Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 9:28-29 (New Living Translation)

28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.

Paul had tormented and killed Christians. God changed Paul. It was difficult for Christians to believe Paul was changed. I understand that hesitance. Anyways, Paul was back in Jerusalem with the original apostles. He was preaching. He, being a smart and educated man, debated with some other educated (they spoke Greek) Jews.

These educated Jews tried to murder Paul.

Stop. Wait a minute. They tried to murder Paul. This wasn’t an idea they discussed. This wasn’t a plot uncovered by the police and prevented. This was actually attempted murder. This would get your attention.

We aren’t told of the attempt or of the means. Was it poison? Put a deadly snake in your belongings? Cut the break lines in your chariot? Just kidding on that last one, but that’s a common one in today’s mysteries.

I know the story of Paul. He persecuted the church. He was changed. He had four missionary journeys. He wrote a dozen or so letters that appear in the New Testament. He was ship wrecked. And on and on. This book of Acts of the Apostles records much of his life. His letters add more to the (hi)story. Yet, we have no details of this attempted murder. It just passes us in a little phrase at the end of a sentence.

This is near the beginning of Paul’s ministry or service to God. This would dissuade most of us from continuing. Paul, however, kept going. A little murder didn’t scare him away. Why not? What was it that pushed him forward?

I have troubles and woes in my life. Not really, but some days I complain foolishly. No one has ever tried to murder me. I think that holds for all of us. Come on. Stop wallowing in self pity. Thank you God, and help me in my unbelief.

Mark 1:44-45 (New Living Translation)

44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

Jesus had just healed a man with an incurable disease—leprosy. As per the law of the people, the man was to go to a priest for confirmation of the absence of leprosy. The man was also to give a sacrifice of thanksgiving and such. Jesus told the man to do these required actions.

The man disobeyed Jesus.

Hold on here. The man was doomed to live in the shadows of society. Those with leprosy stayed on the fringe and depended on people who would put food and clothing out here and there, now and then. Jesus changed the man’s life. Things would always be better.

And the man disobeyed Jesus. Instead, the man spread the word. Crowds surrounded Jesus. Jesus stayed outside of towns, but people found him in the countryside and kept pressing on Jesus.

There is much in this (hi)story. What was wrong with the man? He met Jesus face to face. Jesus blessed him. He disobeyed Jesus. What? If I were … Oops, let’s stop there. Since that day to this, Jesus has blessed millions or billions of us (especially me). And then we proceeded to disobey (especially me). Despite our stupid disobedience, people seek Jesus, find Jesus, and receive blessings from Jesus.

This is not how things are supposed to work. Good leads to good, which leads to good. Right? Here we have good leading to bad, which leads to good. God works in mysterious ways. I don’t understand them. I am thankful and confused.

Mark 5:30-31 (New Living Translation)

30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

This is part of the (hi)story of how Jesus healed a woman who crept through a crowd and touched His clothing. Jesus asked his close followers, “Who touched my robe?”

His followers stated the obvious. Everyone in the crowd touched the robe of Jesus. Good grief. Did Jesus want a list of names or something? Silly question. The touch of this woman, however, was different.

Life goes on day by day. The same things happen over and over, day after day, year after year, ho hum, blah blah blah. It all runs together and means nothing. Then something different comes. I remember that different day, that different event. It wasn’t the same thing.

So it was on this day with the crowds pressing in on Jesus and the followers. The small touch of this woman was different. She had faith. She knew that if she touched Jesus the physical misery of her life would cease. She only needed to touch the robe of Jesus. She reached Jesus. She had the faintest encounter. It happened. Jesus healed. And Jesus knew that a person with great faith had sought Him.

I guess that was the difference. A person of great faith sought Jesus. They met. Everything changed. How many times has this been repeated in the 2,000 years since? Someone seeks Jesus. When they meet, everything changes. Praise be to God. Thanks be to God.

Obadiah 1:8 (New Living Translation)

8 At that time not a single wise person will be left in the whole land of Edom,” says the Lord. “For on the mountains of Edom
I will destroy everyone who has understanding.

God is speaking to the people through the prophet Obadiah. Bad things are coming for Edom. This is a brother nation to God’s people. The people of Edom, however, acted like a jealous instead of a loving brother when bad things happened to God’s people. Edom will be punished for these actions.

One of the worse punishments is stated above. Wise people will be gone. The people of Edom will have no wise people. The place will be full of a bunch of … morons? The three stooges will rule?

Enough levity. What can happen that is worse? There is no wise person to pull aside and ask, “Hey, what would be a good thing to do now? How can I get out of this mess?”

That is terrible. God has blessed me with wise persons. God has blessed me with people who have taught me and led me to the right places. Thank you God.

Amos 7:14-15 (New Living Translation)

14 But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’

Amos was a prophet. God told things to Amos, and Amos repeated those things to the people.

In this part of the story of Amos, God showed Amos a vision and told Amos to tell the people. The vision, however, was bad. God was saying, “Here comes bad times. Go tell the people the bad news.”

No one likes to hear bad news. Some folks get down-right violent when you tell them bad news. Yes, kill the messenger who delivers unwanted messages. Amos did what God wanted. “Hey, I am not a professional,” said Amos. “I am a shepherd and orchardist. Give me a break here. I don’t know what I am doing other than repeating what God told me to repeat.”

In the face of criticism, that is an understatement, Amos repeated God’s words. Note the humility in Amos’ life. He wasn’t saying, “If you folks seek God, you will go to hell.” He is saying, “If WE all don’t seek God, WE ALL will go to hell.” Those are not the words of a professional professor. Those are the words of a sheep herder who was given words from God. And sometimes it isn’t good to be given such a burden.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (New Living Translation)

1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

The United States of America is 250 years old today. That depends of course on how we count years and events. Nevertheless, this is supposed to be an important milestone. I am old enough to remember the bicentennial of America. I graduated high school that year (yes, I am that old).

In theses verses, Paul urges Timothy to pray for all people (A L L P E O P L E — I could write a few dozen posts on that concept). The second sentence specifically mentions kings, those in authority, and politicians by today’s standards. The desired result is we can live peaceful and quiet lives. Not so that we can relax in peace and quiet, but that we can live godly lives with dignity. Yeah, I like that.

We have that in America today. Sure, folks bicker and fuss and yell at one another. Sure, it seems that THEY are trying to ruin everything, but really, breathe a moment in godly dignity. Settle down. I am sure there are plenty of old sayings to write here.

I recently saw something on YouTube (the fount of all knowledge — not) that in elections in America, we are not voting for a savior. We already have a Savior. We merely vote for someone to represent us in our form of representative democracy. Many times we hold our nose due to the stench and vote anyways.

And per Paul’s urging, let us pray. Let us intercede on behalf of our elected representatives. Let us especially intercede on behalf of those representatives whom we did not favor with our votes. They need prayers. They need prayers almost as much as I need prayers. Let us not skip over the first phrase from Paul’s urging and pray for A L L P E O P L E. Please put me at the top of your list.

Amos 5:21 (New Living Translation)

21 “I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.

pretense: verb, the act of behaving in a certain way to make something that is not true appear real. It is a false show, a fabricated claim, or an insincere attempt to hide one’s true feelings, intentions, or identity.

God is speaking to the people through the prophet Amos. The people are hypocrites. When I was a kid, there was a saying from the non-church goers describing the church goers. “Churches are full of a bunch of hypocrites.” Pardon the digression back to the 1970s.

In this instance, the people were hypocrites. God saw it; God called it. The acts of respect and love towards God, a.k.a., religious ceremonies, were a show and pretense. See the definition of pretense above. Make something that is not true appear real. Have a false show or fabricated claim.

Lie with you words and actions.

Oh, lying. Now I understand that one. The people were a bunch of liars. That is plain and simple. That is wrong. And they thought they could lie to God the Creator who knows all minds and hearts. Foolishness.

God hates lying. Plain and simple. And to lie about the love and respect of God… well that is about as bad a lie as the tongue can tell. God hates that. Plain and simple.

We have all this stuff that is plain and simple, yet we think we can wiggle around enough and put on a big enough show to “get away with it.” Nope. We aren’t getting away with anything with God. God knows. God hates the show and pretense. I need to get it together here.

Mark 6:37 (New Living Translation)

37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”

“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”

This is part of the (hi)story of feeding 5,000 people with no visible means to do so. When asked what to do with all these hungry people, Jesus answers, “You feed them.”

The followers protest with a good reason why they couldn’t feed the people. They didn’t have the means; they didn’t have the money.

Jesus knew all that. Still, the instructions are simple. You are here to care for others. Do it.

There are many situations when practical considerations dictate that … Okay, enough of practical considerations and matters of physical means. Jesus put us, Jesus put me, here to care for others. Do it. But what about? Okay, I can think of a thousand situations and ten thousand excuses. All those don’t matter. Jesus put me right here and now with these people. Care for them. Feed them. ‘Nuff said. Now it is time to do.

Ezekiel 9:9 (New Living Translation)

9 Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’

God is speaking to the people through the prophet Ezekiel. Their sins are “very, very great.” I wouldn’t write a phrase like that, perhaps their is something lost in translation.

The city is filled with injustice. Now that is a high concept. Injustice. What is that?

The entire land is full of murder. I am bigger than you. I am stronger than you. I have a sword, and you don’t. I want your things. Simple. I kill you and take your things. Right? Wrong? There is no right and wrong. Someone will stop me? Who? I didn’t think so.

This is injustice. Right and wrong don’t matter. The big beat the small. Simple.

God has a lot of rules. Some people reject God because they want to do things that God declares is a violation of the rules, i.e., is wrong. But what’s the harm in a little … fun? Some people think its fun to beat another person and take their things. Considering it fun doesn’t matter. It is wrong.

It is injustice.

Jeremiah 30:11 (New Living Translation)

11 For I am with you and will save you,” says the Lord.

“I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.”

God is talking to the people through the prophet Jeremiah. God begins with, “I will save you.”

Whew! Comfort. This story is gonna’ end good. And those dastardly nations who killed many of the people? God will destroy them. Good. They had it coming.

Uh, oh, wait, there is more (isn’t there always more?). God cannot let the people go unpunished. God will discipline the people. Uh, what? The discipline will come with justice. I don’t like “justice” in this context. That sounds like I’m “gonna’ git what I deserve,” and I don’t like gittin’ what I deserve.

There is this nagging thought that God cannot let people go unpunished when they deserve punishment. Surely, today, this doesn’t hold, right? I mean, we won’t be invaded, conquered, and hauled off into slavery into another country. Will we? There are other types of punishment that can come from God. Many other types. I don’t want to experience those. I won’t even type the words here while typing these words.

Nevertheless, there is punishment. Please God, have mercy on me and help me in my unbelief.