April 2, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of My people.’ For this is what the high and exalted One says— He who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” (Isaiah 57.14,15)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD TO US:

Matthew 20 tells us that Jesus determined in that moment to go up to Jerusalem. It makes sense that He would go up to Jerusalem because the city was set on a high hill, or plateau, in the midst of several mountains. In order to get to Jerusalem one has to go “up.” It was a protected city set on all sides and roadways had to be built in order to reach the city itself. It makes sense that in Isaiah, God would direct the people to “build up.” It wasn’t about direction such as north, east, south and west. From any direction, one still would need to “go up” to Jerusalem. Today, we might say “go up” if we are headed north or “go down” if we are headed south or “go over” if we are simply moving from one place to another. Those in Galilee and Samaria to the north would never say they were “going down” or “going over” to Jerusalem when they would go to celebrate high holy days, to conduct business or simply to visit. Their focus was “going up.” Up the ramps for roads which lead to the gates. The city set on a hill could not be hidden. There was no desire for it to be unseen. Set in the midst of other “hills,” the light of the Temple in Jerusalem filled the sky much as we see lights from cities in the distance. Even more, the Temple in Jerusalem was set on a firm foundation and those who desired to enter it would have to go up to the plazas and places to pray. The placement of the Temple indicated a “place above all places.” It was set apart as the dwelling place of God on earth as He dwells in Heaven. It was not Heaven but a sacred and holy reminder of what was to come.

In Ephesians 4, the writer [presumably Paul] speaks of using the gifts and administration of them for the purpose of “building up” the church, the Body of Christ. The “building up” was to continue until it reached the full measure and stature of Christ Himself. (4.11-16) How critical it is to understand this call to “discipleship” as the pattern of thinking and living as those who are in Christ. The commitment to develop our gifts and use them to develop the gifts of others is an act of, as Paul defined it for those believers in Corinth, “faith, hope and love; the greatest of those being love.” (1 Corinthians 13) Commissioned to “build up” was the positioning of believing to focus on the priority of seeking God. We are supposed to move toward that eternal dwelling place every day of our lives. It is not always possible. The world does get in the way. Thus the encouragement to “clear the way.” Keeping the objective in mind which is to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6.33), the believer and follower of Christ does exactly that but not for themselves alone. This is the call of not just one but for many. We are all to work together toward that good which glorifies God and “builds up” one another. This is the true sense of community. Community is not simply a collection of people in one place. Community is the identity of a people who are bound by one purpose. The Christian community is that people whose purpose is defined by “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4. 4-6)

This is what God was talking about to Isaiah as the true identity of “My People.” In the midst of that description, God reveals again “the one who will revive the heart and spirit of those feel “put down.” That is, of course, the Messiah. He stands in contrast to what the world identified as true leadership, a true king, a true god and God Himself. How we may even forget that God by His very nature is love and in love a servant for all. He does not do the things He has done for Himself. He does not seek honor but honor should be given out of love, respect and gratitude. We know how the world works. Those who have this false concept of themselves build themselves up by putting others down. They may not actually be moving themselves higher on the ladder but lowering others to a standard below them. They dare not look up for fear of seeing how far down they actually are. Imagine this as a guiding principle for understanding the parable told by Jesus of “Lazarus and the Rich Man.” The Rich Man was “high up,” especially in comparison to the sore-infested Lazarus whose wounds were licked by the dogs at the gate. Lazarus ate the scraps alongside them. Yet, the day came when both Lazarus and the Rich Man died. It was no coincidence. Perhaps it was a tragedy of some kind which took both their lives such as an earthquake or violent storm. When they both awakened from their slumber of death, Lazarus was resting in Heaven in the “bosom of Abraham” while the Rich Man suffered in the torment of hell below them. The Kingdom of God has a way of turning the human perspective upside down into the authentic reality of life. The consequence of the Rich Man’s actions to not “build up” Lazarus actually put himself down. God had not judged him but allowed the course of life as it was created to become known. Jesus’ purpose in this parable was to open the eyes of those who considered themselves rich by the standards of the world not to forsake their riches and benefits but to seize upon the true opportunities their position afforded them. They were to “build up” the body, the community, the “My People” of God.

The question for us today is “up.” What’s up? Are we looking up? Are we going up? Are we building up? Are we lifting up? Are we carrying one another up as Jesus has carried us up? Remember that when Jesus bore His cross, with the help of Simon of Cyrene, He bore it up the hill of Calvary which rose above the plateau where Jerusalem was. It does not mean it was a higher elevation but that it, too, was “high and lifted up.” He carried the cross of our sin and shame and bore it before God as the singular sacrifice which would satisfy the payment for the penalty of our sins, debts and transgressions. In other words, He carried us up to God and cleared the way so that we might draw near to Him who truly loves us. We are called to do the same for one another and all others. It is not for us to judge who will and won’t. They will decide that for themselves. It is for us to afford them the opportunity to make that decision by setting the pace to “build up” one another.

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

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness which we know is folly but righteous works which declare Your glory and further witness the truth that can set all who believe free from death. So may we live by the name of Jesus our Christ. AMEN.