Month: July 2024

Keeping the Goal in Mind

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Keeping the Goal in Mind

July 28, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

2 Samuel 11:1-15                   John 6:1-21                Ephesians 3:14-21

Although last week we talked about how God sometimes distracts or redirects us so that he can take us to someplace better, this morning we remember that sometimes it is also important for us to keep the goal in mind, put our heads down, and grind it out. Although I am not in that kind of physical condition now, a few years ago, I got into a regular routine of running and eventually ran a half-marathon. During such a long race, there are plenty of times when you are out of breath, or your feet hurt, or you start to get cramps, or some other part of your body tries to convince you that quitting would be a good idea, or even that just walking for a while would be helpful. Much of that is why you train, after a while, after putting lots of miles behind you, you are familiar with most of those feelings, and you learn how to deal with them or simply to overcome them. And so, during the race, the important thing is to keep the goal in mind, even if you redraw the boundaries so that your new goal is just making it to the next telephone pole, and then the one after that, and the one after that.

Likewise, there are times when we are raising children, that we are ready to give them back, or to give them away to strangers. My own mother told of times when church people would say that I was just so cute, and they could take me home with them. Mom’s reply was that they could, and they would laugh at her joke, but Mom confessed that there were times when she was absolutely not joking. But as hard as it can be, in those moments of desperation, to think a decade or two into the future, those are the times when we need to keep the goal in mind. The goal of childrearing isn’t just to survive the day, although sometimes that is all that we can manage, the goal is to raise decent, kind, caring, and thoughtful human beings who have a solid relationship with Jesus.

And, as we read the scriptures for today, we discover that, in each case, keeping the goal in mind makes a difference in the choices that are made, as well as the direction of the story, and of the lives of those in it. We begin this morning once again with the story of King David, this time when David did not keep the goal in mind, and one bad decision leads to another, and then another, and so on, and so on down a road that he should never had travelled at all, as we read from 2 Samuel 11:1-15.

11:1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So, Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So, he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So, Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

David’s first mistake was the one that led to all the rest, and we find it in the first sentence. “In the spring… when kings go off to war…” Joab and all of Israel’s armies, conscripts, and mercenaries, go off to war with the Ammonites. They defeat the armies of Ammon in the fields and now besiege the walled city of Rabbah, which is, today, known as Amman Jordan. But in the days when kings go off to war, David, the king, does not go off to war, but instead loses sight of the goal, does the thing that is contrary to every other story that we have read about David since he fought against Goliath as a teen, stays home and lets others fight his battles for him. Having done that, David is now in a place where he should never have been in the first place, and his mistakes, and his sins, begin to pile up upon one another. David looks when he should have looked away, asked when he should have remained silent, sent messengers when he should have been conducting business, slept with another man’s wife when he already had more women than anyone needs, and then conspires to cover it all up and make it go away. In each case, David lost sight of the goal and it led him to seek the destruction of one of the most honorable men that we meet in all of scripture.

And then in John 6:1-21, we read two stories, each of which tells a story about goals.

6:1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing, and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

First, we find the disciples trying to work out how to feed the crowds of people who had come to hear Jesus. Philip is gobsmacked by the impossibility of feeding them all. In Matthew’s version of this story the disciples suggest sending everyone home before it gets too late so that the people in the crowd can eat at home or find someone to sell them something to eat.  But Andrew, even though he doesn’t fully understand, keeps the goal in mind. Andrew knows that the goal is to minister to the crowd and to care for their needs and so, even though he isn’t sure how it can help, he is hopeful, insightful, and faithful, and offers Jesus the sack lunch that the mother of one small boy had sent along with him. And because of Andrew’s insight, Jesus feeds more than five thousand people. It is worth noting here that although I have heard folks try to explain this away, that this wasn’t really all that miraculous, and that what really happened was that the boy’s generosity inspired others in the crowd to share the food that they had brought, that is not what the story says. John clearly says that in the end, they gathered twelve baskets that were filled “with the pieces of the five barley loaves” that were left over.

Next, after Jesus withdraws to a mountain, by himself, to rest, the disciples lose sight of the goal. We would expect that the goal, in this case, is for Jesus to minister to the people and for the disciples to minister to, or to at least follow, Jesus. But at some point, the disciples seem to decide that home and a comfortable bed are not that far away, they leave Jesus, and head back to Capernaum without him. On the way, they encounter a strong wind blowing against them, and so they cannot sail, and they are forced to row against what John says was not just a breeze, but a strong wind. Rowing three or four miles against a strong wind had to be an ordeal. But then they see Jesus walking on the water, take him into the boat once they stop being terrified that he might be a ghost, the wind stops, and they miraculously reach the shores of home.

And finally, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul reminds us of the goal we should all keep in mind. Reading from Ephesians 3:14-21, we hear this:

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every familyin heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Paul says that he prays so that Christ would live in the hearts of the people through faith. He prays so that they would be rooted and established with love and so that we would have the power to understand how amazing the love of Jesus is, and Paul’s hope is that the people of the church would be filled with the same measure of love.

David and the disciples of Jesus are reminders of what can go wrong when we fail to keep our goals in mind. The real goal of following Jesus is to be filled with the love of Jesus and to love others the way that Jesus did.

All the rest, as important as it might be, are details.

The real goal of following Jesus is to be filled with the love of Jesus and to love others the way that Jesus did.

Let us pray that might keep that goal in mind.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Not This. That.

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Not This. That.

July 21, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

2 Samuel 7:1-14a                   Mark 6:30-34, 53-56             Ephesians 2:11-22

When we first got our German Shepherd, Natasha, as a puppy from our son Noah, we knew that she was going to be a large dog and that, with her level of energy, we would need to be diligent, and start early, to train her. One of the reasons that we loved her, even before Noah decided that she was too much to handle at that stage in her, and his, life, was that she always had a sweet temperament.  But even nice dogs can get into trouble if they don’t learn good manners. And so, we took Natasha to a local dog trainer for weekly lessons, and then lots and lots of daily walks, practicing, and learning new skills. But one of the important training tools that we used, and still use, is the same as one that we use on children, and on adults, and that is redirection.

With dogs, we redirect them from a negative behavior, say barking at the neighbor, to a positive behavior such as repeating a skill that they already know and then reinforcing or rewarding the positive behavior. It really isn’t that hard. As an example, Natasha has mostly gotten used to having neighbors but some of our neighbors got new dogs this year, or they dog sit for their children. And so, when Natasha gets too interested or distracted by dogs in the neighbor’s yard, I first tell her to “leave it” which she knows, and if she does not comply, I say “house” which calls her back inside. Natasha’s compliance with “leave it” is pretty good, and “house” is very good, though not yet bulletproof. With children, you might just distract them by saying “look over there” or inviting them into another room. Good adult mentors do the same thing, but they do it at a different level. A good mentor will look at what you are doing, praise you for your efforts and progress, and then suggest that “you might consider” or “you might have better results if” you tried another approach.

All these examples, whether it is about dogs, children, or adults, communicate the idea of “Not this. That.” And that message, in various forms, is what we find in all our scriptures for today. “Not This. That.” We begin by returning once again to the story of King David, this time after David has secured Israel’s borders and conquered or otherwise pacified its enemies. In 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, we hear this:

7:1 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leadersover my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.

What we find here is that, at first, Nathan, the prophet of God, tells David that God is pleased with him, and that he could surely go ahead with whatever plans that he might have in mind. But that night God comes to Nathan and redirects both Nathan and David. God says that yes, he is indeed pleased with David, but rather than building a house for the ark and for God, his priority should be to make Israel a place where his people can feel safe, protected, and at home. For generations, Israel has suffered from internal division and external hostility and violence. David’s mission, God says, is to keep the peace, and build a home. David’s son, however, a son who is not yet born, will be the one that will God call upon to build his house.

Not this. That.

And we see something similar, though not nearly so well-orchestrated or planned, in the story of Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, as crowds of people follow Jesus with such desperation that it becomes impossible for Jesus and his disciples to take a break and get away from them even for a short rest.

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So, he began teaching them many things.

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns, or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Jesus and the disciples were so busy with the activities of ministry that they didn’t even have a chance to eat, and so, by the end of the day they are feeling the need to take a break. And so, they set out, without the crowds, in a boat, to find a place where they can be alone. But, as I have mentioned before, the Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberius or the Lake of Gennesaret, is not that big. As a result, the people from the crowds guessed where they might be going, and got there, on foot, ahead of them. And, as Jesus looks at the people in the crowd, what he sees is not a mob, and not a mass of screaming fans with Beatlemania or adoring Swifties, but Jesus sees them as sheep without a shepherd. People who want, and need guidance and direction, but who can’t afford to take the time off to go to Jerusalem and who might have lived too far away, or have too little time, to gather at a synagogue or seek out other religious instruction. And so, Jesus, filled with compassion, understands God’s leading and, despite his hunger and fatigue, he stays and teaches them.

Not this. That.

And finally, in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he explains how Jesus Christ is bridging the gap, and bringing together two groups who have been, throughout history, separate, divided, and sometimes hostile and violent to one another. Reading from Ephesians 2:11-22, we hear this:

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Paul says that anyone who was born in any family, anywhere, that was not Jewish, was born a Gentile and was called “uncircumcised” by the Jews who referred to themselves as “the circumcision.” Before these Gentiles met Jesus, they were outsiders who were excluded from citizenship in Israel because they were foreigners and strangers to the promise and the covenants that God had made with Moses and Abraham. As a result, the Gentiles were disconnected from God and without hope. But now, with the coming of Jesus, the door has been opened to the Gentiles to come near to God.

Paul says that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has destroyed the barriers and walls of exclusion, set aside the law and the rules through the suffering of his own flesh so that the Jews and the Gentiles could be reconciled with one another, and a new humanity created by joining the two together, and thus ending their hostility and bringing peace just as David had done with the tribes of Israel and their neighbors. Paul says that through Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile have access to God through the Holy Spirit and, as a result, we, the Gentiles, are no longer excluded. We are no longer foreigners and strangers, but are now fellow citizens and members, together, of one single household. Likewise, together, we are becoming a single building in which God lives. We were once excluded from God’s people but are now joined together. We were once foreigners and strangers but have now become members of God’s family who live together in one household.

Not this. That.

Like a dog trainer, parent, or mentor, like a shepherd of lost sheep, God distracts us, nudges us, and redirects us in the directions that he wants us to go. David wanted to build God’s temple, but God said, “Not this. That.” Jesus and the disciples desperately needed to take a break and rest, but God knew that there were sheep without a shepherd that needed their compassion and said, “Not this. That.” Jews and Gentiles once were at odds with one another and the Gentiles were excluded, foreigners to the covenants of promise, and were without hope. But God said, “Not this. That.” And sent his son Jesus to bridge the gap and bring reconciliation to all those who would seek him and follow him so that we can become members of God’s family and live together in one household.

We get frustrated and angry when we don’t get our way and that included the times when God says “No” to us and doesn’t seem to be listening to our prayers. But when that happens, remember that as it is when training dogs, or raising children, or mentoring younger or less experienced employees, God often redirects his sheep so that he can shape us into becoming the kind of people he needs us to be.

And so, the next time you think that God isn’t answering your prayers, or you think that God’s answer to those prayers was “No,” pay close attention and listen carefully, because God might just be pointing you toward something better.

What God just might be telling you is…

“Not this. That.”

________________________________________________

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*UYou have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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God’s Choice

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God’s Choice

July 14, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19                     Mark 6:14-29                         Ephesians 1:3-14

What choices have you made so far today? It seems obvious to say that everyone here chose to wake up, get out of bed, get dressed, and come to church. Most of us also chose to take a shower, brush our teeth, and otherwise make ourselves presentable. But those are the easy choices.  We like to eat and have the money to pay for things, so we choose to go to work. But occasionally, at work, at home, and elsewhere, we must make harder choices. Do we go along with the crowd, do we follow our friends, even when what they are doing is not honoring to God? Do we stand up against our own political party, or our own church denomination, or our alumni association, or the club to which we’ve belonged for many years, when those groups choose a path that runs against the instructions of scripture? Or do we sometimes elevate our need to belong, or our allegiance to some organization, above our obedience to God and, in doing so, make it into an idol?

Our scriptures for today are dramatically different from one another and have little in common except that, in each one, the people in the story had to make choices, and the choices that they made defined them and revealed who they were at heart. We begin by returning once again to the story of David contained in 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 in which, with Israel now unified and at peace, David and his army retrieve the Ark of the Covenant and bring it to Jerusalem.

6:1 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 He and all his men went to Baalahin Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums [an Egyptian shaker/rattle instrument] and cymbals.

So, David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

David had been anointed as king and had unified all twelve tribes of Israel. Together they had conquered the Jebusites and declared Jerusalem as the capitol of their unified nation. David had choices. He could do anything that he wanted to do, but among the first things that he does is to take his entire army, travel to Baalah in Judah, take possession of the Ark of the Covenant, and bring it, with much celebration, to their new home. But watching from a window was David’s wife, Michal, who was the daughter of King Saul. As she watched David singing, and dancing before God in celebration, she did not approve. To her, it was undignified for the king to sing and dance and act with joyful abandon in public. But David had made a choice. David could have built a palace, or set out to conquer his neighbors, or undertake projects that would make Israel, and him, richer. But David wanted to honor God first and chose obedience and faithfulness instead of wealth, power, prestige, or even dignity. David chose joy and thankfulness over appearances, respectability, and decorum. And it was those choices, among many others, that defined who David was, and revealed his heart to God and to the world.

In an entirely different story, of an entirely different sort of king, we read the story of king Herod Antipas and the death of John the Baptist in Mark 6:14-29. And in this story, like David, Herod makes some choices that defined him, and revealed his heart.

14 King Herod [Antipas who ruled over Galilee and Perea, the areas east of the Jordan River] heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” [Herod Philip who ruled over Ceasarea Phillip and the area north and west of Galilee] 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter ofHerodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Although Herod was distressed by the choice that he was forced to make because of the unwise oath that he had taken in front of his guests, rather than choosing what was right, he chose violence. Rather than choosing repentance and righteousness, Herod chose his reputation. For Herod, it was more important to look good than to be good.

And now we come to Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus and the words of Ephesians 1:3-14, where Paul reminds us of what God chose. God’s choices were, and are, limitless. God is the creator of at least one universe and all that we know. God could do anything, but Paul reminds us that the choice God makes is utterly astounding and, as it did in the case of David and Herod, God’s choice reveals his heart. Paul says:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 hepredestined us for adoption to sonshipthrough Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 hemade known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

As I said a moment ago, God’s choices were, and are, limitless, and Paul’s point is that with infinite power at his fingertips, God chose… us. Paul says that before the creation of the world, God intended for us to be holy and blameless and planned to adopt us into sonship. And it is worth a moment of explanation that the phrase that Paul uses, “adoption to sonship” isn’t just flowery or emotional language, it is a Greek legal term that describes a legal and binding adoption. God, through Jesus Christ, legally adopts us as his children, with all the rights of inheritance that implies, forgives our sins, and pours out his grace on us. Paul says that we were chosen to be a part of God’s plan to bring about the will of God. And, when we chose to believe, we were marked with the Holy Spirit as a deposit and downpayment of our future inheritance as God’s children.

When David became king, his choices revealed his heart and his character and, instead of choosing to pursue wealth, power, notoriety, or ego stroking building projects, David chose to make his first act an act of faithfulness, obedience, and joy.

In contrast, when asked for the head of John the Baptist, Herod Antipas chose violence and reputation over repentance and righteousness.

But God, the king of the universe, with infinite power to do whatever comes to his mind…

… chooses us. And not only does God choose us, but he also plans, in advance, even before creation, to make us holy and blameless through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ, and to legally adopt us as his heirs, as sons and daughters of the king. And just to be sure that that we know that he loves us, and see his intentions for us, God marks us with a seal, and leaves us with a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, by sending the Holy Spirit to live with us, and in us.

David chose obedience.

Herod chose his reputation.

God… (pause) …chose us.

Like David, and like Herod, God’s choice reveals his heart and his character and leaves us with a choice.

Will we choose God, and follow him?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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The (Un)Importance of Literacy in the Gospels

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The (Un)Importance of Literacy in the Gospels

July 10, 2024

by John Partridge

When we read the Bible, or when we teach, preach, or listen to the Sunday sermon in church we use our imagination to picture, in our mind, the one of the biggest mistakes that we make is to imagine that the people of the New Testament were just like us. Oh, we know that they didn’t have modern conveniences like telephones, electricity, and air conditioning, but in our mind’s eye we see the characters of the bible as having the same values, education, and attitudes that we do… and almost every time we do that, we’re wrong.

Often, our being wrong in this way is not a problem. I have often said on Sunday mornings that as much as times have changed, people are still people and so it’s easy for us to imagine the feelings and emotions that the people in our scripture lessons felt. When we read stories of families who suffered from infertility, in a culture where fertility was seen as God’s approval and blessing, we can feel their frustration and pain. When we read about the death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus, it isn’t hard for us to feel the grief and loss of his sisters Mary and Martha. And it doesn’t matter much if we make a few incorrect assumptions about their values and education.

But sometimes it does.

As I studied the history of first century Israel and Judea this week, I was struck by the literacy rates that historians now attribute to the people of that time and place. But before I get to that, consider that, in the United States, the average rate of literacy is 79 percent. The highest rate of literacy is in the state of New Hampshire at 94.2 percent and the lowest rate is in the state of California which has a literacy rate of 76.9 percent. Without getting into a discussion of politics or education, many nations, even many of those that Americans would look upon as less developed, clock in much higher.

But statistics like these assume that literacy requires both reading and writing because, in our modern culture, reading and writing, for both genders, are both assumed to be necessary. But that hasn’t always been the case, and it certainly wasn’t the case at the turn of the first century. When we read the stories of the New Testament, the people that we meet live in a literary world that is nothing at all like the one in our lived experience and that difference can sometimes change the way that we see and understand them.

One of the first places that we see this difference is found in our expectation of what would be seen as Jesus and his disciples visited synagogues in and around Galilee. Because our life experience tells us that (almost) every church has a pastor or priest, every synagogue has a rabbi, and all of them are literate, we have a natural expectation that this is what happened in the world of the gospels also.

But it isn’t.

First, synagogues, as dedicated buildings, were rare. Instead, in the first century, many synagogues were meetings in private homes or in public buildings that served multiple purposes much like “meeting houses” that were seen in small towns in the American West. Second, while there were such things as rabbis, the rabbis of the first century were scholars and theologians who mostly studied in Jerusalem and rarely, if ever, taught anywhere. Likewise, Pharisees didn’t teach, nor did scribes, which I will say more about later. What happened in synagogues was that the Torah was read or recited from memory. And here we encounter our first big break between our expectations and reality as it relates to literacy.

The typical synagogue rule was that any male in the synagogue gathering could stand and read from the Torah and, from our experience, we would expect that this would be most of the men present. But that wasn’t the case at all. And it is here that I need to draw another distinction that we typically do not make in the twenty-first century, and that is the difference between reading literacy and writing literacy. While we see both as vitally important, that was not the case in the first century. The ability to read simple literary texts, reading literacy, was less than 10 to 15 percent and the majority of those who could do that would be found among the aristocracy in cities and larger towns and not in the small rural areas of Galilee. But to refine that idea a little further, since the literacy rate among girls would have been nearly zero, then the apparent literacy among men would have appeared to be higher. In any case, the result was that in a small rural synagogue, the number of men in the gathering who could read well enough to stand and read from the Torah would have been very small.

In most cases, both in Jewish and in Greco-Roman families, education was private and informal, meaning that the father would teach his children (if the father had any education himself), and then usually only his sons as it was seen to be a waste of time to educate girls. Public schools, as we understand them, simply did not exist in the first century and children did not have the leisure time necessary for education. In a subsistence economy, the labor of children, as soon as they were able to do much of anything, was needed to help their families to grow crops, fish, spin cloth, or whatever was needed for their family to survive. Illiteracy was not seen as a bad thing; it was just an ordinary thing. Only those parents who valued education and had the financial wealth to do it, and had the needed leisure time, would have promoted education, and that leaves us with only a handful of moderately wealthy families.

As I noted earlier, even fewer people could write. Perhaps 10 to 15 percent of people could write slowly, but many not at all. And, as we would measure literacy, being truly literate and able to both read and write, reduces the number to only 2 or 3 percent. According to Richard Horsley, “Writing had little importance except for certain functions of the elite.” People simply did not write letters, or keep journals, or take notes in school. If you needed something written, you hired a scribe, or used a slave that knew how to write. Persons who could write were not seen as socially valuable and may even have been looked down upon. Writing was a skill, much like we see modern tradespersons. If you needed it done, you hired someone who could do it. And that helps explain why scribes didn’t teach. While they had the skill to write, most often they were not otherwise particularly learned or educated.

And when we begin to think about the world of Jesus in this way, it changes how we see the people, the events that we see in the synagogues, about how Jesus was able to read from the Torah scroll (or did he?) and how the Gospels themselves came to be written.

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The Unlikely, Improbable, and Impossible

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The Unlikely, Improbable, and Impossible

July 07, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10              Mark 6:1-13               2 Corinthians 12:2-10

If you look at today’s sermon title, you will see three words of interest: Unlikely, Improbable, and Impossible. So, what, you might ask, is the difference? And to describe the difference, at least for us to have a starting point, let me give you some examples.

First, although I can, technically, choose to retire, or outright quit, any time that I want to do so, it is unlikely that I will do so anytime in the next couple of years. Although I can, I am not likely to do so unless something significant were to change. Second, since I have been here at Christ Church for six years, and have been in ministry for twenty, and the bishop of the East Ohio Conference has never once set foot in my church on a Sunday morning, it is improbable that our bishop would unexpectedly arrive to worship with us this morning. It is, of course, possible, since our bishop can choose to attend church anywhere that she wants to, but given our experience, it is improbable that it would happen today. And finally, since she lacks the ability to speak in a human language, it is impossible for our German Shepherd, Natasha, to arrive at church and preach today’s sermon. It isn’t just that it is unlikely for Patti to drive, or even walk, Natasha to church on a Sunday morning, or that it is improbable that Natasha would have any interest in preaching, but since she cannot speak English, let alone with any significant vocabulary, we understand that such a thing would be impossible.

Looking at these words from another perspective, Arthur Conan Doyle through his character, Dr. Watson, once asked Sherlock Holmes how he could have reached his conclusion and solved the mystery from the few facts that were in evidence. In answer, Sherlock famously said, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

And so, with the impossible in mind, let us return once again to the story of Israel’s great King David. You will remember that in our scripture lesson last week, we read of the death of King Saul, and the subsequent mourning of David and the entire nation of Israel. But this week, we see something new as both the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Judah, come together to anoint David as their king. This didn’t happen right away. After the death of Saul and Jonathan, the southern tribe of Judah anointed David as their king, but the northern tribes of Israel followed Saul’s surviving son, Ishbaal. What followed was something like a civil war with tensions and violence between the two, but finally Ishbaal was assassinated by two of his own officers, who were later put to death by David for Ishbaal’s murder. But after the death of Ishbaal, we come to 2 Samuel 5:1-10 and hear this:

5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terracesinward. 10 And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.

And thus, in this short reading, we see David being anointed for the third time, the first when he was a young man about 15 years of age by the prophet Samuel, again by the tribe of Judah after the death of Saul, and now by the other 11 tribes as Israel returns to what is referred to as the United Monarchy when all 12 tribes joined together. That journey, from shepherd boy to king, was seen, even by David’s family, as impossible. And yet, because God was in it, the impossible became reality. Next, was the story of how the united nation of Israel, captured the city of Jerusalem, which was so well constructed, and so well defended, that it was thought to be impossible to capture. And yet, Israel does so.

Still more impossibilities become reality in the account of Jesus and the disciples found in Mark 6:1-13 where we hear this:

6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place, and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil, and healed them.

First, as Jesus preaches in his hometown, the people are offended that Jesus preaches with wisdom and authority because they cannot imagine that someone that they know could possess such amazing gifts from God. They knew, or at least they believed, that such a thing was impossible. Such things just didn’t happen. But it did.

Second, as Jesus sends his disciples out to preach, teach, and cast out demons in the surrounding villages, he takes particular care that none of them are equipped with anything that could support them in their work. They took a walking stick, but no money, no food, no change of clothing, and not even an empty sack that they might use to save leftovers. The result was that they did what was humanly impossible. They preached without education, they drove out demons, and they healed the sick. In other words, they did things that only God could do and by doing so, demonstrated that God was with them.

And that is exactly the point that Paul makes about his own ministry, as well as ours in 2 Corinthians 12:2-10. Rather than protest, as many of us do, that we can’t do this thing, or that thing because we aren’t properly educated, or haven’t had time to prepare, or that we don’t have enough money, or some other excuse, Paul says that our weaknesses are exactly the point. He says…

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul says that all sorts of unlikely, improbable, and impossible things happened to him and the only explanation that he can offer is, much like Sherlock Holmes, having eliminated the impossible, the only reasonable conclusion that is left is the truth that God must have done it.

For the youngest son, of an unimportant man, from an unimportant tribe, to become the king, was impossible but David did it.

For anyone to capture Jerusalem, was physically, militarily, tactically, geographically, and topographically impossible but Israel did it.

For the son of a carpenter, without the benefit of higher education, to preach, teach, heal, and cast out demons was impossible, but Jesus did it.

For uneducated fishermen and the other followers of Jesus to go into the countryside without food, or clothing, or any assistance at all, and to preach, teach, cast out demons, and heal the sick was impossible, but the disciples did it.

For Paul to accomplish what he did, in the face of insults, hardships, persecutions, arrests, beatings, and imprisonment was impossible, but he did it.

Too often we focus on what we think we need to do the job, but our God delights in our weakness because it is in our shortcomings where the world sees God pulling the strings behind the curtain. We don’t need faith when we see the Cleveland Clinic heal people, armed with thousands of doctors, and tens of millions of dollars in laboratories, technicians, tools, machines, and other medical whiz-bangery. But watch an ordinary lay person, lay hands on a sick person, pray, and bring about their healing, and we stand amazed because we know that we have witnessed the hand of God.

We are all called by God to do his work and, regardless of who we are, or how unprepared we might feel, we must act and do what God is calling us to do. Because, at the end of the day, we see God most clearly when, with his help, we accomplish the unlikely, the improbable, and the impossible.

________________________________________________

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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