“We have not king but Caesar!”
It was an empty boast:
Thus heretics wrung empty justice
From their Roman host.
And empty-hearted followers
Grieved empty prophesy:
An empty throne. The empty king
Instead had filled a tree.
But empty exposition,
Assumed in empty pride,
Keep them from recognizing
The Peacemaker who died:
The Emptied God who overcame
The Self-willed’s empty doom.
And peace with God is now restored.
The proof? The Empty Tomb.
Sources:
John 19:15 ❦ Luke 24:17-27 ❦ Luke 7:19-23
Hebrews 1:1-2 ❦ Psalm 22 ❦ Philippians 2:5-11
John 3:16 ❦ Romans 5:1-2
One of the things that impresses me most about the story of Jesus is the prophetic aspect. According to Christian understanding, Jesus fulfilled all the prophesies associated with the snake-stamping deliverer first promised in Genesis 3, yet even his own disciples couldn’t see the connection until He explained it (Luke 24:17-27). The main reason they didn’t recognize the fulfillment was because, over the previous four hundred years of prophetic silence, the commentators had figured out exactly what their Messiah would be like and what He would do. They were certain of their interpretation’s correctness – after all, they had scripture on their side! But, when the Messiah actually did turn up, He was everything prophesy had predicted, and not at all what they had expected. The commentators had put more faith in their interpretation of scripture than they had in the scriptures themselves. (That’s one reason I don’t get too excited about eschatology: so many interpreters were positive that their exposition of Revelations was the right one, and lived to be disappointed. When the time does come, it’ll be exactly what was predicted, and, as with Jesus, not necessarily what we expect.) In the coming year, I hope we all can hear God speak through the Bible: that we can see what it says, and not be misled by what we think it says!
He is Risen Indeed!
Showing posts with label Gospel of John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gospel of John. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2015
Thursday, March 21, 2013
"Awake, Sleeper" — A Poem for Easter
Maybe I don’t shop at the right stores, but, this year, I couldn’t find enough suitable Easter cards fro all the friends, relatives, church people and shut-ins to whom I send cards. Well, when you care enough to send, and can’t send Hallmark’s very best, you may end up sending your very best. Here is the verse from the cards I ended up making this year. Christina Rossetti and Adelaide Proctor have nothing to fear, but it was my best. With it goes my best wishes that you a lovely Holy Week, and that you’ll keep the joy of Easter all year long!
* * * * *
The wailing filled the doleful night.
The daughter never stirred.
Then spoke the Voice that first roused light,
And then Talitha heard:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
Leave myrrh in the forest,
No need for it here.
Let nard scent a wedding
Instead of a bier.
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
In stony cell the captive lay.
Outside, his sisters grieve.
Parole denied, but the fourth day
The Judge read the reprieve:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
Come forth, be untied
From that grim robe of fate!
When I buy the pardon
It’s never too late!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
To all us stillborn spirits who
In deadly darkness grope,
The Judge and Maker calls us to
Life, Light, and Mercy’s hope:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the Son will shine on you!
Your passions are bondage,
Delusions are lies!
Don’t study the dungheap;
Look up to the skies!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the Son will shine on you!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you!
* * * * *
As we say at our church, He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!
* * * * *
The wailing filled the doleful night.
The daughter never stirred.
Then spoke the Voice that first roused light,
And then Talitha heard:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
Leave myrrh in the forest,
No need for it here.
Let nard scent a wedding
Instead of a bier.
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
In stony cell the captive lay.
Outside, his sisters grieve.
Parole denied, but the fourth day
The Judge read the reprieve:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
Come forth, be untied
From that grim robe of fate!
When I buy the pardon
It’s never too late!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the sun will shine on you!
To all us stillborn spirits who
In deadly darkness grope,
The Judge and Maker calls us to
Life, Light, and Mercy’s hope:
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the Son will shine on you!
Your passions are bondage,
Delusions are lies!
Don’t study the dungheap;
Look up to the skies!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And the Son will shine on you!
Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you!
* * * * *
As we say at our church, He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
On Village Idiots – and Praying for Celebrities
A couple of years ago, my adult Sunday School class studied the Gospel of John. I have seldom felt more inadequate; but seldom learned more about the Bible, and about God. For instance, Chapter 10 is a complete refutation of the idea that God is a cranky old grandpa looking for reasons to punish people. Chapter 1 uses language that combines Greek philosophy and Jewish sensibilities to show that Jesus was the answer to both. And, in the upper room, Jesus tells His disciples about the Holy Spirit, saying, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth… .: (John 14:16). William Barclay's commentary explained that the word translated "comforter" also had the idea of encourager (for, by derivation, com-fort-er means "with-strength-er"), and advocate. Advocate, he pointed out, included our idea of professional advocate: in other words, a lawyer. Barclay elaborated by showing how the Holy Spirit doesn't force people do things: He reasons them into doing them, much as a lawyer reasons with witnesses when presenting evidence.
That news startled me. Not because the information was so surprising, but because, suddenly, an event from my childhood made sense.
One day, while I was a young teenager, I was working in the kitchen. Suddenly, for no good reason, I thought of a character in a movie I had enjoyed. "You really like that character, don't you?"I could almost hear someone say. I did like the character, so I agreed. "The fellow who plays him must be pretty nice, don't you think?"the almost-voice continued. Again, I agreed. "Why don't you pray for him?" it suggested. I thought that was a wonderful idea, and agreed to the urging enthusiastically. Then I had, not exactly a doubt, but an uncertainty. "But what if he's a jerk?"
"Then don't you think he'll need it even more?" was my answer. I couldn't argue with that. And that's how the Holy Spirit reasoned me into including celebrities in my prayers: something I've been doing earnestly ever since.
I tell this story, because it was the first time it had ever occurred to me to pray for a celebrity. After all, they're celebrities! Why would they need prayer?
Over the years, the answer has only grown more obvious. They need prayer for the same reasons you, and your family, and your friends, do. They get sick, and tempted, and bewildered, and convicted, just as much as anyone else. Perhaps even more. What gets attention these days like celebrity news? And what kind of stories make the news? Scandalous, sordid, disappointing foolishness. Things that would never make it to any church's prayer chain for sounding too much like gossip! Celebrities often carry on like a band of village idiots! Why pray about that!
But even village idiots have their place in society, as Monty Python's Flying Circus so insightfully pointed out in the skit "The Idiot in Society" (Monty Python's Flying Circus: Just the Words - Episode 20: http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode20.htm#13.). At one point, the village idiot, upon whom the "investigative report" focuses, remarks, "There is this very real need in society for someone whom almost anyone can look down on and ridicule." Judging from the tone with which the celebrity news is repo9rted, this seems to be a role frequently filled by our poor celebrities. If we didn't feel superior to them, we wouldn't shake our heads over them, or roll our eyes, or chuckle at their misfortune. We would pity them for being, well, jerks. And, as was pointed out to me so many years ago, then don't you think they need prayer even more?
So the next time you're tempted to laugh at, or rage against, some notable's poor decisions, or indecorous behavior, or idiotic life choice – or, for that matter, the anonymous village idiots who cut you off in traffic, or have too many items in the checkout line, or … well, you fill in the blank – try praying for them, instead. God changes lives through prayers, not curses. The life He changes may turn out to be be your own!
That news startled me. Not because the information was so surprising, but because, suddenly, an event from my childhood made sense.
One day, while I was a young teenager, I was working in the kitchen. Suddenly, for no good reason, I thought of a character in a movie I had enjoyed. "You really like that character, don't you?"I could almost hear someone say. I did like the character, so I agreed. "The fellow who plays him must be pretty nice, don't you think?"the almost-voice continued. Again, I agreed. "Why don't you pray for him?" it suggested. I thought that was a wonderful idea, and agreed to the urging enthusiastically. Then I had, not exactly a doubt, but an uncertainty. "But what if he's a jerk?"
"Then don't you think he'll need it even more?" was my answer. I couldn't argue with that. And that's how the Holy Spirit reasoned me into including celebrities in my prayers: something I've been doing earnestly ever since.
I tell this story, because it was the first time it had ever occurred to me to pray for a celebrity. After all, they're celebrities! Why would they need prayer?
Over the years, the answer has only grown more obvious. They need prayer for the same reasons you, and your family, and your friends, do. They get sick, and tempted, and bewildered, and convicted, just as much as anyone else. Perhaps even more. What gets attention these days like celebrity news? And what kind of stories make the news? Scandalous, sordid, disappointing foolishness. Things that would never make it to any church's prayer chain for sounding too much like gossip! Celebrities often carry on like a band of village idiots! Why pray about that!
But even village idiots have their place in society, as Monty Python's Flying Circus so insightfully pointed out in the skit "The Idiot in Society" (Monty Python's Flying Circus: Just the Words - Episode 20: http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode20.htm#13.). At one point, the village idiot, upon whom the "investigative report" focuses, remarks, "There is this very real need in society for someone whom almost anyone can look down on and ridicule." Judging from the tone with which the celebrity news is repo9rted, this seems to be a role frequently filled by our poor celebrities. If we didn't feel superior to them, we wouldn't shake our heads over them, or roll our eyes, or chuckle at their misfortune. We would pity them for being, well, jerks. And, as was pointed out to me so many years ago, then don't you think they need prayer even more?
So the next time you're tempted to laugh at, or rage against, some notable's poor decisions, or indecorous behavior, or idiotic life choice – or, for that matter, the anonymous village idiots who cut you off in traffic, or have too many items in the checkout line, or … well, you fill in the blank – try praying for them, instead. God changes lives through prayers, not curses. The life He changes may turn out to be be your own!
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