To meet, or not to meet.

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 

(Rom 13:1-2)

To meet, or not to meet. The book of Hebrews tells us that we should not stay away from our worship meetings and some will use this as a reason to continue meeting in corporate worship. The fuller passage reads:

“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Those planning to open the doors of the church also argue the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and the right of the people to peaceably assemble. Certainly corporate worship relies on both these clauses of the First Amendment.

But should the church argue for its rights under the Constitution? Shouldn’t God’s Word have primacy over legislation? When laws are passed that we don't like we're quick to jump on the passage about obeying God over man. But why did we even wait for elected leaders to mandate that we should do the smart thing? They even started with recommendations but those went largely ignored.

Going back to the beginning of that passage from Hebrews and its command to not stay away from corporate worship: “Let us be concerned about one another…”. Is endangering the lives of others truly expressive of concern for them? Is that a demonstration of love and good works? Moreover, most churches have police officers on their campuses since concern over active shooters has become a daily reality. Are we going to expect them to protect us from active shooters while we endanger their health and their lives by potentially exposing them to this virus?

Now let’s go back to the passage above; Romans 13:1-2. Submit to governing authorities.

We complain about our elected and appointed leaders far more than we pray for them. When they try to enact legislation in an effort to stop the spread of this highly contagious and potentially deadly virus we either think they are not doing enough or they are overreacting. So while they are trying to do what is right, we’re leaving common-sense at home while we go out. Do you really need enforced legislation to do what is right?

I am going to miss Easter morning service. It is my favorite holiday and there is nothing more somber, more reflective, than worshipping our risen Lord. I love sunrise services especially here in Florida where many are held on a beach. But the responsible thing to do is to sacrifice for the greater good of all. After all, while we still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly, that’s us. (Rom 5:8) God is not asking all of us to give up our lives for the well-being of others--He has called some to that level of sacrifice--but is it too much to ask to be inconvenienced?

I don’t have an answer to the question, “Why did God allow this to happen?” But, maybe, just maybe, He held the virus back until the technology was available that allows us to worship, shop, and meet without leaving our homes. Plus, if you’re watching a live stream from the comfort of your own home, who’s going to know when you nod off during the service? Worship from home. Watch the Passion. Watch the Greatest Story Ever Told. There is no shortage of faith-based films to help you reflect on the cost of your salvation.

Isaiah's Response

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: 

“Who should I send? Who will go for Us?”

I said: “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

These are the words of God as spoken through the prophet Isaiah. 

When people think of prophecy, many think of predictions of the future. These predictions are often confusing. They can be filled with images that are hard to imagine; dragons, and horsemen, statues that crumble, scrawny cows eating large healthy cows. But the bulk of Biblical prophecy is not foretelling; that is speaking into the future, but forthtelling; speaking against things that are wrong, speaking against social injustices contemporary to the time the prophecies were being spoken.

That means the office of prophet was not a glorious and fun position to hold. It meant that the prophet might just have to speak out against the kings and rulers of the time. It meant putting one’s life at risk but telling the king he or she was wrong. Many did pay with their lives for speaking the truth; God’s truth.

So God calls. “Who shall I send?”

And Isaiah answers. “Send me.”

A similar call has been issued recently. Not one of a prophetic nature but a call that places the health, even the life of the person being called at great risk. Still, a great many people have said, “Here I am. Send me.”

These include medical professionals, nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and administrative personnel. It includes hospital chaplains. It also includes law enforcement officers, paramedics, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians. These are front line workers going towards danger, placing themselves in the presence of people who are symptomatic of COVID-19. They are people who would rather be home, practicing social distancing in order to avoid contracting the virus but instead they stay true to their individual callings and place their lives at risk for the benefit and well-being of others.

But it also includes grocery store workers, janitors, sanitation workers, professional food-shoppers. And last but not least, it includes the women and men I have the privilege of calling my colleagues and friends, members of the armed forces. Those in this group who are closest to me are the Soldiers and Airmen of the Florida National Guard. 

As I served as the chaplain for a group of these men and women I was amazed at how selfless they served. They worked side by side with the medical professionals, disaster relief workers, law enforcement officers, and a host of other people that were there, everyday, doing what they were called to do. 

I was prepared to do a lot of counseling for anxiety and fear because of the close proximity they were to the virus. But once the mission kicked off, they all kicked in. The only anxious moments I observed was when one of their friends became symptomatic and had to be isolated. They feared for the well being of their colleagues.

I also saw some anxiety when the nurses lost a friend and colleague to COVID-19 and the law enforcement officers also lost a friend and colleague. They reflected on the loss, they discussed it briefly, we prayed, and then they went right back to work.

Each of them chose a vocation of service. But it wasn’t entirely their choosing, it was their calling. As God called them to serve in these various capacities, we need to keep them covered in prayer. Pray that the God who called them will also protect them and give their families a sense of His presence and His peace as their loved ones continue to risk their own lives and health for the well-being of others.

God asked, “Who shall I send?”

And they answered, “Here we are. Send us.”

Palm Sunday-The Triumphal Entry

Mark 11:1-11

The Sabbath comes and passes. It’s now Sunday morning, the Sunday before the Passover. Jesus orders two of His disciples to go ahead of Him and find a donkey and bring it to Him. It is upon this donkey that Jesus will  ride into Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah:

     Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

     Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!

     Look, your King is coming to you;

     He is righteous and victorious,

     humble and riding on a donkey, 

     on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

     (Zech 9:9 HCSB)

Humble and riding on a donkey. When kings returned from battle they rode on horses or in chariots. Jesus was entering victorious in battle but the battle He fought was a spiritual battle. He came first as a humble, suffering servant. He’ll return again as the victorious leader, as the King of kings, and as the Leader of the entire Heavenly host prepared to destroy the forces of evil for eternity. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem the people begin shouting and praising Him. These are the same people that knew first hand about the resurrection of Lazarus. There shouts were:

     Hosanna!

     He who comes in the name

     of the Lord is the blessed One!

     The coming kingdom

     of our father David is blessed!

     Hosanna in the highest heaven!

     (Mark 11:9-10 HCSB)

The religious leaders in Jerusalem would have recognized these words. It goes back to the Psalms.

     Lord, save us!

     Lord, please grant us success!

     He who comes in the name

     of the Lord is blessed.

     From the house of the Lord we bless you.

     (Psalm 118:25-26 HCSB)

Hosanna is a conflation of two Hebrew words, Hosa and nna, the former meaning to save or rescue, and the latter meaning to beseech, to pray, while conveying a sense of urgency.

So the people from Bethany were laying their coats and branches before Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, a tradition used for the return of the king from a victorious battle. At the end of WWII there were parades with confetti and people were celebrating the return of the victorious army in its fight against Naziism. The laying of coats and branches before Jesus would have been similar. 

By these acts the people were saying, “Here comes the victorious King.” And in their praise they were shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna.” Save us conquering king. But save us from what?

What do we want to be saved from? What the people of Bethany want to be saved from? Perhaps they saw that Jesus had power over death and they wanted to be spared from death. Throughout human history people have sought ways to cheat death. We want to live longer and healthier but not if it means living in poverty.

What do we seek from God? Are we pleading for things that are temporal? Save me from sickness. Help me with my finances. Bring my enemies to their knees.

I don’t know what was in the minds of the people from Bethany when they shouted Hosanna and treated Jesus as a conquering king. Based on later reports on the number of early followers it seems likely at least some of them were seeking long and prosperous lives and perhaps some understood what Jesus was offering. Not long life in the physical world but eternal life in the spiritual world.

Sometimes it’s hard to get our heads, and our hearts, around the idea that the eternal is far more important than the temporal. We read the scripture and study the parables and other writings about earthly treasures vs. worldly treasures. We comprehend it in our minds but does it really make a difference in our hearts?

The Final Stop Before the Passion Week

John 11:1-11

It was Friday, the 9th of Nisan, six days before the Passover. The exact year of this event cannot be precisely determined. The Hebrew calendar is based on lunar cycles and has to be adjusted occasionally to sync with the solar calendar. (Although this date is pure speculation based on available information, the date may have been March 29, 0030.) 

Jesus and His disciples returned to Bethany, a town about two miles east of Jerusalem. They arrived, six days before the Passover, or Pesach, as recorded in John's gospel. 

After His arrival the people of Bethany gave Jesus a dinner. Lazarus, recently brought back from the dead, was in attendance. Martha was busy serving the dinner guests and Mary, Martha’s sister, was anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive, fragrant oil.

This event is where we start to see the heart of Judas Iscariot. He complains that anointing Jesus’ feet with such expensive oil is a waste. Judas says, “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denari and given to the poor.

“[Judas] didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.” (John 12:5-6 HCSB) 

Jesus and His disciples remained in Bethany through the Sabbath. Meanwhile, the religious leaders not only plotted to kill Jesus but also plotted to kill Lazarus since the stories of how Jesus raised him from the dead were circulating and increasing Jesus' popularity.

Let's focus on Mary's act of worship. Yes, anointing Jesus' feet with expensive oil was an act of worship. 

The scripture says it was expensive. It also tells us that Judas didn't care about the poor even though he asked why the oil wasn't sold and given to the poor. It says he was a thief and kept some of the money from the money bag. 

How much is 300 denarii? It was considered a year's wages for the average worker. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average annual income of an American in 2019 was $49,672. In today's dollars, Mary anointed Jesus feet with oil that was worth the cost of a very nice, new car. She certainly understood the concept of treasures in heaven versus treasures on earth. She sacrificed something of great value as an act of worship towards Jesus. 

What about us? How much are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord? A year's worth of wages or just a fraction? Our time, or just a small fraction of our time? 

Let's ask the same question from a different angle. What are we not willing to part with for Jesus? I am willing to give Jesus everything I have except...