Jesus Christ

Life is Hard. God has Standards.

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
A tsunami warning sign that says "Life is Hard"

Life is Hard. God has Standards.

October 06, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Job 1:1; 2:1-10                       Mark 10:2-16            

I heard an interesting question this week and, that question boils down to, what did the people of North Carolina, Florida, and all the places in between do to make God angry enough to bring destruction upon them through such a violent hurricane?

Of course, the correct answer… is nothing.

However, this has now become known as the Pat Robertson Syndrome, which is named after, obviously, the televangelist Pat Robertson, who once said that God’s wrath would bring destruction upon this place or that place because the people there had sinned in some spectacular way. More recently, the Pat Robertson Syndrome is being applied to the media’s haste to label every single weather event as being caused by global warming. Sure, global warming is real, but sometimes weather is just weather.

The answer is… none of the people who have been harmed did anything to bring destruction and devastation upon themselves. Sometimes, life is just hard. But even when we acknowledge that life is hard, we must also remember that even though he loves us and is filled with love and grace, God has standards. And what we wrestle with is that sometimes God’s standards do nothing to make a hard life easier.

We begin this morning with a snippet of the story of Job. If you aren’t familiar with his story, Job was an honest man of devout faith in God whom God himself declared to be both righteous and blameless. But because Job was doing so well, Satan asked God for permission to torment Job in order to prove that Job’s love of God was only the result of God giving him good things. God allowed this to happen, and Satan took away all of Job’s wealth, and killed all his children. And still Job honored God. And that is where we join the story in Job chapter 2… (Job 1:1; 2:1-10)

1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

2:1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

Job lost his wealth, he lost his children, and he lost his health. He was covered in painful sores and could only sit and suffer. Even his wife told him to give up on God, but Job, who had done nothing wrong, held on to his faith in God. Remember that Job knew nothing about Satan’s requests to prove that Job’s faith was only a payment for the blessings that God had given him. Job only knew that he had done nothing wrong but lost everything anyway.

Life is hard.

And, as we read the gospel story of Mark, we find that following God, and obeying God, doesn’t always make life easier. In Mark 10:2-16, the Pharisees test Jesus with a question about divorce. You see, different factions within the religious leadership and the elites of Israel regularly argued about what conditions were needed to allow a married couple to divorce. Some said that infidelity would be required, while others said that nearly any minor offense was enough for a husband to divorce and abandon his wife. In general, everyone followed the guidance of Roman law, but this was a regular argument among the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and others. And so, they ask Jesus to weigh in on their ongoing debate in order to see on whose side he will be lend his support.

2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus deconstructs the entire argument about divorce by saying that it is God that created men and women, it is God that puts married couples together, and it is only the hardness of human hearts that makes divorce necessary. If human beings weren’t broken and unfaithful to God, divorce would not be necessary. By that measure, Jesus says, anyone who divorces and remarries commits the sin of adultery. This is harsh. By the standards and measures of our modern culture, this is hard to swallow. But even in the first century, this was stricter than what any of Israel’s teachers, priests, and religious leaders were teaching.

But I want to be clear about something. I don’t think that Jesus is teaching that people who divorce and remarry are condemned by God. Instead, Jesus is pointing out that the human weakness in all of us often causes us to fall short of God’s standards and fall into sin. But this strictness on the part of Jesus is immediately contrasted by the compassion that he shows for the children. The disciples try to run the kids, and their parents, off, but Jesus invites them to come to him and explains that all of us should aspire to have the pure and honest faith that children have.

So, what have we heard today?

First, God did not send destruction upon the people of the American south.

No one did anything for which God has chosen to “smite” them or punish them.

But if we learn anything from Job, one of those things should be that even though we didn’t do anything wrong, sometimes life is hard. Bad things, sometimes horrible things happen, and we may not ever know why it happened or why God allowed it to happen. And when (not if) that happens, we should aspire to be like Job. Feel free to mourn and sit in a pile of ashes and pray. Feel free to sit and commiserate with your friends. Feel free to argue with God and protest your innocence.

But don’t give up on God.

Accept that life is hard and is sometimes flat out horrible. But through it all, God will never leave you even when it might feel like he has.

Second, we must remember that God’s standards are not our standards. Sometimes what God requires of us is harder and stricter than the rules that our culture expects. And sometimes God’s expectations are so strict that our culture cries out that God is unjust. Even so, we must do our best to rise and meet God’s standards as best we can.

The good news, as always, is that as the followers of Jesus Christ, we are covered by God’s grace.

When life is hard, God is with us.

When terrible things happen, God sustains us.

When we fall short of God’s expectations for us, God loves us and forgives us.

And we should aspire to be as faithful to God as God is to us. We aspire to have the pure and honest faith of children and rest in the arms, and in the love, of God…

…even when life is hard.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

*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.™

Church is a Team Sport

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Church is a Team Sport

September 29, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22               Mark 9:38-50             James 5:13-20

What makes you think less of yourself as an individual, and more as a part of something larger than yourself? When we join scouting, we sometimes think of what is good for the troop rather than what is best for our individual gain, but sometimes we think beyond the local troop and think of scouting nationally, or even internationally as the scouting movement. If we join the military, we are taught to think in terms of what is good for the squad, platoon, company, and the mission beyond what is good for me personally. During World War Two, troops were reminded that “Loose Lips Sink Ships” and that the actions of individuals could have consequences beyond their own lives. At home, civilians were reminded to “Buy War Bonds,” to plant Victory Gardens, to reduce consumption, and to recycle to aid the war effort. On a national scale, our friends in the United Kingdom were reminded to sacrifice “For King and Country” and Americans to do our duty to “Make the world safe for democracy.”

And, as we read scripture, we are reminded that none of these ideas are new. England, as a nation, is obviously much older than the United States. But the idea of patriotism and sacrificing the needs of the individual for the needs of the king, or of the nation, is far older still. We begin by reading from the story of Esther, in which we find the queen preparing a banquet where she will reveal a plot in which King Xerxes’ closest advisor, Haman, has secretly and covertly had the king sign an edict that would allow all the people of the kingdom, which spanned most of the known world, to kill their Jewish neighbors and take any and all wealth, property, and belongings for themselves. With that in mind, we join Esther’s story in Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22 where we hear this:

7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits [75 ft, or 6 stories, almost certainly an exaggeration]stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

9:20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

This has always been a powerful story but this week it is also a reminder that it is useful to read the footnotes. In the footnote for verse four, which says, “I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king” has an alternate version that has appeared in some ancient manuscripts. That alternate version offers us some additional understanding of the intent of Esther’s statement. In English that alternate version says that this action would cost the king money, or specifically, “I would have kept quiet, but the compensation our adversary offers cannot be compared with the loss the king would suffer.”

What Esther is saying means that Haman is acting in his own selfish interests, and not acting in the best interests of the king. I think that helps us to understand why King Xerxes is so quickly angered. Not only are the lives of all the Jews threatened, and not only is Xerxes’ queen among them, but in sum, this action would cost the king money. Haman’s crime, therefore, is in plotting to steal wealth from the king, to put his personal interests ahead of the interests of the nation and of the king, and of simply not being a team player.

As an aside, the celebration of the Jew’s rescue that we just read about, is now known as the Jewish holiday of Purim.

We see something similar in Mark 9:38-50 where John complains that there are people acting in the name of Jesus who are not the disciples that we read about in the gospel stories.

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck, and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
    and the fire is not quenched.’

49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

At the beginning of this passage, we find John complaining to Jesus that there are others, who are not among the twelve disciples or other close followers of Jesus, who are driving out demons in the name of Jesus. For John, this broke the rules. In his mind, clearly, ‘Team Jesus’ was limited to the twelve and to those others that were likewise sort of joined at the hip with Jesus. But Jesus tells John to let them keep on doing what they were doing. For Jesus, anyone who was not working against them was on their team and, by extension, anyone who was doing good in the name of Jesus must certainly be a member of ‘Team Jesus.’

But just to be sure that everyone understands, Jesus expands on his explanation saying that if you give someone a cup of water because you follow Jesus, then you will be rewarded as a team member. Likewise, anyone who chases believers away from Jesus will be cursed and brought to account on the day of judgement. When Jesus says that it is better to cut of your hand if it will cause you to stumble, what he is saying is that nothing in our lives can be allowed to make us lose our place on the team. Spiritually, we must care for ourselves, but we must also care for one another, and care for everyone on ‘Team Jesus.’

Jesus says, “Everyone will be salted with fire.” And then talks about salt and saltiness. For us in the modern world that’s a little confusing and I want to unpack that a little. Salt, in the ancient world, was used for a couple different things. One, to flavor our food, we still understand. But the second common use of salt was as the floor of an oven, much like modern pizza ovens use a piece of hearthstone. But, after enduring the heat of the oven for some length of time, the salt would lose the qualities that had originally made it work. At that point, it was no longer good for use in the oven and stopped tasting salty. It was at that point that it would just be used to fill potholes or be used as gravel or something. And so, what Jesus is saying is that everyone will be tested for usefulness. When Jesus says, “Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another” what he is saying is that we should be found useful in our church and in our community.

And finally, after hearing James, in our scriptures last week, say that our prayers were not answered because our motives were wrong, this week we hear him tell us what things are appropriate for which to pray. In James 5:13-20 he says:

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

The message that we should hear is that we should not pray for things that would satisfy our selfish pleasures, but for those things that help to accomplish the goals of the kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ. Pray in times of trouble. Pray to give thanks. Pray for the healing of the sick. Pray for the forgiveness of sin. James calls us to confess our sins to one another, and then to pray for one another for healing. James reminds us that Elijah prayed that it would not rain because the lack of rain was a way in which God would be revealed. The goal, James says, is to advance the mission of God’s Team and ‘Team Jesus.’ If someone wanders away from the team, do what you can to bring them back on the team.

The story of Esther reminds us that all those who serve the king must look out for the interests of their king and their country, and not try to use the king’s resources to serve their selfish desires.

The story of the John and the disciples that we read in the gospel of Mark reminded us that our team is bigger than just the people that you see in church on Sunday morning. We do not serve ‘Team Church,’ or ‘Team Denomination.’ Rather, we serve ‘Team Jesus’ and are called to care for ourselves, as well as all those, children, and adults, regardless of church or denomination, who worship him. We are called to care for others, and to be useful to our church and to our community.

The goal isn’t to enrich ourselves personally, or to satisfy our selfish desires. The goal is to serve the team and to help the team to accomplish the goals of the king of creation. But to do these things, we need each other, and we need to care for one another. We are called to be the church. We are called to be Jesus to the people around us.

But what we have learned from all of our scriptures today is that being the church…

…is a team sport.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

*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.™

Photo by redvisualg on Freeimages.com

Is it a Role? Or is it Character?

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is it a Role, or is it Character?

September 22, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Proverbs 31:10-31                 Mark 9:30-37             James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a

I don’t typically take the time to read about the personal lives of actors and actresses in the news or in the tabloid papers. But even I know that sometimes the actors that we see on television or in the movies are nothing at all like the characters that they portray. Because ‘The Princess Bride’ is a family favorite at our house, I know that while Andre the Giant played a brute in that movie, and make his living for many years as an unstoppable force in professional wrestling, when he wasn’t in front of the cameras, he was known to be one of the kindest men you would ever meet. In fact, because Fred Savage, who played the grandson, was so young, and because his scenes were shot separately after the rest of the movie had been completed, he didn’t get to meet any of the stars that were in it. But, when Andre heard that Fred was a fan of his, he returned, at his own expense, just to meet him and spend time with him. In fact, Andre the Giant sent Fred Savage birthday cards every year until his death.

Similarly, although Tom Hiddleston plays the trickster Loki in the Marvel Universe movies, offscreen, he is quite kind and is known for his charity work and as a UNICEF ambassador. The same was true of Alan Rickman who played the conniving Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies. Off camera, he was known to be loyal to his friends, an encouragement to everyone around him, a gentleman to everyone that he met, and always made time to interact with his fans.

But why is any of this important? It is important because, as we read scripture, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that we are not the original audience. Because the stories that we are reading were written two, or even five thousand years ago, the country, the people, the language, and the culture of the authors are quite different than those with which we are familiar in the twenty-first century. It is for that reason that sometimes we need to look deeper as we read the stories and find meaning in them that goes beyond what we might find on the surface. It is sometimes as if we need to look behind the roles that are being played to find the character of the actors that are behind them. With that in mind, we begin this morning with the wife of noble character described in Proverbs chapter 31. In our culture, this passage is sometimes criticized because the woman described in it seems to be overly traditional and subservient to her husband. But as we read about this ideal woman, I hope that you will do two things. First, I hope that you will allow her to be who she was to the author, in the time and in the culture to which she belonged and not to judge her based on our twenty-first century culture. Second, I hope that you will look behind the role that she is playing in her culture and examine the character of the person underneath. We will come back to that in a moment, but first let’s read Proverbs 31:10-31.

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

If we look at the surface and see the role that this ideal wife demonstrates, we see aspects of a traditional, obedient wife but one who not only maintains the household and raises the children, but who also oversees the staff, and maintains several side businesses that generate income for the family. But even if she seems too subservient for your tastes, or this seems too gender specific, then look deeper at the character of the person that is described here. When we look for the elements of character, rather than at the role that is being played, we discover a spouse, regardless of gender, that is frugal, industrious, caring, wise, hardworking, skillful, well prepared, observant, honored, respected, and faithful. And so, even if you aren’t a fan of traditional family roles or the cultural chasm that stands between us, the writer of Proverbs has something to teach the twenty-first century about the character of a spouse and a parent that honors God.

Next, we remember that in last week’s reading, after Jesus was teaching about his death and resurrection, Peter tried to disagree but was rebuked by Jesus for thinking selfishly. What seems to have happened next is that the disciples were confused and tried to figure things out among themselves. And that lead us to Mark 9:30-37 which says:

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

The disciples were afraid to ask Jesus what he meant by teaching that he had to die and rise again, but then got into an argument with one another about which of them was superior to the others. But Jesus says that leadership is not about the role that leaders play but is instead about the character of the leader. Real leaders… serve. Jesus welcomes the children and teaches that for those that follow him, serving others is the same as serving Jesus and by extension, welcoming Jesus is the same as welcoming God.

The apostle James also has something to say about the roles that we play and the character that we show to the world. In James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a he asks…

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

James gets right to the heart of the question when he says that those who are wise and understanding will show it by the life that they live, the actions that they take, and by demonstrating humility. But James doesn’t stop there. He also addresses the culture of his day, which despite there being two millennia between us, bears a striking resemblance to our own. James says that bitter envy and selfish ambition are not signs of wisdom and are, in fact, unspiritual and demonic, because wherever you find envy and selfish ambition, you will also find disorder and evil.

Wisdom, James says, comes from heaven as pure, in things that are peace loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, impartial, sincere, and in those things that produce good fruit. As an example, we see that wherever peacemakers are at work, we find a harvest of righteousness. In contrast, selfishness, desire, and covetousness produce a harvest of fights, quarrels, and murder. Moreover, James explains that this is often why God doesn’t answer our prayers, because we have the wrong motives when our prayers ask God for gifts that only satisfy our selfish pleasures.

It doesn’t matter if Andre the Giant, Tom Hiddleston, and Alan Rickman played characters that were bad guys. What matters is the character that the actors demonstrated in real life. It doesn’t matter if you are or are not a fan of the traditional role played by the ideal wife described in Proverbs 31. What matters is that her character should be a model for how we live our lives and how we act. It doesn’t matter what title is under our name on our business card, what matters is the character that we demonstrate day in and day out. Real leaders don’t always have nice titles, but real leaders can always be found by the way that they serve the people under their authority. Real wisdom isn’t found in the selfishness and “looking out for number one” that is often taught by our culture. Real wisdom brings order, goodness, peace, compassion, impartiality, mercy, sincerity, and bears good fruit.

Resist evil. Who we are will not be found in who we pretend to be in public, or the roles that we play. Who we really are will always be found in the life that we live, in the actions that we take, and in the character that we demonstrate to the people around us.

Character matters.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

*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.™

Photo by Creatas on Freeimages.com

Copy attribution

Context is Important

PastorPartridge Blogs , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Context is Important

(A message about immigration and scripture)

September 19, 2024

by John Partridge

Things aren’t always what they seem at first glance.

I recently read a story about two young mothers in the drop-off line at school. The first apologized to the other because her son told her that he had pushed the other mother’s daughter in the playground. They decided to talk to the teacher about it, and the teacher said, “It was the sweetest thing how he pushed her on the swings all through recess.”

Context is important.

Later in the day, I replied to a meme that had been posted on social media. It wasn’t the first time I had responded to this particularly annoying type of post. I often ignore things with which I disagree, but there are a couple of these, especially when posted by church folk who should know better, that I feel compelled to correct, rebuke, and admonish.

Why?

Because context is important.

The first example is reported to come from a page in a “Inspirational scripture of the day” calendar. On a particular day, a page was turned and it quoted Luke 4:7 which said:

“If you worship me, all will be yours.”

It might seem like a nice sentiment, but if you look at the context of that verse, the person quoted is Satan during Jesus’ temptation in the desert. So, while it somehow accidentally appeared in a calendar of inspirational quotes, it certainly isn’t something that God intends to teach us.

The second example seems to have suckered several of my social media friends into misquoting, misunderstanding, and misusing scripture. This meme appears as a warning about resident aliens and quotes from Deuteronomy 28:43-44 where it says:

43 The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.

But as I have noted…

Context is important.

If you read the entire chapter from which this is taken, you discover that it begins with the words, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today…” and then lists a great many blessings that God will pour out upon his people. And after the list of blessings, it says, “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you…” and then lists a great many curses that God will pour out in punishment on the nation of Israel if they break the vows that they have taken and disobey the commands of God.

Nowhere does it say that these blessings and curses are broadly applicable to every nation on earth for all time (though some will assume that to be true). And the list from which this meme quotes is clearly intended as a curse that God might impose and not as a general warning about the perils of migrants and resident aliens.

Quite to the contrary, the consistent and repeated message of scripture, even in Deuteronomy where this misquoted passage is found, is that migrants, foreign laborers, immigrants, and resident aliens are to be treated the same as the native-born citizens of Israel because God’s people were once wanderers and strangers also. This theme is repeated dozens of times in passages that say, “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt (Exodus 22:21).  Or “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)

This theme is so persistent that it is found throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament in Hebrews, Romans, and Jesus’ own words in Matthew 25:35 when he describes the final judgement. God declares that the sheep would inherit his kingdom because “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”

Nowhere in scripture does God warn us about aliens, strangers, migrants, or immigrants that live among us. It’s quite the opposite. The regularly repeated theme is that those who persecute aliens and strangers will be judged because God is their defender.

Context is important.

.Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

Photo by photodisc on Freeimages.com

Wisdom’s Price

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wisdom’s Price

September 15, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

Proverbs 1:20-33                   Mark 8:27-38                         James 3:1-12

There is a downside to freedom.

I don’t know why we are surprised by that. In several movies and books there is a speech, usually by one of the villains, justifying why it is good, or why people like it, when they become powerful dictators and take away people’s freedom. The argument, they say, is that freedom means having the freedom to do evil, but under their benevolent dictatorship, people will no longer be free to do evil, so everyone will be safe. People are often willing to give away their freedom in order to feel as if they are safe even if doing so makes them less safe in the long run. That’s why Benjamin Franklin once said: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

As much as we don’t like it, real freedom includes the freedom to choose evil.

Similarly, there is a price to be paid for our ability to choose wisdom simply because the freedom to choose means that not everyone will choose to be wise. We begin this this morning by reading from Proverbs 1:20-33 where we hear wisdom ask how long people will choose ignorance.

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Wisdom, who is here portrayed as a person, cries out from the public square and from the city gate, and asks how long people will hate knowledge and choose ignorance. But, since the people refuse to listen to wisdom, she will laugh when the avoidable disaster comes upon them. When calamity and disaster come, it will be too late to learn wisdom and to call upon the wise to save them. Since the people hated knowledge, they did not follow God, and their waywardness would kill them. In contrast, the people who listened to wisdom would live in safety without fear of harm.

The point is that there is a price for rejecting wisdom.

Oddly enough, that is the same point being made when Peter tries to rebuke Jesus for teaching about his death and resurrection in Mark 8:27-38 where we hear this:

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Jesus rebukes Peter for rejecting his teaching that he must die and rise again. Although that was not his intent, Peter is openly rejecting wisdom and Jesus describes it as putting selfish human concerns ahead of the concerns of God.

And finally, in James 3:1-12, Jesus’ brother shares the challenge that we have with our freedom to speak. He reminds us that we are judged for what we teach, but even speaking in our everyday lives is complicated because we are prone to say things that we should not say. James says…

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James reminds us that while humans have set themselves up as masters of the universe, controlling horses, training animals of all kinds, steering ships around the world, and two thousand years later our control is even greater. But despite our mastery of physics, chemistry, and other sciences and technology, we often cannot control the words that come out of our own mouths. The freedom that we have to say whatever we want to say often reveals the corruption that lives in our hearts. We say that we follow God and believe in his wisdom but, like Peter, often cling to our selfishness and speak words that do not reflect God at all.

This has been the challenge for all time. God has given us the freedom to choose or to reject wisdom but choosing to reject wisdom and to cling to selfishness comes at a price. Just as it did in the days of Solomon and his Proverbs, rejecting wisdom often results in disaster, calamity, and death that could have been avoided if we had only listened. Like Peter, despite our best intentions, we are inclined to accept Jesus when his teaching aligns with our desires but reject him when his teaching stands in opposition to our selfishness. We praise God on Sunday but curse our enemies on Monday.

Every day we are faced with a choice. We can choose knowledge or not. We can choose wisdom or not. We can choose Jesus… or not. We can choose obedience… or not. Will we master ourselves as well as we have mastered animals, science, and technology? Will we give our allegiance… completely, to Jesus? Or will we stubbornly cling to our selfishness?

We are free to choose.

But as it has always been, there is a price to be paid for rejecting wisdom.

*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.™

Photo by juliaf on Freeimages.com

Culture Wars and Christianity

PastorPartridge Blogs , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Christianity: Rooted in Culture Wars

September 2024

by John Partridge

While you might not have the time to read the paper that I wrote last semester (and what is likely to become a part of a book next spring), what follows is an important excerpt. Working through several chapters of Matthew, I detail how our knowledge of modern archaeology and history adds to our understanding and gives depth to scripture. Below, I discuss how Christianity, from its birth, has been no stranger to culture wars and what we should learn from that.

When we read Jesus’ caution that “No one can serve two masters,” in Matthew 6:24, we find that our study of history expands our understanding beyond the surface meaning. Many of us have tried to please two bosses or have otherwise been pulled between our loyalties to work, family, and faith, but Roman Palestine, and Galilee in particular, felt many of these pressures, each demanding that they choose them as their master. At the time of Jesus, the rule of King Herod and Rome was less than 70 years old.  But there were institutions, buildings, and cultural memories of the earlier Hasmonean dynasty under which Israel was free and independent.

The Hasmonean dynasty had emphasized, and even required, an adherence to a more traditional Jewish culture and religion, but with the fall of the Hasmoneans, the rise of Herod the Great, and Israel’s subjugation by the Roman Empire, things were changing. There were changes in clothing style, architecture, language, art, and language, and all these changes were often seen as an incredible culture war between the traditional Jewish culture, and the newer Greco-Roman culture, known as Hellenism. Hellenism, of course, was not entirely new. It had begun generations earlier with the conquest of Pompey and the Greeks (in 63 BCE), even before the Hasmoneans rose to power, but was now, under Herod and the Romans, an increasingly strong influence.

While upper Galilee retained a traditional Jewish culture, lower Galilee, with the presence of the Greco-Roman cities of Sepphoris and Tiberias, as well as its proximity to Hippos on the opposite shore of the lake, was seen as having made a greater degree of accommodation to Hellenism. Israel’s elites, including the chief priests and much of Jerusalem with them, adopted Roman culture to fit in, to get ahead, and to win favor. This influence of Hellenism triggered strong emotions, and this is the tension that we see in passages such as Matthew 6:20.

Further, when we remember that ninety percent of Roman Palestine lived at a subsistence level or below, we see Jesus’ instruction in a different light when he says, “’So, do not worry, saying what shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:31-33). With this in mind, we not only understand that Jesus is teaching his listeners that they should make God’s kingdom a priority in their lives, but to people who were so poor that they often struggled to eat, or to drink, or wear, much of anything at all, Jesus was offering hope.

The people from rural villages in Galilee were insulated from Greco-Roman influence but they saw wealthy landowners, priests and other elites who were trying to fit into Roman culture, and they saw how that caused them to match what the Romans were eating, drinking, and wearing. But Jesus’ message was that conforming to Roman culture was not important and that it was not a curse to be so poor that they could not afford those things. His message was that God remembered them, knew what they needed, and would provide for them if they remained faithful and pursued righteousness instead of chasing after wealth and culture.

This was more than offering empty hope. The message of Jesus was that people should follow the law and live lives of moral integrity but also that they should be filled with compassion for one another. Rather than just watching out for themselves, or for their immediate and extended family, which was often the norm, Jesus and his disciples teach, and model, a life in which they all care for one another. Moreover, Jesus says that God sees them and cares for them in real life and not only on a spiritual level. God’s love for his children is not as a distant and disinterested observer, but as a father who cares for his children in tangible and physical ways saying, “ask and it will be given to you” (Matt 7:7) and “your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:11)

That’s just a sample from my paper, but the takeaway for all of us is that Christianity was born in the middle of an enormous culture war. What we see today is not new. But the message of scripture is still the same. No man can serve two masters, the people of the church should care for one another rather than only looking out for themselves, and God still loves us, not just spiritually or metaphysically, but deeply, tangibly, and physically.

Much has changed in two thousand years and times will continue to change with each generation.

But God’s love for us never changes.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

The (Un)Importance of Literacy in the Gospels

PastorPartridge Blogs , , , , , , ,

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.

________________________________________________

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

Photo by Dynamic Graphics Group on Freeimages.com

Hellen Who?

PastorPartridge Blogs , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hellen Who?

 (or Why History Matters)

by John Partridge

For the last few weeks, I have been reading several accounts of Israel’s history. None of this is contained in the Bible because the particular histories that I have been reading describe the “Hellenization” of Israel that occurred between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. But what is Hellenization?  And, why does it matter if it isn’t in the Bible?

First, let me explain a little about Hellenism. Quite simply, “Hellenic” is just a synonym for “Greek.” Greek people can be known as Hellenes, and one of the first democracies was known as the Hellenic Republic. Greek government and culture was widely known in the ancient world and, when Alexander the Great (who was technically Macedonian) conquered much of the ancient world, including Israel, both the culture and the style of government of Greece spread with the empire. This influence is seen in the way that governments were organized, the language that people spoke, the types of art that became popular, the architecture that was used, and a host of other things as well.

But you still might ask why that matters if the empire that we find in the New Testament is Roman and not Greek. It matters because the Greek empire, in one form or another, was around for a long time and when the Romans finally became the dominant force, old political divisions of the Greek empire were still felt in the Roman empire. Even so, the Romans so admired Greek culture that they kept much of it. In the Roman empire, Greek was the language of business (and even in some military units), much of Roman government was modeled after the system used by the Greeks, and so was much of their art, philosophy, educational system, sporting events, and architecture. These two cultures were so tied together, and the Romans so influenced by Greek culture, that we often see them referred to not as Greek culture, or Roman culture separately, but as Greco-Roman culture collectively.

Because of their faith, their relationship with God, and their own unique history, Israel resisted some of these changes, but adopted others. Some crept in little by little, some were fought by religious leaders, but others, at least among the wealthy and political leaders, were adopted wholeheartedly. Learning about this cultural shift helps us to better grasp what happened between Malachi and Matthew and better understand the world that we enter as we read the New Testament. Even if these things aren’t described in the pages of scripture, their influence is felt everywhere on those pages. Learning about this inter-testamental history helps us to better understand the tensions between the rich and the poor, between the political leaders and the religious leaders, and between the various religious sects like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and the new teachings of Jesus.

But history tells us more than that, and understanding history makes the stories of the New Testament richer, deeper, and more three-dimensional. Learning about the history of the intertestamental period (the time between Malachi and Matthew) helps us to see that King Herod was more three-dimensional than the tyrant that we see in a handful of verses in the gospels. This history tells us where Herod came from, who his family was, how he came to power, why he was so loyal to the Roman government, why his loyalties sometimes shifted, how Herod was politically astute in the extreme, and why he appears to be so incredibly paranoid when we meet him in the New Testament. And understanding Herod just scratches the surface because he and his family only really appear a few decades before Jesus. Before Herod and his father Antipater, there was an entire line of Jews that governed Israel known as the Hasmonean empire. And understanding that history explains more about Herod’s family and both why, and how, the Romans came to occupy, and then rule over Israel as well as how Herod conspired to murder the last of the Hasmoneans. This last thing also explains some of the ill will, and even outright hatred, that some Jews had for Herod.

As we read scripture, we become familiar with the Temple in Jerusalem, and many of us know that this was a magnificent engineering achievement of King Herod and possibly his crowning achievement. But what we don’t find in scripture is that the Temple in Jerusalem isn’t the only temple that Herod built. In fact, it isn’t the only temple that Herod built in Israel. Herod also built temples to Augustus, to Roma, and to Saturn in places like Caesarea, Sebaste in Samaria, Paneaus north of Galilee, and other Greek cities in Israel, as well as temples and municipal building projects in other countries of the Roman Empire. As a result, people across the Roman world knew of, and were grateful to Israel’s King Herod and, by extension, knew of, and were grateful to, the nation of Israel herself.

Understanding the history of the ancient world also helps us to understand the stories of the New Testament beyond the gospel stories. As we read Paul’s letters, and the stories of his travels, imprisonments, beatings, and trials, a knowledge of extra-biblical history helps us to understand why people sometimes listened to his preaching but at other times the crowds tried to kill him or the local authorities arrested and imprisoned him. We know from scripture that Paul was a Roman citizen, but history offers several possibilities surrounding how Paul, and his family, might have acquired Roman citizenship.  Likewise, connecting to my original point, while we know that Paul was well educated, what scholars still debate is just how much Greek (or Hellenizing) influence there was in Paul’s education. There are hints in Paul’s writings that might suggest an understanding, or at least the influence, of Greek philosophy and the structure used in public Greek and Roman debate. So, if even Paul, who described himself as a Jew among Jews, and a Pharisee among Pharisees felt the influence of Hellenism, then yes, it’s worth stretching ourselves to learn more about history outside of what we find in the pages of scripture.

Because… history matters.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

Considering “What’s Next?”

PastorPartridge Blogs , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Considering “What’s Next?”

Easter 2024
by John Partridge

As we approach Easter, we must all consider the question of “What’s next?” If we’re serious about our faith, Easter is all about the “what’s next” and not yesterday, today, or tradition.

What do I mean by that?

What I mean is, Easter, from the very beginning, was a transformative, and transformational event. No one who saw what happened, or who believed that it happened, was the same afterward as they were before. After the crucifixion, Peter gave up. He left Jerusalem, walked home to Galilee, and went back to work as a fisherman. And it wasn’t just Peter because the story in John 21 tells us that Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John, and two others were with him. This had to be some time after they had seen Jesus in Jerusalem because Galilee is 60 or 70 miles away and probably a three-day walk. But after they meet Jesus, again, but it is here that Jesus commands Peter to “Feed my sheep,” “Feed my lambs,” and “Follow me.”

After this moment, Peter, and all the other disciples, never make any further attempts to go back to a normal life. From this moment onward, they dedicate their lives to telling the world about what they had seen and heard, and what Jesus had done for every human being that ever lived. For the disciples, for Lazarus and his sisters, for the unnamed followers of Jesus, men and women alike, who were gathered in the upper room at Pentecost, and even for many of the Pharisees and priests that came to believe the truth about Jesus, “What’s next” was a life changing question.

Their lives would never be the same. They could never go back to whatever “normal’ they had before they had met Jesus. Knowing the truth changed the way that they looked at the world, changed the way that they saw the people around them, and changed the way that they made the choices that guided their careers, their lives, and everything that they did forever.

As we celebrate Easter, we need to put ourselves in their place. If we genuinely believe that the events of Easter really happened, and that Jesus really is who the gospel writers say that he is, then we need to ask ourselves the same question. “What’s next?”

Knowing the truth changes us.

Like the disciples, we must listen to where God is leading us, what he is calling us to do, where he is calling us to go, and how God intends to transform us. And like the disciples, those changes might be terrific, but they might be terrifying, they might be successful, but they might be sacrificial. Whatever it is that God is calling us to do, and wherever it is that God is calling us to go…

…simply returning to the old “normal” is not an option.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Waiting for Hope

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Waiting for Hope

December 24, 2023*

(Christmas Eve)

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 9:2-7                Luke 2:1-20                Titus 2:11-14

READING 1:

Isaiah 9:2-7

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

READING 2:

Luke 2:1-7
2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

READING 3:

Luke 2:8-14

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God, and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

READING 4:

Luke 2:15-20

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Waiting for Hope

By Pastor John Partridge

Well… we’ve arrived.

For many of us, Christmas is our favorite season of the year. For some of you here, I have seen your posts on social media counting down to tonight and tomorrow morning. We might have hoped for a white Christmas, but I’m certain that we’ll have enough of that soon enough. We’ve sung the songs, we’ve heard the children, the pipe organ, the choir, and the bells. In a few minutes we will light the candles and welcome Christmas as we sing Silent Night. For many of us that is the moment that we know that Christmas has arrived and our hearts, and our souls are, even if only for a moment… at peace.

But what does it all mean?

Yes, we’ve heard the story. Yes, we know that the King of Kings was born to a virgin, entered into our earthly existence, and begun the journey that led to our salvation and rescue, but what about the here and now? We know the first century story, but what is the twenty-first century story? What does the Christmas story mean to us in our hectic, helter-skelter, world of rushed deadlines, underfunded budgets, and overscheduled calendars?

As much as we love the Christmas story, we all know that it represents just the very beginning of God’s invasion of the world and our work to tell humanity of Christ’s coming and call everyone to repentance and reconciliation with God. The disciples knew that too. And in his letter to his friend, we hear Paul helping Titus to grapple with the message of Jesus Christ and understand his, and our, role in the world around us. Titus was one of Paul’s missionary partners, a pastor, capable church administrator, responsible ally, evangelist, and a trusted friend. And, in Paul’s letter he tells Titus that what we are doing in the post-resurrection world, is… waiting for hope. That’s a puzzling idea, and so let’s read a larger passage from Titus 2:11-14, to hear, in context, what Paul is saying. He says:

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Paul says that the coming of Jesus Christ was, for us, the appearance of God’s grace to the world and offers salvation to all people. That grace, and that rescue, teaches us to navigate the chaos of the world around us. We surrounded by a culture that admires and idolizes lives that are at least, or often completely, out of control and burning with ungodly and worldly passions that worship sex, drugs, gambling, power, and excesses of every kind and flavor. But God’s grace guides us toward lives that are moral, ethical, upright, and self-controlled… which absolutely is not saying that we live lives that are boring, humorless, or without fun or other enjoyment, but that find fun and enjoyment in ways that honor God.

The odd part of Paul’s writing is where it says that we live these lives “while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of… Jesus Christ.” I’m certain that Paul isn’t saying that we live without hope, because Jesus Christ is our hope. Rather, I think what he is saying, when he says that we wait for the “blessed hope,” is that we live these lives while we wait for the fulfillment of our hope and return of Jesus Christ.

And so, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we must remember not just that he came, but why he came. Jesus came to earth to call the world to repentance, to rescue us from sin and death, to teach us how to live moral, ethical, upright, and godly lives in the middle of a world that is immoral, unethical, out of control, and ungodly. Our mission is to tell the people around us that God offers them a better way and a better life. And we must live and love in such a way, that the people around us can see that better life in us, know that God’s offer is real, and want what we have.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Please LIKE and SHARE!

Click here to subscribe to Pastor John’s blog.

Click here if you would like to subscribe to Pastor John’s weekly messages.

Click here to visit Pastor John’s YouTube channel.

*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.™