Scripture

Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13

Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13

Hebrews 13:1 Let mutual love continue. ²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. ³Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured—

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

 

Our culture is obsessed with love. Self-help books are eager to help us become "lovable" people. Musicians have found fame by singing about love. Television programs set us up to believe that love is an "anything goes" sort of thing. Celebrities move so quickly between lovers that we can't even keep up. We're confused by what love is: we use the same word to admire someone's new hairdo and to show the deepest feelings of our heart.

Most of us would say that all human beings have three basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. People that study human beings and our behavior would add another need: we need to be loved.

What happens when we don't get enough love? We turn in on ourselves. It becomes harder for us to show other people that we love them. If it goes on long enough, we begin to believe that we are unworthy of being loved. When we aren't met with the love we need, we'll seek it out. We're left, as Waylon Jennings sang, "Looking for love in all the wrong places; looking for love in too many faces." Is there such a thing as love that withstands storm and fire, such a thing that demands more of us than what our world offers us?

 

LOVE UNITES US

According to 1 Cor. 13, love is the most important thing— more important even than faith.  Like a gentle stream that changes the shape of rocks, love has the power to alter who and how people are. Love seems to beget more love and promote healing, whereas anger seems to beget only more anger.

In saying that love is the greatest virtue, Paul offers us a truth that is not always easy to acknowledge. How easy it is to lose hope and faith when we are in the middle of a crisis! In the middle of a life storm, it feels like things will never get better and that God does not care about our pain. Hope and faith sure don't feel like life preservers then! Nevertheless, love can grab hold of our hearts even in the darkest of days.

Amazing things happen when love reaches out. We show love when we encourage a friend who is going through a rough time or take a meal to a neighbor who is sick. But such acts don’t really require much of us. What requires much more of us is living peacefully with those around us, people with whom we often strongly disagree.  Anybody who interacts with other people knows that love requires both work and commitment, and this is especially true in the church. One generation wants one thing; another wants something different. One group loves the red church doors; another thinks any other color would have been preferable. Some love the technology; others are certain that it was a waste of precious resources. Where is Christ in the midst of all that?

The writer of Hebrews will not allow us to be so thoroughly divided over the things that in the end do not glorify God. He challenges us to look beyond our differences to what we have in common: God's love for all. It is the basis for everything we do. Not only that, but it's the lifeline of everything that takes place in God's kingdom.

Love must be the basis for everything that we do. What happens when it isn't? When we make decisions outside of love, we can only think selfishly. When our worship is not rooted in love and passion for our creator, it becomes consumerist. We fight the worship wars, wondering, "What's in it for me?" instead of "Is this pleasing to God?" When our fellowship is not centered on love, we become gossipy and cliquish. We exclude others who are not like us instead of -bringing them into the family. When the ministries of the church become loveless, they become a checklist of ways that we might earn God's favor instead of an outpouring of gratitude for God's presence in our midst.

 

LOVING ENOUGH

In Hebrews, we find that there are five essential qualities that reflect how Christian love behaves: brotherly love, hospitality, sympathy for those in trouble, purity, and contentment.

The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure we understand that love is an essential piece of our faith; that it runs deep enough to affect our behavior toward one another and toward God. Scripture says, "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (fames 2:17); perhaps the writer of Hebrews would say, "Faith without love misses the point all together." Paul puts it succinctly by saying, "Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13). How then can we make sure that our faith is under the direction of Christ's love? The writer of Hebrews really only needs four words to tell us: "Let mutual love continue" (13:1). Everything else he says in these closing words goes back to that one idea.

In some ways, the call to love is much like the call to tithe. When we tithe, we recognize that God has blessed us. As a way of saying, "Thank you," we joyfully give part of it back. Implicit in the command to love is the conviction that God has already shown us tremendous love. As when we tithe, we joyfully give it back. We're called to give in trust. We're called to tithe, no matter our circumstances, believing that God will meet our need. We're also called to love, no matter our circumstance and regardless of whether we see eye-to-eye with someone else.

Rather than wondering if we've gotten the love we need, we ask ourselves if we've shared the love that someone else needs. The Beatles famously sang, "All you need is love." It might not be everything we need, but it's not a bad place to start.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Name an experience in which your actions did not flow out of love. What were the consequences? What did you learn from the experience?

Should Heb. 13:5 guide our decisions about financial matters?  “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’"

 In what ways might you apply these words to financial decisions in your life?  In the life of the church?

Philadelphia means "City of Brotherly Love." What would a community built on mutual love look like? What is the most significant first step toward building such a community?

PRAYER

Living God, make our love genuine. Even as we acknowledge our own need for love, remind us that others need it too. Teach us to reach out beyond ourselves, showing your radical love to all your children, even when it is inconvenient or pushes us further than we'd like to be pushed. May your love spill over onto everything we do.  Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 12:18-29

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. —Hebrews 12:28

12:18 You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. ²⁰ (For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." ²¹Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") ²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." ²⁷This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; ²⁹for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

 

FAITH INSPIRES GRATITUDE

Before weather apps, the weather channel, or weather satellites, people had no warning when violent storms approached. Thunder storms, tornados, even hurricanes, struck with little or no warning. People were terrified and felt vulnerable.

Many people feel this way about God. While they love God, they feel vulnerable to this powerful and seemingly sometimes vengeful God. They are terrified of making the wrong move for fear that they might land as "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," as early American preacher Jonathan Edwards put it. Ancient peoples were terrified of God. The people in Exodus could not imagine that anyone would be so close as to see God face to face. Even Moses was riddled with fear (Heb. 12:21).

"Fear sells," we hear. It does: We work to have the right body and the best car because we're afraid that we won't be well regarded if we don't. We buy insurance and extended warranties because we're fearful that something might break or go wrong. We spring into hysteria when there is a safety recall on foods or toys or cars. Fear has also been used to "sell" Christianity. While fear could "sell" us on the need to be in a relationship with Christ, the writer of Hebrews does not use this tactic. God could indeed be a terrifying presence. "But," he says, "this is not your experience."

A TALE OF TWO MOUNTAINS

So what is our experience? The writer of Hebrews speaks of two places of covenant, but he uses them as representatives of the old and new covenants. He wants us to realize that there is a world of difference between these covenants.

In the Old Testament, Mount Sinai was the place where the law was given. Though the thought of it inspired fear, it was regarded favorably within the Scriptures. Yet the writer of Hebrews is using it to reflect of the negative implications of the old covenant. In his eyes, Sinai is the place where we became interested in rule keeping. Sinai is the place of fear, where we come, terrified, to stand before our God. The people are frozen with fear that God might speak directly to them, and they believe that they might actually die if God were to speak to them.

Things are different with the new covenant. People don't come terror stricken to Mt. Zion as they did at Mt. Sinai. Instead, they approach it excitedly and with the expectation of good things. In Ps. 137 we read that Zion was a place that people loved—and they wept when they were away from it. "Zion" has come to represent a number of things, including Solomon's temple and the promised land.

The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure we know which mountain to set our sights on. As our travel agent, he's going to sell us on all the things that Mt. Zion has to offer us. When we walk the path to Zion, we can expect to see three major things: the new Jerusalem, the angels in joyful assembly, and God's chosen people.

Certainly, we'd book our tickets for Zion, right? What would possess us to set out for the bleak, terror-fraught Sinai? Only one thing: familiarity. We know the rules, just as our ancestors knew the rules. Our culture likes things that are black and white, without a lot of "gray area." The grace offered to us in Christ sometimes feels a little too easy. It seems a little ambiguous. It doesn't ask us to "do" much of anything, whereas rules tell us exactly what is expected. The author of Hebrews wants to make sure we understand that if we decide to go against his "travel advice," we'll never know the joy of Zion. We cannot be worried both about saving ourselves and about experiencing life lived in the presence of God's grace.

A GRATEFUL HEART

We read in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works" (Eph. 2:8-9).

While we understand that, at least on some level, it's hard for us to hear because our society tells us that we must earn everything we get. The Message paraphrases v. 25 this way; "Don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words." This is one of several warnings not to reject God's offer of salvation, which is exactly what happens when we are caught up in the rule-keeping furor of Mt. Sinai.

For the writer of Hebrews, the solution is clear: choose grace, and worship with a thankful heart because we've been set free from the bondage of rule keeping. We have no reason to approach God in terror. Though we may think we understand this message while we're living, we still tend to fear the coming judgment. The truth is that we want to believe that God will judge us. How awful would it be to discover in the end that God didn't care about how we treat one another or how we lived our lives! We don't want a doting grandparent for God but a God who takes our sin seriously and works to help us escape the tyranny of it.

God does take our sin seriously. Just because we're Zion people doesn't mean that we'll escape the shaking of the earth (12:26). When God gave the earth a good shakedown before, it brought about major destruction. It was a testimony to the wrath of an angry God. The earth will again shake, but for the children of God, these experiences will not be terrifying. Singer/songwriter David LaMotte has a song titled "Crawl Inside." LaMotte had a friend who was filled with such negativity and guilt that it kept her from enjoying life. His heart broke for his friend, and he wanted her to see her worth and to get rid of the junk that was weighing her down. In the song, he sets up a metaphor of crawling inside her head and doing some serious housecleaning. In the same way, God is going to shake the world to get rid of the things that make us less than we were created to be.

The people of the new covenant will experience God's judgment just as our ancestors did. What changes for us is that Christ made the sacrifice of his life so that we might stand before God as beloved children. Christ's death means that we have been forgiven. This is a hard idea for us to grasp. Often when we forgive someone, we may choose to let go of someone's offense, but the relationship is forever altered. God's forgiveness is completely different. Because Christ has paid for the cost of our sins, it is as if we've never sinned in the first place. How can we best respond to this gift?

Writer Anne Lamott says she has only two types of prayers: "Help me! Help me! Help me!" and "Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!" Perhaps as the truth of God's life-changing grace sinks into our hearts, the latter of these prayers will be the only words we need. The way that we can best respond to Christ's sacrifice is in humbled gratitude.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What efforts have you made to "live in peace with all"? What has that experience been like?

How would you describe your spiritual life? Do you go along more with a "spirituality of grace" or a "spirituality of the law?"

How does the understanding of the grace that is offered to you help alleviate your fears about dying?

What places have been Mt. Sinai for you, where God has seemed to be a terrifying presence? What places have been Mt. Zion, where you've seen God as a joy-filled welcome? What have you learned from each of these types of experiences?

PRAYER

Holy God, teach us what it is to live in light of your grace, allowing our gratitude to touch every aspect of our lives. Let us draw close to you, knowing that we are indeed your beloved children. Let us come to meet you with joy in our hearts, because there is no reason for us to come with fear. Shatter our fear-flooded hearts as we learn that your love is the only reality about which we need to be concerned. Amen.

 

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-11

Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.  –Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Faith Is Endurance

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3  Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children —"My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; 6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." 7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8 If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9 Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

The early Christians were tired. They had been running the race of faith as though they had been running sprints in the heat of the day. They were tired, their legs hurt, and whatever fancy energy gel packets they carried were long gone. The people had earned the right to be tired. They'd expected the return of Christ to happen quickly, but they had seen no proof that anything was different in the world. A person can only keep giving 100 percent when he or she believes that change is coming. This is something we understand. Who would keep up with a weight-loss program that didn't show any results? Who would pour one's whole self into a work project with no belief that the boss would notice?

Here comes the coach saying, "Don't you even think about quitting yet! This race matters!"

Our coach is clever. He doesn't start out telling us about all the hard work we're going to have to put in. Instead, he gives us a great reason to run the race at all: There are so many people watching! They're great people! How much harder would a high school football player work if he knew everyone in the stadium was an NFL Hall of Famer? The author of Hebrews wants to inspire the same kind of passion and energy in us. The people watching us are the ones that have already run the race well. The New Century Version renders v. 1 this way: "We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means." Of course, we want to do the very best that we can with all these greats watching our journey.

 

WISDOM FROM THE COACH

The first piece of wisdom that our coach offers us is "Lose the weight!" He's clear: whatever is holding us back has to go. Of course, the coach's advice makes sense. That doesn't necessarily make it any easier for us to get rid of what's holding us back. If we're going to run this race well, then we're going to need to get rid of the guilt and hardheartedness. We're going to have to let go of anything that isn't helping us get to the finish line, including our sinful habits.

The next piece of wisdom the coach offers us we know well. Every coach and motivational speaker we've met says, "Eyes on the prize!" Before we even find out what the prize is, we know where our attention is supposed to be. Any of us who have ever tried to walk (or do anything else for that matter) while looking behind us can testify that so doing is the quickest way to trip over our own feet. Coach reminds us that we don't have the time to keep looking back.

What is the prize that we're working so hard to see? It's a relationship with Jesus, lived out in faith. It's being like Jesus in all that we do. There is something else worth noting here. The fact that we're looking toward a goal means we're not just strolling along. We're not tourists. This is serious business that necessitates a change in our frame of mind.

Jesus is not only the prize. Jesus is the one who teaches us how to run the race. Here again, we realize how clever our coach is. Just as we are about to begin serious whining, Coach sets the example of Christ before us. If we are going to begin complaining about how hard our path is, then we need to watch the films of Jesus' race. Instead of a gold medal, Jesus got a crown of thorns. Jesus wasn't hailed; he was humiliated. Even though Jesus knew the race would end that way, the knowledge didn't keep him from the journey.

"So," Coach says, "if Jesus can have that much endurance, so must you."

The race metaphor works well to a point. We want to be like Jesus. We want to do the things that please God. Yet a shadow can be cast over our obedience when life becomes hard. When dark days come, we clench our fists and question the heavens. "Why is it so hard?" we ask. If we don't get the answer we want as quickly as we'd like, our cries turn to "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

COMFORTING WORDS

The writer of Hebrews has played the role of coach in the first few verses, but his tone shifts in v. 5. After he has told us to quit whining, he takes off his coach's hat. Now the writer pulls up a chair next to us and addresses us as dear friends. The writer understands that we're tired and discouraged. He knows we need a compassionate word and offers us one. It is not, however, the word we expected.

"Endure trials for the sake of discipline." These words give us a lens through which to view our suffering. The writer, as only a dear friend could, wants to give us a constructive way to view our suffering: What if we regard this discipline as coming from a father who loves us more than anything else?

During biblical times, the father was the head of the household. No matter how old or well respected the children grew to be, they were still under the authority of the father. The original audience for these words in Hebrews would have understood that when we are called "sons" it would have meant that we are family.

Parents tangle with their children because they love them. Parents correct their children because they don't want them to harm themselves or others. God corrects us in this same spirit.

PERSEVERE

The word discipline has several meanings. On the one hand, discipline is a way of correction. On the other hand, it is something that we undertake voluntarily to make ourselves stronger, better, or more able. Pianists play scales for hours a day. Athletes do sprints and climb hills. God's discipline encompasses both meanings. God wants to teach us and better us, so God corrects us. Through this correction, God encourages us to change. Just like the serious musician, we seek the self-control that God intends. It is with that in mind that the writer of Hebrews asks us to persevere.

We don't take this journey idly. We travel with all the intensity and seriousness of a disciplined athlete, mindful of our coach's encouragement and lessons. When we falter on the path, we have a loving parent who will correct our focus until we can seek out the correct behavior on our own. Every hardship and obstacle strengthens us and prepares to be made in the image of Christ. In so doing, we draw close to God and faithfully live our lives with endurance, being cheered on by those who have journeyed before us.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What does "We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" mean to you?

Is being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses a source of comfort and encouragement, or does it make you fearful?

Who have you judged to have "gone far from the lord"? Were you mistaken?

PRAYER

Living God, author and perfecter of our faith, grant that we may follow hard and fast after you. Teach us to follow your example and to look to you for strength when we are ready to give up. Encourage us in your service, and strengthen us through our worship together. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1

11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ²Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. ³By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. . . . ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2   Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should

change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

3   though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah....

8   Come, behold the works of the LORD; 

see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

9   He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

10  "Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

 

In the movie Miracle on 34th Street, Doris is an event planner for Macy's. Doris is certain that there is no Santa Claus, and she makes sure that her little girl doesn't have any reason to believe in him either. Her carefully ordered, executive world made sense only when things were structured in a "what you see is what you get" sort of way. There was no room for things that could not be explained. However, by the end of the movie, Kris Kringle has given her reason to think that maybe she was wrong. She finally says, "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

Like the character Doris, we struggle with things that we can't reason out. We want scientific explanations, numbers,' and statistics—things that are measurable. Our world doesn't give much credit to things that don't seem "logical." Again, like Doris, we who are in the church have learned that what we have experienced sometimes trumps what we think we know of how the world works.

We often think of faith as if it were some sort of intellectual doctrine, but this chapter of Hebrews shows us something else. Faith is trusting in the promises of God. Faith is not something we believe but something we practice.

The writer of Hebrews gives us a two-part description of faith. First, we hear that faith is "the assurance of things hoped for." Faith has a confidence right now about what the future holds. However, there is a second part of faith: "the conviction of things not seen." Christians realize that there, is a big difference between what we see and what is real. When we look at the world, it seems to be a place of utter chaos and destruction. As we glance through the headlines, it's tempting to wonder, "Hey! Who is in charge down here?" What we see tells us that the world is a corrupt and dangerous place. What is real is "that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." ("This Is My Father's World"). When we look at ourselves, it's easy only to see our faults and failures. What is real are God's words to us: "I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine . . . you are precious in my sight, . . . and I love you" (Isa. 43:1, 4). Our faith allows us to see the evidence of God's presence in our world even when our present realities cloud our sight. Faith affords us the opportunity to look at the world through the eyes of hope.

At first, reading the "Faith Hall of Fame" list that we see in Hebrews can make us feel like we will never measure up. But when we look again, we see that the people who are hailed as role models turned away from the world's standard of greatness. Noah built a massive boat in the middle of a desert because God told him he'd need it. Abraham and Sarah heard the words "Go to a land that I will show you" and went without the careful planning that most of us would prefer. And don't forget that Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac at God's direction; Abraham knew that God would provide. We would call the Department of Children and Family Services on him! These giants of the faith are held up before us because they were all ordinary enough, but they knew that God was extraordinary.

For many of us, a Psalm we turn to for comfort  is Psalm 46. The psalmist eloquently spells out that which we most need to be true: that even though God's "got the whole world in His hands," "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

The writer of Hebrews would have appreciated the psalmist's words, because they show us what faith in action does. We often think of the Psalms as lovely, poetic renderings of a life that nowhere matches our experience. We think of them as idyllic and safe. But who would say, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (v. 1) without having known God's deliverance? The psalmist has known a very dangerous time. Because he was kept safe, he believes that God sees his trouble and answers his call for help.

A young girl once told a friend, "Faith is like your birthday. You don't know exactly what you're getting or what the cake will look like, but you know it will be good because it always has been before. I always want to believe there is something good out there."

When she died in an accident at the age of 20, those attending her memorial service expressed how much her faith in God had helped them through their own storms. Many people would have called her an optimist, but it was more than that. She had seen God's hand holding her, and she was completely convinced of God's goodness.

Christian faith is knowing that we are held "gently in the palm of God's hand," even when it feels like we are in the pits of hell.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How has your life changed because of your faith? What has your faith cost you?

Where has "reality" come into conflict with your faith? When have you been called to trust in something that didn't make logical sense?

Of the people mentioned in the "Faith Hall of Fame," with whom do you feel you have the most in common? Why? With whom do you have the least in common?

PRAYER

Living God, thank you for your faithfulness. Teach us to have the faith of our ancestors who trusted in your promises. Remind us that faith is not something we talk about or believe but something that we practice. When storms threaten to undo us, help us to see that you are our refuge and strength. Draw us close to you. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 10:19-31

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

 

10:19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

²⁶For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.²⁸Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." ²⁹How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." ³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

Hebrews promises new vitality for the church; the writer challenges us to refocus our attention and energy. We're asked to take our eyes off the "Bs": buildings, budgets, and bodies; instead, we are called to train them on Christ. It's not about programs, committees, and budgets; it's not about more, bigger, and better.

 

The Random House Webster's Dictionary defines privilege as "the principle of enjoying special rights or immunities," later adding, "under certain conditions." It makes sense to prove we are worthy to enjoy the privileges. Through Christ's sacrifice, however, Christians are entitled to privileges we do not deserve. We don't have to earn them, and in fact we cannot earn them. There's a big difference between what the world expects of us and what Christ offers to us.

The writer of Hebrews helps us see the promise of new life by telling us about the "benefits package" that comes with following Christ. The benefits package is comprised of privileges that are given to us because Christ is our savior. What are those privileges?

First, we get direct, unlimited access to God. Prior to Christ, only the high priests would have gone into the Most Holy Place, and even they were only permitted to do that once a year, during the Feast of Atonement Because of Christ's sacrifice, we stand face to face with God confidently—that is to say, without worry about how we will be received.

Second, we are made clean before God. While the priests and people might have been ritually clean according to the laws, performing those acts did not rid them of their sin. In Christ, "our hearts [are] sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies [are] washed with pure water" (v. 22). Only Christ's sacrifice could do that.

The third benefit is that we are people of hope, allowing us to look trustingly to a future that is in God's hands. These words are not "idle tales." The writer assures us that "he who has promised is faithful" (v. 23).

 

Though we don't earn the benefits of salvation, we are expected to respond to them appropriately. The writer of Hebrews does not hesitate to point out that we are called to do certain things in response to what Christ has already done for us. The writer presents an "If this, then that" argument, balancing Christ's sacrifice with the call to live a holy life.

For the writer of Hebrews, three things contribute to holy living—three things that are flagged with the words "Let us":

Let us draw near to God. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we have a duty to worship God together—it's our job, our vocation. "Do not neglect to worship together as some are in the habit of doing," says the writer of Hebrews. Corporate worship is as important as private devotion.

When we gather, each of us brings something that adds to the faith of our fellow worshipers.

Let us hold fast to the hope we profess. The writer challenges us to hold onto hope even when the very foundations of our lives are shaking. We need to believe we're secure. Instead of looking to our faith, we often seek security in wise financial planning, in education, or in leaders. However, the writer of Hebrews says that by having faith in Christ, we are secure. Stocks fall, culture shifts, but Christ remains.

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Provoke is a strong word—with all the connotations of a frustrated mother who all but growls, "Stop provoking your brother!" Yet, we're told to provoke one another toward the faith-filled life. We're told to lovingly "meddle" in other people's affairs to encourage them to do good things. The writer's exhortation calls us to urge people to faithfulness with encouragement. It may be easier to laugh at or belittle someone than it is to offer encouragement. However, as Christians imitating Christ's sacrifice, we're called to build up the community.

Throughout Hebrews, the writer has worked to make sure we understand that Christ made a once-and-for-all sacrifice on our behalf. Consequently, we are not being asked to offer sacrifices. We are being challenged to do the very thing that is asked at baptisms: to turn away from sin and turn toward Christ. Our security comes from the belief that when we turn toward Christ, it is not a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How can you help encourage other Christians to live in loving and faithful ways? In what specific ways has another person encouraged you?

When you worship, are you conscious of entering into God's presence? How do you feel about worship's being described as your vocation or your calling?

What benefits do you receive from your community of believers? What gifts do you bring to them?

PRAYER

Holy God, by your sacrifice we are made one with you and made clean to stand before you. Help us persevere in the faith. Help us live in faithful response to your gracious acts. Teach us to be mindful of the cost of our salvation, never regarding it lightly and always living in gratitude. Amen.

 

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Ruth 4:1-10

 

"The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquir­ing Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." —Ruth 4:5

 

RESPECTING COMMUNITY STANDARDS

 

4:1 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, "Come over, friend; sit down here." And he went over and sat down. ²Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here"; so they sat down. ³He then said to the next-of-kin, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you." So he said, "I will redeem it." ⁵Then Boaz said, "The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." ⁶At this, the next-of-kin said, "I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a trans­action, one party took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, "Acquire it for yourself," he took off his sandal. ⁹Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people,

"Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses."

 

Red tape can be one of the most frustrating things to deal with, especially for idealists or dreamers. In our churches, it can be frustrating at times to have to go through the proper channels when we want to see something happen. When a committee wants to raise money for a pressing need, to get the approval of the congregation's governing body seems like an unnecessary hoop that will kill momentum. When there is a new idea for ministry, we want to grab hold of that excitement and run with it. Rules, policies, and procedures all presumably exist for good reasons, though sometimes those reasons seem outdated or simply not applicable to the task.

 

Boaz's attention to the red tape, to do things by the book, is rather jarring in this narrative. In this short book, there has been so much action and forward movement; this feels like a screeching halt. Naomi and Ruth have been risk takers from the start. They haven't let things like social convention stop them from moving forward. If they had, they would have gotten absolutely nowhere! When Boaz suddenly pays painstaking attention to every legal detail, it feels like he's dragging his feet. However, by respecting the rules and procedures of the community, Boaz helps to pave the way for reconciliation in the community. After all of this, the community is able to embrace Ruth as one of their own, and the women gather around Naomi in support.

 

In Chapter 4 we learn for the first time that Elimelech (Naomi's late husband) still had some land. To keep land within fami­lies, such land had to be offered for sale to the next of kin, who had right of first refusal. Women could not sell their late husbands' property on their own, so Boaz had to act on Naomi's behalf to broker the deal. Ruth and Naomi assumed that Boaz was the closest relative, eligible to purchase the land, or "redeem" it. Boaz knows of another relative who is closer yet, who must have the first right of refusal. Everything is done by the book. Boaz meets this relative at the city gate, which is where legal matters were decided in ancient Israel. He has gathered the elders together to serve as witnesses to the legal proceedings.

 

Boaz tells the relative that Naomi wishes to sell the land, and he may redeem it if he chooses. The kinsman says, "I will redeem it." Then Boaz tells the kinsman that the day he redeems the land, he will also acquire Ruth to maintain the dead man's name on the inheritance. Israelite law provided that if a widow was to remarry and have children with her new husband, the children would maintain her late husband's name and property. However, we do not know of an Israelite law that required a kinsman redeemer to marry Ruth in this situation. An alternate translation of the Hebrew could be that the day the relative acquires the land, Boaz intends to marry Ruth, and therefore produce heirs that would have legitimate claim to the land now in question. At any rate, the kinsman who is first in line determines that if there is a chance of another heir in the picture, he didn't want to risk his own inheritance, so he decides not to purchase the property.

 

Through the proper legal channels, the closest relative relinquishes his claim on the property. Boaz declares his intention to redeem the property and to take Ruth as his wife. He further promises to maintain the dead man's name on the inheritance, to honor all legal and social customs of the day. Therefore, when Ruth conceives and bears a son, Obed, the women of the neighborhood say, "A son has been born to Naomi," even though the child is biologically unrelated to Naomi. Until Ch. 4 the lines of what is proper and acceptable have been blurred, and in some cases completely bypassed. Now, everything is done according to the letter of the law. Ruth, the Moabite, is fully included into the family and community, and after all of these careful legal proceedings, the son that is born to Ruth and Boaz becomes the grandfather of David, Israel's first great king.

 

All churches experience disagreement over hot-button issues. Some churches divide over them. In times of question, discernment is needed, and in times of disagreement, reconciliation is in order. How else can we move together as a body of Christ, unless the body parts are all working in proper order?

 

The Hebrew word for redeem in v. 4 can also mean "to cover." In 3:4, Ruth goes to the threshing room floor to ask Boaz for help. The text says that Ruth went to "uncover his feet." She went to Boaz when he was most vulnerable, sleeping alone. If there was ever a time when he would hear her request for help, this was it. Ruth and Naomi's plan was a reflection of their position, one in which they were left uncovered, unprotected, and vulnerable to the nearness of poverty. Once Boaz wholeheartedly agrees to look after Ruth, he is ready to formally redeem, or cover, her.

For Ruth and Naomi, it meant even more than that; it meant that they were given rights. For Ruth and Naomi, being covered meant salvation.

 

When Boaz steps in as Ruth's kinsman redeemer, he does not have to give up anything. He willingly takes on a new responsibility. The story of Boaz is reminiscent of the kinsman redeemer for all of humanity, Jesus Christ. However, when Jesus Christ acts as kinsman redeemer, he gives everything. Jesus went about his business openly, as Boaz did to redeem Ruth. Jewish authorities questioned Jesus throughout his ministry. When the authorities came to take Jesus away, he went willingly. Jesus carried himself with dignity and lived a life that angered the authorities because he stood up for the people who were uncovered, those who were most vulnerable. In our society, money has become the difference between covered and uncovered. With Christ as our kinsman redeemer, we should go out in confidence to speak for the uncovered as Boaz does.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

 

Are there ways that you have seen or experienced reconciliation in the church because of work within the structure of governance?

 

What are some of the benefits of following community rules and practices?

 

Are there ever times when those rules or practices should be suspended or ignored?

If so, under what kinds of circumstances?

 

Are there ways to legislate inclusion in a community?

 

PRAYER

Gathering God, we recognize that you call us into com­munity, and only through you can we be the community that you call us to be. Help us learn the practices of our community so that we can be the body that you would have us to be. In Jesus' name. Amen

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture Selection

Ruth 2:8-18

"May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!"

—Ruth 2:12

2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" 11 But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" 13 Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied.

 

The practice of gleaning acknowledges that most of us have more than we need. The owners didn't miss what might have been left on the edges, but to those in need, it was life-saving and life-giving. Making sure that everyone has what they need means giving out of our abundance. Often there are simple ways we can set aside a little here or there and hardly miss it. God called Abraham and chose his descendants for a particular blessing so that all people would be blessed. Blessing comes with a responsibility, and that means giving what we have when we recognize how richly blessed we are.

The provision for gleaning certainly includes Ruth, who gleans after Boaz's hired workers. Boaz's managers identify Ruth as "the Moabite who came back with Naomi." They tell Boaz that she has been working without rest since early morning. Gleaning in the fields could be dangerous work— especially for a vulnerable, poor, foreign widow working in the midst of many hired men. Boaz provides protection for Ruth and orders his men not to bother her. He gives her food and drink and tells his men to pull out handfuls of grain for Ruth to pick up, making her work easier.

Throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy, laws and commandments address the needs of widows, children, the poor, and the oppressed. The rule of gleaning was one such law. Even in the small communities of Israel, God gave regulations for how to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. More than a system of charity, the regulations empowered the needy to seek security for themselves, rather than relying on goodwill donations. The office of deacon was established in the early Christian church as a direct response to a breakdown in distribution of food to the widows. In both cases, the people of God recognized their call to care for the oppressed, and to carry it out systemic solutions were put in place to address material needs.

It is not enough for us to donate money, clothing, food, and time. We also must learn more about what the specific needs are. We must advocate for systemic change and solutions to problems that are often cyclical. And lest we judge those who are in need of help, we must realize that we could one day be the person in need. The provisions for care were given in the Torah with frequent reminders to the Israelites that they, too, had been oppressed, enslaved, poor, and vulnerable, but that God had delivered them.

Ruth and Naomi lived in a society that relied on each year's harvest of crops for survival. Widows without fathers or sons to protect them, such as Ruth and Naomi, were the most vulnerable of all vulnerable populations. Many people in our society have no choice but to live on what is left over after others have taken what they need. Who are the vulnerable among us today?

Outcasts are the most exploited, including immigrants and convicted felons.  When we think about immigration laws, do we see the face of Christ in the eyes of the immigrant? Ruth, a foreigner, was a direct ancestor of Jesus. God's mission of sending the Son into the world is accomplished through a Moabite widow.

In the United States, convicted felons face an uphill battle once they are released from prison. Few jobs are available to them, especially if they do not have a GED. Few companies will take on someone convicted of a felony. They often have little hope and few options when it comes to earning a living wage in society. It's little wonder why felons with drug-dealing convictions return to their old ways. They return to their old neighborhoods. Where else could they afford to live? And how else can they make money?

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What are the unmet needs of your community? If you aren't sure, where might you find the answer?

In what ways has your church responded to the needs of others in the past?  In the present? Are there windows of opportunity for new missions in the near future?

What distinguishes Christian faith in action from community service?

PRAYER

God, you alone are our strength and refuge. You are our present help in times of trouble, and yet too often, when the tables are turned, we neglect those who need to feel your ministries of care. We pray that you would open our hearts and empower us to be your ministers in this world, to provide refuge under our wings, just as you protect us in the refuge of your wings. We ask this all in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.