pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: refusing


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All Things New

Reading: Amos 5-9

Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Concluding the book of Amos we read words of lament and doom mixed in with words of hope and restoration. Ultimately, Amos closes with words of promise and blessing for God’s people. We too walk through this mix in our lives, holding onto God’s promises that will one day eternally be ours. Thanks be to God.

Amos 5 begins with a song of lament for the great losses soon to come and then encourages people to seek the Lord. The prophet then condemns those who are crushing the weak, taking bribes, and refusing to help the poor. Amos presents the correct choice: seek good and not evil. But the leaders choose evil. Therefore God rejects their worship and sacrifices. They are meaningless. God then presents the correct choice, saying, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Chapters 6 and 7 contain warnings and visions from Amos. Those “resting comfortably” while drinking “bowls of wine” – they will be the first to go into exile. God promises to “shatter the great house [Israel] into bits… and pieces.” God’s people do not measure up to God’s plumb line. All will be laid to waste. These words lead to a confrontation with Amaziah the priest. He tells Amos to go home to Judah, to prophesy there. In response, Amos declares that it is Amaziah who will be going away, into exile, losing family and land as well.

Judgment continues in chapter 8 and the first half of chapter 9. God judges Israel’s immoral business practices, their greed, and their dishonesty. Feasts will become sad affairs. But the days are coming when there will be a thirst for hearing God’s word. There will be a day when broken places are rebuilt, when blessings flow, when God’s people will be planted upon their land. God will make all things new. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, your justice and righteousness will prevail. They will indeed flow like water in a never-ending stream. You will remove all evil and establish your new kingdom here on earth. Worship will be pure and true. All will focus on your love, flowing from your heart into our hearts. What a day that will be! In between them and now, Lord, guide us to be justice, righteousness, and love here and now, as we seek to bring your kingdom to this earth. Amen.


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People of Forgiveness

Reading: Matthew 18:28-35

Verse 33: “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”

As we continue today in the gospel lesson for this week, we see that the servant now goes out, fresh from being forgiven a huge debt. But instead of being filled with joy and good will he latches onto a fellow servant who owes his a small sum. Demanding payment and refusing to be patient, he has the man thrown into jail, where he will remain until the debt is paid.

Other servants see what has happened. Knowing how great a debt this man has been forgiven, they are “greatly distressed” by how he treats his fellow servant. They go to the king to right this great wrong. It all is so unfair. I don’t know about you, but I have and I can act this way at times. I know that God and others have forgiven me for things big and small and every place in between. I did not deserve to be forgiven some of the time. Yet I was. Even knowing all this and being so grateful for such mercy and grace, I can struggle to forgive someone for the smallest thing. I get stubborn or arrogant or prideful and it becomes hard to let something go, to get to the place of forgiveness. At times I’m not so unlike this forgiven servant.

The king (God, right?) is so upset with this man that he says, “You wicked servant.” He reminds the man (us) of how much was forgiven. Then he asks this pointed question: “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” It is a great reminder for us. The man is then thrown into prison (hell). Jesus closes the parable by reminding us all that God will treat us this way too if we refuse to forgive one another. Each Sunday we pray for the ability and strength to do just this. May this passage and our weekly prayer reminder help us to be people of forgiveness always and without condition or limit. This is what God offers us. May we go and do likewise.

Prayer: Lord God, without your grace and mercy that leads to forgiveness, I would face a most dreadful future. Without practicing your model of grace, mercy, and forgiveness, my relationships would be a shambles. Thank you for showing me the way to truly live and love. Empower me to live it out daily. Amen.