Month: October 2023

One of the things I could never understand as a child was why one group of people hated another group of people. Growing up in a mono-cultural environment it was hard to imagine. It is true that many people in my area didn’t like the French speakers who lived just across the river from us in Quebec. But everyone still did business with them and there was never any fighting between the groups. We didn’t have a century-long hatred between the peoples. They were different from us, but we didn’t wish them evil. That isn’t the case for many places around the world. It seems that some people are born enemies. Ancient feuds and hatred refuse to go away.  Often the initial problems have been forgotten but the need for revenge or fighting lives on. To be a certain nationality or ethnicity means you must hate certain other nationalities. How does this happen? I’ve been thinking about this and the situation in Israel in light of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. As a child, I really didn’t understand what it meant for Samaritans and Jews to be enemies. I didn’t understand why making the Samaritan the hero of the story was so radical or just how much Jesus was challenging the status quo of his day. Today, we have no trouble understanding animosity between two people groups. The names and labels might be different from Jesus’ example, but the same hostility exists. It’s encouraging then to read about little spots of light amid the conflict. If you look hard enough you can find new stories about an Israeli or Palestinian who has helped or protected someone from the other side. Not everyone wants to be enemies. At the end of the parable Jesus’ question to his listeners was, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  (Luke 10:36) His meaning was clear. He wants us to recognize the boundaries and borders that separate people and for us to care for those in need whether or not they are part of our group. The wars in Israel, Ukraine and other places are a result of human action. It develops first in the hearts of men and women where there is hatred. Prejudice and racism grow distorting the human spirit. Evil intentions and violence result. Huge things can come from unchecked sins in the deep places of our hearts. We need to watch out for that. So who was the neighbor?  “The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)

The events of the last ten days in Israel are of concern to everyone. Sometimes there is a tendency to think that events in another part of the world have nothing to do with us. Yet, the events in the Middle East threaten to throw our world into more chaos. There are so many tension points around the globe that a spark in any location can have worldwide implications. The situation in Israel has a long and complicated history. Added to this dimension is a belief among many Christians that Israel’s role in the world is an important part of understanding the end times and the return of Christ. I don’t know what this current conflict might mean but Jesus told us to ‘keep watch’ and it would be foolish to think that these events are not significant. During times like this many believers turn to Bible prophecy for insight. There are many different approaches as to how to view world events and our role. Some passages are difficult to interpret, and we should be careful about building too much certainty from such verses. Other verses are clearer and more helpful.  For example, not everyone agrees on when the events of Revelation chapters 7 and 8 take place. However, one thing that is clear is that in the midst of conflict and suffering prayer matters. It has become common in our world for people to dismiss the power of prayer as if our words are simply floating up into the atmosphere and disappearing among the clouds. Do prayers in times like this even matter? Revelation 8:3-5 suggests they do, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.  Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” Two things are happening here. First, the prayers of all God’s people reach the throne room of heaven. They are not on the same level as wishful thinking or a feeling of hopefulness. Our prayers go into the very presence of God, they are heard, and they make a difference. The creator of the universe, the judge of all humankind, is attentive to the prayers of his people. Second, our prayers have an impact. “Then the angel took the censer…and hurled it on the earth.” Eugene Peterson writes, “The prayers which had ascended, unremarked by the journalists of the day, returned with immense force as ‘reversed thunder’. Prayers reenter history with incalculable effects. Our earth is shaken daily by it.” (Reversed Thunder, p.88) God answers the prayers of his people in astounding ways. What do we do when we see such conflict and suffering? What do we do when we see the potential for war? Prayer makes a difference. There is much in our world to pray for. Don’t think it is a waste of time or the least that you can do. Invite the prince of peace to move in history and save the many who are in danger and under siege.  Call upon heaven to shake our world with the righteousness of God.

We tend to think of people who are proud as arrogant or above it all. So we seldom think of ourselves as having a problem with pride. Yet it is one of the sins that the Bible continually warns us about. Here’s a sample:In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16 It’s hard to see our own flaws and sins. Pride can take many forms which often can appear quite subtle in our lives. How many of these can you identify in yourself? When our sense of self is inflated (pride) the Bible warns that a fall isn’t too far away. (Proverbs 16:18) Often it is a gentle reminder to not take ourselves so seriously but to keep following Jesus who shows us the way of humility.

Las Vegas is often referred to as ‘Sin City’. There’s gambling, drinking, prostitution and other harmful pursuits. There’s also the Heart Attack Grill. It’s a famous burger joint known for offering huge amounts of unhealthy food with names like the ‘Triple Bypass Hamburger’ and ‘Flatliner Fries’. People over 350 pounds are welcome to eat for free. Basically, it’s a celebration of overeating and binging, or what can be called gluttony. For most of world history, food was not always available in abundance. A good harvest was necessary to get through the winter months. A bad harvest would mean famine or worse. Wasting food or taking more than your share was immoral. In our world, we joke about gluttony at Christmas time or other holidays when we overeat. However, it is really more about a lifestyle than one feast. Jesus tells us in John 6:27, not to “work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Gluttony isn’t always diagnosed by stepping on the bathroom scales. It refers to over-indulgence and overreliance. It’s about looking for material things, food and drink, to satisfy a hunger that is not physical. If we live with the expectation that food, drink or other physical things can nourish our soul or give meaning to life, we will be disappointed. And yet, our commercial society runs on the belief that we must have more and more. In a world where millions go to sleep hungry every night, we do need to carefully consider the way we approach food. Gluttony is about our attitude to things that satisfy our stomachs and fulfill our tastes but do nothing for our spirit. Are we addicted to consuming more than we need? Followers of Jesus need healthy inputs so we can produce the fruit of self-control.