Author: Clay Fowler

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ~ John 14:1-14

This text is frequently read at funerals, and for good reason.

It contains promises that are profoundly comforting in the face of the death of a loved one. But this text is not only about life after death, this is a text that has everything to do with our lives here and now.

• The setting is Jesus’ farewell address at his last supper with his disciples.
• Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet and has explained to them what this means (13:1-20).
• He has foretold his betrayal by Judas, and Judas has slipped out into the night (13:21-30).
• He has told his disciples that he will be with them only a little while longer, and that where he is going, they cannot come (13:33).
• He has also foretold Peter’s imminent denial (13:36-38).

No wonder the disciples are troubled. Their beloved teacher is leaving them, one of their own has turned against them, and the leader among the disciples is said to be on the cusp of a great failure of loyalty. It is as though the ground is shifting beneath their feet.

Jesus responds to the anxiety of his disciples by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” (14:1). Jesus calls them back to this fundamental relationship of trust and assures them that he is not abandoning them. Rather, he is returning to his Father, which is good news for them.

In speaking of his ascension to the Father, Jesus assures his disciples that this is also their destination. There are many dwellings in his Father’s house, and he goes to prepare a place for them, so that they will be with him and dwell with him in his intimate relationship with the Father (14:2-3).

When Jesus says that they know the way to the place where he is going (14:4), Thomas, like most characters in the Gospel, takes Jesus quite literally. He wants directions, a road map to this place (14:5). Jesus responds by saying that he himself is the way: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6).

Unfortunately, this verse has often been used as a trump card, or worse, as a threat, to tell people that they better get with the program and “accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior” in order to be saved. To interpret the verse this way is to rip it from its context and do violence to the spirit of Jesus’ words.

This statement by Jesus is a promise, a word of comfort to his disciples. Jesus himself is all they need; there is no need to panic, no need to search desperately for a secret map. Jesus adds, “If you know me, you will know my Father also” (14:7a).

The conditional phrase in Greek is a condition of fact, meaning that the condition is understood to be true: “If you know me (and you do), you will know my father also.” So that there can be no misunderstanding, Jesus adds, “From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (14:7b).

This time it is Philip who is not quite convinced. “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied” (14:8). Jesus’ response contains perhaps a hint of exasperation: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (14:9).

Here Jesus echoes an affirmation from the prologue of John’s Gospel: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (1:18).
This is the whole of Jesus’ earth ministry, to make known the Father, to reveal who God is. Jesus, who has come from the Father and is now returning there, is the fullest revelation of the person and character of God. If we want to know who God is, we need look no further than Jesus. All the words that Jesus has spoken, all the works that he has done, come from God and show us who God is (14:10-11).

This passage has everything to do with life here and now because Jesus entrusts his mission to his disciples. “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it” (14:13-14).

Yet here is where Jesus’ promise becomes a little hard to swallow. Greater works than these? Really, Jesus? Greater works than healing the blind and raising the dead? And you will do whatever we ask in your name?

We have all known the pain of praying for healing that did not come, of feeling powerless in the face of disease and death. How can these promises be true?

Perhaps our problem is that in hearing these promises, we expect to do these greater works in the same way that Jesus did them — with miraculous power that instantly solves the problem at hand. Yet even miracles are not guaranteed to produce faith. Many in John’s Gospel who witness the “signs” that Jesus performs have trouble seeing the work of God right before their eyes.

Toward the end of John’s Gospel, Thomas sees the risen Lord and confesses, “My Lord and my God!” (20:28). Jesus responds, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This is not so much a scolding for Thomas as a blessing for us who have not seen and yet believe, however feeble our believing may seem.

Jesus promises to be with us through the power of the Spirit, to work in and through us to accomplish his purposes in the world. This does not necessarily happen in easily visible, spectacular ways.

Yet wherever there is healing, reconciling, life-giving work happening, this is the work of God. Wherever there is life in abundance, this is Jesus’ presence in our midst.

“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (1:18). Jesus has made known to us the heart of God, and he has entrusted this mission of “making known” to us.

Think about who you interact with every day. Do you see Jesus working there? Maybe you have a friend who is going through some discouraging things right now. Could Jesus be showing you an opportunity to lift them up? Maybe there is someone who everyone seems to overlook, but you have a chance to include them in what you are doing. Might that be Jesus tapping on your shoulder?

Where might we see Jesus’ work and presence in our midst? How might we show others the very heart of God? Ask God to help you recognize how you can show His heart to others.

~ Clay

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

~ Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

In these early chapters of Romans, Paul is working his way through the issue of faith versus works. To help build his case he wants to take a look at Abraham in order to help us see the issue a little clearer. 

The Jews put ALOT of emphasis on Abraham being their Father. They took pride in the fact that they were his descendants, and as such inherited these awesome promises from God. Scholars have pointed out that in many Jewish writings, especially from the first century, it was obvious that the Jews held up Abraham as not just their ancestor but also as a model of faithfulness to the law. 

But Paul wants to draw some lines here. 

He starts by quoting Genesis 15 — “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” A crucial phrase in this verse is “credited to him as righteousness”, but what does that mean? Some interpreters think that this phrase is trying to say that Abraham’s faith WAS a form of righteousness. In other words, Abraham believing God was in some way itself a righteous act. But Paul doesn’t say it that way. He says that Abraham was “credited” with righteousness. Without becoming overly technical, it is a way to say that Abraham is given a righteousness that does not inherently belong to him. When Abraham believed God, God granted him the status of “righteousness”. 

Paul want to make sure we are clear on this, so he continues to explain in detail using the illustration about wages and gifts. This is a little confusing to our ears because of the phrasing that Paul uses, but one commentator laid it out this way:

• When we “work,” an employer pays us wages not “as a gift” but “as an obligation”.
• God is a God of grace, who always gives freely and without constraint. He can never be “obligated” to any person. 
• Therefore, God cannot “credit” human beings anything on the basis of their “works”.

The keys to understanding this correctly are the ideas of “gift” and “justifying the ungodly”. Paul insists throughout all of his letters that God’s grace is a gift. That one is pretty easy to get. This bit about God justifying the ungodly, though. We need to be careful about that one. One way many people have mis-applied this passage is to read that and come away thinking, “oh, I can do whatever I want!” It seems to suggest that Christians are “off the hook” going forward. After all, if Christ has already pleased God in our place, is it really all that important that we continue to please God as well in our day to day?

Paul will actually address that in more detail in Chapter 6, but for right now we just need to remember that you can’t take this snippet of a verse in a vacuum. Paul does argue that God makes us right with Him before we ever stop sinning, but he also says that God “regenerates” us and “sanctifies” us and causes His Spirit to dwell in us as well. God transforms us from within! This is how Paul (the faith guy) can agree with James (the works guy). A genuine Christian will always reveal the inward transformation through outward signs of a new life of obedience. 

In verses 13-17, Paul restates the truth about Abraham’s righteousness. Then he takes it one step further. Remember, most Jews during Paul’s day taught that Abraham’s stature and role meant that he was in effect being obedient to the law of Moses. Paul wants to make clear that this ISN’T the case. First of all, Abraham preceded the law by more than 400 years. Paul will lean into this fact more in Galatians 3, but here in Romans, Paul sticks with the core meaning in the text. The promise to Abraham did not come because anyone obeyed the law, but “through the righteousness that comes by faith.” In other words, the promises of God come because of faith.

And here’s that next step Paul is taking. Paul says the promises apply to ALL of Abraham’s offspring. When God says to Abraham, “I have made you the father of many nations” he meant it in the physical sense. Abraham’s descendants will become Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, Amalekites, Kenizzites, Midianites and Assyrians (among others). But Paul is saying that God meant that Abraham would be the father of many nations in a spiritual sense as well. In that sense, if we have the same faith that Abraham had, we are part of his spiritual offspring. And as part of his offspring, we can participate in the promises of God! So, FAITH IS A BIG DEAL for Paul. 

Here are three big takeaways:

FIRST – Faith is distinct from the law. The law is something you DO. Faith, by contrast, is an ATTITUDE. It is a posture that we take that expresses a willingness to receive the GIFT that God wants to give us. In our world today, we measure everything with some form of achievement. Everything we do in school seems to be either graded, timed, or measured in some fashion. It doesn’t get much better when you get out into the work-world either. What title do you have, how many contracts did you sign, how many deadlines have you met, have you been promoted faster than your co-workers. Even our personal lives are achievement oriented. Do I have the latest electronic device? How many followers do I have on social media? How big is my bank account or how flashy is my car or how many rooms does my house have…. It goes on and on! We are so accustomed to living this sort of life that it can creep into our thinking when it comes to our relationship with God, too. Maybe that relationship has started to become based on what we are doing for Him instead of on what He has done for us.

SECOND – Faith itself has no power. Instead, the power comes from the one in whom we place our faith. Abraham recognized God as the one who has the power to deliver on His promises. It wasn’t Abraham’s faith that had that power, but it was the God in whom that faith believed who does. Sarah was barren. They had no children and they were already getting old and well-past the time when children were to be expected. Yet, God promised Abraham a son and Abraham believed He could do it. And He did. You and I with our faith really don’t have the power. Instead, we look to the power of God to fulfill the promises that He has made.

THIRD – Faith is based on God’s Word. It is not based on the evidence gathered through our senses. Again, Abraham had no reason to think that he would ever have a son – except that God SAID HE WOULD. Even when we don’t see how in the world God is going to pull this off, we remain strong in our faith that He will. Abraham was put to the test a little later when God ordered him to take Isaac (that son that was promised) and offer him as a sacrifice. Even then, Abraham had faith that God could still keep His Word and fulfill the promises. Having passed the test, God rescinds the order and provides a ram to sacrifice instead. Some people have described Faith as “a leap in the dark” but this isn’t really accurate. Abraham didn’t blindly or arbitrarily put his faith in God. Abraham had God’s word to hold on to even when it wasn’t clear how that word was going to work out. We have God’s word written in Scripture. We also have God’s living Word in the person of Jesus. We even have God’s Spirit dwelling inside us and if we listen He will guide our steps. 

Faith can be hard to hold on to. Jesus talks about the Gospel being like seeds scattered. Some lands on good soil and grows. But some lands on rocky ground and the faith that grows initially doesn’t have deep roots and withers away when things get hard. Some lands among thorns and while their faith tries to grow strong, it gets choked out by worries and chasing after worldly things. Some seed lands on the path and is snatched away quickly. So, yes — do the things. Tend your soil. Take out the rocks. Get rid of the thorns and weeds. Do the things you need to in order that your faith has a chance to grow. But remember that ultimately what really matters is who you place that faith in to begin with. 

Receive His gift of grace. 
Recognize that the power belongs to God.
Remember to listen to His Word wherever you find it.

And pray for God to increase your faith.

~ Clay

This passage, which comes after Jesus’s baptism and testing in the wilderness, starts with Jesus receiving the news about John the Baptist’s imprisonment. At first glance, it might appear that Jesus is withdrawing to Galilee because he wants to avoid the same fate. In reality, Jesus is heading into the center of the storm — not away from it. Galilee is where we find Tiberias, the city that Herod was building on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Pilate rules for Rome down in Jerusalem, but Herod calls the shots in Galilee, and it was Herod that John had upset so much.

Matthew reminds us of the true reason that Jesus returned to this region. This fulfills the prophecy found in Isaiah Chapter 9. More than just fulfilling where Jesus was going to appear, the prophecy gives us some insight into how Jesus would appear. Isaiah describes it as people who live in darkness suddenly seeing a great light. He even describes it as a “land of the shadow of death.” This is metaphorical, of course. This region of Galilee is some of the most beautiful land in all of Israel. The waters of the lake are clear, the valley around the lake is mild and pleasant for much of the year, and an abundance of streams join with the Jordan River to provide optimal conditions for raising both crops and livestock.

For many in Israel, though, the land has indeed turned dark. After the Northern Kingdom of Israel was decimated by Assyria many years before, they never returned. In fact, Assyria brought Gentiles from other places and settled them in the land. The Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin survived Babylonian exile and returned to reform Israel in Jerusalem again, but in Galilee things were not so easy. For the Jews in Jerusalem, Galilee seemed a very Gentile sort of place and darkness was one of the ways they described it.

The text goes on to say that Galilee is where Jesus chose to begin His public ministry. Preaching a message of repentance, Jesus tells anyone who will listen that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. In some ways, this sentence feels like a summary or transition to the verses that come next. Matthew tells us that Jesus approaches two sets of brothers while they practice their livelihood of fishing. We can get a little caught up in guessing what it must have been like to leave their boats, their nets, their jobs, and immediately join Jesus when he calls them. However, if we aren’t careful, we can lose sight of the real focus of the story. Through these interactions, Matthew is trying to tell us something about Jesus. It isn’t apparent in Matthew’s telling, but scholars indicate that these brothers knew who Jesus was before that fateful morning on the shoreline. He had been in Galilee for some time speaking in the synagogue and healing people. So, when He showed up on the shore and called out to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they were able to give themselves to the Kingdom in an immediate way. They join Him in the work which they see that He is already doing.

Jesus still calls today. Jesus calls these two sets of brothers and they immediately follow him. They drop everything and commit to going wherever He goes and doing whatever He needs them to do. Are we supposed to do the same? One commentator reminds us that this episode is a particular call for a particular task. Not everyone is called to drop their nets and be in full time ministry. One example is of another disciple, Joseph of Arimathea. He may not be one of the Twelve, but he is a believer and follower. He retains his profession, his status, and his wealth, and is able to use them in a precious moment of need for Jesus at the time of His crucifixion. Whatever you choose as your profession, whether it is full-time ministry or anything else, you can do it in a way that announces Jesus. I can’t reach a non-Christian police officer as well as a Christian officer can. I certainly can’t navigate the complex world of corporate finance as effectively as one who lives in that world day in and day out. The people in every vein of life need to hear that the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near, and they are most likely to listen to someone who shares their experiences.

With my background in the Churches of Christ, I haven’t had a great deal of exposure to more ecumenical things such as the Liturgical Calendar. I am, however, awakening to many of the ways such things can be useful in our faith walk. This passage is included in the liturgical calendar, particularly for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (The Great Announcement of Jesus to the World), because it marks a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry: the beginning of his public life and proclamation of the Kingdom of God in Galilee. This passage highlights Jesus’ call to discipleship, his teaching, and his healing ministry, signifying the dawn of God’s reign and the fulfillment of prophecy. 

Here are six ways that Jesus is announced to the world in this short passage:

This passage announces Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew 4:12-16 connects Jesus’ move to Galilee with the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2, which spoke of a great light dawning in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This passage underscores the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the arrival of the Messiah. 

This passage announces the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. He begins teaching and preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing people. It’s a crucial turning point in his life and the beginning of his mission to bring God’s reign to earth. 

This passage announces Jesus’s call to discipleship. Peter, Andrew, James, and John, hear His call and decide to follow him. This emphasizes the importance of discipleship and the call to participate in the Kingdom of God. 

This passage announces the themes of repentance and the Kingdom. Jesus’ preaching in Galilee focuses on repentance and the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven. This theme of repentance and the call to turn towards God is central to Christian faith and is highlighted in the liturgical calendar. 

This passage announces Jesus’s focus on healing and compassion. Jesus’ ministry is characterized by compassion and healing, as he demonstrates God’s power to restore and redeem. This emphasizes the importance of compassion, mercy, and the healing power of God’s presence. 

This passage announces the dawn of God’s reign. Matthew 4:12-23 portrays the beginning of God’s reign in a tangible way through Jesus’ actions and teachings. It reminds Christians of the ongoing reality of God’s kingdom and the call to live in accordance with its principles. 

In essence, Matthew 4:12-23 provides a powerful foundation for the Christian faith and is a fitting passage to be included in this season of Epiphany as a reminder of Jesus’ mission, the dawn of God’s reign, and the call to discipleship. As we consider the beginnings of Jesus’ public ministry and our own journeys of faith during this season of Epiphany, consider the ways that you announce the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. I’m not talking primarily about your words, although words are important. Instead, how does your LIFE announce the presence of this Kingdom of Heaven?

Take a little bit of time to look inward, and a little bit of time to look outward. Look inside and try to identify one way that you announce Jesus with your daily life. It could be the way you conduct yourself at work or school. It could be how you intentionally handle your finances in order to be ready to provide when someone is in need. In so many ways each day, we have opportunity to announce the coming of Jesus in the way that we live. After meditating on this for a bit, take a look outward and think of one person in your life who could use a little more Kingdom of Heaven. In what way could you be intentional in your interactions with them to bring them a little closer to the Kingdom? Again, this is not necessarily done with words. God’s light shines through you and out into the darkness all around through every part of your being. People around you will notice! Then, when you do have the opportunity to speak in a meaningful way to someone, the Kingdom will have already drawn them to respond.

Spend some time in prayer thanking God for one way your life announces the Kingdom of Heaven, and then ask Him to give you an opportunity this week to interact in a more meaningful way with the person you thought of.

~ Clay

The death of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels. Jesus has spent the night in the garden praying. He has been arrested, accused, and tried by both Pilate and Herod. The soldiers have already beaten and mocked him. They also paraded him through the streets and out of the city where a huge crowd gathered to watch. They have already hung him on the cross, and the crowd has shouted jeers and insults at Him. He has also already interacted with the other two criminals on the crosses next to His.

Up to this point, everything is fairly usual as far as crucifixions go. It’s horrific and gruesome, but other than Pilate having a sign fixed to the cross that says “King of the Jews,” it’s not really much different from any other crucifixion these people have witnessed. Some in the crowd might still be hoping that Jesus will fulfill their expectations and miraculously come down from the cross, drive out the Romans, and reestablish the throne of David in Jerusalem. Some others in the crowd are probably confused as to why this guy who seemed to help so many people has ended up hanging from a Roman cross. A small group of Jesus’ friends are off to the side wondering about all of the things He said and how they agree with what is happening. Crucifixions can take a long time, and everyone is just sort of waiting.

Then we get to Matthew chapter 27 starting in verse 45. “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. (LUKE puts it this way: the sun stopped shining.) About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””

Jesus died. Jesus DIED.

John began his Gospel by telling us that Jesus, the Word, was with God and was God. And yet now here we are – Jesus is dead hanging on a Roman cross. Why did it have be done this way? The answer to this question is THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY. Remember the night in the garden. Jesus prayed all night. He prayed HARD. And in part of that prayer he begged, and begged, for God to find some other way. ANY other way. And yet here he is. Dead. On the Cross. But why did it have to happen in the first place? What did Jesus’ crucifixion accomplish?

In order to answer that question, we’ve got to go all the way back to the beginning. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived in paradise. It was a fantastic, lush garden, but that’s not really what made it paradise. For them it was the ultimate paradise because they lived in the presence of God. They hung out in the garden and lived their lives in true community with God. THAT is the best life possible. Then one day, Adam and Eve SINNED. They chose to disobey God and gain knowledge apart from God’s plan for them. From then on there had to be a separation between them and the God they loved. You see, God is love, and God is mercy, yes. But God is also perfect, and God is pure. SIN is not able to stay in the presence of God. So Adam and Eve had to leave the garden and leave His presence. The problem of sin has haunted humanity ever since. Humanity’s SIN PROBLEM is why Jesus was on that cross.

In Genesis chapter 12, God calls Abraham saying, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” By establishing a relationship with Abraham and his descendants, God created for Himself a people, the Israelites. One of the reasons God did this was to show the other nations of the world that a relationship with God is worth something. In a way, He intended for Israel to be a love letter to the rest of the world declaring how much He missed being in community with them. And yet, Israel still had a sin problem. That’s why they had to continually offer all of these sacrifices in the tabernacle and then in the Temple. They had to deal with this sin problem so they could be in a relationship with God their creator.

But an imperfect people can only offer an imperfect sacrifice. And for a perfect and pure God, that simply isn’t good enough. Fortunately, God had a bigger plan. He decided to send His son to us as a human to make this bigger plan final. Jesus would live among us, as one of us, then offer himself as the sacrifice to deal with the SIN PROBLEM once and for all.

Because the Perfect One offered the Perfect Sacrifice, sin is dealt with permanently.

Jesus didn’t just die on the cross. He was the sacrifice that no other human could ever hope to offer to fully deal with this Problem of Sin. This was way more than a physical sacrifice, though. It is possible that Jesus no longer felt the presence of His Father. He cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” As the perfect sacrifice, Jesus took on all of the sin that humans have committed in the past and will commit in the future. Jesus, now burdened with all of the sin of humanity, had to experience a separation from God that He had never felt before, since the dawn of time. In that moment, Jesus was truly alone.

But I think this moment was more than that. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus always refers to God as Father. When He is talking to God or about God, He calls Him Father every time – except for this one moment on the cross. What does He say? “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” I believe that is an indication that Jesus no longer feels the presence of His Father and is instead feels the immense wrath of His God. But I also believe that Jesus, the master teacher, the ultimate Rabbi, was still teaching his disciples even from the cross – even in that moment.

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” is the first line of Psalm 22. When he said those words, His disciples, and even lots of the other Jewish people standing around, should have immediately recognized them. Those 11 disciples, at least, would have known to look for something about Jesus in that moment and connect it to what Psalm 22 says. Let’s look at Psalm 22.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
    since he delights in him.”
Yet you brought me out of the womb;
    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
    for trouble is near
    and there is no one to help.
I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

He has done it! THAT IS WHAT JESUS IS DECLARING FROM THE CROSS. Jesus is wanting His disciples to look at Him there on the cross and connect it with Psalm 22. God has done it. He has fixed the Sin Problem. Because the Perfect One offered the Perfect Sacrifice, sin is dealt with permanently. Your sin, my sin, everyone’s sin no longer has to keep us apart from God. It’s no wonder the apostles called it the Good News! I mean, could there ever be any better news than this? GOD HAS FIXED THE SIN PROBLEM!

That is what was accomplished on the cross. Nobody made Jesus do anything. Not the Jewish leaders, not the Romans, not even God. Jesus went to the cross willingly because He, just like God, wants to be back in community with His people that badly. The separation caused by sin is no longer the problem. Even the curtain in the Temple – separating the Holy of Holies from the other areas that people could inhabit – even that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. It’s no longer just the High Priest who gets to experience the presence of God one day a year. Anyone who commits their life to faith in Jesus and God gets to experience the presence of God in their life – just like it was supposed to be all along. When you believe in Him and your life is pointed in a direction that confirms that belief, His Spirit lives right there inside you. No more separation between God and the people He loves so dearly. That is what the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished. So now that the great obstacle of sin has been removed, what comes next?

With sin no longer holding us back from God, the best part of this Good News is that we now have the honor of living our lives in His presence and beauty. We get to share in His glory. Experiencing Him in this way is magnificent, and it fills our hearts with delight. We are now able to better appreciate how He thinks and feels, what He does, and His infinite power and knowledge. The greatest dimension of God’s glory that we get to enjoy now is His personality—His kindness, mercy, justice, goodness, truth, love, and all His excellencies. It gets even better! Not only do we get to appreciate God more, Paul says that by spending time in God’s presence, we ourselves are being remade. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

You might be a little skeptical. You might be unconvinced. I understand your feelings. I am trying to describe something that is beyond description. I’m attempting to tell you about an experience, but all of the words I know don’t seem adequate. In truth, I am wanting you to consider something that our human minds simply cannot fully comprehend. That is where faith comes in. We live by faith. Hebrews 11 tells us that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” God’s beauty might be beyond our ability to describe it, and His majesty might be too wonderful for us to fully comprehend. But thankfully we are able to experience it still because we rely on faith. We are able to live our lives in service to God even though we can’t fully know His glory because we have faith. There is a song we like to sing in Memphis called I Stand in Awe. I think it fits well, listen to the words:

You are beautiful beyond description,
too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom,
who can fathom the depth of Your love?

You are beautiful beyond description,
majesty enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of You,
I stand, I stand in awe of You;
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.

The Gospel is very Good News. The Sin Problem has been dealt with and no longer stands between us and God. With that out of the way, we are able to really live in His presence, enjoying His glory and beauty. As we experience this new way of life, it changes us to be more like Him. God’s plan really is wonderful! Of course it is – God really is wonderful!

~ Clay

As we seek to follow Jesus better, it is a good idea to frequently remind ourselves who we are following! We sometimes can focus too hard on figuring out how to follow, and we can become forgetful about the one we are following. There are many stories in the Gospels that could inform us about Jesus and His ministry on earth. Paul gives us a variety of wonderful insights in his letters to the churches as well. The New Testament is foundational when it comes to understanding Jesus, however this morning I want to try something a little different. The Old Testament has a great deal to show us about who Jesus is as well. When he was at Harding School of Theology, my professor Dr. Rick Oster often said, “When Jesus and the disciples thought of the Bible or quoted from the Bible, it was the Old Testament they had in mind.” The New Testament had not yet been written! The New Testament writers quoted Scripture frequently, so if it was important to them then it should be important to us as well.

There are many Old Testament passages we could read, but for now I would like to focus on Psalm 118. As a Psalm of Thanksgiving, it gives praise to God for all of the mighty things He has done. Let’s read it together, but while we do – there are some phrases in here which you might find familiar. Listen for them and we’ll identify a few when we are done.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.
Let Israel say:

    “His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:

    “His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:

    “His love endures forever.”
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;

    he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

    What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.

    I look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,

    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,

    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,

    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;

    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,

    but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;

    he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory

    resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;

    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,

    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely,

    but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;

    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord

    through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

    you have become my salvation.
The stone the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;

    let us rejoice today and be glad.
Lord, save us!

    Lord, grant us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

    From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God,

    and he has made his light shine on us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

    up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise you;

    you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.

Did you hear some phrases that sound familiar? Here are some phrases that I heard:
“His love endures forever”
“The Lord is my strength”
“I will enter and give thanks to the Lord” (gates)
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”

Keep these phrases in mind as we think about what this Psalm has to share with us. For the Israelites, this Psalm recounts a time when enemies were advancing and Israel was in distress. At that very time, God rescues Israel and restores peace to the nation. That event is definitely in there – but the language the Psalm uses points to an understanding that God’s rescue is about more than a single crisis. The psalmist is going to great lengths to make sure that you finish reading this Psalm with the feeling that God’s love has always been there and will continue to be there forever.

Psalm 118 is part of a group of six Psalms that go together, known as the “Egyptian Hallel.” It is a group of Psalms which celebrates the greatness of God surrounding the Exodus from Egypt. Each Psalm tells about that time from a different viewpoint, and Psalm 118 is the concluding psalm and the climax of the series.

• Psalm 113 praises God as the one who reverses the status of the poor, lowly, and needy.
• Psalm 114 tells the story of the Exodus and how God’s rule enters the world.
• Psalm 115 contrasts how God helps Israel with how other gods treat the rest of the nations.
• Psalm 116 expresses thanks to God for saving them from death.
• Psalm 117 calls on the rest of the nations to praise the Lord.
• And Psalm 118 sums them all up and announces that Israel exists to praise God.

Today, we typically think of the Passover in one of two ways. First, we often think about the actual event in Egypt when the Israelites spread blood on the doorposts and the angel of death killed all of the Egyptian firstborn. Second, we often think about Passover as the time when Jesus and his disciples got together in the upper room for the Last Supper. But when Jews in the first century thought of Passover, they would have thought of something else. For them, it was one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar. It lasted a whole week and many people made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As a part of the celebration, these six Psalms would be read – one each day – leading up to the final Passover meal and the reading of Psalm 118. In fact, it was during this Passover week when Jesus applied verse 22 to Himself. After entering Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the Temple courts when the chief priests tried to test Him. They could not answer His questions, so Jesus told them a parable about a group of tenants who killed the master’s messengers because they wanted the vineyard for themselves. At the end of that parable, Jesus adds a quote from Psalm 118: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” and He asks them to describe its meaning. Jesus is the stone which the builders rejected. The chief priests and the teachers of the law crucified Him, in part, because He made these claims. But Jesus is also the stone which God has made the cornerstone through raising Him from the grave. That’s important. It is central to our beliefs about the identity of Jesus! It helps to inform us as we seek to follow Him in our own lives. But if we stop there, we miss a great deal of context and meaning.

Jewish rabbis in the first century used a very common teaching method with their disciples. The rabbi would speak a small part of scripture, and then expect the disciples to recall the entire passage. For instance, they might be walking along the street together and observe some other people caught in some kind of situation. The rabbi might want to comment on that situation and teach his disciples something about what they are seeing. But rather than explaining everything in detail, the rabbi would simply tell his disciples a short part of a longer teaching. Then, he would expect his disciples to recall the rest of that teaching and apply all of it to whatever situation they were observing. We know that Jesus was considered a rabbi by His disciples. They often call Him teacher, and would have naturally experienced this kind of teaching by Jesus as well. Luke tells us that the scribes and priests knew Jesus was equating them to the evil tenants and that Jesus had portrayed himself in the parable as the master’s son. But Jesus also adds the quote from Psalm 118 as further clarification about who He is. By identifying Himself as the stone the builders rejected, Jesus isn’t just intending for them to think only about the cornerstone. He means for them to understand that the whole Psalm in some way applies to Him.

Psalm 118 is all about expressing Thanksgiving to God for rescuing His people. By tying his identity to the rejected stone in verse 22, Jesus is also saying that He is the “One who comes in the name of the Lord” in verse 26, and that the His presence is further proof that the Lord is good and “his love endures forever” as in verse 29. By connecting the two dots of Himself and the rejected stone, He is wanting you to continue connecting the dots in Psalm 118 about exactly who He is.

Because Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 118, we can also say that:

• Jesus is the new passover lamb, sacrificed to save the people.
• Jesus is the blood for the doorway, to turn away God’s wrath.
• Jesus is the one who is not dead, but lives to proclaim what the Lord has done!
• Jesus is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, who brings God’s light to shine on all of us.
• Jesus is the cornerstone for the kingdom which God is building.
• Jesus is the reason we too can join with Psalm 118 and give thanks to God for rescuing us!

I think it is possible to connect the dots just a little bit further, though. Jesus’ disciples would have known to think about everything in Psalm 118 after Jesus quoted verse 22. Yet, Psalm 118 was well-known as the final Psalm in the Egyptian Hallel set of Psalms. They were frequently read together, and each has more meaning within the set than by itself. It is possible that Jesus was intending for us to draw conclusions about His identity from this whole group of Psalms and not just Psalm 118.

Let’s look back and see what we find when we look at all six Psalms in light of Jesus.

• Psalm 113 praises God as the one who reverses the status of the poor, lowly, and needy. Jesus’ ministry paid special attention to the status of the poor, lowly, and needy.
• Psalm 114 tells the story of the Exodus and how God’s rule enters the world. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection show us how God’s kingdom defeats sin and death.
• Psalm 115 contrasts how God helps Israel with how other gods treat the rest of the nations. Jesus’ compassion for all humans displays God’s enormous love for His people.
• Psalm 116 expresses thanks to God for saving them from death. Jesus’ always glorifies God instead of Himself, giving thanks for God’s blessings.
• Psalm 117 calls on the rest of the nations to praise the Lord. Jesus’ willingness to accept all, regardless, reflects God’s desire for all humanity to come to Him.
• And Psalm 118 sums them all up and announces that Israel exists to praise God. Jesus describes His people as a light on a hill for all to see and know.

The Egyptian Hallel is a celebration of how God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Jesus, by identifying Himself with these texts, is proof that God is still rescuing His people! We can celebrate because through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, God has rescued us from slavery to sin and death! Because His Love Endures Forever. Amen.

~ Clay

Once upon a time, I played the French horn in a wind ensemble band. It was an experience which I still cherish. Maybe you have played in a musical ensemble before or attended the concert of a symphony orchestra. Or maybe you simply enjoy video and audio recordings of classical music on your own. Most of us, at the very least, have seen enough of these musical groups to understand how they function. All of the musicians, dressed in various clothes that reflect their individual backgrounds and personalities, add their particular instrument and part to the symphonic whole. Each person is essential. Each one is playing their own instrument, adding what they can do well, in a way that nobody else can quite do. Each one brings a different artistic skill, a different giftedness, and different emotions as they play. Yet they play together with one sound so beautifully. Despite there being a wide range of instruments which sound very different from each other, they join together as one community for the single purpose of creating beautiful music. In fact, it is their diversity which allows room for each person to be so significant and needed, but by working together in harmony they achieve a sort of musical unity that can stir the emotions of those who are listening.

This is a beautiful example of human flourishing. At the same time, we witness the efforts of the one as well as the many. At the same time, we recognize what is unique and what is common. We see that the contributions to the whole produce creative and passionate music that can become very meaningful as we experience it. This type of human flourishing is found across all cultures and all times. Sometimes it is formal and sometimes it is informal. Sometimes it is public and sometimes it is private. Sometimes it involves very common experiences and sometimes it is quite exceptional. Flourishing can happen at home, within families, on the athletic field, in a business meeting, in positions of hospitality, in both rich and poor circumstances, and in any language or context. The capacity to flourish is built-in for every person.

The God made known in Scripture and incarnate in Jesus Christ desires flourishing people who live in a flourishing world. Human flourishing is God’s intention and His commitment. In fact, God created humans in such a way that they flourish best when they co-labor with Him toward that end. The extent to which we respond positively to this desire of God is an important issue to think about. Sadly, the Bible narrative contains many stories that tell about how humans have undermined God’s plan for human flourishing. Beginning all the way back at the garden of Eden and continuing right up through the Gospel narratives, we read about how our human ancestors replaced God’s plan with their own ideas about how to flourish as human beings. We also read about the devastating consequences that usually result from such choices as well.

Right alongside those stories, however, the Bible tells the long and never-ending story of how God relentlessly pursues us in faithfulness and love. The everlasting communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a flourishing of its own, and from the overflow of that flourishing we find our hope and our salvation. God desires for humans to flourish in ways that He created us to. We, as part of Jesus’ church, are intended to be tangible evidence of God’s desire for the world. You and I. Together – as the church. This is our calling as followers of Jesus. As a church, we respond to God’s calling and show everyone around us the way to the true purpose of human life. The Word made flesh in Jesus Christ shows through us. We are the primary evidence to the rest of the world that God’s version of human flourishing includes love, grace, and truth in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

The heart of God’s call for humans is that we receive God’s love for us and for the world, and that we in turn live out that love in the world around us. It is the foundation on which Jesus says in Matthew 22: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” We are made to love the Lord and our neighbors. Our call is to love our communion with God, yes, but our call is also to look at the world around us with the same type of love and compassion that God does. It should become the defining characteristic for our identity, for our community, and for everything we do.

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” We are to live our lives as ambassadors of God’s kingdom. This is our primary call, God’s call to each one of us. The narrative of Scripture overwhelmingly illustrates that God is not a deity primarily concerned with ideas and forms. Those are important, of course. However, God is more concerned with expressing His love and pursuing relationship with us. The fullness of God’s pursuit of us is shown through His promising, pursuing, calling, engaging, revealing, sustaining, comforting, and redeeming us. The Bible is overflowing with examples of grace demonstrated and truth performed.

The first and second commandments, as identified by Jesus – to love God and love our neighbor – are our calling. They guide the way we conduct our lives as God intends them to be lived. We FIND our lives by LOSING them in these particular ways. The people of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are meant to be the hope of the world, the model for all humanity. We are also the living defense of the faith that God is present and that God’s loving purposes will come to pass. Often, we forget to live with this calling in mind. We are not perfect and sin invades our thinking and behavior. We get distracted by all of the complexities of daily life and the burdens of living in a broken world. We, like our ancestors of old, sometimes decide that we know better when it comes to identifying what makes humans flourish. We pay the price for these decisions in our own walk.

The church also pays a price when we fall short as well. Many outside the church look at us and see only our faults and inability to follow Christ completely. Our identities as bright, uncovered lights have been obscured by our unwillingness to follow Jesus in everything we do. Our calling sort of slips through our fingers as we instead focus on programs, buildings, classes, projects, and budgets. Programs, buildings, classes, projects, and budgets are important! However, we cannot allow them to overshadow our primary call to pursue relationships with the unbelievers around us. That is what God pursues so persistently, so we should as well. The world around us knows why salt and light are good in a physical sense, and since they are created in God’s image they will be drawn to salt and light in the Spiritual sense as well.

In March of 2013, the Catholic Church elected Jorge Borgoglio of Argentina to become Pope Francis. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, and he is beloved for his humility and emphasis on God’s mercy. During his first days as Pope, the world watched as he washed feet, cared for the poor, and reaffirmed the basic vocation of the church as the presence of Christ in the world. The world was shocked by what they saw! They expected to see another Pope surrounded by the trappings and power of the Catholic Church, maneuvering deftly with defensiveness, crafty words, and great posturing. Suddenly, they were confronted with what appeared to be a genuine disciple of Christ. He didn’t merely represent church power, but lived what the church claims is its calling. It was enough of a shock that Time Magazine chose Pope Francis as their 2013 Person of the Year. Why did they do that? He simply lives as a follower of Jesus, and that matters. The world recognizes it when they see it.

It is ironic that what Pope Francis does draws such dramatic attention. He is simply doing what every Christian is meant to be doing. It is shocking because in that context it is so unusual. It gives us the opportunity to step back and think about ourselves. Are we living in a way that shows the world around us what Christ looks like? Or would those who pass by us on the street be surprised if they saw us loving them as Christ does? Sometimes the church just seems unusual. We have odd habits, ways of talking, attitudes, potluck meals, and whatever else. Every church is uniquely particular, and you can sort of “smell” it as soon as you walk in the door. Every human group develops this characteristic. The point isn’t whether or not we are odd. I can confirm for you all that we are. Rather, the question we should be asking is, “Are we odd because we imitate Christ?”

The vocation of every Christian is to live as a follower of Jesus today. In every aspect of life, whether small or large, we are to seek to live out the grace and truth of Jesus. This is our calling. Put simply, this is the exact call Jesus made to all of his disciples: “Follow me.” Peter wasn’t Matthew. Matthew wasn’t James or John. Each of them followed Jesus in a manner unique to his own life, but they had the same basic vocation. This is the clear, unifying call to those trying to be disciples of Jesus. As we learn to follow Jesus, it is important to consider where we start. We aren’t generic robots programmed to follow Jesus. We are people with histories, personalities, relationships, and much more. As we grow more Christ-like in our walk, we must do so right in the middle of this existing context. Each of us is a child of parents and maybe a sibling to someone. We all have friends, co-workers, and others we interact with frequently. Following Jesus starts with learning to see these people again for the first time – as they are made and loved by God.

This is where our calling gets challenging. Sometimes people are annoying to us, or interested only in themselves, or they reject us because they are afraid of our faith. It is here, in the middle of ordinary life, where we learn to follow Jesus by learning to love and serve those around us. This will be true throughout our lives as disciples. We will never be called to do less, and sometimes this can feel like the hardest part of all. Jesus began his earthly ministry by proclaiming that “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is because Jesus himself had drawn near. Whether it was the woman caught in adultery, or a group of children wanting to be near, a leper crying out for help, or one of his disciples asking the wrong questions, Jesus was present with them and always building relationships with whomever crossed his path.

We, as the church, declare Jesus’ kingdom and we enact that declaration as His devoted people. This is a grand and far-reaching proclamation! However, it is played out in the small and ordinary details of our daily lives far more often than in flashy, large events. Our gifts and context help shape our contributions to the life of the church and it is important for us to explore how we can better use them to influence those around us.

Thinking back to our musical beginning, it is important for us to individually learn how to play our parts. The better we can do that, the easier it will be for us to join in the symphony of sound that is Christ’s church. We must be careful, though, to not allow our individual playing to overshadow the sweet music that we are creating as a community. Jesus simply calls us to “Come, follow me.” As we learn how to follow Him better, let us remember that Jesus always valued building relationships with the people around Him. It is through these small, daily interactions that the Kingdom of God will be revealed. Amen.

~ Clay

It’s hard to say which group of Psalms number 25 really belongs. Some parts feel a lot like the lament psalms – references to gloating enemies and distressing troubles. Yet other portions seem to be teaching truths in a way that would fit nicely in the book of Proverbs. All of it is interwoven, though, into a prayer to Yahweh God.

The prayer of Psalm 25 complements the wisdom of Psalm 1. That psalm, in the more didactic tradition of wisdom, established the two ways, that of the righteous and that of the wicked. But taken alone, the dispassionate wisdom of Psalm 1 could be misleading; it might be taken to imply that the essence of life was simply choosing the right road – once the choice had been made, all would be well. But in Psalm 25, the wisdom themes reappear, though now in a context of prayer. The prayer is that of a person who has made the choice and is walking the road of the righteous; but the dispassionate wisdom has been transformed to passionate petition, for the right road is not an easy one to walk. It is lined with enemies who would like nothing better than to put the walker to shame. The traveler on the road is also plagued with internal doubts, as he recalls in his mind previous wanderings from the path and former sins. The essence of the road of the righteous is this: it is a road too difficult to walk without the companionship and friendship of God. The psalmist, troubled from without and within, has stopped for a moment in the way. He knows he cannot turn back, but scarcely knows how to continue. So he prays that God would show him the road forward and make him walk in it. He knows he does not deserve such guidance and strength, but as one forgiven of sin, he is confident that God will show him the road again.

It is remarkable that in Psalm 25, contrary to normal expectation, the covenant the psalmist anticipates is not a relationship predicated on absolute perfection of obedience, but is from the outset a “covenant for sinners.” He acknowledges sinful acts of long-standing, hoping that Yahweh will no longer “remember” them. He goes on to declare that one indication of Yahweh’s “good and upright” character is the fact he “instructs sinners in his ways.” God’s purpose is to bring sinners into the covenant, and to this end He provides the necessary guidance and instruction to make their participation possible.

This idea of a “covenant for sinners” is borne out by the OT narratives of the lives of those we might tend to consider “saints.” Abraham, Jacob, David, Gideon, and Samson were all “sinners” who nonetheless found themselves bound graciously into a covenant relationship with Yahweh. Abraham with his constant confusion of self-interest and divine promise, Jacob’s numerous attempts to manipulate and control the gift of divine blessing, David and his abuse of kingly power for personal gain and gratification, Gideon’s creation of seductive idols to lead the people astray, Samson’s self-destructive pursuit of love in the arms of the enemy – none of these “sinners” could undermine God’s purpose to establish and flesh out a relationship of salvation with his people. God relentlessly pursues these and other sinners. He patiently instructs them in his ways, guides them in what is right, teaches them his way, confides in them, and makes his covenant known to them.

So, if we aren’t talking about a covenant where we have to remain perfect… what are we talking about? What does it look like to be a part of this covenant relationship? The main characteristic is to be humble. Yahweh guides and teaches those who acknowledge their need and reliance on him. Another way to describe this humble attitude is by saying someone’s life shows the “fear of the Lord.” Those who live this way HOPE and TRUST in Yahweh – and him alone – for life, salvation, and continued providence.

It is important to note that it is “hope” and “trust” that link the humble sinners to the covenant with God, not sinless obedience. This is Grace – right in the middle of the OT! When the psalmist declares that “all the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant,”” we immediately think of the law and the necessity of keeping its commandments. But the broader context of Psalm 25 starts to erode that idea and presents us with a better view of the Old Testament covenant with God as a covenant of grace offered to sinners.

For those humble sinners who rely wholly on him, God responds in love and faithfulness. He forgives their sins. He frees them from the snares that entangle them. He graciously removes the anguish they experience and protects them from public humiliation.

God is God of the Old Testament as well as the New. God is God of Israel as well as the Church. We shouldn’t be surprised to find that he has the same message of love and forgiveness throughout ALL the pages of both the Hebrew AND Christian Bibles.

The “Covenant for Sinners” that Psalm 25 describes is a divine gift. I find that I often identify most with those OT characters who struggled honestly and faithfully with their doubts, fears, and inward demons. I am thankful that God calls sinners into relationship with himself, that he forgives our sin, and that he releases us from our anguish as well as the snares that bind and hinder us.

Those who enter the eternal kingdom of God’s grace are those who acknowledge their sin and trust in the gracious mercy of God while surrendering self-power and pride. May our eyes be ever fixed on God our Father, and on Jesus who showed us his ways and his paths through a life here among us.

~ Clay