Respite

“All have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:27-29).

To “take up the yoke” was to apprentice oneself (yoke oneself) to an eminent rabbi—in this case, the gentle, humble Jesus.

Other rabbis said, "Come to me and I'll give you a set of rules.” Jesus says, "Come to me and I'll show you what your Heavenly Father is like.”

Thus we find rest for our souls…

David Roper

7.1.20

The Forgotten Factor

“In the succeeding generation rulers will be appointed who have lost the guardian power of testing the metal of your different races, which… are of gold and silver and brass and iron. And so iron will be mingled with silver, and brass with gold, and hence there will arise inequality and inequity, which always and in all places are causes of hatred and war. This the Muses affirm to be the stock from which discord has sprung…” (Plato’s Republic, 8.547.e).

Inequity, inequality, and all the other disparities of life have always been with us, but there are now new calls for swift, concerted, corrective action. But what can I, an old Duffer, do?

Some would suggest that I chant, tweet, march, or spray paint slogans on a wall. But all those expedients, though ofttimes well-intentioned, seem pointless to me. Are there no other measures?

The Apostle John applies Occam’s Razor to the question—the simplest possible answer—in the very last book of the Bible.

First a word of explanation: The Book of Revelation, is a picture book, a graphic representation of human history, but it surpasses all other efforts to understand history by revealing (hence the name of the book) the unseen spiritual forces that drive many of the geopolitical events of our times. It opens our eyes to first causes and ultimate reality, and In that sense it is the most “woke” book of all time. 

In one chapter John sees a harlot dressed in scarlet sitting astride a powerful beast. The beast, in John’s day, represented the Roman Empire and all subsequent manifestations of political power. The harlot represents Satan and his minions, manipulating the beast at will (Revelation 17).

This is not to say that the state is entirely evil, but it explains why evil is so hard to eradicate from the state. The moment one form of evil is vanquished the devil takes up another. Old Satan is too canny for old David. What am I to do?

By way of an answer, John is given a vision of cosmic war—the saints in pitched battle with the devil: “And they (the saints) overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death” (Revelation 12:11). 

John’s emphasis lies first in the proclamation of the gospel, the good news about the blood-soaked Lamb and his self-sacrificing love. This  does not deny the efficacy of certain forms of political action, and certainly the Church is called to acts of compassion for the disadvantaged. But it does deny the ability of mere beneficence to bring about eternal good. 

Unfortunately, many of us have been caught up in the politics of the moment and have forgotten that our primary task in this world is to point people toward Jesus and his love. Failing that, we may fill their stomachs (or their pockets) but we will leave their hearts empty and sad. Worst yet, they will be eternally separated from joy. 

Secondly, our power to overcame evil is the power of sacrificial love. “They did not love their lives to death.” In John’s day that could mean martyrdom. In our day it calls for self-effacing, self-sacrificing love for one another. This, and not our politics—left or right—is what defines us as followers of the Lamb.

The primary message that the Church has for the world is the good news of God’s redeeming love. “Preach the word,” Paul insists, to his young friend in Ephesus, a politically corrupt outpost of an evil empire, “Stay on task, whether you feel like it or not” (1 Timothy 4:1). That is our first order of business.

“Make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil,” Paul wrote in another place (Ephesians 5:16). Evil days are days of opportunity. You and I were called on stage in this particular period of human history to proclaim the Good News that Jesus, and Jesus alone, has brought salvation to the earth. “We must play well the scene in which we’re ‘on,’” C.S. Lewis said.

David Roper

6.30.20

The One Who Dwells in the Bush

“The one who dwells in the bush…” (Deuteronomy 33:15b)

Moses was trudging across the wilderness of Midian, leading a little band of sheep, when he spied a bush that was on fire, “but it was not being consumed.” So “he turned aside to see this great sight, why the bush did not burn” (Exodus 3:1-3). 

God spoke from the bush: “I am going to send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). 

Moses, diminished by repeated failure, demurred: “WHO AM I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (3:11). “Who am I?” Moses was a discouraged, old drover.

God spoke again from the bush: “It doesn’t matter who you are, Moses. I will be with you” (3:11).

“Well then who are you?” Moses asked. And God said, “’I AM.’ That’s who I am. That is my name forever. Never forget it.”

I AM”—the first person singular present grammatical form of the verb “to be.” An active verb. God’s personal name forever.

“I AM”—whatever you need this day, whenever you need it. Do you need strength to hold it together when everything and everyone is going to pieces? Do you need courage to deal with a challenge in your family this day?  Do you need wisdom to know truth from error in the present confusion? Do you need faith to believe that God is in control? Do you need patience and love for the folks with whom you are sheltering? Ask and it will be given. Not all at once, but in due time.

“I AM,” the God who dwells in the bush, is with you. “I AM” is his name forever. 

David Roper

6.28.20

To Win the Prize

"Do you remember how, on a racing-track, every competitor runs, but only one wins the prize? Well, you ought to run with your minds fixed on winning the prize! Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training. Athletes will take tremendous pains—for a fading crown of leaves. But our contest is for a crown that will never fade" (1 Corinthians 9:25, 26, J.B. Phillips).

I ran track in high school—the 100 and 200 meter hurdles. When I got to college, however, I realized that everyone in the Southwest Conference—even the equipment managers—could run faster than I and turned in my spikes. 

One thing I learned about competing at the highest level: "Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training."

That analogy—running with your mind fixed on the prize—is often applied to the Christian life with inducements to establish a set of dreary disciplines—rising at 4:00 a.m. to pray, a chastisement that only made me grouchy. Thankfully, however, that's not how Paul applies that phrase.

Paul argues that though we have been endowed with certain rights, we can, out of our love for Jesus, impose limits on ourselves—discipline ourselves, if you will—give up those rights in order to bring others closer to him. That's what Paul means when he writes, "I run the race with determination. I am no shadow-boxer, I really fight!" (9:27). (Here Paul uses a technical boxing term that evokes memories of  Mammy Yoakum's fabled "Goodnight Irene" knockout punch.)

Stern discipline indeed: To “knock ourselves out” to gain the greatest prize—the spiritual good of another. It's what Jesus did when He set aside his rights as Almighty God and humbled himself to bring salvation to us. He was willing to give up his throne in glory and every other right as God to seek our highest good. There is no greater discipline. There is no greater love.

David Roper

6.24.20

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the day we set aside to honor our fathers, though I suspect, these days, it best serves the interests of the merchants.

Nevertheless… Father’s Day is upon us and as such is an appropriate time to take note of something God said: “Every one of you shall honor… his father” (Leviticus 19:3).

Actually, God said something even more significant: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall honor…his father” (19:2,3), thus establishing a connection between holy living and paternal honor. You can’t have one without the other.

Few men my age have living parents, thus we can honor them only in our memories. But most of us have living children. We, as fathers, cannot insist that they honor us, but we can do something even better: We can, by God’s grace, become the kind of men and fathers that our children find easy to honor (Ephesians 6:4).

David Roper

6.20.20

"Hang A While"

Where'er Thou roam'st, one happy soul, we know,

      Seen at Thy side in woe,

   Waits on Thy triumphs—even as all the blest

      With him and Thee shall rest.

   Each on his cross; by Thee we hang a while,

      Watching Thy patient smile,

   Till we have learned to say, "'Tis justly done,

Only in glory, LORD, Thy sinful servant own."

—John Keble

Old John Keble’s poetry is difficult to parse, but worth the trouble when done.  

He writes of “one happy soul,” thinking of Dismas, the repentant thief, hanging on the cross at Jesus’ side, suffering woe, but waiting for Jesus’ triumph. 

Keble sees us crucified with him (“each on his own cross"), as we "hang a while” at Jesus’ side  until we have learned to say “’Tis justly done”—patiently accepting our measure of sorrow and suffering in this life, as Jesus did (“Thy will be done”)—clinging to his promise: "Truly I say to you, you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus, for the glory set before him endured the cross. Thus we “watch” and wear his patient smile and “hang a while” until he takes us with him into glory.

David Roper

6.19.20

Frog and Toad Together

by Arnold Lobel: An "I Can Read Book"

 

Frog was in his garden. 

Toad came walking by. 

"What a fine garden you have, Frog," he said. 

"Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but it was hard work." 

"I wish I had a garden," said Toad. 

 

"Here are some flower seeds. 

Plant them in the ground," said Frog, "and soon you will have a garden." 

"How soon?" asked Toad. 

"Quite soon," said Frog.

 

Toad ran home. 

He planted the Flower seeds.

"Now seeds," said Toad, "start growing."

Toad walked up and down a few times. 

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Toad put his head close to the ground and said loudly, 

"Now seeds, start growing!" 

Toad looked at the ground again.

The seeds did not start to grow.

 

Frog came running up the path. 

"What is all this noise?" he asked. 

"My seeds will not grow," said Toad. 

"You are shouting too much," said Frog. 

"These poor seeds are afraid to grow." 

 

"My seeds are afraid to grow?" asked Toad.

"Of course," said Frog. 

"Leave them alone for a few days. 

Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. 

Soon your seeds will start to grow."

 

That night Toad looked out of his window. 

"Drat!" said Toad. "My seeds have not started to grow.

They must be afraid of the dark." 

 

Toad went out to his garden with some candles. 

"I will read the seeds a story," said Toad. 

"Then they will not be afraid."

Toad read a long story to his seeds.

 

All the next day Toad sang songs to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad read poems to his seeds.

And all the next day

Toad played music for his seeds. 

 

Toad looked at the ground. 

The seeds still did not start to grow. 

"What shall I do?" cried Toad. 

"These must be the most frightened seeds; in the whole world!"

 

Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.

"Toad, Toad, wake up," said Frog. "Look at your garden!" 

Toad looked at his garden. 

Little green plants were springing up out of the ground.

 

"At last," shouted Toad, "my seeds have stopped being afraid to grow!" 

"And now you will have a nice garden too," said Frog. 

 "Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work"

 

Some folks work very hard to be good, but like garden flowers and other things that come from God, personal righteousness is a gift that God wants to give you. He will bring it to you little by little and in due time if you keep asking him for it. “For as a garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up...” (Isaiah 61:11).

 

David Roper

6.17.20