August 26, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Bring down your warriors, Lord.” (Joel 3.11b)

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

In my reflections on God’s word, I intend to offer some scholarly background into the text and vocabulary as well as connections between the Old and New Testaments to demonstrate the fluidity of God’s Word to all His people. It is important to me that I never forget the background of Jesus’ teachings were rooted in the history and dialogue of God with the descendants of Adam and Eve. Jesus never spoke out of that context when He was speaking into the context of the world He lived in during the first century. Such connectivity allows those generations which follow to the present day (and those which will follow until “that Day”). Those teachings and experiences were intended for us in the preparation of our active discipleship in the world. They were never meant to simply be good words on a page whether they were on a scroll or in a book. Those words were literally meant to be taken to heart and mind and soul. They were never meant to be kept there as some sacred repository. Instead, they were and are the seeds of wisdom sown into ground of our being. We are, in turn, purposed to bear fruit and bring life to those following generations. In other words, we are to bring them into contact with “the Way, the Truth and the Life by which all people may enter into the presence of the Lord.” It is that connection which fuels my reflections on God’s Word. I do not mean them to be “the final answer.” I do pray they serve as an invitation to engage God’s Word and the instruction of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the readers as it happens in my own.

One of those connections with the text presented yesterday from Joel 3 happened in the gospel of Luke (chapter 9, verses 51-55). In that dialogue between James and John, the sons of Thunder, and their Master, Jesus the Christ. The ninth chapter of Luke is a pivotal one in his gospel telling of Jesus’ ministry. It is his version of the response to John’s declaration (John the Baptizer) to his disciples, “He [Jesus of Nazareth, God’s only begotten Son] must increase, so I must decrease.” What we experience in that chapter is the increase of Jesus’ influence as a minister of God’s Word. Even Herod, as recorded in this chapter, recognizes the growing influence Jesus has over the people of “his” kingdom. Herod thought that the death of John would silence the unrest of the people, especially in those beyond Jerusalem. The people were at unrest because the call to be truly Jewish was not heeded by the leadership in the Temple or in the Palace. The greatest evidence of that was the very presence of Rome in both arenas of life and faith. Herod’s “kingdom” was again being challenged. First, it was John the Baptizer who spoke directly against Herod and his blatant disregard for the Word of God. In Jesus, however, there was no direct face-to-face conflict with the leadership of Israel (save for the cleansing of the Temple which was found early in Jesus’ ministry according to John’s gospel.) In Jesus, the challenge to resolve the unrest took a different perspective. Jesus ministered to and with the people of the land both Jew and Gentile (including the Samaritans which were a people somewhere in between those two posits on the spectrum.) Jesus ministered to the “unrest,” the search for righteousness and the favor of God. He did not attack the human sources of the “unrest.” He did, however, speak directly to the spiritual source of the “unrest” which was Satan and his demon presence.

In Luke, chapter nine, we are shown one of those challenging dialogues. It comes with a note from Luke that this event happened as the “day of His ascension” approached. This is a curious statement. It is a time marker but of which time? Is Luke, who wrote two gospels: the gospel of Jesus and the gospel of the Church, speaking of the ascension of Jesus into Heaven following His death, resurrection and forty day sojourn with the disciples in Galilee? Or is he speaking of the “ascension” of Jesus to the final conflict in Jerusalem which occurred at Passover where He would be arrested, tried, convicted and then crucified as “King of the Jews”? Is this a story out of place or are we being led to a place which we all will face in our lives of discipleship and ministering to the world. Remember, mighty ones of God, not everyone will receive the gospel of Jesus Christ gladly. Many will refute it and refuse it and, as modern day Herods, seek to silence it with the execution of those who speak it. Jesus warned of this reality. In Luke 9, we see how two of his disciples, James and John, responded to the rejection of Jesus and His gospel. Being offended by a town of Samaritans who refused to offer food and lodging to Jesus and His followers (numbering from 12 to 120), they asked Jesus if it would be appropriate to “call down” hellfire and brimstone on them. Here is the connection with today’s text where we hear Joel and the Jews who were suffering greatly at the hands of the enemy, “Bring down your warriors, Lord!” Luke gives us Jesus’ response: He turned and rebuked them and they went on to another village. We know that the word is presented to see that Jesus rebuked James and John and their lack of understanding of His real purpose. We may also hear in this that the rebuke was not in isolation but could be heard by the other disciples, the followers as well as the community of inhospitable unbelievers. The essence of the message was “this is not the way, the truth and the life.”

It would be in Luke that we would see a “calling down of fire” upon the lives of the disciples. Under the influence of that “fire of the Holy Spirit,” the disciples would become lifelong learners and thus teachers, that is- apostles, to continue the challenging transformation of the world. As on Pentecost when “all the world” was present for one purpose but were exposed to the true purpose of God to fulfill the mission of bearing witness to the entire world, so in Joel the “whole world” would be confronted by the very “word of God,” His army of truth. Mighty ones of God, we are a part of that army of truth. We do not battle as with flesh and blood nor with the weapons created by those of this world. We battle with spirit and truth as an army of faith, hope and love. Our greatest “weapon” is love. Our greatest practice of it is the prayers of the faithful to acknowledge to greatness of God, His goodness and our commitment to embrace the gospel message. To consider any other action is “rebukeable.” We should hear Jesus’ rebuke saying, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, then My disciples would take up arms against you. But this will not be the case.” Why are we trying to make it our case, mighty ones? Are we seeking to make ourselves weak and in denial of the truth which saves? It is time we move on, move forward and move diligently to follow Jesus. As in the words of a favorite hymn, “Onward, Christian soldiers,” reflect the truth of God in Jesus Christ.

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 but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.