NOVEMBER NOBLESSE 16-23

If you are just joining us, we hope your journey through daily scripture meditations will be enjoyable.  

Five to six minutes a day with the Lord is so refreshing.  

If you have been following this blog for awhile, 
CONGRATULATIONS!  

The Lord will reward you well for your perseverance. 

Again, we begin with wisdom from sages who, by their contribution, helped to form the Christian doctrine we have today.  They are called “Fathers” of the church, even when some very significant women are included in this group.

"When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars,

throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.”      Basil the Great

"You will not see anyone who is truly striving after his spiritual advancement who is not given to spiritual reading.”   Athanasius of Alexandria

"The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

11-16 1 Maccabees 2:1-28; Psalm 87,90,136; Revelation 20:1-6; Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-23  “From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders

and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day and be raised.  And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’”

And then Jesus continues with the now famous words, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

These verses are only the beginning.  The quote in bold is a plot summary and the first of four passages that predict Jesus’ death.  Jesus’ rebuke to Peter is a teaching moment.  Notice that Jesus does not say, “Get away from my sight, Peter.”  Jesus purposely calls out Satan as the culprit working through Peter’s human concern.  

This is a turning point for the disciples.  Jesus’ words dive into their souls hard because they, too, will be called to follow the path of Jesus . . .  to death.  Although Jesus does not like what He must do, He must do it.  

It’s time. 

     Jesus must die in order to have and give us resurrected life.  Reality hits Peter like a hammer and filters down to the others as Jesus continues this end-game teaching.  As the apostle, Paul, says in Philippians, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”

Think about it: You might be chosen by God in Christ to not only LIVE in Christ, but to die clinging to Jesus’ name.  We all will die but many of us might hope to just go to sleep at the ripe old age of 112 and not wake up.  

Unfortunately, most of us will not make it quite that far.  

As we walk through these stories leading to Jesus’ death, we cannot help but think of those we love who have died or who are dying at this very moment. 

Do you wonder about their souls?  Are they ready to meet the Lord?  

Make a list of those you know and love who may be ‘on the

fence’ or far from knowing the Lord.  Pray through that list and ask the Lord how you can influence any or all of them before the end of their lives.  

We never know when it is our time to be with the Lord so do it now.  

Prayer is powerful.  The Lord will lead you to your next steps. 

11-17   23rd Sunday after Pentecost

Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19

2 Thessalonians 3:8  Paul said, “We did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you.”  :10b “Anyone unwilling to work

should not eat.”  :12 “Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” :13 “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.”  

  Paul’s exhortation to new Christians stems from the other scriptures we read today.  Being a Christian is not easy.  It means being the example to others by working hard, sharing the Good news, not for financial profit but for the wellbeing of each who says, “Yes” to God in Christ Jesus.

Likewise, Malachi, the last book of the old covenant, sets our sites on the new covenant.  “Watch out,” says the prophet.  If you do not choose to hear God you will become like old wood and stubble and be burnt up.  Malachi 4:2a “But for you who hear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.”

      

The Gospel of Luke is just as full of woe.   Becoming a Christian is not easy.    A devout Jewish family who ‘lost’ a member, because that person became a follower of Christ Jesus, disowned and had a funeral for that family

member. We have to remember that there was no hind sight here.  Jesus seemed like a Jewish renegade who broke all God’s rules.  Only after His death and resurrection, after the Holy Spirit came to God’s people, did massive numbers of Jews have ‘ahaa’ moments when they made the connection . . . that Jesus is, indeed, Messiah.

And so we focus on Paul’s words to the Thessalonians.  Paul tells Jesus’ leadership team, long after the Lord has left this earth, “Show the skeptics that we are not trying to make money by sharing the miracles of Jesus.  Earn you own money for the mission you are on.  Make sure you work for the wages you receive . . . really work . . .  so that others will know that you are serious in your leadership and have faith to do your best.  God will do the rest.”

As we near the end of this green, ‘growth’ season and prepare for the “Advent” of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, selected scripture passages are tougher to swallow.  During these six months since Resurrection Sunday, we have grown from swallowing simple, encouraging passages to chewing hard on tough exhortations.  The scriptures help us mature in Christ.

Think about it:  Do you recall when you were new at living the Christian life?  Did someone walk beside you, teaching and encouraging you with words of encouragement?  Have you matured to the point that you are doing this for someone else?  Showering another with the kindness, grace, mercy and love of Jesus is a great example of nurture for a fragile soul.  As that soul gains strength through Christian fellowship, worship, prayer, scripture study and so much more, we can share some realities outside that sweet cocoon. 

We live, not for ourselves, but for the One who saved us from eternal separation from God.  As we learn to live a holy and righteous life, we become holy and righteous and are used by our Lord as much as we allow God to use us.  Yet, we do not get paid for helping another grow in Christ.  Our ‘pay’ is knowing we helped to nurture another soul in preparation for eternal life with our Lord.  Being a Christian is not easy but the eternal reward is out of this world!

11-18 1 Maccabees 3:1-24; Psalm 89; Revelation 20:7-15; Matthew 17:1-13

Psalm 89:3-4  God said, “I have made a covenant with

my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: ’I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’”

      Each psalm has a story behind it.  This hymn is of particular importance as it reminds us of God’s covenant relationship with David.  This is a prayer to God to uphold and protect David’s kingship followed by a plea that God reaffirm the covenant with David and restore the fortunes of Israel.  The present form of this psalm dates to the Babylonian exile (587-538 BC).  This poem represents the strongest endorsement of the kingship of David’s line found in the Old Testament. [New International Bible p.832]

We know the story of David and how God chose him specifically to be king after Saul’s demise.  Saul turned away from God one too many times so God chose not to continue His covenant relationship with Saul’s descendants.   A covenant is different from a contract that can be broken by either side.  Yet, God, by the very fact that He chooses the one with whom He makes covenant, cannot break it because of His very nature.  Covenant means that God, forever, eternally,  will never leave us nor forsake us even if we step away from our commitment to God.

God, by choosing to ‘covenant’ with David and all his descendants, maintained His presence through the Davidic line through which Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Mary’s husband, Joseph, both descended.  Therefore, Jesus, in his humanity, is the ‘son of David’ even though his ‘seed’ is many generations removed from David.  It also follows that Jesus in his divinity is the Son of God.

Indeed, God did ‘establish David’s descendants forever and build a throne for all generations’ through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  When we say, “yes” to Christ, we are adopted into Jesus’ family of God.  David represents the Old Covenant relationship with God.  Jesus, through his death and resurrection became our New Covenant.  

Think about it:  When we accept Jesus as Lord of our life and grow in relationship with Him, we embrace New Covenant life.  When we accept this New Covenant, Jesus Christ, we become a new creation and may take a new

name.  For instance Saul was renamed Paul.  His ‘old’ self was washed away by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and he became a new personality with a name that gained a new reputation pleasing to God.   

We may not change our name but we become a new person as we join the family of God.  We begin our covenant life with God in Christ, through baptism.   Do you notice the changes you have experienced since you claimed Jesus, the anointed One, as your Lord and Savior?   Take a few minutes to jot down the ‘turning points’ in you Christian walk.  Each growth spurt or challenge you have overcome with Jesus’ help may be a turning point.  Perhaps you do have a new name like: Overcomer, Joy-filled, Satisfied, Blooming nicely, Confident, Strong in Spirit.  The list of positive, encouraging names for our our new life in Christ is endless and so are His descendants.

11-19 1 Maccabees 3:25-41; Psalm 97,99,94; Revelation 21:1-8; Matthew 17:14-21

Revelation 21:5-7 “And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ . . . Then he said to me, ‘It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.  Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’”

     We are nearing the conclusion of this six month period of growth as disciples of Christ Jesus.   Thus, we are near the end of the new covenant scriptures, Revelation.  John sees God’s hand in making all things new.  Jerusalem still stands as Zion, the place of God but, just as God created the Garden of Eden for creation’s new beginning, God begins again by redeeming, not by changing, the place where redeemed humanity who, by faith, have accepted Jesus as Lord, will reside.  

Jerusalem, the ‘City of God’ still has walls and gates but God will, once again come to us not to replace but to redeem creation.  John sees the heavenly city descend to this renewed earth.  This world, the object of our Creator’s love, is important to God.  God shows us that it is not us who ‘redeemed’ the world but God. 

The fulfillment of God’s love is a city in which the redeemed are ‘one’ in community.  There is no autonomy here.  We are ‘one’ created and guided by the I AM.  Only the sinless, made so by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, may reside with the I AM in this ‘City of God.’

Throughout these last verses in Revelation we are reminded that God IS.   “I AM” . . .  ‘I AM the Alpha”, the first.  “I AM the Omega”, the last.  God is first, last and everything in between.  God creates and then redeems creation.  All that does not belong in the kingdom of God, :8 “ . . . the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake the burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

God IS the water of life.  God IS eternally with us, actively directing our soul, IF . . .  we continue to abide, continue to say yes, continue our faith journey with God as our forever Savior.  The souls of all who continuously, actively, remain ‘children’ of God through his Son, will be part of this redeemed city.

Think about it:  Does John’s vision seem ‘out of this

world’?  John allows another dimension, God’s dimension, to show him another aspect of God’s presence.  It’s like no

other reality that John experienced.  Yet, God and God’s redeeming love are definitely a reality to those who lay their life before Him. We do not need to seek this ‘other’ dimension as John did.  We simply need to trust that there is another dimension to our life, beyond the life we currently live.

Indeed, by actively participating in Christian community, church, and by actively seeking to know Christ Jesus and make him known to others, we are already in a new dimension, the dimension of submission to God:Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Are you resting in the love of God?  Do you know, intimately connect with, God’s redeeming power in your life?  Can you imagine being part of a ‘city’ where only the redeemed reside?  Take a minute to imagine where you would be in this city.  Would you cling to the outer walls, would you press into the crowd milling about in the center with all the action?  Would you be a leader or follower?  

All we need to know is that God so loved us that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to be the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live eternally if we choose . . .  if we choose to live, and die, as one in Christ Jesus.

11-20 1 Maccabees 3:42-60; Psalm 101, 109:1-30, 119:121-144; Revelation 21:9-21; Matthew 17:22-27

Matthew 17:27 Jesus said, “However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and

take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

They are ‘home’ in Capernaum [northern tip of the sea of Galilee] when the tax collector approaches Peter.  Why Peter and not Jesus?  Peter is already known as the Apostle, the ‘right hand man’ with Jesus.  Remember that Jesus and the disciples have been visibly active for a few years.  Jesus has, once again, told his disciples of his impending death . . .  and then he moves on to other things, like taxes.

Every male over the age of 20 pays a ‘didrachma’ or two drachma tax annually except the ‘sons of the divine one’, the king.  Jesus talks to Peter about this and reminds Peter that He and Peter also have ‘divine sonship’.  Jesus’ divine sonship is natural and Peter’s is adoptive.   Jesus, the natural and divine presence of God, will be declared King and Lord of all after his death, resurrection and ascension.  Peter, being ‘one’ with Christ as His disciple and Apostle, has adoptive sonship.  Yet, Peter (and the rest of their world) does not yet realize this.  Therefore, in order to not cause consternation among the Jews who pay taxes, they will pay taxes.  This is also a way to draw the Jews who do not follow the teachings of Jesus into His presence.

Of course they carry no money so Jesus tells Peter

to ‘go fish.’  This recurring theme is familiar to Peter the fisherman.  He will, all too soon, fish for lost souls.  God provides!  Of course he catches a fish and of course he follows Jesus’ orders to open the mouth of the fish.  Peter finds a Greek ‘Stater’ which is worth a full Shekel.  Equal to two didrachma, this is the perfect amount for both Jesus and Peter to pay the tax.  Neither too much nor too little but just right.

Think about it: This is another ‘life lesson’ for all of us.  Jesus has little time to teach Peter how to be ‘in’ the world but not ‘of’ the world so others could follow his example.  Just like Jesus and Peter, we may not agree with how our government uses our money but we are obligated to pay taxes because we live in this earthly world.  In order to draw others into the loving arms of our Lord, we must live an exemplary life and follow secular rules while, at the same time, remain fulling dedicated to our life in Christ Jesus.  

Not easy!

     We are blessed to have a ‘voice’ for debate and a

VOTE to hopefully draw the best leaders into our governing body.  It is up to us to follow the Law but it is also up to us to follow biblical precepts.  Just as Jesus and His disciples had to follow the ‘law of the land’ they did not have to follow the secular world in its debauchery. 

      

Make a quick assessment of your walk with Jesus.  Are you following the Laws of this most amazing country we live in?  Do you understand the freedom we have to  follow Jesus and the life He calls us to live?  Do you pay your taxes even if you disagree with how they are used?  Do you use your voice to share with others, how to live in Christ and live in the secular world at the same time?
Do you carefully select your local, state and national representatives to make choices that coincide with biblical precepts whenever possible?  

Now, ‘Go Fish’ and see what God brings forth.  
You might be surprised!

11-21 1 Maccabees 4:1-25; Psalm 105:1-45; Revelation 21:22—22:5; 

Matthew 18:1-9

Revelation 22:3-5  “There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall

see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads.  And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

This is pretty much the grand finale of the Book of Revelation.  We are coming to the end of this year’s readings in a few days so each passage draws us more deeply into visions of eternity.  

It is hard to imagine a life of such purity, beauty and glory.  No more living in a world nearly bursting in sin.  No more dealing with the weight of gravity.  No more catching our breath after coughing through pollen or pollution.  No more listening to screeching music from cars with no mufflers.  Beauty and glory will surround us.  Sounds of  praise and worship, sights to behold beyond our comprehension and, greatest of all, we will be face-to-face with our Lord.

There will be no more temple for we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are now God’s temple, with the throne of God’s grace nestled within our soul.  The Father and the Son share the same throne.  The Holy Spirit swirls in our midst.  No lamps will be lit, no sun or moon to give light because there is no night.  God’s GLORY about is will be unimaginably bright.  

The gates of our eternal kingdom will never close as newbies enter continuously.   Nothing and no one unclean

will enter but only those written in the Lambs book of life.  Our soul will never thirst because the ‘river of the water of life’ will be flowing from the throne of Lord and the Lamb through the middle of the city.   

         On either side is the tree of life with twelve kinds of fruit producing each month and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations.  One side reminds us of the Old Covenant life directed by the Law of Moses.  The other side reminds us of the New Covenant life directed by Jesus, the Lamb of God.  The fruit represents the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Covenant and the 12 Apostles of Jesus in the New Covenant.  “And the Lord thy God and the Lamb will reign forever and ever.”  

Think about it:  Do you wonder what eternity will be like for you?  Do you worry that you will not be invited into God’s kingdom after life on this earth?  

       Eternity: No time, no space, no sense of dimension we experience on earth.  Non-stop celestial Glory and praise.  We’ll be in the presence of the Word made flesh.  We will

understand all that is a big question mark when we study scripture.  The Word will be written on our forehead . . . will be imbedded in us . . .  will be understood completely.  We won’t even have to ask the long list of questions we wonder about as we study God’s Word.  We will know!  A complete understanding of the Lord, thy God will be imbedded within our soul instantly. 

Do you want to join the celestial choir when you die?  Just say, “Yes” to the Lord’s invitation to be a child of God through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son who was crucified and whose blood covers our sin nature.  Say ‘Yes’ to the everlasting love our Lord desires to pour into your heart and soul.  Say ‘Yes’ to the Lord’s daily graces He bestows upon us.  Worship and glorify Him as often as possible.  Prepare your heart right now in the same way you might prepare for a running marathon.  Remain spiritually ‘fit’ at all times.  Be ready.  Anticipate.  Get excited!  

    Life on this earth seems wonder-filled and awesome but just wait until you are fully in the glorious presence of Heavenly Glory!  You think your church worship is awesome?  Good.  Now quintuple that experience and then quintuple it again.     WOW!

11-22  1 Maccabees 4:36-59; Psalm 102, 107:1-32; Revelation 22:6-13; 

Matthew 18:10-20

1 Maccabees 4:59  Every year this dedication of the temple would be observed with joy and gladness for eight days beginning with the 25th day of the month of Chislev.

This is the reason we read Maccabees, the grand ending of the book. Tradition says that the Jewish celebration of Chanukah began with this story.  How can anyone

understand the deep impact of this celebration if we do not know the story?  Chanukah is not a major celebration

for the Jews.  In fact, many who celebrate these eight days of gift giving think it was created to coincide with the Christian celebration of Christmas. [note: Many think the Christian celebration of Christmas was created to coincide with the pagan celebration of solstice or worship of the evergreen tree]  
This thinking is incorrect.

In fact, in this passage, the exact date was chiseled into Jewish hearts - the 25th day of the month of Chislev on the Jewish calendar.  The Jewish calendar still follows the path of the moon, which is the same for the Gregorian Calendar which Christians follow.  So, these dates are not on the same day every year.  [In the same way, Jesus was born on a specific day in December if you study a combination of bible scriptures.]

We tend to forget that God meant to overlay the

New Covenant over the Old Covenant, not to obliterate but to enhance His presence from beginning to end.  That’s why many Christian celebrations overlap the Jewish celebrations. 
All glorify God!  

The temple ‘light’ needed to burn perpetually just as the ‘light of Christ’ burns perpetually.  If you enter a ‘sacramental’ church (Catholic, Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran) you will see the light of a candle burning near a magnificently clad box, the tabernacle, where the already blessed and transformed bread and wine are kept.  
       In these churches, the pageant of Christ’s death at Eastertide also celebrates the ‘new Light’ of Christ on the eve of Easter Sunday.  “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” are words said weekly to remind us of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  On Easter Vigil, we

begin with brand new light on a huge candle, the light of

Christ, and enter a totally dark worship space where we can only see the tiny flicker of one candle.  
The cantor sings, “The Light of Christ” three times.  
And we sit in the dark as a canticle draws us into the Light of Christ.  
      This Christian celebration of new light is  just as moving as the celebration of New Light in the Temple during a very challenging time for the Jewish people. 

Since you may not have access to this glorious book of Maccabees, here is a quick summery of today’s reading:

“Judas, having crushed the enemy, was called to ‘Cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.’  :41  Judas detailed men to fight these in the citadel until the sanctuary was cleansed from the profane destruction.  And he chose blameless priests devoted to the Law to help and removed defiled stone to an ‘unclean’ place.  They tore down the profaned altar and stored the stone until a prophet could tell them what to do.  Then, according to the Law, took unhewn stones and built a new altar like the former one.  

They made new holy vessels and returned the lamp stand, replaced the altar of incense, lit candles, placed bread on a table across from the lamp stands  and completed all the work.  Chislev 25 [9th month] 148th year, they offered sacrifice and burnt offering.  They decorated the temple front with golden crowns and small shields and restored the priest chambers.  

The Temple was now dedicated with song and harps and lutes and symbols.  God’s Chosen People celebrated for eight days!”

Think about it:  Have you ever taken part in the lighting of the Chanukah candle with a Jewish family?  In our town we all are invited to attend a celebration with a huge Menorah.  The Rabbi reminds us of the story.  Jews and gentiles mingle together as children are given small gifts . . .  each day for eight days!  Find a celebration in your town where all are invited.  It’s a wonder-filled learning experience.

Have you attended a ‘Sacramental’ church for Easter Vigil?  Most non-denominational churches do not celebrate the night before Resurrection Sunday so this might be an opportunity to see how the ‘Light of Christ’ is celebrated in a ‘liturgical’ or ‘sacramental’ church.  In the Catholic church, all who have been taking classes for nearly a year to know Christ and to better understand their baptism, are baptized and welcomed to the church body.  The service is long but glorious.  There might be 50+ who are formally giving their lives to Christ on Easter Eve. 

      In the Anglican/Episcopal and Lutheran churches is a celebration to behold.  Scripture from the old covenant

through the new covenant are read from the beginning of our ‘salvation history’ in Exodus.  Yet, the lighting of the ‘new fire’ in the quiet darkness as all enter the church is a stark reality of Christ piercing through the darkness with His message of God's love, grace and hope.  
       The ‘turning on of New Light’ becomes a glorious celebration in Christ Jesus.    You will not be disappointed if you attend just once.   The book of Maccabees shows us God’s presence during the darkest moments of life.  Our Lord is always with us and will never leave us nor forsake us.  God is our beacon of Light in this dark world.

11-23 Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-6,33; Revelation 22:14-21; Matthew 18:21-35

Psalm 108:3 “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among

the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations.”

Nothing beats a psalm to lighten up the day.  Sometimes, when we try to digest God’s Word and digest His promises to help us through the challenges of daily living, we need a breath of fresh air.  Psalms give us breathing room.  When all is said and done, sing a song!  Any song!  

Psalms were the songs of the day.  Hebrew people memorized and sang many of these glorious odes to God as they spent time worshiping in the Temple, spent time in the fields working long hours, and shared together at night.  We forget that their only distraction was other gods or family matters or how to survive.  
No small feat.  
Our greatest distraction is social media, technology, a grand supply of food, clothing and fun trinkets to distract us and so much more.

Think about it:  Life was hard for the Jewish people in Jesus’ day but do you think it is even harder now? 

    We have so much freedom, so many choices, and days filled with way too much to do because of those choices.  We need incredible discipline to take a daily break from everything, get away in a quiet place, and sing a Psalm or song to God.  

In fact, do you have a special place you can go to sing to the Lord?  Even though my hubby can hear me, I feel that my own space is in the shower.  Some sort of diddie comes to mind and I love to belt it out as I wash my hair.  It’s my space.  It’s my croaking voice.  It’s me and the Lord.  It’s JOY!  

Sing to the Lord a new song!  Find a joy-filled Psalm that draws your heart closer to God.  Memorize it. There are several Psalms that are only a couple sentences long.  I memorized Psalm 100 in the third grade, forgot all about it, and then remember it when I became a Christian at the age of 31, which is decades ago.  
       This psalm still fills my heart at the oddest times.  

Breathe deep, sing a song to Jesus, en-JOY the day!