January 29, 2012
Nehemiah chapters 1-2
“The Heart of Nehemiah”

Nehemiah is often used as an example of a great leader. Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed. Because of his trust in God he became a great man and builder of people.

Nehemiah is a Jewish immigrant. His great great great grandparents had been brought to this country in a slave caravan. He was a servant in the palace. He never forgot his heritage.

I do not know what was happening in Oregon 160 years ago. A provisional government was organized in Oregon in 1843. The Oregon Treaty with Britain was signed in 1846. But Nehemiah knew his history. About 160 years before the time of Nehemiah, the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity (606-597).

In 535 BC, Cyrus allowed 50,000 Jews to emigrate from Babylon to Jerusalem. They rebuilt the altar and started work on the Temple, but criticism stopped the rebuilding one year later.
In 520 BC, Haggai and Zechariah renewed the rebuilding of the ii.
In 516 BC, the Temple was completed.
In 478 BC, Esther became queen of Persia.
In 457 BC, Ezra took 2,000 to Jerusalem to restore the worship.
In 444 BC, Nehemiah goes to rebuild the walls and gates.

Nehemiah begins this book like a diary. He collected facts from first hand credible sources. He asked about the people and the city. It had been 13 years since Ezra had gone to restore the worship in the temple. It sounded exciting to celebrate the feasts. But now they needed to repair the wall. Rebuilding a wall wasn’t as exciting as building a temple. It would be harder to get volunteers to rebuild a wall.

Nehemiah listened; he heard; he identified with the need. His first reaction was to weep. Not the normal sign of leadership. There was compassion. He chose to fast and pray. He used his emotions to stimulate his worship. Some try to reverse that.

1:4 “Sat down and wept”. This is not the usual description of a charismatic leader. The facts are that despite the adding of more manpower, despite the adding of reinforcements, despite restoring regular worship, nothing is happening in Jerusalem. There is something missing. Work Witness projects do not always build people. Aid to Haiti does not change people. The people were still discouraged.

1:5 Nehemiah goes to prayer. This prayer flows from God’s grandeur to Nehemiah’s emotions. God has been fair and just. God has been in control. The whole prayer is one sentence.

1:6 Sin is the root problem. Nehemiah intercedes on behalf of those who do not see the problem yet. He identifies with the people even though he is from the kingly line (my father’s house). He says we all have sinned and God must judge sin. We deserve the judgment we are under. God is righteous.

His prayer is based on the promises of God. Notice the progression in the prayer. He was not trying to fit God in His plans, but was trying to see the situation from God’ perspective.

1:8 He started with compassion, continued with confession, affirmed God’s justice in what has happened. He identified his sin with their sin. Let God know that you know what He has promised. The same God who warns also promises. Both the warning and the promise are inseparable in the faithfulness of God.

1:10 This is the first time Nehemiah differentiates between a “me” and “them”. When He sees a difference between me and them he says, “God they are yours. Lord you have a problem. These people whom you redeemed are hurting. They must be good people. You redeemed them. But they have given up. They don’t know how good life can be. They are defenseless and vulnerable. A lot like some of our neighbors. They went there with good intentions, but they have become discouraged.”

People seem to have the ability to live with their problems and not see them. They have forgotten what real worship can be like. These people in Jerusalem were looking across their problem constantly, but not seeing it. They were surrounded by rubble, but did nothing. They were living in chaos and did not know what to do about it. They were just trying to survive. Years ago their great grandparents had returned here to correct the problem, but the size of the problem had overwhelmed them. These were 3rd & 4th generation welfare families.

Like many of our neighbors, life seemed hopeless. This is the hopelessness of human beings who have tried to solve their own problems without God. They forgot to seek God’s face in prayer. They need to be reminded that God cares and wants to prosper them. Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed.

Are we like these Jews? We’ve been in Oregon 160 years and we are fairly comfortable. We’ve been told we deserve food, home and minimum wage, but are we thankful? Are we living in routine rubble and don’t even know it? Is God offering us something better if we would honor Him and give thanks?

Nehemiah shows us a concerned heart. He was sensitive to the facts, but he does not lay the problem on the people. He does not blame the people. It was God’s problem. Nehemiah complements the people.

1:11 After months of prayer God gives Nehemiah the answer to his prayer. The last phrase is an “Aha!” statement. The answer comes in an unexpected form. God often surprises us. Nehemiah realizes that he was concerned because God made him concerned. Nehemiah realizes that he is where he is because God is in control. This is one of those times when God says, “surprise.”

After spending months in prayer, Nehemiah sees himself in the mirror of God’s presence. Nehemiah is the answer to his own prayer. Now he feels compelled to put some action to his insight. If we act on our ‘aha!’ experiences, life will be constantly new. Because God is in control, it pays to take risks.

This prayer reflects his knowledge of Scripture. It reflects a disciplined emotional response to a problem. It shows us the heart of a sensitive and holy man.

Sensitizing people is part of our task. We must let the blind know there is a world of light. We must fight to reverse the effects of the daily news, which tends to callous people. We need to tell people that they are children of God, not consumers. We are to be dispensers of God’s grace. We can offer hope. We can show our neighbors a better way.

Helping people begins on our knees before God. Commitment does not come from DVD’s and slick seminars. Money comes with DVD’s and pictures of starving children. But you cannot motivate people to committed action with guilt.

Like Nehemiah, collect the facts then allow God to make you sensitive to the needs. Then pray that God will sensitize the king. God has to put compassion in the heart of others just like He put it in your heart. You can’t do it on your own.

2:1 Is this 4 months after the report came to Nehemiah or 4 months after the prayer? Does the ‘today’ in 1:11 suggest that the prayer and the answer came the same day? Does it mean that Nehemiah had not prayed for 4 months?

One thing is certain. Nehemiah had continued with the routines. Everything had gone on as usual and he had not let his grief show. This suggests that he was a very stable person, under control of his emotions. He knew how to hang in there and not let things hang out.

Nehemiah has become aware that God has put him where he is and given him this job so he can answer his own prayer. It was kind of like God telling Moses to look what was in his hand. What resources has God put at your disposal?

It seems that Nehemiah recognized that God was opening a door for him. He recognized that there was a bridge for him to meet the need, but he was not sure he wanted to put any weight on this bridge yet.

2:2 The king’s invitation was so big that it frightened Nehemiah. God’s answers are often so great we are surprised.

Now he lets his feelings show. He did not let his feelings be known till now. The king would not want grumpy servants. What would have happened if Nehemiah were a constant complainer?

“I was very much afraid.” He did not understand the king’s behavior. God has been working in the heart of the king and Nehemiah had not noticed. Our job is not to build bridges to our neighbors, but pay attention and notice the bridges that God is building or has already built. Leadership is not having a plan, but acknowledging where God has put you and seeing God’s plan involves others too.

2:3 A respectful salutation was appropriate. Bridges must be based on respect and mutual trust. This king was not a God-fearer. He was a pagan. Nehemiah knew that he could do nothing without the king’s help. He recognized that he had an opening, he had a bridge, but he chose not to carry a load across this bridge yet.

He brings a light load across. It’s a question and a little bit of a criticism of the government. “How do you expect me to feel?” He is asking the king to identify with him. He invites the king to empathy, not sympathy. Lasting relationships are not built on sympathy.

What he is kind of saying is that the government had created the situation. Nehemiah wondered if the bridge would collapse, but was amazed at the king’s response.

Consider everything a wise king would have been thinking about. Nehemiah says, “I want to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it.”

2:4 There is no argument from the king He respected Nehemiah. Nehemiah did not have to explain why this was the perfect time to rebuild the walls. The king knew that more money would come in if the economy was improved. Nehemiah found this bridge through prayer and he continues to pray.

2:5 The scene is changed. The setting is more formal. The queen is now beside the king. This is a very personal notation in the diary. The king knew that Nehemiah had no training in construction. He knew his limitations. But Nehemiah was simply asking for a job.

2:6 The first question the king asks is the same question that all sponsoring agencies ask today, “How long is it going to take?” We usually say we need a feasibility study. But people whom God has prepared can boldly say, “I set a time.” Setting a time builds confidence. Both Nehemiah and the king knew that they would probably have to re-negotiate the time, but a time was set.

People who sponsor projects want to know how long. If you had asked Nehemiah what date he gave the king, he may not have remembered. He was willing to stick out his neck and be accountable for a period of time. It is better to take risks than always keeping your tail covered.

Nehemiah knew when to stick his neck out. Every leader must sort out the options in the light of what God wanted done. Nehemiah made a wise choice, not because he was wise and clever, but because he was godly and he trusted God. He trusted God and loved people.

2:7 Nehemiah anticipates the next question of how much. The list of requests is probably what Nehemiah had learned from the dignitaries who had made similar requests in the throne room. Nehemiah is doing the best he can with the meager experiences he has had. This is not a good time to appear helpless.

He was not a master planner, but a user of all the resources that God had made available to him. Being in the court, he would have heard how work projects were conducted. He would have heard about the king’s resources. He would have known about the carpenters.

Don’t overvalue the brilliance of Nehemiah’s responses. Some things he does not know, but he was honest with what he knew and what he did not know. The king saw Nehemiah’s ignorance and his honesty. He was impressed with Nehemiah’s willingness to take a risk. God had prepared him. The king’s reasons for rebuilding were not the same as Nehemiah’s but Nehemiah could help him meet his goals.

Nehemiah asks for timber to build a house. Things were in a shambles. He needed a place to stay without being a burden on those he was going to help. A wood house would be an inferior house, a humble house. It is like taking a tent for us to sleep in. Nehemiah shows sensitive compassion more than shrewd planning.

The king could have given Nehemiah just what he asked for and said, “Lot’s of luck. Let’s see how long you will last on your own.” But the king was moved by God to help Nehemiah.

2:8 When all is said and done, Nehemiah says, God did it.

2:9 We are on our way. It probably took 6 months to prepare.

2:10 It was a tense situation. There is always more bad news than you anticipate. The situation is much worse than Nehemiah had thought.

2:11 Here is a condensation of time. There are no wasted details. Picture what the people in Jerusalem saw in the distance. They must have thought an army was coming to tear down the city.

Now think of how they felt when they realized that a Jew was in charge. How does Nehemiah explain being with those people? What could he say that would convince them that he had come to help? No bridges had been built yet. The people would be very suspicious.

All eyes were on Nehemiah. They did not know what was going on. They were reacting to the unknown. How does Nehemiah handle this situation? As he came into the city, he had seen the situation. Now as he tried to set up camp in the rubble, it would have been easy to intimidate the local residents.

2:12 Chances are we would have started out with a news conference and let everyone know why we were here. But Nehemiah did not explain the reason why he had come. Most visiting experts would have said, “I see you have a problem.” They would have their assistants take a lot of pictures.

Nehemiah did not rub their noses in their problem. They had lived like this for generations. He saw them as people living in the midst of their problem and not seeing it.

Notice what is repeated. Think why? There is a slow deliberateness at this point. Nehemiah waited 3 days before looking at the shambles. He was not the outsider with the camera who has come to take pictures of our tragedy. He is not taking a position of authority or superiority. He deliberately takes time.

He chose to wait 3 days and then “by night” he deliberately went out to examine the walls. This was a deliberate choice not to embarrass the people. He did not want them seeing him examining the walls. This way he had less chance of offending the people by not calling attention to the fact of the problem. This was an act of deep and careful respect.

2:16 All societies have face. Leaders sometimes should wait. Every culture has face to save.

Notice the detail of the horse. Cities were destroyed first by burning the gates. In the second stage the walls are torn down. The third stage of destroying a city was to scatter the stones.
Having the rubble here was great news. The stones are still here. We are ready to build. We have plenty of resources

A man of God sees the positive in the pit of despondency, even in the dark.

2:17 “Then” at a later time. This was preceded by a substantial gap. He did not move directly from the nighttime inspection to the morning report. Three days he delayed his impulse to look at the city and he has probably taken more time to make this speech. Something happens between 16 & 17 that allows Nehemiah to identify with the people.

Now when he says “you” it is a word of respect. You are able to see. He did not say they were blind to the obvious, but he respected their ability to see the problem. When we have someone come to visit us, our eyes are opened to see the clutter in the house, in the sink, around the yard. Nehemiah had waited long enough for them to do some thinking.

Never use “we” or “our” prematurely if you want to build a relationship. It takes time for people to accept me as part of the ‘we’. Now he can invite them to rebuild with an inclusive ‘us’ and ‘we’. The plans begin to form up. “I believe” “I can see that you see.” You can see that we have a problem.

This is an invitation to build. These people had not taken any initiative for years. They had let their problems get them down. They saw no hope.

2:18 After he had built rapport, the people could say, “Let us arise and build.” Nehemiah did not ask them to do some work so he could get going with his project. He did not preach an inspirational message so he could manipulate them into paying their tithes. He built rapport. He was a hope builder.

2:20 His personal testimony does not appear until after he had built the rapport and they have accepted him as one of them. He avoids feeding their despair. He turns their faith to God and clearly identifies who the real enemy is.

Nehemiah did not know how to build walls, but he knew how to build people. Walls were usually built by starting with one piece of the wall then have others follow the pattern. Nehemiah wanted all to have a part and all to receive the glory.

The wall was no good till it was done. Everyone laughed at them because this was not the normal way to build a wall. But this is how God told Nehemiah to build this one.

While the critics were complaining and the clowns were laughing, the walls went up. Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed.

January 29, 2012

Nehemiah chapters 1-2

“The Heart of Nehemiah”

Nehemiah is often used as an example of a great leader.  Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed.  Because of his trust in God he became a great man and builder of people.

Nehemiah is a Jewish immigrant.  His great great great grandparents had been brought to this country in a slave caravan.  He was a servant in the palace.  He never forgot his heritage.

I do not know what was happening in Oregon 160 years ago.  A provisional government was organized in Oregon in 1843.  The Oregon Treaty with Britain was signed in 1846.  But Nehemiah knew his history.  About 160 years before the time of Nehemiah, the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity (606-597).

In 535 BC, Cyrus allowed 50,000 Jews to emigrate from Babylon to Jerusalem.  They rebuilt the altar and started work on the Temple, but criticism stopped the rebuilding one year later.

In 520 BC, Haggai and Zechariah renewed the rebuilding of the Temple.

In 516 BC, the Temple was completed.

In 478 BC, Esther became queen of Persia.

In 457 BC, Ezra took 2,000 to Jerusalem to restore the worship.

In 444 BC, Nehemiah goes to rebuild the walls and gates.

Nehemiah begins this book like a diary.  He collected facts from first hand credible sources.  He asked about the people and the city.  It had been 13 years since Ezra had gone to restore the worship in the temple.  It sounded exciting to celebrate the feasts.  But now they needed to repair the wall.  Rebuilding a wall wasn’t as exciting as building a temple.  It would be harder to get volunteers to rebuild a wall.

Nehemiah listened; he heard; he identified with the need.  His first reaction was to weep.  Not the normal sign of leadership.  There was compassion.  He chose to fast and pray.  He used his emotions to stimulate his worship.  Some try to reverse that.

1:4  “Sat down and wept”.  This is not the usual description of a charismatic leader. The facts are that despite the adding of more manpower, despite the adding of reinforcements, despite restoring regular worship, nothing is happening in Jerusalem.  There is something missing.  Work Witness projects do not always build people.  Aid to Haiti does not change people.  The people were still discouraged.

1:5  Nehemiah goes to prayer.  This prayer flows from God’s grandeur to Nehemiah’s emotions.  God has been fair and just.  God has been in control.  The whole prayer is one sentence.

1:6  Sin is the root problem.  Nehemiah intercedes on behalf of those who do not see the problem yet.  He identifies with the people even though he is from the kingly line (my father’s house).  He says we all have sinned and God must judge sin.  We deserve the judgment we are under.  God is righteous.

His prayer is based on the promises of God.  Notice the progres­sion in the prayer.  He was not trying to fit God in His plans, but was trying to see the situation from God’ perspective.

1:8  He started with compassion, continued with confession, affirmed God’s justice in what has happened.  He identified his sin with their sin.  Let God know that you know what He has promised.  The same God who warns also promises.  Both the warning and the promise are inseparable in the faithfulness of God.

1:10  This is the first time Nehemiah differentiates between a “me” and “them”.  When He sees a difference between me and them he says, “God they are yours.  Lord you have a problem.  These people whom you redeemed are hurting.  They must be good people.  You redeemed them.  But they have given up.  They don’t know how good life can be.  They are defenseless and vulnerable.  A lot like some of our neighbors.  They went there with good intentions, but they have become discouraged.”

People seem to have the ability to live with their problems and not see them.  They have forgotten what real worship can be like.  These people in Jerusalem were looking across their problem constantly, but not seeing it.  They were surrounded by rubble, but did nothing.  They were living in chaos and did not know what to do about it.  They were just trying to survive.  Years ago their great grandparents had returned here to correct the problem, but the size of the problem had overwhelmed them.  These were 3^rd  & 4^th generation welfare families.

Like many of our neighbors, life seemed hopeless.  This is the hopelessness of human beings who have tried to solve their own problems without God.  They forgot to seek God’s face in prayer.  They need to be reminded that God cares and wants to prosper them.  Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed.

Are we like these Jews?  We’ve been in Oregon 160 years and we are fairly comfortable.  We’ve been told we deserve food, home and minimum wage, but are we thankful?  Are we living in routine rubble and don’t even know it?  Is God offering us something better if we would honor Him and give thanks?

Nehemiah shows us a concerned heart.  He was sensitive to the facts, but he does not lay the problem on the people.  He does not blame the people.  It was God’s problem.  Nehemiah complements the people.

1:11 After months of prayer God gives Nehemiah the answer to his prayer.  The last phrase is an “Aha!” statement.  The answer comes in an unexpected form.  God often surprises us.  Nehemiah realizes that he was concerned because God made him concerned.  Nehemiah realizes that he is where he is because God is in control.  This is one of those times when God says, “surprise.”

After spending months in prayer, Nehemiah sees himself in the mirror of God’s presence.  Nehemiah is the answer to his own pray­er.  Now he feels compelled to put some action to his insight.  If we act on our ‘aha!’ experiences, life will be constantly new.  Because God is in control, it pays to take risks.

This prayer reflects his knowledge of Scripture.  It reflects a disciplined emotional response to a problem.  It shows us the heart of a sensitive and holy man.

Sensitizing people is part of our task.  We must let the blind know there is a world of light.  We must fight to reverse the effects of the daily news, which tends to callous people.  We need to tell people that they are children of God, not consumers.  We are to be dispensers of God’s grace.  We can offer hope.  We can show our neighbors a better way.

Helping people begins on our knees before God.  Commit­ment does not come from DVD’s and slick seminars.  Money comes with DVD’s and pictures of starving children.  But you cannot motivate people to committed action with guilt.

Like Nehemiah, collect the facts then allow God to make you sensitive to the needs.  Then pray that God will sensitize the king.  God has to put compassion in the heart of others just like He put it in your heart.  You can’t do it on your own.

2:1  Is this 4 months after the report came to Nehemiah or 4 months after the prayer?  Does the ‘today’ in 1:11 suggest that the prayer and the answer came the same day?  Does it mean that Nehemiah had not prayed for 4 months?

One thing is certain.  Nehemiah had continued with the routines.  Everything had gone on as usual and he had not let his grief show.  This suggests that he was a very stable person, under control of his emotions.  He knew how to hang in there and not let things hang out.

Nehemiah has become aware that God has put him where he is and given him this job so he can answer his own prayer.  It was kind of like God telling Moses to look what was in his hand.  What resources has God put at your disposal?

It seems that Nehemiah recognized that God was opening a door for him.  He recognized that there was a bridge for him to meet the need, but he was not sure he wanted to put any weight on this bridge yet.

2:2  The king’s invitation was so big that it frightened Nehemi­ah.  God’s answers are often so great we are surprised.

Now he lets his feelings show.  He did not let his feelings be known till now.  The king would not want grumpy servants.  What would have happened if Nehemiah were a constant complainer?

“I was very much afraid.”  He did not understand the king’s behav­ior.  God has been working in the heart of the king and Nehemiah had not noticed.  Our job is not to build bridges to our neighbors, but pay attention and notice the bridges that God is building or has already built.  Leadership is not having a plan, but acknowledging where God has put you and seeing God’s plan involves others too.

2:3  A respectful salutation was appropriate.  Bridges must be based on respect and mutual trust.  This king was not a God-fearer.  He was a pagan.  Nehemiah knew that he could do nothing without the king’s help.  He recognized that he had an opening, he had a bridge, but he chose not to carry a load across this bridge yet.

He brings a light load across.  It’s a question and a little bit of a criticism of the government.  “How do you expect me to feel?”  He is asking the king to identify with him.  He invites the king to empathy, not sympathy.  Lasting relationships are not built on sympathy.

What he is kind of saying is that the government had created the situation.  Nehemiah wondered if the bridge would collapse, but was amazed at the king’s response.

Consider everything a wise king would have been thinking about.  Nehemiah says, “I want to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it.”

2:4  There is no argument from the king He respected Nehemiah.  Nehemiah did not have to explain why this was the perfect time to rebuild the walls.  The king knew that more money would come in if the economy was improved.  Nehemiah found this bridge through prayer and he continues to pray.

2:5  The scene is changed.  The setting is more formal.  The queen is now beside the king.  This is a very personal notation in the diary.  The king knew that Nehemiah had no training in construction.  He knew his limitations.  But Nehemiah was simply asking for a job.

2:6  The first question the king asks is the same question that all sponsoring agencies ask today, “How long is it going to take?”  We usually say we need a feasibility study.  But people whom God has prepared can boldly say, “I set a time.”  Setting a time builds confidence.  Both Nehemiah and the king knew that they would probably have to re-negotiate the time, but a time was set.

People who sponsor projects want to know how long.  If you had asked Nehemiah what date he gave the king, he may not have remembered.  He was willing to stick out his neck and be accountable for a period of time.  It is better to take risks than always keeping your tail covered.

Nehemiah knew when to stick his neck out.  Every leader must sort out the options in the light of what God wanted done.  Nehemiah made a wise choice, not because he was wise and clever, but because he was godly and he trusted God.  He trusted God and loved people.

2:7  Nehemiah anticipates the next question of how much.  The list of requests is probably what Nehemiah had learned from the digni­taries who had made similar requests in the throne room.  Nehemiah is doing the best he can with the meager experiences he has had.  This is not a good time to appear helpless.

He was not a master planner, but a user of all the re­sources that God had made available to him.  Being in the court, he would have heard how work projects were conducted.  He would have heard about the king’s resources.  He would have known about the carpenters.

Don’t overvalue the brilliance of Nehemiah’s responses.  Some things he does not know, but he was honest with what he knew and what he did not know.  The king saw Nehemiah’s ignorance and his honesty.  He was impressed with Nehemiah’s willingness to take a risk.  God had prepared him.  The king’s reasons for rebuilding were not the same as Nehemiah’s but Nehemiah could help him meet his goals.

Nehemiah asks for timber to build a house.  Things were in a shambles.  He needed a place to stay without being a burden on those he was going to help.  A wood house would be an inferi­or house, a humble house.  It is like taking a tent for us to sleep in.  Nehemiah shows sensitive compassion more than shrewd planning.

The king could have given Nehemiah just what he asked for and said, “Lot’s of luck.  Let’s see how long you will last on your own.”  But the king was moved by God to help Nehemiah.

2:8  When all is said and done, Nehemiah says, God did it.

2:9  We are on our way.  It probably took 6 months to prepare.

2:10  It was a tense situation.  There is always more bad news than you anticipate.  The situation is much worse than Nehemiah had thought.

2:11  Here is a condensation of time.  There are no wasted de­tails.  Picture what the people in Jerusalem saw in the distance.  They must have thought an army was coming to tear down the city.

Now think of how they felt when they realized that a Jew was in charge.  How does Nehemiah explain being with those people?  What could he say that would convince them that he had come to help?  No bridges had been built yet.  The people would be very suspicious.

All eyes were on Nehemiah.  They did not know what was going on.  They were reacting to the unknown.  How does Nehemiah handle this situation?  As he came into the city, he had seen the situation.  Now as he tried to set up camp in the rub­ble, it would have been easy to intimidate the local residents.

2:12  Chances are we would have started out with a news confer­ence and let everyone know why we were here.  But Nehemiah did not explain the reason why he had come.  Most visiting experts would have said, “I see you have a problem.”  They would have their assistants take a lot of pictures.

Nehemiah did not rub their noses in their problem.  They had lived like this for generations.  He saw them as people living in the midst of their problem and not seeing it.

Notice what is repeated.  Think why?  There is a slow deliberate­ness at this point.  Nehemiah waited 3 days before looking at the shambles.  He was not the outsider with the camera who has come to take pictures of our tragedy.  He is not taking a position of authority or superiority.  He deliberately takes time.

He chose to wait 3 days and then “by night” he deliberately went out to examine the walls.  This was a deliberate choice not to embarrass the people.  He did not want them seeing him examining the walls.  This way he had less chance of offending the people by not calling attention to the fact of the problem.  This was an act of deep and careful respect.

2:16  All societies have face.  Leaders sometimes should wait.  Every culture has face to save.

Notice the detail of the horse.  Cities were destroyed first by burning the gates.  In the second stage the walls are torn down.  The third stage of destroying a city was to scatter the stones.

Having the rubble here was great news.  The stones are still here.  We are ready to build.  We have plenty of resources

A man of God sees the positive in the pit of despondency, even in the dark.

2:17  “Then” at a later time.  This was preceded by a substantial gap. He did not move directly from the nighttime inspection to the morning report.  Three days he delayed his impulse to look at the city and he has probably taken more time to make this speech.  Something happens between 16 & 17 that allows Nehemiah to identi­fy with the people.

Now when he says “you” it is a word of respect.  You are able to see.  He did not say they were blind to the obvious, but he respected their ability to see the problem.  When we have someone come to visit us, our eyes are opened to see the clutter in the house, in the sink, around the yard.  Nehemiah had waited long enough for them to do some thinking.

Never use “we” or “our” prematurely if you want to build a relationship.  It takes time for people to accept me as part of the ‘we’.  Now he can invite them to rebuild with an inclusive ‘us’ and ‘we’.  The plans begin to form up.  “I believe”  “I can see that you see.”  You can see that we have a problem.

This is an invitation to build.  These people had not taken any initiative for years.  They had let their problems get them down.  They saw no hope.

2:18  After he had built rapport, the people could say, “Let us arise and build.”  Nehemiah did not ask them to do some work so he could get going with his project.  He did not preach an inspi­rational message so he could manipulate them into paying their tithes.  He built rapport.  He was a hope builder.

2:20  His personal testimony does not appear until after he had built the rapport and they have accepted him as one of them.  He avoids feeding their despair.  He turns their faith to God and clearly identifies who the real enemy is.

Nehemiah did not know how to build walls, but he knew how to build people.  Walls were usually built by starting with one piece of the wall then have others follow the pattern.  Nehemiah wanted all to have a part and all to receive the glory.

The wall was no good till it was done.  Everyone laughed at them because this was not the normal way to build a wall.  But this is how God told Nehemiah to build this one.

While the critics were complaining and the clowns were laughing, the walls went up.  Nehemiah was a man just like us who prayed.

Philippians 4
January 22, 2012
“More Christlike attitudes to work on”
 
We’re coming to the end of this letter.  Paul began by greeting the church with a prayer that they would abound in love, knowledge, and insight.  He told them about his dilemma of being in prison with mixed feelings about his future.  He was going to continue to trust the Lord.  No matter what happened to him they must conduct themselves in a worthy manner as Christians.
 
Paul had heard about some conflict in the church.  There was some selfish ambition and vain conceit.  He admonished them to pay attention to the interests of others and follow the example of Christ who made Himself nothing to glorify God.  He admonished them to shine like stars in a dark world and be a living sacrifice like Timothy and Epaphroditus. 
 
Last week Paul repeated the command to rejoice so we could be more discerning about false teachers.  If we think we deserve our gifts and fail to thank God we make our appetites our god, destruction our goal, and shame our reputation.  Paul said the goal of his life is to know Christ and the power and suffering of His resurrection.  He has chosen to forget the good and the bad he has done in the past and focus on the immediate goal marker.  If we keep our focus on Jesus our church can be a colony of heaven.
 
In this last chapter Paul expresses his love for the Philippians.  He again calls them brothers.  He yearns for them.  He’s homesick because of separation.  They are his joy and crown.  People are his joy and crown, not things or accomplishments.  Things don’t give us real joy.  This word for crown was the word used for the trophy for a winner of the race or a gift (which was sometimes a crown) that was given to guests when they sat at a banquet.
 
Because you are a colony of heaven you should stand firm in the Lord.  You represent the Lord Jesus Christ.  Don’t be tossed by winds.  Paul gives 3 commands that are fulfilled ‘in the Lord’.  The word ‘stand firm’ was used of soldiers at their post.  They were not to abandon ship.  We are to stand firm in the Lord even when winds of circumstances are fierce.
 
4:2  Unity in the church is an essential element for standing firm in the Lord.  Paul urges, begs and implores these 2 influential women to live harmoniously in a way that is proper for all who claim to be Christian.  Literally they were to “be of the same mind”. 
 
We don’t know any more about these women or the nature of their quarrel.  We know that women played major roles in founding the Macedonian churches.  Women had more rights in the area of Macedonia than in other areas of the Greek and Jewish culture.  We do know that different personalities can work together when they are focused on a common leader or goal.
 
Paul knows it is not easy for people to iron out differences on their own so he asks a third party or the church as a whole as Paul’s fellow worker (singular) to help these women reconcile their differences.  These are good ladies who may have been involved with Paul in planting the church in Philippi or Thessalonica.  Many others had been part of that, but Paul does not list them.  Maybe he did not want to cause any more division.  He just says that God has written all their names in the Book of Life like the Romans have written names of citizens in the registry of the colony.
 
4:4-5  The first command was to stand firm.  Now the second is to rejoice in the Lord. 
 
Rejoice in the Lord.  Christian joy is independent of all things on earth.  The source of joy and the reason for joy is the presence of Jesus.
 
The Christian life is also characterized by ‘gentleness’ (NIV).  This is an interesting word related to reasonableness.  Aristotle contrasted it with strict justice.  It is a generous treatment of others that does not insist on the letter of the law.  It is a willingness to make allowances so that justice does not injure.  It is that courteous attitude that prompts a person not to be forever standing on his rights.  Paul used the word to describe Jesus in 2 Cor 10:1.  Is this an attitude that these 2 women were lacking?  It certainly is an attitude that is missing in our sue-crazy world. 
 
The Lord is near.  Rejoice because He is concerned for your well-being.  He is in you and He is returning in glory soon to punish evil-doers. 
 
4:6-7  Paul’s 3rd command is to stop worrying.  His solution to worry is prayer.  It is unreasonable to worry about things over which you have no control.  Only God is greater than all your situations.  The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything and trust God.  Pray with a thankful heart.  Praise God and give Him glory.  When I’m worrying my prayers are all about me and my requests are not presented to God.
 
If we have a thankful attitude our prayers will be presented to God and our hearts and minds will be protected by the peace of God.  This peace of God is grounded in God’s presence and promise.  It surpasses all understanding.  No human mind can comprehend its significance.  It is more effective at removing worry than any human effort or logic.  God’s peace will protect our hearts and minds like a detachment of soldiers standing guard to protect the garrison from attack.
 
Our thoughts, emotions, moral choices and feelings can be protected from worry and fear.  God’s peace is available to all who submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ; to all who live in Christ Jesus.
 
4:8-9  These 2 verses are one sentence.  “Finally’ tells us that this is the last command in this series that tells us how to stand firm as a Christian.
 
The ‘if’ clause at the end of 8 is assumed to be true.  It is more accurately translated as ‘since’.  Since there is moral excellence that the world acknowledges and since there are things worthy of praise among all men, you must think (reckon, ponder) and act on these things that will bring praise to God and from men.  Verse 8 is a list of characteristics that the Greeks and/Romans admired.  There is much in the non-Christian world that should be valued and retained.    
 
These are excellent qualities that belonged to the culture of Paul’s day:
1. True, in the sense of truthful.  They promise and perform.  They practice what they preach. 
2. Honest, venerable, noble.  This person focuses on the lofty things that lift the mind above the cheap.  It refers to the man who treats Creation as a gift from God.
3. Righteous, just.  It means giving to men and God their due.  It involves duty and responsibility.
4. Pure, chaste, undefiled.  It means being fit as a vessel or sacrifice for God’s presence or God’s service.
5. Attractive, winsome, kind.  That which calls forth love and brings the best out of others rather than bitterness and hostility.
6. Admirable, gracious in speaking, kindly.  Expressing what is kind and avoiding what is likely to give offence.  One who talks of things that are fit for God to hear.
 
Verse 9 adds a general summary of Paul’s teachings and life style.  In addition to commonly accepted values also put into practice Christian values that you have heard and seen lived out.  Everything Paul believed and taught he also lived out.  If we will continually fill our minds and think about good things then worry and fear can be minimized. 
 
And the God of peace will be with you.  God is characterized by peace and is the source of peace.
 
4:10-20  Paul is uncomfortable talking about receiving a gift of money.  The church had sent Epaphroditus with money to support Paul’s legal defense and ministry.  Paul puts off discussing the topic until the very end.  The whole matter of giving and receiving is a sensitive subject with Paul.  He never plainly says ‘thanks’.  He had no hesitation about asking for money to help other churches, but he preferred to support himself and his ministry by manual labor.  Maybe our pastors today should follow Paul’s example?
 
In this paragraph there is alternately a cautious gratitude and self-reliance in Christ.  He expresses appreciation but insists on his own independence.  It is written in such a way as neither to offend those who gave their gift out of love, nor to encourage their continued assistance.  We have some ministries today that need to follow Paul’s example.
 
Paul rejoices ‘greatly, immensely’ in the Lord (10).  What gave him joy was not the gift, but that they had been given an opportunity to give and they responded with thoughtful love.  He was delighted to hear of their renewed concern for him.  The word ‘renewed’ is used for the bursting into bloom of flowers at springtime.  He’s rejoicing at the signs of spring in their lives after a long time of silence.
 
Paul immediately writes a disclaimer.  He is not saying this to ask for more money.  He has learned the secret of a contented life (which the Stoics are searching for).  Contentment or self-sufficiency was the highest aim of the Stoics.  The Stoics tried to reach contentment by eliminating all desire.  They believed that contentment did not consist in possessing much but in wanting little.  Socrates was asked, “Who is the wealthiest man of all?”  He answered, “The man who is content with the least.”  The stoics tried to abolish all desires and emotions.  Caring was forbidden.  T.R. Glover said, “The Stoics made the heart a desert and called it peace.”  Paul says he has learned contentment in all situations.  It was not self-discipline but in the acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness that Paul found contentment.
 
In the routine ups and downs of life God gave Paul grace in need and prosperity, in times of hunger and being well-fed, having more than enough and having too little.  God has taught him how to cope with everyday reality.
 
The promise we quote in verse 13 needs to be put into this context.  Paul is saying that he has learned contentment in all these situations.  In all the prosperous and adverse circumstances we experience in everyday living, God gives us the strength to cope.  God gives grace to handle prosperity as much as adversity.  In Christ we can face all situations in life triumphantly.  In all these things, in all the ups and downs of life we have the power to be Christlike.
 
The power or strength we have is not the power of self-discipline or denying all desires.  The strength we have is the power of relationship.  Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8)  “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20)  We live in Christ and His Spirit lives in us.  It’s a growing relationship.
 
4:14  Paul does not want his desire for independence to be interpreted as indifference to the love they have displayed for him in their giving.  So he carefully says, “Though I did not need what you sent, yet you did the right, even the beautiful thing in sharing with me in my troubles.”
 
He remembers their generous attitude from the very beginning days of the church.  Their sympathy and concern was much more important to him than any financial relief.  He does everything possible to praise them without encouraging them to do more for him than they have already done. 
 
Paul uses several financial terms to say he’s been careful to give them an accurate accounting of all receipts and expenditures.  This letter is a receipt to them acknowledging their last gift (18).
 
Again in 17 Paul intermingles his determination to be free from the gifts of anyone and his desire to show appreciation for the love that is obviously motivating the giving.  “I do not have my heart set on the gift, but I really have my heart set on the fruit, profit, or credit.”  Paul views the gift as a credit to the account of the Philippian church, an investment that will pay rich dividends.  An attitude of liberality pays great dividends in the lives of those who give. 
 
“I have been paid in full.” (18)  Paul says he has more than enough and is implying that they send no more gifts.
 
The real recipient of your gift was God.  Whatever is done for the servant is done for the Master.  Whatever is given to the child is given to the parent.  Your gift is a fragrant sacrifice to God, pleasing and acceptable.  Your gift from a heart of love is the best gift you can give God.
 
Paul prays that his (my) God would fill their needs (19) in a glorious manner.  God’s ability to meet our needs is His unlimited wealth in glory.  Because the Church had supplied Paul’s needs out of their poverty, Paul asks God to meet all their needs out of His riches.  That wealth is available to all in Christ Jesus.
 
Paul used the rare expression ‘my’ God in verse 19 apparently to testify of his total personal trust in God’s faithfulness.  In verse 20 he breaks out in praise to “our God and Father” the One who provides the needs of all His people.  Glory carries a range of meanings including divine honor, divine power, and divine radiance.  His glory will not change or wear out.
 
This was a standard way to say farewell in letters.  Although this letter is the most intimate of his letters not one person is greeted by name.  He says greet every saint (contrary to the NIV) there in Philippi from all the saints here in Caesarea.  Paul expresses his affection to each individual Christian alike.  In a church troubled by disunity the apostle does not take sides.  Each believer is to be greeted.
 
The phrase ‘Caesar’s household’ meant civil servants.  Everyone employed by the government was considered the household of Caesar.  Paul is probably speaking here of Roman soldiers in charge of this prison.  The gospel is beginning to impact government workers.
 
Paul concludes with a prayer for Christ’s grace to rest and abide on the spirit of each one of his readers.  The word ‘spirit’ is singular while ‘your’ is plural.  The spirit of a man is usually used for the whole person.  Paul is simply praying that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with us.  Grace means beauty.  I pray that the beauty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would be with us and be visible on the outside.

Philippians 3
January 15, 2012
“Choose your mentors carefully”

After explaining why he was sending this letter with Epaphroditus and not Timothy, Paul returns to his theme of joy. He commands them to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is their source of joy and the sphere in which it thrives. Joy is in Christ. Paul believes that if the Philippians will rejoice in the Lord, they will discover that this positive attitude will safeguard them from the murmurings, dissensions, and empty conceit he addressed earlier.

3:2-3 Look our for the dogs. Literal dogs were scavengers, not family pets. To call someone a dog would be similar to calling them a buzzard or coyote at the city dump. The Jews called the Gentiles ‘dogs’. Paul turns the tables and identifies dogs as those men who view themselves as noble observers of the Law, but are doing evil by their self-reliant failure to trust God.

Paul is playing with words. Mutilation (katatomein) (against to cut) and circumcision (peritomein) (around to cut) both mean to cut, but have different prefixes. These dogs mutilate the flesh. Many Jews regarded circumcision as a physical rite that identified them as a child of God. They had forgotten that what God really required was circumcision of the heart (Deut 10:16; 30:6). Jeremiah accused them of having uncircumcised ears. Paul says their circumcision is mutilation because it was not from the heart. Be careful what you see, desire, and hear with your heart.

Paul gives 3 reasons why we are the people of the true circumcision and these dogs are just mutilators of the flesh. First, we worship by the Spirit of God. Our heart desire is to please God. The Christians actions are not directed by external laws or rituals that can be performed and boasted about, but they are directed by the impulse of the Spirit of God dwelling within. The Spirit of God is the initiator at work in the heart. Secondly, we glory in Christ Jesus. We can’t boast in what God has given us or done through us, but only in Christ Jesus. We accept the gracious gift of righteousness offered in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, we have no confidence in the flesh. Flesh is not bad, but it is the target of sin’s attack. We have confidence, but our confidence is in the grace, mercy and love of God not in the flesh.

3:4-11 Using himself as an example, Paul explains what it means to consider yourself truly circumcised, true worshipers in the Spirit, and only boasting in Christ Jesus. Paul says he has personal advantages greater than any other authentic Jew who thinks he has grounds for boasting in himself. But for Paul nothing he received by way of heritage or anything he did by way of human achievement can be the means of life or the grounds of righteousness before God.

Regarding circumcision he was ‘an eighth-day-er’. He was circumcised precisely on the right day. Ishmael’s descendents were circumcised when they were 13 years old. Proselytes to Judaism were circumcised as adults. Paul was an eighth-day-er.

He was descended from the nation of Israel. After Jacob wrestled with the angel, he was called Israel because he would be the father of a promised nation. The nation was called Israel.

He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin’s mother was Rachael, Jacob’s favorite wife. Benjamin was the only son of the 12 sons of Jacob that was born in the Promised Land. Israel’s first king, Saul, was also from the tribe of Benjamin.

He was a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents and grandparents. He was brought up speaking the Hebrew language.

He chose to be trained as a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a small Jewish sect (less than 6,000) that not only bound themselves to observe the Law of Moses, but also the commandments contained in the oral Law. He was a disciple of the great Pharisee, Gamaliel.

He was a zealous persecutor of the church, not because he was evil, but because he was a good and zealous Pharisee. By trying to zealously preserve the purity of Israel he actually ended up persecuting the new Israel.

“With regard to a righteousness rooted in the law, I became a blameless person.” He had kept all the commandments from his youth up. He was a model Jew, satisfied with himself until he met the living Christ Jesus.

Suddenly all those good things Paul enjoyed, all those advantages he possessed from his parents and from his own efforts that made him proud and self-reliant are now considered not as assts but as liabilities. The perfect tense of the verb ‘consider’ suggests that Paul thoroughly thought about his decision. He considered the alternatives. Then he made a decision to radically change the values of his life. The decision he made was not to go from good to better or to add Jesus to his life. His decision meant a loss, a radical conversion.

In verse 8 he uses the same verb ‘consider’ in the present tense to confirm that he continues to count everything a loss. Daily he now makes moral choices against depending on himself to gain favor with God. He chooses the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ and being known by Christ. This is the only place in Paul’s writings that he calls Jesus “my” Lord. He is emphasizing an intimate personal relationship. The Greeks spoke of a knowledge of the mysteries that would transform the life of the knower. Paul was taking this thought to a higher level. Knowledge of Christ is more than the collection of facts from history. His relationship with Christ Jesus had changed his life. There was a heart connection.

Paul lost everything that he used to value highly and he is happy about it. He has lost his position, his income, his retirement, his home and apparently his family. He continues to count everything as loss. First, because he wants to gain Christ (8c). The word ‘gain is an accounting term. It is like a balance weight.
Paul sees a relationship with Christ as the value of all values. The gain of Christ surpassed any perceived balancing of accounts. Paul has both gained Christ and is yet to gain Christ. It is a dynamic relationship. To lose everything and to gain Christ is to possess all.

Secondly, Paul wants to be found in Christ (9) when he stands before God at the judgment. He does not want to stand before God alone. He knows he cannot win God’s approval. Paul is no longer self-reliant.

Third, Paul wants to know Christ in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings (10). To know Christ is the ultimate goal toward which Paul set the course of his life. Even to begin to know Christ far outweighs all other values. Knowing Christ results in a growing knowledge of Christ.

Knowing Christ is not collecting historical facts about Christ, but a dynamic relationship with the risen Lord and Creator of all things. In Christ there is newness of life. The fellowship of His sufferings is not a bad thing. For every Christian there is a dying to self and resurrection to new life. Paul coined a new word “to make oneself like” to describe the dying and resurrection that is not yet physical. We are linked together with Christ when we take up our cross daily and renounce selfish desires. Discipleship is costly. All things are being renewed day by day as we look forward to that great bodily resurrection from the dead.

3:12-16 Christ is too great to be fully known in a lifetime. Don’t be content with your past experiences. Your knowledge of Christ is not complete. “Keep pressing on” is a word used for hunting. Paul also uses it for an athlete in verse 14. Paul’s one desire is to know Christ. His lifetime quest is to pursue, hunt down, and know Christ as well as Christ knows him. That’s relationship!

He again calls us ‘brothers,’ family members. Here’s one thing that will help you improve your relationship with Jesus. Forget the past and work on your future. Forget those wrongs you have done. We’ve all done things and said things that we need to forget. Paul had even killed some Christians. We’ve all done things and said things that we are proud of. We need to forget those too.

It is important that you think about your future. Reach for something other than yourself. Keep working on your relationship with Jesus. You must be as a runner with his body bent forward, his eyes never looking back, and his hand reaching for the prize. Practice daily as a runner so you have a growing intensity of desire to achieve your goal.

In vs. 14 Paul says, “I keep on running.” But here he is running toward the ‘goal marker’ rather than the final goal. He can see the goal marker but not the tape stretched across the finish line. Paul alternates the tense of his verbs with the already and the not yet; between perfect tense and present tense.

The prize for Paul was to know Christ fully and completely. The call of God may be the call up to the judges stand to hear the announcement of the winner’s name and receiving the crown.

The word ‘mature’ (15) is the same Greek word that is translated ‘perfect’ in verse 12. Maybe some of Paul’s friends in Philippi misunderstood his teaching about justification by faith alone, and they believed that they had arrived as a Christian and maybe they were neglecting spiritual disciplines. Paul says you can be perfect and not perfect at the same time. The nature of a Christian does not lie in what he has become but in what he is becoming (Luther). A little child can be a perfect human being, but is still far from perfect in his development as a mature person.

It seems to be a paradox that the perfect Christian is one who is striving for perfection. Some of you will not agree with Paul so he says live up to what you already know. Do what you know you should be doing and God will direct your next step. Your lifestyle should be consistent with the level of truth you have already reached.

3:17-21 For the 3rd time in this chapter Paul calls them brothers. He invites them to be imitators of him as he is of Christ (1 Cor 11:1). It is important for the young to have good examples to follow. Take note of those who are fixing their eyes on Jesus and follow them.

There are ‘many’ leaders who teach the wrong doctrine and model wrong behavior (18). They refuse to believe that the Messiah had to die so that sinners can be forgiven. We believe Christ’s death was essential for our salvation. Without accepting God’s plan their destiny is destruction, their god is their appetites, and their glory is in temporal values that pass away. Their minds were set on earthly things and they lost their ability to see God’s will and ways.

The last 2 verses could be another early hymn as we had in 2:6-11. Christians have their minds fixed on heaven because that is where their colony is. The word translated citizenship could be translated commonwealth or state. It was used to designate a colony of foreigners or relocated veterans whose purpose was to secure the conquered country by introducing Rome’s way of doing things, its customs, its culture, and its laws. The point of creating colonies was to extend Roman influence, creating networks of people loyal to Caesar and also it was a way of avoiding the problems of overcrowding in Rome. The Emperor did not want retired solders, with time on their hands, hanging around Rome ready to cause trouble.

Philippi had been designated a Roman colony. Caesar Augustus had settled his veterans there after the battles of Philippi (42 B.C.). Not all residents of Philippi were Roman citizens, but all knew what citizenship meant. They dressed like Romans. They partied like Romans. They never expected to go back to Rome, but the Emperor would come to them if need be. He would come to subdue local enemies and make everything right. They had no plans of going to Rome when they died.

Paul is saying the local church is a colony of heaven. Its citizens enjoy full citizenship of the heavenly city. We have all the rights of full citizens, but also the responsibility for spreading the culture, customs, and laws of heaven. As colonists there was no intent to compromise with the old culture, but introduce and promote the new. We are to colonize earth with the life of heaven. We regularly pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Our Savior will come from the Heavenly city. We wait for a new heaven and new earth. We wait for a visit from the Emperor, the Lord Jesus Christ. When He comes He does not declare our old bodies as redundant scrap, but He will transform our bodies of humiliation into incorruptible glorious bodies by the power of His resurrection. He does not just improve the old model, but transforms it. In a great act of resurrection power He will change our present kind of body into one like His. The resurrection of the body is the last act in the drama of salvation including the new heaven and new earth.

We are living where we are because that is where God wants us to be salt and light in a corrupt and dark world. If we grow in our desire to know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings we will be vessels of honor in the Potter’s hands. Have you thought about what it takes to know Jesus better? The Bible says, to know Him is life. It pays to develop your relationship with Jesus. Nothing in this world can balance out the value of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Shouldn’t you spend some effort working on that relationship?

Philippians 2

January 8, 2012

“Learn to be the servant of all”

We’ve delegated others to raise our food, build our shelters, entertain us, educated us, take care of our family, plan for our retirement, find us jobs, heal our diseases, etc.  So we want preachers to appease God for us.  You can’t hire a proxy to produce spiritual joy for you.  Being kingdom citizens is not a life of ease, but a life of joy.

In this chapter, Paul says if you want joy don’t look for a magic formula, but learn from the godly examples of Christians you know.  The Philippians are challenged to follow Paul’s example, follow Jesus’ example, follow Timothy’s example, or follow Epaphroditus’ example.  Each of these men had one major characteristic in common.  They looked after the interests of others rather than their own interests.  One sermon I listened to this week suggested the first chapter of Philippians was about Jesus.  This chapter is about others.  The next chapter focuses on you.  “Jesus and others and you, what a wonderful way to spell joy.”

2:1 There are 4 clauses introduced with “if”.  Paul does not intend to cast doubt, but just the opposite.  A better English translation would be “since” rather than “if”.  Paul is saying, “Since you have received encouragement from being united with Christ, since you have received comfort from His love, fellowship with the Spirit, tenderness and mercies then live like a Christian today.”

The noun in the first clause is ‘paraklesis’ which means to call along side.  The second clause is ‘paramuthia’ or to speak along side.  The third clause is ‘koinonea pheumatos’ spiritual community or as we noticed last week, the citizens of heaven living on earth.  The fourth clause is ‘splagxna and oiktirmoi’ bowels and mercies.  Your bowels were considered the seat of your affections.  Since God has demonstrated his tenderness and mercies to you through Paul’s preaching and his example, you should live accordingly.  If you want real joy, listen to what Paul is telling you.

2:2-4  Paul’s main concern is the unity of the believers.  His greatest joy comes when all his friends are getting along.  Being like-minded is not uniformity but harmony in diversity.  This is the disposition on the mind that honors God and respects all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul challenges the reader to have the same self-sacrificing love of Christ.  There are no shortcuts or easy ways to maintain harmony in diversity.

Have the same soul, affections, desires, and passions for living in harmony.  You are all different but united in Christ.  Keep your focus on the Conductor and you will be part of some good music.  Unity and harmony in Christ is essential for the spiritual growth of the church and victory over adversaries.

Stop trying to mold everyone into your likeness.  Not everyone plays a trumpet.  Stop trying to look after your own interests or those of your special little group.  Even the ancients identified selfish ambition and conceit as vices.  The word for conceit is ‘kenodoxia’ which has the root idea of empty opinion, empty glory, or error.  A conceited person is deluded with no evidence to support his opinion.  Unity and harmony cannot coexist with one note, one individual or partisanship.

So humbly ‘consider’ others better than yourselves and be thankful for the grace they have received.  The word ‘consider’ (reckon) is an accounting term.  Take some time to look at all the facts.  Remember what the OT says.  Look at our culture.  In my opinion a low self-esteem would solve a lot more problems than the high self-esteem we are told to have.  Humility was considered the mentality of a slave.  It was not considered a virtue by the Greeks or pagans.  But God has promised grace to the humble.  His face is turned toward the lowly.  Jesus gave us an example with the towel and basin.  Consider the contrasting facts.  Do you believe Jesus or your psychologist?

2:5-11 The attitude of Christ Jesus was sung and celebrated by the early church.  This was an early church hymn.  We sing about Jesus.  Jesus is the supreme example of the humble, self-sacrificing, self-denying, self-giving service that Paul has just been urging the Philippians to practice in their fellowship.  Jesus example should direct our conduct.  Paul is not giving us a systematic theology, but Christian practice.

Christ was in the form (morph) of God.  His very nature and character was God.  He did not consider being equal with God was something to be grasped or snatched.  For Him equality with God is not a matter of getting anything but of giving.  God’s nature is characterized by giving.

Being equal with God does not mean filling oneself up, but emptying oneself out.  It does not mean getting, but giving.  Jesus voluntarily emptied Himself (7).  This is a poetic way of saying He became servant of all.  In contrast to the conceited (kenodoxia) who were demanding their rights and insisting on their own way, Jesus emptied (kenou) Himself and set aside His rights, not insisting His own way.  Paradoxically Jesus’ self-giving was accomplished by taking the form of a slave; His emptying was achieved by adding the likeness of humans.  He became more than He was before by emptying Himself.  Jesus said if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all.

Jesus came with no rights and privileges.  “Being seen in human form (7d).”  The word ‘form’ (schema) is the perceptible outward appearance.  (Romans 12:1-2 contrasts ‘morph’ and ‘schema’)

As a human, Jesus did not strive for some pinnacle of human achievement.  He obeyed God by serving humankind.  He humbled Himself in the most unthinkable way possible.  The Persians had invented crucifixion as the cruelest way to kill a criminal.  The Romans had perfected the art.  It was reserved for the worst criminals.  It was considered the ultimate in human degradation (8).

Jesus had taught that whoever humbles himself will be exalted and that is what happened (9).  Christ, who made himself very low, was made very high by God.  He was placed over all things.  As the OT (Psalms) says, “He was exalted far above all gods.”  Death was defeated.  He was given a new name to reflect His nature:  Lord!  Not only does He have the title Lord, but He is Lord, the Sovereign over Creation.

God did that for a couple reasons.  Because Jesus was completely obedient He must now be completely obeyed.  All must fall on their knees before Him (10).  And secondly all must acknowledge Him as Lord (11).  The desire of God is that every intelligent being in His universe might proclaim openly and gladly that Jesus Christ alone has the right to reign.

2:12-18  Beloved, Christ has set you all an example.  Continue to obey and continue to work together as the body of Christ with respect and reverence.  God is working mightily in your fellowship.  He is changing attitudes and changing conduct.  You can work in harmony because God is working in you creating a desire in your fellowship to work together.

Grumbling and complaining do not promote harmony or purity.  When you refuse to grumble and complain, when you forgive those who sin against you, you receive God’s forgiveness and approval.  You can become better people than you are.  Growth in grace is possible.  You can be without blame, without flaw and without fault.  The Christian community will appear on the outside what they are on the inside.  They can be without fault or blemish while still in the middle of a corrupt and distorted culture.  We also can be lights in this morally corrupt world like stars in the night sky.

Paul states his desire to be able to continue to boast about their work in the Lord.  In vs 17 he pictures his sufferings as the libation wine that is poured out on the sacrificial work they have been doing.  They have been suffering because of their faith.  Paul rejoices that he is able to suffer with them and they can rejoice that they can suffer with him.  Their lives together offered to God a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

2:19-24  Paul continues to teach us that the mission of a Christian is to serve rather than to be served.  He uses Timothy as an example for them to follow.  He hopes to be able to send Timothy to them soon.  That is less certain than Paul himself coming soon (vs. 24).  Paul was in prison, yet he was more certain that he would be able to come to Philippi than Timothy.  Both expectations were “in the Lord”.

Timothy was like a son to Paul.  He thinks and feels like Paul.  The word is literally ‘of equal soul’.  He was a soul mate.  Whatever decisions Timothy makes will be Paul’s as well.  Whatever Timothy says will not contradict Paul’s thinking.  Timothy was currently being Paul’s right hand man in Caesarea.  He knew Paul’s mind better than anyone else.

Timothy is genuinely concerned about the welfare of others.  No one else cares for the interests of Jesus Christ like Timothy.  This hyperbole is written to enhance Timothy’s status and authority with the Philippians.  For most other Christians the welfare of this church at Philippi, 400-500 miles away, was not as important as their own local community.  Many in Philippi knew Timothy’s worth and his relationship with Paul.  Like all good sons, he had learned the trade of his father.  He had walked in the footsteps of his spiritual father.  He will be coming to them to teach what was on Paul’s mind.

Paul is telling the Philippians that for the time being he really needs Timothy in Caesarea.  There are some situations that Paul cannot take care of from prison.  Maybe Timothy was gathering essential information for Paul’s defense.  Maybe he was involved as a peacemaker or teacher in the local churches.  Often we need to get our own house in order before we travel 500 miles to help someone else.

Paul reaffirms the gracious heart of Timothy.  Timothy is willing to go or stay to help others.  Paul’s other companions did not feel the same sense of urgency or desire to travel.  Timothy trusted Paul’s judgment to identify the will of God in the present alternatives.

2:25-30  Paul hesitated about sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi, because he did not want to appear ungrateful.  The church had raised money and sent Epaphroditus to care for Paul’s needs.  He had received only a one way ticket.  They wanted Epaphroditus to be Paul’s personal servant on their behalf.  But right now Paul needed someone to carry this letter to Philippi and Timothy couldn’t leave just yet.

Paul explains some of the factors that led to his returning their gift.  Epaphroditus has been a ‘brother’, a fellow member of the family of God.  He has been a ‘fellow worker’ with Paul, maybe when the church in Philippi was started he had worked with Paul.  He has been a ‘fellow soldier.’  They have faced conflicts together and fought side by side.  In addition to what he was to Paul, Epaphroditus was ‘your apostle’ and ‘minister’.  The word ‘minister’ is the word used for performing the sacred duties of a priest.  Their monetary offering was a sacrifice and Epaphroditus was their priest that ministered to Paul.

Paul knew that Epaphroditus really wanted to return to Philippi.  “He is anxious that you are anxious about him.  He is kind of homesick and distressed.  He was really sick.  He was a ‘near neighbor to death’.”  Paul does not tell us what his illness was or how he recovered.  But points to the will of God.

“God had mercy on him… and me.”  God delivered Paul from ‘wave upon wave’ of grief.

Paul is sending this letter with Epaphroditus so the church can rejoice and Paul can rest a little easier.  He writes 2 commands to the church.  1)  Welcome him in the Lord with great joy.  Have a party.  He is bringing good news.  2) Honor men like him.  He risked his life to do what you could not do.  He did what you asked him to do and nearly died doing it.

The word for ‘risked’ means to throw down a stake, to start a new venture or gamble.  It was the word used for those who risked their lives to nurse those who were sick with the plague.  It means to daringly expose oneself to danger.  Epaphroditus was no coward.

Paul was challenging the church against an easy-going Christianity which makes no demands, requires no risks, nor calls for self-denial.

There might be a play on words here.  Aphrodite (Venus) was the goddess of gamblers.  Before a person would cast the dice he might say “epaphroditos,” (the favorite of Aphrodite) hoping for luck in the throw.  Epaphroditus gambled with his life to fulfill your lack of service, and he won because God was there.

Having the name Epaphroditus would be like having the name ‘Gay’ today.  If he had been a Jew, he would probably have changed his name to reflect his heart.  But as a Christian he let his life describe his character, not his name.

Paul was concerned about the unity of the church.  He reminded them of Jesus’ example, Timothy’s example, and Epaphroditus example.  These examples thought of others more than themselves.  If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all.

Philippians 1
January 1, 2012
“Letter to friends”
 
Like all letters of the 1st Century, Paul begins by introducing himself, complementing the recipients, updating his personal situation and then stating the reason for writing.  Today our emails and text messaging has eliminated all letter writing protocol. 
 
Paul planted the church in Philippi because of his Macedonian vision.  Remember the jailer and his household were saved in Philippi (Acts 16).
 
The words joy and rejoicing recur 14 times in Philippians. That is more than any of his other letters.  For Paul joy is more than an emotion.  It is the state of mind that understands God is above all events.  It is connected to peace. Nehemiah said that the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt and the joy of the Lord was their strength (Neh 8:10).  Paul also testifies to having joy. How could a pastor/friend write to us about joy from a prison?  Why is he writing to us about joy?  Are we discouraged because it looks like Paul’s ministry is over?  Is there a conflict in the church?  Paul will hint at a few answers in the letter.  The word sin does not occur in this letter.   
 
1-2.  In all other letters Paul calls his fellow workers ‘brothers’.  Paul frequently describes himself as a slave, servant, apostle, or prisoner of Christ Jesus.  This introduction is unique because it describes both himself and Timothy as servants of Christ Jesus.  They are equals in ministry.  This is your first clue that Paul is focusing on unity.  For Paul to be a slave of Christ Jesus is the only way to be truly free from the tyranny of sin.  This is the only time he uses this label for a brother.  Paul is going to stress throughout this letter that the greatest person will be the servant of all and both he and Timothy are servants.
 
Notice that Paul addresses this letter first to all the saints, then the overseers who were deacons.  When I give a report to the Nazarene District Assembly it is proper to begin with greetings to the General Superintendent in charge, then the District Superintendent, and finally all the delegates.  Paul addresses the congregation first and the leaders second.
 
The inclusive word ‘all’ is rare in Paul’s other letters.  However, the phrase ‘all of you’ is frequent in this letter.  He sees the congregation as one in Christ. 
 
The word ‘saint’ is a translation of ‘holy ones’ and does not primarily refer to the ethical character of a person, but to their special set apart relationship to God.  This letter is written to all God’s set apart people in Christ Jesus.  We are part of the new fellowship set apart, separated and dedicated to God.  We are incorporated in Christ Jesus.  Our relationship to God impels us to (be holy) practice goodness, justice, and love.
 
Bishops (episcopes) and deacons are not listed in Paul’s lists of officers of the church in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.  They are only mentioned separately in 1 Timothy 3.  Both terms are plural so there was no single overseer in charge over a single deacon.  The grammar allows us to identify 2 separate offices or one office of overseer with the function of deacon.  It is possible to translate the expression, ‘overseers and deacons’ as ‘overseers who are deacons’ or ‘overseers who serve’. 
 
Paul is choosing his words carefully to express the need for humility in the church rather than hierarchy.  In the Church, seniority does not put one leader above another (Paul and Timothy are both slaves of Christ Jesus).  Church supervisors are called to serve by virtue of their office.
 
Paul’s word for grace (charis) is slightly different than the common Greek word for ‘greetings’ (chairein).  Peace was the Hebrew greeting.  It is God who is greeting them with grace and peace.
 
3-11.  As we found in the letter to the Romans, Christian maturity displays a thankful heart.  Paul begins by giving thanks for their partnership (koinonia) in the gospel.  When he prays for them he has joy because God is working in their lives.  God had prompted them to send a gift at just the right time and He will continue to do good works through them.  Paul is confident about the church of Philippi because he is confident in God who is at work in the church.
 
Paul expresses his ‘feelings’ 10 times in this letter (1:7; 2:2,5; 3:15,19:4:2,10).  Also he expresses attitudes like:  He is thankful (3).  He has joy (4).  He is confident in God (6).  He longs to see them (8).
 
Paul prays that their love may abound, overflow and be extremely rich.  This is not just a love for each other or for Paul, but that they may be persons characterized by a godly love.  This love is discriminating.  It is to be accompanied by knowledge and understanding.  Love must fasten itself on the things which are worth loving.  Life gives us a vast array of difficult choices that clamor for our affection.  Your love must be regulated by knowledge and discernment.
 
Paul wants us to make the best choices possible so we can be the best people possible.  Be pure, free from stain, sincere (without wax) because you have been in the sunlight (like hanging your sheets on the line).  Be blameless, harmless, not offensive so you don’t cause someone to stumble.  Be loaded with the good fruit of righteousness and goodness.  Your conduct should please God.  Your good deeds should point to God and cause others to praise God.
 
12-26 Paul gives us an update of his situation.  He is in prison.  I think he is in the Caesarea prison (Acts 24-25).  Some think he was writing while under house arrest in Rome and Paul was able to testify before Caesar Nero before returning to visit Philippi.  Both possibilities have supporters.  Either way, Paul corrects some rumors.  Contrary to what some were saying, his imprisonment has not hindered the progress of the gospel.  The gospel has been spreading more and more through the ranks of the military.  His limitations and sufferings have actually ‘advanced’ the gospel.  An ‘advance’ division of the military cut down trees, widened roads, etc. This allowed the army to move quickly.  Paul recognized that God was using his imprisonment as an ‘advance’ to bring the gospel into higher levels of Roman society than ever before.  An army would follow.  Christianity gained a lot of publicity because of Paul’s suffering and imprisonment.
 
Another result of his imprisonment was that other Christians gained confidence and courage and they dared to preach more than they did before.  Paul rejoiced because the gospel was being preached (18) even though some preached with selfish motives.  Maybe they were in it for the money.  Maybe they wanted to be the new leader.  Maybe they wanted to make all Christians like practicing Jews.  Paul believed in the power of the gospel to change lives.  The power of the gospel does not depend on the character or cleverness of the preacher.  God could override the selfish attitudes of the preacher.  Paul did not express indignation or irritation.  He expressed joy because he believed that God could make all things work together for good.
 
Paul expresses joy because Christ is preached (18) and for two other reasons (19).  He knew he would be delivered (19) and Christ would be honored (20) because of their prayers and the help given by the Spirit.  A couple words suggest that Paul is reflecting on the story of Job and his final vindication.  Paul anticipates his trial as a platform for proclaiming the gospel.  We can make any situation an obstacle or an opportunity.  In tough situations you can become bitter or better.
 
“To me living is Christ, dying is gain.”  Life is worthwhile work (22).  Death is to be with Christ (23).  Life is for the benefit of others (24).  Paul’s situation has forced him to think in new ways about life and death.  For Paul life could be summed up in Christ, filled up with Christ, inspired by Christ, and done to bring praise to Christ.  Paul found life a heavy load to carry.  Death is a gain to those whose life has become unbearable.  Paul left the choice up to God (22).  Paul does not say he desires to die.  He does not desire to be a martyr.  He has a desire to be with Christ and please Christ.
 
The word ‘depart’ (23) is used to describe an army striking camp and moving on.  It is also used of a ship weighing anchor and sailing off.  In another situation it is used to speak of the solution of a difficult problem.
 
Pagans viewed death as a release from earthly troubles.  Some expressed a hope for immortality but had no basis for their hope.  Paul saw in death a continuing relationship with Christ.  Life which is Christ is not destroyed by death, but enriched.  The Christian, upon dying, goes immediately into the presence of the Lord, where he enjoys conscious personal fellowship without having a body.
 
Paul does not speculate on this interim condition.  He just says it exists.  He says death cannot separate us from the love of Christ.
 
Paul is convinced that the Philippians need him so he knows what God’s choice for the immediate future will be.  He is looking forward to visiting them so their joy would overflow (26).
 
27-30  After sharing his innermost feelings, Paul turns now to give instructions to the church. 
 
The adverb could be translated “only and always” or “the one essential thing” or “be sure.”  The verb (polituomai) is unusual.  It only appears here and in Acts 23:1 where Paul is testifying before the Roman governors.  It means to live as a citizen with all its rights and responsibilities.  To the Greek a good citizen was not one who just lived in the city, but one who participated in maintaining the community.
 
To live worthy of the gospel is to live as a good citizen in our earthly community and also as a citizen of heaven.  As we have duties and privileges with the state we have duties and privileges in the Christian community.
 
To live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ is also to live in harmony with each other in community.  We are to be standing firm in one Spirit and struggling together in one mind for the faith.  Soldiers and athletes stand firm together against the adversary.  The word is ‘sunathlew’ from which we get the word athlete.  It means to engage in competition with someone.  Unity is essential to maintain our competition against the opposition. 
 
Don’t be intimidated (28) by those who oppose you.  This word only appears here in the Greek Bible.  It is used in classical Greek of timid horses that shy at some unexpected movement or object.  Critics think your suffering is a sign that you will be defeated and destroyed.  But you know that God will use your suffering for salvation and you will be vindicated.  Your enemies think your loyalty to the truth will lead to your persecution and death.  You have a different perspective.  You know God works all things together for good. 
 
A Christian who is willing to stand up together with other Christians for the faith of the gospel can expect to suffer.  Believing and suffering go together now as they have in the past.  Believing in Christ and suffering for Christ are grace gifts from God.  God chooses His best soldiers for the hardest tasks.
 
Paul is in prison and has joy.  Your situation is probably not any worse than Paul’s.  You can have joy if you believe that God is over all and working all things out for good.  You can be walking worthily in the will and ways of Jesus, united with the brethren in Christ, standing firm together in faith, giving thanks for God’s grace and refusing to be intimidated by the enemy.

Long time church member Marge Dunton passed away on December 23, 2011.  A
memorial service will be held on January 14th at 11:00am at the church.  You can view a
celebration of her life online at Marge’s Memorial Site.  In lieu
of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Evangelical Community
Chapel at Liberal, P.O. Box 1050, Molalla, OR 97038.

Christmas Hope

Luke 2:10

“Good News”

Thoughts on being blessed.  Luke 1:41-42, 45;    Matthew 5:3-12;  Job 42:10, 12a;  Psalms 1:1-6

What does Christmas mean in your home this year?  Is it good news?  Are you blessed?  Are you thinking about what you don’t have or what you do have?  There may be an empty chair that was not empty last year.  What does Christmas mean to the unemployed?  What does Christmas mean to the abused?  What does Christmas mean to your neighbor?

Shepherds were at the lowest end of the social ladder.  They had very little.  They were not among the influential or best dressed.  They lived in the fields with their animals. They were not respected. They had no power or prestige.  Why would God send angels to them?  Would they understand a message from an angel?  ”I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

You are not left out.  We are some of the ‘all people’.  The message is for all of us.  If we are in a lonely spot, outstanding in our field, or in a smelly stable we can experience the glory of the Lord and receive the good news.

When God sends His announcement to shepherds He included us.  He was saying to all people, “I have a gift for you.”  “You are very special to Me.”  When the angel came to the shepherds God had us in mind.  When Christ died on the cross to forgive sin He had us in mind.

I wonder if there were people in Bethlehem on that night asking, “Anything exciting happen today?” Maybe they were told, “No, nothing much.  Oh, I hear some young woman gave birth to a baby in a stable, but nothing exciting ever happens around here.”

Faithful Jews believed a Messiah was coming.  They prayed over and over again, “Let the Messiah come.  Let Him come today!”  They prayed that prayer for hundreds of years.  It had been a traditional prayer for many generations.   They were not expecting God to answer with a baby.

The angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy.  Today, a Savior has been born.”

ILL. It’s Christmas time, & Lucy comes in where Charlie Brown is standing & says, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.  `Tis the season of peace on earth & good will toward men.  Therefore, I suggest we forget all our differences and love one another.”

Charlie Brown, whose face lights up at this, says, “That’s wonderful, Lucy.  I’m so glad you said that.  But tell me, do we have to love each other only at this season of the year?  Why can’t we love each other all year long?”  Lucy retorts, “What are you, a fanatic or something?”

I bring you good news of great Joy.  A Savior has been born from the line of David.  We will call Him Immanuel because He is God with us.  Every day can be a celebration of God’s surprise gift.  Every meal can be a feast of God’s faithfulness.  I bring you good news of great joy.  Jesus, the Gift of God, can transform your life.  You can love one another all year long.

December 18, 2011
“Mary, the mother of Jesus”
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Much more is written about Mary from speculation than from the original texts. According to the later “Gospel of James” Mary was the daughter of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Mary was given to the priests as a consecrated virgin in the Temple in Jerusalem at age 3 like Samuel was taken to the Tabernacle in the OT.

The image of Madonna and Child permeates Catholic art. I was not aware that the Orthodox churches only allow 2 dimensional icons in their churches. The Roman Catholics have the statues.

John Wesley believed that Mary was a perpetual virgin and the ‘brothers’ mentioned in the NT were actually cousins.

In the Gospels, God has given us a few glimpses into the character of Mary. Her quiet submission to the will and ways of God is a good example for us. We will look at each time Mary is mentioned and the lesson we can learn.

Matthew mentions Mary 5 times, only once outside the infancy narrative (13:55).
Mark mentions Mary once by name (6:3) and once as the mother of Jesus (3:31).
Luke mentions Mary 12 times, all in the infancy narrative.
John mentions her twice, but not by name (at the wedding and the cross).
Acts mentions Mary and the brothers of Jesus (Acts 1:14).

Matthew 1:16, 18, 20; 2:11

1. God had a plan for Mary that she was not aware of (16). She was part of God’s story. We are also part of God’s story and may not know it. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God has had us in mind a long time.

2. Mary experienced suspicion and shame (18). We don’t know anything about her parents. When she found out she was pregnant she went immediately to an elderly aunt. Did her parents not understand? Luke tells us that Elizabeth could trace her lineage back to Aaron. Aaron’s wife was of the tribe of Judah, so all Aaron’s descendents are from both Levi and Judah, priest and king. Many believe that Elizabeth and Mary’s mother were sisters.

When you are troubled, who or what do you turn to? Family, friend, food, loud music, TV, etc. Mary knew she had done nothing wrong, but who would believe her? She had a pure heart and sensitive spirit toward spiritual things. Gossip does not usually assume the best about another person. Mary left town and stayed with her aunt and uncle 3 months.

3. Mary experienced the threat of death, disgrace, and humiliation (19). It was not within her power or authority to correct the problem. Joseph’s marriage contract and God’s action in her life had caused the problem. She had to trust Joseph and God to find a solution.

Why didn’t Jesus just appear as an adult prophet? Why did he have to be born as a baby? Why couldn’t Mary just raise her baby as an unwed mother?

Sometimes we experience situations beyond our control. We have lots of questions. We have done everything with good intentions, but we were misunderstood. Accidents do happen. The things that are seen are not the whole story. Our only option is to keep trusting God and be faithful.

4. Mary was vindicated (20). She did not have to endure years of humiliation. Maybe within a few days, God sent an angel to confirm her story. I think Joseph really wanted to believe her story, but he also wanted to be righteous in all his ways.

Matthew shows us a young woman with a quiet spirit, self-control, and the gift of sacred silence. We all need to learn to speak only when we can improve on silence. Maybe God wants to speak on our behalf.

Luke 1-2

1. Mary’s visit from an angel was very unusual (28). He did not tell her to fall on her knees or run and get a sacrifice or go call Joseph and her parents. He just told her she was blessed and favored because God was with her. What did he mean she was blessed and favored? She had just been engaged to Joseph. She was excited about the future they would have together. Joseph had a very good reputation. He was a righteous man. Is that what the angel meant? “Congratulations on your engagement.”

Her aunt and uncle had similar experiences with angels, but they were old. It was very rare for children to hear the voice of God or see an angel. She may not have known about Elizabeth’s pregnancy until the angel tells her (36).

We are blessed and favored when God is with us. Think of all the doorways into blessing that are mentioned in the Beatitudes. Abide in Him and enjoy a happy, blessed, and fruitful life.

2. Mary was anxious (29) and troubled at the surprise visit and unusual words. Being afraid of the sudden appearance of an angel is a little different than scaring our kids with a sudden “boo”. The angel did not scare Mary, but his words did. Maybe she was thinking about dying and going to heaven. Maybe she was thinking the bad news was still coming. We tend to fear the unknown.

3. Mary is comforted by the angel (30). Gabriel tells Mary that God is going to bless her with a special baby. The angel describes Jesus as great, Son of God, and He will have an eternal kingdom. Mary did not hear much of that description. She told the angel that she could not be pregnant. She has not gone to Joseph’s home yet.

When God’s word speaks to me I sometimes miss the main point and focus on some little detail rather than the majesty of the plan of God.

4. Mary submits to the Word of God (38). God blesses us when we submit to His will and ways. If we do not submit to God then He lets us live life out our own way. That is never the best way.

5. Mary expresses an outburst of joy (46) when her aunt also tells her she is blessed. A few days ago the angel told her she was blessed. Now she hears the same greeting again. Mary is starting to see a pattern here. God is doing something through her life.

6. Mary travels with her husband (2:5) even when it is not convenient.

7. Mary could see the hand of God working in her life and wondered (2:19) how everything was going to play out in her life.

8. Mary and Joseph were amazed (2:33-34) at the number of people that seemed to know about their child.

9. Mary and Joseph were faithful parents (41). Jesus was now the age that Mary was when the angel first spoke to her. But she apparently did not consider that God could be speaking to her son (50). He was too young.

10. Even after 12 years with Jesus, Mary is still wondering (51) what God is going to do through their lives. Had Mary developed an agenda? Did she sign up Jesus for soccer, catechism, or dance classes? Did she have a plan for Jesus’ career? Why didn’t she leave Jesus with the temple teachers so He could get a good education?

John 2:1-12

For 18 years Jesus submitted to his parents as expected in that culture. There is no further mention of Joseph. Jesus becomes the bread winner for the family. Mary depended on him to fix everything. She and the family had gone with Jesus and His disciples to a wedding. She was aware that the wine had run out.

1. In a crisis of need Mary turned to Jesus (3) for a solution. She knew He knew some rich people that could go buy more wine. We don’t know what Mary was expecting; she just knew Jesus could fix it.

2. She was entirely undisturbed (5) by Jesus’ reply. She may not have been sure what He meant. She had authority to prepare for a miracle. She did what she could do and left it up to Jesus. Jesus’ family traveled with him to Capernaum.

Mark 3:21, 31-35

Early in his ministry, Jesus’ family thought He may be having a nervous breakdown. The Jewish leaders said He was demon possessed.

The crowds around Jesus were so big that his family could not get to Him. Jesus’ response to Mary was similar to His earlier response in the Temple to Mary and Joseph. At 12 years old He knew He had 2 fathers. Now He reminds Mary that He has 2 families. He intends to be faithful to both. When you see the parallel between the 2 events, a lot of the discussion about Mary and Jesus’ relationship becomes unnecessary. Jesus is not criticizing His mother.

The religious leaders in Mark 6:3 & Matthew 13:55 mention Mary as an ordinary mother in their attempt to discount any perceived authority that Jesus had. He was not born to powerful or influential parents.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary…?” Jesus had been healing the sick, casting out demons, and speaking with great wisdom in His home town synagogue. He couldn’t be the same person who used to run the wood shop for Mary.

Our friends at the school reunions remember us as we were. But God may have a different plan than our classmates ever thought possible. What you are today is not what you will be tomorrow. Many kids today have 2 dads and 2 families. In Christ they can honor and respect each and God will bless them for it. Jesus was Mary’s son and also faithful to His heavenly Father. Jesus traveled with his relatives and also considered everyone who feared God as part of His extended family.

Your mother may be very poor, vulnerable, and dependent on your skill as a carpenter. People may label you accordingly. But God’s plan for you may surprise those who know you. You are who you are in God’s eyes. If you have chosen to obey, you are part of the family of God.

John 19:25-27

Jesus had been faithful to his mother as the eldest son. He expresses his love and concern for her continued well-being. He does not assume the next oldest son would be able to care for Mary. Instead He knows John is trustworthy and able to care for Mary in his home.

The Catholics have a legend concerning Mary’s later life in the home of John. According to the legend she does not die, but is translated to heaven and received into Jesus’ hands. All the apostles are miraculously with her when this occurs. Mary’s glorification then gives her the right to act as intercessor for us.

Acts 1:14

Mary and her sons were part of the assembly of Jesus’ followers. Mary is the only one mentioned by name in this group in the upper room. They were praying together and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. The family of Jesus did not isolate themselves or set themselves up as leaders of a new cult. They were part of the group of followers who had grown in their conviction that Jesus truly was the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world.

Mary is not pictured as an original thinker. She was meditative. She pondered in her heart the many puzzling experiences until the light of Pentecost came and filled her being with the Spirit of Jesus.

Like Mary there are many things we cannot understand until the Spirit of Jesus reveals it to us. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We must honor God and give Him thanks for who He is and who we are. When we turn our backs on God we cannot see reality as clearly. The pure in heart see God acting in their lives and give thanks.

December 18, 2011
“Mary, the mother of Jesus”
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Much more is written about Mary from speculation than from the original texts. According to the later “Gospel of James” Mary was the daughter of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Mary was given to the priests as a consecrated virgin in the Temple in Jerusalem at age 3 like Samuel was taken to the Tabernacle in the OT.

The image of Madonna and Child permeates Catholic art. I was not aware that the Orthodox churches only allow 2 dimensional icons in their churches. The Roman Catholics have the statues.

John Wesley believed that Mary was a perpetual virgin and the ‘brothers’ mentioned in the NT were actually cousins.

In the Gospels, God has given us a few glimpses into the character of Mary. Her quiet submission to the will and ways of God is a good example for us. We will look at each time Mary is mentioned and the lesson we can learn.

Matthew mentions Mary 5 times, only once outside the infancy narrative (13:55).
Mark mentions Mary once by name (6:3) and once as the mother of Jesus (3:31).
Luke mentions Mary 12 times, all in the infancy narrative.
John mentions her twice, but not by name (at the wedding and the cross).
Acts mentions Mary and the brothers of Jesus (Acts 1:14).

Matthew 1:16, 18, 20; 2:11

1. God had a plan for Mary that she was not aware of (16). She was part of God’s story. We are also part of God’s story and may not know it. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God has had us in mind a long time.

2. Mary experienced suspicion and shame (18). We don’t know anything about her parents. When she found out she was pregnant she went immediately to an elderly aunt. Did her parents not understand? Luke tells us that Elizabeth could trace her lineage back to Aaron. Aaron’s wife was of the tribe of Judah, so all Aaron’s descendents are from both Levi and Judah, priest and king. Many believe that Elizabeth and Mary’s mother were sisters.

When you are troubled, who or what do you turn to? Family, friend, food, loud music, TV, etc. Mary knew she had done nothing wrong, but who would believe her? She had a pure heart and sensitive spirit toward spiritual things. Gossip does not usually assume the best about another person. Mary left town and stayed with her aunt and uncle 3 months.

3. Mary experienced the threat of death, disgrace, and humiliation (19). It was not within her power or authority to correct the problem. Joseph’s marriage contract and God’s action in her life had caused the problem. She had to trust Joseph and God to find a solution.

Why didn’t Jesus just appear as an adult prophet? Why did he have to be born as a baby? Why couldn’t Mary just raise her baby as an unwed mother?

Sometimes we experience situations beyond our control. We have lots of questions. We have done everything with good intentions, but we were misunderstood. Accidents do happen. The things that are seen are not the whole story. Our only option is to keep trusting God and be faithful.

4. Mary was vindicated (20). She did not have to endure years of humiliation. Maybe within a few days, God sent an angel to confirm her story. I think Joseph really wanted to believe her story, but he also wanted to be righteous in all his ways.

Matthew shows us a young woman with a quiet spirit, self-control, and the gift of sacred silence. We all need to learn to speak only when we can improve on silence. Maybe God wants to speak on our behalf.

Luke 1-2

1. Mary’s visit from an angel was very unusual (28). He did not tell her to fall on her knees or run and get a sacrifice or go call Joseph and her parents. He just told her she was blessed and favored because God was with her. What did he mean she was blessed and favored? She had just been engaged to Joseph. She was excited about the future they would have together. Joseph had a very good reputation. He was a righteous man. Is that what the angel meant? “Congratulations on your engagement.”

Her aunt and uncle had similar experiences with angels, but they were old. It was very rare for children to hear the voice of God or see an angel. She may not have known about Elizabeth’s pregnancy until the angel tells her (36).

We are blessed and favored when God is with us. Think of all the doorways into blessing that are mentioned in the Beatitudes. Abide in Him and enjoy a happy, blessed, and fruitful life.

2. Mary was anxious (29) and troubled at the surprise visit and unusual words. Being afraid of the sudden appearance of an angel is a little different than scaring our kids with a sudden “boo”. The angel did not scare Mary, but his words did. Maybe she was thinking about dying and going to heaven. Maybe she was thinking the bad news was still coming. We tend to fear the unknown.

3. Mary is comforted by the angel (30). Gabriel tells Mary that God is going to bless her with a special baby. The angel describes Jesus as great, Son of God, and He will have an eternal kingdom. Mary did not hear much of that description. She told the angel that she could not be pregnant. She has not gone to Joseph’s home yet.

When God’s word speaks to me I sometimes miss the main point and focus on some little detail rather than the majesty of the plan of God.

4. Mary submits to the Word of God (38). God blesses us when we submit to His will and ways. If we do not submit to God then He lets us live life out our own way. That is never the best way.

5. Mary expresses an outburst of joy (46) when her aunt also tells her she is blessed. A few days ago the angel told her she was blessed. Now she hears the same greeting again. Mary is starting to see a pattern here. God is doing something through her life.

6. Mary travels with her husband (2:5) even when it is not convenient.

7. Mary could see the hand of God working in her life and wondered (2:19) how everything was going to play out in her life.

8. Mary and Joseph were amazed (2:33-34) at the number of people that seemed to know about their child.

9. Mary and Joseph were faithful parents (41). Jesus was now the age that Mary was when the angel first spoke to her. But she apparently did not consider that God could be speaking to her son (50). He was too young.

10. Even after 12 years with Jesus, Mary is still wondering (51) what God is going to do through their lives. Had Mary developed an agenda? Did she sign up Jesus for soccer, catechism, or dance classes? Did she have a plan for Jesus’ career? Why didn’t she leave Jesus with the temple teachers so He could get a good education?

John 2:1-12

For 18 years Jesus submitted to his parents as expected in that culture. There is no further mention of Joseph. Jesus becomes the bread winner for the family. Mary depended on him to fix everything. She and the family had gone with Jesus and His disciples to a wedding. She was aware that the wine had run out.

1. In a crisis of need Mary turned to Jesus (3) for a solution. She knew He knew some rich people that could go buy more wine. We don’t know what Mary was expecting; she just knew Jesus could fix it.

2. She was entirely undisturbed (5) by Jesus’ reply. She may not have been sure what He meant. She had authority to prepare for a miracle. She did what she could do and left it up to Jesus. Jesus’ family traveled with him to Capernaum.

Mark 3:21, 31-35

Early in his ministry, Jesus’ family thought He may be having a nervous breakdown. The Jewish leaders said He was demon possessed.

The crowds around Jesus were so big that his family could not get to Him. Jesus’ response to Mary was similar to His earlier response in the Temple to Mary and Joseph. At 12 years old He knew He had 2 fathers. Now He reminds Mary that He has 2 families. He intends to be faithful to both. When you see the parallel between the 2 events, a lot of the discussion about Mary and Jesus’ relationship becomes unnecessary. Jesus is not criticizing His mother.

The religious leaders in Mark 6:3 & Matthew 13:55 mention Mary as an ordinary mother in their attempt to discount any perceived authority that Jesus had. He was not born to powerful or influential parents.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary…?” Jesus had been healing the sick, casting out demons, and speaking with great wisdom in His home town synagogue. He couldn’t be the same person who used to run the wood shop for Mary.

Our friends at the school reunions remember us as we were. But God may have a different plan than our classmates ever thought possible. What you are today is not what you will be tomorrow. Many kids today have 2 dads and 2 families. In Christ they can honor and respect each and God will bless them for it. Jesus was Mary’s son and also faithful to His heavenly Father. Jesus traveled with his relatives and also considered everyone who feared God as part of His extended family.

Your mother may be very poor, vulnerable, and dependent on your skill as a carpenter. People may label you accordingly. But God’s plan for you may surprise those who know you. You are who you are in God’s eyes. If you have chosen to obey, you are part of the family of God.

John 19:25-27

Jesus had been faithful to his mother as the eldest son. He expresses his love and concern for her continued well-being. He does not assume the next oldest son would be able to care for Mary. Instead He knows John is trustworthy and able to care for Mary in his home.

The Catholics have a legend concerning Mary’s later life in the home of John. According to the legend she does not die, but is translated to heaven and received into Jesus’ hands. All the apostles are miraculously with her when this occurs. Mary’s glorification then gives her the right to act as intercessor for us.

Acts 1:14

Mary and her sons were part of the assembly of Jesus’ followers. Mary is the only one mentioned by name in this group in the upper room. They were praying together and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. The family of Jesus did not isolate themselves or set themselves up as leaders of a new cult. They were part of the group of followers who had grown in their conviction that Jesus truly was the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world.

Mary is not pictured as an original thinker. She was meditative. She pondered in her heart the many puzzling experiences until the light of Pentecost came and filled her being with the Spirit of Jesus.

Like Mary there are many things we cannot understand until the Spirit of Jesus reveals it to us. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We must honor God and give Him thanks for who He is and who we are. When we turn our backs on God we cannot see reality as clearly. The pure in heart see God acting in their lives and give thanks.