Reflections Upon Isaiah 40:29 - Part One

 

Reflections Upon Isaiah 40:29 – Part One

 

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might,

he increaseth strength”(KJV)

 

Have you ever felt exhausted? Have you ever collapsed and felt unable to move? Have you suddenly lost consciousness? Have you ever lost the will to continue pursuing your dreams and goals? Have you ever simply given up, accepted defeat and decided to retreat to a meaningless and unchallenging space in life? I recall being in graduate school with an ordained Methodist clergyperson who had obtained the Master of Philosophy enroute to earning his doctoral degree in Christian Ethics. Suddenly, he disappeared from school and his studies. A search found him working at a gas station in Upstate New York. At that juncture, he found the language exams insurmountable and his best efforts to complete research, drafting, editing and finalizing his doctoral dissertation proved woefully inadequate. After eight years of full-time study, he abandoned the program and went into exile, professionally and personally.

 

He left the trappings of institutional and formal religion with rites, rituals, regulations and perennial celebrations. He fled the academy of ivy-covered walls and centuries of traditions and customs. He left before receiving a parchment diploma inscribed in Latin with Old English font that certified his study, intelligence, academic rank and social standing. His exhaustion created hopelessness and helplessness which led to his exile. His resulting disillusionment yielded his acceptance of a job pumping gas, rotating tires, replacing brakes and changing oil. Unable to fail at those rudimentary tasks, he chose them as an answer to the previous questions.

 

Consider the plight of a second formally educated, professional and published gentleman and burgeoning scholar who found himself selling cars and insurance in the middle of his career. Duplicitous, imbecilic, irrational and self-loathing lay leaders in the congregation of his second pastorate conspired with equally dishonest and contemptible clergy colleagues to dissolve his pastoral call and terminate his employment. After an extensive job search in which he saved more than four thousand emails between employers and himself, he took a job selling cars. That job did not require any of his previous training and education. In fact, a sales manager who was half his age relished the thought that this man reported to him. The sales manager exhibited absolute glee in telling this man that he did not care about any of his prior achievements. “What is their worth if you ended up here reporting to me?” A clergy colleague who encountered this man at a funeral barely concealed his laughter and sheer delight that this Ive League educated man who thought so highly of himself was now selling cars.

 

 One Thursday afternoon, as this man sat at his desk in the car dealership, he experienced a silent panic attack. Between his ears and with sealed lips, he began to shout, “I’m selling cars! I’m selling cars! I can’t believe that I’m selling cars!” Those experiences and myriad others verified that this man was living in a professional and personal exile. Car sales require a minimum of seventy hours per week onsite. A successful sale and delivery of a car added five or more hours per vehicle. The sheer physical exhaustion on an off day relegated it being meaningless. There is not any energy to do anything edifying. There is minimal energy to watch television like a zombie and fall asleep intermittently.

 

The sorrowful predicament of the disillusioned doctoral candidate and the bewildered car salesperson mimicked Israel’s plight during her exile. Following the Babylonian destruction of Israel’s history, religion and literature, generally, and Solomon’s Temple, specifically, Israel’s captives took her people into exile and scattered her tribes abroad. She risked the loss of her culture, traditions and legacy. How would the exiles respond to this attempt to annihilate their nation and heritage? Imagine the exhaustion of God’s people as they scramble for housing, stability and normality in a foreign land. They had traveled through the arid, rough and desert terrain of the Ancient Near East. They were separated from everything they treasured and found familiar. How could they dream? What reasons would they have to look forward to any approaching dawn? Were they able to rest each night as a midnight pall of despair and disillusionment surrounded their lives? Possibly, any thought of the colossal loss they experienced could cause them to faint. Realizing the extent of their decimation and inability to counter their Babylonian oppressors, the Israelites were helpless, hopeless and powerless. Bewildered that the God of their forebears would permit their conquest, they had no might left to explain their predicament or progress beyond it.

 

How could they respond? Ironically, the prophet, Isaiah, encourages them to seek assistance, reassurance and comfort from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who may have grossly disappointed them. Writing amid their exile, he offers this verse. He addresses their emotional, mental, physical, psychological, spiritual and existential states. They do not feel as if they have any power in any of these dimensions of their lives. It is as if they have fainted and lost consciousness and possibly the will to live. They have little to cherish or hold valuable as they strive to endure each day in this damnable state of exile. They lack any cognitive ability to imagine a future yet alone find meaning in their daily living in a strange and unfamiliar place. Memories of past sabbath dinners and holiday celebrations undoubtedly torment them rather than comfort and sustain them.

Reflections Upon Isaiah 40:29 - Part Two

 

Reflections Upon Isaiah 40:29 – Part Two

 

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might,

he increaseth strength”(KJV)

 

Visualize an average Israelite completing daily tasks but being blindsided by the past. While feeding livestock, plowing, harvesting crops or attending to other seasonal projects, glimpses of past pleasurable and enjoyable times flash on the canvass of their minds. Those favorable flashes of good times at the dinner table, in the temple, strolling the marketplace and strolling on a Sabbath’s afternoon soon evaporated in the heat of hard daily reality of oppression, exploitation and isolation. Nonetheless, Isaiah insists that God will provide and sustain them during this time of exile. Isaiah assures the Israelites that their God bestows power to them when they feel that they have fainted. God graciously imparts and shares divine power with His weary, powerless and exhausted people. For those who lack any human strength, creativity and hope, God multiples His power.

 

The two previous gentlemen could personalize this verse. It practically means that God will endow them with resilience to surmount their challenges in professional, personal and educational exile. He graciously conveys ability, creativity, productivity and endurance to rebound from adversity. The attribute of resilience empowers a person to withstand hardship and recover from difficulties. This characteristic equates with elasticity. Rubber bands depict this personality trait. They possess the inherent ability to stretch to their maximum limit without snapping and breaking. During a personal exile, disciples ironically experience God’s mysterious handiwork as His sovereign will permits adversity to stretch the contours of their personality. Interestingly, God utilizes disciples’ challenges and hardships to cultivate their characters. Elasticity means an object can regain its shape with greater strength. Likewise, disciples can regain their genuine pursuit of self-realization and achievement of their destiny. Resilience for the disenchanted doctoral candidate and unjustly twice terminated pastor meant God would graciously grant a renewed determination to them to persevere toward their dreams and goals in accordance with His will.

 

Discernment is another gift of an exilic period. Warren Buffet, the wealthy and well-respected American financier, once posited, “Empty the backpack of your dreams.” The context of this quote is important. I do not recall it. I encourage you to research it online. I imagine this sage businessman encouraged aspirants to divest themselves of presuppositions that are no longer helpful. An open mind, willingness to work hard and readiness to be versatile given global market shifts are preferable to remaining steadfastly committed to ineffective ideas. By emptying themselves of those presumptions in the morning of their lives, disciples have an opportunity to ask God to reveal the desires of their hearts to them. A time of exile can be a period of fruitful discernment wherein disciples listen for God’s guidance which will lead them out of their exile.

 

The doctoral student and former pastor would gain significantly were they to withdraw and transform their exile into a time of discernment. Within his heart, did the doctoral student genuinely desire to complete the degree and embrace a scholarly and teaching vocation? Did he possess a love of research, writing, teaching, mentoring, and publishing above other career opportunities? Was the former pastor better suited in other professional positions? Was he an academic who was mismatched with a local congregation? Did he belong in the hallowed halls of academe? Possibly, he was an organic intellectual and social justice activist whose talents, abilities and work ethic were more compatible with the non-for-profit sector? A time of exile and discernment is ideal to allow answers to these questions to emerge.

 

This verse borne of the furnace of affliction in exile offers enduring hope to disciples as they  grapple with considerable loss and strive mentally and psychologically for renewal and restoration. Centuries later, we cannot imagine the height and depth and breadth and width of Israel’s destruction, captivity and exile. It remains immeasurable even to archeologists and anthropologists. Historians, linguists and literary types of all genres continue to share this powerful and penetrating story with us. Unexpectedly, a confluence of circumstances can emerge in our lives and parallel Israel’s dastardly fate. Should you have that experience, you can receive immortal hope and encouragement from this verse which Isaiah offers to people experiencing bewilderment in exile. Almighty God will give you power and grace to endure, conceptualize a future, seek restoration and embrace renewal.

 

Leesons from the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11 - Part One

 

Lessons from the Wilderness – Matthew 4:1-11

Part One

 

Opening Prayer

 

Humbly, we approach Thy presence and ask for Your favor. Open the eyes and ears of our hearts and reveal unto us Your “good, pleasing and perfect will” for our lives. O most gracious and benevolent Master, give us knowledge of Your will for us and the mental willingness and spiritual power to carry it out. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our strength and redeemer. Amen.

 

Introduction

 

Historians characterize certain years in the lives of past prominent people as their “wilderness years.” This period of life is a time of loss, separation, reconsideration, reflection, preparation and renewal. These popular and powerful people fall from grace, suffer defeat, experience tragedy or otherwise face unimagined adversity. A confluence of unfortunate circumstances appears to extinguish their flames. The glee of opponents drowns out any positive thoughts or affirmative meditations. These years eclipse heretofore magnanimous ambitions and personalities.

 

A few obvious and potent historical examples come to mind. Winston S. Churchill lost his power in the British Parliament and politics after the “First World War.” His wilderness years occurred prior to the Second World War. During that time, he and his wife, Clementine, lost a daughter. He retreated to painting as a creative and productive means of recovering from bereavement. Former political colleagues did not call nor did they visit. It was as if his prior service were an enigma. Interestingly, amid the grief, isolation and disillusionment, Churchill discovered an intestinal fortitude, mental clarity and inner resolve that equipped him to lead Great Britain through the Second World War. His wilderness years prepared him to rebuff the rising tide of fascism and antisemitism within the aristocracy and upper echelon of the British government. Countering internal and external opponents, Churchill fiercely fought the dark forces of Nazism which sought to subjugate Great Britian and the European continent. Nevertheless, those wilderness years of preparation, self-realization and definition of destiny were vitally necessary.

 

The impressive, controversial, prosperous and socially progressive administration of the forty-second President of the United States, William J. “Bill” Clinton, was nearly aborted following his defeat for re-election as the Governor of Arkansas. Political commentators attribute Clinton’s loss to his perceived arrogance borne of his personal intensity, unbridled ambition and unquestioned intelligence which offended his supporters and opponents alike. He maintained a clear vision of changes in society that he sought. He was impatient with others who failed to see his vision with equal precision. Assuming a utilitarian stance, he inadvertently steamrolled other politicians and citizens whose grasp of his vision was glacial. They rebuffed his haughtiness by voting him out of office. Clinton was catapulted into his wilderness years. In that existential space, he reflected upon his purpose and methods. He realized his need to modify his approach and relationships. He had to modulate his intense ambition. He had to learn how to respect people and effectively communicate with them. He needed to acquire a team of loyalists who shared his vision for a progressive American political landscape. He refined the grand goals he would seek to achieve. Lest he permanently derail his political career and diminish his objectives for helping average Americans, he had to recalibrate his aspirations and the means he would utilize to realize them. Arguably, as Clinton plotted his return to the governor’s mansion in Arkansas, he simultaneously laid the foundation for his forthcoming successful run for the presidency. He prepared himself for the debate about the proper role and reach of government in the lives of common citizens, healthcare, possibility of Middle East peace accords, fair tax rates and juxtaposing the war on drugs and concomitant crime with a fundamentally fair criminal justice system during his wilderness years.

 

His seven years of imprisonment in a Massachusetts state facility equated with Malcolm X’s wilderness period. In that time of incarceration, he realized that he embodied one of the biggest threats to the people whom he loved and for whom he would defend during the balance of his life. He appreciated that his involvement in organized crime made him an instrument of the oppressive system that he would combat. Rather than skimming off Black, poor and oppressed people’s incomes and livelihoods by running numbers, gambling, prostitution and other unsavory enterprises, he would become a herald of the truth of Islam and global human rights. Malcolm X saw that he had become the biggest example of everything that he opposed. That epiphany enabled his conversion to Islam. He prepared himself for life after incarceration by reading the entire dictionary. His later eloquence, sharp and laser-like wit and fierce polemical debating skills developed from his self-study and preparation. His prison years laid the foundation for the pivotal contribution that he would make to the expansion of global human rights. Challenging residents of the African Diaspora to achieve decolonization of “the Black mind” and international governmental powers, generally, and the United States, specifically, to relent in oppressing, exploiting and subjugating poor and marginalized people, Malcolm X was one of the most formidable spokespersons for a just global community, system and market that offers dignity to all people.

 

In today’s text, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Biblical scholars ask students of the scriptures to forego Hollywood’s conceptualization of the wilderness. The special features and effects of Universal studios do not equate with the natural setting of the Ancient Near East. A wilderness that Jesus might have entered would have been an arid, wild and undeveloped area where berries and other fruit grew, water flowed in limited amounts and wild animals roamed. The Hollywood images of refined shelter, oases and manicured lawns after a brief period of settlement simply did not occur. Its austerity made the wilderness an attractive retreat for several biblical characters as they discerned God’s will.

 

The opening verse contains a fascinating detail. The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to face a tri-fold temptation of the devil. The Heavenly Father deems this test is necessary to qualify Jesus for His public ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. The translation of test in this instance means to probe or investigate. The Spirit utilizes Jesus’ time in the wilderness to conduct a thorough examination of His character. Does Jesus possess requisite attributes to enable Him to conduct His public ministry, travel to Jerusalem, face betrayal, humiliation, crucifixion and death? Does he have intrinsic qualities and abilities to endure despite any adversity he encounters? The devil’s temptations expose Jesus’ character. God uses the wilderness to separate disciples from their cushy and comforting settings. In this terrain of testing, He determines whether disciples have begun to rely genuinely upon Him for their provision. Unwavering faith and steadfast reliance upon God’s faithfulness are empowering gifts that disciples receive if they embrace time and space of withdrawal in the wilderness.

 

Reflections Upon Isaiah 50:7 – Part One

 

Reflections Upon Isaiah 50:7 – Part One

 

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me; I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint; and I know I will not be put to shame.”

 

A scholarly consensus considers the book of Isaiah as a composite work spanning the years before, during and after the Babylonian exile. The work of prophecy captures Israel’s history, religion and literature in three major periods of her development. The book records the progression of the nation’s understanding and experience of Almighty God within these three historical settings. How did the people perceive God during the reigns of Saul, David, Solomon and other kings during the temple years? Solomon’s temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Visitors came from all regions to behold that magnificent edifice dedicated to the glory of God. How did the exilic period in which a foreign nation totally destroyed Solomon’s temple, subjugated the Israelite people and threatened their history and culture change their outlook upon God? Did they blame Him for the possible annihilation of their culture? How would they preserve their heritage and traditions? How would God empower them to rebuild? Would He encourage them as they dwelled in a strange land? What guidance would He practically impart to them as they strove to protect  their history, literature and religion by committing it to writing among other methods? Upon their return to their homeland, how would they view and worship God? Would they harbor a quiet and secret anxiety that He would allow them to lapse into destitution again?

 

This verse, thought to belong to the post-exilic literature, answers the last question and its countless variations. Imagine the people’s anxiety and bewilderment as they departed an unknown land that would never be home to them and traveled back to their homeland. Would the God whom they served and worshiped previously but allowed their captivity and exile be gracious unto them as they returned and began to rebuild? Would He allow them to be put to shame? Would they suffer greater humiliation than before? Would He spare them any possible disgrace? The prophet offers this verse as divine assurance to the people as they pursue renewal and restoration.

 

In the life of any disciple, there are years that resemble Israel’s trajectory. Life’s mystery, irony and complexity combine to derail personal dreams and professional goals. Zigzagging through life can happen more quickly and easily than a disciple imagines. In your twenties and thirties, you steadfastly pursue your ideals and grand ambitions. You may fail periodically. Years of study for graduate and professional school exams may yield colossal failures. Yet, the pilot light in your heart and mind remains on like an eternal flame. The desire to open a business can equally command your existential energy. Starting a non-profit entity to accomplish social justice objectives is another purpose that some disciples hold dear. Decades can pass but these ideals and aspirations remain. However, as time passes, a paralyzing fear might emerge. It may appear easier to surrender your lifelong ambitions to the fallacious notions that time is no longer on your side. You may encounter people who relegate your persistent aspirations as being a joke. Some of them may even laugh in your face. Still, you refuse to yield and resolve to doggedly realize your potential and abilities by fulfilling your dreams and goals. You are determined to achieve your ambition notwithstanding the threat of humiliation and failure.

 

For the Israelites who returned to their homeland, the prophet shares an enduring verse of encouragement. I discovered this verse years ago when I recommitted myself to a lifelong dream. I prayed to seek the will of God and ascertain whether my heart’s desire cohered with it. Finding synchronicity, I reaffirmed my decision to pursue this career objective. I would not allow age, the passage of time, twisted perspective of other people, social misunderstandings, internal fears or any other adversity to impede my intention to fulfill what I believed to be my destiny. Since the day of that epiphany, I have recited this verse countless times to encourage myself. I recommend it to you as a source of spiritual empowerment.

 

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me” – The verse begins with a characterization of Almighty God as the prophet experiences divine love, favor and faithfulness over the course  of his life. In Hebrew, the prophet specifies that “Adonai Yahweh, the covenant Lord” empowers and sustains him. This designation of the divine is not just another name for God. It expresses the belief in a monotheistic, self-existent and supreme being who is the rightful Creator and Ruler of the universe. Moreover, He is the covenant God who makes and adheres to an eternal covenant with His people based on His self-existent and infinite nature. Revealing Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM,” the “Lord God” adheres faithfully to this covenant with His people regardless of their response and behavior to His appeal of unfailing love and enduring grace. The prophet reminds the returning post exilic people that the sovereign, covenant God of their forbears who sustained them during the most horrific years of their history will continually affirm, support and provide for them as they rebuild. For the contemporary disciple, He equally will aid and nurture him as he returns from the exile of wilderness wandering, aimlessness and zigzagging through life. With the Sovereign Lord’s strength and purpose, any disciple can achieve any dream or goal.

 

“I will not be disgraced.” – Disciples need not fear disgrace when they pursue to will of God and obey His guidance. They can retreat to God’s presence as they obey Him. God preserves the dignity of His servants. The resurrection is the surest indication of God’s faithfulness in maintaining the respect and honor of His obedient and faithful servants. Beyond the seminal event of the first Easter Sunday morning, resurrection occurs in everyday life. In God’s mystery and mysticism, He graciously transforms adverse circumstances into more favorable ones that will accomplish His will in an obedient client’s life. God can redeem any situation. The resurrection reassures us that He recalls us to new possibilities within the most disadvantageous and unfortunate circumstances. Accordingly, no one who  seeks Him will be disgraced.

 

“Therefore, have I set my face like flint” – Flint is a hard gray rock that consists of pure chert which is a hard fine grained sedimentary rock composed of quartz. Chert contains petrified remains of rocks found in the ocean floor. This rock formation which has survived for four and a half billion years of Earth’s existence depicts the resolve that disciples can have when steadfastly pursuing the will of God and their dreams and goals. Note that flint survives in the ocean and rebuffs erosion over many years. Whether exposed to earth, air, water or fire, flint maintains its intrinsic core. The threat of earthquakes, mudslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, raging wildfires or other natural disasters do not diminish, weaken or destroy this rock. It is symptomatic of Jesus character. As disciples emulate the mind, heart and character of Christ, they develop a parallel formidable character that enables them to withstand any challenge or adversity. Character, endurance, hope, achievement and success combine and form a flint disposition as disciples commit themselves to personal growth and spiritual development.

Reflections Upon Isaiah 50:7 – Part Two

 

Reflections Upon Isaiah 50:7 – Part Two

 

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me; I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint; and I know I will not be put to shame.”

 

As Jesus passes through a Samaritan village, he and his disciples face unprovoked opposition. The longstanding disdain that Samaritans and Jews had for each other probably explains this confrontation. Jews held Samaritans in utter contempt because they intermarried with the Assyrians who sacked their kingdom in 722BCE. Condemned as “half breeds” and not genuine children of God and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Samaritans were thought to be beneath Jews. In reaction to the Samaritan disdain about the appearance of Jesus and His disciples in  their village, James and John ask if they should call down fire from heaven on this village. (Luke 9:51-56) Jesus rebukes them as they allow themselves to yield to the distraction of their anger. Instead, the evangelist records that “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Practically speaking, he set His face like flint. Knowing that Jerusalem would be the place where He would fulfill the divine plan of salvation and establish a new covenant for humankind, Jesus unequivocally resolves to complete His destiny.

 

Notice how easily the disciples became distracted. Their anger derails their focus. They lose sight of Jesus’ teachings and mission. Their impulse reminds us of the necessity to guard against distractions particularly favorable ones. Jesus’ clarity about His mission and purpose protects Him against the tendency to yield to distractions. To accomplish one’s destiny, it is necessary to avoid distractions regardless of how pleasant and profitable. It is helpful to write down your destiny and use that index card as a prism through which you evaluate any opportunities that unfold in your personal and professional lives. If they do not cohere with what lies within the four corners of that card, then deny the invitation and discard the possibility. Otherwise, you risk wasting time and diverting energy on seemingly worthwhile projects that equate with zigzagging through life. Instead, you can apply the firmness, inflexibility and unrelenting characteristics of flint as you progress towards self-realization and attainment of your destiny.

 

“and I know I will not be put to shame”- In the latter quarter of this verse, the prophet expresses a flint-like certainty of his ultimate triumph borne of God’s all-powerful help, covenantal commitment and unfailing love. He does not fear failure or embarrassment. Apparently, he does not entertain those notions. He encourages the nation to rely genuinely, steadfastly and wholeheartedly upon  Adonai Yahweh’s unerring providence, sovereign will, covenantal faithfulness and enduring fulfillment of His promises. Accordingly, as they align their pursuits with God’s will, they can be most certain of achievement, success and excellence in their undertakings. Humiliation and suffering will not define nor characterize their future. Disgrace and defeat will not be their legacy.

 

Should you have a lifelong dream or goal wherein its pilot light has never gone out, memorize and personalize this verse. Applaud yourself for refusing to allow myriad circumstances to extinguish your ambitions and hope. Reinforce a flint-like stamina and resilience within your mind, heart and character. As you still have this dream, perhaps decades beyond your youth and its aimless energy, you greatly desire to accomplish it. Whether writing a book, composing music, traveling, earning a degree, engineering a public works project, designing a grand edifice, becoming a physician, gaining admission to the legal profession, buying a house, transitioning to a new career or any numerous other possibilities, resolve to improve your quality of life through achieving your dreams and goals. Withdraw from daily busyness, embrace prayer and meditation as pragmatic and effective means of discerning God’s will and requesting His power to accomplish it.

The Psalter assures us that as we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4) Discard the prevalent erroneous interpretation of that verse wherein God grants all items of your lengthening grocery list of material possessions. In contrast, this verse states that the Lord will reveal your deepest and most meaningful desires to you. The dream or goal, which refuses to disintegrate though the forces of time constantly combat it like a thunderous ocean wave bombarding rocks on the shoreline, is undoubtedly a desire of your heart.

 

Conceivably, Almighty God gave that desire to you because it accords with His will and your unique personality. You will only succeed at a job, task or pursuit if your mind and heart are in sync thereby cultivating passion and purpose that yields dedication to training, education and willingness to work hard. Those intangible attributes fundamentally determine winners and losers in the game of life. “Hard work beats talent when talent is not willing to work hard.” Pause and consider momentarily a few past failures. Were your heart and mind committed to what you were doing? Did the job align with your knowledge, education, training and background? Was it consistent with your personality? Were you utilizing your talents, gifts and abilities? Were you meant to do that job? Are you surprised if you failed at something that you were not meant to do? Consider the incongruity of being an Ivy League educated used car salesperson or a physician selling new cars? Darwin, a scientist at heart, previously served as a pastor of a local congregation before writing On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Jonathan Edwards, the first president of The College of New Jersey, later Princeton University, and a premiere colonial America theologian, beforehand served as the Pastor of First Congregational Church in Northampton, Massachusetts. Three adversaries in the congregation who resented Edwards’ intellectuality coerced the membership to dissolve his pastorate. A theologian, philosopher and religious educator, Edwards had an impressive academic career. Mahatma Ghandi began his career as an establishment lawyer. Martin Lukther King, Jr. originally planned to seek a teaching position at a seminary prior to returning to Atlanta, Georgia and assuming leadership within the Civil Rights Movement. Margaret Thatcher earned degrees in chemistry and considered teaching and research prior to entering British politics.  These prominent historical personalities pursued the desires of their hearts in accordance with their understanding of God’s will for them. They are powerful examples to contemporary disciples who retain lifelong dreams and goals in their hearts and minds. They encourage us to remain true to these illimitable and indelible dreams.

 

If you are returning to the path of your destiny after having traveled for years on roads that diverted your time, talent and energy, you can find empowerment, intention and resolve to succeed and excel as you apply this verse to your life. More especially, if you have been a victim of age discrimination or indifference of professionals as you seek to transition into a career that furthers your destiny, recite this verse daily to cultivate perseverance as God works mysteriously in the background. Hold unrelentingly to the promises of this verse knowing that God will remain faithful in assisting you to accomplish His will and fulfill your destiny.

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part I

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part I

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Opening Prayer

 

Humbly, I beseech the gracious bestowal of the anointing of the Holy Spirit who breaks every yoke that binds the people of God. With all due humility, I ask that I would decrease so that You may increase within me. Open the eyes and ears of our hearts and reveal unto us Your “good, pleasing and perfect will” for our lives. O most gracious and benevolent Master, give us knowledge of Your will for us and the mental willingness and spiritual power to carry it out. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our strength and redeemer. Amen.

 

Introduction

 

The smallest details are usually the surest clues that a job has been finished. If you want to determine whether a table has been set for dinner, you look to see whether the napkins have been folded and put in their proper places. The clearest sign that the dishes have been done is a folded and wrung dishtowel left over the sink. What is the major indicator that the laundry has been finished? You open your chest of drawers and find clean, fresh and neatly folded undergarments. The fold in a bedspread means that the bed has been made. I recall visiting relatives in Miami. These folks are meticulously neat and clean. They can spot a bread crumb in the middle of dark carpeting. Each room and its furniture have cleanliness equal to a museum. The smallest detail tells whether someone cleaned the room on any given day. Seeking to be a good guest, I resolved to adhere to their unparalleled standards of cleanliness. Each morning, after my morning routine of shaving, bathing and dressing, I made the bed. On the third morning, I learned that I was not making the bed according to household standards. My failure to leave a well-defined crease in the bed spread just beneath the pillows which yields marked fold on the sides meant that I had not made the bed properly. The lack of that side fold clearly exposed my inadequacy in making the bed. That minute and simple yet significant detail of folding certifies that a job had been completely and meticulously finished.

 

I.              Carpenters in the Ancient Near East

 

In his research for his latest novel, The Weeping Chamber, the Christian fiction writer, Sigmund Brouwer, discovers a minute but tremendously important detail which demonstrates that the work of salvation was accomplished thoroughly and irreversibly. Brouwer became intrigued and obsessed with a seemingly minor detail in John’s resurrection account. He focuses upon the evangelist’s specific care in mentioning the folded burial cloth. John carefully specifies that the cloth is folded neatly and set to the side. It is as if the Risen Lord or an attending angel seriously desired that anyone entering the Empty Tomb could not miss this detail. Brouwer asks, “Why? What is so important about the folded burial cloth? What does it mean? What did it mean to John’s original audience? What significance did this detail have for them? What did they think about the cloth? What did it mean to them? What lessons did they learn or gain when they considered this detail? What message did they think that John communicates with this detail?” Brouwer’s questions fueled his research. He began to rummage any documents, evidence and sources from biblical times that would contextualize the meaning of the folded cloth.

 

Brouwer discovered that carpenters of the first century had a distinct method of letting their employers know that the carpenters had completed a job. The average carpenter in the Ancient Near East was illiterate. He could not leave a note or an invoice. As a result, carpenters devised a system of communication to relay the message of a finished job and to request payment. The carpenter would leave a folded cloth in one of the corners of the job.   Following the building and sanding of a table, carpenters would leave a folded cloth perhaps sandpaper in the right corner. This cloth indicates finality and completion.

 

II.           John 20:1-7 – The Folded Burial Cloth

 

Most interestingly, the Johannine evangelist shares this detail of the folded cloth in his resurrection account. In John 20:6-7, he writes, “Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.”

 

On the first Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples find an empty tomb with the clearest sign that the work of salvation had been finished. Like the good, industrious and faithful carpenter that He was, Jesus took His burial cloth and folded it neatly and left it in a corner. Thereby, He indicates that He has totally defeated death and built an eternal home for all disciples and anyone who would believe. The folded burial cloth demonstrates that “It is finished!”

 

This detail is more than a literary and rhetorical device. It is also more than an obscure detail that would be a detective’s delight. It is more meaningful than anthropologist or archeologist’s missing piece of a cultural or societal puzzle. In recounting the ironic story of the resurrection in which the evangelist assures his audience of Christ’s destruction of death, John eloquently embeds this invaluable detail to depict the Lord’s mission and purpose. Detailing the presence, shape and position of the burial cloth reflects Christ’s complete salvific work in establishing the kingdom of God on Earth and laying the foundation of the Church through His three and half years of preaching, teaching and healing particularly to the apostles and the seventy followers.

 

In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, the evangelist records the resurrection of Lazarus, a common man in historical era. Jesus miraculously recalls Lazarus to life within a graveyard, the setting of death’s irreversible finality.  This scene of the empty tomb at the end of the Gospel in which Peter and John discover Jesus’ resurrection extends the blessing of this miracle to anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Mentioning the burial cloth laying aside equates with the removal of Lazarus’ grave clothes. Existentially, the Lord removes any adherent’s grave clothes or possible death. The symbolism of the burial cloth makes this divine promise accessible to an average person in biblical times and even today.

 

Singularly and uniquely, the Johannine evangelist includes this detail of the folded cloth in his resurrection account. Most readers of the Fourth Gospel often overlook this small yet significant detail. It is a potent and penetrating literary device that reflects the evangelist’s theological perspective. John notes, “Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.” It is a significant fact that each of the four gospel writers emphasize that the disciples discover an empty tomb. Their bewilderment creates questions about the whereabouts of Jesus’ body. Where was it? Its absence did not make sense as it was not naturally possible. Did these early witnesses to the empty tomb immediately recall Jesus’ prior teachings about the resurrection? “Destroy this temple and I will build it back in three days.” “The Son of Man will go with you to Jerusalem where He will be crucified but I will rise again on the third day.” John unlike his synoptic counterparts combines these two important details to remind his readers of Christ’s salvific purpose as evidenced in the incarnation, atonement, crucifixion and resurrection.

 

“He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying on the side.” On the first Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples find an empty tomb and the clearest sign that Jesus had accomplished the Father’s grand plan of salvation for humankind. The work of salvation had been finished. Customarily, in the Ancient Near East, carpenters left neatly folded cloths in the corner of table as a sign that they had completed the task for which they had been hired. Unlike today, carpenters did not return to a truck, write out an invoice and give it to the customer. Quite possibly, illiteracy contributed to the practice of folded cloths as the average person would not have had facility in language arts and an alphabet.

 

Parenthetically, “illiteracy” in that sense and historical period would differ significantly from any contemporary use of the word. During biblical times, people had substantial memories. They transmitted knowledge orally. Major classical books such as Beowulf, Odyssey and Iliad and even the Bible itself was transferred generationally and orally. Hence, the phrase, “knowing by heart,” became prevalent. Old Testament authors exhort their readers to recite scriptures throughout the day. Nonetheless, people who lived in the ancient world were “illiterate” but not necessarily uneducated.  

 

 

 

 

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part II

 

A Finished Work – John 20:1-7 – Part II

(Easter Sermon 2004)

 

Essentially, the folded cloth which legend holds of the sacred, “Shroud of Turin,” that covered Jesus’ face is found lying aside separate from the other burial clothes. Presumably in the wee hours of the morning during the fourth watch of the night when we believe the actual resurrection occurred; Jesus rose from the dead. Like  the good, industrious and faithful carpenter that He was, Jesus took His burial, cloth and folded it neatly and left it in a corner. Thereby, He indicates that he totally defeated death and built an eternal home for all believers.

 

Rather than building a glorious and grand edifice, Jesus builds the church, ecclesia, the confessional community of disciples who devote their lives to studying and implementing Christ’s teachings. These persons proactively dedicate their lives to Christ and elect to live according to His teachings and principles regardless of the social mores and cultural norms of the dominant culture in which they live. The Fourth Evangelist uses the detail of the folded cloth to dramatically depict the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. He builds the church upon the foundation of His sinless life as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He spends three and a half years in a seminar with the disciples wherein He teaches them the principles of the kingdom of God. Succinctly, Jesus teaches the “new Law of God’s love” as an expansion of the Torah. The “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew and the “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke crystalize this teaching. Although he was a carpenter by trade, Jesus possesses an incredible insight into the laws and character of God. His three and half years of public ministry with an especial concentration upon the twelve disciples with an inner circle of Peter, James and John prioritized building a foundation for the church and expanding kingdom of God.

 

That folded burial cloth demonstrated the saying on the cross, “It is finished!” It signified the completion of Christ’s earthly mission and purpose. He conquers death which biblical authors describe as the final enemy. More importantly, Jesus liberates humankind to live freely, happily and joyously to the glory of Almighty God. The fear of death imprisons countless persons. Fundamentalist religion becomes a glorified penitentiary for many disciples as they misguidedly assume they must earn God’s approval and grace through strict adherence to rituals, rites and creeds. The elder brother in the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” remains the enduring archetype of the self-righteous religious person who lives as a slave to dogma, orthodoxy and religiosity rather than a son. Jesus personifies the necessity of seeking a vibrant relationship with God rather than utilizing religion to justify yourself before God.

 

You recall in the temple scene when Jesus overturns the money changers and accuses them of defiling the house of prayer and transforming it into a den of thieves. That provocative act demonstrates the fallacy of religion. Therein, Jesus condemns the longstanding practice of the hereditary priesthood of manipulating religious practices such as sacrifices to exploit the masses. Jesus in contrast encourages listeners to investigate the Law and Prophets and find God. He summarizes the Law in His reply to the rich young ruler by stating “The Great Commandment.” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Jesus further states that the entire Law and teachings of the Prophets rest upon the foundation of the “New Law of Love.” The folded burial cloth represents the final act of completion and construction of the church.

 

Notwithstanding the seminars with Jesus over an extended period of years, His followers misinterpreted Jesus’ purpose and mission. They assumed that Jesus would use His divine and miraculous powers to overthrow Rome militarily and politically. They anticipated the restoration of Israel to the glory days of Kings David and Solomon. Members of the inner circle, Peter, James and John, asked for coveted positions in the kingdom of Christ. They asked to sit on His left and right hands. In today’s terms, they joined the presidential campaign expecting victory and prized Presidential Cabinet positions. It was as if one brother sought a guarantee of becoming the US Secretary of State and the other desired assurance of being the Secretary of Defense or Treasury. I suggest we extend some forgiveness and graciousness to those disciples instead of judging them for being selfish. For centuries, these people expected the return of a Davidic Messiah who would erase the longstanding degradation of Israel emerging from the Assyrian sacking in 722 BCE and the Babylonian captivity in 587 BCE. Those colossal destructive events permanently injured Israel’s collective psyche. The presence of Roman soldiers in their neighborhoods and the priesthood’s subjugation to the government were the latest iteration of Israel’s loss of standing. Tax collectors were reviled by the average Israelite as they disdained any brother who would assist the Romans in exacting tribute on behalf of the Roman oppressors.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ followers resolve that He would employ His divine abilities to achieve a seminal political victory that eluded them for centuries. Yet, they failed to understand that Jesus’ kingdom would not rely upon political, military and economic power. Instead, it would usher in an age in which God’s love would surpass human might. It would reorient society’s values and priorities. Humankind would begin to share God’s love with each and extend to each other the same consideration that they want. Ideally, they would codify these new spiritual principles into law and daily living. This renaissance of religion would fulfill the grandiloquent vision of the Old Testament prophets. Yet, Jesus’ followers fail to comprehend the vision of God’s kingdom. Though they did not see the kingdom which Jesus details, He takes the time to fold his burial cloth to verify His accomplishment of eternal salvation for all disciples by irrevocably destroying death.

 

The evangelist cautions against excessive spiritualizing of his Gospel. He desires that his readers personalize the message by applying it within their daily living and internalizing its principles. Henceforth, their choices in professional and personal relationships would redefine social structures, allocation of resources, coalitions in governance and redirect religious devotion toward a relationship with Almighty God. Biblical scholars and commentators divide the Gospel of John into main parts: “The Book of Signs – Chapters One to Eleven” which culminates in the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead and “The Book of Glory – Chapters Twelve to Twenty-two” which records Jesus’ ascendancy as the “Son of the Living God” who redeems humankind through His glorification through crucifixion, death and resurrection. Jesus’ final miraculous sign occurs in a quaint cemetery on the outskirts of Bethany. Surrounded by a small crowd of mourners, He fantastically raises Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, from the dead after four days of decomposition and entombment.  

 

That final sign offers enduringly earthly hope to disciples and anyone who has faith that he or she can experience resurrection from existential death. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus assures the disciples that they possess the power to triumph over any adversity. Defeat and failure emerge in myriad ways from unprofitable and insolvent businesses to loss championship games to unjust termination of a job to bitter and inexplicable divorce. Wrongful conviction and unjust incarceration additionally contribute to death and destruction of the nearly 250,000 persons whom advocates for criminal justice reform posit are languishing in the nation’s prisons. This dastardly fact reflects the paralysis that a considerable number of people experience considering the possibility that they may not have committed the crimes for which they have been imprisoned. Alcoholism and other types of addictions are kinds of existential death as victims cease to live meaningfully while ensnared to mental, spiritual and physical obsessions to drinking, narcotics, eating, sex, gambling, debt and other compulsions. Such people disregard all other people and purposes in their lives. Loveless relationships and marriages can morph into types of relational and experiential death. The past hurt and pain that result create resentment, anger, bitterness and strife. Those toxic emotions kill creativity, happiness and joy. If people on that side of unrequited love do not progress toward forgiveness of the persons who rejected their affection, they die daily. Dickens’ indelible character, Miss Havisham, in Great Expectations remains the archetype of a scorned, unrepentant, exceedingly bitter and lifeless victim of unrequited love. Throughout life, disciples and others swing along the pendulum of these regrettable experiences. The resurrection of Lazarus, a common name in the Ancient Near East, in a nondescript graveyard on the outskirts of town promises resurrection to anyone who believes. The promise of Christianity and the assurance of resurrection is a gift for disciples.