Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 2:52 (New Living Translation)

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

This verse describes a mostly unknown part of the life of Jesus. What did Jesus do from about age 13 to about age 30? We don’t know much. This sentence gives us one glimpse into that part of Jesus’ life.

Jesus grew in favor with all the people.

People liked Jesus. This is hard to describe, but something we know when we see it. Jesus’ dad was a carpenter—a person who worked with wood. Jesus was probably pretty good at working with wood. Jesus was probably good with the tools of the trade and good with customer relations.

People probably came to Jesus with their wood problems. They probably came to Jesus with other problems as well. Jesus probably talked to people, reasoned with them, was sympathetic with their situations.

God doesn’t ask us to be popular. Being elected class president in the 6th grade is okay, but not a command from God. Still, we are told that Jesus grew in favor with all the people. As we strive to be like Jesus, Christ-like, or Christian, let’s remember this from the life of Jesus.

Exodus 35:34 (New Living Translation)

And the Lord has given both him (Bezalel son of Uri) and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others.

This is part of the (hi)story of building the Tabernacle—a tent where the people would offer sacrifices to God while they were wandering in the wilderness.

God gave Bezalel and Oholiab special abilities in arts and crafts to do the fine work required in the Tabernacle. In addition to these special abilities, God gave these two another critical ability—they could teach their skills to others.

Other people would know how to do the work required because God enabled persons to be teachers. It is one thing to be able to do something; it is another to be skilled enough to be able to teach others. That is a deeper level of understanding. That is a further gift from God.

People have been following God as Christians for several thousand years. This would not have been possible if God had not given people the ability to teach others. I have met many good teachers of Christianity (and many more who attempted to teach, but …). When we meet a good teacher of Christianity, let’s pause a moment and thank God for giving that person the ability to teach. That ability to teach isn’t widespread. It is precious and rare. Thank you God for yet another blessing.

1 Samuel 26:12 (New Living Translation)

12 So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.

This is another episode in the (hi)story of David being chased by King Saul. David and a companion sneak into Saul’s camp at night. They take items next to Saul’s head without being detected. It was easy because Jehovah God put Saul’s men into a deep sleep. A thundering herd would not have awoken them.

God acts in great big ways that are obvious to everyone. See, for example, parting a sea so people could walk on dry land. See, also, prophets (and Jesus) bring dead people back to life.

God also acts in ways that are not obvious to everyone. This (hi)story is one example. God caused people to sleep deeply and restfully. My guess is that Saul’s men woke the next morning feeling full of energy after having slept deeply and peacefully.

God also acts everyday in ways that are not obvious to everyone. “Please God,” I often pray, “grant me sleep so I awake rested.” I like that prayer. I like it that God gives us rest from the toils of the day. I pray that we all are rested. Fatigue always wins in our lives.

So a simple thing like sleeping was under God’s purview. God acted; David acted, and everyone learned something about everyone else and about God.

1 Samuel 21:14-15 (New Living Translation)

14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? 15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”

This is part of the (hi)story of David and his men fleeing from King Saul. David goes to the country of Gath ruled by King Achish. Fearing what might happen to him and his men, David has the idea that he will pretend to be “insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.’ (verse 13).

King Achish takes one look at David and tells his men what we read above. The king already has enough madmen around here.

It seems that David was a good actor. It also seems that David was a good liar. His stunts convinced King Achish that he was a madman and, therefore, harmless. King Achish allowed David and his men to stay.

I have much personal experience with family members with mental illness—what some would call “madness” or being a “madman.” I didn’t and still don’t enjoy the experiences, but there are times when I can thank God for the experience and what God taught me.

I can tell God that I’ve had enough madmen around me. I can tell God that I’ve had enough fill-in-the-blank around here. God knows better. God knows what and who to send my way. My task is to accept God as God and humbly learn. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 14:16-17 (New Living Translation)

16 In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17 but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”

Paul is talking to a group of people in a place called Lystra. Paul had just healed a man who was crippled in his feet since birth. The people are amazed (who wouldn’t be?). They declared Paul to be a god and all that stuff. There were statues nearby of Hermes and Zeus and all those things.

Paul pleaded with them. Those statues were nothing but nice sculptures. There was no god in them. There was no power in them. There is a real God who created everything.

The real God let people go their own way, but always provided people everywhere and at all times with evidence of God’s goodness. Consider the simple example of rain. God brings rain so that crops grow and feed people and livestock to feed people. Food comes from God. That is evidence of God’s goodness.

And then consider happiness and joy. Do we think those things are “just natural?” No, they aren’t. Happiness and joy are gifts from God. They are evidence of God’s goodness.

I have a hot cup of coffee. I have a table in front of me. I have a chair. I have a pen and paper and computer and napkin and clothes and let’s not forget about air conditioning here in July or August and… Okay, I’m just describing the stuff right here in front of me. It’s just plain stuff and it is evidence of God’s goodness.

It is all around me. I just have to open my eyes. Thank you God for all your goodness to me.

1 Samuel 21:1-2 (New Living Translation)

1 David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”

2 “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.

David is fleeing King Saul. Saul wants David dead (a good reason to flee).

Seeking some refuge, David goes to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech who is a Priest. Ahimelech, knowing some of the situation with all this fleeing and killing and such, trembles and asks David, “How’s you day?”

David lies to Ahimelech the Priest.

Well, you have to understand the situation and … Nope. David lies and he lies to a Priest. But, but, but … Nope. David lies and he lies to a Priest.

David was a man after God’s own heart. He always sought after God as a guide to living. David killed lots of people. David cheated with a married woman. David did this bad thing and that bad thing and another bad thing over there and he lied to a Priest.

We are an odd lot. God still loves us and gave up Jesus for our benefit. And we lie to priests and cheat in marriage and murder people. And God still loves us.

Can I be more blessed? Can I be a little more thankful?

2 Peter 2:1 (King James Version)

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Let’s go back to the King James Version for today’s version and contemplation.

Peter is telling the readers that there will be false teachers who will enter and quietly bring “damnable heresies.” I love that phrase, “damnable heresies.”

We don’t say “damnable” much these days. It means subject to or worthy of divine condemnation.

We don’t say “heresies” much these days, either. It means something that goes against all the other teaching.

A heresy can merely be a different point of view. But when that different point of view is subject to or worthy of divine condemnation, that is not just plain wrong. Get rid of it. Out the door, right now, with extreme prejudice.

So who are these false teachers with their damnable heresies? The folks who want to sing five songs instead of three? Nope. The folks who want a 15-minute sermon instead of a 30-minute sermon? Nope. How about those folks who…? Nope. Nope. And nope.

Silly examples? Maybe. But as we edge towards not-so-silly examples, people start to move towards damning the idea as heresy.

There are damnable heresies in the world today. Plenty of them. Let’s read the Bible—the entire Bible a few dozen times start to finish. We may then start to appreciate all the accepted teaching. Heresies may be easier to spot.

Then we punish those false teachers, right? That’s not what Peter wrote. Swift destruction will come upon those false teachers. Of course “swift” may not be swift enough for me. It will be, however, swift enough for God.

Leviticus 19:4 (New Living Translation)

Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

God the Creator or Jehovah (YHWH) is talking to Moses. Moses is to pass along these instructions to the people.

This is one of many places in the Old Testament where Jehovah tells the people that of all the “gods” out there, Jehovah the Creator is their God. There were plenty of images out there representing the god of the river or the god of the mountain or the god of the clouds or the god of the rains or the god of the wheel or something. These were creations of Jehovah. People could see and touch these creations and worshiped them.

It was so simple. Make something to represent your favorite god. Put that statue or whatever in a prominent place in your home or your city or along a prominent road. Stop at the statue and pay homage to it. If the god were really special, put money at the foot of the statue. A special group of people would dust off the statue or repaint it annually or something. Those special people would keep the money and use it to live (sometimes live in luxury).

Wrong. Wrong. And wrong.

Worship God the Creator whom the people called Jehovah (English word). The Creator would send the Son Jesus Christ to take away the sins of mankind. That statue out on the old highway? It just got dusty and rusty. Its sort of an interesting historical marker, but nothing else. Worship it? Some of us still do. We are an odd lot.

Ephesians 2:20 (New Living Translation)

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

There is some old saying that has a thousand variations about “standing on others’ shoulders, not on others’ toes.” Of course, most old sayings go back to the Bible. This is one case.

The writer likens Christians to a house built on top of apostles (teachers) and prophets (those through whom God spoke). The cornerstone or first stone placed in the foundation is Jesus Christ.

Christians use what has been taught and written and move forward from that point. “Well, I have a new idea about some of this.” Wrong. New ideas aren’t needed. The foundation we have is more than sufficient. And the foundation we have allows great leeway in where we can go with our (almost and sort of) new ideas.

No need to invent it all over again. We have it given to us. Let’s just try to continue in the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 16:29 (New Living Translation)

“On the tenth day of the appointed month in early autumn, you must deny yourselves. Neither native-born Israelites nor foreigners living among you may do any kind of work. This is a permanent law for you…”

Here is part of the old law the God gave to the people. There are those two words as the end of the first sentence: deny yourselves.

Okay, so what is that mean old God taking away from people this time? No fun, huh?

“you may do any kind of work”

Wait a minute. This must be an error in translation. Should read something like, “You may not rest” or “You may not play” or something like that. God is telling the people to rest. That is a commandment.

Easy enough, right? Wrong. We gotta’ work folks. Let’s get to it. Rest? No.

And that is what the people did. They disobeyed the command to take it easy one day.

We are an odd lot. How does God tolerate us? Thank you Lord for your grace and forgiveness. I can’t seem to do the things that are best for myself.