Thought for Today

2 Samuel 23:20  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warrior from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen  

Psalm 68:14  When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.

Matthew 28:3  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

Matthew 5:44  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (RSV)

I did not kill a lion in a pit yesterday. I do not know whether or not snow fell yesterday on Zalmon. I do know that snow fell yesterday in Tewksbury and on our home. Briefly, in the midst of the rain, we had huge snowflakes falling. For about 15 minutes we experienced a somewhat intense snow squall. Since it was about 45 degrees outside at the time, nothing stuck on the ground. Still, long after the snow shovels and snow blower were retired to their ‘spring’ rest, it snowed.

I’m not particularly thinking about climate change this morning, although that probably is the proximate cause of that bizarre snowfall. I’m thinking about Jesus’ words in Matthew. I quoted from the RSV, because I first learned that verse in my youth when the RSV was the new, modern translation.

There is a hint throughout the Bible and in our modern society of a correlation between wealth, comfort and God’s approval of our conduct and our lives. Some churches and ministers even preach a ‘prosperity gospel.’ “prosperity gospel, in Protestant Christianity, the teaching that faith – expressed through positive thoughts, positive declarations, and donations to the church – draws health, wealth, and happiness into believers’ lives . . . Central to this teaching are the beliefs that salvation through Jesus Christ includes liberation from not only death and eternal damnation but also poverty, sickness, and other ills. Adherents believe that God wants believers to be richly blessed in this life and that physical well-being and material riches are always God’s will for the faithful.” (www.britannica.com)

But, Jesus seems to be saying something entirely different. If God “sends rain on the just and on the unjust,” then maybe God sends snow on the just and the unjust. Maybe God even allows both groups to include both the materially rich and the materially poor. Maybe material wealth and the conditions of our individual lives are less a function of our faith than of how we have individually utilized the resources we are given. Even more radically, maybe we are judged more on the focus of our lives than on the material comfort of our lives.

“Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them’." Jesus was criticized because he dined with those deemed socially unacceptable. Even Jesus’ group of disciples include individuals who would not normally associate together, fishermen, political zealots, even tax collectors. This time of year, I’m tempted to put the words ‘tax collectors’ in bold, red text and underlined . . . but that’s a thought for another day. Instead look at the odd, eclectic group Jesus assembled.

The disciples were not chosen to follow Jesus because they were the educated elite. They were not chosen because they lived in fancy homes, wore the proper school tie, belonged to the right clubs or knew the right people. They were chosen because of what Jesus saw in their hearts and in their minds. They were chosen because of what Jesus knew they were capable of doing and being. All but one did become what they were capable of becoming; all but one reached that potential.

I believe that God set things up the way he did because of one reason only, love. I believe God loved Cain and Abel equally and recognized in both their potential. I believe God created Creation as an expression of love. I believe God sent Jesus because of God’s love for Creation and all its creatures. What we celebrate and remember this season, the Empty Tomb, is a confirmation of God’s love. It is the ultimate stamp of approval on Jesus, his life and his ministry. “Mark 9:7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

Stay safe, listen to the words of God’s love, trust God,

Pastor Ray