An Old Clay Pot

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2Corinthians 4:7). 

Over the years I've acquired a number of old clay pots. The one pictured above was excavated from a site dated at Abraham's time (circa 15^th century B.C.)—at least one item in our home that is older than I

It's not much to look at: stained, cracked, chipped and in need of a good scrubbing. It's very fragile. If I dropped it, it would shatter into useless shards. 

I keep it on my desk to remind me that I'm an old clay pot, a man made out of mud, of little value apart from the transcendent treasure that the pot contains. "We have this treasure (Jesus) in earthen vessels."

Paul continues: “(As earthen vessels), we are pressured from every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (4:8,9).

"Pressured." “Perplexed,” “Persecuted." "Struck down." These  are the pressures the pot must bear.

"Not crushed." “Not in despair.” “Not forsaken.” “Not destroyed." These are the effects of the counteracting strength of our indwelling Lord.

"...always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." (4:10a). This is the attitude that characterized Jesus who died to himself every day. And this is the attitude that must characterize us—a willingness to die to self–effort, trusting solely in the sufficiency of the one who indwells us. "Not I, but Christ."

“... that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body“ (4:10b).   This is the outcome: the beauty of Jesus made visible in an old clay pot. 

Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length.

Pressed so intensely it seems beyond strength;

Pressed in the body and pressed in the soul,

Pressed in the mind till the dark surges roll;

Pressed by foes, and pressured by friends;

Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends;

Pressed into loving the staff and the rod,

Pressed into knowing no helper but God.

—Annie Johnson Flint

David Roper

The Terrible Speed of Mercy

Here lies Martin Elginbrod

Have mercy on my soul, Lord God

As I would do were I Lord God

And Thou were Martin Elginbrod

—Scottish Epitaph

"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I have received mercy..." (1Timothy 1:15,16a).

Years ago, I read a story about a fractious congregational meeting in which a young man rose to his feet and shouted “I demand my rights!" An elderly gentleman seated in the pew behind him, tugged on his shirt tail and muttered, “Sit down, son. If you had your rights you'd be in hell.“

Exactly. If God gave me what I rightfully deserve I would be in one of the nine circles of Dante's Inferno. "But I have received mercy."

That thought clears my head when I think that I'm entitled to the good life, or at least one better than the one I have. No, my salvation and every other good thing that comes my way is mine not because I deserve it, but because "I have received mercy." 

How then can I be angry at friends who disappoint me when it's by God's mercy that I have any friends at all? How can I envy old folks that enjoy better health than I when it's solely by God's mercy that I enjoy the measure of health that I have? No, if I got what I deserved I'd be in pure hell. But, thank God, through the Cross, "I have received mercy!"

And, dear reader, so have you!

David Roper

10.26.18

As I wrote this morning I thought of Flannery O’Connor’s would-be hellfire and damnation prophet, Francis Marion Tarwater, who received his long-awaited commission from a burning bush: “Go warn the children of God of the terrible speed of God's mercy.” As Miss O’Connor herself might say, “May God strike you down thisaway.”

 Some Low, Unworthy Thing

Why is it that so often I return 

From social converse with a spirit worn, 

A lack, a disappointment—even a sting 

Of shame, as for some low, unworthy thing?

—George MacDonald

An inspired apostle enjoined Timothy to “flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2Timothy 2:22).

"Youthful passions," in this context (2 Timothy 2:22-26), are not sexual passions, but the immature impulse to wrangle and win. To engage in "foolish and ignorant controversies" that engender strife and ill-will (2:23). These are the ends the unfledged achieve. 

Mature men and women seek righteousness (right thinking and living); faith (trust in God's wisdom and power); love (for God and neighbor); and peace (tranquility and rest)—attributes they long to see in others.

I ask myself, "Have my words and manner achieved those ends?" Or have I left behind some "low, unworthy thing”?

David Roper

10.25.18

The Mouse That Roared

"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet"  —Romans 16:20

A number of years ago our boys and I spent a week driving across the Magruder Corridor, a hundred-mile long jeep track through the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness in Northern Idaho, one of the least populated areas in the lower forty-eight.

It's grizzly bear country so we took precautions, but anticipated no major difficulties. 

One evening, in the middle of the night, Randy give a blood-curdling yell and scrambled to his feet while still in his sleeping bag. I frantically felt around in the darkness, located my flashlight and aimed it into the woods, expecting to see an outraged bear. 

There, sitting upright on its haunches and waving its paws in the air…

…was a field mouse about 4” tall with Randy’s watch-cap clenched in its teeth. The little creature had pulled the cap from his head. Randy yelled at the mouse; it dropped the cap and scampered away. 

But my heart kept pounding.

Everyone else went back to sleep, but I couldn’t. I was so adrenalized I lay awake for several hours. With nothing else to do I began to consider another predator: the devil.

We do well to be aware of the devil. Jesus said he is “a liar and a murderer. His goal is to destroy the human race and his strategy is deceit. He is not to be taken lightly.

We Christians are not dualists, however, believing in two equal and opposite spiritual powers. The devil is a mere created being. His only power is the power that fear gives him. Indeed, as Luther said, "one little word shall fell him."

Consider the temptations of Jesus (Matthew 4). On each occasion, Jesus' countered Satan's enticement with a word. Here is the third temptation:

The devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve'” (Matthew 4:8-10).

It's important to understand what's going on here. Jesus is not quoting scripture to Satan. (That brings to mind an old Sunday school song about the “gospel gun”: “Shoot it at the devil if you want to make him run.”) 

No, Jesus is quoting scripture to himself! Satan offered Jesus the whole world if he would serve him. Jesus, quoting from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:13), reminded himself what God has said and asserted that he would not act contrary to it. It was Jesus' utter submission to God's word that caused Satan to flee (4:11).

That's why it's so important to know God's word and store it in our minds: "Your word (Oh, God), have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you,” the psalmist wrote (Psalm 119:11).

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed 

His truth to triumph through us

The Prince of Darkness grim, 

we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, 

for lo, his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him—Martin Luther

David Roper

10.17.18

Christ plays...

“God—who is establishing us in Christ, has anointed us"  (2Corinthians 1:20).

Paul loved paradoxes: "When I am weak, I am strong.” And puns: “God—who is establishing us in Christ (the anointed) has 'Christed’ (anointed) us.”  

Thus...

Christ plays in ten thousand places, 

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his 

To the Father through the features of men's faces" (G.M. Hopkins).

We are "Christs"—manifesting his beauty in arms that hug, eyes that crinkle and smile with compassion, faces that are as love-filled as his, feet that carry the good news of God’s love to the weary and heavy–laden. In this way Christ “plays” in ten thousand places, in gentle influence wherever his children go, a witness to goodness, truth and beauty that cannot be ignored. As Paul himself wrote, “I live, yet not I; but Christ lives in me.” 

May Christ so “play" in you and me.

David Roper

10.14.18

Showing Up

"But as God is faithful, our word to you was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’" (2Corinthians 1:18). 

Woody Allen said that "Eighty percent of success is showing up." I would add, "on time." 

I once had a friend who was always late for appointments. He justified his tardiness by saying he had so much to do. I 'lowed as to how, if he couldn't keep his word, he was busier than God. 

God always keeps his word: He doesn't say “Yes” and mean “No.” 

Nor should we. 

David Roper

10.13.18

Goodness Personified

"May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all...so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father…” (1Thessalonians 3:12,13).

It is as we grow in love that we become holy. How can that be? Well, it's because love “is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1Corinthians 13:4-7). 

Holiness of life is made perfect in and through love. Aim at holiness and you'll become a fusty, finger-wagging prude. Aim at love and by God’s grace and in due time you will become holy—goodness and beauty personified. 

David Roper

10.10.18