Contemplative Bible Reading

Colossians 3:11 (New Living Translation)

11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

The writer is writing about life and how to live. Prior to this sentence, the writer lists all the things that folks in the world do and that folks following Jesus Christ no longer do.

Things have changed. It doesn’t matter who I am. It doesn’t matter where I went to high school and if I went to college or if I am from the West, the East, the most, or the least.

All that matters is Jesus Christ.

Well, sure, but, you know, I have a special place with Jesus Christ. You see, I came from “good stock” and “the right people” so while everyone is welcome, there are some of my kind that are more welcome and have more special places and…

Wrong, wrong, and wrong. I am not special-er than anyone. All the matters is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ lives in all of us—no more in me than in you or “that fellow over there behind that tree.” And if I wish that fellow over there behind that tree remains over behind that tree and doesn’t bother me too much in this plush, warm coffee shop made for special-er people like me, well, I missed the point of all this.

Whether I am in the coffee shop or sheltering in the woods trying to stop the hunger and cold shivers doesn’t matter. Jesus Christ is all that matters. And I should bring warmth and comfort to that fellow over there behind the tree. That’s what people in Jesus Christ do.

1 Kings 8:41-43 (New Living Translation)

41 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name, 42 for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, 43 then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.

King Solomon is praying. In his prayer, he sees the future when all the people of the Earth will pray to Jehovah the God of Israel, the Creator of all.

There is much I can infer from this. It is easy to infer too much. Still, this is radical theology for that day in which Solomon prayed. God would “open the tent” and let everyone else in. All the people of the Earth—not just the descendants of Jacob (Israel)—could pray to the God of Israel and God would hear their prayers.

Now I infer some things. This predicts today. I am not a physical descendant of Israel, yet I pray to God and God hears my prayers. I am blessed by God and covered by the sacrificial blood of the Son, Jesus Christ.

Praise God. I am covered by the prediction in King Solomon’s prayers. Please God, help me to live a life that is somewhat worthy of Your blessings.

Romans 10:4 (New Living Translation)

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

We read here about how Christ accomplished the purpose of the law. And what was that purpose?

All who believe are made right with God.

This is one of those little sentences that are fit for a plaque on the wall or one of those tapestries or needlepoint things people used to do. I guess today it is a good “meme” for the Internet.

This is all quite simple. This is all so amazing it is difficult to understand. A poor carpenter’s son made be right with God. Well, that poor carpenter’s son was also the Son of God. That poor carpenter’s son lived a sinless life and suffered death anyway just for me.

Yes, this is all so amazing it is difficult to understand.

2 Samuel 14:14 (New Living Translation)

14 All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

In this (hi)story, a woman comes to King David with a story. The story isn’t true, but it is believable and concerns family members who experienced terrible things. If things continue, more suffering will come to family members. Isn’t it possible to stop all this? Isn’t it possible to say, “Enough is enough?”

The woman was sent by someone to King David to help David understand the troubles in his own family. David’s family needed to declare, “Enough is enough.”

The woman concludes by reminding David that God does not just sweep life away; instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.

Some folks believe that God loves to punish folks. God loves to see folks suffer and “get their just rewards.” We read here that God “devises ways”—that takes some time, effort, and thought—in bringing us back. God wants us back in a righteous relationship. God does not just sweep us away like accumulated dust on the back steps of the house.

Thank you God. Help me to understand and live fully with this love.

Romans 10:4 (New Living Translation)

4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Thank you Jesus Christ. Jesus already accomplished the purpose of everything—be right with God. We call that “be right with God” righteousness.

Jesus already accomplished this. Now wait, if Jesus already accomplished this, am I right with God? I think so. But wait, what about this and that and this other thing and give me a minute to think of a bunch of things. Let me make a list (I’m good at making lists).

There must be a mistake in translation or something as this doesn’t make sense. How can I be right with God? Why, that is a miracle. Perhaps that is the answer. It is all a miracle. It is all something far beyond my ability. It is all something far beyond any explanation. It simply is.

I want to think about this a while. I want to find the explanation. I want answers!

Silly me. On good days, I simply accept this and live in the wonderful grace of it all. Then there are all the other days. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 11:2-3 (Christian Standard Bible)

2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

The above verses were written about the early days of the church, i.e., the followers of Jesus. There was a group of persons in the church known as “the circumcision party.” Forget the issue at hand, note that the description of this party or that party or some other party.

What about “united in Christ?” Parties? What was that all about?

Well, that was all about what most of us are still about today—this party or that party. We have this group or that group. We just seem to be able to organize ourselves into groups of folks who think alike about this or that.

Why can’t we just be disorganized? Wait, is that what we want? What do we want? We are an odd lot.

Please God, even with my ability to organize and join organizations and think this way or that, help me in my unbelief.

Colossians 1:6 (New Living Translation)

6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

The Good News that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God sent to the world to take away everyone’s sins for all time was going out all over the world. That Good News bore fruit everywhere in how it changed lives.

Wow. Pretty impressive stuff. I believe this Good News still changes lives. When I sit still and open my eyes and ears, I see and hear it. It is right in front of me all the time. It is universal. Of course there are places where, well, things aren’t so changed (see, for example, Russia and Ukraine). Inside those places, however, there are lives that are changing.

Now, if these folks would just change the way I want them to change… Nope. Wrong. Stupid. God changes folks the way God wants them to change in the time and place of the changing. I don’t decide, I don’t choose, I don’t get to approve. That is good news, too.

Acts 6:1 (New Living Translation)

1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

The church was born. Everyone was excited, cut to the heart, ready to explode, all in agreement. Well, uh, er, maybe the last one wasn’t quite true.

There were rumblings of discontent.

It seems that some of these rapidly multiplying believers came from a background of speaking Greek while some others came from a background of speaking Hebrew. Something was lost in the Greek-to-Hebrew-and-back translation. A little misunderstanding here, a little misunderstanding there, and perhaps some all-too-well-understood thoughts.

Anyways, someone felt there was an unbalanced distribution of food to widows. That seems trite to me today as there is more food around than anyone could possibly eat (at least here in this comfy coffee shop in a rich place). Still, this was an issue at the place and time of the newborn church.

Can’t we all just get along? (Someone said that, right?) Well, if we just adjusted a little here and a little there, we would all just get along, right? Perhaps not. Perhaps rumblings of discontent is a human malady that has always and will always persist.

Sigh. The church would be wonderful if it were just me and Jesus, right? Seems that way on some days, but that is pretty selfish and downright stupid. Please God, help me to love my fellow follower of You.

Colossians 1:22 (New Living Translation)

22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

The writer is contrasting life before Christ and after Christ. We are now reconciled to God. I looked it up and found many definitions for “reconcile.” I struggled to find a definition that applied well to these sentences. Instead, let’s allow the sentences to inform me.

After this reconciling (theologians like to use “reconciliation”), we are blameless before God. We are without a single fault.

Well, this must be a translation problem because God knows that I have … Nope. Not a single fault. How can that be? Not a single fault? I mean, my clothes probably don’t fit just right or… Nope. Not a single fault.

That is impossible. Anyone can understand that just by standing there I have collected dust and that has marred my appearance and all that. Faultless? Impossible.

And God does the impossible all the time. That is … uh, well, impossible. And God does the impossible all the time. Praise be to God. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 5:24 (Christian Standard Bible)

24 As the captain of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, wondering what would come of this.

The Apostles were teaching and healing and doing all sorts of things that drew large crowds of people. Filled with jealousy, the High Priest and the Sadducees had these Apostles put in prison. At night, an angel led the Apostles out of the prison and back to the Temple courts where they continued what they were doing.

The High Priest told the prison officials to bring the Apostles before them. Uh, well, uh, you see… the Apostles weren’t in prison. They, well, uh, somehow…

And now we read that the chief priests were baffled. (Other translations read “perplexed,” etc.)

These chief priests were well educated and experienced men. They were not buffoons or others who were frequently “baffled.” They were respected in the community. They were rarely surprised and left to wonder what would come of this.

This is how God often does things. God leaves us baffled, wondering, and just plain unsure what is next. Rats. If I want to understand everything about something, I shouldn’t think about God and the ways of God. God is far beyond me. I will often be baffled. Praise be to God.