John 12:20-38
20-21 Among those who had come up to
worship
at the festival were some Greeks.
They approached
Philip with the request,
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew, and
Andrew went
with Philip and told Jesus.
23-26 Jesus told them,
“The time has come
for the Son of Man to be
glorified. I tell you
truly that unless a grain of wheat
falls into
the earth and dies, it remains a single grain
of wheat; but if it does, it brings a good
harvest.
The man who loves his own life will
destroy it, and
the man who hates his life in
this world will preserve
it for eternal life. If
a man wants to enter my service,
he must
follow my way; and where I am, my servant
will also be. And my Father will honour every
man
who enters my service.
27-28 “Now comes my hour
of heart-break, and
what can I say, ‘Father, save me
from this hour’?
No, it was for this very purpose
that I came to
this hour. ‘Father, honour your own
name!’”
At this there came a voice from Heaven,
“I have
honoured it and I will honour it again!”
29 When the crowd of bystanders heard this, they
said it thundered, but some of them said, “An
angel
spoke to him.” 30-33 Then Jesus said, “That
voice
came for your sake, not for mine. Now is the
time for
the judgment of this world to begin, and
now will
the spirit that rules this world be driven
out. As for
me, if I am lifted up from the earth I
will draw all
men to myself.” (He said this to show
the kind of
death he was going to die.)
34 Then the crowd said,
“We have heard from the
Law that Christ lives for
ever. How can you say that
the Son of Man must be
‘lifted up’? Who is this Son
of Man?” 35-36a At this,
Jesus said to them, “You
have the light with you only
a little while longer.
Go on while the light is good,
before the darkness
comes down upon you. For the
man who walks in the
dark has no idea where he is
going. You must believe
in the light while you have
the light, that you may
become the sons of light.”
36b-38 Jesus said all these
things, and then went
away, out of their sight.
But though he had given
so many signs, yet they did
not believe in him, so
that the prophecy of Isaiah
was fulfilled, when he
said, ‘Lord, who has believed
our report? And to
whom has the arm of the Lord
been revealed?’
J. B. Phillips, "The New Testament in Modern English", 1962 edition by HarperCollins
So much here. I’m going to focus on v. 35b, “Go on while the light is good… “ Jesus seems to be trying to help the disciples develop some perspective. They don’t realize how good they’ve got it; Jesus is right there with them. Hey disciples, want to know what would Jesus do? Well, just ask him; he’s right by your side. Developing a perspective or framework from which to develop your understandings of situations gets better with depth and breadth of experience and knowledge. Depth and breadth is what you are working on as a student. From my professorial seat, I’d echo Jesus’ exhortation to you—Go on while the light is good. Southwestern College abounds in external points of light that are good: healthy community, teaching teachers, people who have integrated their extraordinary minds with their passionate hearts, this lenten blog that captures a variety of voices of faith, weekly chapel, retreat experiences, leadership development, opportunities to lead worship, trips to explore the larger world of believers, opportunity to be doers and not just observers of ministry, recommendation letters from people who know you, and people who allow you access to their networks and use of their good name. Go on while the light is good. Soak it all in, take advantage of this privileged moment in your life. Let the external light that is with you now, energize your internal light. In the end, the empowering of yourself by the light of the holy spirit is not for yourself but for the world.
Is the light good in your heart because the flood lights are on at SC?
Cheryl L. Rude, Ph.D. is the Division Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Leadership Studies
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
John 12:1-11 (NIV)
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came
to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus
had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner
was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,
while Lazarus was among those reclining at
the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a
pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;she
poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who
was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why
wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given
to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about
the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper
of the money bag, he used to help himself to
what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,”
Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should
save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out
that Jesus was there and came, not only because
of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had
raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests
made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on
account of him many of the Jews were going
over to Jesus and believing in him.
Our descent is drawing to a close, friends. As we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded through this passage that before Jesus enters into Jerusalem (on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday) he passes through Bethany and has a meal in his honor. This meal is usually seen as significant because of Mary’s devotion for Jesus, as she pours the expensive perfume on his feet, worshipping Jesus.
Just to give you all a glimpse into our chapel life here at Southwestern, we commonly use Mary and the alabaster jar as our prayer when we gather to worship. Our prayer is that all our diligent planning and preparing may be excellent and God-honoring, but in the end that it may be broken at the feet of Jesus in holy surrender.
Instead of diving into that metaphor, let us look at one of the other integral characters in this passage, Judas Iscariot, the one who later to betray Jesus. This is the first time we see Judas really do anything in the gospels. As the group treasurer it makes sense that he is questioning the use of this expensive nard on Jesus’ feet. Was this questioning an indicator of the evil that was in Judas? We see later on that Satan enters Judas at the Passover meal (John 13:27), so perhaps in chapter 12, Judas is still acting as one of the trusted 12.
My question to you today is, would Jesus have forgiven Judas had he the chance. Judas, overwhelmed with guilt hangs himself, before Christ resurrects from the dead. We know that Jesus approaches Peter post-resurrection and allows him opportunity to repent for his “duh-sciple” moment when he denies Christ three times. Do you think that Jesus would have allowed for Judas’ repentance as well? Was Judas’ betrayal too great to allow for repentance? I bet we wonder about that sometimes as well. Regardless of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, Christ bore it all on the cross. He set his face toward Jerusalem with a purpose, to trample over death by death. Friends, the time is here, to catch up to Jesus on our descent with him towards the cross. Holy Easter is upon us, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Greg Reffner is an undergraduate student of Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came
to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus
had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner
was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,
while Lazarus was among those reclining at
the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a
pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;she
poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who
was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why
wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given
to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about
the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper
of the money bag, he used to help himself to
what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,”
Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should
save this perfume for the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out
that Jesus was there and came, not only because
of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had
raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests
made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on
account of him many of the Jews were going
over to Jesus and believing in him.
Our descent is drawing to a close, friends. As we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded through this passage that before Jesus enters into Jerusalem (on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday) he passes through Bethany and has a meal in his honor. This meal is usually seen as significant because of Mary’s devotion for Jesus, as she pours the expensive perfume on his feet, worshipping Jesus.
Just to give you all a glimpse into our chapel life here at Southwestern, we commonly use Mary and the alabaster jar as our prayer when we gather to worship. Our prayer is that all our diligent planning and preparing may be excellent and God-honoring, but in the end that it may be broken at the feet of Jesus in holy surrender.
Instead of diving into that metaphor, let us look at one of the other integral characters in this passage, Judas Iscariot, the one who later to betray Jesus. This is the first time we see Judas really do anything in the gospels. As the group treasurer it makes sense that he is questioning the use of this expensive nard on Jesus’ feet. Was this questioning an indicator of the evil that was in Judas? We see later on that Satan enters Judas at the Passover meal (John 13:27), so perhaps in chapter 12, Judas is still acting as one of the trusted 12.
My question to you today is, would Jesus have forgiven Judas had he the chance. Judas, overwhelmed with guilt hangs himself, before Christ resurrects from the dead. We know that Jesus approaches Peter post-resurrection and allows him opportunity to repent for his “duh-sciple” moment when he denies Christ three times. Do you think that Jesus would have allowed for Judas’ repentance as well? Was Judas’ betrayal too great to allow for repentance? I bet we wonder about that sometimes as well. Regardless of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, Christ bore it all on the cross. He set his face toward Jerusalem with a purpose, to trample over death by death. Friends, the time is here, to catch up to Jesus on our descent with him towards the cross. Holy Easter is upon us, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Greg Reffner is an undergraduate student of Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Building Time
Exodus 30: 1-10 (NRSV)
You shall make an altar on which to offer
incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit
wide; it shall be square, and shall be two
cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece
with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure
gold, its top, and its sides all around and its
horns; and you shall make for it a molding
of gold all around. 4 And you shall make
two golden rings for it; under its molding
on two opposite sides of it you shall make
them, and they shall hold the poles with
which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles
of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 You shall place it in front of the curtain
that is above the Ark of the Covenant, in
front of the mercy seat that is over the
covenant, where I will meet with you. 7
Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it;
every morning when he dresses the lamps
he shall offer it,
8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the
evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense
offering before the LORD throughout your
generations. 9 You shall not offer grain
offerings; and you shall not pour a drink
offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall
perform the rite of atonement on its horns.
Throughout your generations he shall
perform the atonement for it once a year
with the blood of the atoning sin offering.
It is more holy to the LORD.
So what does all of that mean? Personally I have never heard God or felt a calling from God to build an alter to honor Him BUT I have had times in my life where I felt Him calling me back to Him, reminding me that He is always there. God has called me to build time in my life for Him. Building time is not an easy task and what I’m talking about when I say building time is creating a time in your day, in your life that is for God. Perhaps this is a time where you sit and pray about all that is on your mind and heart or a time when you simply sit in silence and listen for and to God, this may even be time to reflect on scripture – everyone’s “God Time” is a little different. Most of us have some kind of relationship with God but continuing to build that relationship isn’t easy. God asks us to offer him our faith, trust, and love; building these traits happens through relationship with him. So, Moundbuilders I think this passage is asking us to reflect on the time we have built for God and the relationship that has been the result.
Brenna Truhe is a junior English major at Southwestern College.
You shall make an altar on which to offer
incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit
wide; it shall be square, and shall be two
cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece
with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure
gold, its top, and its sides all around and its
horns; and you shall make for it a molding
of gold all around. 4 And you shall make
two golden rings for it; under its molding
on two opposite sides of it you shall make
them, and they shall hold the poles with
which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles
of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 You shall place it in front of the curtain
that is above the Ark of the Covenant, in
front of the mercy seat that is over the
covenant, where I will meet with you. 7
Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it;
every morning when he dresses the lamps
he shall offer it,
8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the
evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense
offering before the LORD throughout your
generations. 9 You shall not offer grain
offerings; and you shall not pour a drink
offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall
perform the rite of atonement on its horns.
Throughout your generations he shall
perform the atonement for it once a year
with the blood of the atoning sin offering.
It is more holy to the LORD.
So what does all of that mean? Personally I have never heard God or felt a calling from God to build an alter to honor Him BUT I have had times in my life where I felt Him calling me back to Him, reminding me that He is always there. God has called me to build time in my life for Him. Building time is not an easy task and what I’m talking about when I say building time is creating a time in your day, in your life that is for God. Perhaps this is a time where you sit and pray about all that is on your mind and heart or a time when you simply sit in silence and listen for and to God, this may even be time to reflect on scripture – everyone’s “God Time” is a little different. Most of us have some kind of relationship with God but continuing to build that relationship isn’t easy. God asks us to offer him our faith, trust, and love; building these traits happens through relationship with him. So, Moundbuilders I think this passage is asking us to reflect on the time we have built for God and the relationship that has been the result.
Brenna Truhe is a junior English major at Southwestern College.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
Hebrews 4:1-13 New International Version (NIV)
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his
rest still stands, let us be careful that none of
you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For
we also have had the good news proclaimed to
us, just as they did; but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because they
did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest,
just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They
shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since
the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these
words: “On the seventh day God rested from
all his works.” 5 And again in the passage
above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to
enter that rest, and since those who formerly
had the good news proclaimed to them did
not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God
again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
This he did when a long time later he spoke
through David, as in the passage already
quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God
would not have spoken later about another
day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest
for the people of God; 10 for anyone who
enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no
one will perish by following their example of
disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I personally feel like the commandment to “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you” (Dt. 5:12) has slowly faded away in our culture. Believe me, I know it is difficult finding any time away from your studies and activities, let alone a whole day! Nevertheless, God commanded it so we need to obey it. Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t mean strictly not doing your homework on Sunday…It also means to take some of that day to spend with God. Read your Bible, take a walk in God’s beautiful creation, pray. All of these are great ways to grow closer to God. Two of the verses from above really stand out to me, verses 11 and 13. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Dt. 4:11). This sentence puts into effect how serious God is about keeping his commands. It basically screams “learn from others’ pasts and do what I say or else!” The last part of this scripture that I want to highlight is verse 13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we must give account” (Dt. 4:13). I love the phrase “everything is uncovered.” There is no hiding our sins from God, He knows everything we do. During this time of Lent I challenge you to be more intentional about the time you spend with God and to grow into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Hanna House is a sophomore majoring in communication at Southwestern College.
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his
rest still stands, let us be careful that none of
you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For
we also have had the good news proclaimed to
us, just as they did; but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because they
did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest,
just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They
shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since
the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere
he has spoken about the seventh day in these
words: “On the seventh day God rested from
all his works.” 5 And again in the passage
above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to
enter that rest, and since those who formerly
had the good news proclaimed to them did
not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God
again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
This he did when a long time later he spoke
through David, as in the passage already
quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God
would not have spoken later about another
day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest
for the people of God; 10 for anyone who
enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no
one will perish by following their example of
disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the
eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I personally feel like the commandment to “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you” (Dt. 5:12) has slowly faded away in our culture. Believe me, I know it is difficult finding any time away from your studies and activities, let alone a whole day! Nevertheless, God commanded it so we need to obey it. Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t mean strictly not doing your homework on Sunday…It also means to take some of that day to spend with God. Read your Bible, take a walk in God’s beautiful creation, pray. All of these are great ways to grow closer to God. Two of the verses from above really stand out to me, verses 11 and 13. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Dt. 4:11). This sentence puts into effect how serious God is about keeping his commands. It basically screams “learn from others’ pasts and do what I say or else!” The last part of this scripture that I want to highlight is verse 13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we must give account” (Dt. 4:13). I love the phrase “everything is uncovered.” There is no hiding our sins from God, He knows everything we do. During this time of Lent I challenge you to be more intentional about the time you spend with God and to grow into a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Hanna House is a sophomore majoring in communication at Southwestern College.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Boasting in Confident Foundations
Hebrews 3:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a
heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle
and high priest of our confession, 2 who was
faithful to him who appointed him, just as
Moses also was faithful in all God's house.
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more
glory than Moses—as much more glory as the
builder of a house has more honor than the
house itself. 4 (For every house is built by
someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house
as a servant, to testify to the things that were
to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over
God's house as a son. And we are his house
if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our
boasting in our hope.
I must confess and apologize to my community of faith for my late post having just experienced what snow storms will do to Chicago flight connections. I just returned from Venice, Italy, where my wife Cheryl and I, along with close friends Joni and Steve Rankin, experienced the awesome sights of the Basilica of Saint Mark. When we speak of art in worship and the power of artistic expression to connect us with the mystery of God, there is none greater in my opinion than this house of worship. Every kind of stone, wood, glass, tile, precious metal and jewel worked by thousands of artists with great skill and time was on display. The church is truly indescribable! The church is also sinking and slowly falling apart.
I do not want to imply any lack of appreciation for the reverent sacrifice made in the creation of the Basilica of Saint Mark nor the wonder and glory of this expression of worship, but the very point of creating it illustrates what it cannot adequately do—fully represent the glory of the house of God built in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the builder of all things and the artisan of who we are—our author, builder, and perfecter. We are the precious materials of His glorious work still in progress. We are designed to be more than the expression of the very nature of God but the dwelling of His presence if we hold fast to that purpose whose foundation was laid unsinkable and without decay in the cross. What a hope; what a purpose; what a confident foundation!
Martin Rude is the director of outreach ministries at Southwestern College.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a
heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle
and high priest of our confession, 2 who was
faithful to him who appointed him, just as
Moses also was faithful in all God's house.
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more
glory than Moses—as much more glory as the
builder of a house has more honor than the
house itself. 4 (For every house is built by
someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house
as a servant, to testify to the things that were
to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over
God's house as a son. And we are his house
if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our
boasting in our hope.
I must confess and apologize to my community of faith for my late post having just experienced what snow storms will do to Chicago flight connections. I just returned from Venice, Italy, where my wife Cheryl and I, along with close friends Joni and Steve Rankin, experienced the awesome sights of the Basilica of Saint Mark. When we speak of art in worship and the power of artistic expression to connect us with the mystery of God, there is none greater in my opinion than this house of worship. Every kind of stone, wood, glass, tile, precious metal and jewel worked by thousands of artists with great skill and time was on display. The church is truly indescribable! The church is also sinking and slowly falling apart.
Martin Rude is the director of outreach ministries at Southwestern College.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The Lord Saves
Psalm 107
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
The Lord is always good to us even when we think we are far from help. From the verse above, the Lord loves us and cares for us so much that he will come and save us from any hardship or trouble we are experiencing. He cuts through bars of iron and breaks chains for us. The Lord finds us in the darkness and brings us back to His glorious light. The Lord loves us so much that He will satisfy our hunger and thirst. He will always be there for us even when we don't call for Him. We will struggle without Him but He will be right there when we cry for His help. He will be there to pick us up when we fall and when we need Him the most. The Lord will also be there when we don't think we need Him. The Lord is always there with His unfailing love, watching over His children.
Remember that you are loved by a glorious God this season of Lent. Be thankful for His amazing and endless love. If you are struggling with hardships or trials in your life, God will be there to help you through them. This may not be the way you expect your problems to be solved, but it will be God's way. He knows what is best for us. So trust in the Lord and cry out His name. He will be right by your side to come to your aid. The Lord will always do anything to save His wonderful and priceless children.
Garett Britton is a junior majoring in Elementary Education at Southwestern College.
Monday, March 23, 2015
When The Going Gets Tough
Numbers 20:1-13
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite
community arrived at the Desert of Zin,
and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam
died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community,
and the people gathered in opposition to
Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with
Moses and said, “If only we had died
when our brothers fell dead before the
LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s
community into this wilderness, that we
and our livestock should die here? 5 Why
did you bring us up out of Egypt to this
terrible place? It has no grain or figs,
grapevines or pomegranates. And there
is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly
to the entrance to the tent of meeting and
fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD
appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to
Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and
your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to that rock before their
eyes and it will pour out its water. You
will bring water out of the rock for the
community so they and their livestock
can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s
presence, just as he commanded him.10
He and Aaron gathered the assembly
together in front of the rock and Moses
said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must
we bring you water out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck
the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their
livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
“Because you did not trust in me enough
to honor me as holy in the sight of the
Israelites, you will not bring this community
into the land I give them.” 13 These were
the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites
quarreled with the LORD and where he was
proved holy among them.
There are multiple times in life were we as humans face hardships and struggles. We begin to think that life was so much better last year when we weren’t dealing with ____________, or I wish I could go back before _________ happened, because life was so much easier then. Too often we dwell on our hardships. We forget to count our blessings. We see this in the story above: God has freed the Israelites from slavery. Before this mighty, powerful, and saving act of God the Israelites were being beaten and overworked. God empowers Moses to help free these people from the suffocating grip of Pharaoh.
Through the power of God and Moses the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt and soon find themselves in a desert. They complain and question God’s ability to sustain them in the desert. The Israelites even ask Moses “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” The Israelites have forgotten that Egypt was a terrible place. They were slaves, they didn’t have the freedom God intended humans to have. The Israelites are not counting their blessings.
However, we cannot simply read this story and say “wow they were very ungrateful people.” We have to read this story and say “wow, I am not as grateful for God’s salvific acts in my life as I should be.” The story of God found in the Holy Scriptures is a living text, it revels truths about ourselves and God. We are in the season of Lent going down with Christ, so that we may be raised up with Christ. Ultimately, God meets our needs in life whether through water or assurance that God is near. God knows the inner workings of our hearts better than we do. During this season of Lent I challenge you to count your blessings and marvel at the goodness of a God who was willing to sacrifice himself for our salvation.
Lindsey Graber is a junior majoring in Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College.
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite
community arrived at the Desert of Zin,
and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam
died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community,
and the people gathered in opposition to
Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with
Moses and said, “If only we had died
when our brothers fell dead before the
LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s
community into this wilderness, that we
and our livestock should die here? 5 Why
did you bring us up out of Egypt to this
terrible place? It has no grain or figs,
grapevines or pomegranates. And there
is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly
to the entrance to the tent of meeting and
fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD
appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to
Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and
your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to that rock before their
eyes and it will pour out its water. You
will bring water out of the rock for the
community so they and their livestock
can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s
presence, just as he commanded him.10
He and Aaron gathered the assembly
together in front of the rock and Moses
said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must
we bring you water out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck
the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their
livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
“Because you did not trust in me enough
to honor me as holy in the sight of the
Israelites, you will not bring this community
into the land I give them.” 13 These were
the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites
quarreled with the LORD and where he was
proved holy among them.
There are multiple times in life were we as humans face hardships and struggles. We begin to think that life was so much better last year when we weren’t dealing with ____________, or I wish I could go back before _________ happened, because life was so much easier then. Too often we dwell on our hardships. We forget to count our blessings. We see this in the story above: God has freed the Israelites from slavery. Before this mighty, powerful, and saving act of God the Israelites were being beaten and overworked. God empowers Moses to help free these people from the suffocating grip of Pharaoh.
Through the power of God and Moses the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt and soon find themselves in a desert. They complain and question God’s ability to sustain them in the desert. The Israelites even ask Moses “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” The Israelites have forgotten that Egypt was a terrible place. They were slaves, they didn’t have the freedom God intended humans to have. The Israelites are not counting their blessings.
However, we cannot simply read this story and say “wow they were very ungrateful people.” We have to read this story and say “wow, I am not as grateful for God’s salvific acts in my life as I should be.” The story of God found in the Holy Scriptures is a living text, it revels truths about ourselves and God. We are in the season of Lent going down with Christ, so that we may be raised up with Christ. Ultimately, God meets our needs in life whether through water or assurance that God is near. God knows the inner workings of our hearts better than we do. During this season of Lent I challenge you to count your blessings and marvel at the goodness of a God who was willing to sacrifice himself for our salvation.
Lindsey Graber is a junior majoring in Religion and Philosophy at Southwestern College.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)