pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: marginalization


by Leave a comment

Trustworthy and Good

Reading: Daniel 6:1-10

Daniel 6:5 – “We won’t find any fault in Daniel, unless we can find something to use against him from his religious practices.”

As our reading begins King Darius appoints three gifted men to rule over his kingdom. Daniel is one of the three who are in charge of 120 chief administrators spread throughout the kingdom. Daniel excels, soon riding above the other two. The king is ready to reorganize, making Daniel the one in charge. Jealousy and envy kick in the other two main officers. They want to maintain their power and status. But instead of working harder… they choose to try to take Daniel down. We see this kind of behavior practiced all the time in our world.

As these men begin to plot and scheme, they soon discover a problem. They can’t find any dirt on Daniel. All he does is trustworthy and good. So they turn to the thing that makes him different. They say to one another, “We won’t find any fault in Daniel, unless we can find something to use against him from his religious practices.” It’s not that Daniel’s religion is wrong or illicit or anything else bad. It’s just different. So these two men, along with the 120 administrators, go to the king and trick him into writing a law that makes Daniel’s faith practices illegal. We also see this done today. Someone or a group of someones is different than “us.” Maybe “they” work harder than we want to or maybe “they” don’t believe or live or act like “we” do. So “we” label “them” and try to find ways to be rid of or to oppress or to extradite “them” from our presence.

The law is signed by the king and Daniel knows it. Despite it now being illegal, Daniel goes to his upper room and prays, as he always did. What leads Daniel to choose to honor God over the king’s law? Daniel is trustworthy and good. His priorities match his commitment. God and his faith are the most important things in Daniel’s life. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we can do relate to this story – maybe too often from the wrong side. We can be quick to judge and label others, leading to mistreatment, marginalization, or worse. When we are tempted to do these evils, remind us what absolute faith and trust in you looks like. Guide us to keep you on the throne of our hearts, no matter what. Lead us to live lives that are trustworthy and good. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Filled with Zeal

Reading: John 2: 13-17

Verse 17: “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me'”.

Photo credit: Tobias Rademacher

The story of Jesus clearing the temple can be found in all four gospels. It is different than almost all the other stories. The story takes place in the days leading up to the celebration of the Passover. The city is already getting crowded. The Roman authorities are probably getting more nervous by the day as the Jews prepare to celebrate how God freed them from slavery in Egypt long ago. The religious leaders, who are also the Jews’ political leaders, are well aware of the growing tensions.

The temple will be the place where all will gather to remember God’s saving acts, to worship their God, and to offer sacrifices. As Jesus arrives at the temple it is being made ready for the crowds that will soon come. Vendors are beginning to fill every nook and cranny of the temple courts, looking to sell their animals. The money changers are setting up tables, eager to exchange Roman coins for the necessary temple coins. Jesus takes all this in and then makes a whip and begins to drive the people and animals out of this make-shift market. Watching this unusual behavior from Jesus, the disciples recall a verse from Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house will consume me”. In the other gospels Jesus speaks of the temple being a house of prayer, not a den of thieves and robbers. The vendors and money changers have corrupted a place that is holy. It is this fact that so upsets Jesus. With Zeal he restores his father’s house to what it should be – a holy and sacred place.

As ones seeking to follow Jesus 2,000 years later, we are called to follow this Jesus too. All that God created is good. Much has been corrupted just as the temple courts were in today’s passage. We do not need to look far to see corruption, oppression, injustice, poverty, marginalization… These evils have no place in the kingdom of God. As we live out our daily lives we will encounter places where these evils exist and we will meet people suffering from these evils. When we do, may we be filled with zeal for God’s creation, drawing the kingdom of God near as we bear his light and love into these places and lives. In the presence of light, darkness flees. May we be the light.

Prayer: God of light and love, as I encounter the evils of this world, fill me with zeal and compassion for those affected. Guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit; use me as a light in that darkness. Through me may the light and love of Jesus shine, driving out the evil. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Consumed with Light

Reading: 2nd Corinthians 4: 3-6

Verse 6: “God made… his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.

Photo credit: Karen Alsop

Paul writes today about the reality that not all people will understand the gospel. To some the message of the “good news” is veiled. For Paul, the lost, or those without faith in Jesus Christ, are “perishing” – doomed to an unpleasant eternity. Paul recognizes that those without Christ have been “blinded” by the gods of this world. These gods remain a barrier or a stumbling block to many people today. The love of money, power, status, recognition, popularity, privilege and other worldly things prevent people from “seeing the light of the gospel”. One does not have to look very hard to find folks who are like this. They are focused only on self and the gods of this world. Their focus is inward and upward, personally and socially.

For Paul, the focus was also inward and upward. But the inward focused on knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and the upward focused on bringing God the glory. Paul had always called others to Jesus Christ. In his humble and confident manner Paul preached the good news of Jesus Christ to lots of people. Some have allowed the light and love of God to shine into the darkness and selfishness of their hearts. Others have been blinded, the gospel remained veiled. Like Paul, we encounter both types of people as we live out our faith, “preaching” in whatever way we can, sometimes with words.

For those who choose Jesus as Lord and Savior, we know the truth of verse six: “God made… his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. The light that God shines into our hearts reveals the glory of God as demonstrated in the life and witness of Jesus Christ. Jesus, like us, lived in this world. His world certainly had its share of brokenness, marginalization, injustice, oppression… Jesus spent his years in ministry bringing healing and welcome, justice and compassion. Doing so he built community and he fostered a culture of other over self. Love was the core value of this community and its culture. Paul lived each day as a servant to the gospel “for Jesus’ sake”. Paul was consumed with sharing Jesus with all he met, whether by words or actions or simply by the way he lived his life. May we be consumed in the same way.

Prayer: Light of the world, illumine my heart today with the light of your love and grace. Allow that light to open my eyes to the places and people and circumstances that need to know and walk in your light and love. Guide my words, actions, and life to reveal Jesus to others. Amen.