Sunday, May 27, 2012

Practice Justice (06/03/2012)

June 3, 2012 Background Scripture: Exodus 22:1 – 23:9 Lesson Passage: Exodus 23:1 - 9 We often speak of the Book of Law as though it only contains the Ten Commandments. Certainly the Ten Commandments are without doubt the ultimate declaration that helps to set forth the righteousness of God and how that righteousness is to be respected by man and how it should lead us to respect the proper moral relationship with one another. Besides the Ten Commandments, the Book of Law actually contains five biblical books and they record much of the history of the birth and establishment of Israel as a sovereign nation. That historical text contains hundreds of ordinances and laws that were to be used by Israel for everything from establishing the proper moral behavior for individuals to how to resolve civil conflicts among the people. The Ten Commandments established the moral foundation and the other laws and ordinances established Israel’s civil constitution to be used by the sovereign state operating under theocratic governance. The text of our lesson today examines a small portion of that constitution which addresses personal actions and their legal consequences. This passage details the kinds of actions that will cause a person to either adhere to the moral law or violate it. This passage is a reminder that much trouble can be avoided by simply being in the company of the right people. If you join with a group that is bent on doing wrong, you will be guilty of wrong doing at some point. Your righteousness must not be determined by others. God’s people should do good to those who love them as well as do good to their enemies. (That’s a different twist to the human concept of survivor of the fittest.) Jesus referred to this kind of disposition as loving your enemy. The Law also made it clear that people who are innocent deserve to be protected and defended. Bribes will take away a person’s sense of judgment. One’s work should be dictated by what’s in the heart and not by what one can receive. Receiving bribes will lead to lying and other forms of corruption. Never forget where God has delivered you from. When you see others in a similar predicament, know that it is only because of the grace of God you are no longer in the same situation. This attitude should cause you to have compassion for others—especially when you have been delivered from a similar situation as the one that they’re in. All of these instructions describe actions that lead a person to live out the spirit of the moral law of God. How we treat strangers and even our enemy should be dictated by our personal relationship to God and not based on how we would otherwise relate to them. Justice is more than an ideal goal to be pursued. Justice is an achievable reality when we pursue it in consideration of our interactions with each other. It is one thing to know what is right but something entirely different to do what is right. We must practice doing the right thing. We must practice justice. Robert C. Hudson May 23, 2012

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Way, the Truth, and the Life (05/27/2012)

May 27, 2012 Background Scripture: John 14 Lesson Passage: John 14:1 – 14 John is the only gospel writer to record this very intimate conversation between Jesus and his disciples. This conversation took place within minutes prior to Jesus’ arrest, mock trials, and crucifixion. This was not a sermon or lesson that Jesus was delivering to his followers. This truly was a conversation between the master teacher and his pupils who were about to graduate from being disciples to become apostles. During the conversation, some of the students asked questions for clarity and another made a simple request to help boost their confidence in what they were being told to expect. For each question or request, Jesus addressed the petitioner personally rather than give a general answer to the entire group. John details for us a very engaging conversation between the teacher and his pupils. On this occasion, Jesus was taking them to another level. They were being told more about his divine nature than they had understood before. Jesus explained to them spiritual matters that could not possibly be comprehended by an unsaved person. This seemingly crash course in spirituality and theology was unlike anything they had received before. This conversation had an air of urgency. Jesus’ time on earth with them was drawing to an end and he wanted them to be thoroughly equipped to handle life and ministry without his physical presence. They had seen the miracles and heard his teachings; now, it was all being pulled together for them in a way that would make sense not many days hence. Jesus, who had been their teacher and their counselor, would soon express himself to them as their Savior and Lord. They had become familiar with his humanity. They had seen him laugh, cry, hunger, become angry, and get tired and go to sleep. They saw him change water to wine, heal all manner of diseases and afflictions, and even raise the dead. How could they bear the thought of him leaving them after all of that? After all, they had left their jobs three years ago to follow him around Galilee, Judea, and through Samaria. They had become quite close to him and had grown emotionally attached. How could they not be sorrowful listening to him talk about leaving them soon? Thomas made it clear that he did not understand exactly what Jesus was talking about. Maybe the others understood, but for Thomas, he had no idea where Jesus was going or how they were destined to follow him later. Philip requested a glimpse of the Father as sufficient evidence. Jude wanted to know how they were going to be able to see Jesus later but non-followers would not be able to see him. Jesus’ answers to their questions and request still encourage us today. Jesus’ disciples would recognize him because he would be in them as they receive new life through regeneration. This new life would be the enabling power of the Spirit of Christ on the inside. As a result of this new birth, they would finally know the truth beyond any doubt. And the only way provided for them to experience this is for it to happen through Jesus. They were being brought into the realization that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Robert C. Hudson May 19, 2012

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Resurrection and the Life (05/20/2012)

May 20, 2012 Background Scripture: John 11:1 – 44 Lesson Passage: John 11:17 – 27, 41 – 44 What is the resurrection? What are we referring to when we speak of the resurrection at the end of time? Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth helps us to at least have a common understanding as we talk “resurrection talk”. For instance, when we speak of bodily resurrection, it is important to know that we are not raised with the bodies we had lived in prior to our physical death. Just knowing that would answer many questions as it relates to the physical condition of a person prior to death. Amputated limbs or digits will not be a part of the resurrected body. In fact, all physical ailments will be banished. Paul, writing under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, wrote that the resurrected body is different than the body that is planted. Paul referred to bodies that are of the earth as terrestrial and bodies that are of the heavens as celestial. What Paul described in his letter we often refer to as a glorified body. Our most earnest desire is not to continue to live on in these corruptible bodies that are gradually deteriorating but to have our souls clothed with bodies that do not deteriorate at all. We want our minds and emotions to freely experience life in the presence of God to the fullest without the constraints and constant rebellion of sinful flesh. It is with this perspective in mind that we now focus our gaze upon the gospel of John as he writes about a conversation outside of a burial tomb. Death has invaded the family of Mary and Martha and they are experiencing grief and sincere disappointment at what they are describing as an untimely death. In other words, if their friend Jesus had responded to their summons when they sent for him, their brother Lazarus would not be dead; for surely Jesus would have healed him of his illness. Neither sister avoided letting Jesus know of their disappointment in him for not coming to them in their hour of need when they were concerned about their brother’s health. What the sisters did not know is that Jesus had purposely avoided coming to heal Lazarus even though he knew that the illness would lead to Lazarus’ physical death. Jesus’ purposeful delay was used to bring the sisters into a different awareness of the resurrection. On this occasion, Jesus would not only raise the dead—he had done this at least twice—but he would reverse the process of rigor mortis and decay. Jesus would demonstrate a power that could restore a body that was already in decay and allow that person to live and function again. This would not be a glorified body like what Paul described but it would be a demonstration of power not seen or heard of before. This is the power that overcomes dead and decayed physical bodies. Although it would not be demonstrated on this occasion, it is resurrection power that creates a glorified body that lives forever without being subject to corruption or decay. Not only did Jesus have this power, he was this power. He was not merely the one who resurrects but he is the very substance of the resurrection. The spirit of life that inhabits the resurrected body is the Spirit of Christ. Everything that makes resurrection possible is found in Jesus. So when Martha wanted to talk about a last day resurrection, Jesus re-introduced himself to her except this time it was not as a friend or a healer but as the Resurrection and the Life that is to come. Robert C. Hudson May 14, 2012