October 23, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“’[On that Day] Awake, sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is close to Me!‘ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.‘” (Zechariah 13.7)

“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” (Matthew 27.51-52)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

We believe that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross brings us the healing from eternal death which is the penalty for unrepented, unredeemed and unrelenting sin. Isaiah’s prophetic declaration “By His stripes we are healed” points first and foremost to the “healing” of our soul. It is our soul’s sincerest desire, or should be, to honor and glorify God with our lives. We know that many times we certainly fall short of that service for which we were first created. Yes, as we hear in the prophetic work of Jeremiah, God said to him, “Before you were formed in the womb, I already knew you and the purposes I had for you; to prosper you and not to bring you harm; to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 1.5; 29.11) we have a first service. This would answer Jeremiah’s question, and ours be default, as to our meaning and purpose. We can imagine, then, that the creation of creation was not, is not nor ever will be a random event. Before it was, God was and God was before it was in the knowledge of what was intended by each part of God’s creative effort which culminated with humankind and blessed with finesse on the Sabbath, seventh day.

It is interesting to listen to the Sabbath debate within the Christian circles of theology, academia and discipleship. What interests me is how it would seem that downplaying the Sabbath, which Jesus never does, over and against Resurrection Sunday, which is the first day of the week, can lead one to think that there is a hope for simplifying or “less restrict” our service for which we were created. What is that service? Creation itself outlines our “honey do” list. David’s Psalm #8 may actually hint that as well as he sings “What is man that You are mindful of Him and the son of man that You would provide for him?” What is that provision? I invite you to read Psalm 8 for yourself and see the markers of opportunity and responsibility recorded there. Compare it with the pattern of creation and I believe you will see the direct correlation between the two. The most vital one may be what is presented to Zechariah by God in today’s scripture reference of 13.7. That service would be as a shepherd/steward. Do we dare minimize our purpose as God has envisioned it and provided for it? I hear pastor’s comment about those who believe the exercise of Christian faith is limited to a couple of hours on Sunday (or whatever day chosen to be the time of a worship service). The comments are not favorable. Imagine reducing 24 hours set aside for worship, praise and spiritual reflection to a few hours and call it sufficient. If one is hungry and thirsty, a crumb of bread and a sip of water is welcomed but lacks in providing sustenance to continue on. It is not insignificant that this was part of Satan’s temptation of Jesus following His acceptance to enter in His appointed ministry. When He feasted on the manna of God’s Word and drank in the value of speaking the truth in love two things happened: Satan departed and Angels arrived. His bread and water was doing the will of His Heavenly Father not just a couple of hours a week but with every breath He drew until His very last. With the last breath, the Shepherd was struck down causing the Veil of the Holy of Holies to be rent in two (showing God’s displeasure) and the “little ones” were scattered.

Knowing who the “little ones” were helps us to understand the validating of the Sabbath day and the First Day. The “little ones,” and it is important to see the lower case use here, were the self-appointed and other than God appointed leaders of the nation of Israel. We have seen that laundry list of false teachers, prophets and foreign government officials. They all answered to a “higher authority.” Ultimately, we all answer to God but in this case, God was speaking of those answered to being the King of an Empire and other such kings who vied for kingdom, power and dominion over Israel. They would be the “big ones,” again lower case is purposeful as is the use of the lower case “g” in the expression of god and gods. So, when Jesus speaks about “the little ones,” He is talking about the believers who are empowered as God’s children (notice the upper case “G”) to serve the world and lead amidst the community as parents, elders, rabbis, priests, etc. Jesus is not enabling nor disabling but empowering. How does this validate the Sabbath Day and the First Day? Before there was a “First Day,” meaning the day of remembering when Jesus was freed from the grave to live on earth as He would in Heaven, there was only the “Sabbath Day.” The code of righteousness espoused that those who understood themselves as the children of God saved by the grace of God extended to Adam and Eve thus setting them apart to live and serve in the world but not to be of the world would indeed keep the Sabbath Day holy and sanctified as God has purposed. It was a Big Day and a Big Deal. Sadly, it became TOO big for some people who used it to control others instead of understanding releasing such control of self before God. Today, we would say they got “too big for their britches.” Jesus might have said they got “too big for their robes.” But with the resurrection of Jesus by the power of God’s promise and the effect of His great love for Him and us, the “First Day” becomes the Big Day and the Big Deal. It does not eliminate the Sabbath Day. It does not invalidate the call to make it holy. It does put it in a new perspective for those who are believers in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus already did it when He declared “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus Himself was accused by those “little ones” of the Old Covenant to be guilty of destroying the Sabbath as they believed God had ordained it through them. It was their way of making Jesus less than a “little one” and making themselves like a “big one.” In some cases, I believe they considered themselves a “Big One.” So, too, did Satan! Oh, now we can hear Jesus’ words more clearly when he calls those “Big Ones” who were little ones “Sons of the Serpent.” Anyway, the First Day becomes the Big Day because it validates the “work” and not the “rest” which the disciples and followers of Christ were then empowered to do. Recognize that Pentecost happens on the first day of the week. This is a “Big Deal” in Christianity and shared by no other faith and religion. Not only that but they do not have a “one day” where the people are empowered to become “little ones” serving a “Big One” in spirit and in truth.

What happens to those who assumed a false position? They were looked upon by God as false shepherds. They took down God’s “man,” the good shepherd and caused such a scattering that only a Good Shepherd would be able to gather them back like a hen gathers her brood under her wing. And look deeply to see that God calls the sword to act against that shepherd. It is a double-edged sword meaning, as we discover in Hebrews 4.12, that it cuts both ways. Those who wielded it against an enemy found themselves to be the enemy and their intentions were clearly revealed. We are called to be shepherds, too, as well as the flock. The call of “little ones” has a powerful meaning which is impacted by who we believe is the “Big One.” The “Big One” is none other than God who in Christ, the Good Shepherd, is sending out sheep among wolves to seek and to save those who are lost. This is the purpose of the Church and the greater calling which is our first business of the week. Sunday, spiritually speaking, is not the day of rest. It is the start of the rest of the week which ends on the Sabbath, which is a day of rest and reflection upon all that God has done, is doing and is about to do! This, mighty ones of God, is a transformative challenge as a double-edged sword needed in today’s world.

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 in order that others 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 so we would know we are Your people and 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.