant for me at this time because of Paul’s call to the Faith in Christ Community in Ephesus. In that call, we here the charge to be submissive to one another as examples to the world of being submissive to God. In some terminology, Paul embraces slavery and servanthood to be synonymous. He himself is a “slave” to the Word of God and the call of Christ on His life.

What does this have to do with Pentecost, you might ask? If Passover is the remembrance of being delivered out of the slavery of Egypt, then Pentecost is the celebration of Jubilee. Jubilee is the antithesis of slavery and indebtedness. In the practice of Jubilee, all debts are cast off and slaves are set free to return to their homeland. Yes, what an economic turmoil that would cause in our “modern day” view of surviving and thriving. To return to our roots and beginnings, to know that we are debt free and also not fraught with managing those indebted to others ought to be cause for peace. It would also be cause for prosperity, I would think. In the midst of that practice was the opportunity for slaves to choose to remain with their “then” former masters. They would take upon themselves the mark of their owner and master. They would enjoy the freedom of living in a place where they found a goodness for life and living. Obviously in those places, the owner/master was a good one. Jesus taught many lessons about a good master, land owner and overseer. Perhaps we can even see that in Jesus’ desire to serve the Lord His God and Heavenly Father, He was willing when offered the freedom to deny the cup that was given to Him to take the mark of our master and His master as Son of Man and Son of God. He bore the marks of scourge and crucifixion before His death and the marks of glorious healing after His death with resurrection. Now at Pentecost, we cross over from seven weeks to the “and one” day which would make 50 days.

At Pentecost, those who would lay aside their slavery to the Law which could not save them and take on the call to righteousness which was the only means of salvation, those believers took on the mark of the Holy Spirit. It was a mark in a truly changed life having their debt of sin cancelled by the ultimate sacrifice which Jesus made for us. There may have been a piercing of the ear, as was the practice of Jubilee for slaves choosing to remain with their master, and a sign of the cross or later with a fish inserted. We do not know simply because the greatest sign of this new life was in the condition they lived sharing love for one another without the burden of indebtedness. Luke would describe it as “…and they were in one accord.” Contemporary faith communities describe it as a (Acts) 242 community reflecting on Acts 2.42. The challenge is ours today, as it was with Paul in his day, to be in service to the call of God through Christ on his life. Coveting the prayerful support of the Church, Paul would continue to minister in and out of prison and house arrest across Judea, Asia Minor and Rome itself. It is our challenge as well to be engaged in prayerful ministry supporting the Church in its task to spread the good news and watch the lives of others prosper by it. They would do so, and I believe we should as well, fully equipped for ministry putting on the full armor of God. Being called as a “priesthood of all believers” there is power in our faith in action. The true mark is the condition of our heart, mind, soul and spirit aligned with Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior. I believe this is what truly makes God pleased.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.