Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 10:2 (New Living Translation)

2 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

I don’t remember how many times I have sat in a Christian discussion in which the topic was this verse and what follows. We love to discuss divorce and remarriage. We must love it as we have done it so often.

In all these discussions, we focused on the words, “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

We never focused on the words, “Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question:”

The foundation or basis for the entire thing was a question that was a trap. They didn’t want to know what Jesus thought about divorce. They wanted to trick Jesus into saying something that could be used against Jesus later.

I have been in many classes and discussions when someone wanted to pose a hypothetical question. “If so and so does this or that, is that worse than so and so doing that or this, and what should be done with so and so after that and the other thing and…”

At some point in life I adopted the answer, “I don’t answer hypothetical questions. Do you have something real that you wish to discuss?”

That wasn’t and isn’t a popular answer, but I stick to it.

Jesus recognized the question given to Him was a trap. Jesus walked away from the trap. In essence, Jesus asked the people, “What is it you really want to discuss?”

The people shyly admitted that they were asking, “Is this worse than that or is the other thing worse than the first and third thing or other?”

Jesus taught them that sin was sin and that sin separated us from God. Only by accepting the saving grace of God can we come to God. All the trap questions and hypothetical questions in the minds of men and the ensuing discussions don’t help us one little bit. Let us look to God.

Matthew 10:12 (New Living Translation)

12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing.

Jesus is sending out the 12 apostles and giving them instructions on what to do and where to go. this sentence above is part of the instructions of Jesus.

We don’t talk like this these days. We don’t say things like this. And what does it mean to give a home your blessing?

It doesn’t mean to deposit a twenty dollar bill on the table at the entrance to pay for room and board. Should that be a hundred dollar bill these days?

Some of the commentaries I read say, “Salute the house.” Uh, well, that doesn’t help me. Other commentaries say something like, “Peace be on this house.” I guess that makes some sense. I want the peace of mind, heart, and spirit that comes with the grace of God to be on this house and all who live here.

Hey, I sort of like that one. The next time I walk into someone’s home I stop and speak clearly and say… Oh, wait. That is sort of weird, isn’t it? I mean, we don’t talk like that these days. Do we? Well, maybe we should talk like that these days. Maybe we should do and say things that most folks don’t do and say. Let’s begin today.

Joshua 7:24-25 (New Living Translation)

24 Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. 25 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

This is part of the (hi)story of a man named Achan who lived and died several thousand years ago. Achan had stolen some things that were dedicated to God. This thievery brought punishment and grief to all the people (all the Israelites).

Once found guilty, Achan faced punishment. We read that ALL this Israelites gathered and threw rocks at Achan AND ALL HIS FAMILY until they all died. ALL the Israelites then burned the dead bodies.

This was one of the great things that discouraged sin in the land. If you, my good neighbor and friend, sinned in such a way that required punishment of death, I had to help throw rocks at you until you died. I had to throw rocks. We didn’t have a professional executioner that did this for us. We all had to participate in killing you.

That was bloody and awful.

“Please don’t do that,” neighbors would tell one another. “I don’t want to help kill you, but I will have to help kill you if you do that.”

Have an affair with the young man down the road? I will have to help kill you. “Borrow” things without permission? I will have to help kill you. The list goes on. The “I will have to help kill you” goes on.

That was bloody and awful.

The death of Jesus on the cross was bloody and awful. The death of Jesus on the cross ended this bloody and awful situation in the community. Consider that for a moment. If nothing else, consider the size of that great gift. I no longer have to help kill my friend and neighbor.

Thank you God.

Ephesians 1:16b-17 (New Living Translation)

16b I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Paul describes his prayer for Christians living in Ephesus. Among several things, Paul asks that God will give them spiritual wisdom and insight.

Paul does not ask for business acumen or the ability to invent airplanes in the year 55 (1,850 years ahead of the Wright Brothers). No, spiritual wisdom and insight. Something powerful and worthwhile. With those things, the people would know God better—not just a little, but a lot, deep and wide and rich.

I feel that I know God better today than 30 years ago. Probably better than 10 years ago. That is comforting. Things roll off me easier these days. I’m not as upset now. Life is more pleasant. Sure, there are bad days, there are very bad days, but I am given my daily bread—what I need for each day.

Thank you God. Please bless others with greater spiritual wisdom and insight.

Romans 16:10a (New Living Translation)

10 Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves…

Here we hear about a man named Apelles. No, I don’t know how to pronounce that correctly. And I don’t know anything else about this man. What I do know is that Apelles was a good man whom Christ approves.

We have many words in the New Testament about Peter, John, Mary, Paul, and others. Apelles? There are six words here. That is all.

I pray that one day someone will say, “Say hello to Dwayne. He is a good man whom God approves.” That will suffice. That is much more than I deserve. Please God, help me to live up to that standard.

Numbers 35:20-21 (New Living Translation)

20 So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder. 21 Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet.

This part of the reciting of the old law concerns the death of a person by accident or by HATE. In today’s legal terms (I am not a lawyer, but I can read) we often use the term “manslaughter” for “the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought.”

Gosh, malice aforethought sure seems nicer than HATE.

In this old law, God is highlighting the role of HATE in SIN. In the New Testament, Jesus notes how HATING someone is the same as murdering them.

“Well, I don’t hate that fella’ over there. I don’t like some of the things that fella’ does, but hate? Naw, I don’t hate.”

That sure is a fine distinction. That sure is convenient for me to say. I have covered all the bases and come out clean and sin free and …

Nope. Sorry. Once again, I have tried to be God and set things up for my benefit. Nope. Sorry. Doesn’t work that way.

I am to love that fella’ over there. Don’t like some of the things that fella’ does? That is not a consideration. Love that fella’ PERIOD. THE END. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New Living Translation)

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Here is one of those list of bad things that some people do. Let’s jump to the end of the “list of bad” and note the exhortation for me.

Stay away from people like that!

People who are constantly doing those things are not good for me. I guess we call this “desensitizing.” I become so accustomed to the bad around me that I do it without noticing that I am doing bad all the time.

Now comes the BUT. But, if I stay away from these people, how can I show them Jesus?

Now comes the age-old question: Are these sinners pushing me (a fellow sinner) away from God or am I (a fellow sinner) pulling these sinners towards God? The short version is, “Who is influencing whom?”

There are times and situations when I (a sinner) can pull the other sinners towards God. I believe that today in America is one of those times. Things are “bad,” but things aren’t that bad. The news media paints an ugly picture, but the news media needs viewers so they can sell ads so they can get a paycheck. They exaggerate.

Let’s go out there and pull others towrds God.

How? What do I do? Turn around all the bad things in the list above. It’s simple: love others, love people more than money, be humble, praise God, obey parents, be grateful, hold sacred things sacred, and so on. Let’s not make this more complicated than necessary.

Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Hebrews 2:16 (New Living Translation)

16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.

Angels need help? They are angels. Yes, but they are not perfect, I guess. It seems from this sentence that angels could use some help.

Now comes the BUT. But Jesus did not come to earth the help those angels. Jesus came to help us folks—the descendants of Abraham.

(1) I read that to mean that us folks—especially me—need help. Not good news for me.

(2) I read that to mean, and here is the good part, that Jesus came to help me.

Let’s consider point (2). The Son of God came here to help me. I don’t have to “go it alone” or I am “not all by myself in this” or any other old saying that says I am on my own with no one to give me a hand. The Son of God is here to give me a hand.

Whoa. Let that settle in my mind and in my heart. Tough day? The Son of God is helping me. Bad circumstances? The Son of God is helping me. Everyone in the room against me? The Son of God is helping me. Those folks are wasting their time as they can’t overcome the help of the Son of God.

Please God, help me to realize this simple yet astounding statement.

Deuteronomy 2:25 (New Living Translation)

25 Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.

God is speaking to the people through Moses. God made the peoples who were in the way of God’s people terrified. Those poor folks will tremble with dread and fear.

Note, God can put thoughts in the minds of people.

“These aren’t the droids you are looking for,” is a famous line from a famous movie. A person put that thought into the minds of other persons. Viola’. A miracle.

That was just a movie. Moses is relaying real life that seems like a fairy tale, but it isn’t. In the ensuing years, people had the numbers and the defensive positions and all the physical advantages. Yet, they trembled with dread and fear and ran like they were full of dread and fear.

God put those thoughts in the minds of people.

Please God, help that other person to see a better way. Put thoughts of a righteous life in their minds. And please God, put those thoughts in my mind everyday as well.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New Living Translation)

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Here is one of those lists we find in the Bible. These are bad things that people who are consumed with bad-ness do. Can’t argue with the list.

Wait, how did “ungrateful” get in there? I mean, the other things in the list are really bad. We have slander, cruelty, hate, betrayal, rejection of God, and so on. But ungrateful?

Consider that God’s relationship with us (with ME) is a gift. When someone gives me a gift, it is polite to say, “Thank you.”

No, it is not just polite, it is righteous. It is right in the sight of God. That fella’ behind the counter at Starbucks gives me a coffee after I gave him money. Thank you. Okay.

God sacrificed Jesus in humiliation so that I can be clean in the sight of God. Uh. Thank you. Okay simple, but let’s get serious and be grateful. Let us live in gratitude. Let us show gratitude all the time in all we do and with all the people we meet.

That sounds like a pretty good way to live.